Littlestuff Weekender-2-25-2012

So was the CNN-Mesa debate the final one of the primary/caucus season? Are more than 20 enough to inform the voters? Apparently not because the polling suggests that support is broadly diffused among the four remaining candidates with no one solidifying a solid majority or even a significant plurality. With Michigan and Arizona scheduled to decide on Tuesday their results may have an impact on Super Tuesday, March 6^th. However….each of the candidates has selected their most favorable Super Tuesday states for concentrated campaigning suggesting that the outcome may be even more fractured than it is today. The race is on……

http://youtu.be/H9b2zB3HwOM

Following the 9-11 murders, I enthusiastically supported the military action in Afghanistan to seek and destroy Al Qaeda. Our Special Forces, air power and the coalition with the Northern Alliance dislodged the terrorists and forced them to run for cover to the badlands of the Pakistani-Afghan border region. Then…..things began to go sour as our bureaucracy, political leaders and political correctness seized control of the mission. For the past several years our troops have been fighting the locals (Taliban) rather than the foreign fighters, our “Rules of Engagement” have hamstrung our men and women, our mission has become blurred and indistinct, and our allies in the region, particularly Pakistan, have undermined our efforts. Afghanistan is a 13^th century tribal society with 21^st Century technology….think of Fred Flintstone with a laptop and laser-guided munitions. Their society is corrupt and bigoted. Our efforts at nation building are resented and thwarted by tradition, mullahs and a tribal culture. Bring our people home.

http://youtu.be/nZ8sQfzuZnE

Here at my Little Pat-Ch of Paradise in Northwest Ohio it has been an amazingly mild winter…..so far. The good news is that we haven’t had to shovel or move much snow, and our utility service has not been interrupted. On the other hand the lack of sustained freezing and the standing water suggests that we may have some pest issues with the gardens this season. We’ll deal with it. Our “skeeters” will probably be the size of crows when they finally hatch, but there will be plenty for the birds to consume. It’s difficult to believe that March will be upon us come Thursday.

Gasoline prices are rocketing upward as the value of the dollar declines. We could all switch to those high-cost electric cars except for that fact that a number of power-generating plants are going off-line because of environmental concerns and inefficiencies. Even the most elemental form of transportation may be difficult to acquire because the USDA has resumed inspecting horse butchering facilities. You will now be competing with foreign food markets and dog food companies for a one-horsepower people mover. Every candidate talks about the need for an energy policy, but the bureaucratic briar patch created by our big government politicians has severely limited our capacity for exploiting known reserves of fossil fuels. Meanwhile….the green agenda funnels more and more of our borrowed dwindling resources into crony businesses that are unable to compete in the open energy market. We’d better pray that global warming is a reality because our current energy policies will doom many to freezing to death if our winters become too severe. Government will never learn the law of unintended consequences because it has no brain.

Sometimes I feel like picking up my toys and going home. Trying to get politicians to face reality and act courageously is similar to butting my head against a wall. It seems for most of them that if you’re vain enough to attempt to sway people to like you, you are too self-centered to be a true representative for your constituents. Maybe we should consider changing eligibility standards for political office….cloistered nuns, friars or mystics couldn’t be any more out of touch than our current crop of “servants,” and they would be much more thoughtful. Perhaps we should empower and elect recluses and hermits while providing them with wi-fi and laptops. They wouldn’t be tainted by the glamour or seduced by the power. Their payroll needs would be much lower, their staff requirements would be non-existent, and their commuting costs would be minimal. Yes…I can see it now ……… Homeboys for Hermits.

Elizabethtown, Kentucky is the site of the annual Libertarian Party of Kentucky (LPKY) annual convention, and I’m honored to be the keynote speaker on Saturday afternoon (the 25^th). The topic is “Why Liberty, Why Now?” Yes even hard core Libertarians should be reminded that The Issue is Liberty. Fiscal and economic problems arise when government overspends. Big government consumes our liberties. If we restore our inalienable rights, government will be constrained in its constitutional box. When dealing with an oppressive community or a government, The Issue is always Liberty. Re-read the “Lord of the Flies.” Even the extreme of liberty, anarchy, can be oppressive (see the French Revolution). The essence of freedom is personal sovereignty granted by God. For any person, group or government to undermine that relationship is immoral.

Have a great weekend. We’ll be back on the air Tuesday night from 6:00-7:00pm on the Talk of Toledo 1370 WSPD. www.wspd.com

cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

  

Homogeneous Diversity

Approximately 126,000 people live in the 617 square mile patch called Wood County, Ohio. Wood County is diverse because it is a blend of suburban (Toledo metro area), small village and rural residents. It is not so diverse because more than 92% of the residents are Caucasians. The whiteness of Wood County is even starker when one considers that many of the minority residents are affiliated with Bowling Green State University in the county seat of Bowling Green. BGSU is home to nearly 18,000 students plus the staff and faculty. One could surmise that the overwhelming majority of racial or ethnic minorities are clustered near the University campus. The Wood County environment and its demographics provide an interesting laboratory for observing social patterns and preferences.

