I'm Calling in Sick Again

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Specifically, it's my back that's really weak. I zigged when I should've zagged, or shucked when I should've jived.

Anyway, I'm not in good blogging form today, so I'll just leave you with a couple of links to peruse in my absence. There may be a test on this later...

1.9 Million Fewer Americans Have Jobs Today Than When Obama Signed Stimulus.

Nero Fiddles While Rome Burns Obama Jokes About Slow Economic Recovery. Laugh it up, fuzzball.

Remember my recent post on "Progressivism?" What I failed to mention was that it is merely the Americanized version Socialism. But you knew that already. Here's an article that goes into a bit more detail on socialism in general from the good folk over at National Review Online. Know thy enemy.

I'm tired of hearing how America is addicted to oil, as though we're the technological equivalent of drug addicts. Here's another guy who's tired of hearing that false meme. (Language warning) Following that same logic, it could be said we're also addicted to breathing.


OK, back to ice packs and stretching. Hopefully, I'll be back at the keyboard tomorrow.

“Why Do You Place Such Importance on the Constitution as the Founders Intended?”

Last Thursday’s post on Sarah Palin and the concept of Principle was a big hit here in Backwards Ville. It received three comments, which is a new indoor record for this blog. I am deeply humbled.

One of those three comments caught my eye, as it was in the form of a question. I shall include it here in its entirety:

Hi,

Why do you place so much importance on the constitution "as the founders intended"?
Don't human advancement and progress warrant constant re-envisioning?
Bye from Holland/Europe! (We're not actually Marx loving commies btw)

Thank you for asking a question (actually two) that could use a good explanation. I’ll try my best to answer.

I’ll work on the assumption that you’re a Holland/Europe native and are therefore somewhat unfamiliar with American jurisprudence, just as I am unfamiliar with Holland’s form of government and its national ideals.

The reason I place so much importance on the Constitution as it was originally intended is because the principles that it embodies are no longer being upheld by the folk we send to Washington.

Our Constitution was a true work of revolutionary art for one simple reason: it was the first attempt to give true political power to the average citizen. Prior to this time, governments shared pretty much the same philosophy, namely that whatever freedoms the people had were the result of the generosity of its rulers. Rulers love ruling others, so therefore there wasn’t much in the way of true individual liberty. Your “freedom” was what someone else decided you could have. If you weren’t born to the throne, too bad for you. You were a subject, not a citizen.

Now imagine that this idea was reversed. Instead of seeking someone’s permission to do a certain thing, or anything, you were free to do as you pleased, within reason of course.

Let’s say that a group of us decided that we’d establish a legal baseline for human behavior. We would make illegal the things that we all recognized were bad, like murder, robbery, rape and the like. If anyone violates those laws, they are punished and separated from the rest of us who choose to abide by them.

So far, so good. We’ve established the basic framework for our society, that there are some things that you absolutely cannot do without a great penalty. But we’re going to do something that's never been done; after that, there is no more. You are free to do whatever you want as long as you don’t violate the basic laws that are there to protect your life and your property. You will be free, and in order for something to be prohibited, there must be a law that specifically prevents it.

So, instead of a government that passes laws that grant permission, we’ll have a government where actions can only be prohibited, not granted. From what I’ve read about history, this was a radical departure from the norm, beginning with the Charter of Liberties, which was the basis for the Magna Carta. These very important documents sought to limit the power of the monarchy. As you might imagine, the monarchs were less than thrilled.

So, in theory, we Americans are free unless there is a law that is specifically against it. Each new law that is passed is done to keep something from happening. This is an important, although poorly understood, distinction. Even our elected leaders can’t or won’t recognize it. Former Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, called the 111th Congress, “the most productive in history.” Indeed it was, judging by the number of laws it passed. But if you understand that each new law reduces our freedom, that’s not something to be proud of, unless your goal is to restrict freedom.

In my opinion, the whole of human history is defined by this unquenchable thirst for freedom and the struggle to slake it against those who take their greatest pleasure from controlling other people and will do anything to keep their power.

Which brings me to your second question concerning human advancement. I argue that the advancement of the Circumstance of Man has been greatly enhanced in large part to the introduction of the idea of individual liberty by America.

Think of how long mankind depended on horses for transportation, for example. Now imagine yourself in the king’s court where you are seeking his permission to build a new machine, one that can navigate hostile terrain and weather as well as a horse can and doesn’t leave “residue” on the streets for people to avoid.

But the king doesn’t believe such a thing is possible. He’s very fond of horses and sees no need for this horseless machine of yours.

The end result? No automobile.

That’s greatly simplified, of course, but the idea behind it is the old way of governance by whim of an all-powerful ruler. Whatever he or she felt like doing was the law of the land. This new way would have you at work building this machine (again, within the confines of the basic framework of society where no one is killed or robbed in the process) and you would be free to enjoy the fruits of your labor by engaging in commerce. Your newfangled horseless carriage would greatly reduce travel time for those who purchased it, everyone would want one, and you could make some money.

What’s not to like?

