Craven interest attaches to all corners of American politics, though sanctimonious liberals would have us believe that such was invented and practiced solely by conservatives. In 2006 Massachusetts liberals, led by Senator Ted Kennedy, in acute peptic distress over the possibility that Republican Governor Mitt Romney would appoint a Republican to fill President (sic) Kerry’s Senate seat after his glorious victory over the reviled Bush, moved to block such a dastardly move by changing the succession rules in place since that state’s inception.
Now in a teaching moment illustrative of “what goes around comes around,” the ailing Senator is pleading for the reversal to be reversed to insure that upon his demise a suitable liberal replacement can be instantly installed to insure critical votes on Health Care “Reform” and other issues.
Similar concern surrounds the health of West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd. A recent C-SPAN televised Budget Committee hearing showed him slumped over, appearing comatose. Recognizing that he controls (if he is in fact in control) his own fate, simple human compassion suggests that the longest serving Senator be allowed to retire in dignity and peace. The state’s democrat Governor will surely appoint a like-minded replacement, resulting in no change in the final Senate vote on critical issues.
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I recently saw a sign that taunted “My cash bought your clunker.” Lost in the euphoria over this cosmically successful program is that it is in truth a wealth distribution mechanism. I think it not a stretch to suggest that most of those who drive clunkers are at the low end of the economic scale and fact certain that those who pay the highest tax rates are at the other end.
Ergo, despite what you may think of the program, and others that are surely destined to come, moving money from one end of the socioeconomic scale to the other is a result in certitude of the wealth re-distribution process. Something the radical left has been promoting for decades. More than one way to skin a rat. (No cats ever have been or will be skinned in this BLOG).
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The Town Hall brouhaha is as interesting as it is loud. When Code Pink disrupts Congressional hearings this is democracy in action. When citizens all over the country display their anger at Town Hall meetings they are bands of unruly thugs orchestrated by Republican cynics.
Yes, there is massive mis-information being bandied about, and deplorable displays ala the Massachusetts woman who showed up at Barney Frank’s Town Hall with a picture of our President made to resemble Hitler (though I do recall a young man with whom I was sparring (verbally) who seemed quite proud of his equation of Bush to Hitler).
I have previously suggested that liberals who dismiss anger over Health “Reform” as orchestrated conservative thuggary are hopelessly out of touch. My take is that many in this country are angry and simply do not trust their elected officials at all points along the political spectrum. Though absent the media coverage of liberal politicians being pilloried at their Town Hall gatherings, conservative Republicans have not escaped citizen outrage.
I believe that Americans are slowly twigging to the reality that multi-thousand page legislation voted on in less than 24 hours (which even accomplished speedreaders could not wade through no less master), and more important, replete with vague language that anoints unelected officials (to wit: the Secretary of HHS) with astounding power to fashion policy and programs of their own liking, transmits truly scary authority to shape the most contentious issue of our time (save abortion) in ways inimical to the will of the electorate.
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Scotland has shown compassion to the murderer of 270 innocent souls aboard Pan Am 103. And of course he was treated as a hero by throngs of Libyans who met his charter plane at Tripoli airport. Did anyone in the world doubt that his reception would be any different? Well, apparently the U. S. State Department.
Peppered with questions as to why our diplomats exerted no significant pressure on our closest ally to deny his release, the official Department spokesman said he believed the return would be “low key.” “Let’s wait and see,” he cautioned. We did and we see. Reminiscent of women and children dancing in Palestinian streets after 911. And radicals would have us believe this is somehow our fault. Showing compassion to savage murderers reaps exactly what one might expect, and casts doubt on the sensibility of bureaucrats who make such calls.
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Hype often seems to drive our news-oriented culture, and while Cable is routinely flogged because of its need to maintain a 24/7 news cycle, the networks, at least here in Denver, seem in a mad scramble to collect viewers at any cost. As hurricane Bill meanders north in the mid-Atlantic, missing Bermuda and apparently a threat only to Port des Basques in the far eastern Canadian Maritimes, promos for network news scream about “the latest killer hurricane heading for New England – details at 5,” or 6, 9, 10, or whenever the talking heads gear up to amuse and amaze us. There may be some fish at risk and the occasional seagoing vessel, but Bill seems of little concern to the rest of the planet. But I guess it is forever true that if it bleeds it leads, and if it kills it thrills.
