Back to Basics

What does Make America Great Again mean? To me, this means for America to restore itself and get back to basics ... those elements that allowed us to breath free air and exhale free speech. I think most Americans would love to have the following restored to our shores:

- Teaching our children the three-Rs instead of political pap

- Not living beyond our means

- Restoring the family as the bedrock of our society

- Re-establishing morality ... best through religions

- Producing essential goods inside of our country

- Revering our proud heritage and history

- Reaching out to help other nations in need

- Working hard and being productive

- Restoring our beautiful infrastructure

- Standing up for freedom as a model to the world

- Being patriotic and loving our country

- Being positive ... and not being frozen with fear


STAND UP FOR AMERICA!

The Debate

One would think, watching the Democrat debate last night, that our world revolves around free stuff for everyone, climate change, sexism and racism. Non-issues: world trade inequities, our growing national debt, coronavirus, Chinese hegemony, North Korean nukes, immigration reform, economic growth, national defense, impeachment and patriotism.

I’m not sure if this was because of the candidates’ myopia or cable new’s desire to stir things up.

Afterthought: Bloomberg has said he would back whomever wins the Democrat nomination ... now, except possibly Liz Warren...

American Exceptionalism

Sometimes I ponder “why America?” This country is unique in its combination of free-market capitalism, individual self reliance, entrepreneurial spirit, democratic republicanism, battlefield courage, guaranteed freedoms, conservative values, and patriotism. Our Declaration of Independence and Constitution provide a backbone to our exceptional ethos that has managed to propel the United States to a pre-eminant position in the world ... and kept us there for over two hundred years.

Yes, there are other countries that have some of these ingredients ... but none that I can name that have them all. Even our original sin, slavery, is disappearing in the rear view mirror ... to the disappointment of those who prosper by milking this racism cow.

Which bring us, dear readers, to a perplexing question: why do so many short-sighted politicians want to fundamentally change this successful formula?

Trump Trope

D - defanging progress with ISIS, North Korea and Iran

O - opioid crisis pushback

N - NATO shaming (to pay their fair share)

A - anti-fake news

L - legal system leveling (with conservative judges)

D - developing America's infrastructure


J - Jerusalem embassy to be


T - tax cuts and trade (free but fair)

R - rigorous military

U - un-opening of our borders

M - manufacturing Renaissance

P - patriotism

Nam

After watching three out of four episodes of Ken Burns' "The Vietnam War" on PBS I am chagrined to confess that there was much about this war that I didn't know. But I have still drawn a few conclusions from what I have seen so far. I know not whether these conclusions are what Ken Burns had in mind for his audience, but I do feel that his treatment of this very contraversial subject seems, so far, to be even-handed. (But I haven't seen Jane Fonda on  the anti-aircraft gun yet.)

First, I must start by stating I was never in the armed forces nor, obviously, in Vietnam although I was of an eligible age. I have two metal rods holding my spine in shape as testament to why this is so. I had actually been called for my pre-induction physical in 1963 but was, to my lasting gratitude, rejected. So I spent those war years working on Wall Street, getting remarried and having another family. And, to my shame, I was barely aware of what was happening in Southeast Asia or why there was unrest at home. All this gnashing of teeth was like chirping  crickets to my busy life.

Anyway, to my few thoughts inspired by  this TV documentary special:

- Much of the angst coming out of this conflict was due, IMHO, to the gradualism exhibited by both JFK and then mostly Lyndon Johnson. I now strongly feel that getting into this quagmire was a mistake, but, once committed. I think someone very wise said, "if you go to war, go to war." Don't pussyfoot around like we have done so many times since WWII. Our painfully slow escalation of this conflict allowed the Viet Cong and North Viernam time to react to each incremental increase of commitment ... and America's youth to organize an effective domestic resistance ... the legacy of which we are experiencing even unto today.

- "A resolute army will almost always defeat a reluctant army." This is just another way of saying that, unless there is a real threat to one's homeland, your soldiers are not quite as motivated as the enemy. However bravely Americans fought in Nam, we were really not being pulled by patriotism, but rather pushed by fear and platitudes. ("Hell no, I won't go!) LBJ never really made the case that the "domino theory" was a big enough threat to Peoria. And history has shown that it wasn't. Matter of fact, I am astounded at the friendly reception American tourists recieve when they visit Vietnam (even the North) today ... given what this program showed us doing over there in the 1960s.

