Littlestuff Weekender-8-27-2011

It was a long but pleasant day at the Lorain County Fair (OH). You may recall that I attended 46 county fairs last year plus the Ohio State Fair. The schedule this year is much less hectic so the few that I work are really enjoyable. Fairs (like malls) are a great place for observing humans and quasi-humans…particularly in the context surrounding a political booth or tent. Anecdotally, about 10% of the people expressed near-revulsion when they encountered our display, but I don’t know if it was because they were so brain-washed by the two old parties, or if the idea of politics made them ill. About 15-20% seemed to possess a healthy curiosity and sought more information or picked up some material. The remaining 75% or so suffered from raging indifference, and thus I have concluded……………we are doomed. Intentional ignorance, gross genetic stupidity and a lack of even a mere flicker of curiosity are the demolition tools of destruction for our nation. But the donuts made by the Wellington Band Boosters were outstanding.

Let’s see…Hurricane Irene, sluggish economy, high unemployment, fighting in the Mideast, war in Afghanistan, insurgents in Iraq, earthquakes, riots on the streets……I’m so glad the Teleprompter-in Chief and the First-Lady-of Food-Nagging have come home from vacationing. Aren’t you? Feel safer now?

Watch this Libyan mess very closely. Even though NATO and the IAEA claim that most of the mass weapons have been secured…..they said that about Belarus too, and the atomic material from is still leaking into the global marketplace. Remember, NATO is a bureaucracy which means that they are incompetent and seldom get it right.

For those of you who are ardent watchers of the various stock and commodity markets, but are not “day traders,” remember the market moves or fluctuates on news ……and rumors of news. By the time that actual facts are determined, the impact has already been absorbed.

Football……yes!!!!

This is a short column today because we’ve had a stressful busy week here at the Little Pat-Ch of Paradise in NW Ohio.

Hope for a good day. Work to make it better. Pray for forgiveness when you screw it up.

The next Weekender will be in September.

Comment:   cearlwriting@hotmail.com     or    www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

Consistency of Character

Consistency of character is something that not many of us can claim. We all want to be viewed as people who can be relied on to do the right thing time after time. Unfortunately most of us can recall instances where we failed to come through when someone or some occasion needed our strength and our assistance. Even without the descriptor of character attached, consistency is difficult to accomplish. For those of us who are parents we have often second-guessed our inconsistent guidance for our offspring. Consistency is a highly-valued trait in professional sports….with limitations…. a consistent .100 hitter will find himself consistently re-assigned to a lower league. Consistency is a valued attribute when it is productive or represents a favorable behavior. Consistent character in the lofty world of national politics is truly rarified air. The term “flip-flop” has more social relevance today for chameleon-type politicians than for flimsy footwear.

It is time for a mea culpa. Back in my ultra conservative GOP days I thought Ron Paul was a somewhat looney nagger. His constant harping about the Constitution and the abuses by the Federal Reserve seemed quaint but somewhat far-fetched…..a little “out there” if you know what I mean. But time and circumstances have moved us all “out there” as we realize that Dr. Paul’s predictions were “spot on.” The unconstitutional forays into “never never land” by Congress and administrations have resulted in a massive, intrusive, expensive and inefficient government. The secret manipulations by the Fed when added to the known digital creation of money from thin air have led to the value of our currency becoming debased while the specter of runaway inflation haunts us. Ron Paul has understood the gaping faults within the Federal Reserve for a long time, and we ignored him.  The current knock on Congressman Paul from his detractors involves his foreign policy positions. They accuse him of being an isolationist, or naïve…..or “wacko.”

The title of this piece is “Consistency of Character,” and if one is to be faithful to the Constitution, one must be consistent regarding domestic policy, foreign policy and government-citizen interactions. As I have written in previous columns, the United States Congress has not DECLARED war since December 8^th, 1941. Consistent constitutional adherence would not permit the multitude of military actions that we have pursued during the past 70 years. To praise Dr. Paul’s constitutional integrity regarding the size and scope of government while condemning his constitutional foreign policy stance is both hypocritical and self-serving. If Dr. Paul’s critics want him to become a flaming interventionist who spends trillions of dollars and countless lives, they should amend the Constitution to allow for frequent willy-nilly military operations against every perceived threat, real and potential, with a minimal legislative or constitutional justification…..rather like we have been doing for seven decades. The chief reason that no war has been declared in all that time despite our being in nearly constant conflict for the entire period is that Congress and the presidents have lacked the political will and courage to take a recorded stand. Cowardice should not be rewarded…..nor tolerated.

Now, regarding Mr. Paul’s specific stand on Iran and the nearly universal gnashing of teeth and wailing about his unwillingness to initiate aggressive military action against the Iranians, in a previous column (“Do Something”—8/19/2011) I identified several nations that are legitimate threats to the security of the United States. That number has increased with the events in Libya. That nation is on the verge of anarchy with tribal, regional and ideological factions all vying for power. At stake is the broad range of weapons of mass destruction that have been sequestered throughout the country. Those armaments are particularly vulnerable for acquisition by groups committed to terror. Iran certainly is a threat…a considerable threat with no air force or missile delivery system …but to focus on the potential of Iran without watching the reality of other threatening countries would be….could be…a disastrous oversight.

