Littlestuff Weekender-3-17-2012

We have an abbreviated Weekender today as farm work beckons (plus there’s that little mid-afternoon break for Buckeye basketball). The GOP contest moves to the Land of Lincoln (and corruption) on Tuesday. It appears that as of this weekend, Romney has a slight lead in the polls and is trending upward. Illinois Republicans generally lean toward moderates more often than their Midwestern neighbors, so a Romney victory there would not be too surprising. Plus Santorum cannot win all of the delegates even if he sweeps the entire state because he failed to file a full delegate slate. He appears to be about 10 shy of a complete ticket.

Greece has been propped up again (temporarily) and the fingerprints of the International Monetary Fund are all over the loan. You know who the primary underwriter is of the IMF, don’t you? You are via the generosity of the United States Congress….using your money…of course. Here’s the scenario: IMF loans money in return for Greek promises to implement austerity measures. Greece’s public employees and welfare recipients violently protest, and the government caves. Nothing changes until we do it again. Meanwhile….Spain, Italy and Portugal are watching closely for clues about how they should react when they finally slide into the massive holes of debt they have created.

After reviewing my basketball bracket this morning, I now know why it’s called March Madness. It is still March and I’m going mad. Ohio University, a 13 seed, defeated the University of Michigan, a four, last night.

Today (Saturday) is St. Patrick’s Day. I wonder if the Obama Administration may change the name of the holiday to something like “Global Contraception Day.” Big Government wants the presence of the church to be limited to behind closed doors, and recognition of a “saint” may be going too far.

We are dog sitting for our daughter’s family’s two Scottish Terriers while the clan is attending a soccer tournament in Richmond, Virginia. Apparently the Lord decided that if He gave Scotties lots of energy, He need not give them any brains. If barking were an art form, I’m sharing space with Andy Warhol and Picasso. It’s difficult to comprehend how such short little legs can create so much mayhem. Our beloved Golden Retriever, Frosty, is begging for valium.

It must be Spring because Groundhog Day was 6 weeks ago plus the official beginning of the season is this coming week (equinox). The temperatures have been exhilarating for the past few days, but rain and ground moisture limits what can be done around our Little Pat-Ch of Paradise. Our pond is overflowing and the neighborhood ditches are full.

Have a great weekend and a superb week. Monday’s column deals with funding for scientific research and is titled “Obey the Master.” Don’t buy any Greek bonds.

cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

Disturbing Pragmatism

The purpose of this column is to inform Michigan Governor Rick Snyder (R) that, in my view, his priorities are misplaced. Governor Snyder has so far exhibited the aura of competence. His persona suggests that he is a highly competent manager and technocrat. His style is reminiscent of Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels (R) and GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney. All appear to be very proficient managers who are unwilling to allow ideology or political doctrine to interfere with their manipulation of the existing government apparatus. A Democrat from more than a quarter century ago projected a similar mindset. His name was Michael Dukakis. In a nation of more than 310 million people a technocrat is not needed or desirable. A principled focused leader is preferable.

It is always good to have a competent engineer at the controls when a train is hurtling down the track, but it is important that the engineer who designs the track and lays out the route has vision and a sense of direction. Competent engineers can work to keep the train on the rails, but they cannot change the direction of the track. We need visionaries to choose the direction for the nation and for liberty. Following the current track will not resolve our problems. We will continue to be bound by a rigid unyielding system that leads to more government and less freedom. We need leaders who have the courage to jump the track and forge a new path that restores the Republic and defends our liberty.

Proverbs 29:18 begins with “Where there is no vision the people perish….,” and my fear today is that we have no vision and our liberty is dying. Our leaders must have a burning desire for freedom and the will to secure liberty for all. Merely managing the ultimate enslavement of the citizenry is not visionary leadership. Accepting the status quo and its deadly direction is not acceptable. Visionaries, not functionaries, are needed to restore the Founders’ and Framers’ dreams. Our predecessors rightfully understood that our own inertia would result in the gradual erosion of our freedom, and they predicted our need for virtuous visionaries to lead the way. Now is the time. Petty competence and technocracy are too little, too late.

