What Price Diversity?

I am not politically correct!

General George Casey is!

I resent terms like “African-American”, Jewish-American”, and “Mexican-American” because those hyphenated groups balkanize our nation.  My view is that if you are a citizen of the United States you are an American.  We need to be blind to ethnic, racial, and gender identity.  Of course that is difficult to do if you are Black or Oriental (oops, I am not supposed to use that word) or Indian.  So at least try.

 Army Chief of Staff General George Casey appeared on Meet the Press today talking about the massacre at Fort Hood.  This is part of his interview with David Gregory.  I have underlined in bold the sentences that really upset me.   

GREGORY:  What about your concerns about backlash against our Muslim soldiers who are in the Army, as a result of this incident?

GEN. CASEY:  Yeah.  I think those concerns are real and I, and I will tell you, David, that they’re, they’re fueled partially, at least, by the speculation about–based on anecdotal evidence that people are presenting.  I think we have to be very careful with that.  Our diversity not only in our Army, but in our country, is a strength.  And as horrific as this tragedy was, if our diversity becomes a casualty, I think that’s worse.

GREGORY:  Do you have any reason to believe that having Muslims in the Army puts them in a very difficult position and makes the more conflicted fighting a war against Muslims in Afghanistan or Iraq?

GEN. CASEY:  I think that’s something that they have to look at on an individual basis.  But I think we as an Army have to be broad enough to bring in people from all walks of life.

In other words the loss of 13 lives and the maiming of 31 other people is not as consequential as diversity.  What happened to our duty as Americans to protect American lives?  Why is diversity so all important?  General Casey is responsible for protecting all of his people.  He failed.

Our war with terrorists is a fight to protect our nation from those who want to destroy the American way of life.  For those who do not like the way we live there are many other nations to call home.

“Cruella De Vil” or Her Sister?

I could not help notice the face of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, in a photo in Vancouver, Canada.  She looks miserable.  Perhaps it was because there was a rain and wind but I think it was more than that.

Look at this set of photos and you will see a pained face.  Her smiles are more grimaces than real indications of happiness. When she was young and having an affair with Prince Charles, even before his divorce from Princess Diana, you knew she thought she had found her own paradise. 

OK, maybe she isn’t Cruella but she looks like that character.  Perhaps she does like Dalmatians. 

As for Prince Charles,  he appears to be in his own world.  It is truly astonishing he could not see the beauty, grace and dignity in Princess Diana.

Negative Nabobs Live On

The President and the Democratic Party find themselves in a “no win” position in the world of politics now.  The party of “no” is growing more extreme every day.  The Republican Party has become the party of “negative nabobs.”

A little history is appropriate here.  

-It was President George W. Bush’s Treasury Secretary, Henry Paulson, who rushed his proposal to give $700 Billion to the financial industry without any strings because it was believed that the nation was about to come to a grinding halt.                                                                                                                                                                                                                     -It was President George W. Bush who formulated the Bush Doctrine of preemptive military strikes that took the country into Iraq and neglected the situation in Afghanistan.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           -It was the Bush administration that ignored the warnings about the Katrina hurricane.

Now, just 10 months after entering office president Barack Obama is supposed to have solved all of America’s problems.  Look at what has happened.

-3.5% GDP growth is artificial.  It’s all the result of government programs.  Are those the programs that the GOP said would not work?  Isn’t the point of the programs to stimulate the economy?                                                                                                                                                                                                   -Medical costs are rising at about 10% annually.  The cost of insurance and care is taking at least 15% of American earnings.  Obama proposes a Federally run insurance plan and the GOP says no but offers no alternatives.                                                                                                                                -The war in Afghanistan is going badly and the president is considering a new strategy.  The former VP, Dick Cheney, calls the president’s evaluation “dithering” and the GOP faithful applaud.                                                                                                                                                                                                       -Swine Flu vaccine has been quickly developed and the news media is scornful of medical lab care in assuring a quality product is produced.                                                                                                             -Improved relations with nations that have historically been our allies and reduced tensions with other nations has been a hallmark of Obama’s presidency.  It is scorned by the GOP.  Their answer is let’s fight.   Rush Limbaugh hopes the “president fails.”  

