Propaganda and Consequences

Image: NPR

Aren't you just bowled over by all the sincere apologies gushing forth from the legacy media machine about the entire Russia collusion farce that they have shoved down our throats for two years? As the kids say, "NOT!" Of course, the media will never apologize for wasting two years of our time, $30 million in our tax money, and crippling the president and federal government with this sham of a scandal.

But Sen. Dianne Feinstein's Chinese spy chauffeur, that story got dropped like a hot brick. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz's Middle Eastern computer hacker got swept under the microphone, too. Those are two very small items. The real "bombshell"(how many times have we heard that word in the past two years?)  question is, what about the Obama administration's involvement in the perpetration of the Russia collusion story? That's where the real scoop is, all you Einsteins in the dinosaur media--not that you'll ever pursue it.

In the wake of the complete collapse of the Russia collusion narrative, John Brennan has whined that he received "bad information." Excuse me, but Brennan was head of the CIA under Barack Obama. If he had "bad information," what kind of garbage are everyday Americans being fed by the media machine?

Because I have become so sick of hearing about Russian collusion, my television news viewing has been all local for several months. With their arrogant refusal to acknowledge how wrong they have been, and to insist that there's still some "there" there, the elite media machine ensures I'll keep watching hometown news only. They won't miss me, but I'm willing to bet I'm not the only one who feels this disgusted. Multiply me by millions and what does the media have? Cancellations. We can only hope that all their "bad information" will finally catch up with them.

This Glorious Saint

To other Saints Our Lord seems to have given power to succor us in some special necessity -- but to this glorious Saint, I know by experience, He has given the power to help us in all. Our Lord would have us understand that as He was subject to St. Joseph on earth -- for St. Joseph bearing the title of father and being His guardian, could command Him -- so now in Heaven Our Lord grants us all his petitions. I have asked others to recommend themselves to St. Joseph, and they, too, know the same thing by experience . . .

Pacem Studio ~ Art by Christopher Santer

---- Autobiography VI, 9 ~ St. Teresa of Avila

Today, March 19, is St. Joseph's feast day. He is cited as the patron saint of many, including fathers, workers, carpenters, families, homes, dying people, as well as the Universal Church. That seems like quite a bit of ground for one patron saint to cover, but it's actually just the beginning. St. Joseph, notes St. Thomas Aquinas, can act as our intercessor with the Lord for "every necessity, in every undertaking."

One-stop shopping for every prayer? Sign me up. No wonder Joseph was my father's favorite saint, the one he believed was most powerful. Just as St. Teresa of Avila avowed, my father told me that all his prayers to St. Joseph were answered.

Catholics often pray for "a happy death," an event also under the purview of St. Joseph. That means when you die, your soul is in the state of grace and passes immediately into heaven. Dad was a devout man, so I'm fairly certain that was one of his prayers during his last illness.

Very close to midnight one St. Joseph's Day over three decades ago, Dad's final prayer was answered. It was as if a long-time friend had come to collect him at the end of that special day. Going to heaven on the feast of St. Joseph? That's a happy death, indeed.

Answering Evil

Overcome evil with good.

~ Romans 12:21

Today much of the Western world marks the occasion of St. Patrick's Day. It seems a cruel cosmic joke that this joyous holiday, traditionally celebrated with song, dance, parades, and an abundance of feasting and toasting, intersects with the tragic aftermath of Friday's horrific massacre in New Zealand.

One of my closest family members always cites New Zealand as a haven of refuge from the world's hate and violence. For the past several years, after each mass shooting that occurs in the United States, he vows to move to New Zealand.

The lesson here is that New Zealand offered only an illusion of peace and safety. Evil lives everywhere, even in a small nation of breathtaking beauty half a world away. If any answer is possible, what is the righteous person to do?

Do good. Contribute time or money to a favorite charity. Call or visit a friend or neighbor who is old, ill, or sad. Forgive a past hurt. Do one or all of these things. For just as lives can be destroyed by one brutal action, so too can they be gently healed by one small act of kindness.

Safety Second

I flew across country yesterday on a 737-800 jet plane. Fortunately it wasn't one of the infamous new Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft that has fallen out of the sky twice in the past five months, killing a total of 346 people. Nobody seems to know why just yet, and dozens of countries worldwide have banned the questionable aircraft from flying in their airspace during the post-crash investigation.

But in the United States, the 737 Max 8 is still airborne. The FAA has called for software updates, so no need to be hasty, right? Despite the lip service US airlines pay to the "your safety is our first priority" trope, actions speak louder than slogans. The real motto appears to be "profits first, safety second."

I'm wondering how the airline staff assigned to these flying question marks will feel about going to work until there is an answer to the problem(s) that caused the two crashes. Passengers can change their flights; they can even change which airline they choose to fly. It's not so easy for employees to make the switch.

Aviation experts are working hard to identify what might be the issue with the 737 Max 8, and I don't doubt they'll find it. Meanwhile, I wish all passengers and crew safe travels--and soft landings.

Creativity, Lost

Mama, life had just begun
But now I've gone and thrown it all away

 ~ "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen

The 2018 movie Bohemian Rhapsody got mixed reviews from film critics. I watched it this weekend, did my own critique, and found that I liked it--very much. These days, it's a rare movie that can pull me in and hold me for two hours.

Actor Rami Malek is impressively successful in conveying the performing energy and personal conflicts of Freddie Mercury, and he has the Academy Award to prove it. But as heartfelt as Malek's portrayal of Freddie Mercury is, no one can replicate the sheer electricity of watching Mercury perform his own material in front of an enthusiastic crowd. Queen's performance at the 1985 Live Aid concert was a uniquely powerful moment in musical history. Watch it on YouTube and see if you don't agree.

As much as I enjoyed the movie, it did leave me wistful that a such gifted singer, songwriter, and performer as Freddie Mercury self-destructed so young. He accomplished quite a lot while he was here, but we'll never know what musical delights might have been to come.

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.