Random Wednesday

There's a lot going on in the news these days, and most of it is too exhausting to dwell on at any length. But below are some random thoughts on current events:

• The Oscars telecast has outlived its entertainment value. When tennis players and congressional representatives are giving out awards, it's time to move on.
• The Russian collusion story makes me turn the channel--every time. (No link for this one.)
• If socialism is so wonderful, why are Venezuelans fleeing their wrecked homeland?
• I don't worry much about climate change, because didn't the "experts" tell us the world was supposed to be in ruins decades ago?
• The important news of the day is not always about President Trump. Sometimes it's about what he is actually getting done.
•  Since my ancestors didn't arrive in the USA until the early 1900s, I'm not a fan of "reparations" for slavery. 
• Pope Francis's "21 Proposals" to deal with sexual predators and their protectors really should be "One Rule"--You're out.
• A baby born alive deserves a shot at life. Just saying.
• The nation's problems are not always caused by racism. Sometimes they're caused by stupidity.

The Socialist Pitfall

The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.

~ Margaret Thatcher

The goal of socialism is communism.

~ Vladimir Lenin

A lifetime of comfort and abundance has rendered many Americans either forgetful or ignorant of the dangers of socialism. For that serious reason, we should pause to reflect a long moment before racing down that particular ideological path.

History, if we pay attention to it, screams at us to slow down. The past hundred years are a frightening lesson in what can happen to countries in pursuit of socialist utopias. The Soviet Union, China, Vietnam, Cuba, and now Venezuela are all stark lessons in how badly such socialist experiments can end. The people of these countries have suffered hunger, oppression, imprisonment, and execution.

Why are so many Americans so ungrateful for our system of government, which has kept us free, prosperous, and a destination of hope for all other nations? Our failure to appreciate our republic is remarkable proof of our innate, fatal human flaw--the certainty that we have it all figured out, that "this time, it will be different."

No, it won't. The world has watched this tired show many times over. Socialism would end with the death of American promise, the limitation of our dreams for ourselves and our children. We would pay more taxes for less benefits. The role of centralized government would grow, while that of the individual would shrink. We would be less free and more controlled. We would be ripe for an authoritarian government takeover. And we could never recover what we had squandered.

Why would we risk such a grim outcome? The reasons are as sad as they are simple. Because the dark history of socialism and communism is no longer taught in schools and colleges, because we are too complacent to comprehend the danger, we are in deep peril of falling into the socialist pit.

I do hope I'm wrong, because this time won't be different. This time actually will be worse. Because this time, the world's haven of refuge and beacon of light--the U.S.A.--will be gone.
 

A Bad Deal for Cows

What was that about farting cows?

I heard the original version of the Ocasio Cortiz Green New Deal being read on morning radio last week, after it was newly posted. Much of the proposal made me chuckle, but the "farting cows" were too much for me; I was laughing so hard, I had to sit for a moment to recover. One can't apply eyeliner amidst tears of laughter.

It took "AOC" more than a day to remove the comedy script that was the first version of the "GND" from her website, after the social media ridicule became too ubiquitous. But somehow, that first version was a Republican hoax, according to one of her advisors. I find that hard to believe, simply by reason of the grammatical train wrecks that "AOC" consistently issues. The original proposal and FAQs had her style written all over them. They were rife with sentence fragments and thirteen uses of the word "massive." Aside from lacking basic grammar skills, "AOC" apparently doesn't own a thesaurus (or know how to use one).

In referring to the "unfinished" GND documents first posted on her wesite, "AOC" warns that "There's also draft versions floating out there." That's a singular verb with a plural subject. Whatever her accomplishments in college, it's certain that "AOC" didn't get an "A" in English (if that subject is even a requisite anymore in "higher education").

With the revised rendition, the necessary extinguishing of "farting cows" no longer appears in the text of the GND. That's comforting. At least Americans can continue to enjoy steaks and ice cream for the foreseeable future. But if I were a farting cow, I'd be nervous.

A Tale of Black and White

The Commonwealth of Virginia is facing a triple hot mess of scandals in its three top elected officials--the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the attorney general. All three men are Democrats. Two of them are facing charges of racism over wearing blackface while in costumes years ago, and one is charged with sexual assault,

Suddenly, "due process" is in vogue. I wonder what Brett Kavanaugh thinks of this newfound Democratic scrupulosity about being careful not to "speculate," especially with regard to Lt. Gov. Fairfax, who is accused of sexual assault. Aren't we supposed to "believe the women" in these cases?

Photo: CNN

Speaking of women, the Democratic congresswomen at the State of the Union speech dressed in white looked like a bleached-out bevy of Handmaid's Tale dropouts and behaved like ill-mannered high school brats. They actually sat sullenly and refused to clap for the president's remarks on soaring job numbers, the booming economy, high employment for minorities, a rejection of socialism, and preserving the life of newborn babies. But they stood and clapped wildly for themselves when President Trump acknowledged the record number of women in Congress. (I almost wrote "serving in Congress," but I stopped myself in time.)

Such behavior suggests that the women in white are about three things, and three things only: Me, Myself, and I. In this way they are similar to the scandal-plagued Moe, Shep, and Larry of Virginia, who are clinging to the tattered remnants of their power. It's all about them, and nothing else matters--least of all the country. To me, that's as obvious as black and white.

Gladys Knight's Gorgeous Rendition of the National Anthem! | Super Bowl ...

“This is my country. This is my state, my city and I love my country. It's really as simple as that.”
~ Gladys Knight

I really don't care who wins the Super Bowl. To me, the whole show was watching Gladys Knight bringing the national anthem home in her soul-simmering, unique style.

When singing a song about "bright stars," you can't do better than Gladys Knight. Raw talent, pure class--inspiring lady.