Danish Outrage Reduced to Petulance Not Violence

60 minutes biased?  I know most people will find that assertion commonplace and some will even say wrong.  The reality is that fans of 60 minutes are generally either so uninformed or misinformed that they take what is presented to them as good journalism that is attempting to get at and present a true picture of a particular situation.  Another aspect of the belief paradigm is that most people are simply too lazy to ferret out the actual facts of any particular story to see if they match the CBS assertions.

What would be found, and it is the same with all network magazines, is an editorial bias to the left and in particular a destructive view of any nation that is friendly towards the United States. By aiding the United States in the anti-terror and Iraq wars Denmark became vulnerable to media acid attacks.  The recent portrayal of Denmark is a good example.  The Danes have every right to be outraged by the program which showed Denmark as a society of dumb blondes, which I can assure you from personal experience is not the case.  The program portrayed Danes as insensitive white folks intent on excluding people of “color.”  The complete opposite is true.  Their hearts bleed for the world.  The country as whole has a socially liberal bent and is in fact a welfare state as is most of Europe.  The education system works and the religious life is basically form without substance; a natural reaction to the religious wars of the 16th and 17th centuries.

Recently there was a reaction from a famous Danish journalist, Samuel Rachlin, to the CBS story on 60 minutes. This reaction is what can be expected from anyone who has been falsely accused and is feeling angry, hurt, and powerless.  It is also a bit childish and naïve.  The CBS story would have been better reasoned had the actual facts of the Muslim cartoons had been presented; that would not happen for obvious reasons.  One weak point of Rachlin’s argument damaged the writer’s credibility; that the US had problems with integration during Katrina and “we Danes” didn’t crow about it.  This argument is of course false and distracting but reveals something more interesting.  When a conservative American government is elected the European assumption immediately is “Oh look how stupid those Americans are.  Why can’t they be sophisticated as we are?”  This is not simply a Danish phenomenon; it is also espoused by the “cultural elites” in the United States and all the other “advanced” European societies.  Fans of CBS, ABC, and NBC news will never get a completely true picture of the United States (or any place else) the people who are reporting and managing the coverage are products of the Watergate era during which their colleagues became famous and wealthy by attacking the government and society members whose ideas did not agree with theirs.  Since then liberalism self-hatred has been in the ascendancy. The guilt they feel because they are prosperous and others are not is palpable and ridiculous.

There will never equality of circumstances or even a free exchange of ideas as long as human nature prevails.  Some people have a fortunate birth but have faulty genetic equipment and bring ruin upon themselves.  Some are less fortunate in their births but have strong genetic tools that enable them to rise above the crowd.  Others and this is the largest group simply muddles along and does most of the regular work and is satisfied. Most people are interested in the opinion of others in direct proportion to its agreement with theirs.

Danish outrage over the 60 Minutes portrayal of their country and society is fully justified.  The idea that this behavior by 60 Minutes is an anomaly though shows a certain bias and naiveté as well.  It is common to accept the authority of one that is preaching the words the audience wants to hear and difficult to bear when the words of that authority are turned against the very audience which had respected it.  I feel certain, without personal knowledge of the case, that Mr. Rachlin has himself presented stories which have reflected his personal bias; it’s the news business and it is human nature to project oneself in to the story.

I was a faithful viewer of 60 minutes for too many years; I stopped my addiction when I realized that a kernel of truth found in a bushel of half-truths and outright lies is a rotten combination that should be ignored.

Money or Happiness is There Really a Difference?

Should one work for money or should one find a career that assures happiness?  Actually that question is not a choice, if acted upon correctly prosperity and happiness are inevitable.  Here is why this is true.  We all know that we live in an imperfect world, right?  Let’s think about that for a minute.  In my mind the world is perfect; it is in the lives of its inhabitants that the imperfection occurs.

I have engaged in activities simply because I thought they would provide wealth, and I did acquire a lot of money.  I then behaved in ways I thought would provide happiness, they didn’t.  Here is the solution, it is simple but difficult.  Look around and try to find examples of excellence.  I don’t mean simply something that is just good, I mean really excellent.  After searching for awhile you will find some examples, some that will surprise you.  As you look deeper you will find two more things: prosperity and happiness.  Why?

The simplicity is this; the world seeks perfection or tends towards perfection.  It is the most desirable quality because it cannot be attained in an absolute sense.  The simple act of trying is in itself so rare that it too is valuable.  Couple the striving for perfection with an activity that brings personal satisfaction to the striver and without a doubt prosperity and happiness will follow.  This is not an overnight situation, it takes time.  It might take a few or many years to achieve this state, but with belief and effort success is unavoidable.

The reason most people never arrive is due to the difficulty of continuing against what seem to be setbacks, poor initial choice of activity and subsequent discouragement, laziness (another name for fear) and finally most people don’t believe my theory is true.

Dreams can’t come true if they are never dreamt.  When planning or imagining anything about what you want to achieve always make your fantasy the most extreme example of the success you think you want.  In a fantasy you are in charge and it always works out the way you want.  Do you want to be the most knowledgeable archaeologist on earth?  Dream it, it will happen.  You’ll have to work on it, but without the dream your subconscious has nothing to work on.

All personal success and happiness comes from satisfying an internal urge.  That urge must be stimulated.  For some this stimulation is easy but most of us have to search for what is best.  This search can be made simpler this way.  By remembering that success and happiness are the two most powerful stimulants and thinking about the wonderful euphoric feeling you got when something you did was most satisfying, you then know what you want to repeat and are on the right track.  If you look at your life as a quest for dollars at the end you will fail.

If you do something, anything, productive and you are among the best to ever do that thing, money will chase you around.  People want to be around excellence, they love basking in its reflection because they don’t understand it.  The wealthiest people are those who respect themselves and enjoy helping others.  Money should never be an objective it should and will always be a by-product of excellence.

New Life

This is Makena Grace Curley, born March 6, 2006 to Kevin and Beth Curley. This is my wife's and my third grandchild and we are happy to have her. I certainly hope her life turns out to be a happy and productive one. She has a great start as she is surrounded by a loving extended family. This is something every child needs but fewer and fewer in today's world are lucky enough to have. I chose this picture because it appears that she is looking out at the world with a skeptical gaze. I know the feeling.

She is named after a village in Hawaii, on Maui, so perhaps she will have a sunny and mild dispostion with only the occasional blustery storm.

I wonder what changes will occur during her lifetime? Space colonies, cancer cure, endless religious warfare, decline of US influence in the world, all of these are possible perhaps probable. The advances in technology are really unimaginable because truth is certainly stranger than fiction. As Tom Clancy wrote "Fiction has to make sense, the truth doesn't" The interesting part of the changes she will see is that such changes will be amazing to those already of age, while to her and her contemporaries it seem like a natural progression. Which of course it will be.

Anyway, Welcome Makena. 

Sainthood for All

I was educated by the Roman Catholic Church in a series of what was known at the time at parochial schools.  I guess the term was used to illustrate the narrow focus of the curriculum.  A Catholic education, during the 1950s and 60s was an experience that I liken to a military experience.  It wasn’t that much fun at the time but as a survivor it’s an experience that cannot replaced or truly explained to anyone who hasn’t been there.  There was a certain ineffable quality of love and brutality that kept one alert, wary, with a strong longing for escape.

The education was first class.  Even I, a poor student at best, managed to absorb knowledge and life skills at a survival level far above my public school counterparts.  I haven’t kept up with my schoolmates but it wouldn’t surprise me to find most of them as successful citizens contributing to the community.  The emphasis in the program was learning not financial gain, which is a little unfortunate for those who don’t get to live in a convent or rectory.  Nonetheless the intellectual life was, as I now realize, quite amazing.  The assumptions of the plan included the idea that the students were capable of being stretched to the limit and so they were.  You could fail; you could be as many grades behind as necessary to get you to the level required by the Church’s idea of an educated person.  We had students that were two and sometimes three years older than the grade level.

So with all this brain power cooking away in a world that was and is rapidly changing, how did and does the church think people will continue to believe in the spiritual agenda?  I come to this question because as I was watching the newscrawler at the bottom of my television picture I noticed a tag about some priest investigating a possible miracle cure by the late Pope John Paul II.  I got to wondering about this.  In Christian life death is the beginning not the end of existence.  I began to imagine John Paul getting to the pearly gates and being told to head on back down to earth if he wanted a better seat in the room God reserves for His closest friends.  It must be crowded in there. So, do these dead holy people have to circle the planet looking for a worthy cause in an effort to earn Sainthood?  I noticed that there were actually two potential miracles to investigate to establish the rationale of Sainthood status.  Let’ suppose this is something that is real.  What happens after the confirmation is made, do the miracles stop?  I can’t remember hearing of recent miracle investigations of the actions of, oh, let’s say St. Joseph.  Is it the case that once a dead person shows enough life to cause a miraculous action that they can accept a certain status; something like class 1 saint and relax around heaven?

I have long ago left organized religion to those who enjoy living with ghosts and who earn a living scaring the hell out of people instead of nurturing the heaven in them.  All of us have a certain spiritual longing that is difficult to cope with and to pin down effectively. For that reason I never disparage anyone’s beliefs but I do wonder why they believe it.

