Soft Power (continued)

My eyesight is beginning to come back, so I can now add to my previous blog, Soft Power. I am far from even a novice in understanding the convoluted bureaucratic structure of the European Union ... see: Wikipedia Entry ... but I think I can see many of the political implications of this mare's nest of undemocratic governance.

Angela Merkel deserves much of the blame. (or credit) for the possible unraveling of the European Union. But as we can see, she is not giving up quietly. The consternation she deserves centers around the progressive lunacy that inspired her to invite hoards of Syrian refugees to come to Germany last year ... causing a migration catastrophe throughout Europe. Once these immigrants are in Europe,  EU rules allow them to relocate anywhere among its member states. Whether this was Merkel's boneheaded or calculated move is in dispute, but her public invitations caused a heap of turmoil that ultimately lead to Brexit ... see: Breitbart Article.

I know, I know that the latest theory is that it was the free flow of immigrants from Poland and other Eastern European EU members that caused most of the dyspepsia among working- class Brits. But, this might also be because these Eastern Europeans are real workers and were more visible than the tidal wave of Syrians and other Muslims who moved invisibly onto home relief throughout Britain. But the narrative that it was not these Muslim masses that triggered Brexit is, to say the least, self-serving.

I also know that some feel that what put Great Britain over the Brexit top was the new EU restrictions on electric tea kettles, toasters and hair dryers. That just may have partially been the case ... for from undeserved power comes unmitigated hubris. However, this whole EU muddle is full of cross currents including some who feel that even greater European integration (as indicated in my previous blog post) is not in the cards ... see: CNBC Opinion.

My personal opinion is that Merkel is power hungry and will not be sated nor satisfied with her loss of European influence. The EU (read France and Germany) are feeling petty and punitive after Brexit ... see: CNBC Story. It is even rumored that the EU has just notified Great Britain that, in order to maintain current trade relations, that the Brits will have to accept the free flow of immigrants like was in place before Brexit. Pretty tough talk, no? Thus, I surmise that Merkel's soft-power strategy is still her path forward.

Soft Power

What Adolf couldn't do with his Panzer tanks, storm troopers and blitzkriegs, Angela is doing with her soft power. Anyone who has traveled to Europe in the last five years can easily observe what country dominates the European Union ... Germany ... just notice the number of BMWs, Mercedes, and VWs on the roads throughout Europe. And now Angela Merkel, after the Brexit vote,  is taking it to the next level ... offering to consolidate their fighting, taxing and financial forces for the rest of the EU ... basically becoming the throne room to a pan-European superstate ... to read the alarming details, see: Daily Express Article.

More on this when my vision clears up after my recent eye surgery ...

Sovereignty

There is a classic battle in governance between the amount of sovereign power that resides at each level of government ... local, state, national and on up to the ultimate, world government. The United States went through paroxysms during its founding regarding how to allocate powers between the states and the federal government. The solution was resolved in the Tenth Amendment stating that "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." What complicates this power give and take is how this sovereign power is achieved ... by a democratic process, by subterfuge, by the sword, or by the claim that God/Allah/etc. bestowed it.

Enter Brexit, this Thursday's vote in Great Britain as to whether this country will exit the European Union, an unelected quasi-government that has usurped many of the sovereign prerogatives that were once reserved for the British people. All sorts of liberals in the U.S. including Obummer and Hellery ... and even members of the Conservative party in Britain, including the Prime Minister, David Cameron, are urging that the Thursday vote results be "stay."

What insanity would cause peoples to give up rights and powers to a bunch of bloated bureaucrats in Brussels who are constantly trying to force immigrants upon them and onto their welfare roles? And for that matter, why would the American people allow any of our rights to be transferred to those truculant tsars on the East River in New York City, the United Nations? This failed attempt at world government has, as far as I can determine, done nothing significant for the betterment of mankind other than spending mountains of (mostly U.S.) money on five-star hotels and expensive meals.

