Opaque Lucidity

With A Broad Brush

The House of Representatives issued a formal apology for slavery this week. The apology itself deserves discussion as it is inaccurate and contains historical errors. However, what's more important is Barack Obama's reaction to the apology. It was muddled, as usual, but it opened the door for something troublesome: reparations.

The idea of paying Americans of African descent as a way of making amends for slavery has been floating around for more than a generation. It was a bad idea then and it's a bad idea now:

-We can't afford it. IF most black Americans were able to trace their ancestry to a slave, we're talking about tens of millions of people. Do you think the radicals who support this would be happy with $100 per descendant? Not likely.

-Not all black Americans would qualify, among them Barack Obama himself. After all, his father was from Kenya and his mother is white. There is no American slavery in his background. How do you prove it one way or another?

-All white Americans would have to pay the bill for what a small minority of Americans did. Both sides of my family came to this country after slavery ended. Thus, should my family have to pay anything? According to radicals, we do need to pay because we have taken advantage of the infrastructure created with slave labor. If this is true, shouldn't all the descendants of construction workers from the early 20th century be compensated? We still use the Empire State Building and the Golden Gate Bridge.

It's time to see this as it really is: a move towards wealth redistribution. If Obama thought reparations would win the White House, he would get on board with the idea. John McCain said that Obama would rather lose a war than lose an election. It looks like he may think spending us into bankruptcy is OK, too.

Obama-rific

Barack Obama's transition to a deity is almost complete. We have the mainstream media to thank for this. While John McCain has traveled to Iraq with virtually no press coverage, Obama travels with dozens of reporters and news anchors. The Leftists in the newsrooms of America know they can not run McCain into the ground as they have tried to do with so many other Republicans over the years; instead, they will ignore him.

It is troubling to discover that many of the people I know who support Obama don't know anything about his stand on issues vital to this country and pivotal in this year's Presidential race. Take energy as an example: Obama's own campaign site is so vague on specifics as to be useless. After reading the page, I am left with two facts: the Germans know how to create jobs in the alternative energy industry and an Obama administration will spend hundreds of billions of dollars of your money in an effort to jump-start our move away from oil. This sounds great until you realize he has no plan (other than a small rebate check) for an intermediate step. In other words, the price of gas will continue to damage the economy until we all get solar panels on our roofs and a wind farm down the street.

John McCain is more of a realist. His idea is not to have government spearhead our development of alternative energy sources, but create incentives for private industry to do so. In the meantime, we drill in places that have been off-limits for years. Yes, it will take five years to see results from this, but if we do nothing, new sources of oil will remain five years away. We can not afford to pretend this dream world of electric cars and green homes is going to happen overnight if only the gub'ment spends enough money.

Scratch the surface of Barack Obama and you see him for what he really is: a socialist with a plan to make all of us even more dependent on the federal government. He believes in the Big Lie, the notion that only government can solve big problems. It is no more true now than when Richard Nixon set price controls on oil in the 70's. What else is new? Nothing. And that's the problem.

Search For Blood

I don't know if you've ever seen it, but there is a photo from about 1963 showing a Buddhist monk setting himself on fire in the middle of a street in Saigon. He was protesting the continuing war there in the most attention-getting way he knew. However, I have now come to the conclusion that he was also motivated by a level of frustration to which most people never rise. While I'm not to that point, I certainly can envision that level of "bother".

I thought of that monk this morning as I drove on I-71. This is the first time I have driven myself to work since January 9th, and even though I enjoyed sharing a ride with one of my co-workers these past few months, I also love the solitude of driving alone for 20 miles. This morning, however, was spoiled by a traffic slowdown caused by a fender-bender on the OTHER SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY.

Why do people slow down? First, there were two Metro cop cars there, lights turning. Despite the fact there was no one in the cruisers and there is a safety barrier running down the median, drivers felt the need to slow down because, golly, the fuzz might pull you over for going 57 in a 55. Good grief.

Second, and this is more disturbing, there is the American public's desire to see death and destruction. Why do TV stations in Los Angeles broadcast car chases live? Because we might get to see a gruesome, fiery death. In Clarksville, IN, the race track features figure-8 BUS racing. Does this sound like an invitation to a wreck? Of course, because that's what people want to see. If you think everyone who attends a NASCAR race is there to see 42 cars run seamlessly around a track for 2 hours, you are sadly underestimating our desire for mayhem.

We are not the first society to revel in other people's pain and misfortune. The Roman Coliseum operated for three centuries and featured everything from mock naval battles to Christians made to fight against mounted cavalry. As time goes by, I see more and more the model of Roman decadence and moral decay being copied by our society. What many people don't see, or don't believe, is that like Rome, this nation is the light. Without a strong United States, the world would soon enter a dark age of Islamic terror and economic ruin. I'm sure the Romans of 180AD found the notion of their collapse to be far-fetched as well.