“Good enough” is no longer good enough. While business acumen is helpful, a passion for liberty is crucial. While an understanding of balance sheets is important, an awareness of the balance between the individual and the state is more critical. With the exception of Governor Romney the other two people that I mentioned at the beginning of this column are sitting Republican governors. Governor Daniels reluctantly signed Indiana’s Right-to-Work legislation and remarked on a Detroit radio station two weeks later that he was pleasantly surprised at the interest expressed for doing business in Indiana by some companies. Governor Snyder has publically stated that he does NOT want right-to-work legislation to cross his desk because it is too divisive and will distract from the important work of the state. Anal bureaucrats generally resent distracting anomalies. With our national trend on the wrong track, we need, we must encourage those who will bravely disrupt the old “business as usual” paradigm.

It’s true that visionaries are often idealists who foresee perfect outcomes for their grandiose initiatives. It is frequently desirable that visionaries must be surrounded by pragmatists who can implement their ideas and bring them to fruition. Pragmatism without vision becomes a number-crunching same old-same old. Pragmatists often revert to the routine and commonplace when facing monumental challenges. Pragmatic leaders should lean on the talent and enthusiasm of their more creative and passionate dreamers for solutions that are bold and striking. Clearly….sound leadership must include a mix of vision and competence, but people of vision are much rarer than managerial functionaries. We respect the top-notch manager, and we follow the idealistic dreamer. These perilous times require visionaries who will artistically describe the beauty of freedom and inflame the passions of the people to share their dreams.

Governor Snyder, I respect your task-oriented approach. Michigan’s plate of problems is heaped full. The previous administration (Granholm) was a socialistically oriented group of dreamers, but Michigan needs a counter dream to offset the smothering reality of the old one. Michigan must have a dream that leads to liberty and rejects misery. Michiganders must be able in their minds and hearts to share the glorious opportunity that individual freedom will deliver. They must hear it. They must learn it. They must know it, and they must want it. Positive leadership will stir the people of Michigan (and anywhere else) to seek freedom….to desire self-reliance….to thirst for opportunity.

We need leaders who will mount the white horses and lead us into battle. We will not follow those who ride the day-to-day donkeys of mere competence. We want inspiration, and we want it now. Pragmatically speaking, of course.

cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

   

       

Long Knives

Some Native American tribes referred to the U.S. cavalry as “long knives” because they carried swords or sabers. The modern version of a long knife is a politician who claims to represent a certain collection of principles but violates them time after time. He or she is guilty of knifing the gullible constituents in the back. To be candid the mortal wounds are not always the fault of the weasel-like politician. Sometimes the voters just “assume” that a candidate accepts their point of view and fail to properly examine the leader wannabe. The real knife wielders do talk the talk, but when the constituent is busy living life, the politician inserts the blade, rams it in and twists it.

Learning the lingo of a constituency without sharing its priorities or values is the first step in progressive pandering. As we have noted with Mitt Romney, his mastery of the conservative lexicon is lacking, but as the campaign moves forward, his utterances become more palatable to the “base.” He is learning the language and they are ignoring the obvious. We are facing the same stage, same play with different actors. The script is constant, and in our theater of campaign drama we ruefully anticipate the final scene as the big government statists and the latest version of “political wonder-boy” gleefully shove the shivs into our self-deluded backs. Each presentation ends the same. As the curtain falls, we stagger in disbelief that we’ve been misled once again. The searing pain from the knife becomes dull as we ponder how did this happen again?   

Admittedly the loosely defined conservative coalition of the GOP has struggled to unite behind a single anti-Establishment, anti-Mitt candidate. The difficulty was that each pretender was overloaded with baggage of varying kinds. Newt’s burden is himself….his personal life, his caustic persona and his flighty inconsistency. Rick Santorum’s steadfast message is appealing to many, but his statist, big government approach and his self-righteous sermonizing turns others away. Dr. Paul (choose one or more of the following complaints) is too old, too non-glamorous, too cranky, too wacko on foreign affairs or (the BIG ONE) too unelectable. It’s odd that many criticize Congressman Paul for his apparent appeal among independents and young people yet believe that the eventual GOP nominee must moderate in order to win independent voters. Can you say cognitive dissonance? Can you say hypocrisy? Can you say philosophical confusion?

Since the beginning of our Republic and its devolution into the “factions” that President Washington decried in his farewell address, we have struggled to hold onto the dream envisioned by the Founders and Framers. The Federalists and Anti-Federalists, Democratic Republicans, Whigs and a host of others have labored to capture their interpretations of the vision. In addition….each faction or party has undergone its own internal battles for purity of message and intensity of purpose. We should understand by this point in our national development that we cannot find the perfect party, candidate or office holder who represents each of our preferences, principles or priorities. Even when we join together for a common purpose, we drift apart because of significant differences and opinions. Our political history illustrates that, at some level, we have maintained our individuality…our uniqueness as children of God and inheritors of liberty. Isn’t it reasonable, therefore, that our closest “ideal” party, candidate or office holder should be one who honors and defends our individual liberty? Why bother trying to form expedient coalitions that are doomed to disintegrate? Why not support those political and social entities that are committed to our personal freedom? It seems that as we strive to unite under false colors, we are merely postponing the eventual dissolution of our weak alliances. We are kicking the can of inevitability down the road with no solid underlying justification for doing so.