I suppose the Grand Question for me is this: “How many laws are enough?” It seems as though once we established the ground rules, and set up a mechanism to keep them enforced, there wouldn’t be much left for a government to do. Once the foundation has been laid, any subsequent laws should be able to point back to the foundation as a justification. But if the foundation is drawn clearly enough so that everyone can understand and is fairly applied to everyone, why the need for any more laws?

One great example of legislative overreach is so-called “hate crime” laws. Don’t we already have laws banning assault and battery, murder and rape? Aren’t they pretty clearly defined? So, why do we need even more laws to add to the already-existing penalties for such behavior? Why does the intent of the illegal action need to be defined? Also, why does the emotional state of the attacker matter and why does it need to be punished over and above the existing statutes? You don’t normally attack friends.

The answer to those questions is simple; hate crime laws came about from a lack of understanding of the basic principles of American government. They are a transparent effort at societal engineering that seeks to control thought.

And here you thought that George Orwell’s 1984 was fiction. There are a lot of people today who are trying to make it into a documentary.

This ties in with Queen Nancy’s opinion of her work in the 111th Congress. She’s awfully proud of her accomplishment, but she shouldn’t be. If she had any understanding of the Founding Principles, she’d be reluctant to make more laws to remove more of our freedoms. In fact, a true patriot would start to repeal laws instead of creating more of them. This mistaken notion is so ingrained in Washington that any effort to repeal any law is met with wailing and gnashing of teeth from the American Bar Association. It’s almost as if they feel the need to protect their market, a market they can create for themselves by making more laws, thereby increasing the need for their services.

So, Gentle Readers in Holland, I hope I’ve answered your question.

Oh, and one other thing. Your last sentence, “We’re not actually Marx loving commies, btw.” Now you know how Tea Partiers here in America feel. We’re not actually racists or bigots, either, but that doesn’t stop our Mainstream Media from saying it. It’s almost like the wanted to paint us in a bad light.

Now, why would they want to do that?

Friday Bits of Tid - Go Fly a Kite Edition

Weiner Week finally comes to an end. Sadly, the national conversation hasn't. It's too bad we can't seem to focus our attention on more serious matters, although having an online philanderer and liar in Congress is serious.

I miss the good old days when matters such as this were settled with a duel.

On this day in 1752, Benjamin Franklin flew a kite in a thunderstorm to prove that lightning was electricity. He is quoted as saying, "Damn!" right before he dropped the kitestring to let the circulation return to his numb fingers.

It's worth noting that Franklin's education stopped at age 10, which is well past today's current age of 5, or whenever kids starts kindergarden.

Let's tie our tids to the kitestring, shall we? Wait, that didn't sound right...

President Obama fulfills his campaign promise to make everyone's energy bills "necessarily skyrocket." Utility giant AEP will close five coal-fired power plants to comply with EPA regs. And you thought he was just kidding.

Obama's Sadim Touch: He mentioned a restaurant that was indirectly supported by his auto bailout. The restaurant is now closed. Could he give a shoutout to the EPA next time?

The Next Big Thing - Rabbit Dressage.

The US is now a world-wide joke. Kind of.

Autralian UFO documents abducted stolen.

This story is curious. Not in the fact that there was no criminal activity at the house the SWAT team stormed, or even that the person who was the reason for the raid didn't live there. No, what's curious is that the Department of Education has a SWAT team.

And to think, we actually used to eat this stuff. Cabbages as art. Lettuce dress.

Duude, like, you know, some scientists should like, get together, and like do whatever it is they do to some pot, man. That would be, like, the bomb, man.

Assault with a deadly weapon dead weasel.

And finally, Hitler expresses his outrage over WeinerGate...


Hitler Upset About Weinergate from FTR Radio on Vimeo.


Have a good 'un, y'all.

Sarah Palin Speaks a Language That Few Understand – of Meaning and Principle

Few modern politicians can elicit the reaction that Sarah Palin usually gets. To her fans and supporters, she’s a plain spoken conservative with common-sense ideas for America. To her detractors, she’s a shrill, not-too-bright snowbilly hick who’s full of hatred.

How does one account for such wild swings in opinion?

The answer is at once simple and complex; she speaks a foreign language.

Her grassroots appeal is why her supporters are her supporters. She rose through the political ranks from the local arena, through a mayorship, on to governor of Alaska, and onto the national stage as a vice-presidential candidate. Her wisdom and political acumen is borne of experience.

Her detractors cite her lack of a political pedigree. She doesn’t come from a prominent political family and she wasn’t educated at Yale, Harvard, or Princeton. She’s not aware of the ins and outs (the nuances, if you will) of politics. They cite her folksy demeanor, which they, in their infinite wisdom, interpret as something less than elite, common, and she is therefore unfit for public office. In their own highly esteemed opinion, she’s not one of them.

Good.

I’ve wondered why all the hate towards someone I identify with? It’s been my experience that experience is the best teacher of all. Sarah Palin has experience, but she also has something that has been absent in our political process for quite some time, and is poised to make a grand comeback: principles and meaning.

This is a subtle thing, this meaning. It’s been removed from our national dialogue through the introduction of political correctness. Note again, if you will, something I pointed out the other day. Words that formerly had meaning have been replaced with something far less than precise. The easily understood description of a garbageman has been replaced with the term “sanitation worker.” This is only one example, there are quite a few more.