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Availability on the railroad varies wildly as (a) the season winds down and (b) folks who planned getaways in May realize they better giddiup lest the season expire with aspirations unfulfilled.
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Many Brits have the annoying habit of punctuating virtually every declarative sentence with “Isn’t it?” Sometimes repeated multiple times as they get closer to your face, depending on the degree of passion attached to their statement. Some years ago after interminable suffering, I found an effective antidote. After every “Isn’t it?” I injected a simple “No!” attempting to match the vehemence of the question with my own reply.
Americans now appear to have devised their own version of this annoyance by appending each sentence with ‘Ya know what I’m saying?” “No!” works equally well here, and no matter on which side of the Atlantic you apply this remedy it appears destined to bring the speaker up short, mouth open but no sound emanating therefrom, quizzical look spread upon the visage. Try it yourself.
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M. Nature is acting benign at the moment, but be careful lest you be lulled. After the disastrous Katrina/Rita/Wilma year of 2005 there were dire predictions of a decade of carnage, while in truth 2006 and 07 were as quiet as had been seen in decades. Just when you think it’s safe to venture outside…. The Adventure remains close to the phone.
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Saturday, August 22, 2009
Saturday, August 8, 2009
2009-21 GEORGETOWN
On the last day of July it snowed on the Continental Divide, not 10 miles west of Georgetown. No dump but a significant dusting. With great reluctance my landlady turned on the heat, and locals who but one short week before were kvetching about the canicule were now in high dudgeon over global cooling. And the winter fanatics made noises about waxing skies and snowboards. Vail sent an e-mail announcing “100 days till season opening.”
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Contrary to my prediction, the two female journalists imprisoned in North Korea have been released by the Pyongyang government after intervention by President Clinton and a cameo from Internet inventor Al Gore. The world rejoices, and were these my children I would be both ecstatic and immensely grateful. But questions arise.
These young women were warned in the strongest terms that venturing into harm’s way was foolish and dangerous. Likewise the three American hikers now detained in Iran were warned by Iraqi officials on the danger of straying close to the Iranian border. A full three days before their capture there were press reports of their plans and the grave danger spelled out in graphic terms. Yet they charged ahead, and now there will be immense economic and perhaps diplomatic cost to secure their release. Rewarding bad behavior always has consequences.
And remember, the women journalists’ motivation in traveling to North Korea was to create a documentary destined to make money for Gore’s production company. A book will certainly follow, and wouldn’t it be nice if those rescued and Gore Enterprises returned the profits to the government in small recompense for the immense cost in securing their release. When pork take wing!
Remember also it was the Clinton Administration that with great fanfare made substantial concessions to North Korea in return for promises that Pyongyang would curtail its nuclear program. Scarcely had the benefits of the trade-off been received in Pyongyang than Kim Jong-il stuck his finger up the American nose in marked defiance of the agreement.
The European response to such behavior is “Oh well, too bad, that didn’t work, we’ll just wait a while and try again,” ala the 19 “final” warnings to Saddam Hussein. Some Americans have the temerity to suggest that broken promises cloyingly forgiven simply embolden the promise breaker to expand such behavior.
We know not what promises and concessions the current negotiator, coincidentally spouse of the Secretary of State, made to Pyongyang. Certainly any significant quid pro quo will be denied, and the world will be induced to believe that Kim simply succumbed to Clinton’s engaging smile. Bad joss, here. Is there any evidence out there to suggest that rewarding bad behavior in children (or dictators) leads to better conduct and increased responsibility?
#####
What goes around (occasionally) comes around. Our President’s meteoric ascendency has obscured the fact that he cut his political teeth as a Community Organizer. Now it should be obvious that community organizers organize communities to meet needs they perceive to be important. ACORN and other less prominent organizers have a rich history of disrupting public events, not to mention the outright larceny that finds them frequently in Federal court.
