Hank’s Eclectic Meanderings

Roe v Wade Is Absurd

2012-01-27T21:04:00.003-06:00

From Courthouse News:

Girl, 14, Sues Family to Stop Abortion
By DAVID LEE

(CN) - A state court in Corpus Christi, Texas, extended an order preventing a 14-year-old girl's family from forcing her to get an abortion.

The girl filed a temporary restraining order against her family on Dec. 21 after they scheduled an appointment for her to get an abortion, according to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times

She is represented by attorneys with the Texas Center for Defense of Life, an Austin-based nonprofit. Stephen Casey, chief counsel for the group, told the Caller Times that "she has the people she's relied on her whole life pushing her in the direction she doesn't want to go."

Casey said the teen has the right to make the decision herself, no matter what her age.

Click here for the full article.
HT: How Far Have We Come by Simcha Fisher at National Catholic Register.

------------------------------------------------

From First Things

This summer, President Obama proclaimed again that we “need fathers to recognize that responsibility doesn’t end at conception.” In a sense, of course, he is absolutely right. But the problem is that, in another sense, he is completely wrong: Male responsibility really does end at conception. Men these days can choose only sex, not fatherhood; mothers alone determine whether children shall be allowed to exist. Legalized abortion was supposed to grant enormous freedom to women, but it has had the perverse result of freeing men and trapping women.

The likelihood of this cultural development was foreseen by the radical feminist Catherine MacKinnon, one of the critical voices responding to Roe v. Wade’s extension of the right of privacy to cover abortion. In an essay called “Privacy vs. Equality,” MacKinnon argued that “abortion’s proponents and opponents share a tacit assumption that women do significantly control sex. Feminist investigations suggest otherwise. Sexual intercourse . . . cannot simply be presumed coequally determined.” Indeed, she added, “men control sexuality,” and “ Roe does not contradict this.”

snip

Furthermore, if MacKinnon is right, wherever women have not yet overcome gender inequality, involuntary sex and involuntary abortion will tend to be more frequent, precisely as a result of abortion’s availability. To the degree that a culture is built on machismo, for example, the legalization of abortion will make women relatively worse off by giving men another tool to manipulate women as sex objects. Again, to the degree that an economy employs mainly men, leaving women dependent on economic handouts, women will be much less likely to resist male pressures to make use of abortion. Wherever men make women’s decisions for them, the option of abortion will be a man’s choice, regardless of how the law may label it.

Her Choice Her Problem August/September 2009

More from First things

------------------------------

HT: The American Catholic

Click here for Pregnancy Resources

I Have A Dream

2012-01-15T16:33:00.001-06:00

I HAVE A DREAM
By Dr. Martin L. King Jr.
[Delivered on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963]

When we lose his dream we are lost!

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."

Read the entire speech

What happened to Jessica Lynch's Story?

2012-01-05T20:36:00.002-06:00

Media Myth Alert has an interesting foot note to the first days of the Iraq War.

. . .The claim that the military made up the tale of her battlefield heroics is seriously misstated. And more than faintly ironic, given that it was the Washington Post that reported Lynch had “gone down firing,” that she had fought ferociously in the ambush of her unit, the 507th Maintenance Company, in southern Iraq in March 2003.
It was the Post — citing otherwise anonymous “U.S. officials” — that claimed Lynch had “shot several enemy soldiers” in the ambush.

Snip

It was stunning detail, but none of it was true.
Lynch never fired a shot at Nasiriyah. She suffered severe injuries not from gunfire, but from the crash of the Humvee in which she tried to flee the ambush.

The Aftermath interview made no mention of the account offered by Vernon Loeb, a reporter who shared a byline on the hero-warrior story about Lynch. Loeb, in an interview with NPR’s Fresh Air program late in late 2003, made clear the Pentagon was not the source for the erroneous story about Lynch.

In the Fresh Air interview–which I cite in Getting It Wrong, my new book debunking prominent media-driven myths–Loeb said of U.S. military officials:
“They wouldn’t say anything about Jessica Lynch.”
He added:
“I just didn’t see the Pentagon trying to create a hero where there was none. I mean …they never showed any interest in doing that, to me.”

The initial stories struck me as ~~full of BS~~ implausible, but there was not enough information to say what part was implausible.

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T21:19:00.001-06:00

to everyone. And a blessed one as well.

2011-12-25T00:00:00.001-06:00

What Child is This? Sung by Mahalia Jackson

Celebrate Christ's Mass on Christmas

2011-12-18T08:16:00.000-06:00

and

Keep Christ in Christmas.

Click here forMass times and places

HT for video: Dymphna's Road

4th Sunday of Advent

2011-12-18T00:14:00.000-06:00

First reading: 2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-11,16
Psalm 88:2-5,27,29
Second Reading Romans 16:25-27

Agnus Day

Luke 1:28-38

Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord,
your grace into our hearts,
that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son
was made known by the message of an Angel,
may by his Passion and Cross
be brought to the glory of his Resurrection.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Collect 4th Sunday of Advent new translation

Third Sunday of Advent

2011-12-11T00:01:00.000-06:00

First Reading: Isaiah 61:1-2,10-11
Canticle: Luke 1:46-50,53-54
Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

Agnus Day

Gospel: John 1:6-8,19-28

O God, who see how your people
faithfully await the feast of the Lord's Nativity,
enable us, we pray,
to attain the joys of so great a salvation,
and to celebrate them always
with solemn worship and glad rejoicing.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever .

Collect for the third Sunday of Advent new translation.

Science Fiction Becomes Current Fact.

2011-12-10T22:34:00.000-06:00

The Future

Larry Niven and Jerry Pournell's classic Novel The Mote In God's Eye is set a thousand years in the future. One can not help but smile at the image the Imperial battleship Lenin, with an Icon to St Ekaterina and perpetual flame in the wardroom.

Today

The Russian news site RT has a report that the newly commissioned nuclear submarine Aleksandr Nevsky will have a Russian Orthodox Chapel; the second Russian submarine to be so equipped..

When the novel was first published in the late 1970's, who would have guessed.

HT: New Advent

Christmas Flash Mob

2011-12-10T14:01:00.003-06:00

Second Sunday of Advent

2011-12-03T01:07:00.004-06:00

First reading: Isaiah 40:1-5,9-11
Psalm: Psalm 84:9-14
Second reading: 2 Peter 3:8-14
From Agnus Day

Gospel: Mark 1:1-8

Almighty and merciful God,
may no earthly undertaking hinder those
who set out in haste to meet your Son,
but may our learning of heavenly wisdom
gain us admittance to his company.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever .
Collect 2nd Sunday of Advent, new Translation.

First Sunday of Advent

2011-11-26T20:57:00.001-06:00

First reading: Isaiah 63:16-17,64:1,3-8
Psalm: Psalm 79:2-3,15-16,18-19
Second reading: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

From Agnus Day

Gospel: Mark 13:33-37

Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God,
the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ
with righteous deeds at his coming,
so that, gathered at his right hand,
they may be worthy to possess the heavenly kingdom.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ,
your Son, who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Collect 1st Sunday of Advent, New Translation.

A Happy Advent and Merry Christmas to one and all. The side bar has links to previous years Christmas postings. In Advent we prepare for the coming of Jesus, to celebrate his first coming at Christmas and to prepare for His Second Coming.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T00:00:00.003-06:00

In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are under-written, the loyal subjects of our dread sovereign Lord, King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, etc.

Having undertaken, for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith, and honor of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God, and one of another, covenant and combine our selves together into a civil body politic, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the Colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witness whereof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cape Cod, the eleventh of November [New Style, November 21], in the year of the reign of our sovereign lord, King James, of England, France, and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Dom. 1620. Learn more at Pilgrim Hall

The Pilgrims set out for Virginia but ended up in Massachusetts Bay. Since they did not have a Royal Charter to settle there they made the Compact to govern themselves. Often cited as thye first state constituion precursor of the rights claimed in the Declaration of Independence.

Of course several places claim that they had the real first Thanksgiving. Jay Anderson Pro Ecclesia * Pro Familia * Pro Civitate makes a case fo his native Virginia and a better case for St. Augustine Florida.

Related:
Why don't you speak for yourself, John?
George Washington's Thanksgiving Day Presidential Proclamation.

2021: The New Europe - a Wholly German Empire

2011-11-19T22:59:00.008-06:00

Niall Ferguson in the Wall Street Journal writing from the vantage point of 2021 tells the story of how the European Union became the United States of Europe. I have no idea if this is how things will turn out, but it is humarous look at the current crisis with good bits information and commentary thrown in.

The euro is still circulating, though banknotes are now seldom seen. (Indeed, the ease of electronic payments now makes some people wonder why creating a single European currency ever seemed worth the effort.) But Brussels has been abandoned as Europe's political headquarters. Vienna has been a great success.

snip

David Cameron—now beginning his fourth term as British prime minister—thanks his lucky stars that, reluctantly yielding to pressure from the Euroskeptics in his own party, he decided to risk a referendum on EU membership. His Liberal Democrat coalition partners committed political suicide by joining Labour's disastrous "Yeah to Europe" campaign.

Egged on by the pugnacious London tabloids, the public voted to leave by a margin of 59% to 41%, and then handed the Tories an absolute majority in the House of Commons. Freed from the red tape of Brussels, England is now the favored destination of Chinese foreign direct investment in Europe.

Snip

And in 2013, in a historical twist only a few die-hard Ulster Unionists had dreamt possible, the Republic of Ireland's voters opted to exchange the austerity of the U.S.E. for the prosperity of the U.K. Postsectarian Irishmen celebrated their citizenship in a Reunited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland with the slogan: "Better Brits Than Brussels."

snip

. . . European President Karl von Habsburg . . . still known to close associates by his royal title of Archduke Karl of Austria . . .

For the best laugh of the day read the whole article. Is this close to what will happen? Who knows?

Hat tip to David of Duff and Nonsense.

Stimulus???

2011-11-18T20:30:00.002-06:00

Congressional Budget Office director Douglas Elmendorf testifying before the Senate Budget Committee. He is responding to questions from Sen. Jeff Sessions (R., Ala.) the senior Republican on the committee.

ELMENDORF: What we said was, [the stimulus bill] would be a big boost in the level of GDP in the first 3 or 4 years,*** and then, relative to what would have happened to GDP without that law… the level of GDP would be a little lower at the end. That is, a net negative effect on the growth of GDP over 10 years.

SESSIONS: And in the next 10 years, since you’re carrying that debt and paying interest on it and the stimulus value is long since gone, it would be a continual negative of some effect?

ELMENDORF: Yes, it would represent a drag on the level of GDP beyond that, if no other actions were taken.

Of course, future estimates can be mistaken for many unpredictable factors, the chance of this being optimistic are probably equal to the chance they are pessimistic. But even the best case is not likely to be good.

HT: National Review Online

Veterans Day

2011-11-11T00:00:00.011-06:00

The First World War nominally ended on November 11th. First celebrated as Armistice Day, it became Remembrance Day for the Commonwealth to honor those who had fallen. In the United States where Memorial Day already commemorated those who died defending our country it became Veteran’s Day to also honor the veterans who came home.

Lord Grey, the British Foreign Minister described the beginning of the war as "The lamps are going out in Europe". The immediate costs in dead and treasure of this ultimately pointless war were horrific. The horror of the trenches scarred the psyche of the Western world. The resulting despair allowed political movements to come to influence and power, which have changed for the worse Western culture, the holocaust and gulag being just the tip of the iceburg. Too many of the lamps are still out.

It is a hard truth that this is an especially appropriate day to remember our veterans living and dead. One of the very few bright spots were the solders and sailors whose dedication, loyalty, and valor shamed the politicians and “statesman” who sent them to war. They should always be remembered.

But also we need to remember that in other wars it was this same dedication and valor that bought our Freedom and Liberty, certainly against the forces released as a result of the First World War.

Enjoy the holiday, but remember to think of and pray for those who served.

In 2007 David Duff objected to the war being called pointless. El Jefe Maximo responded. Their interesting and informative discussion is a must read..

Related posts:

Le Soldat Americain dans Afgaistan
Soldiers are People, too
The Last of the Light Brigade.
The Bivouac of the Dead
Roy Nickerson
11/11/1918 (From Kingdom of Chaos)
Rembrance Day - where They Fell HT:David Duff
Campfires and Battlefields 1884

Labels:WWI and Veterans Day posts

Campfire and Battlefield

2011-11-11T00:00:00.010-06:00

It is poor business measuring the mouldered ramparts and counting the silent guns, marking the deserted battlefields and decorating the grassy graves, unless we can learn from it some nobler lesson than to destroy. Men write of this, as of other wars, as if the only thing necessary to be impressed upon the rising generation were the virtue of physical courage and contempt of death. It seems to me that is the last thing we need to teach; for since the days of John Smith in Virginia and the men of the Mayflower in Massachusetts, no generation of Americans has shown any lack of it. From Louisburg to Petersburg-a hundred and twenty years, the full span of four generations-they have stood to their guns and been shot down in greater comparative numbers than any other race on earth. In the war of secession there was not a State, not a county, probably not a town, between the great lakes and the gulf, that was not represented on fields where all that men could do with powder and steel was done and valor exhibited at its highest pitch…There is not the slightest necessity for lauding American bravery or impressing it upon American youth. But there is the gravest necessity for teaching them respect for law, and reverence for human life, and regard for the rights of their fellow country-men, and all that is significant in the history of our country…These are simple lessons, yet they are not taught in a day, and some who we call educated go through life without mastering them at all.
Emphasis is mine.

Rossiter Johnson, Campfire and Battlefield, 1884

Related: Bivouac of the Dead The poem on the illistration.

HT: Donald E McClarey at Almost Chosen People

Resurrection

2011-11-08T21:56:00.002-06:00

Jesus said: I will build my Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. Mathew 16:18

HT: Orthodox Net

Related: The Traitor

Cost of the Crown

2011-11-04T23:06:00.009-05:00

A beautiful song. The number rulers and would be rulers who realize and accept the cost is all to few, but probably more than the cynic would suggest.

Song: Cost of the Crown
Singer: Shandeen O'Neill
Song Writer: Mercedes Lackey

Video from "The Twelve Kingdoms"

Pray for those in power that they have the wisdom do see, the courage to try, the patience to wait, the strength to do, and the compassion to care.

Hazardous Chemical Alert -- Dihydrogen Monoxide

2011-11-01T22:10:00.001-05:00

A little known but dangerous chemical is polluting America. The Dihydrogen Monoxide Research Division is trying to spread the word on this threat.

The Truth about DIHYDROGEN MONOXIDE
Dihydrogen Monoxide (DHMO) is perhaps the single most prevalent of all chemicals that can be dangerous to human life. Despite this truth, most people are not unduly concerned about the dangers of Dihydrogen Monoxide. Governments, civic leaders, corporations, military organizations, and citizens in every walk of life seem to either be ignorant of or shrug off the truth about Dihydrogen Monoxide as not being applicable to them. This concerns us.