Our Similarities are Killing Us

In the long view, a view that is very difficult for humans to adopt due to our short life span, there a great many more cultural similarities than there are differences.  This is true especially when considering the Western Civilization vs. Eastern Civilization.  Consideration of these two cultures ignores others in sub-Saharan Africa and pre-Columbian South America.  Let that be the case for this discussion.

As I type and you read we are still feeling the aftershocks of the Roman Empire, it is likely that this will always be the case barring the extinction of peoples wanting democracy, a certain appreciation of life and its gifts.  Admittedly Roman civilization was derived from earlier Greek, Etruscan, and most likely other not so well known cultures.  Rome refined the classical Greek thinking and lifestyle and added a mechanical logic to previous philosophies that is felt today.

The effects in Europe are obvious from the various languages and customs, nearly all of which are Latin based. The Germanic and Celtic languages are survivors of so-called barbarian tribes that did not fully assimilate the Roman ways, the same goes for Scandinavian, and even more remote peoples like the Basques.  In every other way Roman influence is obvious in architecture, legal systems, political life, commerce, and even social customs. The United States of America is, at its roots, a Greco-Roman society.

The Middle East, or Asia Minor as it was once known, is susceptible to the same analysis.  The Greeks got there before the Romans and had a tremendous impact on the area.  A Greek family, the Ptolemy’s, actually became Pharaohs, and ruled Egypt for centuries; Cleopatra being one the family’s more notorious members.  Hellenic culture prepared the way for Roman conquest and in fact Jesus Christ was undoubtedly a Hellenistic Jew whose followers longed to overthrow the Roman rule in Judea.  As Christianity blossomed it moved to the City of Rome and ultimately its liturgy, hierarchy, and laws found their basis in Roman traditions.

As Rome disintegrated slowly over hundreds of years Christianity was used as a unifying tool by Constantine in his bid to takeover the empire, he was by the way a native of Trier in what is now Germany.  He moved the empire east to Byzantium, renaming it Constantinople in his own honor.  This beginning grew into the Ottoman Empire at a much later date.  It was here that the amalgam of Christian and Jewish thought was coupled with a desert peoples need for a creed.  Thus was born Islam.  The essential tragedy of modern life is that the combatants all the same basic belief system.  It’s the bells and whistles that make the difference.

The Arabs, Chaldeans, Persians, Jews, and Christians are doomed to a death struggle if they fail to recognize the similarities that are currently driving them apart.  All are descendants of the influence of Greco-Roman thought and lifestyle; either in acceptance or denial.

The European system of monarchies and feudal lords was based on Roman governors and nobles left isolated throughout Europe by the fall of Rome.  The Caliphate, though much more centrally organized, is a direct offspring of the methods employed by the rulers of Byzantium.  The heirs saw no need to reinvent the wheel.  Modern problems are caused by a system of political and religious development that was not parallel, or to the extent it was there has been a significant lagging behind in the Islamic nations.

This is not the only explanation but it is one and it is one that should be considered and examined more closely.

Democrats Win The 2006 Elections

The Republican Party has committed suicide.  It’s hard to believe but it’s true.  A group of politicians that once espoused excellence, decent behavior, and the idea that the best interests of the public should be served, have become pseudo-Democrats.  As a group they were always a bit cowardly, refusing to stand up to the outrageous specious attacks of Tom Daschle, Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer, Hillary Clinton, Charles Rangel, Ted Kennedy and the other luminaries of the dreck filled Democrat universe.  The Republicans have outspent the Democrats, something I never thought possible.

As a citizen of the US who has voted in every election since I came of age, mostly as a Democrat and recently as a Republican, I am disgusted.  I realize this feeling is not new; Mark Twain more than 100 years ago called the congress of the United States the largest, most public aggregation of crooks on the earth.  While nothing has changed on that front the country and the world have become much more dangerous.  We need leaders not place holders.  Representative Cunningham, a war hero, a brave person, is going to prison for eight years for taking bribes.  What would be the population of the congress if all were known about the rest of them?  They are the most disingenuous, lying group of individuals elected by a public that is so poorly educated that the cheapest advertising and media manipulations are effective.

The Democrat party will be returned to power in the year end elections.  It will have nothing to do with their plan, as they have none, but because the Republicans have abdicated their advantage.

We Are Who We Elect

Do our elected representatives really represent the average American?  Alas, I am afraid so.  It is difficult for many to believe but George Bush appears to be head and shoulders above the members of the legislative branch in terms of character, intelligence, and world awareness.  Bush has only a mild record of pandering to public opinion which is why his poll numbers are so low at the moment.  It is my prediction that history will be very kind to him and his presidency; this despite the fact that most historians today have a severe Marxist, left wing bent.  The truth will out no matter how long it takes.

In the case of the Ports and foreign operation of terminals, this is an example of how the congress is really an image of the American people.  There are a few voices of reason among a large group of venal, uninformed, mercurial, fearful, and complacent individuals.  When visiting the Capitol one may look up to see the flags blowing with the wind, the same scene may be found within the offices of the representatives of the people.  These congressmen and senators are job holders plain and simple.

They worry more about their perks than they do about our safety.  They protect their benefactors more than their constituents.  For example it is now coming out that the asbestos and silicosis class action suits are rife with fraud; that law firms apparently paid for false medical diagnoses (in a least 68,000 cases) resulting in immeasurable damage to our legal and business system.  Will the Democrats demand an investigation?  I don’t think so as one Democrat congressman moved to end hearings with the comment that “Trial lawyers get blamed for everything from 9/11 to global warming.”  Decide for yourself what would be happening if this was a Republican issue.  The reverse is also true.

The unbelievably inept system of education in our country is one the great tools that enemies can use against us.  Militarily we can not be defeated.  We have, and are developing more, weapons that can be operated remotely.  We can, and this will most likely be the case, bomb Iran without the loss of a single US military life by using UCAVs (unmanned combat aerial vehicles).  These weapons can target and bomb places that are many hours from our shores, accurately and with devastating results, but we can’t get out of our own way in world affairs.  Neither right nor left really understand or care about the rest of the world.

In the United States if it’s not about us we are not interested.

Just a Picture in a Photo Album

I met my new granddaughter yesterday.  She is beautiful and appears to be fully equipped to start her journey through life.  I am already grandfather to two boys, who are also wonderful, but it got me thinking a little.  By the time I became cognizant of life both of my grandfather’s were already dead.  My fraternal grandfather died just weeks before my birth and my maternal grandfather died about a year and a half later.  To me they have always been just pictures in a photo album.  There is no way to know or appreciate dead people, and when they are part of the genetic mix that is you it’s an irreplaceable loss.

Because of distance, and family discord it was impossible for me and my siblings to know our grandmothers very well either.  As I look around and think back it occurs to me that nothing is or can be as valuable to a human being as a stable extended family.  This includes the crazy uncles and aunts, the wacky granddads, and loving grannys.  The ability to see where one’s origins lie, in person, must be a great experience.

My wife and I see our role as grandparents being stress relieve valves for the parents of our grandchildren, and the grandchildren themselves.  I doubt very seriously that, if we can maintain our relationship with these children, that they will turn out to be problem adults; it’s possible but not likely.  Our children still have one set of grandparents living; they lost completely the chance to have a relationship with their maternal grandfather, but did know their grandmother.  These experiences, both happy and sad, have shaped their perspective on life in positive ways.  They are really fine people, and so will their children be.

Society needs families as much or more than families need families.  Children and adults need a safe haven for tough times. It is not easy to maintain healthy family relationships; the slightest blow can disturb the balance for years.  Any family that has weathered the storms of life is to be admired.

I am very happy that for my grandchildren I won’t be just a picture in a photo album.

Its Back

I see from the paper today that AT&T is re-forming despite its breakup in 1981.  At the time I was in the telecom industry at the time and thought that this state of affairs would be the ultimate result.  The rationale for breaking up the Bell System was flawed.  The underlying reason was a good one.  The public reason was to encourage competition and to break up monopoly power.  The real reason was to accelerate technology development and introduction..

In 1981 the Bell System dominated telecommunications in the United States; similar situations existed around the world, the difference being that the Bell System was publicly owned while most others were government owned.  Because of their dominance the Bell Companies preferred to amortize their multi-billion dollar investments over a long period and so were not inclined to rapidly introduce technology that would make their investments obsolete.  MCI changed all that.

The prosperity of the 1990s can not be ascribed to any politician (Bill Clinton) or party (Democrats); the 1990s were a technology boom started by  of all people Richard M. Nixon, or at least his justice department which filed suit in 1974.  Today anyone can start a telephone company; and many are.

The latest refinement of voice over IP is just that; the latest not the last.  Already it is possible to do almost everything over a wireless phone, and with WiFi work can be done almost anywhere.  These things would not be happening at this juncture were it not for the 1981 breakup of the Bell System.  AT&T still owns Bell Laboratories but has little interest in regaining Lucent Technologies, at the time known as Western Electric.  AT&T was, and I emphasize was, the world’s greatest technology company, even now it is hard to miss senior engineers and executives who at one time or other worked for the Bell System.  They are going away to be sure, but they’re still around.

