I am sure most of us know that old addage: “It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt,” usually said by mothers in some form. I’m told it originally came from Rome: “It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eyeball.”
That thought comes to mind as I view this week’s political scene.
Continue readingJust as Stalingrad was the beginning of the beginning of the end of the Third Reich, is Brexit the beginning of the beginning of the end for the European Union?
The Third Reich began with Hitler’s election (leading the National Socialist Party to victory) in 1933. A mere decade passed before the brutal, grinding death dance that we call the Siege of Stalingrad. Until then, the Wehrmacht had pretty much expanded control of Berlin constantly. With the surrender of Von Paulus and his Sixth Army, the contraction began. It would take a mere two years before the Gotterdamerung of Berlin brought the regime to an end.
Consider the similarity to the EU.
Continue readingI woke this morning to the usual news reports of crime and stupidity this morning from various parts of the Black Hills and the Four Corners. And to the Politico headline “Iowa is Dead.”
For once, I might agree with that publication. Maybe even in the way they mean it. The Democratic Party of Iowa has done such an incredible job of botching the Monday Caucuses (Caucai?) that it just puts paid to their hopes for doing anything about Trump. It is highly likely that Iowa’s premier place in
It is far from the only matter that the Democratic leadership has messed up. Despite claims to the contrary, the entire impeachment show is at best amateurish. And at worse (and more likely) immoral, criminal, and despicable in multiple ways. The entire pre-campaign business with a dozen (and more) wannabes jostling for position and spending millions that could have better been used in the general election is another example. We have watched time and again as these clowns have demonstrated their inability to govern themselves, much less a nation of Fifty States.
Even the campaign performances in Iowa are more the level you would expect from a bunch of newly-recruited candidates for town council. Except that they would embarrass almost all of the Democrats and Republicans in local government that I know. At least those in the Four Corners and South Dakota and Wyoming.
We are seeing this same amateurish, rude, and arrogant behavior in all the Democratic leadership. The most recent example is the behavior of Pelosi at the State of the Union address, and the proclamation by AOC that she is not going to be there – because that would “normalize” the behavior of Trump. Pelosi played the fool much of Trump’s speech. And she seemed to be far from alone in that. This behavior and the comments demonstrate that the major parties do not have problems with WHAT is done, just with WHO does it. Criminal acts are attacked if those on the other side of the aisle, and applauded if done by someone on YOUR side. Ever more viciously, especially if you’ve recently done the same thing.
Indeed, the performance of the Democratic Party here in the past few months reminds me very much of the sort of deterioration we sadly see in someone succumbing to dementia or Alzheimer’s.
Not that the Republicans demonstrate much better. Their performance in the House and Senate these past several years, more than ever resembled poor slapstick comedy.
But the real reason to be worried about this behavior is NOT the appearance – it is the fact that millions and millions of Americans still trust these people – AND THEIR REPUBLICAN OPPONENTS – to rule their lives. And to rule not just their lives, but every hour of their lives.
We must learn – and we must teach – that our daily lives, our freedom, our liberty are too precious to leave in the hands of these idiots. Politicians who are corrupt and self-seeking, who treat others like dirt, and use any excuse to gain power and wealth. Bureaucrats who lord it over everyone – even each other, while doing incredibly stupid and wasteful things. Military senior brass hats who are more politician than warrior, and unable to control their appetites (just like the bureaucrats and politicians). We must learn to reject and see through slick words and pitiful excuses.
Enough is enough.
Now, I didn’t watch that football game yesterday – or even keep up with it by smartphone or radio. Later in the evening I heard that the teams were tied at halftime, but one team (the Kansas City Injun Leaders?) was behind at half time by 20 to 10, but then somehow in the third period got 21 points and so beat the other team (the San Francisco 69ers? 99ers?) by 11 points. How could that happen?
Today is Super Bowl Sunday. It is also Groundhog Day. And it is the day before the official start of 2020 Political Circus – supposedly to elect the next Massa. And three days before Senate Impeachment Vote Wednesday.