BAN DIHYDROGEN MONOXIDE - THE INVISIBLE KILLER!
Dihydrogen monoxide is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and kills uncounted thousands of people every year.

What are the dangers of Dihydrogen Monoxide?
Most of these deaths are caused by accidental inhalation of DHMO, but the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide do not end there. Prolonged exposure to its solid form causes severe tissue damage. Symptoms of DHMO ingestion can include excessive sweating and urination, and possibly a bloated feeling, nausea, vomiting and body electrolyte imbalance. For those who have become dependent, DHMO withdrawal means certain death.

Dihydrogen Monoxide Facts

Dihydrogen monoxide:
is also known as hydric acid, and is the major component of acid rain.
contributes to the Greenhouse Effect.
may cause severe burns.
contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape.
accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals.
may cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of automobile brakes.
has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients.

Dihydrogen Monoxide Alerts

Contamination is reaching epidemic proportions!

Quantities of dihydrogen monoxide have been found in almost every stream, lake, and reservoir in America today. But the pollution is global, and the contaminant has even been found in Antarctic ice. In the midwest alone DHMO has caused millions of dollars of property damage.

Dihydrogen Monoxide Uses

Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used:
as an industrial solvent and coolant.
in nuclear power plants.
in the production of styrofoam.
as a fire retardant.
in many forms of cruel animal research.
in the distribution of pesticides. Even after washing, produce remains contaminated by this chemical.
as an additive in certain junk-foods and other food products.

Stop the horror - Ban Dihydrogen Monoxide

Learn more at the Dihydrogen Monoxide website

MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET Please print and post prominently near sources of Dihydrogen Monoxide

HT: Donald R. McClarey at The American Catholic

Alan Sherman

2011-10-18T22:24:00.001-05:00

A break form the real world with the great 1960’s comedian and song writer
Allan Sherman.

This was our boy scout hiking song (we did or own cooking.).

Well not everyone can love the Beatles.

And time for rest and relaxation at good old Camp Granada.

Get his songs Here

Plessy v Ferguson and a Color Blind Constitution?

2011-10-10T07:06:00.013-05:00

In 1896 in the case Plessy v Ferguson the Supreme Court held that racial segregation was constitutional if the conditions were “separate but equal.” Justice John Marshall Harlan dissented with the ringing declaration that the “constitution is color blind[!]” This decision was later overturned in Brown v Board of Education of Topeka in 1954. A few years later when I was in elementary school the Brown decision was celebrated in Social Studies class as an endorsement of Justice Harlan’s dissent. However, by the time to I got to college I realized there was a huge debate, both sides totally rejecting the Plessy decision, as to whether the constitution was in fact or should be color blind. And apparently Brown v Board of Education of Topeka did not follow the logic of Justice Harlan’s dissent.

I thought that I might take a look at the decision and see what it actually said. Any real lawyers are free to correct my errors.

Issue

Was The statute of Louisiana, acts of 1890, c. 111, requiring railway companies carrying passengers in their coaches in that State, to provide equal, but separate, accommodations for the white and colored races, . . (Syllabus) a violation of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution.

Homer Plessy (I/8 colored and 7/8 white), in an intentional test of the law, boarded a white compartment, informed the conductor he was colored, refused instructions to move to the other car, was removed from the train and arrested. He was convicted in a trial presided over by John Howard Fergusen, appealed to the Louisiana Supreme Court which ruled against him and then appealed to the Supreme court that the law violated his rights under the 13th and 14th Amendments to the Constitution, arguing these admendments made the Constitution color blind.

I extracted key sections of the decision and dissent, key questions to watch are:

1. Is the the issue Federal or State Jurisdiction?
2. Does the 13th amendment merely prohibit slavery or also enforcing what were badges of slavery?
3. Does the 14th amendment allow a government act to know the race of persons effected?
4. What did the Court actually rule?

Justice Brown for the Court

That it [the Louisiana law] does not conflict with the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime, is too clear for argument. . . .. This amendment was said in the Slaughterhouse Cases, 16 Wall. 36, to have been intended primarily to abolish slavery

snip

A statute which implies merely a legal distinction between the white and colored races -- a distinction which is founded in the color of the two races and which must always exist so long as white men are distinguished from the other race by color -- has no tendency to destroy the legal equality of the two races, or reestablish a state of involuntary servitude. Indeed, we do not understand that the Thirteenth Amendment is strenuously relied upon by the plaintiff in error in this connection.

snip

The object of the [14th] amendment was undoubtedly to enforce the absolute equality of the two races before the law, but, in the nature of things, it could not have been intended to abolish distinctions based upon color, or to enforce social, as distinguished from political, equality, or a commingling of the two races upon terms unsatisfactory to either. Laws permitting, and even requiring, their separation in places where they are liable to be brought into contact do not necessarily imply the inferiority of either race to the other, and have been generally, if not universally, recognized as within the competency of the state legislatures in the exercise of their police power.

In the Civil Rights Case, 109 U.S. 3, it was held that an act of Congress entitling all persons within the jurisdiction of the United States to the full and equal enjoyment of the accommodations, advantages, facilities and privileges of inns, public conveyances, on land or water, theatres and other places of public amusement, and made applicable to citizens of every race and color, regardless of any previous condition of servitude, was unconstitutional and void upon the ground that the Fourteenth Amendment was prohibitory upon the States only, and the legislation authorized to be adopted by Congress for enforcing it was not direct legislation on matters respecting which the States were prohibited from making or enforcing certain laws, or doing certain acts, but was corrective legislation such as might be necessary or proper for counteracting and redressing the effect of such laws or acts. In delivering the opinion of the court

The decision provides a long discussion expressing the opinion that this is in the police powers of the state and the Federal government most recognize any reasonable state legislation.

. . .we think the enforced separation of the races, as applied to the internal commerce of the State, neither abridges the privileges or immunities of the colored man, deprives him of his property without due process of law, nor denies him the equal protection of the laws within the meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment,. . .

We consider the underlying fallacy of the plaintiff's argument to consist in the assumption that the enforced separation of the two races stamps the colored race with a badge of inferiority. If this be so, it is not by reason of anything found in the act, but solely because the colored race chooses to put that construction upon it.

snip

It is claimed by the plaintiff in error that, in any mixed community, the reputation of belonging to the dominant race, in this instance the white race, is property in the same sense that a right of action or of inheritance is property. Conceding this to be so for the purposes of this case, we are unable to see how this statute deprives him of, or in any way affects his right to, such property. If he be a white man and assigned to a colored coach, he may have his action for damages against the company for being deprived of his so-called property. Upon the other hand, if he be a colored man and be so assigned, he has been deprived of no property, since he is not lawfully entitled to the reputation of being a white man.

Justice Harlan in Dissent

While there may be in Louisiana persons of different races who are not citizens of the United States, the words in the act "white and colored races" necessarily include all citizens of the United States of both races residing in that State. So that we have before us a state enactment that compels, under penalties, the separation of the two races in railroad passenger coaches, and makes it a crime for a citizen of either race to enter a coach that has been assigned to citizens of the other race.

Thus, the State regulates the use of a public highway by citizens of the United States solely upon the basis of race.

However apparent the injustice of such legislation may be, we have only to consider whether it is consistent with the Constitution of the United States.

That a railroad is a public highway, and that the corporation which owns or operates it is in the exercise of public functions, is not, at this day, to be disputed. Mr. Justice Nelson, speaking for this court in New Jersey Steam Navigation Co. v. Merchants' Bank, 6 How. 344, 382, said that a common carrier was in the exercise

of a sort of public office, and has public duties to perform, from which he should not be permitted to exonerate himself without the assent of the parties concerned.

snip

In respect of civil rights common to all citizens, the Constitution of the United States does not, I think, permit any public authority to know the race of those entitled to be protected in the enjoyment of such rights. Every true man has pride of race, and, under appropriate circumstances, when the rights of others, his equals before the law, are not to be affected, it is his privilege to express such pride and to take such action based upon it as to him seems proper. But I deny that any legislative body or judicial tribunal may have regard to the [p555] race of citizens when the civil rights of those citizens are involved. Indeed, such legislation as that here in question is inconsistent not only with that equality of rights which pertains to citizenship, National and State, but with the personal liberty enjoyed by everyone within the United States.

The Thirteenth Amendment does not permit the withholding or the deprivation of any right necessarily inhering in freedom. It not only struck down the institution of slavery as previously existing in the United States, but it prevents the imposition of any burdens or disabilities that constitute badges of slavery or servitude. It decreed universal civil freedom in this country. This court has so adjudged. But that amendment having been found inadequate to the protection of the rights of those who had been in slavery, it was followed by the Fourteenth Amendment, which added greatly to the dignity and glory of American citizenship and to the security of personal liberty . . .

snip

These two amendments, if enforced according to their true intent and meaning, will protect all the civil rights that pertain to freedom and citizenship. Finally, and to the end that no citizen should be denied, on account of his race, the privilege of participating in the political control of his country,

snip

These notable additions to the fundamental law were welcomed by the friends of liberty throughout the world. They removed the race line from our governmental systems. They had, as this court has said, a common purpose, namely to secure to a race recently emancipated, a race that through [p556] many generations have been held in slavery, all the civil rights that the superior race enjoy.

They declared, in legal effect, this court has further said, that the law in the States shall be the same for the black as for the white; that all persons, whether colored or white, shall stand equal before the laws of the States, and, in regard to the colored race, for whose protection the amendment was primarily designed, that no discrimination shall be made against them by law because of their color.
We also said:

The words of the amendment, it is true, are prohibitory, but they contain a necessary implication of a positive immunity, or right, most valuable to the colored race -- the right to exemption from unfriendly legislation against them distinctively as colored -- exemption from legal discriminations, implying inferiority in civil society, Lessening the security of their enjoyment of the rights which others enjoy, and discriminations which are steps towards reducing them to the condition of a subject race.

snip

It as said in argument that the statute of Louisiana does [p557] not discriminate against either race, but prescribes a rule applicable alike to white and colored citizens. But this argument does not meet the difficulty. Everyone knows that the statute in question had its origin in the purpose not so much to exclude white persons from railroad cars occupied by blacks as to exclude colored people from coaches occupied by or assigned to white persons. Railroad corporations of Louisiana did not make discrimination among whites in the matter of accommodation for travelers. The thing to accomplish was, under the guise of giving equal accommodation for whites and blacks, to compel the latter to keep to themselves while traveling in railroad passenger coaches. No one would be so wanting in candor a to assert the contrary. The fundamental objection, therefore, to the statute is that it interferes with the personal freedom of citizens. "Personal liberty," . .

snip

It is one thing for railroad carriers to furnish, or to be required by law to furnish, equal accommodations for all whom they are under a legal duty to carry. It is quite another thing for government to forbid citizens of the white and black races from traveling in the same public conveyance, and to punish officers of railroad companies for permitting persons of the two races to occupy the same passenger coach.

snip

The white race deems itself to be the dominant race in this country. And so it is in prestige, in achievements, in education, in wealth and in power. So, I doubt not, it will continue to be for all time if it remains true to its great heritage and holds fast to the principles of constitutional liberty. But in view of the Constitution, in the eye of the law, there is in this country no superior, dominant, ruling class of citizens. There is no caste here. Our Constitution is color-blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens. In respect of civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law. The humblest is the peer of the most powerful. The law regards man as man, and takes no account of his surroundings or of his color when his civil rights as guaranteed by the supreme law of the land are involved. It is therefore to be regretted that this high tribunal, the final expositor of the fundamental law of the land, has reached the conclusion that it is competent for a State to regulate the enjoyment by citizens of their civil rights solely upon the basis of race.

In my opinion, the judgment this day rendered will, in time, prove to be quite as pernicious as the decision made by this tribunal in the Dred Scott Case.

Snip

The sure guarantee of the peace and security of each race is the clear, distinct, unconditional recognition by our governments, National and State, of every right that inheres in civil freedom, and of the equality before the law of all citizens of the United States, without regard to race. State enactments regulating the enjoyment of civil rights upon the basis of race, and cunningly devised to defeat legitimate results of the [p561] war under the pretence of recognizing equality of rights, can have no other result than to render permanent peace impossible and to keep alive a conflict of races the continuance of which must do harm to all concerned.

snip

The arbitrary separation of citizens on the basis of race while they are on a public highway is a badge of servitude wholly inconsistent with the civil freedom and the equality before the law established by the Constitution. It cannot be justified upon any legal grounds.

Analysis

The Court did not actually rule on “Separate but Equal” that was the language of the state law. In the Civil Rights Cases (1883), the court limited the 14th Amendment to judicial review of state legislation but Congress could not directly legislate on individuals. With this limitation in mind the court held that it must accept any reasonable state legislation. The court found that “Separate but Equal” was a reasonable act. Actually the decision allowed states to adopt any "reasonable" policy it wanted from integration to separate but equal. The court offhandedly dismissed any claim that segration created badge of servitude.

Justice Harlan, made a careful case that a railroad was public highway thus under Federal jurisdiction, and that the railroad as the operator of a public highway was performing an official function. In Strauder v. West Virginia the court had held that persons performing an official function were subject to the Fourteenth Amendment thus the case was direct Federal Jurisdiction. He understood the Fourteenth Admdnmdmet to mean that a government official could “not know the race” of a person subject to his official act. He insisted that segragation imposed real badge of servitude. Thus his Cri du Coeur affirming Homer Plessey's claim “Our Constitution is color-blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens. In respect of civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law.” It seems he is saying any decision by race is unacceptable per se; not just ones causing segragation.

The effects of this ruling were a disaster to civil rights and race relations. “separate but equal’ became slogan with a life far beyond the the decision. It provided a means for those who wanted to restrict the rights of blacks to do so while claming to support equality. Laws were passed or amended all over the south to establish or legitimize and enforce segregation. Very seldom was separate equal, often very unequal. As Justice Harlan foretold, despite the claim of equality, it created a "badge of servitude” and de facto legal endorsement to those who claimed blacks were inferior and wanted to treat them as such. An irony is the Louisiana railroad had objected to law on the ground that it would require them to maintain extra cars with no extra revenue. If it was not for Plessy allowing legal segregation, the extra cost of maintaining duplicate, if inferior, facilities would have created a friction that would have moved toward integration. I think the rule of Jim Crow would have been shorter, less unjust and ended with less trauma. Justice Harlan’s prediction ” the judgment this day rendered will, in time, prove to be quite as pernicious as the decision made by this tribunal in the Dred Scott Case.” is a huge understatement..

In 1954 the Supreme Court overturned Plessy v Fergusen in the landmark Brown v Board of Education case in a unanimous opinion written by Chief Justice Warren.