This gives me an idea. Can we, here in America, have a vote to exit the U.N. which, after a little research, I find was not mentioned in our Constitution? It would seem to me that the surrender of any of our inalienable rights to these mostly third-world hangers-on should have required a democratic process ... namely an amendment to our Constitution ... which I don't recall happening.back in October of 1945. Maybe we should have this seemingly Constitution-required  vote now?

Soft Tyranny

Governments, it seems, cannot resist the temptation to centralize their power at the expense of their citizen's basic freedoms. Just in the last few years we have seen this grab obviously occur in Egypt, Turkey, Russia, Greece, United States and now in Germany. (And I am sure there are others, less obvious ones.)

I just added Germany to this list because Merkel's clueless administration is now looking to suppress growing popular dissent to the massive immigration of Muslims into the country ... see: Breitbart Article. This is exactly the wrong path to take ... for over time it becomes increasingly narrow and therefore more difficult to perform a U-turn.

Funny how installed governments, once they start to govern against the will of their peoples, suddenly want to suppress dissent ... usually with an iron fist inside a velvet glove. We saw how Morsi in Egypt, once freely elected, greedily grabbing power too rapidly ... only to be ousted by the military. Erdogan in Turkey is trying the same power grab ... only at a slightly more leisurely pace. Ditto, Putin in Russia. And here at home we have seen Obummer disregard our Constitution as he would yesterday's newspaper.

Germany's Chancellor Merkel, after a series of boneheaded statements favoring the acceptance of Muslim "refugees," is beginning to realize that she has created a massive problem not just for her country, but for just about the entire European Union. So she is having a few second thoughts ... see: Hot Air Story ... yet still while suppressing dissent.

And, although Angela Merkel has cultivated a right of center image, I think her basic politics are Euro-weenie liberal and, under stress, her true tyrannical instincts seem to be taking over. If her German voters don't shortly turn against her, they might not get another chance so poignant. I'm sorry to say that I just don't trust her.

Rewarding Bad Behavior

When governments reward bad behavior ... they get more bad behavior ... this is the cold hard reality of life. Germany and the European Union are relearning this ages-old lesson as a result of the crisis in Greece where this country had been propped up by it neighbors as it went on a multi-year spree of excessive pensions and tax cheating ... with the natural result of digging itself into a financial hole from which there is no logical outcome except default ... see: Boomberg Story. This same scenerio is being repeated here in the United States as Puerto Rico is also teetering on the brink of bankruptcy ... see: New York Times Story. And let us not forget Detroit.

How is it that we keep forgetting this well-defined lesson? The parameters of fiscal responsibility are so obvious that ignoring them cannot be accidental. Political poltroons have to know that they are laying land mines for their predecessors when they offer multiple freebies to voters in order to get elected ... yet they continue to exhibit this bad behavior ... usually without consequences to themselves. And this is the rub. There is no claw-back for such fiscal irresponsibility ... and there should be. Perhaps, whenever a political entity goes bankrupt, all the previously responsible politicians (and their heirs) who caused this catastrophe should lose all their government-acquired assets, pensions and any other government perks that they still enjoy.

Is this so difficult?

Afterward: And now a prediction from the Ghost of the Christmas Future: Washington Examiner Story.

Open Borders

A self-described “super liberal” friend said yesterday that he believed in open borders … no constraints whatsoever on who might enter the United States. This attitude stems, I believe, from equating today’s situation with the waves of immigrants that have historically populated this country and, obviously, made it stronger. To me this is a false equivalence for a number of reasons:

1)     Past legal immigration was closely monitored to keep out aliens that had contagious diseases. Our former federal processing centers on the east and west coast would send such individuals back home or quarantine them until they were deemed safe to be released into the general population. Even illegal immigrants, once caught, would be so processed. Today the Obama administration is threatening doctors who raise the specter of such a public health crises as a result of this new wave of unprocessed illegal immigrants … see: Fox News Story.

If we were to have open borders, not only would we surely suffer a number of such epidemics, but we also would be inundated with dangerous plant, animal and insect invaders brought into our country under such uncontrolled circumstances. Imagine the Asian jumping carp or the winter moth times a thousand!