- And lastly, resistance to the war taught a generation of America's youth that it was OK to love one another but hate your country. This "hippie" culture was the genesis of much of our national divide today. It is a price that we will be paying for many years to come.

Headlines

The following headlines have come from Internet news sites. Guess which ones came from politico?

Trump to meet with Merkel on evening before G20

Shadow President: Obama meets with South Korean president to discuss Trump

Obama warns about too much patriotism -- on July 4th weekend ...

Huckabee: Media hates Trump more than they love America

Trump discusses North Korea with China and Japan

Tillerson: U.S. will let Russia to decide fate of the Assad regime

North Pole record summer cold ...

Wall Street Journal to cease print edition in Europe

Downing Street not aware of Trump's 'drop in' plan

Trumps keep a way smaller White House staff than the Obamas

History Channel tweets George Washington fighting at Gettysberg ...

Graphic: 10 cartel gunmen killed in firefight near Mexican beach resort

Man of Action

(Yes, a bit of hyperbole ...)

The contrast is striking. Donald Trump is still almost two months away from assuming the reins of government ... yet he is already turning things around for his country. His cabinet is taking shape with mostly high quality selections. His policies on taxes, healthcare, regulations, trade, terrorism, immigration, etc. are emerging out of the campaign fog ... and generally are solid. His potential conflicts of interest are being resolved and he seems to have had a beneficial persuasive effect on many foreign leaders. And he even has convinced some American companies to not move manufacturing out of this country. All good.

Trump's actions all seem to be directed by patriotism and for the benefit of America. The contrast is that our current president's actions ... when he got around to performing them ... seemed mostly directed by ideology and even personal benefit. Yes, he used the shibboleth "leading from behind" to justify most of his lassitude ... but the fear of the unknown kept him on vacation, on the golf course and away from real meaningful work about solving our problems that needed to be resolved.

Yes, early on Obummer frequently held show forums where photo ops seemed to be the primary objective. Remember almost a trillion dollars spent on "shovel-ready jobs" that turned out to be a sham ... which he later joked about? And he had willing allies in Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi who created a constipated legislative process and effectively blamed it on the Republicans. Their showpiece legislation, Obamacare, was passed without a trace of bipartisan support ... with predictable catastrophic results both policy-wise and operationally. The legacy of our current president is so fetid that recounting it is a dyspeptic experience. His eight years can be compared to a garbage scow constantly leaking its contents in its briny wake.

Yes, Trump will make errors during his term ... but it will be as a result of action not inaction ... and as a result of patriotism, not fuzzy-headed Alinsky dogma.

Dirty Words

From Powerline Blog

The recent election of Donald Trump for U.S. President, the roiling within the European Union and the death of Fidel Castro in Cuba ... all have uncovered many misguided and twisted beliefs of newly disenfranchised progressives here and abroad. Now they are angry at feeling their power slipping away. You can see them carrying signs professing these regressive ideas and oppressive notions. Too often these placards carry messages anathema to freedom-loving people ... decrying what used to be held sacred. Now these sacraments have become dirty words to many on the left. Here are just a few of those words that have been so debased:

Patriotism ... Nationalism ... Family Values ... Capitalism ... Faith ... Truth ... Freedom ...  Rule of law ... Founding Fathers ... Democracy ... Honor ... Heroism ... Honesty ... Piety ... Loyalty ... Sacrifice

Are any of these words anathema to you?

Our Hero

Starry-eyed and fuzzy-brained leftists have extolled Edward Snowden’s patriotism in his leaking of information about the extent of the NSA surveillance program.  What they have conveniently ignored is that snow-job Snowden compromised enormous amounts of non-NSA secrets that has sent U.S. intelligence agencies into a deep funk … and given Russia and China a huge leg-up in international hegemony. 

Yesterday the House Armed Services Committee was given a briefing about the length and breadth of Snowden's perfidy … and they were shocked and angered as a result … see: PJ Media Piece. These Representatives would and could not give the specifics of what they learned in this briefing, but it was clearly devastating.

 I have in the past written about the fallacy of not understanding that Snowden could be both a hero and a traitor at the same time … see: Excluded Middle Commentary.  So to establish a modicum of justice in this international kerfuffle, may I make the following suggestion?  Right after Snowden receives his Nobel Peace Prize (a good bet), I suggest that he be led, to the beat of a muffled drummer, to a thick brick wall to receive his reward from the U.S. security agencies … about one pound of hot lead into his being … possibly with all his third-column accomplices being forced in shackles to witness same.