We conclude that, in the field of public education, the doctrine of "separate but equal" has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. Therefore, we hold that the plaintiffs and others similarly situated for whom the actions have been brought are, by reason of the segregation complained of, deprived of the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment.

But about the question which stared me on this - “is the Constitution color blind?“ Prior to Brown there were arguments against Plessey, segregation was wrong, making decisions based on race was wrong, and these gave a de facto. endorsement to the claim blacks are inferior. No one really separated them out as different arguments. After Brown came the issue: can the government enforce integration by making decisions based on race or is it forbidden to know the race of a person? Both Justice Harlan's dissent and Chief Justice Warrens' opinion use all three. Chief Justice Warren seems to leave the issue of alone. Intentional segregation is unconstitutional and is to be removed with “deliberate speed“. Segregation that occurs due to demographic accident or cultural and personal choice is not discussed, and at least for initial correctives government may make decisions based on race to enforce integration. Chief Justice Warren later actions seem to support forcing integration and I think Justice Harlan would have repeated his comment "[the Constitution] does not permit any public authority to know the race" of a citizen.

So the debate continues those who hold that the Fouteenth Amendment allows the Government to take reasonable action based on race to achieve integration or cultural diversity; though noted their meaning of “reasonable” is very deferent than Justice Brown’s And those who would say with Justice Harlan the Fourteenth Amendment says what it means and means what it says - the government, Federal and state, in action and regulation should not know the race of a citizen - that 'the Constitution is color blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens. In respect of civil rights, '.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
Martin Luther King, August 28, 1963.

    **********************************

U.S. Constitution

Amendment 13 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Amendment 14 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Court cases

Plessy v Ferguson
    Syllabus
    Justice Brown for the Court
    Justice Harlan in dissent

Scott v. Sandford (Dred Scot Decision)
Slaughter House Cases
Ex Parte Virginia
Strauder v. West Virginia
Civil Rights Cases 1883

Brown v Board of Education of Topeka

Related Posts

The Speech
The Water Tastes the Same
The Stealth Justice

Update 11/05/2011: I corrected some spelling format and word choice errors, and added a few lines to make the discussion clearer.

New Side Bar Item

2011-09-24T19:39:00.002-05:00

On the side bar a add links to an eclectic collection of Video pages. Good entertainment when your down and some serious items. Enjoy!

Lord Drako Arakis's Channel, asks:

What Do You Do With a Drunken Sailor?

While sailors are known to head for bars and taverns when they hit shore, on a sailing ship a sailor who was drunk or hung over would be a risk to every one; a gentle reminder to new hands and the forgetful.

Libya: A Savage Kinetic Action of Peace

2011-09-18T23:39:00.000-05:00

Colonel Austin Bay (retired) of Strategy Page presents an operational overview of the Libyan war. While most of the commentary on the war has been on the political aspects and antidotal videos and new reports it was (still is) a military operation subject to the same dynamics of any other action. This is as good an overview as one will find short of looking through (yet to be published?) professional literature.

At the end he touches on a key point. The NATO’s policy of primarily providing air and naval support prolonged the war and increased suffering considerably, but it also means that the Libyans on the ground won the war and can claim it as their own which can help provide a common basis for reconstructing the country.

Related

Libya
Bread and Oil

A Modest Proposal.

2011-09-17T15:05:00.004-05:00

Long thought to be deceased the Rev Jonathan Swift has posted at Pajamas Media a new Modest Proposal. This time A Modest Proposal for the Reestablishment of the Prussian State

He writes:

It is melancholy to contemplate the homeless condition of the Prussians, an ingenious people whose remarkable antics in prior ages did so much to enliven the politics of Europe. Indeed, now that world opinion has grasped the necessity of returning the descendants of the Arabs of Palestine to their ancestral residences, it must certainly be the hour for a similar service to be rendered on behalf of those belonging to the tribe of the great Frederick.

For while it has been some time since that glorious state known as Prussia graced the map of our fair continent, still the lands of the Prussians were theirs and theirs alone, until that fateful day not yet seven decades past, when the awful Poles, seeking to reestablish a country for which the world had no apparent need, rudely cast them out.

snip

. . .forced to endure life stateless, wandering amongst such diverse foreign peoples as Saxons, Westphalians, Rhinelanders, Bavarians, and, even in some cases, Americans . .

snip

. . .Does not Justice herself cry out in anguish,[?] . . .

Read the whole thing. It’s funny and makes no more of a point than the original, which having reread it for the first time in years seems relevant to several current policy debates.

HT: Duff and Nonsense
and Pajamas Media

Crusin’ On LSD

2011-09-16T19:56:00.001-05:00

A blast from the past. Enjoy!

I remember the traveling Lake Shore Drive, from the back seat as my father drove us downtown, always a big event itself. Then driving it to school and later to work - and of course crusin' on a Friday night.

But it’s just not the same drive since they renamed the Playboy Tower.

9/11 Hustlin' Up Stragglers

2011-09-11T00:00:00.003-05:00

A couple weeks after 9/11 I was in the hospital waiting room. The television was droning something that someone else was watching; when Robin Williams came on with one of those short commemorations to the heroes of 9/11. I glanced at the screen and saw . . .

. . . Major Rescorla was the squadron executive officer of our reserve unit.

Something of a legend, he had served in three armies, in Viet Nam a hero of the battle of Ia Drang, a Silver Star, Bronze Star with Oak leaf Cluster and “V”, Purple Heart, and too much else to count. At first glance a snake eater, but when you talked to him you realized the tough exterior hid a deep intellect and compassion.

Loud, larger than life, and full of fun, he could take the joke as well as give it out. As he was walking back to our area one day the Sergeants decided to from a “chain.” They walked past him with just enough interval that he had to return thirty some hand salutes one at a time. He was laughing out loud by the end of the chain.

As XO, he was the chief of staff, a staff that didn’t call attention to itself, but plans worked and soldiers were supported. And always, more than most any officer I ever met, he would always make the extra effort to take care of his soldiers. To the point of making a trip to Division HQ to get a privates records straightened out.

When we had Squadron runs he would finish close behind the nineteen year olds, and without missing a step turn around go to the rear, set a pace and hustle up the stragglers.

He had the stereotypical command voice of a British Regimental Sergeant Major. A little less effective when we realized his bark was worse than his bite. One summer camp the officers were put in the Hospital area for quarters. The lieutenants and captains in one wing and the Major and Colonel in the next, they wanted some quiet. However it turned out the next wing over housed the enlisted soldiers of the hospital. And inclined to spend all night partying on the lawn between the wings. Until one night about 0100 hours Major Rescorla stood on the porch in his skivvies and with that command voice put them to bed.

He was promoted and took command of another squadron and then moved to New York for his civilian job..

When the planes hit, the evacuation plan was sound and rehearsed. He took 2500 people out of the building on the sound of that voice. When informed some his people were still in the building he went back to hustle them out. Last seen going up.

. . . And as Robin went off and the TV returned to the regularly scheduled commercials I was thinking. . .

“Husslin’ up stragglers, couldn’t do any thing else!”

Richard C Rescorla, Colonel, Infantry, USAR, Retired.
Grant him Eternal Rest Lord - and let Your Eternal Light shine upon him.

Nine Eleven - Ten Years Ago

2011-09-10T23:59:00.003-05:00

Tuesday morning ten years ago started off well. I called our office in Flint Michigan to help the manager fix what was a non-problem on his computer. As we were talking he was handed a note that a Boeing 737 had hit the World Trade Center. A few seconds later the TV’s came on with CNN and a few seconds later CNN interrupted programming for breaking news. The day got worse quickly.

Three more air planes taken , two of them hitting occupied buildings. The third crashing as the passengers try to take it back. Over 4000 dead. I never thought I would see the day when the Day Care Center would be moved out of the building because we do just enough business with the Defense Department to be military target. The news later reported a shoot down order was issued but the fighters could not take off and get in place fast enough.

Being sent home for two days as non-essential in an emergency does nothing for ones ego. I left work while two of the planes and maybe more were still in the air the radio in the car broadcasting rumors of car bombs, and went to church to pray them home. When I saw the President on TV that night I knew we would be called back the next morning. Looking at the TV I thought “That boy is going to lead us?” All thing considered he could have done much worse.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Flight 11 turned off it’s transponder, did not answer the radio, and turned towards New York, the air traffic controllers at New York Center assumed it was a mechanical problem and the crew was trying to get Kennedy International with the best recovery resources. They moved every thing out of the way so the there would be a clear path to New York. Doing the job right, and it was so wrong.

Five Year Mind

2011-09-05T00:00:00.001-05:00

Addie Love

Many women have done excellently
But you have surpassed them all
Your Charm is not deceiving
Your beauty is not fading
But a women who loves the Lord
You will be praised
Forever

Cf: Proverbs 31

Addie B Jorden February 2, 1948 – September 5, 2006

V: Lord, grant her eternal rest;
R: And let Your perpetual light shine upon her.

Clarence Thomas: The Stealth Justice

2011-09-03T16:57:00.015-05:00

During the Justice Thomas nomination hearings one of the things I noted was Judge Thomas said his main legal interests were business regulation and constitional jurisprudence. He would rather have been appointed to a business regulation position in the first Bush administration than an agency Civil Rights Counsel. The Senate confirmed a nominee with a publicly stated interest in business regulation while barely asking him a question on the subject and slightly more on constitional jurisprudence. Strange priorities by the committee. I suspect that if he had been asked questions and answered the them as written in his later decisions, he might have lost some conserative support and maybe the four vote margin by which he was confirmed. Making him the Stealth Justice, these may well be the areas he has the most influnce on the future of American Jurisprudence.
Justice Thomas’ opening statement to Senate committee on the Anita Hill allegations. 10 minutes but worth watching.

Jeffery Toobin writing in the The New Yorker looks at the role of Justice Thomas on the Supreme Court. Partners: Will Clarence and Virginia Thomas succeed in killing Obama’s health-care plan? While he does not agree with Justice Thomas on many levels this is a fair and balanced survey and he intends it as a warning to other liberals.

Walter Russell Mead gives us a succinct summary (New Blue Nightmare: Clarence Thomas and the Amendment of Doom) of the lenghty article and the implications’ for the Supreme Court.

Jeffrey Toobin’s gripping, must-read profile of Clarence and Virginia Thomas in the New Yorker gives readers new insight into what Sauron must have felt: Toobin argues that the only Black man in public life that liberals could safely mock and despise may be on the point of bringing the Blue Empire down.

In fact, Toobin suggests, Clarence Thomas may be the Frodo Baggins of the right; his lonely and obscure struggle has led him to the point from which he may be able to overthrow the entire edifice of the modern progressive state.

snip

There are few articles of faith as firmly fixed in the liberal canon as the belief that Clarence Thomas is, to put it as bluntly as many liberals do, a dunce and a worm. Twenty years of married life have not erased the conventional liberal view of his character etched by Anita Hill’s testimony at his confirmation hearings. Not only does the liberal mind perceive him as a disgusting lump of ungoverned sexual impulse; he is seen as an intellectual cipher. Thomas’ silence during oral argument before the Supreme Court is taken as obvious evidence that he has nothing to say and is perhaps a bit intimidated by the verbal fireworks exchanged by the high profile lawyers and his more, ahem, ‘qualified’ colleagues.

Snip

Toobin is less interested in exploring why liberal America has been so blind for so long to the force of Clarence Thomas’ intellect than in understanding just what Thomas has achieved in his lonely trek across the wastes of Mordor. And what he finds is that Thomas has been pioneering the techniques and the ideas that could not only lead to the court rejecting all or part of President Obama’s health legislation; the ideas and strategies Thomas has developed could conceivably topple the constitutionality of the post New Deal state.

Justice Thomas’ influence is summarized in three areas.

In the case of the Second Amendment, the collapse has already come. Back in my Pundit High days, anyone who dared to suggest that the Bill of Rights gave individuals the right to bear arms would have been laughed out of the class as an ignorant yahoo. These days, that is the accepted view of the US Supreme Court and most of the legal profession.

snip

The next topic for Constitutional revisionism is the expansive reading of the commerce clause that the New Deal judges used to justify the Roosevelt administration’s ambitious economic programs. Especially relevant to the President's Health Care (sic) initiative.

Snip

The real problem will come if Thomas can figure out how to get the Tenth Amendment back into constitutional thought in a serious way.

His method seems to be avoiding the usual give and take of the Court and to write dissents or concurrences that present a well researched and argued rational that is very different different from the Courts decision. Some trial and appellate judges seem have found these more relevant for later cases than the Courts decision. A stealth stratagy that could have impact for decades after he leaves the court.

I have always thought that Justice Thomas, like him or not, was vastly under rated. I would encourage you to read the articles, not just to learn about Justice Thomas but some of the key legal issues that will come before the Supreme Court.

Updated 4 Sept 2011

Peace Coming to Kashmir?

2011-08-30T20:22:00.001-05:00

Pragmatic Euphony brings a crime report that seems to indicate progress toward peace in Kashmir.

Thieves decamped with an ATM in the middle of the night from uptown Srinagar.

snip

Even though this sounds counterintuitive, it is a crime worth rejoicing over. After all, criminals wouldn’t dare to decamp with an ATM in the night if the town was infested with terrorists and trigger-happy security forces ready to nab them. Alas, the law will punish them for their crime — as it should — but these burglars have sent a larger message to all of us: things are indeed getting back to normal in Kashmir.

Let us hope he's right.

Barrack H. Obama - An Old Story - Oft' Told.

2011-08-09T19:26:00.006-05:00

For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear
For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;
For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
Proverbs 30:21-23

Three things make earth unquiet
And four she cannot brook
The godly Agur counted them
And put them in a book –
Those Four Tremendous Curses
With which mankind is cursed;
But a Servant when He Reigneth
Old Agur entered first.

An Handmaid that is Mistress
We need not call upon.
A Fool when he is full of Meat
Will fall asleep anon.
An Odious Woman Married
May bear a babe and mend;
But a Servant when He Reigneth
Is Confusion to the end.

His feet are swift to tumult,
His hands are slow to toil,
His ears are deaf to reason,
His lips are loud in broil.
He knows no use for power
Except to show his might.
He gives no heed to judgment
Unless it prove him right.

Because he served a master
Before his Kingship came,
And hid in all disaster
Behind his master’s name,
So, when his Folly opens
The unnecessary hells,
A Servant when He Reigneth
Throws the blame on some one else.

His vows are lightly spoken,
His faith is hard to bind,
His trust is easy broken,
He fears his fellow-kind.
The nearest mob will move him
To break the pledge he gave –
Oh, a Servant when he Reigneth
Is more than ever slave!

Rudyard Kipling

The Obama Topic
Highlights’

Mr. President Make a Decision
An Audacious Hope
East Meets West - President Obama in the Middle East.