One of the progressive trends of recent decades has been the promotion of “multiculturalism” as the ideal result of discrimination-free cohabitation. Like most progressive pipe dreams it is seriously flawed and unattainable. Our human nature is to seek out others whom we know and are similar to us. Our historic nature is to distrust and suspect the aliens. That’s a defense mechanism that was developed by our predecessors to ensure the survival of the tribe or the village. For those of you who may be devoted to Darwinian Theory this explains why dogs and cats are generally hostile to one another. Certainly there are exceptions but generally when cats encounter dogs, they run, and the canine obliges by chasing the fickle feline. Multicultural love fests cannot be effectively enacted by government fiat. Cross-cultural, inter-racial or socially different relationships must be cultivated on a one-to-one basis.

For most people the distrust of “them” is a dominant perspective until one encounters one of “them” personally. The outcome of the interaction will often determine if the stereotypical view is reinforced or eroded. Social sciences have spent enormous sums and massive amounts of time attempting to quantify and identify group attitudes and behaviors regarding other groups, but it does not take a village to tear down the walls of suspicion. It requires one or more individuals whose experience trumps the tribal myths. This is a long preamble into my observations about lily-white rural Wood County.

There are several candidates running in the Primary Election for the opportunity to serve as a Wood County Commissioner. It is common for rural or suburban commissioner candidates in Ohio to rely on yard signs as a primary medium for promoting their candidacies. As one travels throughout the county, one will find signs of distinguishable colors promoting each of the various candidates. One factor soon becomes apparent, however. While most of the candidates do have signs in nearly every sector of the county, one can determine their “home” area by noting the density of their signs. The closer to their homes the more signs you will find promoting their candidacies. Apparently trust and personal neighborly relationships are more readily acquired closer to home. The unequal distribution of campaign signs does not signal discriminatory, racist or exclusionary intent. On the contrary the sign distribution patterns identify geographic areas where the candidates are known and supported. The people who display the yard signs either know the candidate or are familiar with her or his reputation sufficiently to publicly support their efforts to gain office. Familiarity and comfort are even more desirable in everyday living than in political contests. Exclusion and suspicion are common and natural among homogeneous groups. They are not diseases or aberrations, and should not be viewed as something to be corrected. If a broader, more inclusive community is to emerge, it will be because individuals have engaged members of other groups and the results were positive.

No government-sponsored “kumbaya” movement or repressive “hate crimes” legislation will overcome the natural reluctance among people to embrace the outsider or someone who is different. Prejudice, suspicion and distrust are normal. Tribal survival relied on them. In my view it is acceptable for the social sciences to attempt to measure attitudes and perceptions that affect group attitudes, but when the statistically-driven or qualitative analysts seek to transform natural human behavior through artificial constructs, rules, regulations or laws, they overstep their expertise and their authority. Prejudice and hate should not be punishable activities because they are natural and defensive. If someone is killed, harmed or suffers property damage because of the actions of a bigot, the penalties should be severe….not because of bigotry or prejudice…but because of the actual harm or damage.

Even in a community like Wood County with its 90plus percentage of Caucasians there are prejudices and preferences. When one supports a candidate of one’s own community while opposing a challenger from across the county, the typical and politically-correct arguments of the progressive statist government disintegrate. Prejudice is normal and unavoidable. If it leads to death, harm or damage, it should be punished but otherwise ignored.

Now….ask an all-embracing, love-the-world progressive what her or his ‘feelings” are about pro-lifers, Tea Party members or any small-government constitutionalist. Case closed. If a recluse who lives in a cave hates, distrusts and fears everything and everyone on the planet and never leaves his lair nor does no harm, ignore him. If a lefty approaches you and lectures you about using government to enforce love and harmony, run like hell.

cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

     

George Washington

He declined the monarchy while Obama seeks to install it.