The new AT&T will never again be the force it was and that’s a good thing.

Is There a Culture in the US?

Does the United States have a culture, or in fact any culture?  If you ask our sophisticated European friends the answer is yes the US has a culture but it more like a bacterial one found in sewage.  They would know of course as their various histories and cultural achievements are well known and obvious.  If you ask our unsophisticated enemies who hate us passionately the answer is also yes, the US has a culture that is Satanic, decadent, and one that must be destroyed.  Ironically this latter view of the United States is almost exactly that of our far left leaning fellow citizens.

Actually the United States does have culture, not a culture, but many.  This is why we are loved, hated, envied, emulated, admired, and discounted.  I know this to be true because in my life I have been fortunate in having been able to travel the world and have been exposed to many peoples, cultures, and ideas.  In the United States one can do this almost every day without much trouble.  We are of course a nation of immigrants and as such we have imported everything from everywhere.

The main cultural aspect of the United States is capitalism which is the prism through which we must be viewed.  Capitalism makes success possible as it encourages personal development while socialism breeds self-contempt and ingratitude.  It is human nature to want to do it yourself.  The greatest gift any government can give is the chance to succeed.  All the rhetoric notwithstanding we are a very peaceful people and we hate any endeavor that keeps us from succeeding in our personal lives.  We will fight if forced to but we are not warlike.  Our defense is strong but its use is preferably dissuasive in nature.  We are currently in a situation which feel we have been forced to fight.  We are selfish.

In the United States there is a strong anti-intellectual bias.  My guess is that this is a result of experience with intellectuals in the “Old Country,” whichever old country that might be.  Cuba, for example, is still reeling from Castro’s intellectual takeover.  Our own political left would behave the same way if given a real chance to take over; which is why they won’t get it.  Our citizens have a healthy disrespect for authority and this makes us strong.  We also have, in general, a low level of interest in academic pursuits for their own sake.  College and University are simply for getting ahead and making connections for later life, this is probably true elsewhere but there is a pretence not found in the United States.  This is the reason high school and college graduates to a large degree can not read or write effectively.

We are a shrewd people; a native cunning has evolved from our immigrant natures.  We know how to survive and are not afraid to do so.  We come from everywhere and are disdained for it.  Ask any German and he will tell you that Americans are the dregs of the societies they left.  Americans are the descendants of failures in the homeland.  That probably is the case when viewed from the exalted heights of the European class system, but we like it.

Democracy: The Root of All Evil?

It’s funny the way people hear things.  I saw an article on the TV news about a high school teacher in a Colorado town who had been suspended pending a review of his actions in the classroom.  Apparently he had been interpreting the Bush state of the union speech or at least relating to the students the way he heard the message.  His comments point up the appalling lack of talent in the United States teaching corps and the way liberalism has been twisted so completely out of shape as to have lost its relevance.

This instructor got just about everything wrong.  Of course his opinions are valid in the sense that they are his, but his grip on history is a little loose.  He claims that Bush and Hitler use the same tones of voice and the comments are ethnocentric in nature. It is impossible to be ethnocentric when referring to the United States.  1930s Germany, yes Hitler was focused on the so-called Aryans.  He was also focused on eliminating the Jews.
This Colorado teacher, molder of young minds considers the United States to be the most violent nation on earth.  I guess they don’t have newspapers or internet connections in Colorado or he could inform himself about Iran, a country that imprisons and executes bus drivers for wanting a union.

This situation is a prime example of the failure of liberalism in the West.  I say again they hate themselves, their country, and their lives.  They are embarrassed by their wealth, opportunities, and freedoms.  As they look around the world and realize that only by accident of birth are they able to ski, vote, rant, and rave, instead of scratching out a meager existence under the watchful eye of a mullah or religious policeman they feel left out.

Another point this fellow makes should cause each of us to pause before voting for a Democrat who espouses this position; he considers democracy the governmental system of violent suppression. My guess is that he and his ilk know what is best for the rest of us and once in power would like to continue telling us what to do and how to live.

I saw a bumper sticker yesterday and it read “If you are not appalled you haven’t been paying attention, Vote” Its meaning is not clear and can be interpreted in several ways but if it is what I think it is then it means “If you don’t agree with me you are stupid”.  Of course it could be a protest against higher property taxes but I doubt it.

Journalists have a liberal bias

Journalists have a liberal bias, that much is true, but why is this the case? To a large extent journalists feel that they must keep track of government activity and that they are protecting to the public.  Maybe this was true at one time.  In today’s polarized world this is no longer the case.  In the United States journalists are generally Democrat party hacks, except for FoxNews where they are generally GOP hacks.  There are exceptions of course.  Since the late 1960s journalism has been corrupted by “liberal zeal” and the goal is to unseat the existing government if it has a “conservative” bent.  There has never been a case of a journalist making his/her mark by embarrassing a Democrat president.  No reporter chased Lyndon Johnson around after he escalated the Vietnam war; college students were much more effective.  There were no Dan Rathers.  Dan made his bones chasing Richard Nixon around and Dan never got over it. Yet journalists made excuses for Bill Clinton.

Journalists must always possess a certain quality of cynical naiveté with the emphasis on naiveté.  Part of the problem is that journalists graduate from colleges where Marxist professors hold sway and this influence is insidious as it makes the prosperous college student feel guilty.  As a journalist it is difficult, once one becomes aware of a problem or injustice, to look at it simply as a story and not a crusade.  Journalists also tend to look down on their audience on the basis of the experiences they have that the average Joe never will.  They begin to have a slight case of egomania.  Once awards have been won the authority of the particular journalist is confirmed, they must.  This is obvious from the recent Dick Cheney press riot.

Journalism in the past had a conservative bias.  The Hearst papers actually got wars started.  Liberal bias is a partial reaction to “Yellow Journalism” and is now “Blue Journalism.”  Why else do we get the scare stories of environmental catastrophe, health debacles, earthquakes, hurricanes, all of which would never happen if a Democrat were president?  Why is the general public so gullible?  Well most of the reason for the stories is that there is space in the paper to fill, and if you repeat something often enough it will probably come true.

In the United States and Europe we are rather lucky to have a “free press” which despite its bias is allowed to have one.  In most countries there is no such thing.  The citizens have no real idea of what is going on around them unless they are able to get information from the internet sources or bootleg radio and television signals.  Despite the objections to liberal media they are not a danger.  Anyone who wants to can dig deeper into a story to verify or discount its contents.  So enjoy your freedom, if you have it, and read on.

The Axis of Prosperity

There is a new triangle of economic power being made final.  The Axis of Prosperity composed of India, China, and the United States, will shape the rest of the 21st century both economically and politically.  It is the opportunity of a lifetime and I’m afraid that Europe is going to be left out to a large degree.  One of the positive attributes of the United States is its determination to succeed and survive; our left wing politicians notwithstanding.  Bush’s trip to India is simply highlighting the situation.

Some may not remember but during the 20th century India and China fought two border wars.  Now they are in competition to become the outsource platform for the production of products formerly designed and built in the United States.  This economic shift has been going in fits and starts for several years and is now about to really take off.  Please note that neither country has a majority Muslim population.  Both countries do have large mainly poor populations that are ready to be integrated into the world economy envisioned by One Worlders.  This in itself is not bad rather it is a complication, and should provide full employment for protesters for years to come.

President Bush is being lambasted by Indian Muslims, on the orders of their leaders no doubt, but they do so at the risk of their lives.  It is well known that Hindus and Muslims do not get along and during their frequent massacres the Muslims usually come out on the wrong end of the body count.  That is why we have Pakistan.  India, with the earth’s second largest population, is also the world’s largest democracy.  They do a remarkable job of maintaining the appearance of democracy and encourage entrepreneurship among the appropriate caste members.  This is the fly in the Indian ointment.  Until nations can overcome their ancient cultural mores success will continue to be somewhat elusive.

China on the other hand has the world’s largest population and has it almost under control. I don’t think it’s much of a risky prediction to say that in 50 years both China and India will be unrecognizable in their current form.  There is no way to centrally control 2 billion people from the top down.  This is already evident in the fraying of Chinese society; rampant corruption at local levels of government, increasing instances of demonstrations; usually suppressed by violent police action, and a general discontent about the wealth generation being closely held.

Should the United States be successful in managing its relationship with these two giants and successfully help them manage the transition to come, then the world will be a much better place.  Unfortunately there are still the Arabs and Iran to be dealt with in the short term.

My prediction: look for fires in Iran and bombers returning to US bases.

Islam -Its Heart Revealed

Islam is revealing its true nature and is matching up to my view that religion is just another political system that is designed to command and control its adherents. There is peace in Islam. Since its founding in 622 AD by Mohammed Islam has been at war. First with the local populations and then through wars of conquest and of conversion by the sword. Today is no different. Modern Islam is a pale reflection of its intellectual past and its modern leaders are nothing more than thugs and murderers.