Cardinal von Galen -- "Jesus Weeps for Us"

2011-08-04T22:42:00.006-05:00

Seventy years ago today, August 4th 1941, Clemens August von Galen, the Catholic Bishop of Munster, delivered his famous sermon against Acton T4 the Nazi euthanasia program. This was the last stage of a Eugenics program to rid Germany of persons with genetic disabilities. It set the stage for the large scale exterminations of able bodied persons because of their ethnic, notional, or religious background. The publicity forced the Nazi's to officially stop the program though it continued unofficially. Three of his priests were killed in retaliation and von Galen was only spared to prevent him from becoming a martyr.

I previously posted the main part of this sermon. Click here

But a sermon is meant to heard not read. A representation of the sermon

Jesus Weeps for Us

Starts at 4 mintes.

And continues here
and here
and here

Change a few names for context and this sermon could (and should) be delivered in many places today.

A Family Friendly Blog

2011-07-25T00:23:00.003-05:00

This blog is certified Cuss Free by the Blog and Website Cuss-O-Meter

Created by OnePlusYou

Full Disclosure: They must only count English. I did use a French cuss word once.

Explaining Algerian rioting in France: A large number of foreign workers were imported from the former colonies, especially Algeria, to do all sorts of menial work. Paris apparently does not have pooper scooper laws, every day the Algerians were out on the street with large sweep brooms cleaning up Fido’s mess. The French treated the Algerians as lower than the merde de chien they were paid to sweep up. Paris is Burning

HT: Almost Chosen People

Storms - Stoplights - Equality

2011-07-17T22:21:00.008-05:00

Last Monday a storm came through. Sustained hurricane force winds in Northeast Illinois!? I suppose the usual suspects will allege global warming or cooling as a cause though common sense meteorology would say just an extreme local variation, no matter the long term pattern. As I drove home from work the closer I got the more and more trees and branches were on the ground - and power lines. When I got home, aside from lesser problems like a flying branch wrecking the fence gate, the electricity was out, it did not come back until Friday evening.

One thing I learned to appreciate during this is the common stoplight. One thinks of them just as a safety feature so many cars can get through an intersection safely. However when the light is out you go to stop sign rules. Every one gets through safely, but it takes forever. Even if one catches a red light at the beginning of the cycle one get through the intersection much faster than one gets through on stop sign rules. One intersection regularly had back up of over a mile in three directions.

While sitting in that four lane parking lot waiting my turn I mused that this is a good example of an equality of results. It takes every one about the same amount of time to get to the light and through the intersection. Stop lights are a great source of inequality, some cars get to the intersection with a green light and zip though at 60 miles an hour. Some catch the beginning of the red light cycle and sit there for a few minutes waiting for the green. This is so unequal, yes everyone gets through much faster with the stop light, but shouldn’t radical equality be a goal, it commonly espoused for economics and politics, why not traffic control?

While equality is certainly important in some areas, i.e. everyone should be equal before the law. Everyone should have and equal opportunity to seek education and employment of their choice. But when an equality of results is promised how do you get them?

The items that have been driving the growth of western and now world economies for the past few hundred years are the concentration of capital, free trade, and technological development. But all of these produce uneven results. While even those on the lower end do better than they would otherwise the discrepancy between the top and bottom is larger than before this development. The only way to equalize the results in to put such major impediments in the place of concentrating capital, free trade and technological development that these discrepancies cannot exist which means every one gets poorer and poorer. But it is closer to equal results!

That wait for my turn to go through the intersection was way to long.

See also:
Freedom
The Fourth of July

Freedom

2011-07-09T23:00:00.004-05:00

Freedom is not empowerment. Empowerment is what the Serbs have in Bosnia. Anybody can grab a gun and be empowered. It’s not entitlement. An entitlement is what people on welfare get, and how free are they? It’s not an endlessly expanding list of rights — the “right” to education, the “right” to health care, the “right” to food and housing. That’s not freedom, that’s dependency. Those aren’t rights, those are the rations of slavery — hay and a barn for human cattle.

There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences
P.J. O’Rourke Remarks at a May 6, 1993 gala dinner celebrating the opening of the Cato Institute’s new headquarters in Washington. HT: Pragmatic Euphony

Wise comments but I have a quibble.

Freedom is the right, not, to do as you damn well please, (baring things like murder and theft that hurt others ) but the right to do what is right, and to speak the truth. In practice this may not make much difference. A government that does not have ability to keep one from doing as they damn well please, does not have the ability to keep one from doing right or speaking the truth. A government that has the ability to keep one from doing as they damn well please, has the ability to one from doing right or speaking the truth

Of course sometime people are mistaken and even dishonest when claim to do right or speak the truth, but if we limit there right then we have limited everyone else’s right. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, there will be consequences, which can be heavy for the mistaken or dishonest,

Empowerment, lets one do wrong and say falsehoods without consequences.
Entitlements place one at the disposal of the entitler, one must do and say as directed to keep the entitlement right wrong or indifferent.
Dependency is slavery, not freedom.

But first and foremost - freedom means being able to do what is right. With the duty to accept the consequences for ones actions.

See also:
Storms - Stoplights - Equality
The Fourth of July

Fourth of July

2011-07-02T21:48:00.005-05:00

The Declartion of Independence

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events,

snip

We hold these truths to be self-evident,
that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness
.
That to secure these rights,
Governments are instituted among Men,
deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,

That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends,
it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it,
and to institute new Government,
laying its foundation on such principles

and organizing its powers in such form,

as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established

should not be changed for light and transient causes;
and accordingly all experience hath shewn,
that mankind are more disposed to suffer,
while evils are sufferable,
than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they re accustomed

snip

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare,

That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States;

snip

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

The Declartion of Independence

The Road to Mandalay

2011-06-25T22:27:00.012-05:00

The life of the British soldier overseas in the 19th century was difficult at best, though they usually tried to make the best of it. Rudyard Kipling documented there lives in a number of his poems in the voice of the common soldier. When a unit was transfered the Army would only take four wives per hunded man company, leaving a sting of broken relationships halfway around the world over a 20 year deployment.

In the poem of The Road to Mandalay the title and chorus make a romantic hook, that is quite popular, a contrast of the pain and sorrow of the story. Usually all but the chorus, first, second, and last stanzas are ommited. An enrtaining example on the left, but I think something different than Kipling intended.

Casper33’s interpretation is much truer the story and a work of art itself, I would say comparable to the poem.

text

Check out Fred Proud's (Casper33) You Tube page or his blog Fredthread. He has reading of poems by many poets done with same artistry. Some samples,

Adelestrop Edward Thomas

Father William Lewis Caroll

The Darkling Thrush Thomas Hardy

Updated 8/29/11

Memorial Day

2011-05-30T00:00:00.002-05:00

Post Cemetery, Ft Sheridan, Illinois.

Let us Pray

Father

Today, though we are not worthy, we remember those who died in the service of their country, for it was your Son who taught us that he has no greater love than he who gives his life for another.

We ask You grant:

Eternal rest to those who have died, and that your perpetual light shine upon them.

Strength and comfort for their families.

That those missing and captured may soon be returned to their families.

That the wounded have a speedy recovery and a long and happy life.

We thank you for those who have retuned safely home.

Lastly
we ask that we will never need to add to those we remember this day.

Thy will be done.

We ask this through our Lord and Savior, your Son Jesus Christ, in union with the Holy Spirit.

Amen

Memorial Day - Taps

2011-05-30T00:00:00.001-05:00

The muffled drum's sad roll has beat
The soldier's last tattoo;
No more on Life's parade shall meet
That brave and fallen few.
On fame's eternal camping ground
Their silent tents to spread,
And glory guards, with solemn round
The bivouac of the dead.

Bivouac Of The Dead
By Theodore O'Hara

Na-po-le-on! He's the One!

2011-05-29T23:35:00.012-05:00

From the History Teachers at Music for History Lovers

Napoleon looms large in history, his charisma still captures us today. A talented and lucky general, his skill probally extended the wars of the French Revolution for almost 15 years. Wars that ended up being proportionally destructive more to Europe than either WWI or WWII. A number of reforms were made during his reign but they would have happened anyway if not as quickly. Today a symbol of the best of France but in fact a ruthless tyrant.

Hendrik van Loon catches the contrast nicely.

In short, when we study the character of the Emperor, we begin to understand those anxious British mothers who used to drive their children to bed with the threat that “Bonaparte, who ate little boys and girls for breakfast, would come and get them if they were not very good.” And yet, having said these many unpleasant things about this strange tyrant, who looked after every other department of his army with the utmost care, but neglected the medical service, and who ruined his uniforms with Eau de Cologne because he could not stand the smell of his poor sweating soldiers; having said all these unpleasant things and being fully prepared to add many more, I must confess to a certain lurking feeling of doubt.

Here I am sitting at a comfortable table loaded heavily with books, with one eye on my typewriter and the other on Licorice the cat, who has a great fondness for carbon paper, and I am telling you that the Emperor Napoleon was a most contemptible person. But should I happen to look out of the window, down upon Seventh Avenue, and should the endless procession of trucks and carts come to a sudden halt, and should I hear the sound of the heavy drums and see the little man on his white horse in his old and much-worn green uniform, then I don’t know, but I am afraid that I would leave my books and the kitten and my home and everything else to follow him wherever he cared to lead. My own grandfather did this and Heaven knows he was not born to be a hero. Millions of other people’s grandfathers did it. They received no reward, but they expected none. They cheerfully gave legs and arms and lives to serve this foreigner, who took them a thousand miles away from their homes and marched them into a barrage of Russian or English or Spanish or Italian or Austrian cannon and stared quietly into space while they were rolling in the agony of death.

Snip

. . . I can explain in a few words why he was so successful during the first part of his career and why he failed during the last ten years. From the year 1789 until the year 1804, Napoleon was the great leader of the French revolution. He was not merely fighting for the glory of his own name. He defeated Austria and Italy and England and Russia because he, himself, and his soldiers were the apostles of the new creed of “Liberty, Fraternity and Equality” and were the enemies of the courts while they were the friends of the people.

But in the year 1804, Napoleon made himself Hereditary Emperor of the French . . .

Once upon the throne, the old revolutionary chieftain became an unsuccessful imitation of a Habsburg monarch. He forgot his spiritual Mother, the Political Club of the Jacobins. He ceased to be the defender of the oppressed. He became the chief of all the oppressors and kept his shooting squads ready to execute those who dared to oppose his imperial will.

snip

But if you want an explanation of this strange career, if you really wish to know how one man could possibly rule so many people for so many years by the sheer force of his will, do not read the books that have been written about him. Their authors either hated the Emperor or loved him. You will learn many facts, but it is more important to “feel history" than to know it. Don’t read, but wait until you have a chance to hear a good artist sing the song called “The Two Grenadiers." The words were written by Heine, the great German poet who lived through the Napoleonic era. The music was composed by Schumann, a German who saw the Emperor, the enemy of his country, whenever he came to visit his imperial father-in-law. The song therefore is the work of two men who had every reason to hate the tyrant.

Go and hear it. Then you will understand what a thousand volumes could not possibly tell you.
The Story of Mankind
Hendrik van Loon
Presented by Authorama Public Domain Books, Originally published 1921
HT: Jerry Pournelle

The Two Grenadiers.

Update 7/7/11 changed the title to go better with the videos.

8/23/22 added middle section to quote.

We Must Have Won The Vietnam War

2011-05-21T14:17:00.008-05:00

On the essential Arts and Letters Daily I noticed a link on the side bar to CIA Studies.I checked a few articles they were well done though with a definite point of view. I found some interesting if unusual comments in a book review of Of Spies and Lies: A CIA Lie Detector Remembers Vietnam by John F. Sullivan, Volumn 1 2003. The book is the remebrences of a polygraph eximaner in Viet Nam. The reviewer comments:

Yes, we could have fought it better. Yes, Jack Kennedy’s wish to play Special Forces soldier should have been avoided. Yes, Lyndon Johnson could have spent more time chasing secretaries instead of bomb targets. But the Vietnam War was a war that had to be fought. By the time it was over, the communists’ reach for global supremacy had become tired and bedraggled. Had it not been for the military stand of the United States, all of Southeast Asia might have been overrun by those gritty little North Vietnamese imperialists, and we would have had to stage a second Inchon landing somewhere around Vinh to break the stranglehold. And that, gentle reader, would have cost a lot more than the 58,000 names on the Wall. Maybe we could have saved some of those lives by fighting a better war, but the sacrifices should be considered a major contribution to victory in the Cold War. They were not made in vain.

snip

If it is true that the victors write the histories, we must have won the Vietnam War, because we are writing the histories.

See Also: TET 1968 - A Personal Narrative

The Teletubby Uprising

2011-05-15T15:04:00.013-05:00

An interesting viedo of a little known chapter in British Military history. ENJOY!

From the creator: Some rare sound footage dating from the early 20th Century, in which a retired cavalry officer recounts a forgotten episode in the annals of British military history, the Teletubby Uprising of 1883 and the Battle of Rabbit Hill.
Narrative © Delbhoye 2008

The creator of this You tube provides this Disclaimer: This is a joke. There is no underlying militaristic or political meaning, and no disrespect is meant to Tennyson, Errol Flynn, Rudyard Kipling or any of the regiments mentioned in the video.

UPDATE: May 22, 2011

Donald R McClarey of The American Catholic posted the video supplemented with much historical research. He includes Kipling’s seldom published tribute to the Fuzzy-Tubby:

Fuzzy-Tubby
(Tubbyland Expeditionary Force)

We’ve fought with many men acrost the seas,
An’ some of ‘em was brave an’ some was not:
The Paythan an’ the Zulu an’ Burmese;
But the Tubby was the finest o’ the lot.
We never got a ha’porth’s change of ‘im:
‘E squatted in the scrub an’ ‘ocked our ‘orses,
‘E cut our sentries up at Rabbit Hill,
An’ ‘e played the cat an’ banjo with our forces.

So ‘ere’s to you, Fuzzy-Tubby, at your ‘ome in Tubbyland;
You’re a pore benighted ‘eathen but a first-class fightin’ man;
We gives you your certificate, an’ if you want it signed
We’ll come an’ ‘ave a romp with you whenever you’re inclined.

We took our chanst among the Khyber ‘ills,
The Boers knocked us silly at a mile,
The Burman give us Irriwaddy chills,
An’ a Zulu impi dished us up in style:
But all we ever got from such as they
Was pop to what the Tubby made us swaller;
We ‘eld our bloomin’ own, the papers say,
But man to man the Tubby knocked us ‘oller.

Then ‘ere’s to you, Fuzzy-Tubby, an’ the missis and the kid;
Our orders was to break you, an’ of course we went an’ did.
We sloshed you with Martinis, an’ it wasn’t ‘ardly fair;
But for all the odds agin’ you, Fuzzy-Tub, you broke the square.