George Washington

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

George Washington
1st President of the United States
In office April 30, 1789* – March 4, 1797
Vice President	John Adams
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	John Adams
Senior Officer of the Army
In office July 13, 1798 – December 14, 1799
Appointed by	John Adams
Preceded by	James Wilkinson
Succeeded by	Alexander Hamilton
Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army
In office June 15, 1775 – December 23, 1783
Appointed by	Continental Congress
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Senior Officer of the Army
Delegate to the Second Continental Congress from Virginia
In office May 10, 1775 – June 15, 1775
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Thomas Jefferson
Delegate to the First Continental Congress from Virginia
In office September 5, 1774 – October 26, 1774
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Personal details
Born	February 22, 1732(1732-02-22) Westmoreland, Virginia Colony
Died	December 14, 1799(1799-12-14) (aged 67) Mount Vernon, Virginia, U.S.
Political party	Independent
Spouse(s)	Martha Dandridge Custis
Profession	Planter Officer
Religion	Deism, nominally Church of England / Episcopal[1]
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Great Britain United States
Service/branch	Virginia provincial militia Continental Army United States Army
Years of service	Militia: 1752–1758 Continental Army: 1775–1783 Army: 1798–1799
Rank	Lieutenant general General of the Armies (posthumous: 1976)
Commands	Virginia Colony's regiment Continental Army United States Army
Battles/wars	French and Indian War • Battle of Jumonville Glen • Battle of Fort Necessity • Braddock Expedition • Battle of the Monongahela • Forbes Expedition American Revolutionary War • Boston campaign • New York and New Jersey campaign • Philadelphia campaign • Yorktown campaign
Awards	Congressional Gold Medal Thanks of Congress
*March 4 is the official start of the first presidential term. April 6 is when Congress counted the votes of the Electoral College and certified a president. April 30 is when Washington was sworn in.

George Washington (February 22, 1732 [O.S. February 11, 1731] [1731 in Annunciation Style of enumerating years]—December 14, 1799) was the first President of the United States of America, serving from 1789 to 1797, and dominant military and political leader of the United States from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of the Constitution in 1787. Washington became the first president by unanimous choice, and oversaw the creation of a strong, well-financed national government that maintained neutrality in the wars raging in Europe, suppressed rebellion and won acceptance among Americans of all types. His leadership style established many forms and rituals of government that have been used since, such as using a cabinet system and delivering an inaugural address. Washington is universally regarded as the "Father of his country".

Washington was born into the provincial gentry of a wealthy, well-connected Colonial Virginia family who owned tobacco plantations and slaves. After both his father and older brother died young, Washington became personally and professionally attached to the powerful William Fairfax, who promoted his career as a surveyor and soldier. Washington quickly became a senior officer in the colonial forces during the first stages of the French and Indian War. Chosen by the Second Continental Congress in 1775 to be commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in the American Revolution, Washington managed to force the British out of Boston in 1776, but was defeated and almost captured later that year when he lost New York City. After crossing the Delaware River in the dead of winter, he defeated the British in two battles, retook New Jersey and restored momentum to the Patriot cause. Because of his strategy, Revolutionary forces captured two major British armies at Saratoga in 1777 and Yorktown in 1781. Historians laud Washington for his selection and supervision of his generals, encouragement of morale and ability to hold together the army, coordination with the state governors and state militia units, relations with Congress and attention to supplies, logistics, and training. In battle, however, Washington was repeatedly outmaneuvered by British generals with larger armies. After victory had been finalized in 1783, Washington resigned rather than seize power, proving his opposition to dictatorship and his commitment to American republicanism. He retired from the presidency in 1797 and returned to his home, Mount Vernon, and his domestic life where he managed a variety of enterprises. He freed all his slaves by his final 1799 will.

Dissatisfied with the weaknesses of Articles of Confederation, in 1787 Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention that drafted the United States Constitution. Elected as the first President of the United States in 1789, he attempted to bring rival factions together to unify the nation. He supported Alexander Hamilton's programs to pay off all state and national debt, to implement an effective tax system and to create a national bank (despite opposition from Thomas Jefferson). Washington proclaimed the U.S. neutral in the wars raging in Europe after 1793. He avoided war with Great Britain and guaranteed a decade of peace and profitable trade by securing the Jay Treaty in 1795, despite intense opposition from the Jeffersonians. Although never officially joining the Federalist Party, he supported its programs. Washington's "Farewell Address" was an influential primer on republican virtue and a warning against partisanship, sectionalism, and involvement in foreign wars.

Washington had a vision of a great and powerful nation that would be built on republican lines using federal power. He sought to use the national government to preserve liberty, improve infrastructure, open the western lands, promote commerce, found a permanent capital, reduce regional tensions and promote a spirit of American nationalism.^[2] At his death, Washington was hailed as "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen".^[3] The Federalists made him the symbol of their party but for many years, the Jeffersonians continued to distrust his influence and delayed building the Washington Monument. As the leader of the first successful revolution against a colonial empire in world history, Washington became an international icon for liberation and nationalism, especially in France and Latin America.^[4] He is consistently ranked among the top three presidents of the United States, according to polls of both scholars and the general public

Happy birth anniversary, Mr. President.

cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com