Dr. Paul thoroughly understands that fixation on the enemy du jour could lead to a devastating consequence for our nation. He believes in a strong defense and a powerful swift response if any nation directly challenges our people. Those who would dismiss Congressman Paul as a serious contender for the presidency because of his foreign policy views are hypocritically disingenuous. It is radically hypocritical to laud Mr. Paul’s steadfast consistent compliance with the Constitution while decrying his constitutional position with regards to international ventures and military action. It is disingenuous to insist that the only true leaders are those who violate the Constitution by sending our armed services personnel into harm’s way while playing the role of chicken hawk cowards who are unwilling to go on the legal record to justify their actions.

Consistency of character is a commodity that is rare in the halls of political power. Honesty and integrity are also in short supply. For those of you who are or may know someone who is a serious follower and believer of faith, you may be aware of how some people like to ridicule believers and poke fun at their faith. It is similar to someone like Dr. Paul who takes his oath of office seriously but is the target of derision by those who claim to support the Constitution. There are three valid remedies to this situation: amend the Constitution, stop falsely claiming to support it, or engage in a serious examination of Dr. Paul’s positions in the light of constitutional awareness. If you, yes You, truly want a restoration of constitutional government for our nation, you must perform your due diligence and request that other candidates stop claiming to be followers of the Framers while they pursue their interventionist world-policeman and unconstitutional foreign policies. Let’s be consistent.

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Con-promise

Some things are vastly over rated. Atlantic Coast Conference football is not good enough to merit an automatic BCS (Bowl Championship Series) bowl appearance for the conference champion. Rap music is over rated. We might describe it as monotonic anti-social indecipherable blather. Certainly, “Reality TV” is over rated. It is rarely true reality and barely qualifies as television….definitely not as entertainment television. Most political compromises are over rated. They are crowned with the mantle of wise accommodation, when in fact, they do little to achieve real goals or address pressing problems. In many cases the compromise may erect barriers to a satisfactory solution. A true compromise involves two directions of seemingly equal value that are bound and trimmed to provide a satisfactory workable solution for the advocates of each path. In my personal view the critical operative word is “satisfactory.” Too often political operatives adopt a compromise merely to put off the arduous task of arriving at the best answer to a vexing problem.

Compromise is never a good option in matters of principle. Where the underlying principle is intact, compromise may be necessary regarding an amount or a time frame to reach agreement among the parties. But compromising on principle is a losing proposition. When one yields on a matter of principle, one is, in effect, admitting that the principle has no value. Negotiations become browbeating and bullying because one side recognizes that the other has surrendered the moral high ground of principle. Compromising on matters of preference is a good approach in marriage, partnerships and ad hoc social encounters. We have all witnessed amazingly bullheaded people who had a “my way or the highway” attitude about unimportant matters. We should not ever confuse that immovable personality disorder with someone who stands his or her ground for a principle. There’s a Kenny Rogers classic called “The Gambler,” and one of the verses includes “know when to hold them and knowing when to fold them.” Always “hold” for principle, but be willing to “fold” on minor matters.

Now comes the big question of the day: Are most career politicians capable of detecting the difference between a principle and “small potatoes?” Is it possible that their arrogance is so great that they view everything, or at least most things, as unworthy of defending? It must be a flaw in the psyche of most career politicians that causes them to ignore or minimize some of the most basic principles of good governance. For them “the deal is the thing,” and they can smugly approach the cameras and crow about what a difficult process they endured while arriving at a ‘solution” that “serves the best interests of the American people.” In their feeble little ego-centric minds runs the following refrain: “Whew! That’s over for now. Time for drink.” How about drinking some hemlock, Clowns? Cut the DEAL and cut outta there….that’s no way to run a country.

Many politicians run for office while professing the love and loyalty for the Constitution. They glibly discuss the Founders and the Framers as they extol the wonders of our glorious democracy…..huh? Democracy? No wonder they appear so eager to ignore principles while engaged in the business of the nation. Democracies are popularity contests. Examine any statewide issue that’s on the ballot. Advertising, posters, troops of supporters or opponents appearing on radio and television attempt to convince the voters that their position is the best one. The purpose is to amass the greatest sum of votes on Election Day. In a Republic, on the other hand, citizens elect representatives to perform two major services. The first is to represent the people of the district or state and prevent their isolation or abuse by the Federal Government or other states. The second responsibility is to thoughtfully and fairly weigh the desires of the district or state versus the overall good for the nation. Elected officials are presumed to use their calculating powers for weighing the nation-district advantage….not to support noxious and costly proposals that aid their re-election prospects but subvert what is preferable for the country. This dynamic explains the prevalence of “pork” in so many legislative initiatives. Politicians sought favor with various constituencies using “other people’s money,” without measured consideration about the impact of such appropriations on the nation’s fiscal health. All “pork” spending is compromising. “I’ll vote for yours, if you vote for mine.” Principles are absent, and we get “bridges to nowhere” and projects that should be adopted locally.

