I'll Bet Hillary Doesn't Like this One

I remember a whole lot was made of Forbes magazine publishing a favorable article about Mrs. Bill Clinton, a.k.a. "The Senator formerly known as Rodham-Clinton". Well, Forbes has just put out it's list of 100 of the world's most powerful women. At the top of the list is German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who happens to be a -- brace yourself, gentle reader -- a conservative. That's right. The first woman Chancellor of Germany was a member of Helmut Kohl's cabinet. Why is this significant?

Well, from post WWII to 1989, East Germany was part of the Soviet bloc. When reunification took place, there were two very different socio-economic structures that had to become one again. West Germany had a healthy, capitalist economy. East Germany, under Soviet control, had a failing command economy with its citizens dependent on the government for subsistence. With the two halves put together, you had the former East Germans wanting a government safety net for their day-to-day needs, and former West Germans wanting their eastern compatriots to rise above their situation and assimilate into the western lifestyle. The government's process of reunifying took a couple of years. The socio-economic reunification was much slower, as evidenced by the Christian Democratic Union getting voted out of power in 1998.

The election of 1998 led to Gerhard Schroder, a member of the Socialist Democratic Party, becoming Chancellor. The SPD (the initials in German) ideologically embraces Marxism and the nationalization of industry, the very same economic theory that drove the Soviet Union into the ground (actually, it was that and the fact that Reagan wasn't a pansy). The rise of the SPD was a setback to the economic recovery of reunified Germany because they expanded government programs, and increased taxes to support this expansion. Look what happened when Germany joined the EU; on paper, they looked stable enough to be members without dragging the Euro down. Upon closer inspection (without the rose-colored glasses), one could see that a nation with a 30-hour work week and 40% income tax rate was not going to be as healthy as it let on. Seeing their lots unimproved, the German people spoke with their ballots and returned conservatives to head the government.

With all of the limp-wristed, weak-kneed featherheads we have in charge on this side of the pond, we may have to go through what Germany experienced before we as a nation get our heads back on straight. A lot of people don't how good we really have it. Does that mean there's not room for improvement? Hell no, it doesn't. Read my previous posts if you think that I'm satisfied with the status quo. The changes we need to make are not for the faint of heart; they require leadership, not focus-grouping. The initiative needs to come not just from our elected officials, but from each of us. We need to quit waiting on somebody else to make our decisions and stop buying into the idea that concensus makes everything alright. I would hope that after electing liberals to power in Congress, and seeing the aftermath, the American people wouldn't make the same mistake twice. It is time for there to be more strong men and women, both in government and in our everyday lives.

Engineering Humor

Actually, this is for anyone who's ever taken a math or science exam without the benefit of studying. Some of these guys must not have even attended class until test day. Too bad for them; there don't appear to be "style points".

First CA Driver's Licenses, Now This.

Living in California all of my life (and thereby having more than my fill of "multiculturalism"), I thought I had seen and heard almost every product of political correctness known to humanity. Apparently, one must travel to Nebraska to see the latest in PC absurdity. Two Native American tribes are being investigated for selling tribal membership to illegals, under the auspice of providing legal documentation for these people. Neither of these tribes are recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (so they're kinda like Ward Churchill). Since the tribes are not federally recognized, simply being a member is not enough to prove U.S. citizenship. Two illegals were caught trying to procure passports with their tribal membership documents.

For those of my readers that do not know me personally, I am one-eighth Chippewa. Since I was born outside of the community were my tribe originates, my parents were supposed to fill out registration paperwork for me to be recognized as a tribe member. They didn't realize this, and so the registration period passed. My younger siblings were, however, registered within the allotted time. In spite of the fact that my mother and siblings were tribal members, I was not allowed to register until the tribal government had an "open enrollment" period. I was finally able to register...when I was twenty-five years old!

The fact that I was not registered does not change the fact that I was still of Chippewa descent. It did affect my legal standing as such. Since I was not a registered member of the tribe, I was eligible for neither financial assistance for college, nor health insurance through the tribe. Likewise, paying a membership fee and a laminated card will not make you a Native American. I am sure we will hear Chicano studies majors all over the country saying, "Technically, Mexicans are the descents of Spaniards and Native Americans, so they are members of Native American tribes." Well, they're half-right; they're of Native American descent with regard to tribes found in Mexico (e.g. the Maya and Aztecs). I have blogged previously on why illegal immigration is bad for both law-abiding and the immigrants themselves. Sadly, this is further proof that I was correct.