‘E ‘asn’t got no papers of ‘is own,
‘E ‘asn’t got no medals nor rewards,
So we must certify the skill ‘e’s shown
In usin’ of ‘is long two-’anded swords:
When ‘e’s ‘oppin’ in an’ out among the bush
With ‘is coffin-’eaded shield an’ shovel-spear,
An ‘appy day with Tubby on the rush
Will last an ‘ealthy Tommy for a year.

So ‘ere’s to you, Fuzzy-Tubby, an’ your friends which are no more,
If we ‘adn’t lost some messmates we would ‘elp you to deplore;
But give an’ take’s the gospel, an’ we’ll call the bargain fair,
For if you ‘ave lost more than us, you crumpled up the square!

‘E rushes at the smoke when we let drive,
An’, before we know, ‘e’s ‘ackin’ at our ‘ead;
‘E’s all ‘ot sand an’ ginger when alive,
An’ ‘e’s generally shammin’ when ‘e’s dead.
‘E’s a daisy, ‘e’s a ducky, ‘e’s a lamb!
‘E’s a injia-rubber idiot on the spree,
‘E’s the on’y thing that doesn’t give a damn
For a Regiment o’ British Infantree!

So ‘ere’s to you, Fuzzy-Tubby, at your ‘ome in Tubbyland;
You’re a pore benighted ‘eathen but a first-class fightin’ man;
An’ ‘ere’s to you, Fuzzy-Tubby, with your ‘triangle ‘ead of ‘air —
You big purple boundin’ beggar — for you broke a British square!

Over the Hills and Very Far Away

2011-05-11T19:36:00.000-05:00

This is too much fun not to post.

HT: Donald R. McClarey at The American Catholic

Carriers in the West Pacific.

2011-05-07T20:55:00.007-05:00

Strategy Page has several informative articles on Chinese naval power, and the implications are signifcant.

Shi Lang Headed For Service

April 29, 2011: All indicators are that the new Chinese aircraft carrier, the Shi Lang (formerly Varyag) will go to sea before the end of the year, after nearly nine years of reconstruction and upgrades. Defensive weapons, and more electronics, are being installed now, and major internal work appears to have been completed. snip The Shi Lang/Varyag is one of the Kuznetsov class carriers that Russia began building in the 1980s. - snip - The 323 meter (thousand foot) long ship normally carries a dozen navalized Su-27s (called Su-33s), 14 Ka-27PL anti-submarine helicopters, two electronic warfare helicopters and two search and rescue helicopters. But the ship was meant to regularly carry 36 Su-33s and sixteen helicopters. The ship carries 2,500 tons of aviation fuel, allowing it to generate 500-1,000 aircraft and helicopter sorties. Crew size is 2,500 (or 3,000 with a full aircraft load.) Only two ships of this class exist; the original Kuznetsov, which is in Russian service, and the Varyag.

While this carrier is not of the same class as the American Attack Carriers it will outclass every other navy in the West Pacific, and with first class aircraft could give the US Navy a good fight, especially a task force that was not covered by carriers or land based aircraft. It is certainly a sign of a navy that is growing in from costal defense force to contesting for Admiral Mahan’s control of the seas.

Of course Aircraft Carriers need aircraft.

Chinese Carrier Fighter Shows Its Colors

April 28, 2011: New photos of the Chinese naval fighter, the navalized version of the J-11 (an illegal clone of the Russian Su-27), have appeared. This one is painted in Chinese Navy colors, and appears to be equipped with Chinese made electronics. This all grew out of China obtaining one of the Russian navalized Su-27s (the Su-33) from Ukraine, and taking tech (like the folding wings and beefed up landing gear) from it to navalize their 30 ton J-11 as the J-11BH (formerly the J-15). - snip - The Shi Lang is expected to serve as a training carrier, to prepare naval aviators for service on the two new carriers under construction.

Depending on electronics this is probally not be in the same league as the Navy’s current F-18 and definitely not up to the F-22/F-35 class, but shows that in the relatively near future the Chinese will be building top class military aircraft. The F-22 and F-35 are now the goal for designers to meet and beat, in time the Chinese will have planes that can outdo even the F-18 and compete with the F-22/F-35.

The Second Artillery Corps Versus the USN

April 27, 2011: The Chinese Second Artillery Corps, spread over several provinces, has been expanding over the last few years. This includes adding two brigades apparently armed with the long rumored Chinese anti-ship ballistic missile, the DF-21D. This gives the Second Artillery Corps ten DF-21 brigades, plus brigades with several other types of missiles. snip The DF-21D is mainly intended for use against the USN (U.S. Navy), particularly the aircraft carriers. - snip - While the 500-2,000 kg (.5-2 ton) warhead usually contains a nuclear weapon, it is believed that China also has a conventional warhead. - snip - For example, two years ago, China launched another "remote sensing" satellite, joining two others in a similar orbit. These three birds are moving in formation, at an altitude of 600 kilometers, across the Pacific. Equipped with either radar (SAR, or synthetic aperture radar) or digital cameras, these three birds can scan the ocean for ships, even though the Chinese say their purpose is purely scientific. A typical SAR can produce photo quality images at different resolutions. At medium resolution (3 meters) the radar covers an area 40x40 kilometers. Low resolution (20 meters) covers 100x100 kilometers. This three satellite Chinese posse looks suspiciously like a military ocean surveillance system. This is the missing link for the rumored Chinese ballistic missile system for attacking American aircraft carriers.

Since the end of WWII, coast artillery has not been a concern of the US defense planning, after all there was no navy or combination of navies that could get past the US fleet. In the old communist block that was not the case, defending against the US Navy was a serious problem. The anti-shipping missile that is pretty much ubiquitous now, was first a Russian coast defense weapon. Working with Chinese Navy this modern Coast Artillry could force the US Navy to stand off a good distance from the Chinese coast hampering any effort to support the Philippines, Taiwan, Korea, or Japan.

Analysis

Whe viewing Chinese defense efforts we should not take a solely Amercentic view point. Look at the problem for the Chinese view.

- For decades the Chinese military was hobbled by political direction that was time locked in Mao’s long march. In the last twenty to thirty years China has made a number of improvements that could be described simply as building a self-respecting 21st century force.

- Every country on it’s border is potentially hostile, or a buffer between it and a potentially hostile country. This creates a requirment for a defense force of healthy quality and size.

- With the expansion of it’s industry it is importing a massive amount of oil from the Middle East. The protection of the vital shipping route seems to be a focus of Chinese naval policy. In addition to passing near poteintialy unstable or hostile countries in South East Asia it must cross the Indian ~~Lake~~ Ocean. The Indian Navy is making similar upgrades and is an equivalent force - it is also one of the potentially hostile countries that borders China.

Of course, even though weapons developed for one purpose does not mean they can’t be used for another, the military situation in the Western Pacific is changing.

While much of the US defense and intelligence diplomatic interest thought and planning is bogged down in the sands of the Middle East and worried about new and improved counter insurgency warfare, this appears to be “preparing for the last war.” There are more serious problems that can not be forgotten about.

The days when when the High seas were an Amercan Lake are vanishing. A lot of people in Washington in both parties need to wake up.

See also:

How Not to Fix the Military
Book Review: Echof Battle

Osama Bin Laden 1957-2011, RIP

2011-05-03T00:28:00.004-05:00

He is dead!

It probably says something about him that this is most likely the only combat action in which he had a personal part, though he directed, caused, and inspired many terrorist acts.

His death will hasten the demise of the Al Quaida as a meaningful entity. AQ is a loose association of groups, some will survive and even prosper, but it will be difficult for anyone else to provide the charisma that held AQ together, especially since the UAV campaigns in Afghanistan and Pakistan have decimated AQ’s leadership. I suspect there will be a slow unraveling of the central organization and the colapse of most of the local organiztions.

What it will mean in Afganistan and Pakistan is difficult to predict, I suspect that AQ will have declining influence. What it will do to the strained Pakistan/US relationship depends on the facts of what role Pakistan supporting and opposing AQ, and more importantly the perception which may have no connection to reality. Probally it will help create a situation where the US can down grade it’s military role.

Hopefully his is one of the last deaths caused by his vision.

Osama Bin Laden, like all of us was a sinner for whom Christ died, we should hope against hope that looking at the bussiness end of an assult rifle he had a genuine death bed conversion.

Happy Belated Earth Day!

2011-05-01T01:31:00.014-05:00

Ah shucks, I missed celebrating Earth Day again. At least this year I have the excuse that April 22d commemorates a much more important event Any way here is a list of 15 predictions form the first Earth Day:

“Civilization will end within 15 or 30 years unless immediate action is taken against problems facing mankind.” • George Wald, Harvard Biologist

“We are in an environmental crisis which threatens the survival of this nation, and of the world as a suitable place of human habitation.”
• Barry Commoner, Washington University biologist

The level of world hunger and starvation into famines of unbelievable proportions. Other experts, more optimistic, think the ultimate food-population collision will not occur until the decade of the 1980s.”
• Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University biologist

Demographers agree almost unanimously on the following grim timetable: by 1975 widespread famines will begin in India; these will spread by 1990 to include all of India, Pakistan, China and the Near East, Africa. By the year 2000, or conceivably sooner, South and Central America will exist under famine conditions….By the year 2000, thirty years from now, the entire world, with the exception of Western Europe, North America, and Australia, will be in famine.”
• Peter Gunter, professor, North Texas State University

“It is already too late to avoid mass starvation.”
• Denis Hayes, chief organizer for Earth Day

“Scientists have solid experimental and theoretical evidence to support…the following predictions: In a decade, urban dwellers will have to wear gas masks to survive air pollution…by 1985 air pollution will have reduced the amount of sunlight reaching earth by one half….”
• Life Magazine, January 1970

“Population will inevitably and completely outstrip whatever small increases in food supplies we make. The death rate will increase until at least 100-200 million people per year will be starving to death during the next ten years.” •
Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University biologist

“At the present rate of nitrogen buildup, it’s only a matter of time before light will be filtered out of the atmosphere and none of our land will be usable.” • Kenneth Watt, Ecologist

“Air pollution…is certainly going to take hundreds of thousands of lives in the next few years alone.” • Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University biologist

“We are prospecting for the very last of our resources and using up the nonrenewable things many times faster than we are finding new ones.” •
Martin Litton, Sierra Club director

“By the year 2000, if present trends continue, we will be using up crude oil at such a rate…that there won’t be any more crude oil. You’ll drive up to the pump and say, `Fill ‘er up, buddy,’ and he’ll say, `I am very sorry, there isn’t any.’” •
Kenneth Watt, Ecologist

“Man must stop pollution and conserve his resources, not merely to enhance existence but to save the race from intolerable deterioration and possible extinction.” •
New York Times editorial, the day after the first Earth Day

“Dr. S. Dillon Ripley, secretary of the Smithsonian Institute, believes that in 25 years, somewhere between 75 and 80 percent of all the species of living animals will be extinct.” •
Sen. Gaylord Nelson

“We have about five more years at the outside to do something.”
• Kenneth Watt, ecologist

“The world has been chilling sharply for about twenty years. If present trends continue, the world will be about four degrees colder for the global mean temperature in 1990, but eleven degrees colder in the year 2000. This is about twice what it would take to put us into an ice age.”
• Kenneth Watt, Ecologist

From an article by Ronald Baily in the May 2000 issue of Reason which is still an excellent discussion of the issues. The quotes were selected by I hate the Media. HT: Duff and Nonsense

Interestingly several of the quotes are from the (in)famous Paul Erlich who authored the influential “The Population Bomb” predicting massive disasters if we did not institute population control. He is often criticized because his prophesies failed to come true. But is this a surprise? When I was an undergrad the Department, in it’s never ending quest to teach research skills, would send students to the library to check the documentation of books that were popular that year. One of them that year was Paul Erich’s “The Population Bomb”. Result. There was no correlation between “facts” he reported and the numbers in the standard reference works. Often by a magnitude of 10. Garbage in - Garbage Out But on a more serious note, while I am sure no one would intentionally support genocide or mass murder as a means of population control to make more living space for the self appointed better people, perhaps at a sub-conscious level it is a contributor to the weak international response to incidents like Rwanda and Dafur.

Related:
Earth Day 40
Climate Change Schandenfreude
Imagne: I agree with John Lennon
2007 Year of Global Warming
A Very Inconvient Court Ruling
Warmmonger Considered for Peace Prize
State Police Blows Up Global Warming
Recycle Now
Never Again and Again and Again

Topics:
Environment Toipic
Genocide/Democide Toipic

What Wondrous Love is This?

2011-04-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

HT: Donald R. McClarey at The American Catholic

Bread and Oil

2011-03-29T07:24:00.005-05:00

A couple items I read which are informative and interesting.

Vikash Yadav of Hobart and William Smith Colleges. writing at the International Realtions blog The Duck of Minerva describes The Rebels and Forign Supporters in Libya. After discussing disputes between the coverage of Libya by the Qatar based Al Jazeera news network he comments

My hunch is that bitterness over the Al Jazeera allegations is not the underlying reason for Qatar's aggressive posture so much as joint economic and (particularly petroleum) interests based in Doha which were formed through MOUs after the rapprochement in 2002. These economic and financial interest groups seek a more stable and palatable Libyan government. While Al Jazeera's coverage of the revolution in Egypt may have inspired youth in Tripoli to rebel, this could hardly have been the desire of the joint economic interests which had worked for years to rehabilitate Libya's international reputation. After Tripoli's brutal response to the February 17th movement, those interests may have simply decided (like many other external actors) to work to replace the current regime rather than attempting to sit through another decade of sanctions and diplomatic isolation. (Of course, that's all just a hunch and I would be interested to hear how experts on the region analyze the underlying sources of tension/cooperation between these two states.)

I suspect his hunch is a very good point. One has to deal with the government that is there not the government you want, which means sometimes holding ones nose and dealing with a Gaddafi. A genuine rebellion creates the possibility of a different government. It seems that one of the causes of the war is that Gaddafi crossed some invisible line between tolerance and unacceptable.

It is always assumed that oil has something to do with Middle Eastern conflicts, however Annia Ciezadlo in Foreign Affairs suggests a more basic commodity is involved - Bread.

Change is sweeping through the Middle East today, but one thing remains the same: the region once known as the Fertile Crescent is now the world's most dependent on imported grain. Of the top 20 wheat importers for 2010, almost half are Middle Eastern countries. The list reads like a playbook of toppled and teetering regimes: Egypt (1), Algeria (4), Iraq (7), Morocco (8), Yemen (13), Saudi Arabia (15), Libya (16), Tunisia (17).