When this trend began, it’s supporters insisted on the new usage over the old one. I’ve seen and heard speakers corrected mid-sentence for not using the new, improved language of politi-speak. I always felt like asking those people, “Why do you insist that I use the word “spokesperson” instead of “spokesman”? Do you not know what I mean? I do include men and women who speak on behalf of a group. Why can’t you understand that?” But that’s not me on TV.

It seems that the plain old traditional method of communication where the meaning of a word was plainly understood by all is falling into disfavor, primarily among those who think themselves to be superior to the rest of us. It’s a conceit, a shibboleth, to indicate that they belong to a certain class of Americans who are oh-so-much more enlightened than us knuckle-dragging bitter-clingers.

Look around you and ask yourself just how good of a job these political elites are doing. There’s not much to recommend, is there?

If I may, I’d like to draw another analogy to the engineering world. If I have an idea for a product, I have an overall sense of what that I want that product to do. That’s called the “design intent” and it functions as an umbrella of sorts over the project. When questions about a specific aspect of the product arise, they take the form of “What is the intent of the design?” The answer to that question determines a lot.

It’s an all-encompassing concept that guides the development for said product. Sometimes it’s easily recognized and documented, at other times it’s less clear, but it’s always there. This could also be called the guiding principle of the design.

So, what we have here is a “first principle” or the basis of the intent of the design; it serves as the foundation of the product, regardless of the steps or methods of development.

Now, let’s move that idea of an overarching principle and apply it to Sarah Palin. Her speeches tend to be long on ideology and somewhat short on specifics, something her detractors are quick to point out. But there’s a reason for that: she is speaking of the overall concepts that should guide our country, but are missing in today’s political arena of ideas.

Take ObamaCare (please!). It seems the progressives, in their zeal to implement one of their most cherished big-government programs, universal health care for all, ignored the most important design principle of all: the never bothered to ask if what they were trying to do was permitted by our Constitution.

Had we the proper people acting in our stead in Washington, this would’ve been the first question that was asked before starting on that legislative crusade. Clearly it wasn’t, which is why 26 states have filed suit against it and why it’s currently being argued in the 11th Circuit Court in Atlanta today. They just went ahead and did it, making the rules up as they went along.



Back to Sarah, when she speaks, she speaks of the lost values of individualism, personal responsibility and freedom, and of the limited role of government that was the original intent of our Founders. These are the principles enshrined in our constitution and the ones that should be the intent of every law that is written. You and I know, however, this is far from what’s happening in Washington today.

And the number of people who can’t understand her is deeply concerning. They seem oblivious to meaning, and look at you funny when you say something that they should intuitively understand, yet don’t.

I’m noticing more and more of these curious creatures as time goes by. They tend to repeat slogans and buzzwords, glibly free of any kind of relevance to reality. When presented with the facts that disprove their position, their emotions take over instead of their intellect. Rational argument is replaced with criticism and name-calling.

Just like third grade.

It’s not that Sarah Palin is dumb, not by any means. As we’ve seen in the past few days of the Anthony Weiner scandal, we have the ability to elect some stupid, dishonest people without principles into positions of power.

The people who still support Weiner after the truth was known about his virtual peccadillos will never understand Sarah Palin.

And they vote.

Sleep well tonight.

The Washington Post Examines Obama’s Recent Ohio Speech and Finds, um, Discrepancies

This is kind of old, since it’s from last week. I’m from Alabama, what can I say?

Anyway, as you may know, President Obama gave a speech at an automotive plant that makes Jeeps. He was rather proud of his perceived “rescue” of the American auto industry, and this speech seemed to be little more than him patting himself on the back.

I hope he didn’t hurt himself.

As our economy continues its downward slide, Obama has seen fit not to actually do anything to improve it, but he does speechify quite a bit. It’s like he’s a cheerleader for the opposing team on the wrong sideline.

His administration is solely responsible for our economy now. Obama was elected primarily on Bush-bashing, trodding on the well-prepared ground of the media and its’ relentless attacks on Bush. But after two and a half years of continuing downturn, it’s painfully evident that he’s not making things any better. Nor does he intend to.

There is no question that we have in Obama the most virulently anti-business president in our history. His hostility has been well documented. He never misses an opportunity to paint all business owners as greedy vampires, eager to drain the lifeblood of the nation. Never mind that he’s the beneficiary of massive amounts of money from various large companies who greased his palm and are now the recipients of large government contracts. Think General Electric.

I’ve already poked many holes in Obama’s anti-American agenda. But, last week, a major newspaper, the Washington Post, decided to try their hand at some real, live, journalism by doing a bit of fact checking on Obama’s speech. Glenn Kessler does a stellar job of examining the inconsistencies and fabrications in the President’s speech.

Normally, one must go to a blog to get this level of accuracy, but here the Post seems to be attempting to actually report in a factual manner. Wow, what a concept. Who knew that a major news outlet would even consider printing anything more than a transcript of a presidential speech, much less do some actual reporting of, *gasp*, fact?

All snark aside, it’s really nice to read. I present a few choice quotes to remind you of how it once was done. They come out of the gate with this…

“What we found is one of the most misleading collections of assertions we have seen in a short presidential speech. Virtually every claim by the president regarding the auto industry needs an asterisk, just like the fine print in that too-good-to-be-true car loan.”

