Blinders

I was on a Skype call yesterday with some college classmates and I was put in the uncomfortable position of having to explain why I am going to vote for Trump. To a man, my classmates, many of whom profess to be Republicans, were down on The Donald ... and I do understand their aversion ... because Trump has an uncanny way of sticking his finger in the eyes of the establishment. I won't say that they were looking down their noses at him, but they clearly weren't in awe. Nor am I ... but I still think I would prefer having a finger in my eye than a suicide vest going off next to me.

Maybe it is my humble background ... but I have never considered myself as refined. For instance, I still like Dick Cheney when most liberals ... and many conservatives ... hate him with a passion. For what? Because he showed a determination and uncanny competence in protecting us after 9/11. Our current president, Obummer and his presumptive successor, Hellery, refuse to show half the competence to protect us as both Cheney and Trump obviously engender. Those two elite Democrats, Hellery and Obummer, are wearing blinders to our grave dangers for reasons that confound me. Perhaps it is their predilection for globalism? Maybe it is their desire to hold on to power by not admitting incompetence? Maybe it is inherent anti-Semitism that has caused them both to be so pro-Muslim? Perhaps, it is just a Saul Alinsky style revolutionary fervor? Maybe it is all those things and more?

But whatever it is, they both are wearing blinders and Donald Trump, as crude as he comes across, isn't. He is a realist of the first order ... perhaps the reason why he has been so successful in business. That is why I will vote for him whatever are the ancillary risks. I do know that, if Trump is elected, he will do some un-conservative things that I won't like ... and he will blurt out some unpresidential zingers. (So I guess I can also be accused of wearing blinders.) But I am convince that he will do enough good things to help put our country back on a path toward renewed greatness.

Poor Richard

Much as the liberal left hates Dick Cheney, it seems that this man did an awful lot to keep the United States safe after 9/11 and during Bush 43's remaining term of office. The current misbehavers in the Middle East: Syria, Turkey, Iran, Yemen and Libya, all were then more stable and docile than they are today ... much in reaction to what they then saw happening in Iraq.

Yes, Cheney talked tough and intimidated people and countries ... perhaps the reason he was so resented and demagogued. But our current administration's strategy of talking soft and carrying a little stick is clearly not working. In fact the terrorist threat level we face today is, according to our intelligence agency heads, greater today than it was going into 9/11. Yet, Barack's and Hillary's only obvious enemies these days are the Republicans.

It also seems to this observer that Donald Trump's popularity today derives much from the similarity of his message to the former vice president's ... but with far less intellect, principles, and international acumen. Will Dick Cheney's contributions to our nation's safety ever be recognized? I think they will ... but probably not for a number of years ... when historians can look at things in a more sober light.  In the meantime, I think it quite likely that America will elect a Dick Cheney clone for president in 2016 ... or at the very least for vice president.

Poor Richard Cheney ... a true American hero.

Capture the Flag

Thanks to the blog Gateway Pundit we learn that ISIS has released a new online threat today on JustPasteIt. One part of this threat is to assassinate Pamela Geller who was apparently the focus of the recent attack in Garland, Texas in which two devout Muslims were killed … see my recent posting: First Amendment Debate. This group of religious zealots also make some other stylized threats that should now be taken seriously by those duty-sworn to protect us … see the following quote for the substance of these threats:

The attack by the Islamic State in America is only the beginning of our efforts to establish a wiliyah [province] in the heart of our enemy. Our aim was the khanzeer [swine] Pamela Geller and to show her that we don’t care what land she hides in or what sky shields her; we will send all our Lions to achieve her slaughter. This will heal the hearts of our brothers and disperse the ones behind her. To those who protect her: this will be your only warning of housing this woman and her circus show. Everyone who houses her events, gives her a platform to spill her filth are legitimate targets. We have been watching closely who was present at this event and the shooter of our brothers. We knew that the target was protected. Our intention was to show how easy we give our lives for the Sake of Allah.

We have 71 trained soldiers in 15 different states ready at our word to attack any target we desire. Out of the 71 trained soldiers 23 have signed up for missions like Sunday, We are increasing in number bithnillah [with the permission of Allah]. Of the 15 states, 5 we will name… Virginia, Maryland, Illinois, California, and Michigan. The disbelievers who shot our brothers think that you killed someone untrained, nay, they gave you their bodies in plain view because we were watching.

I realize that it is easy to ignore such braggadocios boasts and go play some golf ... but, for one, I think we should be a little more wary of such groups and go balls out, ala Dick Cheney and the previous administration, to capture their flag.

Ends vs. Means

The old political debate about whether the ends justify the means apparently depends on what the ends, in fact, are. This dichotomy has now been in the news because of Dianne Feinstein's recent polemic against the U.S.'s enhanced interrogation techniques (aka torture) following the 9/11 attacks. Here the liberal argument is that these methods applied to despicable individuals yielded no actionable intelligence ... thus cleverly attempting to deny the CIA any justification for their actions ... see Dick Cheney's comments: Real Clear Politics.

On the other hand, the Democrats have incessantly rationalized their chicanery, bribery, and mendacity surrounding the passage of Obamacare because the result was so important that these base means were of no import ... see Jonathan Gruber's justifications of these Democrats actions: LA Times Article

Now I ask you ... are a few million more people with health insurance (don't forget, they already have healthcare ... such care cannot be denied) more important than possibly one or more new 9/11-type attacks where thousands, if not millions of Americans might be killed?

I know where I come down.

Hand on the Throttle

Many years ago a math teacher of mine had a rather charming expression for students who were attentive … he said that "they had their hands on the throttle and their eyes on the rail.” Now this country has a rather inattentive chief executive who has "his hand on the five iron and his eye on the sand trap.” Yes, I know I am covering Maureen Dowd who also used President Obama’s penchant (obsession) for golf as a metaphor for his failed presidency … see: NY Times Item. But let us face it … the reason the world is in such a mess right now is that our president refuses to focus on his job.

Obama doesn’t really seem to give a rat’s patootie that ISIS has turned what was a reasonably successful Iraq campaign into a maniacal morass … or that Putin is on the march. All our investments of lives and treasure in Iraq have now gone for want. Yes he gives a nice Teleprompter talk about how much he is concerned about this ISIS threat … and has some bombs dropped on a few targets … but then grabs his putter and meets Alonzo Mourning for some more inattentiveness on the links.

I’ve always been rather perplexed at the vitriol directed at Dick Cheney during the Bush 43 years. Yes, he, early-on, had a series of private meetings with CEOs of energy companies about how to formulate a national energy policy … big f-ing deal! How many of such non-transparent sit-downs has our current president had from which we can also draw equally nefarious inferences? At least after 9/11, Dick Cheney help the Bush administration formulate policies and operations that pushed back al Qaeda into the shadows. Now we see that al Qaeda is fearful of ISIS … that new band of radical Islamists led by a former U.S. prisoner who was released in 2009 … see: Fox News Item.

So we have a contrast in management styles … the adored Barack Obama who leads from (his) behind … and the reviled Dick Cheney who got things done. Cheney at the very least had his hand on the throttle and his eye on the rail.