What is happening in the world today is the result of ignorance, illiteracy, self-hatred, and fear that Islam is irrelevant. All religion as currently practiced is irrelevant when confronted by democracy. There are no votes in church.

The Arabic contribution to the world is immense, the concept of zero, medical discoveries, advances in mathematics, Algebra ( Al-Gebra) for example are just a few of the ancient human gains from Arabic minds. Where have these thinkers gone? Today they are hiding from the religious police because science can be at odds with religion. The examples from Iran, not an Arab nation, of Islamic death squads prove that individual freedom of thought and expression are inimical to the ayatollahs and mullahs.

Religion is designed to provide guidance, solace, and hope. Islam and many Christian sects are great in the guidance department but need work in the other two. Everything that is transpiring in today’s world is a perversion of religious intent and thought. Of course this is not new especially where acquisition of wealth, power, and domination are concerned. The hypocritical behavior of Muslim leaders is so egregious that they don’t even notice it. They are like children blinded by their own fears and desires, unaware of the rest of the world. The result is piles of dead human beings who should still be alive and striving to make lives. The difference between modern Islam and Nazi Germany, Communist Russia, and North Korea is difficult to discern. It is time to recognize that no amount of appeasement is going to prevent destructive behavior. In fact appeasement will encourage more outrageous acts of violence.

This is a late post

This is a late post because I have been thinking about it for a while.  Now is the time for the Democrat party to come up with ideas instead of complaints.  I believe George is tired and will be extremely glad when he is no longer the president.  The Democrats have put the nation through six years of high school recriminations and it hasn’t been fun.  It is tiresome, though amusing, to constantly have to watch their antics and listen to what passes for intellect in Democrat circles.  The most prominent Democrats are the Hollywood nut cases.  These are people who earn a living pretending to be someone else.  Some will even say that they get so wrapped up in their character portrayals that they lose sight of themselves.  How did they get to be the spokespeople of the great unwashed about whom they care nothing?

In the case of the terminal management system being ceded to Dubai George is wrong.  We do not and can not trust Arabs.  Nearly all Arabs are Muslims, but nowhere near all Muslims are Arabs.  We must cast our xenophobia in terms of Arabs not Muslims. Xenophobia it is, and ironically enough it is the world loving Democrats that now postulate this theory.  As usual Al Gore is behind the curve, two weeks ago he was praising the Saudis and castigating the horrible treatment the United States has foisted upon its Arabic citizens.  In the first place the Democrat party –line is that the Saudi’s are our enemies and in the second no Arabic citizens of the United States have been treated horribly.  Poor Al I guess inventing the Internet was too much for him and he’s never recovered his strength.

Unfortunately for the Democrats they will not change their behavior, which is good for the United States, but again tiresome for its citizens.  How can they let such an opportunity pass them by?  Do they really think that Barak Obama and Bush hating are keys to success?  We’ll have to wait and see.

New York Poofery

Thank goodness for Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton, ever since Mad Magazine went out of business a good replacement has been missing.  Now we have the New York Senators.  The Senators are a comedy duo that is unsurpassed for their slapstick and posturing.  They are delightful in their inanity and can always be counted on to provide a great show!  While not particularly photogenic, they more than make up for this limitation by providing intellectual distractions that draw attention away from their physical ailments.

Their latest routine, Stop The Arabs At Our Ports, is a hilarious act that trumps the need for sensitivity towards others, injects a lively dose of racism, while still maintaining an anti-military, anti-Bush cacophony that drowns out reason.

Oh!  If only they and their friends could be in charge of real life.  Think of the capitalist deals that wouldn’t be made, imagine everyone “working” for the government.  All pay all play all the time, which should be their platform.  What a wonderful world it would be, why Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro could make cameo or guest appearances, just think of the ratings.

Their act of stopping the sale of P&O to DP World is amazing; its high wire suspense is without match.  Imagine, two senators will direct shareholders of two companies from two different countries about how to behave!  This is wonderful how great the USA is now and will be under their tutelage.  Theirs is an act that you must take in at the soonest opportunity.  See them now while the show is still on the road, before they hit the big time.

Remember you heard it here first.

A Tiger on the loose

It’s not a good idea to twist a tiger’s tail.  This is especially true if that tiger’s name is Woods.  Yesterday at the Accenture World Match Play Championships, part one held at La Costa, Tiger Woods put on a display of golf that hasn’t been seen in a long, long time.  In fact at the professional level one would have to go back to the Hagen – Jones match during the 1920s to find such a lopsided win.  Sir Walter took Bobby to the cleaners with a score of 11 and 7 over 36 holes.  Tiger’s accomplishment is even stronger.

Stephen Ames, an Australian pro and relatively new to the PGATOUR, inadvertently antagonized the world’s best golfer.  He did so by commenting that as Tiger hits the ball wildly all over the course yet still manages to score well that anything could happen and that Ames might even defeat Tiger.  You know the old saying “Better to be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and confirm it.” apparently Ames didn’t heed the warning.

Tiger Woods is the world’s consummate pissed off golfer.  If he was able to play at yesterday’s level all the time there would be no need for anyone to worry about 1st place.  Tiger took Ames apart winning 9 and 8 a total that is incredible in professional golf where the level of skill separation is comparable to the difference between a gold medal in speed skating and the last place finisher; milliseconds.

Tiger obviously had something to prove and prove it he did.  His demeanor from hole to hole showed that he was enjoying grinding Ames and also proving that his skills are among the best of all golfers ever.  To win eight straight holes from another professional is difficult to defeat one 9 and 8 is tantamount to pitching a shutout in Major League Baseball.

Tiger does run hot and cold, yesterday he was HOT!  I am looking forward to seeing him surpass Jack Nicklaus and in a shorter period.

I hope the Supreme Court Bans Partial Birth Abortion

The latest hypocrisy from California is out and about on the news shows.  The anesthesiologists who pacify the criminal before execution are refusing to do so on the grounds that their job is to save lives no take them.  What a joke!  Personally I think the execution of criminals is too good for them and that life in solitary confinement is a better punishment.  These doctors, however, are just plain liars.

Partial birth abortion, the act of bringing a baby halfway out of the womb and then crushing its skull, or sucking its brain out, is murder.  I fully expect the Supreme Court to uphold the ban on this barbaric practice.  The liberals prefer to call it “late term abortion,” its late alright; the fully developed human infant is killed just as it enters the world.  We have more sympathy for animals than we do people.

The parents of this victim, the doctors, nurses, and anyone else associated with this practice should themselves be imprisoned for life.  How, and I hope someone will tell me, can a medical person opposed to the execution of murderers, themselves commit murder and smile about it when the bill is paid?  When these hypocrites relax with a drink in their Malibu homes, gazing out at their domain feeling comfortable in the knowledge that they have gotten away with murder, they must feel great knowing how wonderful they are.

There can never be a reason to murder a baby that has been brought to full term.  Babies are frequently born prematurely and live full lives.  I am 58 years old and have a friend born 58 years ago prematurely; he is still living and has made valuable contributions to society.  What are we losing through this particular abortion technique?

I have said before that the straw man of women’s reproductive rights is a false argument.  A woman has no need of abortion to succeed in today’s world.  My advice to women and men is to behave responsibly, don’t get drunk, and have intercourse which may result in pregnancy.  Take a birth control measure.  If a woman’s success depends on control of her uterus then it is she who must control it, she must behave responsibly and insist that her male partner do the same.  If orgasm is the goal, use a rubber or use a dildo, the result is the same: no pregnancy.

I am afraid that the so called reproductive rights of women is simply a license for promiscuity and is in a fact a false premise that enables men another chance to have sex with a woman they barely know.  I promote promiscuity with responsibility and the application of common sense.  By all means have sexual intercourse as often as possible, its fun, gratifying, and an act of humanity; but be careful.

By allowing partial birth or late term abortion we get in the habit of not facing our problems, rather we learn how to take the easy way out.  This is dangerous because in certain situations the task of survival obviates the easy way out.

Big Problem for Bush

Physical security is a good thing, so why take chances with the security of the ports of the USA? It will be interesting to see how President Bush gets out of the political mess he is in. The issue of UAE managing US ports is the first real blunder of his presidency, because it is offending both parties thus unifying opposition. The war in Iraq only antagonized the far left, at least at the beginning, and they have been expending political capital to their disadvantage ever since. Personally the war in Iraq while the correct action has been woefully mishandled; ease of goal accomplishment was terribly overestimated. But even that has not pushed Bush to the wall as this issue will.

I saw Chuck Schumer on Fox News yesterday and he was behaving very reasonably. If I was a born again Christian I would take this as a sign of the rapture being near. A Republican congressman has been the first to take Bush to task on this issue. Things can’t be good.

Here is another aspect of the problem: are all Muslims terrorists? This is the insulting conclusion of the opposition to the UAE’s role in this situation. Of course the answer is no, yet there are enough of them to take no chances. How will this failure to implement play on the “Arab Street”? Why should we care?