OK, that’s pretty good. I like it when somebody else does my fisking for me. See the second sentence above. It gets better…

“Let’s look at the claims in the order in which the president said them.


“Chrysler has repaid every dime and more of what it owes American taxpayers for their support during my presidency — and it repaid that money six years ahead of schedule. And this week, we reached a deal to sell our remaining stake. That means soon, Chrysler will be 100 percent in private hands.”


Wow, “every dime and more” sounds like such a bargain. Not only did Chrysler pay back the loan, with interest — but the company paid back even more than they owed. Isn’t America great or what?


Not so fast. The president snuck in the weasel words “during my presidency” in his statement. What does that mean?”

Whoa, there, Nelly. Did I just read the words “weasel” and “Obama” in the same article from a prominent newspaper? That has to be a first. Truly Pulitzer Prize worthy.

It gets better…

Obama said this:

“In the year before I was President, this industry lost more than 400,000 jobs, and two great American companies, Chrysler and GM, stood on the brink of collapse. Now, we had a few options. We could have done what a lot of folks in Washington thought we should do — nothing.”

To which the Post responds…

“This is quite a straw man — that many people wanted to do nothing. It was never so black and white. The debate was over the right course to take in the bankruptcy process.


The Wall Street Journal published Monday an interesting conservative critique of the government’s intervention by David Skeel, a law professor at University of Pennsylvania. Skeel says that the revival of the auto industry “is a very encouraging development,” but “to claim that the car companies would have collapsed if the government hadn’t intervened in the way it did, and to suggest that the intervention came at very little cost, is a dangerous misreading of our recent history.””

More truth? What is this world coming to, its senses?

You know, there actually were a few in Washington then that remembered why we have bankruptcy laws.

“We do not read Boehner’s quote that way; in this 2009 comment, he is questioning the administration’s approach while saying, “The success of our automotive industry is critical.”Shelby and Kyl in 2008 were protesting the use of taxpayer funds by Bush to delay a bankruptcy filing; they preferred immediately putting the companies through the bankruptcy process.


It will be up to historians to decide what the best solution would have been for taxpayers and the auto industry. We can understand why the president wants to portray himself as making a lonely and tough decision. But the debate was not either/or, [but] rather what was the best policy to bring the automakers back to financial health.”

In hindsight, what happened was that Obama, instead of letting our system work, intervened and skirted the normal course of action for companies in financial trouble, which is to file bankruptcy. Obama couldn’t allow this because it would have permitted GM and Chrysler to renegotiate contracts with the unions. And as we all know, unions are among the biggest block of Obama’s supporters. If you’re a stockholder in GM or Chrysler, you know you were screwed.

It’s heartening to see a major newspaper actually do its job these days. Obama's speech received three our of a possible four Pinocchios.

To quote the Blogfather, read the whole thing.

America’s Political Cancer – Progressivism

In case you haven’t noticed it yet, America is sick.

Inside the country lives a foreign organism that is eating away at it. It was diagnosed about a hundred years ago. Many efforts have been made to cut it out, but it has always returned, stronger and more determined to consume the host.

We’re seeing the effects of this sickness everywhere we look: our economy is anemic, we’re saddled with unimaginable debt, inflation is running rampant, there are record numbers of Americans living below the poverty level and on food stamps for the first time, and that’s just in the first breath.

The rights you were once guaranteed are now under attack. You no longer have property rights thanks to the awful Supreme Court Kelo decision that gave local governments the ability to seize your property for its purpose, those being unrelated to the traditional expansion of a community.

In the not-so-distant past, these traditional uses were for the building of roads, or schools. Everyone accepted the need for such services and understood the reasons for them. But since Kelo, your property can now be condemned for private developers who promise to increase the tax base through their redevelopments.

Your clearly defined right to own a firearm has been under attack for generations. I wonder which part of “The right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed” cannot be understood by those who would rob us of this very basic right.

All this and more is a clear indication of a country that’s not what it once was. As concerning as all these problems are, they are only symptoms of a larger disease.

That disease is called “progressivism.”

You may say to yourself, “But Mr. Boy, isn’t progress a good thing?”

Well, out here in the real world, it is. But understand that in the realm of politics, nothing is as it seems and the words you and I use in everyday conversation have a radically different meaning in the alternate universe that is politics.

Some of us remember when a garbage man was called a garbage man, not a sanitation engineer. In order to be a valid and accurate description of the position, one would normally associate the word “engineering” with the actual act of engineering, something that is difficult to envision happening while hanging from the rear of a large truck filled with refuse.

This is a perfect example of the alternate reality of politics. Clear speech is twisted and distorted so that only an insider would understand it. We now are expected to speak (and therefore think) in a politically correct way. What was once called “war” is now termed “kinetic military action.” Terrorism is now called “man-caused disaster.”

It’s ironic in the extreme that politics, which should be the repository of clear thinking and concise action, now creates its own language that confuses simple issues.

Again, this is merely a symptom of a much more serious problem.

It’s important to understand just what is meant by the term “progressive” in today’s politics. You may have guessed it doesn’t mean what you think it means.

