HARDLY A WINTER WONDER LAND!
February 20, 2006
I’ve not watched any of the Olympics and yet I will be where they are held ten days from now. I’m sure glad the Spring Break came a week after the Winter Olympics. And even as it is, I am sure there will be a lot of “hanging over” and “hung over” participants. Continue Reading »
THE BUSH #43 GOODWILL TOUR
February 20, 2006
For a week we will hear about how Europe scorns the cowboy from Texas. Bush will try to put Iraq behind him, but Iraq is just a minor part of the problem. Many of the European nations are just out right jealous of America. The don’t like our power and wealth. After all, they’ve formed the EU and established the Euro to offset and compete with the Dollar.
Because of his graciousness, Bush will try an reel them back in and like his first stop in Brussels, he’ll say that nothing can divide us.
Before he left, his radio message said in part, “We do not accept a false caricature that divides the Western world between an idealistic United States and a cynical Europe”. False? Oh, that’s right, he’s trying to mend fences.
Another problem is the European embrace of secularism to a far greater extent than America, though we’re following as fast as we can. They seem to trust anyone who will trade with them and the thought of a nation being evil enough to wage war against them isn’t a thought. Amazing how fast WWII can be forgotten.
So, Bush will be pummeled by the press, shadowed by protestors, and maligned by every second or third level beaucrat who wants fifteen minutes of fame. Somehow, I think Bush knows this but because he IS Bush #43, he’s out to do the right thing regardless.
THE SAME IN PRIVATE & PUBLIC!
February 19, 2006
Just for the record, if you are one that I consider a friend, you don’t have to worry about secretly taping any conversations that we have. Secretly taping meetings between friends seems a bid odd to me, if not perverse. So, it’s hard for me to understand how Doug Wead (a former aide to Bush #41) can say that he’s both a friend of Bush #43 and then release secretly recorded tapes of their conversations that go back to the days when Bush was governor of Texas.
The NYT, alwyas ready to do anything that might put Bush #43 in a bad light, is running like crazy with the story of the tape recordings as though they had just discovered who DEEP THROAT was. But after reading the transcript of what I saw, I don’t see how they are damaging. In fact, they make me even more proud of #43.
Yes the tapes reveal the ugly side of politics, but if there is a theme that runs throughout, it’s that what Bush said in PRIVATE is the same as that which he espouses in PUBLIC. Talk about something rare for a politician: this has to be it! A politician who is the same in 2004 as he was in 1998, before running for president. A man who says what he believes, and believes what he says. Wow!
Amazing to say the least!
NOW, ON WITH THE REAL STUFF!
February 19, 2006
I am sure that George Bush had other plans last week than being on the defensive over the VP hunting flap. Of course the main line press doesn’t want to let go of the story, but there are more pressing matters. Continue Reading »
THE BIG GET EVEN BIGGER
February 17, 2006
I don’t remember who the person was that said it, but the statement was one of those, “Aha!” I thought so kind of mental responses. The statement was that the sole purpose of GOVERNMET is to CONTROL! And, it has been a fact long before George Orwell’s 1984 book.
Sure, governments begin as ours did with the twin lofty goals of “To Protect & Defend”. Who doesn’t need that? But once a government has been formed, the politicians jump on the tast-track learning curve. They figure out that the best way to get re-elected is to give the poeple WHAT they WANT! Or, at least fake it and promise it.
Forget billboards, TV commercials, radio advertising, and door to door canvassing. Just get in one of those smoke-filled rooms and promise that you’ll go back to D.C. and become an expert in “pork-barreling“. On top of promising the world to your constituents, there’s the strategy of being a hero in every tragedy. If something bad happens, you’re the first one on the scene to offer a solution: which is usually another governmental program like we saw today.
The CIA and the FBI did a lousy job of protecting us pre 9-11. So, we create another agency- Homeland Security! Ahh, but the politicians don’t feel that’s enough, so let’s create yet a fourth Intelligent chief as we did today with John Negroponte.
Then we conclude with the hat trick (3 in a row, remember when Hockey was a sport?). You DO NOT under any circumstances cut or drop any government program that has been created. While it is NOT immoral to kill a baby in the womb, it is highly IMMORAL to cut any government programs as Bush found out when he submitted his BUDGET last week.
So there you have it, if you didn’t already know it. What we know and what we don’t want to know are two different things though. No government can keep increasing it’s budget and providing entitlement programs to everyone without a major fiscal tragedy somewhere down the road. We’re not an exception to that rule.
WAR AND PRINTING MONEY!
February 16, 2006
Very few people have an understanding of basic economics or how our financial institutions work. One of the classes that I most enjoyed in college were my economic classes. I was amazed at how it all worked- almost like a good fiction story! Continue Reading »
IT’S JUST A MATTER OF TIME!
February 16, 2006
This Monday a new restaurant opens in Houston. It has ten foot high door openings and tables built for a king: big king! Maybe this advance unit will bode well for Houston. When the new 800 pound gorilla pushes America aisde, we can always say we’re friends of Yao and we’ve eaten at his RESTAURANT.
In some weird ways, YAO Ming’s 7 foot, 6 inch frame that holds up his 310 pounds of body weight, is a symbol of the coming giant that once the U.S. used to not recognize. Of course, I am talking about CHINA.