For decades, many of these regimes relied on food subsidies to ensure stability -- a social contract so pervasive that the Tunisian scholar Larbi Sadiki described it as dimuqratiyyat al-khubz, or "democracy of bread." But over the past several years, grain prices reached record levels, and these appeasement policies lost their luster. In Tunisia, pro-democracy demonstrations began in late December 2010 with protesters brandishing baguettes. In just a few months, a wave of uprisings rippled across the region, toppling Tunisian President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali and Egypt's longtime ruler, Hosni Mubarak. snip Mubarak and Ben Ali are history, but it is worth taking a hard look at some of the other wheat importers on that list -- particularly Yemen, a corrupt, U.S.-backed dictatorship where one in three citizens suffers from acute hunger. Even if strong democratic institutions emerge from the current upheaval, the region's dependence on wheat from abroad will continue to create crises for years to come. The solutions are simple: the United States and the international banking community should encourage its Middle Eastern allies to develop their own agricultural sectors, where economic growth is far more effective at lifting people out of poverty than in other sectors. The United States should also stop sending agricultural surplus abroad as foreign aid, which depresses prices in the countries that receive it and drives farmers further into poverty (the Obama administration has taken steps toward ending this practice).

Perhaps the United States, and the Middle Eastern regimes it supports, can learn something from Mubarak's demise. It seems obvious that countries such as Egypt, Iraq, and Yemen cannot stop their bread subsidies overnight. But it seems equally obvious that propping up dictatorships with cheap bread is a shortsighted policy: in the near term, it helps keep global prices high, and in the long run it does not even guarantee stability.

While subsidies of anything are always tempting as a short term solution, in the long term they depend on items that are beyond the control of whoever is granting them. For the recipents they become expected if not a right, creating possible conflict between the proverbial irresistible force and an immovable object, except that real live people are caught in between. Subsidies also distort the economy ususally with undesiarble results, in this case marginalizing local food production making the coutries dependent on imports. Best to avoid subsidies to begin with and where they can’t be avoided remove them as fast as possible. If she is right the Middle East is in for major problems even if there were no other issues.

These are both worth your time to have a better understanding of the events we are seeing.

Related
Libya

Never Again and Again and Again
Rwanda and Darfur Compared

See Also
What is Genocide

“The Water Tastes the Same!”

2011-03-25T23:08:00.008-05:00

My friend Addie was vocal on some subjects. “Mister Lincoln freed the slaves . . “ was the beginning of a rant on the history of race relations, good and bad, in the US that was something to behold. When Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas accused the Judicial Committee of conducing an electronic lynching, she stood up and yelled “That’s right, you tell ’em” loud enough that I’m sure he heard the encouragement a thousand miles away without electronics.

I can here her cry “You tell ‘em Herman!”

From Little Miss Attaila and Allah pundit who comments ““[S]egregation laws were so vicious and demeaning that they insisted on stigmatizing blacks even when doing so produced no material advantage for whites.”.

NB I am not endorsing Mr. Cain about whom I know very little - his message here needs to be told often enough that we do not forget.

Cowboy - Mend Your Ways

2011-03-25T22:23:00.001-05:00

Despite the distracting things in the news, it is Lent. Not just cowboys - we all need to mend our ways.

Johnny Cash - Ghost riders in the Sky

Libya - Hymn Before Action

2011-03-19T20:56:00.003-05:00

As we once again embark on military action
Let Us Pray.

The earth is full of anger,
The seas are dark with wrath,
The Nations in their harness
Go up against our path:
Ere yet we loose the legions --
Ere yet we draw the blade,
Jehovah of the Thunders,
Lord God of Battles, aid!

High lust and froward bearing,
Proud heart, rebellious brow --
Deaf ear and soul uncaring,
We seek Thy mercy now!
The sinner that forswore Thee,
The fool that passed Thee by,
Our times are known before Thee --
Lord, grant us strength to die!

For those who kneel beside us
At altars not Thine own,
Who lack the lights that guide us,
Lord, let their faith atone.
If wrong we did to call them,
By honour bound they came;
Let not Thy Wrath befall them,
But deal to us the blame.

From panic, pride, and terror,
Revenge that knows no rein,
Light haste and lawless error,
Protect us yet again.
Cloak Thou our undeserving,
Make firm the shuddering breath,
In silence and unswerving
To taste Thy lesser death!

Ah, Mary pierced with sorrow,
Remember, reach and save
The soul that comes to-morrow
Before the God that gave!
Since each was born of woman,
For each at utter need --
True comrade and true foeman --
Madonna, intercede!

E'en now their vanguard gathers,
E'en now we face the fray --
As Thou didst help our fathers,
Help Thou our host to-day!
Fulfilled of signs and wonders,
In life, in death made clear --
Jehovah of the Thunders,
Lord God of Battles, hear!

Hymn Before Action -- Rudyard Kipling

Related

Bread and Oil
Libya

Libya

2011-03-18T23:04:00.005-05:00

Robert Haddock in an article at Forign Policy warns International airpower will be enough to escalate the civil war in Libya, but not to win it.

After a very short discussion, the U.N. Security Council, led by Britain and France, passed a resolution on March 17 that authorizes the use of military force against Col. Muammar al-Qaddafi's regime and forces. The resolution permits the use of "any means necessary" but prohibits a foreign military occupation of Libya. It specifically calls for a no-fly zone and the use of force to protect civilians. The rapid advance of pro-Qaddafi forces toward Benghazi forced the United States to quickly harden its position. Equally surprising were abstentions by China and Russia, allowing the resolution to pass.

SNIP

Obama administration officials may have thought they would have many more days, or possibly weeks, to organize a multilateral response to the Libyan situation. It seems clear they badly misjudged the timetable pro-Qaddafi forces have been able to maintain.

SNIP

Although the French government boasted that air strikes against Qaddafi's forces would begin within a few hours after the Security Council vote, organizing an air campaign that will have a meaningful effect on Qaddafi's ground forces will take much longer to organize. Most crucial in this regard is Obama's hesitancy to have U.S. military forces in the lead in this operation. Second is the strong desire by Western powers to have Arab military participation (Qatar and United Arab Emirates are mentioned), hopefully in the very first waves of attacking aircraft. Take away the United States, the most powerful and experienced air power, and add in completely inexperienced Arab air forces, and the result will be many long planning meetings as various European and Arab political and military leaders attempt to cobble together a multilateral air force.

SNIP

Although his overseas bank accounts have been seized, Qaddafi already has the necessary money, troops, weapons, and ammunition to sustain a low intensity but brutal campaign against the rebels. The investigation begun by the International Criminal Court has left him and his sons with little choice but to fight on. The United Nations has authorized the wide-ranging use of air power against his regime. Air power will be enough to escalate this war but not enough to win it. Although prohibited for now by the Security Council, "boots on the ground" will eventually be required to remove Qaddafi and his sons from Libya.

Read the entire Article and click on it’s links for more background.

Analysis.

While his word choice of “quagmire” might be a bit hyperbolic he highlights the basic problem.

The basic Western policies of supporting democracy, opposing pigs like Qaddafi, humanitarian protection, maintaining peace or least stability to say nothing of a stable oil supply do not seem to Western political leaders to be supportable by normal political means. It was hoped that the rebels would be able to oust Qaddafi but rather it seems they will lose without outside intervention. The UN Securty Council res0lution is an escalation of the means to obtain this goal.

The Just War Doctrine and plain common sense state there should be a reasonable probability of success for launching a military operation. A no fly zone has about zero possibility of success and limited air strikes slightly better. The only thing that is likely to succeed is a full scale attack, ground sea and air, to effect regime change. As noted in the article this will take more time to set up than exists. While one hopes that the calls for only a no fly zone are based on genuine humanitarian motivations, I can’t help but get the feeling that this is an attempt to put a foot in the door to justify a more serious action later. There is a possibility that after removing Qaddafi it will develop into an insurgency but the quicker the action the less chance of that happening.

I am not at all enthusiastic about this operation, and I really doubt it is mandated by our national interest, but if it is to be a success strike hard and fast, don’t pussy foot around with no fly zones and the like. It will save many lives and much suffering in the long run.

Read the whole article

Related

Libya

Never Again and Again and Again
Rwanda and Darfur Compared

See Also
What is Genocide

Beware the Ides of March

2011-03-15T18:48:00.002-05:00

And a little context from the History Teachers at History for Music Lovers

Japan Earthquake/Tsunami

2011-03-12T08:51:00.002-06:00

An 8.9 Richter scale earthquake broke just of the Sendai region of Japan sending a massive tsunami rolling ashore on Japan and across the Pacific as far away as California. The damage is tremendous. No local emergency service can survive a hit like that so help from the outside is critical, first from other parts of Japan and around the world.

Some reliable places to send donations.
Catholic Relief Services
American Red Cross

Google has launched a person finder

Dear Lord

We ask that you give strength an comfort to the survivors
Courage and wisdom to the relief workers
And let you your perpetual light shine on those who perished.

Amen

Have mercy on me, Oh God according to thy steadfast love

2011-03-09T00:00:00.001-06:00

Today we begin Lent - the preparation for the celebration of the Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. For though we have sinned we are confident that God’s grace is not simply sufficient, but abundant beyond all need in bringing us not just forgiveness but a restoration to the life of Christ.

The side bar has my previous Lent and Easter posts.

Have mercy on me,
O God, according to thy steadfast love;
according to thy abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.

Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,
and done that which is evil in thy sight,
so that thou art justified in thy sentence
and blameless in thy judgment.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward being;
therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Fill me with joy and gladness;
let the bones which thou hast broken rejoice.

Hide thy face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart,
O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from thy presence,
and take not thy holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of thy salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors thy ways,
and sinners will return to thee.

Deliver me from bloodguiltiness,
O God, thou God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of thy deliverance.

O Lord, open thou my lips,
and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.
For thou hast no delight in sacrifice;
were I to give a burnt offering,
thou wouldst not be pleased.

The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit;
broken and contrite heart,
God, thou wilt not despise.Do good to Zion in thy good pleasure;
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,
then wilt thou delight in right sacrifices,

Psalm 51 RSVCE

R.I.P. Dr. Bernard N. Nathanson M.D. July 31, 1926 – February 21, 2011

2011-02-25T20:18:00.006-06:00

Bernard Nathanson was a true hero for our times, who stood up for what he belived, even at cost, and had the courage to change his mind when he discovered he was wrong.

Father Raymond de Souza of the National Post has an excellent summary of his life.

In 1968 he cofounded the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws (now called the National Abortion Rights Action League), and became a leading campaigner for the unlimited abortion licence in New York and across America. When New York repealed its abortion laws in 1970, he became director of the world's largest abortion clinic. By his own estimate he was responsible for some 75,000 abortions over the next decade, performing 5,000 of them himself. During that period he personally aborted his own child, after impregnating his mistress.

But by 1979, convinced by ultrasound technology that abortion was the destruction of an innocent human life, he stopped doing abortions and became a pro-life activist.

His first book, Aborting America, revealed the advocacy tactics of the abortion industry. The claim he often made that 10,000 women died each year from illegal abortions was entirely fabricated, the true number being around 250. The other effective tactic was make abortion a religious issue, rather than civil rights one.
"We systematically vilified the Catholic Church and its 'socially backward ideas' and picked on the Catholic hierarchy as the villain in opposing abortion. This theme was played endlessly," he wrote. Given that the United States had just come out of the civil rights movement -- led by Christian clergyman -- it was a considerable achievement to persuade America that unlimited abortion should be allowed in part because Catholic doctrine was against it.

In 1985 Nathanson produced the film The Silent Scream, an ultrasound image of an actual abortion. Bringing the reality of abortion to the light caused an enormous controversy, as proponents of the abortion licence had to confront what a child being destroyed in the womb looked like. For the pro-life movement it was a major milestone, as it brought new energy to the cause when many were eager to claim that abortion was a settled issue.

SNIP

In 1996, he was baptized into the same Catholic Church that he had once devoted his prodigious talents to demonizing. When asked why he chose to become Catholic, he said that no religion emphasized the possibility of forgiveness as he found it in the Catholic Church.

"I felt the burden of sin growing heavier and more insistent," he wrote. "I have such heavy moral baggage to drag into the next world that failing to believe would condemn me to an eternity perhaps more terrifying than anything Dante envisioned."

At the threshold of eternity, one trusts that now Bernard Nathanson sees not the terrifying vision of the damned, but rather, as Dante concludes the Inferno, the "Love that moves the sun and the other stars."

Read the whole obituary

Also Dr. Nathanson’s CONFESSION OF AN EX-ABORTIONIST

Grant him Eternal Rest, Oh Lord, and let Your perpetual Light shine upon him.

All Abortion posts

Cause Not Harm
Criss Cross: Democrats Republicans and Abortion
The Least of These
Roe v Wade 2009 - When Oh Lord When

Crisis Pregnancy Resources

Constantine the Great

2011-02-22T00:00:00.005-06:00

From the History Teachers at Music for History Lovers

Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus was born on February 22nd possibly in 272, a capable Emperor though a far from a model human being. Famous for his victory at Milvian Badge after a vision of a cross predicting “in this sign you shall conquer”. He issued the Edict of Milan decreeing tolerance of Christians and Pagans alike thus ending the horrific Diocletian persecutions of Christianity. However Paganism remained the official religion until the last part of 4th century and even then a statue of the a Roman Goddess graced the Roman Senate for years. He renamed the city of Byzantium as Constantinople and make it the capitol of the Eastern part of the Empire. He called the First Council of Nicaea which rejected Arianism after which he supported the Arian party and near his death he was baptized by an Arian bishop.

Constantine is blamed by someone or other for every thing wrong or perceived to be wrong from 50 AD to 500 AD, a feat he could only have accomplished with a Star Trek type transporter/time machine.

I WANT ONE!.

Never Again and Again and Again

2011-02-21T15:26:00.014-06:00

Never again will Germans kill Jews in Europe in the 1940s.

In the the February 1, 2011 issue of Policy Review, David Rieff looks at The Persistence of Genocide, “Never Again,” again and again and asks an unaskable question. Is it even possible to prevent future genocides?

. . Bluntly put, an undeniable gulf exists between the frequency with which the phrase [never again] is used — above all on days of remembrance most commonly marking the Shoah, but now, increasingly, other great crimes against humanity — and the reality, which is that 65 years after the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps, “never again” has proved to be nothing more than a promise on which no state has ever been willing to deliver. When, last May, the writer Elie Wiesel, himself a former prisoner in Buchenwald, accompanied President Barack Obama and Chancellor Angela Merkel to the site of the camp, he said that he had always imagined that he would return some day and tell his father’s ghost that the world had learned from the Holocaust and that it had become a “sacred duty” for people everywhere to prevent it from recurring. But, Wiesel continued, had the world actually learned anything, “there would be no Cambodia, and no Rwanda and no Darfur and no Bosnia.”

Wiesel was right: The world has learned very little. But this has not stopped it from pontificating much. The Obama administration’s National Security Strategy Paper, issued in May 2010, exemplifies this tendency. It asserts confidently that “The United States is committed to working with our allies, and to strengthening our own internal capabilities, in order to ensure that the United States and the international community are proactively engaged in a strategic effort to prevent mass atrocities and genocide.” And yet again, we are treated to the promise, “never again.” “In the event that prevention fails,” the report states, “the United States will work both multilaterally and bilaterally to mobilize diplomatic, humanitarian, financial, and — in certain instances — military means to prevent and respond to genocide and mass atrocities.”