This is definitely a chink in the security armor of the Bush administration and you can be certain the media will have a field day. All of a sudden the main stream media will become Hawks and abandon their compassion for murderers in an attempt to foment rage against the administration. They will be successful, and I must say it is the President’s fault. He has even jeopardized Condoleezza Rice’s career by putting her out front in favor of this action.

I hate to say it but I think George Bush is getting tired. This is no surprise given what he has had to deal with for the last six years. Still, given Al Gore’s latest behavior we are lucky to have George. Al would most likely have UAE help Osama kill the rest of us. His pathetic pandering to the Saudis is an example of what his policies would have been.

George Bush will back down on the issue of the ports and the loss will not be so great because there is bi-partisan outrage. The next problem facing him will be anger among our Arab allies and from the left no matter who is chosen to administer the ports.

Religion Part 4 Random thoughts on the subject

Who are these religious leaders? Does the Pope really believe the doctrine, or does he just have a really great job? The Church has been the repository of pedophiles since time immemorial, where do you suppose human sacrifice came from? Was this ritual a simple propitiation of the gods, or is it possible that serial killers were able to function legitimately? The abuse of religious power, though muted today, is still with us. The gullible, the frightened, the retarded, are all potential victims of these “holy men” why does this persist?

Looking back through time provides evidence of the darker side of mankind. From ancient times religions have been hotbeds of death and destruction. There are some peaceable religions, the Maoris for example, but not very many. The Jewish and Christian scriptures are a record of mayhem, infidelity, war, incest, etc. The Word of God? Well, which God?

The only religion that actually worships only one God is the Jewish religion. Christianity has at least three; they posit this multiple personality god, The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit (or Ghost). Islam has two: Allah and Mohammed, that this is true simply review the “blasphemy” of the recent Danish cartoons. Blasphemy can only be committed against the deity. Of course the Pagan pantheon is well known, as is the ancient Egyptian and South American religious icons. So why do these jobs continue to attract people?

The answer is obvious, power is the prime motivator. It is amazing how many otherwise intelligent people allow someone else to dominate their lives. In the USA, in my town, we have “evangelical churches” with facilities that dominate the landscape, have congregations of 5,000 or more, and who discourage fraternization with others who are not members. The problem is not going away.

The Roman Church, the one I was raised in, has a long history of violent repression of contrary ideas, of sexual profligacy, of out right robbery and murder. Who needs television; truth is indeed stranger and more horrific than fiction.

Religion Part3

People who take jobs in religious establishments are by definition power seekers.  They frequently find themselves in conflict with their flocks.  This is one, if not the main, reason there are so many sects in each and every religion.  Power and domination are the ego satisfiers of church leaders; adulation is their wealth; though most are monetarily wealthy as well.  Through the ages secular political development has followed two paths.  The struggle for freedom has been rebellion against high or noble birth, and its accompanying wealth and privilege; and rebellion against spiritual domination by those who hold wealth and privilege and wear the uniform of the priesthood.

In today’s world many of the world’s great religions are reduced to shadows and even caricatures of themselves; perhaps parody would be descriptive.  In days of old though, they were the repositories of untold wealth and authority.  Kings quaked before the religious leaders.  Constantine co-opted Christianity and became the de facto Pope ruling on religious matters from a political perspective.  The faithful were disdained from a safe distance.  Today this behavior is observable in Muslim cultures where the Imams dictate the living of every day life and these dictates are ignored at one’s peril.

I am not picking on Islam, they are simply the only ones still in the game.  Christianity has been relegated to the sidelines for nearly two hundred years.  In its prime Christianity gave us the Inquisition, the slaughter of several brands of “heretic,” even during the Crusades Christians in the Holy Land were murdered by their fellows for their wealth.  Education has been the downfall of Religion.  They behavior of the priests has always been reprehensible but without knowledge to combat their authority the populace simply accepted their situation in hope of heaven.  What a disappointment that must have been.

Violence rather than peace has been the hallmark of religion even today that tradition is carried on.  Fire and brimstone awaits anyone who fails to accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior.  Death to Infidels is the cry throughout the Middle East.  Death to Queers is heard in the United States.  White Christians must kill black ones, and Jews can be added to the list.  The roll call is endless Hindu against Muslim, Muslims against all.  Even the strictly orthodox Jews are violent against non-believers. Let’s not forget that in religion it is primarily a man’s world when it comes to making the rules and enforcing them.

What then is the alternative?  Spirituality is overrated in my opinion.  This is especially true when people feel they have to let you know what driving them and want you to come along.

Religion Part 2

The World’s great civilizations are based on religion, from ancient time until now.  The corrupting influence has been human nature.  Great literature, architecture, painting, science, all have their roots in the effort of mankind to understand its origins and purpose.  The apparent conflict between religious impulse and science is just that an apparition without substance; one can’t exist without the other.  Unfortunately there are other needs in human nature that will be met.  These include acquisition of power and wealth for their sake.  Many religions have attempted to balance or even eliminate such behaviors, but with only limited success.

The need to recognize right from wrong is in itself empowering. He who is right has the high ground.  It’s a shame that agreement on what is right and what is wrong is not absolute or easy to come to.  The result of disagreement is often zealotry and disaster.  In today’s world a minor example are the “Eco-terrorists” who feel justified in destroying another person’s property on the basis of perceived right or wrong.  This flaw is what sets ancient Greek civilization apart from other Western Ideas.  Their gods were all powerful, yet fallible.  By imparting human characteristics to their deities the Greeks were among the first to actually question the existence of god or gods; even though it was only an implicit doubt.  This doubt made possible the cooperation between gods and man and allowed mankind the ability to weaken the priesthood by developing parallel philosophies.  This was the last time that a kind of gentleness was to be found in religion, a kind of getting along.  This is not to say that brutalities did not occur, the death of Socrates being the most famous example.

The Hellenistic cultures of the Mediterranean world lost their moorings the further a field the thinking was transplanted.  Greek influence was felt throughout the western world and its resonance can be felt today.

The Judaic and Christian testaments were strongly affected by Greek culture and even more ancient philosophies.  The one obvious influence is the Greek myth of Zeus and Leda, the coupling of a god with a human.  This is manifested in the story of Christ’s birth when Mary is impregnated by God though without actual sexual intercourse.  This is a minor modification wisely chosen by the priestly caste to make such an action acceptable to their clients.  Islam is really nothing more than a cobbling together of Judeo-Christian thinking into a philosophy that suited a nomadic desert people and which political control of the tribes a much easier proposition.  Close scrutiny of western thought will reveal the influence of Buddhism in the search for self knowledge and contempt for the material world.

Today the so-called fundamentalists are really people who have not moved beyond the fear of the dark.  Their leaders can easily manipulate them and the results speak for themselves.  There are Christian sects that actually endorse hatred of their fellow man, a complete corruption of Christianity’s greatest law: “Love thy neighbor as thyself.”  The behavior of certain Muslims sects is making biblical prophesies self fulfilling.

Religion Part 1

This is the first in a series of think pieces regarding religion.  There is no doubt that in its purest form religion is, or can be a force for good.  Most people think that the origins of religion are shrouded in mystery; this is only true for those who essentially deny their humanity.  The origin of religion is quite simple, it was developed and used as a means to explain natural phenomena, console those affected by the vagaries of life, and to control the population.  Those early human beings whose brains evolved more quickly were able to recognize the need for and the method for accomplishing the aforementioned rationale.

Today we have only the remnants of religion.  The closest thing to medieval religion is Islam.  This is not to say that some of the Christian fundamentalists are modern in their thinking they are not, but they only give lip service to their beliefs.  Modern Christian religions or sects are about raising money and buildings as evidence of the believer’s salvation.

Since the dawn of memory religion has been used to control the populace.  Some of mankind’s earliest records from Egyptian history illustrate this.  The pharaoh was god and his word was law; the power of life or death resided in him.  Religious leaders have attempted to emulate this control and position ever since.  The sole exception appears to be Christ Himself, whose self-effacing demeanor and apparent disregard for the material world make his philosophy remarkable among religions, something akin to true Buddhism.

The experience of mankind, as far as can be learned, has been a gradual awareness of himself and the world around him.  If you believe that theory of evolution explains man’s presence and development then it follows that there was a period that is not within the collective memory. The residual fears experienced during the early evolutionary process would be locked in the subconscious, as they are today, and would need rationalization.  This is where the priests and other thinks come in.  Could this group of individuals have been developing more quickly?  Could their manipulative techniques have been learned and used to their advantage?  Were they less frightened of the dark than their fellows?

The answer to each question above is obviously yes, given the assumption that evolution is the only explanation of our present condition.  The fact that a cosmos was created for the gullible makes it obvious that all men are not created or do not evolve equally.  The gods of ancient times were used in various cultures to control the behavior of the masses, even to the point of human sacrifice to enforce rules, and to justify the position of the priests.  As different groups of humans came in contact with each other they adopted and modified the social laws that worked.  In western culture religion is a relic, in Asian cultures it was never a real state force, with the possible exception of Confucianism in early China, the once powerful religions of Central and South America are mere shadows of their former glories.  Only Islam is fixed in the past.  This is where the danger lies, not just because of the number of believers, in the fear based control system where any conflicting opinion can be designated as apostasy or heresy and be eliminated by the death penalty.  This was a hallmark of all early religions including Christianity.

