Moral Virtue

The Women's Day marches in the U.S. and elsewhere are over and everyone has gone home feeling virtuous, all well and good. Of course this is a legitimate exercise of free speech and assembly but after hearing some of the live interviews of women attending and the causes they espoused, they seemed, shall we say, a little ethereal compared to the problems the 5 women mentioned in the article linked below have experienced. 

The 5 women with one exception are from foreign countries, in fact from countries that are some of the worst actors on the international stage. Two of the women are dead, including an American, having been caught in the grip of supreme evil, but the other 3 are speaking out and deserve the attention of the world. Regretfully, the silence is deafening, especially from their "sisters."

Take Berta Soler in Cuba. She leads the "Ladies in White" who protest the Cuban government's treatment of their loved ones as political prisoners for simply not agreeing with Communism. As a consequence, the article says:

"On almost every Sunday since the “Black Spring” of 2003, Soler and her compatriots – the wives, daughters, sisters, and mothers of Cuban political prisoners – have been arrested for carrying images of their wrongfully imprisoned loved ones to church and attempting to sit in on Catholic Mass in Havana. They have been beaten, dragged by their ankles, pulled by their hair, jeered, tarred, and forcibly abandoned hours away from their homes with no way of getting back on a regular basis under the Raúl Castro regime."

Funny, but I heard no professions this weekend of solidarity with this brave woman and those like her who really are being persecuted. 

The stories of the other women are even more heart-breaking with rank injustice to women being the order of the day and even celebrated and yet nothing but silence in the United States. Apparently, ignorance is bliss and it is much more fun to get high on "solidarity" for a weekend than to focus virtue on situations that truly demand a courageous and persistent application of it. That is the conceit  of a wealthy country, elevating the trivial at the expense of the heroic and thinking it is virtuous. 
www.breitbart.com/national-security/2017/01/23/five-women-around-world-whose-rights-womens-march-left-behind/

Early Returns

Here's an early one that Trump got right. When President Obama entered the White House one of the first things he did was unceremoniously remove the bust of Winston Churchill that had been on display since the end of WW II as a tangible reminder of the special relationship between the U.S. and Britain and sent it packing back to the Brits. On his first day in office, Trump restored the bust to the White House having personally called Prime Minister May and requested its return. He's now 1/1 on my scoresheet.

www.breitbart.com/london/2017/01/21/trump-restores-churchill-bust-oval-office-first-day-president/

The Trump Era Begins

First, my bonafides - I am in a "wait-and-see" mode with Donald Trump. He is not an ideological conservative, but a pragmatic Populist with traditionalist views on many issues. In many repects he is blue collar despite being a multi-billionaire and I suspect that alone is part of the distaste shown him by much of the Democratic and Republican country club elites. 

I read a number of the criticisms of his Inaugural address as "Hitlerian," "raw, angry and aggrieved," "critical" and a "dark vision of America." I then read the speech itself and listened to him deliver it and I have to  disagree with most critics. It was a blue collar address targeted at the many Americans who have been left behind - and there are many. Politicians of both parties and their minions have grown used to talking in circles to gloss over problems because then they might be held accountable. They are much like the young lady above in the video clip.They nod knowingly at each other with the understanding that both sides are playing a game and the losers are their consituents who put them there. For a long time voters played along. Then came November, 2016. Game over. Trump at this point is refusing to play the game and that is why all career politicians and their courtiers are so angry - their very comfortable livelihood is at stake. However inelegantly Trump said it, he is definitely not trying to hide this country's problems behind a screen of Happy-Talk political gibberish.

I am not expecting Trump to get everything right. If he hits say .600 or even somewhat less, then I'm good. Most politicians since Reagan have been in the .125 area or less, so that would be a considerable improvement. In any event, I hope he succeeds and so I will pray that he does. We're all on the ship and if it goes down, we all go with it. 

I Mean It - I'll Shoot!