But now that conservatives (and apparently some not-so-conservative common folk) are protesting health care “reform,” they are tagged as “unruly mobs” and tools of the Republican establishment. The White House has asked its loyal following to report anything “fishy” it observes emanating from these rabble-rousers.
No, I do not countenance violent disruptions at public gatherings, and the blatherings of the idiot Limbaugh are, as usual, harmful to the cause, but to suggest that the widespread anger over “reform” is an orchestrated “smear campaign” suggests that liberal politicians have, as usual, sand in their ears from sticking their heads in places where genuine dissent is stifled.
And if you read news accounts carefully (a diversity of news accounts, not just the ones that support your proclivities) it is apparent that some of the pushing and shoving is caused by liberal groups in high dudgeon over the audacity of hope on the part of some folks to make alternate voices heard.
Democrats have achieved such success with (dare I say it) carefully orchestrated “Town Hall” meetings where all attendees are thoroughly vetted, where all questions are fawningly polite and designed to allow home run after home run to be propelled over the political landscape. Must be disconcerting when some tough pitches come down the pike.
#####
It is axiomatic that if you give money to someone you make them smile and engender in them a warm fuzzy feeling. If you doubt, try giving a neighbor a nice gift, telling them it is just because you like them and want to do something nice. While you might be thought a bit odd, you will have cemented a friendship and perhaps even created some sense of obligation.
This I suggest has been a core strategy of Democrat politicians for well over a century. While unreconstructed liberals genuinely believe in the Robin Hood philosophy of wealth distribution, politicians are far more pragmatic and cynical, living with the hope that largess distributed will be rewarded with loyalty at the ballot box.
And this suggests uncharacteristic courage in many conservatives. Cash for Clunkers has been fabulously successful, with public support in the stratosphere (remember, giving away money usually makes the recipients happy), and its extension deemed a no-brainer. Look to conservatives (and perhaps a Bluedog here and there) voting against the extension to identify profiles in courage. Distributing largesse that will need be repaid by your successors is no altrustic virtue.
This leads, I believe, in great measure to the reason why Republicans found themselves in such a deep hole these past few years. Iraq yes, the economy certainly, an unpopular President undoubtedly, but turning sharply from core values and racing to out-spend Democrats is an issue too lightly considered. While their ranks appear diminished, there are still Americans unpersuaded by the “gimmie” philosophy. Hopefully their ranks will swell, less 200 years of economic prosperity crumble under a mountain of unsustainable debt.
And this, incidentally, is one of MANY reasons I refuse to join AARP. Imploring (with considerable muscle) the government to “gimmie, gimmie, gimmie” its members at every turn is appalling. How much better to request the government to take less from all Americans so private wealth can grow and ultimately individuals can leave resources to their successors.
Most of the aged who plan wisely (yes, I know there are exceptions) don’t need handouts and subsidies. Better that resources should go to the genuinely poor, the physically and mentally infirmed, abandoned and abused children, and others truly disadvantaged through no fault of their own.
.
.
#####
Contrary to my prediction, the two female journalists imprisoned in North Korea have been released by the Pyongyang government after intervention by President Clinton and a cameo from Internet inventor Al Gore. The world rejoices, and were these my children I would be both ecstatic and immensely grateful. But questions arise.
These young women were warned in the strongest terms that venturing into harm’s way was foolish and dangerous. Likewise the three American hikers now detained in Iran were warned by Iraqi officials on the danger of straying close to the Iranian border. A full three days before their capture there were press reports of their plans and the grave danger spelled out in graphic terms. Yet they charged ahead, and now there will be immense economic and perhaps diplomatic cost to secure their release. Rewarding bad behavior always has consequences.
And remember, the women journalists’ motivation in traveling to North Korea was to create a documentary destined to make money for Gore’s production company. A book will certainly follow, and wouldn’t it be nice if those rescued and Gore Enterprises returned the profits to the government in small recompense for the immense cost in securing their release. When pork take wing!
Remember also it was the Clinton Administration that with great fanfare made substantial concessions to North Korea in return for promises that Pyongyang would curtail its nuclear program. Scarcely had the benefits of the trade-off been received in Pyongyang than Kim Jong-il stuck his finger up the American nose in marked defiance of the agreement.