Lawyers - A Neccesary Evil

Trial lawyers and attorneys in general occupy the appropriate rung of societal acceptance the bottom one.  This is not simply another slam at Democrats but a view of a cultural sub-group that claims to work for the disadvantaged, the injured.  All you have to do to see this in action is turn on your television set, very soon you will barraged with ads about how much money you might be entitled to based on some drug or disease you or a loved one has either suffered and / or died from.

The Bush administration has attempted something called tort reform that will limit the money damages that can be awarded.  This of course is anathema to trial lawyers who, as a group, are one of the largest contributors to the Democrat party.  While the Democrats scream corruption about Jack Abramoff the rest of us take it for granted that trial lawyers are innocent of any such behavior.  Lawyers, on the whole, are among the most liberal of our citizens, no problem, but they are also among the most influential.  They have the law at their disposal; and dispose of it they do.  There will be only marginal tort reform in this country because Republicans are lawyers too.

Recently the ABA, the associative body of lawyers nationally, and an accrediting body for law schools, has pushed for extralegal requirements to certify law schools.  Any law school that does not abide by the ABA rules will lose its accreditation.  The most onerous of these is to require affirmative action.  They have deliberately misconstrued recent Supreme Court decisions to justify this action.  This is simply another feel good act that is perceived to reflect well on the ABA and its members.  In truth it is a power grab and an insult to those it purports to help.

There was a local class action suit here in which the plaintiffs were awarded $6 million.  After costs and legal fees were subtracted each member of the class got a check for less than $50.00.  The law firm received a check for more than $4 million dollars, to be divided up among the partners.  When I asked my own attorney about the justification for this lopsided payment he simply replied that the lawyers had worked very hard and should get paid.  Of course the fact that the “injured parties” who formed the basis for the lawsuit did not really have their “injuries” compensated bothered him not.

This is the reason that trial lawyers oppose tort reform.  So what if insurance costs skyrocket, that’s a result, not a cause for damage solution.  So what if many lawsuits are frivolous, in the US anyone can sue anyone else for anything.  If monetary awards are limited then the lawyers lose, their clients already lost when they hired the attorney.  If you have the money a lawyer will take your case if it is a difficult one charging by the hour.  If they think it is a “slam-dunk” then they will take it on a contingency, which means the law firm is going to get most of the award at least one third if not more.  There are few contingency cases that are losers, this only occurs when the attorney has misjudged the circumstances of the case.

At the moment lawyers are a necessary evil and should make an effort to fulfill their role as champions and not simply satisfy their greed.

Nancy Doesn't Get It

Today’s Wall Street Journal has an article by Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader in the House of Representatives.  It is a very strange article in that she supports all the Bush administration policies but doesn’t think they go far enough.  Most of her arguments are very weak, and she leaves out who is going to pay for all the Democrat “investments.”

She complains that the United States is only graduation 70,000 engineers this year while China and India are graduating 600,000 and 700,000 respectively.  Is there a surprise here?  In terms of population comparison alone I think the US is doing very well; we have 300 million people while China has 2 billion and India nearly one billion.  So why wouldn’t they graduate more of anything?  To highlight this number and use it to point out the failure of the US in research and development is specious to say the least.

Her main thrust is that the education system in the United States is lacking and she is 100% correct.  As long as the teacher’s unions get the lion’s share of new tax dollars for education they system will remain broken.  Stricter curriculum and discipline is what is needed.  Administrator’s who have been teachers are needed instead of the so-called Doctors of Education that currently pollute our school systems.  Teacher pay should be higher, and the number of vice-principals should be lower.

The next thing the Democrats are going to do is to gain energy independence within 10 years.  This is going to be done through green initiatives that are currently failing in the EU.  We should extract all the fossil fuels we have been blessed with, the caribou will find a way to survive, and we should emphasize development of alternate chemical fuels.  This development should be done carefully so that the problem eliminated is not replaced by a worse solution whose effects can only be felt in the long term.

If this is the Democrat plan for our future, and it is told with have truths and lies, then they are doomed.

Winter Games - So Far So Good

I usually don’t return to a topic the next day but in this case it is justified.  As a freelance writer I often write about sports and sporting events.  I watched NBC’s coverage last night and was pleasantly surprised.  While it was necessarily choppy because of the choices that must be made, the program of events was well chosen.  I particularly enjoyed the 5000 meter speed skating, even though the outcome was already known, the Hedrick story is a very good one and amazing to boot.  His performance was outstanding and was enough to pique my interest in watching his efforts yet to come.

The women’s mogul was exciting if short lived.  I thought Ms. Traa had a good chance of capturing the gold again, and was surprised when France came through a winner.  The luge qualifier was very exciting, I particularly like these speed events as the skill differences between competitors is so small that even the slightest mistake can spell disaster.  The spectators often cannot even tell when a mistake that costs a mili-second is made.

Of course the figure skating is one of the premiere events generating the most interest and yet it is almost completely subjective in its outcome. The American pair completed a throw triple axel, the first time ever in Olympic competition, but we knew at the beginning that they were not considered to be a factor in the medal chase. From my perspective the judges got it right last night, the Russians were clearly the best during the short program.

I wasn’t really planning on watching the televised coverage, but NBC is doing such a great job, for a change, that I will continue to enjoy the Games on their network.

Winter Olympics

Ah! The Winter Olympics are here at last. While these Games will be tainted with some sort of scandal, they will be most entertaining. The Winter Games have become more important than the Summer Games. The events garner more interest simply because so many recreational athletes participate in them. Skiing, skating, cross-country skiing, and others are no longer relegated to their countries of origin. This also explains why there are now so many different nations putting teams forward. What used to be the almost exclusive province of the Europeans is now a true world competition.

The medal count will certainly be more diverse and the results more interesting due to the suspense created by the appearance of well conditioned athletes world wide. So far there is no appearance of the financial scandal of Salt Lake City, and we can hope that the figure skating will not be marred by corrupt judging. There will be cheating, there always is.

The need for approbation is so great in human nature that winning by cheating is often tried. The problem of course is that winning in this fashion is not winning at all. The most famous examples, once revealed, have left ashes in the mouths of the victors and stained their national honor. They can no longer be taken seriously in competition, which is undoubtedly one of the worst things that can happen to the human psyche.

The East German transformation of women athletes to quasi men, the Russian victory in the 1972 basketball final, the South Korean silver medal in boxing, are all examples of national interest taking the place of sportsmanship and true achievement. These incidents may be favorably compared to Islamic violence. In both cases the actions are predicated on weakness, fear, and the feeling of being powerless in the world at large and specifically at home. All these hopes and fears are exposed under the pressure of the international spotlight. I hope these games will offer us an insight in the true meaning of sport, which is that hard work and discipline will be rewarded in the marketplace of competition. The best, like the truth, will out.

Al-Qaeda's Next Attack

I predict that OBL will mount another attack on the USA and that we will be surprised. I am amazed that no such attack has taken place since 9/11/2001. Since it has been nearly five years since the last successful major attack, the timing seems right for another. It will be easier now that Al-Qaeda knows some of the methods used by the USA to thwart such actions, and will be easier still if the demogogues in congress have their way. This applies equally to Democrats and Republicans who put their personal power and perogatives above the safety of the nation and its people.

As citizens we expect our government, hired by and paid for by us, to protect us. That is the primary function of any government. The other jobs that can be taken on like environmental policies, welfare, etc., are of secondary concern. During every conflict the presidents of the United States have excercised extraordinary powers. From Abraham Lincoln who suspended haebeus corpus, Woodrow Wilson who got the Sedition Act passed and imprisoned war critics, to Franklin Roosevelt who not only spied on US citizens, but actually imprisoned 30,000 in concentration camps because of their ethnicity, we agreed to allow such actions.

During the Civil Rights struggle Kennedy and Johnson frequently engaged in illegal wiretapping to monitor the activities of Dr. King, and of course Nixon did it as a matter of policy to keep track of his personal political enemies. Nixon was the catalyst for the notion that congress should rule and the president should be a ceremonial ornament.

The War Powers Act was passed, over the objection of the Ford White House and was vetoed. It was overruled. FISA and the War Powers Act are probably unconstitutional and will be so found when they are finally challenged. When the next Al-Qaeda attack is successful within our borders the protestors will be blamed. This may or may not be fair, but it will happen. The problems created by this action will be much more severe than most think.

A new, successful attack will create a backlash that will be hard to control. Laws will be passed authorizing all kinds of defensive measures and restrictions that will be far worse than those minor problems complained of now. The internal divisions of a democracy and the free expression thereof are the hallmarks of freedom. They are often viewed as weakness by those that would never allow such things in a population ruled by them, be it Al-Qaeda, Wahhabbists, Baathists, Communists, or Facists. The real strength of a democratice republic is that such freedom of expression creates mutual respect, in the long run, which may not be obvious. We can put aside our differences to defend ourselves; we have in the past and will do so now and in the future.