2)     In past times, immigrants of all stripes were expected to be self reliant and not go on the public dole. In fact existing U.S. citizens were required to guarantee in writing that this would not occur. Today, given the monumental growth of the welfare state, no such checks exist. The pull of free money and free high-quality health care is what draws many illegal and legal immigrants to this country… see: Breitbart Story.

If our Social Security System is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, how will it pay for millions more foreigners who never contributed a penny, yet are or will be receiving its benefits? And, if we don’t have enough doctors to treat our returning veterans, how in heaven’s name are we going to minister to the influx of all of the world’s infirmed who can make it to our shores?

3)     The United States has awoken, as a result of the 9/11 World Trade Center heinous attack, to the dangers of international terrorism, particularly that of radical Islam. Open borders would virtually guarantee that we would be inundated with such bad apples wishing to establish a caliphate here … and lop off the head of anyone who objects. I guess my liberal friend thinks that, he, being of an age, would escape unharmed … but I doubt if his progeny would.

4)     In the past, America was a "melting pot" for the millions of our immigrants. Today, this country is not assimilating immigrants to the same degree that it once did. There are now many communities of transnationals which have established themselves as microcosms of their native land. Newer Internet and television technology has enabled them to never learn English nor adapt to the American culture … even after multiple generations. (Islamic honor killings still occur in this country on a regular basis.) Yes, this diversity can enrich American culture, but the reverse is also true … if it were allowed or even forced to happen.

5)     Last point … a tsunami of immigrants into the U.S. would have an incalculable impact on the economics of both this country and the countries from which they emigrated.  Open U.S. borders would most likely draw people from both ends of the bell curve … the affluent and the impoverished of the world. Yes, Silicone Valley would get all the engineers it wants (at cheaper rates than today), but also the trade unions would be annulated by the availability of building-trade workers at well below today’s wage rates.

We see this already happening. Would these people be visible to the IRS and local governments?  Probably not.  Therefore, the only solution to the ability of governments to survive would be to impose a value-added (national sales) tax.  And of course, this would very likely be on top of existing taxes which would squeeze the middle class in this country to the point of near extinction.

Even the European Union is considering re-establishing internal border controls as a result of problems occurring there due to illegal immigrants … see: Notre-Europe Story. No, I am quite sure that open borders in the United States would be horrendously distorting and a disaster of monumental proportions. We need a lot more head and much less heart in this debate (and in our administration).

Greasing the Skids

Greece erupted in disturbing violence yesterday in response to the austerity measures that are being required of it to get the next round of bailout money.  I won't go into the details of this rioting ... you can read about it here.  The point of this blog entry is to reprise two data points I heard this AM on television.  First, in 2010 Greece passed a set of austerity measures to get the first round of bailout money - $61 billion.  It implemented not one of them.  Secondly, this time around the European Union (read Angela Merkel) is not taking the Greek Parliament at their collective word.  It is requiring the Greek party leaders to sign personal pledges to implement the measures that were passed into law yesterday before the $160+ billion of bailout money will be released to them (see: Wall Street Journal Article).

This sounds to me a little like the Treaty of Versailles that was foisted upon and humiliated Germany after World War I ... which many feel set the stage for World War II.  One wonders what this forced-fed dirt dish will eventually elicit from Greece?  Enter the drachma [stage right] ... ?

A Dangerous Chess Game

Iran is saber rattling again ... threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz if stricter economic sanctions are imposed upon it by the European Union (see: Reuters Story).  Of course, the United States would not permit such a belligerent action (unless The Barry was distracted by a Hawaiian wagyu-beef luau) and would blow the Iranian navy, speedboats and all, into Davy Jones's locker.

Nevertheless, it is curious why Iran would exhibit such rhetoric bluster close on the heels of its equally lunatic take-over of the British embassy a few short weeks ago (see: TheWeek Article).  Not that such moon-howlings are alien to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad  (as sanctioned by the Iranian Ayatollahs) ... he has repeatedly threatened to obliterate Israel once Iran is in possession of atomic weaponry.

