Accountability-June 6, 1944

75 years ago our country was united behind our need to eliminate a clear and present threat to our, and the world’s, way of life. Fail, and hundreds of millions of people would live under tyrannical leaders whose vision excluded vast classes, races, political freedoms from their vision of a “1000 year rule.”

Luckily the German, Italian and Japanese fascists were defeated, the communists were not engaged and in various forms still exist today. China is implementing facial recognition Ala “Minority Report” as well as social scores that control what benefits you receive-they are growing rapidly in military might; Russia is rearming, taking land that legally isn’t theirs per the UN, threatening bordering countries; Venezuela has descended from one of the highest GDP per person in South America to beggar status; Cuba remains Cuba; many in our country think giving government more power over individual freedoms is a solution; and the list goes on.

Our political leaders on both sides refuse to meet in the middle;  pursuing political wins versus doing something. They are accountable to themselves only. This isn’t new; after G. Washington left office he warned of the divisiveness of party politics. That happened in the next election, and continues through today.

General Eisenhower was confident in the plan for “Overlord”, but also realistic. He penned the below prior to the landings.

“Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based on the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone.”

How I wish those in Washington had an iota of the same kind of courage to be accountable. We live in a dangerous world. Our fellow citizens are not our enemies; many outside our borders are-whether economically or militarily.

Strange Fruit

The WSJ had an article on May 1st, pg A13, about the song “Strange Fruit” sung by Billie Holiday in the 30’s, and other musical protests concerning the lynching of mixed race people in the Jim Crow era.

It is a haunting song musically and even more so lyrically. I love Billie Holiday, not only for the music but for her courage in those times. The article mentions that lynching although illegal, was under-prosecuted by the states. The Senate passed a bill in 2018 making it a federal crime, the House has yet to pass it.

We tend to forget how we collectively allow injustice to continue, whether conservative or progressive, we are all guilty.

“First They Came for the Jews”
By Pastor Niemoller

 "The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities." - Ayn Rand
First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Controversy over Trump statements about Charlottesville

“there are good people on both sides”  A quote that has created overwhelming volumes of criticism, mostly from progressive news outlets and some from conservative ones. (I no longer just say new outlets because all now are opinion outlets–less a few pure journalists on both sides)

I think President Trump lets his mouth get way ahead of his brain, or in some cases just says dumb stuff and should be criticized. However, the creator of “Dilbert” came out recently with comments on what was said that some should take to heart and issue a retraction of their vile commentary.

Read for yourself from “TheHIll” https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/413801-dilbert-creator-defends-trump-remarks-on-charlottesville

 

 

AOC

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is getting a huge amount of press. I went back the records for her district of 711,000 people. In that district there are 214,000 registered democrat voters in that district, 33,000 republican.
The primary election had 28,000 Democrat voters come out, she won 17,000 to 11,000. In the general election she won 110,000 to 20,000. The long term democrat man she beat in the primary got 9,000 votes, I guess a write in.
Why are we so intent on listening to a person who got so few votes, and was voted for in the general just because she was a democrat?
I think we should pass an amendment that says, if 50% of the eligible voters do not turn out for a primary or general election, it must be held again.

The “Sacred”

From “First Things”, “A religion of Activism”, April 2019

Sociologists find that all functional societies have a sacred tradition that is required in order to promote its’ goals. When those tradition’s are trashed, what then takes their place so that the society can continue to function for the benefit of its’ members?

The law of unintended consequences is powerful. Change is always needed to adjust practices when power is abused, as it always will be no matter who is in power, but, trashing everything has been proven to create turbulence and suffering.

Think ahead before ripping something up. What will you put in its’ place?

THe Southern Law Poverty Center

The SPLC has done incredible work in the past bringing light to inequities in our “Justice” processes. They have now become a hate organization, like those on their list published annually.

You Tube now uses them to filter posts. Yet, many of the “Hate Organizations” just have a different opinion than they about how to solve a problem. So, suppressing speech you don’t like is, fascist.

Mussolini sort of invented fascism in the 30’s and was quoted and feted by American progressives until he threw in with Hitler. “Liberal Fascism” is an interesting book about this actual history. But, he was as suppressing of speech he didn’t like as Hitler.

Anyway. National Review’s Kyle Smith did an interesting article, https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/03/southern-poverty-law-center-bias-hate-group-labels-scam/.

We need to talk, not judge. Henri Nouwen has a great quote, “It is impossible to be compassionate when you judge.”, that is a paraphrase. http://henrinouwen.org/meditation/a-nonjudgmental-presence/.

Paying Bad Teachers NOT TO WORK

The title is from the WSJ, it talks about teachers in NYC who have been rejected by all the schools they applied to after being moved out of their job, for whatever reasons. They are in the Absent Teacher Reserve, what a euphemism!  NYC spends $150 million, $150,000,000, a year for those 850 teachers to not work because no one will hire them (2016-17 school year data).

The two school unions spent tens of millions dollars in the last presidential election, over 90% to democrats. Let me think about this. Politicians set salaries and other funding, the teachers then spend money on those politicians’ elections. Sounds just great. I think that all politicians should solicit funds from those companies they regulate. NO WAIT! That is a conflict of interests, the democrats say. No kidding!

A solution. Teacher unions are forbidden by law to contribute to political campaigns. Public corporations are now allowed to contribute to political campaigns and the left has gone nuts saying how this will destroy democracy. They have just been allowed to do what unions, both public and private, have always been allowed to do. The difference in my mind is our tax dollars fund the teacher unions through tax funded wages. USSteel, among others, just got Trump to impose duties on metals.  Lobbying is part of our system, but that money didn’t come from my tax dollars.

This same logic applies the the unions for government employees. No political campaign funding.  Or, it must be fifty-fifty.

Alabama has failing schools, just like all states, especially blue states. Yet, the union has spend tens of millions of dollars resisting charter schools. NUTS! STUPID! If a public school is failing, close it, put it our for bid to an accredited charter organization and then reopen in the same building next school year. Then when a teacher is lousy, fire them! Look what it took to fire VA officials who have been caught in negligence, yet the union forced the VA to rehire.

Our kids are the future. Yet, we have been falling down the scale of competency when compared to our economic competitors for three decades. Our current system has to change. The power lies with those refusing to admit failure in results, at the expense of our kids.

Donald Peterson, Lindsey Sheppard

These two people are in the news from Canada, resisting the PC culture in Universities and beyond.  Canada has made it illegal to not obey the rules about how folks speak. Both of the these folks are very reasonable yet the whole power of the government and university are aligned against them. When a person who presents two sides of an issue regarding race, etc., is called a racist anonymously then we are approaching fascist behavior. When such a person suffers consequences without due process we are destroying a foundational pillar of a society that through fits and starts has helped people realize their dreams.

These two you tube sessions are most interesting. A bit long, worth the time.

https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=mcafee&p=don+peterson+and+joe+rogan+1070#id=1&vid=16c0225ae81bdca12afe36a54c65a033&action=click

http://www.endofyourarm.com/2017/12/lindsay-shepherd-on-rubin-report.html