Totalitarian governments misjudge freedom and liberty for weakness. For that reason a truck bomb will explode in Manhattan, Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit, Charlotte, or somewhere, maybe in each place. The reaction to such an event will be over the top and devasting to the Arab nations. The problem of Iranian nukes will be resolved almost immediately after the next Al-Qaeda attack on the United States.

Not again!!

Well, there they go again. The Democrats, especially Jimmy Carter, are still lost in the wilderness. They still cannot believe that a majority of the American public have rejected them. The odd thing is that the Democrat party is anti-democracy. They remind me of the Mexican ruling party that was displaced for the first time about 10 years ago. The lack of class and taste runs high among the Democrat leadership. Was Coretta Scott King’s funeral the place to dishonor George Bush, something that can be and is done everyday, or to honor the life of the woman who stood by her husband through thick and thin? A woman who raised two children to be good citizens and leadersafter the assassination of Dr. King, and should be recognized, and honored for such instead of having her coffin be a platform for showing off in such a childish manner.

Jimmy Carter, the worst American President ever, played true to form. He has a tin ear and a giant ego. If he is a representative of Christian and American values, give me atheism and Hugo Chavez. The Democrats are worried that the slaves will leave the plantation and start thinking for themselves. That they will be ungrateful for the gains made at the behest of whites in the Democrat party. Blacks are too stupid to make it without the help of the Democrats, stay home boy it’s a tough world out there. That seems to be the prevailing opinion among feel good leftists. Here, have some food stamps, don’t get a job, we’ll take care of you, just be sure you vote Democrat. Don’t worry about those illegal immigrants taking your place at the cotton gin, there’s plenty of tax dollars to go around.

Mrs. King’s funeral was a warning to the faithful when it should have been a day to reflect on what has been accomplished and at what price. The King family is one the most heroic American families, much more so than the Kennedys who are a group of cynical rich criminals. The King family has sacrificed and basically lived for others, the Kennedys, the Jacksons, and the Sharptons of the world live for themselves, and desire to rule others.

Black Americans should be a term that does not exist, but it does and will as long as the race card gets played by politicians. Why is the Bush administration the first to have a multicultural and multiracial government with real power being in the hands of the competent minority memebers instead of the white males?

Spying? - Of Course We Are

Hypocrisy on the American Left reigns supreme.  The USA and the rest of Western Civilization is at war, this much is true even if many will not admit it.  The current violence supposedly engendered by Danish cartoons makes this manifest.  In my opinion it is simply an excuse to burn something and to kill someone.  As I have said political violence is generally the result of feeling powerless because either your views are not espoused by the population in general or because the regime is a police state in which the free expression of political views is prohibited by force.

In the United States we are giving up our safety so that politicians can posture and grasp for power.  I guess the US has evolved to the point that the Hitlerian accusation of decadence has finally come to pass. Russ Feingold, who on the basis of his name alone would be immediately executed by Muslim fundamentalists, is one of the weakest senators currently serving.  He is the archetype Wisconsin liberal who in the 60s would have said “Better Red than Dead.”  Do the liberal bloviators, Republican and Democrat, really think the American public wants to be attacked by Al-Qaeda or anyone else?  Yet, using a false premise, they are willing to risk it to usurp the president’s ability to protect the nation.

Of course we are spying on our enemies.  They are spying on us too, only they just have to turn on the television; a low risk espionage operation at the least. Senator Spector is a little schizophrenic in his views, he feels safe now that he has shepherded two nominees to the Supreme Court safely through the process.  Now his true colors can be flown.  I don’t expect him to get in the car with Ted Kennedy, that’s too dangerous, but he and Lincoln Chaffee will find their way to placate their Democrat soul mates.

Who in their right mind actually believes the tripe being bruited about by the Left regarding the NSA surveillance?  It’s difficult to believe but the Left is letting its hatred for George Bush to endanger the general population of the country.  This will not win them votes.

You read it here first

You read it here first; four weeks ago I predicted the Super Bowl would be contested by the Steelers and the Seahawks and that the Steelers would prevail. What, no applause? Oh well, I was still right, though I must admit I had a few worries during the game. At one point, Herndon’s interception, I thought that young Ben had thrown the game away. Pun intended.

The first half was a see-saw battle that saw the Steelers ahead by four points. The touchdown was very iffy from the view on television. The teams battled on. The halftime program was pathetic. I have been a Stones fan since 1964 when I was a junior in high school they were great then and they are not now.

The second half of the game was better, but I doubt that the game will go down as the most thrilling. At least Jerome Bettis got his Super Bowl ring, much deserved and the Steelers became only the third franchise to win five Super Bowls. Anyway back to normal today. Another article to stimulate your thinking is on its way later today.

Muslims Aren't Ready

It’s obvious that Muslims are not ready for the modern world.  Political cartoons are often hurtful to those whose view they attack, however there is no excuse for violence in response to them.  The impulse for discourse does not exist in many fundamentalists world view.  They are right, you are wrong, and therefore you must be killed.

I reiterate a previous thought that violence is often the only path the powerless see open to them.  Their leaders or should I say miss-leaders make this alternative seem to be the only road to be taken.  Clearly the best option is to work to gain some kind of power within the society in which they find themselves.  This is actually the key to the success of the USA, groups can get political attention, but they must work for it.

Take Hamas for example, if this group would take a chance and repudiate their wish to destroy Israel, then the future of current and unborn Palestinians will be much brighter.  A big step has been taken in the elections, and Fatah has learned a powerful lesson: unity is better than splintering to retain control.  Alas Islamic Fundamentalists live in a world where only they count.  No amount of accommodation will placate them.  Even when educated they cannot escape their security blanket of Allah’s will.  Fatalism ne’er won social well being.

The violent response to criticism is completely hypocritical of course.  Islamic press cartoons are completely disrespectful of all infidels.  The fact that that word is still current demonstrates the attitude of Muslims towards the rest of the world’s people.

I would venture one more position.  Islam, as it is being bruited about the Middle East violates its own principles. The current crop of Muslims has elevated Mohammed to the level of Allah.  Blasphemy is reserved for deities only, unless Islam has more than one God, editorial cartoons are not a transgression.  One cannot blaspheme Mohammed as he is not divine.

On that note I bid you farewell for now, but leave you with this question: beyond Judaism is there a single religion that is truly monotheistic?

War Is Not The Answer- Most of the Time

War is not the answer, I keep seeing this on bumper stickers; and it is true.  The problem with this oversimplification is that its argument is an appeal to emotion.  The fact is that wars have and will continue to occur, despite the fact that there is nothing more destructive, unhelpful, and stupid as a human endeavor.  Violence is usually the option of the powerless; those who feel they are correct in all their assumptions and that they must eliminate anyone that fails to agree with them or see their point. Their frustration in not being able to convince others and their fear that they might be wrong is the motivation to violence.  This is the case with Muslim fundamentalists.  They might best be compared with cornered animals, they are frightened and are lashing out with as much energy as they can.

I have actually been in a war, and I can assure you that it is not much fun.  There is a strange thing about war for the individual though; it can be exhilarating.  The closer you come to dying or being hurt, the more alive you feel.  It is very odd to return to civilian life and find that at first life has not the  charm one expected.  Edginess and expectation is the norm, this goes away gradually but never really leaves you.  War fighting is truly boring until something happened, waiting for something to respond to, waiting for time to pass.  When your comrades are injured or killed the feeling is more than that of loss, there is an emptiness that you sort of get used to, and gladness that you are still alive or not hurt and an awareness of the transient nature of life.

There is another war on the way, I am referring to the apparent inevitability of war with Iran.  I hope I’m wrong about this but I don’t think so.  Let’s face it Iran intends to blow something up, most likely Israel.  At the least they intend nuclear blackmail in an effort to dominate their neighbors.  There can be no doubt that the cruel and brutal regime that rules Iran wants to expand its reach to the Arab nations.  Now what?

Even the Europeans and Canadians must pause and consider the situation.  The problem with war is it’s often forced upon unwilling combatants.  No one, not even the much maligned Pentagon, actually wants to step into a hail of hot metal shards or bullets.  The human body does not react well to large puncture wounds.  This war is coming and it will begin in the form of a series of allied air raids on key points in the Iranian countryside where known installations are located.  There will be so-called collateral damage.

No war has ever been won and very few have ever been completely finished.  Today’s world is the direct descendant of World War I, which can be traced back to the Napoleonic Wars, which go back to the French Revolution, you can do the rest.  So I agree that war is not the answer, but it is an argument and a last resort. In the case of Iraq it is undoubtedly true that the idea was good but the execution was bad.  Wolfowitz and Rumsfeld definitely underestimated the task of cleaning up; if they estimated it at all.  I am a big fan of President Bush and believe he operates in what he thinks is the best action to take.  For this reason you can get ready for Chapter whatever in the continuation of the War to End All Wars which started in August 1914 and which continues today with a few breaks to rearm.