Sure, the word sounds innocent enough. Who wouldn’t want progress? Isn’t that the normal course of history, to progress and to become better?

That, gentle reader, is exactly what you’re supposed to think.

The mere act of introducing alternate, political meanings to everyday language should set off your alarm bells and have your Bullshit Meter pegged. True, language evolves, but this isn’t a natural evolution of language: it’s a deliberate attempt to confuse you with words.

And it seems to be working quite well.

Today’s “progressive” is yesterday’s Socialist. Or Marxist. Or Communist. Or Fascist. Take your pick; they’re all opposed to the American values of individual liberty, limited government, private property rights, and capitalism.

You might be interested to know that we already have a Socialist in Congress, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Although he official designation is that of Independent, Sanders is a Socialist, which his Congressional web site readily acknowledges.

How this has managed to occur in our fair country, that we elected an American to high office that aligns himself with anti-American political beliefs, is a mystery. It is a testament to the power of purposeful confusion. And also to the stupidity of Vermont voters.

Or didn’t you know that socialism is directly opposed to American values?

Of course you did, that’s why you’re here, reading this blog.

What you may still not know is that the Democrat party has undergone a not-so-subtle transformation in the past few decades. What it stands for today is far removed from its roots.

Today’s Democrat is likely to call itself a “progressive” instead of a Democrat. This is a not-unimportant distinction. It could also call itself a "Progressive Democrat," thus doubling down on the idiocy.

While I could spend several thousand more words explaining why “progressivism” in our political system is a bad thing, I don’t really need to. All you have to do is look around to see the results of big-government, free-spending “progressives.”

Do you like what you see? Do you think that a 9.1% unemployment rate, when we had a rate half that high less than five years ago, is a good thing? Do you think our skyrocketing debt is good for you, or your children, or your grandchildren? Do you think that the Obama administrations’ takeover of the healthcare system will be good for the country? Do you think that the EPA’s threatened shutdown of oil drilling in Texas to protect a worthless lizard is good for gas prices and your wallet?

This and much more can be laid directly at the feet of “progressives” and "progressive thought." Even that term is misleading, for thought requires the admission of that pesky thing called reality, and a recognition of logic and common sense. None of that figures into what passes for "progressive thought," based as it is on emotionality and feelings.

You really should start to believe that we have a problem within our own political system. It can be removed from the body politic, but it will take some effort.

We have to purge “progressivism” from our political system if we are to continue as a country of laws and freedom. If you find anyone in any political race that calls themselves a “progressive,” be they Democrat or Republican, know that this person is your enemy and do everything in your power to defeat them.

“Progressivism” should be viewed as the cancer it is, eating away at our liberties and our way of life. And those who call themselves “progressive” are the willful carriers of this most dangerous political disease.

I Am America and I Must Speak

I am America.
You are my people. In a way, you are my children.

I’d like to have a talk with you.

I’ve been rather quiet lately, but I’ve noticed that there are a more than a few of you who don’t have a very good opinion of me. Some of you have been misinformed. You don’t seem to be aware of history.

I’d like to set the record straight, if I may.

I’m the world’s oldest standing government. My constitution hasn’t been substantially changed in over two hundred years. I have some authority from which to speak.

Before I was born, governments operated from a simple premise: people needed the permission of their leaders before they were allowed to do anything. There was no standard the people could rely on when it came to conducting their lives. Their monarch was the law. Whatever he or she felt like doing, no matter how outrageous, was the law of the land, usually under the penalty of death.

I was different. The people who built me had a new idea about government. They were the first in the world to wonder if mankind could rule himself. Power, which is what government is all about, would belong to the people. They would gather and agree on the rules they wanted to live by, and hold elections to appoint someone who would guarantee their rules were made into law and that those laws were enforced.

What made me special was that I would be small. Although I had power, I used it sparingly and only with great trepidation. I was made not to interfere with the lives of my people, as all before me had done. I was designed to leave people alone and let them live as they saw fit. I was to be a silent guardian of rights, used only when necessary, and with the approval of all.

My laws were basic. They were drawn from mankind’s observation that there is a way of life that is decent and good, one that leads to peace if those laws of life are followed. My laws were constructed around the Ten Commandments of Judaism, for these were found to be the best yardsticks by which to live. They were administered with the compassion that marks the Christian faith.

Yes, I am a Christian country. The men who built me were men of God. They didn’t try to hide their faith. Instead, the sought to codify the good things they found in it. They wanted their faith in God to be the foundation of a government that would let people be truly free. The men who built me would never live to see their labors come to fruition, but the tree of liberty which they planted would become great with time, and bear much fruit for the whole earth, the fruit of freedom. Sweet if eaten with humility, bitter if eaten to excess. Always to be tended by a Master Gardener and held fast in the belly of Man.

My people had freedom enshrined in their government for the first time in history. And they made the best of it, both for themselves and for others.

This made me unpopular with those who had become accustomed to power. From my birth, I was criticized. They said I could never work. They said that man was far too flawed, that he needed the firm hand of a ruler in order to thrive.

I proved them wrong.

I showed the rest of the world what man could do when he was free to follow his conscience.