As our nation races closer to irrelevance, we may believe that we hear the bugle in the distance as the cavalry rides to rescue our nation from its precarious position. The long knives are coming….just in time to save us from ourselves and our collapse. We must be vigilant, however, that their leader is not the modern-day version of General G.A. Custer and that we have our last stand at Little Big Horn. What is worse…..a knife in the back or an arrow in the heart? The outcomes are the same, but it may be better to die with honor than to suffer the agony of betrayal.

Comment:  cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

Tuesday from 6-7:00pm on 1370 WSPD. www.wspd.com

Greater Expectations

You are probably familiar with the fable about the Emperor’s New Clothes. If we were writing a story about today’s gallant knights who are running for office to save our nation, we would probably note that they’re wearing tin-foil armor. They are clothed with the fragile protection of expediency that they expect us to assume is principle.  Every candidate from every party or movement is to some degree a flawed warrior. For those of us who must choose our standard bearer, we are faced with the unenviable task of choosing a lesser leader. When we consider whom to choose, we should reflect about what our previous choices have yielded so that we do not compound one error with another. We do not require a leader who wears the faulty armor. We must have leaders who have principled minds and courageous hearts.

While at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) last week, I was struck by the dichotomy of passions that I witnessed. On the one hand supporters of various candidates and issues were vociferously promoting their “new best thing,” while on the other hand the overall tenor of the event was tenuous and somewhat subdued. For some Mitt was the best choice, and for others Newt or Rick was the obvious pick. Dr. Paul’s support was somewhat muted because of many liberty-oriented groups decisions not to participate in this year’s cattle call.

http://youtu.be/5BjhJLhSbYg

Is that all there is? Is this the best that America has to offer? Are Mitt, Newt, Rick, or Barrack the true guardians of liberty that our Framers had hoped would succeed them? Are Mitch McConnell and John Boehner the most virtuous and courageous people available to lead the Senate and the House of Representatives respectively? Yes, each of them is flawed….dangerously so, but those of us who are dissatisfied with them and their positions, policies or practices have not explicitly identified our criteria for leadership.

While we may choose to support the most electable or the best option available, we are admitting that our standards have sunk to the point of non-existence. Even in our local or congressional races we celebrate people whom we believe are better than the incumbent but are sorely deficient in principle, integrity and honor. Although we may whine about the paucity of principle among our candidates, we ignore the ones who are steadfast and solid because we perceive that they cannot win. That observation is true because it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. If we settle for lesser candidates in order to win, we shall always lose in the longer run. By promoting or electing lesser candidates what do we win? Perhaps a little more time before the Republic implodes, but not much else. We allow them to chisel away at our liberty and deny us the use of our property bit by bit.

Times have changed, Patriots. When we yet enjoyed our inalienable G_d-given rights and our Constitutionally-protected freedom, we could occasionally afford to elect an unprincipled charlatan or two. Today, however, the landscape has been altered. Each and every day we encounter another abuse from our government, and we cry for men and women of courage and principle to stand up and say “No More!” We must exercise our “greater expectations.” Close enough is not good enough any longer. Electable but seriously-flawed candidates will continue the destruction of our Republic and the future for our progeny. Greater expectations must be the order of the day and all our subsequent days. We have been identified as an exceptional people and nation. An exceptional people does NOT elect inadequate leaders just because they call us exceptional. An exceptional people insist that leaders be principled, honorable and honest. Maybe we should demand the “NOTA” (none of the above) option in our elections until we begin to attract the quality of candidates who are worthy of the Founders’ and Framers’ visions. We should exercise our greater expectations.

We have recently celebrated the 200^th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ birth (b. 7 February 1812), our present constitutional republic has been in effect for 225 years, and our Declaration of Independence was issued some 236 years ago. Our greater expectations have been submerged in expediency and pragmatism as we march toward our tyrannical nirvana. Our liberty has been forfeited on the altar of electability and we have selected or elected leaders who compromise away our heritage….while we allow it. I am painfully aware that no one is perfect. I also know that the perfect candidate cannot satisfy the expectations of 312 million people. If we are convinced, however that a candidate is resolutely committed to identifiable principles then we can choose to support or reject that candidacy for legitimate reasons. Without a clear exposition of principles…we are blindfolded in the dark while trying to detect the least objectionable contestant.  