The question becomes why such taunting of the West is now escalating?  I can see three possible reasons:

1) The United States has recently pulled all of its troops out of Iraq.  Iran's throwing up of all this gorilla dust makes it look more imposing in the eyes of the Shiite Iraqis and thus increases its sphere of influence on its erstwhile enemy neighbor.

2) Iran's "elections" are due to occur in March.  There is no doubt as to the expected results of this sham balloting.  However, if Iran can get the nationalistic juices flowing among its younger people, there might be less chance of the kind of rioting that occurred after the last phony election over two years ago.  (Also, the capture of the U.S. drone aircraft a few weeks ago ... see: Cyber Warfare ...  may have been partially directed toward this very same end.)

3) Iran is suspected to be getting very close to actually producing atomic weapons and their ability to deliver them on long-range missiles.  A potential naval clash in the Strait of Hormuz could serve as a smoke screen, helping to distract the wimpy West from the far more existential threat of a nuclear Holocaust in this area.

So Iran is once again playing its foolish chess game --- a few black pieces against the full contingent of white chessmen.  One rash move on the part of any of its Revolutionary Guards could cause explosive repercussions ... such as Israel taking out much of Iran's nuclear capabilities and, maybe even, the United States obliterating that captured drone in the process (like we should have weeks ago.)

The High Cost of Linguica

The European Union and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have agreed to bail out the Portuguese economy to the tune of some $116 billion. See: Portugal Bailout  This is after the fact that these same parties had bailed out (with almost equally large largess) Greece and Ireland last year.  Now, seeing that the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank in large part back in 2008-2009, bailed out the major European banks (see Bernanke's Secret) and that the United States is a major contributor to the IMF (See: U.S and the IMF), it seems that the United States is once again handing our (over-extended) credit card to the rest of the world. 

Not only is the United States expected to pay the very high cost of defending the free world, but now, it seems, we must pick up the tab for their profligate social-engineering policies too.  Enough!

Pot Boiler

The Middle East is in disarray with insurrections the theme of the day. Egypt has already capitulated to the rioters (whoever they are). Syria is shooting its own citizens pall mall. Libya is in full civil war with air cover provided by the United States and some Piper Cubs from the European Union. Bahrain has been taken under the wing of the benevolent (hah!) Saudi Arabia. Iran, we think, is also experiencing street demonstrations … diminished daily by those demonstrators who were not smart enough to hide their faces from the ever-preset I-Phones. (I say “we think” for less real news leaks out of Tehran than Roentgens from the Fukushima nuclear plant.) Yemen is a turkey shoot with tribe against tribe, North against South, Shia against Sunni, and the government sparing with its own shadow. Israel stands ready to punish the Gaza Strip militants for their indiscriminate shelling of southern Israel. And what about Tunisia where this whole thing started ... are street vendors there now allowed to ply their trades?

How will this all resolve itself? Who knows … certainly not our ever-alert intelligence agencies? (Perhaps Jamie Gorelick, if she takes over the FBI, will fix things by decreeing that intelligence agents can no longer talk to each other.) However, I am not afraid to step into this Muslim morass and sort things out with some intrepid predictions:

- Yemen will detach itself from Saudi Arabia and float out to sea, never to be seen again.

- The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood will change its name to The Faithful Friends of ElBaradei.

- Muammar Qadaffi (and his family) will flee to Venezuela where he will be given the Universal Freedom Medal by Hugo Chavez.

- Bahrain will be annexed by Saudi Arabia as a “protectorate.”

- Shi'ites will kill lots of Sunnis and Sunnis will kill lots of Shi'ites

- In the midst of all of this, President Obama will embark on a five-week “trade-mission” trip to China with 50 close-friends, his family … and a shipping container full of dollars.

- Israel will be chastised by the U.N. for not allowing more of its citizens to be killed by Hezbollah.

- The Main Stream Media will determine that this was all George Bush’s fault.