I attracted the best and the brightest people from around the world. Many people came to me penniless, and I filled their purse with freedom. Many came to me destitute; I filled their cupboards abundantly, asking nothing in return except that they preserve the foundation upon which I was built.

As time passed, I gave more of myself than anyone who came before me. From me came a new way of life and many blessings.

My scientists gave the world new medicines. Plagues became a thing of the past. Water became clean. Mankind began living longer, better lives.

My engineers gave the world new technology. From me came modernity. I gave you automobiles, airplanes and washing machines, computers, television and radio. I gave you the best products at the lowest cost.

Travel to other lands that once took months can now happen in one day. You are better clothed and fed than anyone in history. You know more than anyone who came before you. I did this to show you the lessons of history, so that you wouldn’t make the same mistakes again.

I gave you more time to spend with the ones you love. I gave you a prosperity that no one on Earth had known before. The world is better off because of me.

Even in war, I was different. Many times, I’ve been called upon to right wrongs and to stop the advance of evil. I could have done what others had done, and remained as a conqueror in those foreign lands, but I did not. Many times, I have rebuilt those whom I have warred against. I always returned to my home and left other countries better than I found them. If I chose, I could claim far more land as my own.

My blood has been spilled all over the world for the cause of freedom. But I value freedom above power.

I thought I had proven myself.

I see I was wrong.

Instead of adopting my ways and imitating my success, others continued on the path of power, not freedom. With a loud voice, they continued to condemn me. They act as if I have done nothing to improve the lot of man.

I’ve had my faults. No country is perfect. But because of the way I was made, I can correct those faults. And I have done so many times.

But that’s not enough for those who claim false things against me. Although I am still a beacon of freedom for the world as evidenced by the many waiting to become Americans, there are those who live within me who say I am not what I have proven myself to be.

They say that I oppress, that I stifle, and that I smother. They say that my foundation is no longer strong. It’s outdated and not modern enough for the times.

The world has changed, they say, and I haven’t kept up with it. I find that somewhat amusing, for it was I who changed the world.

My enemies are determined to transform me into something that I was never intended to become. My enemies want me to become like the rest of the world. They want my people to be far less free than I want them to be.

My enemies are those who seek their power over my people.

They have managed to poison the tree of liberty with lies and deceit. They have twisted the minds of my children and taught them that I am somehow wrong. They call me a thief. They say I stole land from my neighbors. They act as though treaties I signed in good faith were no longer valid.

Not content with that, my enemies have posed as my people and taken up residence within my halls, scheming and planning my demise from the very ground upon which I was born. In the same place where I once was praised, I am now condemned. Where once I was defended, I am now given over to my enemy, tyranny, and its handmaiden, misery.

Those who claim to do my work and continue my legacy are busy making more and more laws every day with which to restrict the freedom of my people. Those who truly loved me would never want to bind my people, for they are their neighbors. They would act with restraint, loathe to enact another law.

To them I ask…

How many laws are enough?

How much tax is enough?

How much power is enough?

I fear. I fear for my liberty. I fear for my life.

I fear that I am no longer loved by my own children to whom I have given so much. They were born in my land, nurtured from my bosom and given opportunities they now take for granted, smug in the belief that those rights of freedom and liberty can never be taken away. They think they are superior to me because they believe what the rest of the world believes.

I was never like the rest of the world. I don’t wish to become like it now, nor ever.

To my enemies, I say leave me, and my people, in peace.

I ask no more than that.

If you are discontent with the blessings I’ve bestowed upon you, you are free to go live in a place more suited to your values. I’ve opened up the world to you. I won’t force you to stay with me as others do.

See how the rest of the world lives and ask yourself who has the better life. Open your eyes to the wonder of the world I’ve done so much to fashion in the mold of freedom.

See for yourself what I have done.

Decide for yourself.

You are free.

Friday Bits of Tid - First American Spacewalk Edition

Greetings and salutations, y'all. We survived another week, despite the best efforts of the rest of the world.

Give yourself a pat on the back. These days, you deserve one.

On this day in 1965 Major Edward H. White became the first American astronaut to venture outside a spacecraft. The Gemini program was an essential part of our race to the Moon. While not quite as popular as the other programs, it laid the groundwork for the Apollo missions. Legend has it that Gus Grissom and John Young, the two astonauts in the first manned Gemini mission, were going to crack a joke after their flight: they wanted to announce their engagement at the press conference.

You gotta love pilot humor.

A-OK, back to Earth for today's tidding.

When tap dancing shoes are outlawed, only outlaws will have tap dancing shoes.

Certainly, this has never happened before. Grandma beats would-be robber with cane.

You can't make this stuff up. Brazil may impose warning labels on underwear. "Warning. Accidents Cause People."

According to Michelle Obama, this guy should've been dead a long time ago. Man eats 25,000th Big Mac. Goes to show what she knows.

Duuude, did you, like, see where this totally cool new, like, pot superstore is gonna open up? Yeah man, it's gonna be called "Home DePot." Like, a buch of us went over there last week, but we can't, like, remember where it is now. Bummer, duuuude.

Kansas City police shoot concrete alligator. Aren't these guys supposed to have college degrees?

And finally, Lt. Commander Data raps about his cat, Spot.



Have a good'un, y'all.