Unfortunately Democrats are not willing to grant Republican successes.  It’s the negativity of the minority party that ought to be condemned.  It is rarely about what is good for America.  The last time we all came together was the week after 9-11.  We all need to ignore the nabobs of negativism.

Why Not Los Angeles?

Thanks to my father my family moved from Philadelphia to Los Angeles after WWII.  There are many reasons for not bringing your family to Los Angeles.  Most of them are poor arguments. 

Metropolitan Los Angeles spreads across five counties. Traveling north to south it spreads across a distance of about 75 miles and from the beach to inland cities and towns and spreads east about 50 miles.  Many people travel a distance of 30 to 35 miles just to go to work.  For most people a car is necessary for the commute to work.

Homes are relatively expensive.  Even with the downturn in housing prices for a home of 1700 to 2000 square feet will cost at least $350,000.  Those least expensive homes are in lower income neighborhoods.

What makes the city desirable are the following features:

1. Total annual rainfall averages 16 inches.  Snow is a rarity.  Temperature today reached 87ºF/30ºC at my home (October 26, 2009).  Winter temperatures drop below freezing at night for about a week every January.  How far below freezing?  One to three degrees.    

2. The entertainment facilities are second to none.  Live theater is in neighborhood venues, the Hollywood Bowl, L.A. Live, Staples Center, Disney Hall, comedy clubs, etc.

3. Medical facilities include UCLA, City of Hope, Cedars Sinai Hospital, etc.

4. Universities are too numerous to list but include UCLA, USC, California State University has four campuses.

5. Beaches include Santa Monica, Malibu, and Laguna.

6. Amusement parks include Universal City, Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, and Magic Mountain.

7. The largest port in America and the entertainment industry brings lots of job opportunities.

8. There is also the zoo, museums, gardens, and wonderful shopping malls.

What’s wrong with this picture?  The people are too liberal, many races and ethnic groups are intermixed throughout the city.  West Hollywood is an internationally known gay and lesbian community.  You may have to wait an hour and a half to be seated at Miceli’s and parking at the Beverly Center is always a challenge.    

AARP is Just Another Business

The good news is that more businesses than ever before are trying to appeal to the over 50 crowd.  I never thought that being over 50 years old as being part of the senior generation.  That is the age when AARP starts sending out their membership packets.  I through them in the trash can for five years.  Then one day someone in a video rental store said he thought I was entitled to a discount due to my age.  Hmm, did I look that old?  Oh well, they gave me a 25% discount on VHS rentals so why not accept this opportunity?  That is when I joined AARP.

AARP does send out an entertaining magazine and newsletter so there is a benefit.  AARP did work with President Bush on the drug plan for Medicare and that seems to have lowered the cost (at price to the government) so perhaps they do help seniors.  I do obtain lower rates at hotels when I travel thanks to AARP and used the “AARP Travel Center powered by Expedia” to get a good deal on our trip to Toronto last June. 

A little investigation showed that my Auto Club insurance is cheaper than insurance offered through AARP and the Auto Club’s life insurance is much cheaper too.  That is the case in California.  Now I found this article published by Bloomberg that confirms my worst concerns about the organization.

AARP is not a bad or dishonest group.  They are just not as good as they want all the older Americans (Canadians too) to believe.

Getting Happy with the Future

America has finally obtained what so many of us has wished and hoped for, the success of countries all over the world.  It’s not just European nations that have become prosperous.  Even China and India have become nations with growing middle class societies that can afford homes, cars, and wide screen television. China has been documented on television in the United States about its growing middle and upper classes.  Fareed Zakaria reports in Newsweek that China “will spend $200 billion on railways in the next two years, much of it for high-speed rail”.  The Los Angeles Times reported on October 21, 2009 that China’s growth is at 8.9% thanks to their stimulus and lending programs. BusinessWeek reported on the growing middle class in Turkey.   

The bad news is that their prosperity impacts our prosperity.  Why? If those other nations prosper they will compete with the United States for the sales of many of the products we export to the rest of the world.  Most other nations have lower labor costs than the United States and that affects our competitiveness.

For the United States to continue its economic dominance will require at least two occurrences. 