These little parting keepsakes just keep coming! The Obama Administration has apparently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Cuban government to coordinate the flow of counter-terrorism and counter-drug trafficking intelligence between the two countries'  security forces. That's like the City of Chicago signing a similar MOU with the Capone Mob during Prohibition. Well, one more thing to add to the Executive Order repeal list by Trump for signature next week.

www.breitbart.com/national-security/2017/01/19/obama-sends-ben-rhodes-signing-counterterrorism-agreement-cuba/

The Inauguration

Today is the day that Donald Trump becomes the 45th President of the Unted States. We have successfully navigated the transfer of power 44 times previously going back to the end of George Washington's term in 1798, which is something that few countries around the world can claim. Although elections can and often are bitter, there has always been a coming together at this moment because, for better or worse, the new President will be steering the Ship of State for at least the next four years and as passengers, we have a vested interest in the ship not going down. 

Not surprisingly, the Left disagrees and is threatening the peaceful transfer of power with actions ranging from not attending the Inauguration by 1/3 of the Democrats in Congress to who knows what vile actions that may be see today and perhaps even extending to violence. This is beginning to look like the Weimar Republic in Germany between the World Wars of the 20th Century and we know who arose from the ashes of that failed government. Or do we? Either from craven and unchecked partisanship or in some malicious intent, a substantial number of people in this country seem determined to try it again. The Chinese curse says, "May you live ininetresting times." And we do. 

Kudos

Al Roker and Pharrell Williams - For saying that Jenna Bush was not a flaming racist for making a mistake in the title of the movie that Pharrell Williams scored. Ditto Mr. Williams himself.

townhall.com/tipsheet/cortneyobrien/2017/01/10/al-roker-slams-media-for-suggesting-jenna-bush-is-racist-after-golden-globes-mistake-n2269131

The black leaders from Alabama, including several Democratic politicians, who all testified that AG nominee Jeff Sessions is not a racist.

www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jan/8/the-black-friends-of-jeff-sessions/

Carrier, Ford, and Chrysler-Fiat for bringing plants and jobs back to the U.S.

www.nbcnews.com/business/autos/ford-bringing-back-bronco-jobs-michigan-n704796

money.cnn.com/2017/01/08/news/companies/fiat-chrysler-billion-dollar-investment/

It's nice when people do what's right. 

Catchy Slogan Guys!

Speaking of Kool Aid drinkers, I absolutely love the new slogan that the Dems have adopted. Take a gander to the left (how appropriate!) of Chuck and Nancy.

www.breitbart.com/2016-presidential-race/2017/01/10/chuck-schumers-twitter-blooper-dont-makeamericagreatagain/

Another Round?

Amazing! They really don't get it. The most surprising Presidential election in at least a century, maybe ever, and so-called progressives are still drinking the Kool Aid. Take these comments from TimeShare CMO founder Melinda Byerley.

Ms. Byerley, in a particularly elegant piece of prose, said that:

 “... one thing Middle America could do is to realize that no educated person wants to live in a shithole with stupid people. Especially violent, racist. and/or misogynistic ones.”

I love the compassion, the kindness, the empathy of progressives - it so reminds me of say Josef Stalin or Heinrich Himmler. She goes on with her heartfelt paean to her fellow citizens with kindly advice about how to get jobs:

”Clean up your act and make your town a place people like us want to live in. add fiber Internet. Make it a point to elect a progressive city council and commit to not being bigots.”

Ah yes, the "My way or the highway!" approach with an extra helping of bile and contempt - hmm, hmm, good! My advice to all similarly-situated progressives knocking back Kool Aid shooter after Kool Aid shooter - stay thirsty, my friends! You are guaranteeing a long-time conservative ascendance.

townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2017/01/09/liberal-tech-executive-middle-america-needs-to-realize-that-theyre-racist-they-live-in-a-sthole-and-jobs-wont-come-until-theyevolve-n2269102

Happy New Year!

May it be less tumultuous than 2016. 
Blessings.