Barry Gets a Lecture

Lady Liberty was sitting on the couch crying when Barry walked in the door.

“What’s wrong, uh, dear?” Barry asked.

“If you don’t know, I’m not going to tell you!” she said through a wet tissue.

Barry rolled his eyes, as he usually did when she got this way. He thought to himself, “She must have been talking to her Dad on the phone again.”

He sat down at the end of the couch a comfortable distance away from her, just in case.

“Dear, please tell me, um, what’s bothering you,” he said. He knew she couldn’t stay in this mood for long, and she was such a sucker for his rich baritone voice. That’s how he had wooed her in the beginning. It had always worked.

“Just look at this house! And look at me! I’m horrible!” she sniffed.

“Dear the house looks just fine. And you, um, look just as good to me as the day we married. There’s nothing wrong that a bit of exercise wouldn’t fix. I thought you wanted to, ah, join the gym down the street.”

She wailed and grabbed another tissue from the box next to the chocolates that she’d been eating. Empty wrappers littered the coffee table and floor.

He scooted a bit closer, but still out of her reach. He was cautious that way.

She said, “You… you… promised me that you’d take care of my house when we got married. But look at this place. I knew you had never owned a house before, and we agreed to live here, but you’ve done nothing to help around here. Not one thing!”

“Now, uh, dear, you know that’s not true…”

“Look! You’re never home. You say you’re at the office all day, but really you’re at the golf course. How is that helping me around here?”

Barry shifted in his seat. “I said we could hire someone to, um, help you. Why haven’t you, ah, put an ad in the, ah, paper?”

“You know we can’t afford it. I handled all the bills around here before you came along. You said you’d do it, but every day when I go to the mailbox, we have a new letter from the bill collectors. Some of them aren’t even in English!”

Barry looked out the window, wishing he’d stayed at the clubhouse a little while longer. He might have gotten home after she’d gone to bed and avoided her crying jag. They were becoming more frequent now.

She looked at him with a look that would have made him cringe not too long ago. He could see the fire in her eyes. Now he was becoming immune to what he considered ranting. She’s just blowing off steam again, he told himself.

“Have you looked in the back yard lately?” she snapped. “Remember that storm we had last week?”

“Yes dear, I remember. Do you remember the, ah, crew I hired to clean all that up?”

“You mean the ones who’re living in the garage now?” she said. “They moved right in like they owned the place. I know you have a soft heart for them, but I can’t get to sleep anymore. The do nothing but party until all hours of the morning. Sure, they cleaned up the yard, but they’ve trashed the garage. Just go try to find that basketball I gave you for Christmas, just try…” her voice trailed off into another tissue.

“Dear, I’ll, ah, take care of that real soon, I promise.” Barry’s lip was starting to glisten from sweat. This scene was getting worse by the minute. He had never seen her like this.

“Promises, promises. That’s all you ever do anymore is make promises, all the time. Is that what you tell your friends when you talk about be behind my back? “Oh, I’ll just whisper those sweet nothings in her ear and she’ll be alright.” Is that what you brag about to your buddies? Do you think I don’t know they hate me?” she sobbed.

Barry scooted a little closer to her and tried to put his arm around her. She pushed him away. “You know they ,um, don’t hate you. They just think you could, uh, be a better wife to me now.”

“Oh, so now I’m not good enough for them, is that it?” she cried. “I know that Billy guy you knew from college doesn’t like me, and that Jerry fellow from church really doesn’t like me, he said so! And that guy George, don’t get me started on him. He barely knows me but I’ve heard some of the things he’s said, he probably hates me more than all your little buddies combined. Just because he has a lot of money, you hang on his every word. Don’t try to hide your friends opinions from me, I know all about them. Why do you spend so much time with them and not me?” she sobbed again.

“Dear, I hardly ever talk to them. All they do is offer me advice when I call them,” he replied.

“Every single day?! You know, I see the phone bill. You spend hours on the phone with them all the time. And who is that woman named Nancy? If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you and her were having an affair,” she said, her voice muffled by a handful of tissues.

“Come on, dear, we just work together, you know that. She doesn’t mean a thing to me.”

Barry knew his bride was a lot smarter than he’d given her credit for. Even though he was new to this marriage game, he was starting to think he might be in some real trouble with his Lady.

She sat upright and looked right at him with bloodshot eyes. “I bet! I bet she’s all slim and trim like I was before we got married. Now look what all that exotic food you’ve been feeding me has done to my figure. I can barely see my feet anymore. I just feel horrible…”

“Now dear, we, ah, just have a working relationship. But she does understand me pretty well…” Barry blurted out without thinking.

“That’s what I thought! You are having an affair! You cad!! If I had known what I know now three years ago, I would never have married you!”

Lady Liberty stood up defiantly and yelled, “Go pack your bags and leave my house this second!” She ran upstairs and slammed the bedroom door.

Barry couldn’t help but hear her click the lock.

As he walked toward the car with his suitcase, he reached into his pocket for his phone and hit a speed-dial number.

“Hi Nancy, it’s me, Barry. I, um, need a place to stay tonight…”

Deflating the Big Lie of Multiculturalism

We live in the Era of Big Lies. Future anthropologists will doubtless call this the Fallacious Period and will wonder how we survived as a species when so many seemingly well educated people were so dumb as to believe in the many misconceptions, conspiracy theories and downright stupid things that pass for an informed opinion these days.