People especially political types who refuse to compromise on basic principles are usually characterized as “obstructionists.”  Their strong stance slows or stops the unprincipled compromise from going through. If the rhetoric becomes more heated, we often hear terms like “ideologue,” “extremist, “ or any number of unflattering terms designed to weaken the holdout’s resolve as well as to activate his or her constituents’ pressure. One shouldn’t bend when critical questions are being decided. Holding to principle, standing firmly with the Constitution of the United States, and weighing every vote or decision on the scales of Liberty are absolutes. There is no nearly principled stance, no almost-Constitutional position, and definitely no approximately-free approach to Liberty. The debate should never be about the wisdom of a certain absolute because they are foundational and vital for the rebirth of our republic. Any other position, any nuanced compromise of principle condemns us to the quicksand of socialism and the quagmire of irrelevancy.

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Life Choices

Eliminating undesirable people and prickly political minorities has been practiced by despotic governments for a long time. Our human history is replete with governments’ eliminating certain sectors of their own populations or slaughtering opponents in their villages and in their beds. Some people may be uncomfortable with this historical perspective and suggest that in our enlightened times, such butchery is no longer accepted. That attitude, Dear Reader, is what is known as a “pipe dream.” For all of our potential to imagine, create and build functional beauty, many of us allow the beast of sin or inhumanity to rule us. We have so much potential for good, and yet, we are severely flawed. Consider the episodes of genocide and mass murder in recent decades. This list is not exhaustive but there were Cambodians, Rwandans, Serbs, The Nazis, the Kurds, baby girls in China all represent either perpetrators or victims of heinous mass crimes. Progressives should be ecstatic with the continued human destruction of our own.

In 1968 Dr. Paul Ehrlich, a lepidopterist ( a freakin’ butterfly expert), released his legacy work, “The Population Bomb,” a woeful prediction of a planet (ours) overrun by people with inadequate resources to sustain human life. Liberals, who are now Progressives, lauded Ehrlich’s tome and have been dedicated to his themes for the past four decades. In fact, the Supreme Court of the United States was so enamored with Ehrlich’s thesis that shortly thereafter it discovered a formerly non-existent right to legally execute unborn children in the United States ( Roe v. Wade, 1973). With the deadly combination of almost constant warfare and legal abortion, the lefties who are squeamish about excessive population growth should be smugly satisfied. In our various global incursions we are sacrificing young men and women (mostly men) in the prime of their lives, and certainly abortion represents a pre-emptive approach to population limitation by eliminating the child before it reaches breeding age. The government has been complicit in this clumsy attempt at population control by its consistent funding of Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the United States.

Although it may seem to be a feasible argument to some, large government necessarily must be a major role player when there are vital policy issues that include divisions among the populace. But a constitutionally limited government would not be as actively involved in the social issues that tear the nation apart. True, the states would be facing those issues, and it’s possible that any given life or death issue may have 50 different solutions among all the states. So what? In life affirming issues having one or more states that value life and nurture it is much better than our present-day circumstances wherein the government promotes much that is anti-life and certainly anti-individual. When government becomes too large and unwieldy, the natural inclination is to become more demanding and despotic and to limit resistance or protest. By endorsing the Ehrlich proposition of stressful overpopulation and also by encouraging and funding the radical feminist arguments for abortion, an impersonal monstrosity such as the United States’ Federal Government can treat individual lives indifferently. That ingrained indifference leads to multiple deployments for police actions and conflicts because the individuals are not significant. Their loss and their families’ grief are meaningless blips on the sensibility of an over sized governing apparatus.

This entire discussion springs from my personal mental gymnastics about the proper role for government regarding some of the most critical issues about life. Certainly because of its constitutional mandate to provide for the common defense, the federal government does have the capacity and the duty to order the military, guard, reserves and militia into harm’s way. One would hope that it happens so infrequently that the leaders of government do not rashly pursue military engagements. As in any other aspect of life, frequent repetition of acts that were once novel makes the action more commonplace and ordinary. Our national leadership has treated the U.S. military like a Welcome Wagon bully by dispatching them all over the globe to intervene in disputes that have been raging for decades….even centuries. I suspect that in the highest corridors of government respect and concern for individuals who must serve, fight and perhaps perish has been blunted. The minimization of the value of life leads directly to the diminishment of the worth of the individual which exaggerates the power of groups within the body politic.

Groups merge into democratic factions that value “members,” but carry no brief for life itself or the individual. My final analysis is that a nation that does not celebrate or nourish individualism is not committed to the preservation and protection of life. A country that does not cherish the lives of its individual citizens loses its moral authority to exist. After all, the government is an institution developed to allow the people to work together for common goals without excessive intervention. Cavalier attitudes about individual lives cannot be a universally accepted national policy. Life, individual life, and liberty must be the latchkeys for entering the hall of government’s moral reason for existing. A government that values neither life nor individuals has forfeited its moral foundation and has no right to its own life.

Comment:    cearlwriting@hotmail.com       or        www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com