Playing the Roman Fool

According to the latest report by the U.S. Comptroller General David Walker, the federal government is on the verge of collapse in a very similar manner to the decline and fall of the Roman Empire (read the Financial Times article summarizing the report). "The US government is on a ‘burning platform’ of unsustainable policies and practices with fiscal deficits, chronic healthcare underfunding, immigration and overseas military commitments threatening a crisis if action is not taken soon." Walker, a Clinton appointee, raises some valid points, but is certainly not the final word on the matter.

At the time of its decline and fall, Roman citizens were paying more than 25% of their income to cover taxes. The holidays to celebrate and honor Roman deities were reduced to being an excuse to indulge in gluttonous behavior. The empire covered vastly different cultural and geographic regions. Government officials were emptying the coffers by building palaces and putting on diversions for the plebes (gladiators and public executions at the Coliseum, anyone?). Fast forward to the 21st century. We have redistribution of wealth through taxation and government programs, mention of God has been removed from our institutions, and newcomers to our country are not encouraged to assimilate into our culture. Our elected officials bring home the bacon for their constituents in the form of pork spending attached to legislation that's supposed to help the men and women of the armed forces and secure our borders.

I wholeheartedly agree with Walker's assessment that “declining moral values and political civility at home [...] and fiscal irresponsibility by the central government" have set us on the path toward self-destruction. I would have to take issue with Walker's additional citations of "slashed government services" and an "over-confident and over-extended military". Maintaining and expanding "government services", like starting government-run healthcare, go hand-in-hand with the fiscal irresponsibility that is the hallmark of "The Great Society". In the face of retiring, and presumably ailing, baby boomers Congress should reform Social Security and healthcare regulations so that we of younger generations will be better prepared for our own golden years. Currently, we bear the burden of footing the bill for today's benefit recipients. Skyrocketing healthcare costs are a result of the rising costs of practicing medicine and fewer individuals choosing this profession. Who can blame today's college students for being turned off by the threat of malpractice suits and dealing with HMOs? Even in the face of higher doctor's bills, we're still better off than nations with "socialized medicine".

As to our military operations overseas, it is necessary to protect ourselves from the enemies without, as well as within. The Visigoths were able to cross into the Roman Empire and ultimately sack Rome itself, due to weaken border defense. Enforcement of immigration laws in addition to routing the enemy abroad is the key to ensuring victory in the battle that will define us for centuries to come, while preserving our civil liberties. I don't know about the rest of you, but I would rather not have to fight al-Qaeda in my own backyard (though I wouldn't hesistate to take pot-shots from my kitchen window). If we do not vanquish the people who have dedicated their lives to the destruction of everything that America stands for, we won't have to worry about falling our own sword.

The Quote of the Day!

"If you wake up every morning and need to be validated by the editorial page of the New York Times, you have a pretty sorry existence." -- Karl Rove.

Those Muscles and Helmets are Just Fabulous!

In yesterday's Democratic debate, Mike Gravel stated that the Spartans encouraged homosexuality because men fight for the guy in the trenches next to them, not for love of country or an ideal. He mocks Der Schliekmeister's position of "don't ask, don't tell" as uneducated. I do believe that Senator Gravel needs to revisit his high school's class on western civilization. If that's not possible perhaps he needs to watch the History Channel.

From the time that a Spartan boy was six or seven years old, he was taken from his family and sent to live in military barracks. This was the beginnings of his education in the art of war. Rations were meager, so the boys had to steal food to stave off starvation. This practice was, in fact, encouraged to teach them how to forage. If caught stealing, the boys were beaten severely. The boys were also put to the test in war games, meant to sharpen their skills and toughen them for actual combat. There was no headgear or padding involved; if a blow was dealt by a more skilled opponent, the recipient could die. Another part of a Spartan warrior's training was to be "apprenticed" to a seasoned warrior.

Many people have the misconception that this relationship was homosexual. This may have been the case for some, but it wasn't the rule. In the ancient world, the idea of romantic love was not the highest form of love between two people. This was because a woman was not viewed as an equal to a man. It was brotherly love, the love between equals, that was held in highest regard.

I know that Gravel served in the military, but I have to wonder what he did exactly during his service that would lead him to believe that encouraging homosexuality would improve our military's performance. In my studies of western civilization and battles that defined our culture, the bond forged between warriors in the throes of battle is one that transcends physicality. These brave souls, past and present, fight for more than survival and each other. Through strength of conviction, they are willing to lay down their lives to defend family, faith, and country.

Besides, they already tried to destroy the cowboy image with Brokeback Mountain. The least they could do is let me ogle the film version of King Leonidas.