They are of course, related. Disgustingly so. Pointing out the poverty of spirit and the lack of liberty and freedom in the Fifty States, compared to what we could have, if we had not thrown so much of it away. (Or to continue to use biblical concepts, given away our birthright for a bowl of beans.)
Right now, as I finish this, one of the biggest concentrations of millionaires in the world is taking place at Chiefs Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.
Continue readingOn Friday, 31 JAN 2020, the House of Delegates in Richmond ignored the vicious intimidation by an armed mob of 22,000 people, many from out of state, who filled the city with their hatred and lawlessness for most of Monday, 20 JAN 2020, and in 90 minutes passed 7 common-sense gun control laws intended to protect the peace and safety of Virginians.
Or so goes the media and PTB (powers-that-be) refrain.
We know differently.
Continue readingYesterday was part 1 of this commentary.
Today?
How life has changed from fifty or sixty years ago. And not all due to technology.
Today?
You dispose of what does not work or when you get the latest gadget.
You throw more junk away than ever. And you can never burn it in a big steel drum in the backyard. Or get to explore and shoot rats in your friends’ family ranch ravine – or the town dump.
You squeal like little babies when offended. And you figure whatever you did that got some classmate upset or angry or hurt will go straight to the authorities.
You want what you really don’t need, and expect it to be given to you. And you consider even luxuries (at least things considered luxuries by past generations) to be critical essentials which you MUST have.
You get on your soapbox and squeak about recycling and after your pathetic protest is over you leave all your trash behind. And after any other sort of a protest or gathering. You “let George do it,” expecting government to pick up after you.
You rail about a ‘fair’ society. Life isn’t fair and you should never expect anything to be given to you. And give up something yourself? Don’t kid me.
You claim racism….Yet you’re as racist as anyone else. (Actually, I saw this happen even in the early 1970s when I first had a chance to talk to Northern, inner-city blacks.) Indeed, you seem to have honed “racism” to a fine art. And expanded how you define racism to include anything that is critical or not fully affirming.
You squawk about weather, calling it climate change because some celebrity or politician claims it is so. While they make money off of you. Lots of money. And you go out and protest and demand that they be allowed to not just take MORE money from you, but when they make more and more things illegal – things that even you did in the very recent past.
You get upset when someone disagrees or has a different opinion than you. You threaten them, you condemn them, and you try to get government and companies to shut them up.
You think murdering babies is acceptable.
I won’t go into what else you find ‘acceptable’, but you surely have no right to call me names.
You attack me as wrong when I don’t endorse and encourage your perversions or obscenities or claims to be a different “gender” (sex). (Which you don’t know, anyway.) And you viciously attack even your own woke and progressive allies if they don’t embrace whatever new fad of perversion is being circulated this year.
You are stupid enough to threaten people, when you can never back it up. Because you know that even if it’s face to face, they will be the ones punished, not you. Because you are precious, a delicate snowflake who is also a social-justice warrior.
Social media lets you be anonymous. Gee, that makes you so tough.
You threaten to take my liberty away. My voice, my guns, my faith, my responsibilities. No, let me rephrase that. You threaten to, you yearn to, take MORE of my liberty away. The last fifty years and hundreds of thousands of pages of rules and regulations aren’t enough: you want more and more.
Because even though you claim to condemn and fear government, almost every “solution” to every “crisis” that you are screaming about involves giving more power to government. You fear freedom: not just mine, but your own.
You want me to be under total government control, because you believe I’m just like you. That if someone else didn’t control me, I’d run wild and destroy things and go out and mow down people with a rifle, a pistol, or a knife. Because that is what you’d do, if your pathetic hatred and wildness were allowed to overcome your cowardice. You think that because you are incapable of self-disciple, everyone is.
Like I said, you want to take away more and more of my liberty.
Not going to happen.
My ancestors and I worked hard for what I have. I made hard choices, and lived with them.
And I will resist your efforts to take that away. To the point of death: yours if necessary, in my own self-defense and that of my family and my fellow lovers of liberty. And even my own, if I cannot live free.
And I know I have something to look forward to – even after death. And you don’t.