Bastille Day, July 14, 1789

Listen here

When Conservatives Go Bad

I believe, as a conservative, that we need to be our own hardest critics. With this in mind, I point you towards this column from Pat Buchanan which focuses on the drumbeat of war supposedly sounding for Iran.

Israel and its Fifth Column in this city seek to stampede us into war with Iran. Bush should rebuff them...

As most of you know, the term 'fifth column' refers to a group inside a nation or organization that is planning or acting against said nation or organization while appearing to be loyal. So in his column, Buchanan is accusing supporters of Israel in the United States of being disloyal to our nation. I love this country, but there's something more: I'm a huge supporter of Israel.

I'm not a fan of Israel because it's the Jewish homeland. I'm a supporter because Israel is the only functioning democracy in the Middle East (Iraq is trying, but there's a long way to go) and, with a few exceptions, has been a staunch ally of the United States. The threats from Tel Aviv against Iran are not drumbeats of war, but words meant to keep the Iranians and their religious leaders from attacking Israel. If you doubt that a nuclear-armed Iran would attack Israel, you haven't been paying attention for the last 30 years or so.

Buchanan is trying to hold Israel in the same light in which Jews are portrayed in every anti-semitic piece of literature since 'The Protocols of the Elders of Zion': a ruthless group trying to run the country of which they are citizens and wage war against anyone who stands in their way. This isn't Buchanan's first piece which showcases his anti-semitism, nor will it be his last, I'm afraid.

I used to be a Buchanan fan. He was a staunch conservative of the old school, which meant he was against foreign entanglements, larger government and for personal responsibility. Now, he reminds me of David Duke, the racist masquerading as an intelligent man whose biases are backed by some sort of facts. It's probably a good thing, Pat, that no one wants to have anything to do with you. Maybe one day you'll disappear all together.

Disgruntled

A former IT guy for the city of San Francisco has locked everyone out of the city's network. I'm very surprised this doesn't happen more often. The article doesn't mention any specific technical details, so I don't know how secure the network is. Either way, this guy was on the inside, so the external security was probably moot.

Many, many companies with which I am familiar have incredibly insecure networks. In many cases, this lack of security can be traced to a lack of solid education on the subject. Sometimes, it's a lack of concern or the belief that the company has nothing a hacker would be interested in. That fact is that any fast network IS of great interest to hackers who write self-replicating worms, bots and other virus-like bits of code. One that I remember well but whose name escapes me actually installed a small mail server on an infected machine and started sending out copies of itself as an attachment (Hash or Kevin or Ed may have more details on this as my memory fails me). The next thing you know, some company's web server or such has become a huge spam machine.

What scares me about this is that if there was ever a concerted effort to bring down the American or European economies, the attack (especially if coordinated by a nation or a nation's military) could be very successful. I know that we have IT folks looking for this type of attack, but I wonder how strong our defenses really are. I hope we never have to find out.

Four Horsemen, Anyone?

Does anyone besides me have the feeling that we're at the top of a giant slide?

If It's Not Close, They Can't Cheat

According to Rasmussen, Senators Obama and McCain are tied in current polls. These numbers are essentially meaningless now and will continue to be until well after the conventions. Ultimately, the only poll that matters is the one held on the first Tuesday in November.

It will be worrisome if the race is still close going into late October. Put simply, the Democrats will cheat if the vote is close. They did it in Florida in 2000 and they tried to make an issue of the Ohio vote in 2004. Much to his credit, John Kerry put an end to that speculation by ceding the race to President Bush before Michael Moore could roll over there and destroy the republic. No one should be surprised to see Democratic lawyers showing up like so many roaches anywhere the race is close, especially in inner city areas. They have a long tradition of stealing elections, such as the Kennedy election in 1960, which was delivered by all the dead people who voted in Chicago.

Keep in mind that one large city can deliver a state, and one important state can turn the election. My hope and prayer, although unlikely, is that McCain will disassemble Obama in the next few months, although it looks as if he can do a good job of that on his own just by opening his mouth when there's no teleprompter present. To steal a book title from Hugh Hewitt, if it's not close they can't cheat.

Fair-y

I am the youngest of five children. Today, we range in age from 37 to 49 and have, between my four siblings, fifteen children. We are a pretty close-knit group considering that both of my brothers live in other states. Both of my sisters who, like me, live in the same area where we grew up, keep in touch on an at least weekly basis. In times of crisis or emergency, like my accident in January, we form a tight-knit team that is highly skilled and organized.

We are like this because of our parents. Jerry and Pat are highly efficient people who don't like to waste time or resources. When they go on a driving vacation (rare these days), they plan as if they're going to invade Normandy. This can be frustrating at times for those of us who are not as well put together, but when my mom or dad says they are going to do something or go somewhere, you can write it in stone. It will happen and they will be there--15 minutes early.

Another thing my parents are sticklers about is fairness. If one of us is given something, we are all given the same thing. If they can't offer that something to all of us, they will offer it to no one. Although each of us has a different relationship with mom and dad, there is no "golden child", at least in terms of opportunities offered and gifts given. This would be hard to achieve with two children, much less five.