Of course, this is not strategy, but a promise that, decade in and decade out, has proved to be empty. For if one were to evaluate these commitments by the results they have produced so far, one would have to say that all this “proactive engagement” and “diplomatic, financial, and humanitarian mobilization” has not accomplished very much. No one should be surprised by this. The U.S. is fighting two wars and still coping (though it has fallen from the headlines) with the floods in Pakistan, whose effects will be felt for many years in a country where America’s security interests and humanitarian relief efforts are inseparable. At the same time, the crisis over Iran’s imminent acquisition of nuclear weapons capability is approaching its culmination. Add to this the fact that the American economy is in shambles, and you do not exactly have a recipe for engagement. The stark fact is that “never again” has never been a political priority for either the United States or the so-called international community . . . . Nor, despite all the bluff talk about moral imperatives backed by international resolve, is there any evidence that it is becoming one.

Read the entire article

HT: Arts and Letters Daily

Analysis.

There is trend to call for handling International Law problems with what can be described as a 911 mentality (phone number - not date.)

If there is a problem in a town some one calls the 911 and a policeman is sent, if he can’t handle it he calls for support, if the support can’t handle it perhaps a SWAT team or whatever. AFTER it is over the courts sort it out. The decisions to deploy the first policeman and the reinforcements based on nominal information.

Contrary wise, if there is an international situation that calls for military force, presumable and quite often there is considerable discovery discussion and calculation as to the practical and moral implications of the intervention BEFORE deployment, even if it held behind closed doors. Hopefully the tenets of the International Law Just War Doctrine were consulted.

More and more, there is a call for international problems to be handled on a 911 basis. In this case, the first preliminary reports of a genocide cause troops to deploy. In Rwanda this would have saved mnany lives. But it would be awfully easy for ordinary street riots or civil unrest to be inadvertently or tactically elevated to “incipient Genocide” and force deployed and used only to find out it wasn‘t justified. In a police 911 situation force is deployed in the confidence that the police can deal with any opposition, but applied to the international community it would mean a policy of going to war before asking if the war can be won.

I think there are things that can be done prevent Genocide and move toward it's elimnation, but making a promise of "Never Again" with no intent or willingness to enforce it is useless.

My Genocide Topic

-------------------------------
Author David Rieff is a New York-based writer and policy analyst who has written extensively about humanitarian aid and human rights. He is the author of eight books, including A Bed for the Night: Humanitarianism in Crisis and At the Point of a Gun: Democratic Dreams and Armed Intervention, and is currently writing a book on the global food crisis
-----------------------------------

Happy President's Day

2011-02-21T00:00:00.002-06:00

Whether we love him or hate him, whether he is dumb or smart, good or bad, the President of the United States has a tough job - in fact there is only one job that is tougher.

Black History Month - Influential Black Americans

2011-02-19T23:06:00.003-06:00

Rock the Facts brings us another in their series on influential black conservatives.

J. C. Watts ia a Bsptist Minister, former football quarter back, four term Congressman, and now a bussiness man. When he was in Congress he was an effective leader and a voice of commonsense. Here he asks a question tht should be asked more often.

Lets not forget the important stuff

Orange Bowl January 1, 1981 -- University of Oklahoma vs. Florida State

The Cruel War is Raging

2011-02-16T21:21:00.004-06:00

I first heard this song by Peter Paul and Mary when I was in high school, I wasn’t even sure who recorded it, in 1968 this struck a responsive note. I thought it was missing a verse.

Like many old folk songs there are many versions.The story sounded like a Civil War song, however The Contemplator at Contemplations from the Marianas Trench has two different American versions dating from the Revolutionary War

I made my decision,
I will join up too,
Oh Johnny, dear Johnny,
I'll soon be with you.

And

Oh why did the army
Take you from my side,
To go into battle,
Away from your bride.

Also Taylor's Traditional Tunebook has the Peter Paul and Mary version listed as English (no date) but adds an additional verse:

They marched into battle, she never left his side
'Til a bullet shell struck her and love was denied
A bullet shell struck her, tears came to Johnny's eyes
As he knelt down beside her, she silently died.

Black History Month - Influential Black Americans

2011-02-14T18:59:00.003-06:00

Rock the Facts brings us another in their series on influential black conservatives.

Walter E Williams is the John M. Olin Distinguished Professor of Economics at George Mason University. I have only read a few items of his from following links and hearing him occasionally on the radio. He has talent for explaining things in a clear and convincing manner. As in this discusson of basic economics.

Black History Month - Influential Black Americans.

2011-02-06T00:03:00.011-06:00

A great series from Rock the Facts.

Dr. Thomas Sowell is an economist of note, his academic writings are a major contribution to that field but also are readable by mere mortals. They are a complexly different style than his better known and more entertaining/annoying polemical writings.

Recommended reading:
A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles
A fantastic study. He asks the question why do same people seem to line up on the same side of issues when there is no apparent connection between the issues. His explanation nails it on the head. You can see his explanations at work just watching politics. I found made it easier to see people I disagree with as acting in good faith, a useful study to develop understanding.

When I checked his Web site I learned something new: he is tremendous Photographer. Check them out.

The AK-47 to be Replaced??

2011-01-29T22:21:00.022-06:00

From Fox News Russia's Defense Minister, Anatoly Serdyukov, set off a firestorm of debate in Russia after saying that his military's pride and joy, the Kalashnikov [AK-47 series] and Dragunov SVDs sniper rifles, are "morally outdated" and that he's considering a plan to buy foreign-made small arms.

Pravda has an article in response quoting many Russian military leaders defending the old work horse.

To be accurate, the prototype AK-47 Kalashnikov Assault Rifle was accepted for general issue in 1948 and became the AK Kalashnikov Assault Rifle, but the designation has stuck through many upgrades, changes and modifications. The current version in the Russian armed forces is the AK-74 rifle and AK-105 carbine. Of interest is the AK-74 abandoned the signature 7.62x39mm rounds for a 5.45x39mm which is in the same class as the NATO 5.56x45mm round used by US M-16. There are export versions AK-101 through 104 in 5.56x45 NATO and the venerable 7.63x39. A new AK 200 series is being tested in 2011.

With the American M-16 series, they have been the inspiration for a multitude of assault rifle designs that make up the current inventory of standard infantry rifles around the world. Despite all the noise of their respective champions these are two very equivalent weapons. That they have been the main stay of the there respective countries armies for over forty years is evidence, that though they have their own quirks; they are both first class weapons.

What do I think will happen. The same thing that keep happening to attempts to replace the M-16.

“That is cool little gun, why it is just as good as an M-16 (Kalashnikov) with a different set of quirks, six of one half a dozen of the other. But why should we pay three or four times as much for something that is just as good as an M-16 (Kalashnikov)."

The Russian World Guns: Encyclopedia of Firearms and
Ammunition of the XX and XXI Centuries article on Assault Rifles sums up the situation nicely:

But the largest stride forward was made by the USSR, when, in 1943, the Soviet Army adopted a new cartridge - the 7.62x39mm medium-power load. In 1945 , the Soviet Army adopted the semi-auto SKS rifle in this chambering, and, in 1947 - the AK (known for the West as AK-47). The AK was Worlds' first sucessful assault rifle, and one of the most widely used. The Last major step on this road was made by US again - in the late 1950's, the US Army adopted a new (for the US) concept of military selective-fire rifle using a small-caliber cartridge. The first of such weapons adopted was the Armalite AR15/Colt M16, designed by Eugene Stoner. This adoption lately set the new world trend for small-caliber (5.45-5.56mm / .22in.) high-velocity cartridges.

All further research and development, such as caseless ammunition, multiple-bullet or sabot cartridges, etc., still haven't produced any practical results.

Thomas Aquinas Rocks

2011-01-28T22:13:00.004-06:00

January 28th is the Feast day of of St Thomas.

From the History Teachers at Music for History Lovers

On a rather different level Fr. Barron of The Word on Fire

HT: The American Catholic.

Roe vs Wade "Jenny Change Your Mind"

2011-01-22T00:00:00.005-06:00

Audio on this clip is NOT work safe
See Also:

Cause Not Harm
Roe vs. Wade - Choice
When Oh Lord When
Criss Cross: Democrats Republicans and Abortion

Crisis Pregnancy Resources

I Have a Dream!

2011-01-16T15:32:00.002-06:00

Hannibal

2011-01-15T08:37:00.005-06:00

I always thought History was fun, dispite the efforts a teacher or so to induce boredom. But there is fun and there is FUN!

From the History Teachers at Music for History Lovers.

End Slavery Now!

2011-01-07T00:00:00.001-06:00

A good if depressing video on an important subject. ( Note 28 minutes but worth it.)

Kevin Bales Bio Website
Free the Slaves website
Wikipedia article on Slavery

HT: Roger A Payne

Peace Has Broken Out!

2011-01-02T23:02:00.005-06:00

Well not quite yet. Strategy Page has posted one of their periodic War Updates A Perspective on the on all the world's wars going into the new year.

Worldwide violence continues to decline, but most people are unaware of this because the mass media will feature whatever wars and disorder they can find. This is an old journalistic technique, and it's good for business. But not so helpful if you are trying to keep track of what's really happening out there. Oddly enough, the most bloody conflicts (like Congo) get the least media coverage. Reporting tends to be distorted by how accessible wars are, as well as how easily your viewers could identify with the combatants. The media also has a hard time keeping score. For years, Iraq was portrayed as a disaster until, suddenly, the enemy was crushed and the war was won. Even that was not considered exciting enough to warrant much attention, and that story is still poorly covered. Same pattern is playing out in Afghanistan, where the defeats of the Taliban, and triumph of the drug gangs, go unreported or distorted. If you step back and take a look at all the wars going on, a more accurate picture emerges.

snip

All this continues a trend that began when the Cold War ended, and the Soviet Union no longer subsidized terrorist and rebel groups everywhere. The current wars are basically uprisings against police states or feudal societies, which are seen as out-of-step with the modern world. Many are led by radicals preaching failed dogmas (Islamic conservatism, Maoism), that still resonate among people who don't know about the dismal track records of these creeds. Iran has picked up some of the lost Soviet terrorist support effort. That keeps Hezbollah, Hamas, and a few smaller groups going, and that's it. Terrorists in general miss the Soviets, who really knew how to treat bad boys right.

They then have a country by country review. I will copy the two in which we currently have the most interest. The links by each country go to SP’s archive for that conflict.

Afghanistan

The headlines in the media are all about a stronger and more widespread Taliban, but it's the Taliban who are increasingly getting hammered. There hasn't been a "Taliban Spring Offensive" for the last three years, and the key Taliban financial resource; heroin in Helmand and Kandahar provinces, has been under heavy attack for the last year. The opium crop declined 25 percent this year, and drug gang income even more. The Taliban expected drug gang profits, al Qaeda assistance, and Pakistani reinforcements to turn the tide. But al Qaeda is a very junior, and unpopular, partner, and the Pakistani Taliban are sending refugees, not reinforcements. With all that, violence nationwide was up, mainly because there are more foreign troops in the country, being more aggressive against the Taliban and drug gangs. Foreign troops lost 295 dead in combat during 2008, and that increased 76 percent, to 519, in 2009. That's about half the casualty rate for foreign troops in Iraq during the peak year of 2007. Foreign troops lost 711 dead this year (a 37 percent increase), the casualty rate running at about the same rate of last year because there were more foreign troops in action this year. The Taliban roadside bomb weapon is losing its punch because of more MRAPs, and specialized intel and engineer troops moved in from Iraq. This has not helped civilians, who suffer far more deaths from Taliban action. In fact, independent minded tribes, warlords, corruption and drug gangs remain a greater threat to peace, prosperity and true national unity, than the Taliban (on both sides of the Pakistan border). The "Taliban" are not an organization, but a Pushtun movement that is active on both sides of the border, among less than ten percent of the 40 million Pushtun in the region. The Pakistani government finally agreed to take on the pro-Taliban tribes and various Islamic terrorist organizations. That has put pressure on Taliban on either side of the border. There is no longer a safe haven for the Taliban. Violence inside Afghanistan is growing, largely because of the drug gangs, and their support for tribes (especially pro-Taliban ones) that oppose the corrupt national government. The foreign nations, fighting their war on terror in Afghanistan, have finally realized that there has never been an Afghan national government that was not corrupt, and changing that is going to be more difficult than fighting the Taliban or finding bin Laden. NATO is now fully aware of the trans-national nature of the Pushtun tribes and the Taliban movement. The "war in Afghanistan" is more of a "Pushtun Tribal Rebellion," and is being handled as such.

Snip

Iraq

Islamic terrorists are now a police problem. U.S. troops have withdrawn to suburban bases, and casualties are sharply down. U.S. deaths declined from 314 in 2008 to 150 in 2009, and 60 in 2010. This is way down from the 2007 peak of 904 (when there were three times as many U.S. troops around). Violence in general continues to be down over 80 percent from the bad old days of three years ago. More areas of the country are now at peace (as some have been since 2003.) The Sunni Arab minority has worked out peace deals with the majority Kurds and Shia Arabs. But some Sunni Arab Islamic radicals are still active, supported by Sunni Arab nationalists in the Persian Gulf, and former Saddam supporters in Syria. Some Sunni Arabs, who had fled the country, are returning, but nearly half the Sunni Arabs are still gone (either outside the country or hiding inside Iraq). The Shia militias have been defeated as well, mainly by Iraqi police and troops. Corruption and inept government are now the major problems, with potential Iranian meddling (or even invasion) a permanent threat. The major U.S. TV news operations have pulled out. The war is over. (bold text is mine)

Let us hope the trend continues.

Related: Democracy and Peace in a Unipolar World

NOTE: I have a love/hate relationship with this site. I don’t like their sourcing policy - they don’t - but if you want to you can usually find it with a quick google search, they have a tendency toward terminal curtness in titles style etc. but that is probably good marking. On the other hand they cover in a single place, in an easy format, items that would be impossible to keep up with otherwise, and there meta -analysis’ are usually among the most plausible and they do not spin their analysis to support agendas or either side in domestic politics. This type of article is SP at it’s best.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2011-01-02T01:28:00.004-06:00

Start the new year with some warm up Cajun music from

L'Angelus say lawn-Jay-loose

Hear more at their YouTube page.
Purchase their CD’s here

Rudard Kipling -- Happy Birthday

2010-12-30T08:29:00.012-06:00

Today would be 135th birthday of Rudard Kipling (1865- 1935).