Again, thanks to Madd Medic for his wonderful idea for this commentary! I appreciate and recommend his own commentaries. (https://maddmedic.wordpress.com/)
Just again letting everyone know that things have been restored so that traffic is flowing freely.
By Nathan Barton
I suppose I should be used to this with all the construction I’ve been involved with over the years. I very much appreciate the help from Tom Knapp, David Kristopeit, and others.
The big “reality show” in the Senate seems to be nearing the end – and presumably a climax. Frankly, the scripting is horrible, but that is what we should expect from government. I understand that the Dems and the mainstream media are really ticked off about the poor viewership. The various emails I get from the ultra-progressive activists seem even more livid than usual.
Rumors of rumors. Supposedly, a GOP poll has stated that the three frontrunners for the 2024 GOP candidate are Mike Pence, with 40%, Donald Trump Jr., with 29%, and Ivanka Trump, with 19%. Nothing about what Kanye West is polling. He has already stated his interest in running, presumably with a winning party that doesn’t condemn him for his religious beliefs.
And related to coronavirus – no, you don’t get it (or get rid of it) by drinking Mexican beer or doing bizarre things with beer bottles. You DO however need to start being a wee bit concerned, as the first documented person-to-person transmission here in the Fifty States has been announced. More suspicious than ever of what government agencies – especially Chinese – are really doing and seeing.
The Price of Liberty 
Rush Limbaugh
Just a few minutes ago, listening to radios in the background as I worked on various projects, I listened to Rush Limbaugh announce that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.
I know that many (even most) libertarians seem to despise Mr. Limbaugh. But at least I don’t need to explain who he is to any readers of this commentary. Since he went national with syndication in 1988 – incredibly, 31 years ago – he has become a prominent part of the political landscape. Feared, if not respected, by presidents and Supreme Court justices and Congressional potentates. And friends with many. He was a pioneer in his field. No matter what you think of his political position, it is certain that he is what he claims to be: an entertainer on a grand scale.
And despite (or because of) his neo-conservativism, he had done much to balance the field of combat between the Tranzis of the left in this country (and even around the world) and the equally evil “conservatives” of the right.
So, Nathan, you ask, why do you listen to this guy? Well, its fun. I enjoy his sense of humor, the way he promotes himself. He’s over the top in so many ways. And I appreciate his take on things. Do I agree with him? Yes, sometimes. And I harshly and strongly disagree with him on many things as well. Many times he’s way off in right field, but still he says things that make me – and others – think. He is a thorn in the side to politicians of all types.
He has a lot to do with the state of America today – and not necessarily the bad parts. Democrats and Republicans alike have hated (and even feared) him and his voice.
But he has always made it clear that what he did would not last forever. He’s 69 now. His signature bombast of “Talent on loan from God” has always pointed that out, even if all the significance of that phrase was ignored.
Take your pick. You can blame him or praise him for having a large part in making the American (and world) political scene what it is in 2020. In making the media what it is now. He was (and is) the inspiration for the people that millions and millions of Americans listen to, five and even seven days a week: Glen Beck, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Michael Savage, Laura Ingraham, and many more. He inspired hundreds of thousands of people to run for political office and to become political activists.
Some because they loved what he said. And some because they hated and despised what he said.
But most important, as his “Talent on loan from God” should help us remember, we are again reminded that life is short. Our time here on earth is ALWAYS limited. We live, we make our mark and build the future. And we die. It is what we do between conception (and birth) and that last breath that is important.
Rush’s illness reminds us that we do not have all the time in the world. That things do change. For the worse or for the better. Even though he “preyed” on government and politics, he also shows that you do NOT have to bow down to government to survive and thrive, and you do not have to be part of government to succeed.
And that the freedom, the liberty God gave and gives us, made it possible for Rush Limbaugh and those like him, to do this and all of the good that he has done.
My family and I join with others in praying for his healing, for those who are caring for him, and for the continued cause of liberty and freedom in these Fifty States and the world. Which I believe, however imperfectly, Mr. Limbaugh has served all these years.