2009-15 GEORGETOWN

Today is one which in winter would be glorious. Steady precip, creating a wonderland of snowfall, perfect for a walk through town or a stroll in the woods. But now that the Vernal Equinox is upon us, an identical weather pattern produces biting cold rain that encapsulates the bones and an ominous fog that hangs over the valley housing Georgetown. A good day to BLOG.

And in a rare example of harmonious geophysical alignment, on this cheerless day the Georgetown Loop Railroad is out of commission, as 18-hours ago a sizable boulder tumbled down and into one of the open cars filled with enthusiastic riders contemplating nothing more aggressive than a cloudy chill replacing springtime sun. The car did not derail, no injuries resulted, but the rock made further passage impossible, and a second train was hurriedly dispatched to transfer passengers and return them to the station where they received full refunds. I found them surprisingly tolerant of the inconvenience. One German lad sitting in the very car struck by the chute de pierre labeled the occurrence the high point of his visit to America. One wonders as to his worst experience!

The Georgetown Loop Railroad features open gondolas and “covered” cars, i.e. roof but no side cover. I am amazed at the hearty souls who brave the elements – wind, drizzle, mid 40’s temperature – to glimpse a bygone era. Yesterday I took my mandatory familiarization ride and mine tour in “partly cloudy” conditions. By nature I avoid tours of any stripe, but did enjoy this one. Traveling through narrow passages cut into steep terrain, crossing (4 times) Clear Creek (near the height of its ferocity propelled by Continental Divide runoff), viewing the odd bighorn sheep, traversing the High Bridge, a narrow trestle several hundred feet above a steep canyon long ago named Devil’s Gate. The guide was informative and mercifully un-hokey. All in all a good day.

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I have some sympathy for Ms. Sotomayor, as every syllable she has uttered since puberty is now under a microscope. Don’t know about you, but I would certainly wither under such scrutiny. Both sides of the aisle play the gotcha game and both shriek in righteous indignation when the other side employs the tactic.

Is she qualified? Undoubtedly! But so was Robert Bork. Unquestionably. Though his judicial philosophy was unacceptable to the left. No less so than her remarks suggesting Latina women are more intelligent than white men are offensive to the right (and to other political philosophies, one would hope). And the Choice folks are twitching, as our President apparently neglected to inquire as to her abortion stance (exceeding hard to believe), and a little-reported factoid is that her ascendancy would mean a two-thirds Roman Catholic majority on the Court. That would mean that over half of all Catholics serving in the history of the High Court are currently sitting. Can you imagine the pressure on our President when the next vacancy occurs to appoint a Jew, a Muslim (Sunni, Shiite?), GLBT, et. al.

And I may have to ramp up my predictive tendencies. Despite much speculation as to the eventual nominee, it appeared to me a slam-dunk that the twin actualities of gender and ethnicity made Ms. Sotomayor an odds-on favorite.

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A troubling thought as Iran moves toward elections next month. It is plausible that its power structure, specifically its President, who honed his political skills in the “takeover” (a PC term favored by the media that actually means “terrorist siege”) of the American Embassy in Tehran some 3 decades ago, is actively baiting Israel to launch a pre-emptive attack. Unlike those of the last century, when troops massing on Israel’s borders provided clear evidence of impending danger (and thus some limited international sympathy), it seems that Iran may have a nuclear strike capability long before definitive proof can be laid before the United Nations, which in any event would posture and dither and issue empty warnings (Saddam was issued 19 “final” warnings as I recall).

This poses a true dilemma for America and illustrates an enduring geopolitical quandary – talk vs. action. It is clear that much of the planet, led by Europe, favors the former while the USA labels empty rhetoric as hypocrisy and charges headlong into the tall grass and nettles to varying world opinion: WWII, hero; Iraq, goat.

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And yes, as Ronald Reagan would say, “here they go again.” North Korea fires missiles. The UN Security Council scurries into Executive Session and hastily crafts a “severe response”. Result: North Korea launches more missiles and abrogates the 1953 Armistice. The planetary geopolitical geniuses certainly have the little dictator shivering in his boots, don’t they now?

And just this morning an “unnamed” White House source suggested that our President may have to “go it alone” if repeated UN warnings are unheeded. Say what? Could that be? Who was that other guy savagely vilified by having the temerity to “go it alone” when 19 UN “final warnings” failed to deter the Butcher of Baghdad?

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I have long believed that were some interplanetary voyagers to alight on our shores and request treatises describing all the major geopolitical "isms" practiced on earth – after study and contemplation they would likely embrace some form of communism or socialism. It sounds so good; but it does not work.

Today I arose hours before sunrise to hear my President address the Muslim world from Cairo. He sounds so good; I hope his words ring true. So far we have only the promise. But it is promise confronting centuries of history that tell a different story. Many will say that promise trumps its antonym. But promise sans fulfillment rings hollow and breeds false expectation. One can (and should) always hope, but the cynic in me urges caution. One indisputable fact remains however; our President has mastered speech as the French have conquered cuisine.

….Hurricane season is upon us, and the tragedy of Air France 447 reminds us that M. Nature is a formidable mistress…
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