One of the English languages greatest story tellers and poets with the versatility to write convincingly in a wide varity of motiefs and settings. Ironically while he is much criticized for political reasons, especially by those who have never read more than a selected tag line, he often states their concerns better than they do. One of his best gifts was to describe the feeling and viewpoints of others in their voice (edited for family hour). Anyone who has ever been in barracks would recognize Barrack Room Ballads as an authentic voice of the common soldier.

"IF" is one of his most popular poems.

A few of his lesser known poems.

Kipling’s son Jack wanted to enlist during WWI but was not medically qualified. At his son’s request Kipling pulled strings to have him commissioned in the Irish Guards. He was killed shorly after arriving at the front.

Check out more at the Kipling Society

Rachel Weeping for Her Children

2010-12-28T00:00:00.002-06:00

Today is the feast of the Holy Innocents

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." And he rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt, 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt have I called my son."

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: "A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were no more."
Mathew 2: 16-18

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T00:00:00.000-06:00

What Child is This? Sung by Mahalia Jackson

Celebrate Christ's Mass on Christmas

2010-12-23T00:00:00.000-06:00

and

Keep Christ in Christmas.

Click here forMass times and places

Happy Hanukkah

2010-12-19T16:19:00.001-06:00

I guess I’m late again.

He chose blameless priests devoted to the law, and they cleansed the sanctuary and removed the defiled stones to an unclean place. They deliberated what to do about the altar of burnt offering, which had been profaned. 4And they thought it best to tear it down, lest it bring reproach upon them, for the Gentiles had defiled it. So they tore down the altar, and stored the stones in a convenient place on the temple hill until there should come a prophet to tell what to do with them. Then they took unhewn stones, as the law directs, and built a new altar like the former one. They also rebuilt the sanctuary and the interior of the temple, and consecrated the courts. They made new holy vessels, and brought the lampstand, the altar of incense, and the table into the temple. Then they burned incense on the altar and lighted the lamps on the lampstand, and these gave light in the temple. They placed the bread on the table and hung up the curtains. Thus they finished all the work they had undertaken.

Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, which is the month of Chislev, in the one hundred and forty-eighth year, they rose and offered sacrifice, as the law directs, on the new altar of burnt offering which they had built. At the very season and on the very day that the Gentiles had profaned it, it was dedicated with songs and harps and lutes and cymbals. All the people fell on their faces and worshiped and blessed Heaven, who had prospered them. So they celebrated the dedication of the altar for eight days, and offered burnt offerings with gladness; they offered a sacrifice of deliverance and praise. They decorated the front of the temple with golden crowns and small shields; they restored the gates and the chambers for the priests, and furnished them with doors. There was very great gladness among the people, and the reproach of the Gentiles was removed.

Then Judas and his brothers and all the assembly of Israel determined that every year at that season the days of dedication of the altar should be observed with gladness and joy for eight days, beginning with the twenty-fifth day of the month of Chislev.
1 Mecc 4 42:59

HT: Deans World

The Fourth Sunday of Advent 2010

2010-12-19T05:33:00.003-06:00

From Agnus Day

A prophesy is made

Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, "Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven." But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test." And he said, "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanu-el.
Issiah 7: 10-14

And fulfilled

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way.

When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to send her away. But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel" (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, but knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called his name Jesus.
Mathew 1: 18-24

Note to me: He IS coming!

American Arrogance

2010-12-17T23:51:00.002-06:00

Michael Yon recently made a humors/serious post on American Arrogance.

There have been many comments about American arrogance. During my travels to 48 United States and over 50 countries -- most of those states and countries multiple times -- some themes have emerged. continue reading

My contribution to the comments:
The best country in the world?
The one you call home!

The Third Sunday of Advent

2010-12-11T17:10:00.001-06:00

From Agnus Day

Issiah tells of the Lord’s coming

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,
the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and
rejoice with joy and singing.

The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the LORD,
the majesty of our God.

Strengthen the weak hands, and
make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
"Be strong, fear not!
Behold, your God will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He will come and save you."

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and
the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then shall the lame man leap like a hart, and
the tongue of the dumb sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and
come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain joy and gladness, and
sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Isaiah 35:1-6,10

James calls us to patience, for He will come again

Be patient, brothers, until the Lord’s coming.
Think of a farmer: how patiently he waits for the precious fruit of the ground until it has had the autumn rains and the spring rains!
You too have to be patient; do not lose heart, because the Lord’s coming will be soon.
Do not make complaints against one another, brothers, so as not to be brought to judgment yourselves; the Judge is already to be seen waiting at the gates.
For your example, brothers, in submitting with patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
James 5:7-10

Note to me: Be patient!., Jesus will come again!

The Second Sundayof Advent

2010-12-04T19:47:00.007-06:00

From Agnus Day

Isaiah foretold it!

A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse,
a scion thrusts from his roots:
on him the spirit of the Lord rests,
a spirit of wisdom and insight,
a spirit of counsel and power,
a spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
(The fear of the Lord is his breath.)

He does not judge by appearances,
he gives no verdict on hearsay,
but judges the wretched with integrity,
and with equity gives a verdict for the poor of the land.
His word is a rod that strikes the ruthless,
his sentences bring death to the wicked.
Integrity is the loincloth round his waist,
faithfulness the belt about his hips.

The wolf lives with the lamb,
the panther lies down with the kid,
calf and lion feed together,
with a little boy to lead them.
The cow and the bear make friends,
their young lie down together.
The lion eats straw like the ox.
The infant plays over the cobra’s hole;
into the viper’s lair
the young child puts his hand.
They do no hurt, no harm,
on all my holy mountain,
for the country is filled with the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters swell the sea.

That day, the root of Jesse
shall stand as a signal to the peoples.
It will be sought out by the nations
and its home will be glorious.
Isiah 11 1:10

John the Baptists announced it!

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight."
Mathew 3-1:3

Indeed -- Jesus is coming!

Note to me: prepare the way in your heart.

First Sunday Of Advent - 2010

2010-11-28T00:00:00.009-06:00

From Agnus Day

Jesus said, ‘As it was in Noah’s day, so will it be when the Son of Man comes. For in those days before the Flood people were eating, drinking, taking wives, taking husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, and they suspected nothing till the Flood came and swept all away. It will be like this when the Son of Man comes. Then of two men in the fields one is taken, one left; of two women at the millstone grinding, one is taken, one left.

‘So stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming. You may be quite sure of this that if the householder had known at what time of the night the burglar would come, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the wall of his house. Therefore, you too must stand ready because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’ Mathew 24:37-44

Note to me: Stay awake - I don’t know the hour of the day.

Christmas Starts With Christ

2010-11-28T00:00:00.007-06:00

A Happy Advent and Merry Christmas to one and all. The side bar has links to previous years Christmas postings. In Advent we prepare for the coming of Jesus, to celebrate his first coming at Christmas and to prepare for His Second Coming.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T04:59:00.001-06:00

The Mayflower Compact

In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are under-written, the loyal subjects of our dread sovereign Lord, King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, etc.

Having undertaken, for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith, and honor of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God, and one of another, covenant and combine our selves together into a civil body politic, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the Colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witness whereof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cape Cod, the eleventh of November [New Style, November 21], in the year of the reign of our sovereign lord, King James, of England, France, and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Dom. 1620.

Learn more form the Pilgrim Hall Museum

Related
Why don’t you speak for yourself John

Currency Rap

2010-11-13T02:45:00.002-06:00

HT: Dan Nexon of The Duck of Minerva

Veteran's Day -- 2010

2010-11-11T00:00:00.003-06:00

Red Tape Holds the Nation Together

2010-11-07T01:47:00.003-05:00

Except it is so true this would this is funniest thing you read today.

From
Pragmatic Euphony at Indian National Interest

“Sometime in early 1999-I was unable to fix the precise date-two officers in the Ministry of Steel made some notings on the files that passed through their desks. What caught the eye of their colleagues and superiors was not anything they had written, but the fact that they had used red and green ink. Accordingly, on 13 April 1999, the Ministry of Steel wrote a “D.O. letter” to the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances. Can officers use ink other than blue or black, the Ministry wanted to know. Are there guidelines on the question? If so could these please be forwarded to the undersigned.

And

Reminds me of this quote from that timeless classic, Yes Minister:
“
Bernard: What about a publicity campaign Minister, you know ADMINISTRATION SAVES THE NATION, RED TAPE IS FUN, full pages ads in … in. Just an idea.

Jim: Red tape is fun?

Bernard: Well what about RED TAPE HOLDS THE NATION TOGETHER.”

Vote This Tuesday

2010-11-01T00:00:00.004-05:00

Listen therefore, O kings, and understand;
learn, O judges of the ends of the earth.
Give ear, you that rule over multitudes,
and boast of many nations.

For your dominion was given you from the Lord,
and your sovereignty from the Most High,
who will search out your works
and inquire into your plans.

Because as servants of his kingdom you did not rule rightly,
nor keep the law, nor walk according to the purpose of God,
He will come upon you terribly and swiftly,
because severe judgment falls on those in high places.

For the lowliest man may be pardoned in mercy,
but mighty men will be mightily tested.

For the Lord of all will not stand in awe of any one,
nor show deference to greatness;
because he himself made both small and great,
and he takes thought for all alike.

But a strict inquiry is in store for the mighty.

To you then, O monarchs, my words are directed,
that you may learn wisdom and not transgress.
Wisdom Chapter: 6:1-9.

It is nice to think of our leaders as the “Kings and Judges”
especially when they are from a different political party
and consider the wrath of God with unjust joy.
But this is a democracy; and at least on Election Day
we all are the “Kings and Judges,”
as servants of His Kingdom will we
rule rightly when we vote?

All Saints Day - The Heavenly Life

2010-11-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Carl Orff’s coral setting for Das Himmlische Leben from Arnim & Brentano's famous collection of German folk poetry, Des Knaben Wunderhorn (The Youth's Magic Horn). More

HT: What’s Wrong with the World

Happy Haloween - Pumpkin Carving

2010-10-30T13:34:00.002-05:00

Election News

2010-10-22T19:16:00.002-05:00

To reduce costs, eliminate negative campaign adds, and insure a well informed electorate, candidates from all parties and perspecitves are invited to sign on to the Common Set of Campaign Promises. Like all campign promises completely non-binding after election day.

Burl Ives signing Big Rock Candy Mountain.

Flamenco

2010-10-15T20:13:00.003-05:00

Ihath tells a story.

Stage Freight

And dances Flamenco

Public Service Announcement

2010-10-04T00:05:00.002-05:00

For the benefit of younger people who think “dialing” means pushing buttons on a touch pad.

Donald R. McClarey explains The Modern World is Going to Hell: A Continuing Series: The Texting Vermin of the Apocalypse

Funny and serious at the same time, enjoy.

Leadership - September 2010

2010-09-27T19:37:00.000-05:00

Leadership 9/11

2010-09-10T23:09:00.003-05:00

That evening like every one I was watching the televison as the Marine One landed the President at the White House and he walked, visibly conscience that everyone was watching,. I saw that and thought that boy is going to lead us.

He did pretty well.

Related: Nine Eleven Memorial

The Saga Begins.

2010-09-07T20:41:00.001-05:00

Weird Al Yankovic is known for his satirical songs, today he gets a twofer, Star Wars and Miss Amreican Pie. Enjoy!

HT: Tito Edwards at the The American Catholic with a nice write up on Weird Al.

Blame it on the Bossa Nova

2010-08-15T02:50:00.006-05:00

Bossa Nova singer Lisa Ono was born in Sao Paulo Brazil and grew up alternating between there and her parents native Japan.

Get a drink, lean back, put your feet up, click. Relax and Enjoy.

The Last Dance.

A different interpretation of Otis Redding’s classic, but I like it.

And how could I forget.

Her CD’s are available from Amazon

When I Was a Boy.

2010-07-30T00:00:00.003-05:00

Well I’m sixty today, so I guess I get to bore everyone with tales of When I Was a Boy

And expound on the great unanswered questions.

Joe Bethancourt plays acoustic instruments and sings mostly Traditional American Music. Check him out for some great music at Old Songs for the New West.

Who Goes Nazi

2010-07-26T20:12:00.003-05:00

Elizabeth Scilia, of First Things brings us an article by Dorothy Thompson from the August 1941 edition of Harpers Magazine. asking

“Who Goes Nazi?”

Certainly the names are different these days but there are still people who will “go Nazi” if the chance happens though it I possible they will be the loudest denouncing Nazism. .

It is an interesting and somewhat macabre parlor game to play at a large gathering of one’s acquaintances: to speculate who in a showdown would go Nazi. By now, I think I know. I have gone through the experience many times–in Germany, in Austria, and in France. I have come to know the types: the born Nazis, the Nazis whom democracy itself has created, the certain-to-be fellow-travelers. And I also know those who never, under any conceivable circumstances, would become Nazis.

snip

Sometimes I think there are direct biological factors at work–a type of education, feeding, and physical training which has produced a new kind of human being with an imbalance in his nature. He has been fed vitamins and filled with energies that are beyond the capacity of his intellect to discipline. He has been treated to forms of education which have released him from inhibitions. His body is vigorous. His mind is childish. His soul has been almost completely neglected.

At any rate, let us look round the room.

The gentleman standing beside the fireplace with an almost untouched glass of whiskey beside him on the mantelpiece is Mr. A, a descendant of one of the great American families. There has never been an American Blue Book without several persons of his surname in it. He is poor and earns his living as an editor. He has had a classical education, has a sound and cultivated taste in literature, painting, and music; has not a touch of snobbery in him; is full of humor, courtesy, and wit. He was a lieutenant in the World War, is a Republican in politics, but voted twice for Roosevelt, last time for Willkie. He is modest, not particularly brilliant, a staunch friend, and a man who greatly enjoys the company of pretty and witty women. His wife, whom he adored, is dead, and he will never remarry.

He has never attracted any attention because of outstanding bravery. But I will put my hand in the fire that nothing on earth could ever make him a Nazi. He would greatly dislike fighting them, but they could never convert him…. Why not?

Beside him stands Mr. B, a man of his own class, graduate of the same preparatory school and university, rich, a sportsman, owner of a famous racing stable, vice-president of a bank, married to a well-known society belle. He is a good fellow and extremely popular. But if America were going Nazi he would certainly join up, and early. Why?… Why the one and not the other?

Indeed why? Read the whole article. The names are different but is today the same old story?

From Wikipedia.
Dorothy Thompson (9 July 1893, Lancaster, New York – January 30, 1961, Portugal) was an American journalist and radio broadcaster, who was noted by Time magazine in 1939 as one of the two most influential women in America, the other being Eleanor Roosevelt.

She is notable as the first American journalist to be expelled from Nazi Germany (in 1934), one of the few women news commentators on radio during the 1930s, and as the inspiration for Katharine Hepburn's character "Tess Harding" in the film Woman of the Year (1942).

Related: Who is a Fascist?

Independence Day

2010-07-04T00:00:00.006-05:00

The Declartion of Independence

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

and organizing its powers in such form,

as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established