War and Culture

While the economy implodes, the President pledges $30 billion to Africa for its AIDS epidemic. The Blue Team’s frontrunner, Mr. Obama is lubricating through the Senate a “Global Poverty Relief” act that should gladden Communists and batter Americans to the tune of $70 billion/year for twelve years. Foreigners in America illegally send about $50 billion generated by our economy out of the nation each year. The GAO estimates that the actual national debt runs into the trillions of dollars; social security and Medicare are held up tenuously by income taxes that fall hardest on middle income Americans who are watching their costs rise, benefits fall and jobs leave for the East. The price of Medical insurance (not health care) skyrockets while covered benefits shrink, Big Pharma and the insurance industry swagger while ordinary people are crushed and education becomes special education for those damaged by bad vaccines and “whole language.” (more…)

Some Americans may know of legislation to disarm Veterans returning from military service as part of ongoing attempts to negate second amendment rights. This tendency distinguishes modern dictatorial regimes that prefer servants to citizens, that dislike accountability and, perhaps worst, intend to do things to citizens that might occasion ordinary decent people to seek justice as supported by Second Amendment rights.

The following real life horror story relates to these matters. It was brought to my attention by a post from the “5301 Club.”   (more…)

“A social system based on lies will bring ruin to mankind more than any overtly brutal force…the most dangerous symptom of moral corruption is the depravity of human speech… whatever is done nowadays ostensibly for the common good is actually motivated by clever calculation of  the advantages such acts will bring to those initiating them…[1]

Few are more cruel than those endlessly prating about “compassion”; few more intolerant than those forever enforcing codes proclaiming tolerance and diversity. Corruption of language marches together with corruption of youth, families, social relations, law and the Constitution itself. (more…)

“What will it be, Rip: grim humor and satire or just plain grief?”

Regular readers know that Rip and I (that’s Rip van Winkle, a not-so-fictional character born about two hundred sixty years ago, skilled in time travel and handling the shock of ‘progress’) have been following the horse race for the White House, assessing the official handicaps the nags are carrying and those they are bequeathing to us serfs. Rip’s inclined to grim humor and even more inclined to don snow shoes, grab an axe and head off to the woods for some ice-fishing. Needing the fire and more enmeshed in the collapse of the American era, I tend to serious grieving which includes diagnosis and prescription.

We decide to compromise in terms of satire or grief, something we will not do on Super Duper Tuesday or in November ‘08. (more…)

Hunkered by the fire within Rip’s highly mobile dream, lubricated with pain-killing cider, we have a preparedness mechanism of great value. Moving through many periods of time, I sit and doze while Rip explores previous and future lives of which there are many to choose.

Occasionally, when we’re both awake at the same time we peruse the process of the horse race, better known as the distraction machine or pre-op room. This cannot be done without painkillers like a fire (the TV is near the stove) and the aforementioned beverage.

Rip has been working with me on a policy statement for a Presidential candidate from any party that will identify the problems rotting out the Republic and propose specific repairs. It will be good but probably a little too late. In the meantime, after a field trip to the 1890s including a visit to the library of H.G. Wells, we’ve returned to virtual land in time for the latest mediated confection: (more…)

The two previous essays have discussed themes arising from the character, conflicts and challenges of the major figures in Shakespeare’s King Lear, mighty players in the affairs of state. But at the climax of the play it is an anonymous bit character, someone like most of us in the sweep of history’s defining events that steps forward and changes the plans and hopes of the mighty, good and evil both. All the plotting and conflicts of the last two acts would be very different without the choice he made, expressed and put into deeds.

Who was he, what did he say and do, why did he act as he did and what was his reward? (more…)