I’ve been saying for years that America might have until the 2008-2010 period to be the king of the hill. After that, China is the play-maker that calls the shots: if not a lot sooner.
One thing that I’ve mentioned over and over again is that China is the world’s manufacturer. If no one else did any manufacturing, they could do it all. In fact, it’s been estimated that 80% of the sales of our retail giant, Wal-Mart, comes from China!
So, with 1.3 BILLION people, is it any wonder that it was announced today that China is now the #1 consumer in the world as well? Not only are they supplying the world with all manner of manufactured goods, they are also buying them as well. When you seriously look at China’s demographics and compare them to ours, you can quickly realize that it’s not a matter of IF, but a question of WHEN America’s world domination ends.
A ROCK AND A VERY HARD PLACE
February 15, 2006
I am sure you’ve heared that phrase when faced with a difficult decision wherein either way you go is not good. Well, that phrase just took on a new slant with the recently announced COMMON FRONT between Syria and Iran.
The Bush administration and strategists have been delighted that they were able to secure a base in the midst of the ISLAMIC world. But, we’ve also found ourselves in the midst two big time enemies as well. The religious zealots of Iran join hands with the just the radicals terrorists of Syria.
Syria has long thought it could control not just Lebanon (which it does), but Jordan and eventually Israel as well. The recent explosion in Beirut that killed Rafiq Hariri may have done more to hurt Syria’s situation there than help them. Who knows if Syria is to blame; however, Lebanon will vent its ANGER against Syria regardless.
The early morning news that had a plane firing a missile at a nuclear reactor in Iran, that was later said to have been a plane dropping a feul tank, to who knows as of the latest report, just shows how sensitive this whole operation is.
Sometimes that “rock and a hard place” phrase has to do batte with the “iron sharpening iron” endeavor. What we do know is that we have a very unstable situation for decades. But, is that anything new for that region?
BACK TO THE SMOKING SHOTGUN!
February 15, 2006
I am totally amazed at how the press and the Democrats are keeping this Harry Whittington accidential shooting story alive. In fact, it’s almost as though they are wishing BAD LUCK- death on Whittington! Continue Reading »
THE NEW MAN ON THE BLOCK
February 14, 2006
Big Ben makes his debut today and tomorrow and whatever he says could affect your pocketbooks. Where are we headed? Will we see higher interest rates, increased inflation, or is deflation still a possibility? Richard Russell says this. Continue Reading »
THE NEW MAN ON THE BLOCK
February 14, 2006
Big Ben makes his debut today and tomorrow and whatever he says could affect your pocketbooks. Where are we headed? Will we see higher interest rates, increased inflation, or is deflation still a possibility? Richard Russell says this. Continue Reading »
THE NEW FOUR YEAR BATTLE
February 14, 2006
We all know about the war that still goes on in Afghanistan though it doesn’t get much publicity. Then there’s the potential war in Iran that I wrote about yesterday. On the front page of nearly every rag though is the Iraq war. I want to talk about the line that was drawn in the sand last Saturday though: the four year war for control of the Democratic party. Is it headed left under Dean-Kerry or back to the center under Clinton?
A fuuny thing happened on the way to the 2008 bid for the U.S. presidency by Hillary Clinton: Howard Dean!
Hillary still has to win the 2006 Senate bid in New York: what a waste of money to run for an ‘06 Senate office and then turn around and run for an ‘08 Presidential office. But, that’s what politics is all about.
Terry Mcauliffe is a born again CLINTONITE! But, in the last four years he has done nothing but run the Democratic machine into the ditch. He bragged about beating Bush #3 in Florida in 2002 and lost. He bragged about beating Bush #2 in 2004 and lost. So, now he’s out and DEAN is in. and Dean does not like any of the Clintonites.
Sandy BERGER isn’t over his SOCKGATE troubles yet, but word has it he’s helping Hillary already. The old gang is gathering around their gal in hopes that she will be the standard-bearer in ‘08; however, that’s four years down the road and the new battle is here in the U.S.- for the Democratic party!
WHAT TO DO WITH IRAN?
February 13, 2006
It is hard to find anyone that believes America should take on Iraq’s neighbor to the East. At the same time, there are few people on the planet that thinks it’s a good thing for Iran to join the nuclear partners club.
So, what’s a nation to do? Can we just sit back and watch nation after nation join the nuclear club and one day find one of them going off somewhere in America? Or, anywhere in the world for that matter. The nuclear fall out of anything substantial would affect the entire world.
I don’t put a lot of stock in North Korea’s claim of having built nuclear bombs, and neither does SEOUL; however, there’s no doubt in my mind that Iran is headed in that direction. Foreign Minister, Hamid Reza Asefi said, “We intend to turn into an important and a major player in the nuclear fuel supply market in the next 15 years because there will be (an) energy shortage in the future.”
So, back to the question. What do we do with Iran? DRONES flying over the sky isn’t going to do it, but I know that ISREAL has a history of being more concerned than we are. So, let’s just turn the matter over to them. There’s probably more truth to my statment than tongue-in-cheek.
Happy Valentines Day!
THE TRIVIALIZATION OF AMERICA
February 13, 2006
I read a book some 10 years ago entitled The Trivialization Of God in which McCullough related six major ways in which America particularly had demeaned God and made Him of no accord. It seems to me that which America did to God, it is in the process of doing to itself. Continue Reading »
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