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?

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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.

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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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