There seems to be no end to what we’ll believe: the Earth is flat, we never landed on the moon, Obama’s actually doing a good job. The depth and breadth of stupid boggles the mind.

Chief among these is the myth of Global Climate Change. This radical idea has managed to gain some sort of intellectual traction despite ample evidence that the planet’s climate has the ability to (and proven history of) changing on its own without any influence from mankind. It’s been used as an excuse to drastically reduce our standard of living and impose upon us a totalitarian government peopled by radical environmentalists who think that mankind is a virus on Earth. It’s responsible for countless laws, rules and regulations that are against our best interests but are done “for our own good.” The billions of dollars that this movement has wasted by preventing the creation of wealth have robbed us of the means with which to reverse the very trend its proponents claim is happening. How can we clean up the environment if there’s no money available to do so?

Social regression, thy name is environmentalism.

As destructive as the climate changers have been, there’s another Big Lie that’s even more damaging, that of Multiculturalism. This concept posits that all the cultures of the world are equal, and they all should be accorded equal respect. Except Western civilization, of course.

Clearly, logic, real-world results, and the truth have no place in this cultural theory. And finally, someone stood up to put the lie to the Big Lie of Multiculturalism. One William Levinson over at the American Thinker blog has an excellent post entitled, Dear 'World Community': You Are Not Our Equals. Read it all.

Thank you, Mr. Levinson, for saying what needs to be said. The concept of globalism is another one of those ideas that sounds great on paper, but fails spectacularly when put into practice.

Part and parcel of this grand social experiment is the notion of diversity. Different cultures are to be welcomed and celebrated, and varying opinions are to be included in the grand parade of humanity. The world will be oh-so-much more enlightened with the inclusion of differing points of view. All ideas are valid, since the world is no longer stifled by the outdated concept of right and wrong. Diversity is the key to mankind’s happiness. Everybody everywhere is wonderful, and interesting and exciting! There’s no need to prove yourself, just be alive. Anything you believe is just hunky-dory.

If you feel the need to hurl, go ahead. I’ll wait.

This social theory is also responsible for a massive amount of waste of human capital, as the notion that all must be included in every activity based solely upon appearances has replaced the former standard of individual merit. No longer are you treated as an individual and judged on your actual abilities. No, today, you’re merely another brick in the cultural wall, indistinguishable from anyone else, regardless of your real contribution to the betterment of mankind.

Not quite through hurling? I understand. I’m patient like that.

While all the worlds’ cultures are equal, some are more equal than others. Even in the face of overwhelming evidence, Western culture is always portrayed as something less than other cultures. Never mind that Western innovation, borne of freedom (the West’s basic foundation), is responsible for the greatest advance in the human condition in history. No other culture has given the world so much. No other culture has been criticized as much.

Pick a category; Westerners are at the top if they don’t dominate it outright. Mr. Levinson’s post cites only a few stats, but they are telling. In pointing out the stark contrast between Israel and its Arab neighbors, Mr. Levinson notes,

Israel is, like Japan, relatively poor in natural resources. It was however settled by primarily European refugees and emigrants who brought with them Euro-American values that are intolerable to their militant Islamic neighbors. As reported by the International Monetary Fund, Israel's per-capita gross domestic product (GDP) was $26.7 thousand in 2010. Iran's is $4.7 thousand, so one oil-poor infidel is on average more than five times as productive as an oil-rich Iranian Shiite. The per-capita GDPs of Syria and Egypt are less than $3 thousand, and even that of oil powerhouse Saudi Arabia is $17 thousand.

Hmm, that’s interesting. It sounds like some Middle Eastern countries are just like the students who constantly trash the class valedictorian. Clearly, they aren’t as bright: if they were, they’d be competing for the honor themselves. Instead of realizing that they had some serious studying to do, they prefer to denigrate someone who is clearly their superior, as a way of regaining the status they know they don’t have.

Funny how this aspect is overlooked by the diversity-at-any-cost crowd. If you’re smarter that everyone else, that’s bad. I coulda swore that all people of varying abilities were accepted: isn’t that what the word means? If you’re as dumb as everyone else is (and happen to think the same way, too), then welcome to the Diversity Club. This weeks’ meeting will be held on Saturday, since one day is just the same as all the others. It’ll also be held at 3:00 am, since one particular hour is just the same as any other. There’s no president, since everyone’s all equal and stuff. There are no awards to be given, since that wouldn't be fair.

Everybody’s all great and wonderful, which means that nobody really is.

All this would be relatively harmless if the proponents of diversity and multiculturalism weren’t trying to impose their beliefs on us. It’s worth noting that there’s a movement in some circles to ignore American law in our courts and to include decisions that rest upon international law instead. Aside from being extremely unconstitutional, it’s also just a plain bad idea. I certainly don’t wish sharia law to be allowed or even recognized by our court system. If anyone wants to live under it, there are many countries in the world to which they can relocate. American law is the one and only consideration in an American court.

Having studied this curious cultural theory for a while and seen it in action, it’s high time this experiment was concluded.

It has failed.