Sarge

Discharges and diatribe

It amazes me politicians needing to make a point resort to hyperbole so often. It would be a sound tactic if it wasn’t so badly overused. It’s no more than a cliché effort at striking terror into the heart of the audience.

Got nuthin’

As a young man I decided I’d rather not hand my money over to sand-bagging card players. I figured I’d spend it more traditionally on strong drink and weak-willed women. No matter the choice it was a bad one for me.

Indefensible gamesmanship

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) came up with a brain pulse (more like a dull thud than a pulse but whatever). He offered Mr. Obama the option of taking Debt Ceiling increases in three installments which he’d then have to justify and get passed through Congress as an afterthought. The “installments” are at a rate of $2.5 Trillion of YOUR dollars.

Tunnel vision

I looked for the definitions of “political hack”, “self-serving, incompetent fear mongering ideologue” and “bovine scatologinous material dissemination technician (BS spreader)” and Barack Obama’s picture came up on the screen each time.

Hitting the ceiling

“The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies."

…”it has to be done?”

Congress has been debating the raising of the “Debt ceiling” for months. In Louisiana, The Advocate’s editorial staff (7-1-2011) took the stance the Republican leadership refuses to admit this fact “just about every member of Congress knows has to be done”. The Republicans are in opposition to this without budgetary cuts to “balance” the effect of the ceiling being elevated. This alone puts the lie to the statement.

Apex Hunters

Sociology defines the social evolution theory as having underlying forces in societies like the natural laws governing animal and plant communities. Therefore one can formulate social laws similar to natural ones. These social forces progress through the natural conflicts between social groups. The best-adapted and most successful social groups survive these conflicts, raising the evolutionary level of society generally (‘survival of the fittest')." This is Social Darwinism.

The Perfect Storm

In general people believe the present oil crisis is the fault of that cabal of evil and injustice, OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) and specifically, Saudi Arabia, Declining domestic production, Declining value of the U.S. Dollar

Citizens on patrol

In St. Helena Parish several people took the stance they’re “fed up with it all and they’re not going to take it anymore”. [Peter Finch in “Network” 1976 (paraphrased)] They’ve armed themselves after increased thefts and burglaries in their community. They’ve started patrolling to see if there were “suspicious” vehicles or activities in the area.

Leadership by the People

Leadership (n): directorship, governorship, governance, administration, captaincy, control, ascendancy, supremacy, rule, command, power, dominion, influence Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus 2008 This is a great land of strength, beauty, incredible vitality and majestic power. It’s directed by men with strength, power and drive to see those things they feel best will advance America on the world stage. But that’s where the problems come into play with a viciousness never before understood.

No snub

Recently one of our Congressional Delegation created a stir when invited to the White House for, allegedly, a meeting concerning the raising of the national debt ceiling. Instead Representative Jeff Landry blew a hole in the ceiling with his refusal to attend. Some felt this was a snub of the Presidency. It was merely a snub of the never-ending need to grandstand, posture and assume the role of elemental political poseur.

Irony at sunset

The morning dawned over the gulf with a beauty I’d forgotten. For some reason I’d decided to accept an invitation to travel to a friend’s “camp” in Cocodrie. I never knew what I’d missed over the years.

Quotations

I found a quote from the bible while scanning “Dear Prudence”, Emily Yoffe’s advice column. She advised a man on how he should deal with a family of devout Christians after having decided he’d lost his faith. The correspondent signed off with the name: “the whitewashed tomb”.

The Disease

I have a strange disease. It’s one I believe I can’t overcome. It became evident the other day when I found myself looking through an old set of books I have. It was a minor thing, but I found it to be preceded by a feeling of internalized warmth. It was pleasant, like reconnecting with old friends after being apart for a long time. My mind opened. There was a light headedness making me feel like I was a part of something special happening. But, it made me crave more. It was like an old addiction raising its head to consume me and lead me somewhere I wasn’t sure I could return from.

Fresh, clean eyes

Our political beauty contest, the manner we choose to follow when selecting political candidates for the highest office in the land, is stupid. It’s recessive instead of progressive. We accept it to avoid stepping out of our comfort zones.

Credentials overpowering Credibility

Practical politics consists of ignoring facts. -- Henry Brooks Adams The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well meaning, but without understanding. -- Louis D. Brandeis

Theater of the absurd

It has been the political career of this man to begin with hypocrisy, proceed with arrogance, and finish with contempt. -- Thomas Paine (1776) Politics, being the specific type of animal it is, attracts men (and women) of the above mentioned ilk. The advertisement is made describing a particular train of thought and that the person advertising is specifically cut from the whole cloth of truth. They’re patriotic. They’re steadfast. They live by principles and stand ready to sacrifice for the position.

Fallacy

Definition of (-cracy) Combined element forming nouns meaning “rule of the government by,” from Fr. -cratie or M.L. –cratia, from Gk. – kratia “power, might; rule, sway; power over; a power, authority, “from kratos “strength,” from PIE *kratus “power, strength” Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology 1995, Harper Collins The greatest fallacy of the ages is the mistaken belief that American people rule themselves. It just isn’t so, folks, because you can use most any word as a prefix with the suffix: -cracy. Democracy is, allegedly, government by the people. In general it’s not possible in America because we live with a process and organic governmental organization deciding our elected President. It’s called the Electoral College and removes true democracy from the people.

Managers & Stewards?

Definition of Economy: (n) (pre-1393 B.C.E) from the Greek oekonomia, from oekonomos – meaning manager or steward Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology Harper- Collins (pub.) The funny thing about Congress is the number of allegedly intelligent, educated and reasonable people accumulated in one room at any particular time. But for all of the extended levels of education our legislators claim, they’re still some of the dumbest people on the planet. I point out the irony of the fact they can’t quote (for the most part) the definition just given by a layman (me). (If you don’t believe it, ask a “Lege” (legislator) where the word originated. It’ll prove enlightening and troubling.)

Hostage takers

All of this action being accomplished by the “public sector” union members in Wisconsin is a problem. In the effort to assure they have a voice in the manner teachers are paid and given benefits, the unions have come across as thugs and extortionists. They’re proving to be hostage takers in what they laughingly describe as a pursuit of the right to “negotiate”.