Truly I do understand the terrible fix that we’re in, but we’ve got to cure ourselves of the self-defeating strategy of falling for the first girl that shows some thigh or the buff guy with the six-pack abs. We must demand more of our candidates….more depth, more principle, more integrity and more courage. Glitter and almost-good enough does not cut it. The John Boehner’s of the world are absolutely undermining our liberty and our nation. Obama and his Marxist clan are destroying our nation. Unprincipled Republicans are allowing it. We must not be complicit. We must be insistent and consistent.

cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

Littlestuff Weekender-2-11-2012

Home today following an exhausting and busy three days at CPAC. I had a chance to chat with some notables and some unknowns. Michele Bachmann and her assistant, Becky Rogness, shared a short time with us. Senator Rand Paul and former Senator and current candidate George Allen stopped for mini moments. Chip Reid of CBS News interviewed me for about 5 minutes, used approximately 12 seconds of the piece and placed it in the wrong context. Oh well, it’s the Main Stream Media and they are ideological and generally incompetent. We did encounter a 2 hour protest by the IBEW-led Occupy crowd….didn’t amount to much. Approximately 300 of the looting class failed to disrupt the producers. Looking forward to enjoying Sunday at the Little Patch of Paradise with my faithful canine companion, Frosty.

All in all CPAC is a worthwhile endeavor if you’re in to playing groupie, business card collector or fawning media watcher. This will be my final one unless I have a significant designated task for any future one (e.g. book signing, speaking or broadcasting duties). Elbow to elbow, lemming-like crowd movement is not my idea of a good time. It’s always great to renew old friendships, but the telephone and email are more private and less costly.

Dr. Paul did not address the CPAC convention, but Mitt, Newt and Rick did on Friday. Of the three Newt had the best and most raucous presentation, Mitt used more than 20 references to the word “conservative” during his speech….probably a subliminal thing, and Santorum professed to be the only clear contrast with Obama. Will their appearances and the subsequent media coverage change the dynamics of the race? Who knows?

As I traveled throughout the halls of the Marriott, it was obvious that an overwhelming number of the attendees wanted Obamacare stopped. Yet…neither McConnell nor Boehner was called out for his cowardly lack of leadership. It seemed as if the activists and their political leaders were moving in parallel universes. They all agreed about that it was bad, but no one (at least openly and publicly) attempted to hold the clowns accountable. That is my biggest regret about the CPAC gathering. I should have gone to the Boehner and McConnell speeches and risked being tossed for “dissing” them. I didn’t realize that I would have to be the only one of 6000 people who thought it necessary.

Tuesday evening from 6:00pm to 7:00pm I’ll be back on the air on the Talk of Toledo, 1370 WSPD. It’s Valentine’s Day so I may play the role of “Dr. Love.” Then again, perhaps not.  www.wspd.com

Thursday night, February 16^th, I’ll be speaking with the North Central Ohio Conservatives (NCOC) about The Fed and the economy. The meeting begins at 6:30pm and is held at the Camden Falls Complex at the intersection of US 224 and Ohio 231 on the south edge of Tiffin….right beside the Hampton Inn. If you can make it a little earlier, I’ll be eating dinner at Carmie’s in the same building. Good food and great prices are standard there.

On February 25 and 26 I’ll be in Elisabethtown, Kentucky to speak to the Libertarian Party of Kentucky. My theme will be “Why liberty? Why now?” If you are in KY, Southern Indiana or Southern Ohio, just check out the KyLP on Facebook for details and “come on down.”

Has Greece gone under….yet? What about California or Illinois? Maine selects their delegates today (Saturday).

Attorney General Eric Holder should be removed from office and prosecuted…at the very least for perjury regarding the Fast and Furious murderous debacle. He is an incompetent, lying ideologue….a dangerous combination for the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the nation.

If you read my Friday column ”My Hall of Heroes,” you may be interested in knowing that I had more than 80 total responses from my various distribution sources. Nearly half of them “bitched” because I had left their favorite off my initial list. Good grief, the column was more than 1100 words…I had to stop somewhere. Poor persecuted me! J

Have a great weekend and a superb next week and a glorious eternal life.

cearlwriting@hotmail.com

www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com