2006 A special year in Sport

2006 is one of those years when, in the sporting world, a sort of harmonic convergence occurs.  Beginning Sunday with the Superbowl in Detroit, Michigan, continuing with the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, and finally July’s World Cup Final in Berlin, Germany spectators should be sated with fabulous examples of athleticism.  Of all these events the World Cup Final will be the most watched, both in person and through radio and television.  The claims of commercial success will be mooted by excitement of the fans.

The Superbowl is the premier event in the United States; of course there are other championships of importance, for example the World Series in baseball, the NBA championship of professional basketball and “March Madness” to determine the National Champions of Collegiate Basketball.  There is no satisfactory tournament to declare a clear collegiate football national champion, so the Superbowl must suffice.  Most years this contest is unremarkable with one team clearly dominating the other; its anticlimactic nature has often cast doubts upon its value.

This year will be one of those different years.  I am picking the Pittsburgh Steelers to win, though it could easily go the other way.  I like the Steelers for the simple reason that the unquantifiable sports element of emotion is on their side.  In such a case any athlete will tell you that all else being equal the team with the most heart or will or desire will prevail. The game will be close and exciting. There will be a large audience for this event, but the best is yet to come.

Turin will present an opposite picture.  The Olympics, except for certain events, is all about individual achievement.  These athletes have trained for years, often in a solitary state and without much financial support, to earn the right to compete.  There is fire in their souls.  The sad thing is that corruption has diminished the importance of the Olympics and reduced it to simply another commercial production that showcases athletic ability.  Its audience is shrinking and not just because of a plethora of competing sporting events.  The Olympics has become the UN of athletics meaning that politics, money, and power have become the object rather than the good of sport.  Yes, hypocrisy has always been in evidence; Jim Thorpe is probably the best example of this.  Yes, politics have always been a key factor in presentation and site selection, Berlin 1936 being the most outrageous example.  The Winter Games in Salt Lake City saw the bubbling over of the corrosive impact of money on sport.  Still, the events will be exciting, the athleticism simply wonderful, the victories, and defeats heart-warming and heart-breaking.  For extended drama the Olympic Games still offer and experience worth having.

Now to the greatest event on earth; the FIFA World Cup Final, an event not to be missed.  This event will have the largest audience, approximately 37 million, and generate the most interest worldwide of any sporting contest. In the United States it will be mostly overlooked, but everywhere else the world will stop turning in places like Iran, Argentina, and England when their teams are playing. It is simply amazing how much interest and emotion is invested in this event. Suicides have resulted when teams lose; players have been assassinated when their side has been defeated. Since its inception in 1930 there have been only seven different winners yet the interest borders on the fanatical. Football is the number one sport in the world, it is played in practically every country and each of them wants to simply participate in the Cup Final; to win is the Holy Grail of sport. It is unlikely that the winner trend will change. I am picking Brazil to win for the sixth time, though England has a good chance of an upset. England is one of the gang of seven. Germany will have a chance to present itself as a premiere sporting nation and a beautiful locale. The rest of the world will wear its heart on its sleeve and be left gasping at the achievements on the field. What a year this promises to be.

Science? Not Again!

Ah, science it can be put to so many uses; actually helping humanity, starting and finishing arguments, interpreted in any way that suits, providing an appeal to authority, and best of all perfect for media distortion. Let's take a look at the latest in genetics. Hooray! We can now go about our daily lives guilt free. No matter what our behavior it's not our fault, it's all in the genes. Of course it makes one wonder about a time behavior wasn't programmed genetically. Was there such a time? If so how did the behavior get programmed genetically, if not how did the Big Bang come to have such an influence over pedophilia, murder, good works, compassion, height, weight, etc.

The study released yesterday claimed that all humanity is racist and this is due to genetic programming. I must say this conclusion raise questions about the relevance or usefulness of advanced education as certified by university degrees. This discussion ties in nicely to the end of the world environmental crisis described in the Sunday newspapers. Are these reports symptomatic of a larger malaise in the scientific community? Is there frustration about not being taken seriously? Or is this simply another case of an editor taking something from a report, perhaps even two lines, that suits their opinion and stipulating its factual nature? I really don't know. I do know that anyone who buys into these hypotheses has stopped, if they ever started, thinking.

Of course there is Global Warming it started about 16 thousand years ago and thank goodness, without it you wouldn't be here to read these words of wisdom. We poor humans have such a short life span and are so egotistical that we tend to think that our lives should be static, no changes from the time we step on earth until we depart. Nature should be immutable, of course that excludes the Theory of Evolution, but so what. Hurricanes may not exceed a certain number per year or else human emissions are too high.

This goes back to the earth's limits. Since we don't know and can't find out what exactly the weather was 30,000 years ago, except that it was frightfully cold in most parts, what baseline are we to use? Of course some scientists will say this, others will say that, who is correct. The answer is neither because the question is insoluble. When you hear that the weather is the worst in 500 years, you must ask how was the weather in the years preceeding.

When you awaken each morning make sure to enjoy the short time you have left, time after all is relative to each unique case, and don't worry about what you read in the newspaper, hear on the radio, or see on television. They may be right or they may be wrong but believe me there a plenty of neurotics ready and willing to take these worries for you.

Can Dissent Be Unpatriotic?

I had a very thoughtful email in response to my comments about Jimmy Carter, whom I stipulated was the worst president ever. Part of the reader's response was that as an "ultra-lefty" he or she was tired of being called unpatriotic for dissenting from the Bush Administration policies. It is difficult to respond to this as I have no idea what kind of dissent has been expressed by the writer, but I will take a stab at it. First let me be clear there is not nor can there be unpatriotic dissent.

Where I think the left goes wrong is in thinking that when they are name calling and flat out lying that they are dissenting. This is of course wrong. When Senator Rockefeller or Senator Kennedy come out against decisions they were consulted on and deny the fact, that is a lie and not dissent. Now, lying is also not unpatriotic. If it were there would be no patriots in the government and there damn few enough now.

Until the left can get over the fact that they must propose something rather than carp, moan, and agonize while ignoring the fact that they are becoming passe, then we will not have dissent only gripes.

What then is dissent? In the modern context it would be statements that George Bush has made poor choices in certain areas, made in such a way as to encourage dialogue. Dissent is not to ignore the actual events as in the who is responsible for the defeat of the Kyoto treaty debate; which was defeated 99-0 in the Senate prior to Bush being elected. Dissent is trivialized by accusing George Bush of causing hurricanes.

Dissent should propose a reasonable alternative. Simply trying to reveal techniques employed by the government to protect the nation, attempting to overturn an election through impeachment (Republicans were guilty of this too), and being thorough dissemblers is not dissent; it is war against the nation itself.

Why don't we see Conservative demostraters protesting the Liberals? Why are fundraising letters 80% scare tactics, why, as an electorate, do we tolerate intellectual dishonesty on both sides? I fear the answer lies in the inability of the general population to think critically or worse they are apathetic to the point of not caring at all. This attitude leaves the field to the wackos on the far left and far right.

The Liberals are going to protect our constitutional rights, especially those made explicit in the constitution. So how do we explain the massacre of the Branch Dividians by Bill Clinton? How do we explain the gutting of private property rights by the expansion of eminent domain? How do we explain Elian Gonzalez being taken from a legal guardian and returned to Cuba? How do we explain the internment of Japanese- American citizens, some second and third generation, during World War II? All these actions were taken by Democrat leadership and any dissent was blithely ignored.

No dear reader dissent can never be unpatriotic in the United States, it is one our core values. The problem arises when only one side is allowed to dissent. Go to a college graduation where a liberal speaker is making the commencement address and see how many conservatives protest, then do the same where a conservative is performing this duty. I think the contrast will be obvious and marked.

Another Environmental Crock

I heard the news today, oh Boy! Too much emission in the atmosphere! (with apologies to the Beatles). I really wonder if there is intelligent life on earth, besides me of course, when something like this can be printed as a serious news story. “Scientists say that emissions are pushing the Earth to its limits.” I have rarely heard any thing so ridiculous, especially given that no one knows if the Earth has limited recovery capacity or even what those limits are. OK, I understand that headline writers have the job of scaring the hell out of everyone, but why not scare people with something scary?

The only time anyone will know what the Earth’s limits are is when, or more likely if, they have been inexorably exceeded, which is not going to happen anytime soon. Remember Paul Ehrlich? We were supposed to extinct as a species by now according to his 1989 book. What about Silent Spring, it now turns out that the entire book was a hoax. How much of this environmental drivel are we supposed to swallow? Oh it makes great press, and the mass of humanity is hysterical enough to believe it, but what prediction other than the return of Christ has been so often wrong?

Guess what? This ecological nightmare is the fault of the United States of America, now there’s a surprise. The USA has assumed a mind-boggling bogey man power on every issue. I think this alone proves the premise that most human beings are pretty dopey. The news media are a modern day PT Barnum, anything to sell newspapers. Unfortunately for them the cable news networks are co-opting the public’s dirty little secret; everyone loves tabloid journalism. What’s worse is that once seen on TV it is assumed to be true.

My fellow earthlings, do not despair you may continue your lives without fear of spontaneous combustion, the rapture, or choking on greenhouse gases.