Growing up, I assumed that every family was like mine. I was shocked to discover that many parents with multiple children play favorites. They may not use that term to explain the situation, but when one child is offered the chance to attend a private college and the rest are not, for example, the bias is obvious and hurtful. I have also learned that these behaviors, for good or ill, do not seem to change with age. We never stop being the children of our parents.

Something happened this past week that made me once again grateful for my parents. I won't bore you with the details, but the incident involved a last-minute vacation and more than a little subterfuge on the part of my in-laws. Despite the fact I am almost 40 and have been married for 10 years, the incident hurt me. It did not surprise me, since it's not the first time something like this has happened. But for some reason, I seem to be the only one upset about it. The reaction from the rest of that family is sort of a ho-hum numbness. That bothers me even more, as if to say that the favoritism has been going on for so long that it isn't even worth discussing.

So here's my question for those of you who grew up with multiple siblings: did your parents play favorites? did it bother you? does it still bother you when they do? do I just need to grow up and get over it? Talk amongst yourselves.

The Talking Cure

For nearly five years, we have read about combat veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who have trouble adjusting to life at home once they have been exposed to the violence and uncertainty of the modern battlefield. While no hard numbers are available, any veteran experiencing these problems needs help, even if the number of cases is very small.

Before the Vietnam War, we had not defined conditions like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Men certainly did have problems as a result of sustained combat operations, but veterans of the Second World War and Korea were expected to come home and pick up their lives where they left off. Some coped with silence, some with alcohol, some with abusive relationships. Only in the 1970's did the concept of a modern war begin to be seen as something unnatural in the human experience. It was only then that the symptoms some people experienced begin to be taken seriously.

Every war is different, but I think our government makes the mistake of assuming that treatments used for PTSD sufferers in the past will continue to work regardless of the war. This is simply not the case. Vietnam was different than Korea; Iraq is different than Vietnam. Our soldiers, sailors and marines in Iraq are facing something very unusual: a populace that contains thousands of people willing to become martyrs for a religious cause. Yes, the Viet Cong died in large numbers in order to "liberate" South Vietnam, but they were not suicide bombers belonging to a death cult. They represented a traditional insurgency full of people who wanted to fight and live to see victory. The terrorists we fight now welcome death as a payback for killing the infidels. It's almost impossible for a standing army to fight people who have zero concern for their personal safety.

I have spent no time in the infantry, but I can imagine that a situation like the one in Iraq can be frustrating in the extreme for troops on the ground. You want everyone in your squad or platoon to come home safe and sound, but your enemy is only too happy to die if it means taking a few Americans with him. 12-15 months later, our soldier returns home to find a nation sacrificing nothing for the war effort, full of people who are, for the most part, disinterested in the war beyond their belief it needs to end. How do you explain what you've seen? How do you go back to a 9-5 job or back to your base and live as if it never happened?

So, in the same way "the talking cure" revolutionized the treatment of shell shock during the First World War, our psychiatrists and psychologists must find new ways to combat the anger, fear and sense of loss some of our veterans feel. Yes, other wars have been more deadly. But for better or worse, we are a very different society than we were thirty-five years ago and so our fighting men and women need treatment that fits the situation, both here and in the Middle East. The cost should not matter.

The Cat Lady

According to the International Herald Tribune, your close relationship to your dog or cat may not be as unhealthy as we've always thought. According to the story, many people consider their pet to be a 'significant other', taking the place of a human partner.

I understand why. When I come home from work, our dog Molly is very happy to see me. I would like to think it's because she loves me, but in reality she wags her tail and pants because she knows she is mere minutes away from a belly rub and a walk around the neighborhood. I believe well-treated animals feel affection for their owners, but I think it is more of a feeling of safety than anything else.

I admit that I like Molly, Kahlua, Tigger, Bud, and Socks (our dog and four cats) more than some of the humans I know. But we are living in a society that is trying to normalize unhealthy relationships with our pets. EVERY single person I have ever known or worked with who lives alone and has more than five animals has some degree of social phobia or a personality disorder. I'll protect the guilty.

The sad fact is that it's easier to love a pet sometimes. They want simple things: food, affection, a warm place to sleep. Humans require more from us: trust, loyalty, honesty, a good work ethic, etc., areas in which we are all deficient at one time or another. It's a slippery slope----once the dog and/or cat in your house becomes more important than your family, you're on your way out of civilization as we know it.

The Inner Child

As this Independence Day comes to an end, I am reminded of the freedoms we possess and how those freedoms have been paid for over and over again by Americans we will never know. One of those freedoms is the right to speak your mind publicly. This is what happened during the President's speech at Monticello today.

I have come to the conclusion that liberals (or Leftists, or Marxists) are completely driven by their emotions. Those women yelling in the crowd could be at home crying over the latest episode of Oprah, but they are busy getting hysterical during a speech. They look and sound ridiculous. The protest is not done to change minds; instead, it is done as a prank, something that only stupid people find funny.