The European response to such behavior is “Oh well, too bad, that didn’t work, we’ll just wait a while and try again,” ala the 19 “final” warnings to Saddam Hussein. Some Americans have the temerity to suggest that broken promises cloyingly forgiven simply embolden the promise breaker to expand such behavior.
We know not what promises and concessions the current negotiator, coincidentally spouse of the Secretary of State, made to Pyongyang. Certainly any significant quid pro quo will be denied, and the world will be induced to believe that Kim simply succumbed to Clinton’s engaging smile. Bad joss, here. Is there any evidence out there to suggest that rewarding bad behavior in children (or dictators) leads to better conduct and increased responsibility?
#####
What goes around (occasionally) comes around. Our President’s meteoric ascendency has obscured the fact that he cut his political teeth as a Community Organizer. Now it should be obvious that community organizers organize communities to meet needs they perceive to be important. ACORN and other less prominent organizers have a rich history of disrupting public events, not to mention the outright larceny that finds them frequently in Federal court.
But now that conservatives (and apparently some not-so-conservative common folk) are protesting health care “reform,” they are tagged as “unruly mobs” and tools of the Republican establishment. The White House has asked its loyal following to report anything “fishy” it observes emanating from these rabble-rousers.
No, I do not countenance violent disruptions at public gatherings, and the blatherings of the idiot Limbaugh are, as usual, harmful to the cause, but to suggest that the widespread anger over “reform” is an orchestrated “smear campaign” suggests that liberal politicians have, as usual, sand in their ears from sticking their heads in places where genuine dissent is stifled.
And if you read news accounts carefully (a diversity of news accounts, not just the ones that support your proclivities) it is apparent that some of the pushing and shoving is caused by liberal groups in high dudgeon over the audacity of hope on the part of some folks to make alternate voices heard.
Democrats have achieved such success with (dare I say it) carefully orchestrated “Town Hall” meetings where all attendees are thoroughly vetted, where all questions are fawningly polite and designed to allow home run after home run to be propelled over the political landscape. Must be disconcerting when some tough pitches come down the pike.
#####
It is axiomatic that if you give money to someone you make them smile and engender in them a warm fuzzy feeling. If you doubt, try giving a neighbor a nice gift, telling them it is just because you like them and want to do something nice. While you might be thought a bit odd, you will have cemented a friendship and perhaps even created some sense of obligation.
This I suggest has been a core strategy of Democrat politicians for well over a century. While unreconstructed liberals genuinely believe in the Robin Hood philosophy of wealth distribution, politicians are far more pragmatic and cynical, living with the hope that largess distributed will be rewarded with loyalty at the ballot box.
And this suggests uncharacteristic courage in many conservatives. Cash for Clunkers has been fabulously successful, with public support in the stratosphere (remember, giving away money usually makes the recipients happy), and its extension deemed a no-brainer. Look to conservatives (and perhaps a Bluedog here and there) voting against the extension to identify profiles in courage. Distributing largesse that will need be repaid by your successors is no altrustic virtue.
This leads, I believe, in great measure to the reason why Republicans found themselves in such a deep hole these past few years. Iraq yes, the economy certainly, an unpopular President undoubtedly, but turning sharply from core values and racing to out-spend Democrats is an issue too lightly considered. While their ranks appear diminished, there are still Americans unpersuaded by the “gimmie” philosophy. Hopefully their ranks will swell, less 200 years of economic prosperity crumble under a mountain of unsustainable debt.
And this, incidentally, is one of MANY reasons I refuse to join AARP. Imploring (with considerable muscle) the government to “gimmie, gimmie, gimmie” its members at every turn is appalling. How much better to request the government to take less from all Americans so private wealth can grow and ultimately individuals can leave resources to their successors.
Most of the aged who plan wisely (yes, I know there are exceptions) don’t need handouts and subsidies. Better that resources should go to the genuinely poor, the physically and mentally infirmed, abandoned and abused children, and others truly disadvantaged through no fault of their own.
.
.
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