First there will have to be a new advance in part of our economy that will be a show stopper.  It will need the next new thing.  It will be something that everyone realizes is a “must have.”  The federal government is trying to motivate this idea with talk of the new “green” environment and the possible development of new energy sources. 

Second, the cost to produce this something new will be accomplished in the United States at a competitive rate with the rest of the world.  That evolution is already happening with the lower trade value of the American dollar.  Americans may not like this outcome because the cost of oil, cars, televisions, and cameras will be higher.  The cost of traveling to another country will be higher.   

Just as buggy whips and newspapers are part of the past, new ideas are part of the future.  Our inventiveness will make Americans happy with the future.

Illegal Aliens Have Rights in America!

In the 14^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Section 1 reads in part “nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”  That one statement requires that everyone in every jurisdiction must be counted in the census.  I am not happy about this but that requirement is written into our basic law.

Reverend Miguel Rivera, Chairman of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders, has been pushing lawmakers to address immigration reform that would make illegal aliens into legal residents.  He is threatening a boycott of the census if there is no action by Congress.

I feel sorry for those who came to the United States by any means possible to make a better life for themselves.  I might have done the same thing.  However, our first concern ought to be for those who entered the country legally.  Generously this country does provide for the protection of illegal aliens.

If the reverend’s boycott campaign is successful the Federal government ought to pass even more stringent laws that would expedite illegal resident deportation.

The President’s Vision

President Obama has already made history by being the first non-White to be elected to the presidency.  That was a significant accomplishment.  However, it is not enough for our new president.  He wants to make significant changes to our relationship with the rest of the world and wants to re-make parts of the American economy.  The changes he wants to accomplish are dramatic.  Given his lack of experience, his objectives seem unrealistic.  After all many Democrats as well as most Republicans hold historical views that are contrary to his ideas.

Obama’s allies are operatives who seem to see everything through a political spectrum.  Those associates are driven by political motivation.  They understand that their best opportunities to change America and its relationship to the world must be accomplished in the earliest part of the Obama presidency.  That is the reason for the hard push for health care reform and the very aggressive foreign policy.  It is not clear that his closest supporters even understand his vision.

I am not saying that his ideas are wrong.  They are just views that do not conform to historic philosophy.  It appears he may be correct in his views of the 21^st century.

In foreign affairs Obama wants the United States to step down from its position of supremacy.  His calls for greater participation of other countries in resolving international issues is a view that was actually started by President George W. Bush.  There is a good reason for this change of philosophy.  This country currently has 300,000 soldiers in 150 countries and 820 bases in 39 countries.  The U.S. military budget is approximately $500 billion.  Starting with George Washington there has been an idea that the country would be better off with limited foreign entanglements.

In domestic affairs Obama wants to involve the federal government in more of the things that impact most citizens.  Reform of health care is just the first step of his agenda.  He wants the federal government to become more involved in the educational systems and the industrial system of our nation.  I believe his objective is U.S.A. Incorporated.  He sees this as the avenue to competition in a global economy.  His list of books to read in 2009 includes Hot, Flat and Crowded by Thomas Friedman.  The recent decline in the value of the American dollar is a good thing when you are trying to compete with the low cost nations of the world.

It’s a scary set of objectives.  I think I can see where he wants to take this nation.  Many people will fight him because they are living in the past.  The problem is too few have taken a really good look at where the nation is right now.  Those resisting his ideas could easily stop him.  The question is what is their vision?

The End of the World in 2012?

Over 200 predictions and counting!
Yes the end is coming, but all human predictions are wrong!

Mathew 24:35-36 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” Jesus Christ.

Finally something Christ said that makes sense. Only God knows when the end of the world will happen.  Perhaps there will be no end.

Nostradamus is said to have had the most success in forecasting future events.  The problem is that the observations of his accuracy are made after the events happen.  That is said to be the result of his complicated style of writing that was done to keep his ideas a secret from the Catholic church.  His forecast of the end is the year 3797.  That means the end will not be 2012 as the Mayans predicted.  After writing this piece I have learned there is a movie “2012” being promoted at a really fun web site titled “who will survive 2012.”  It offers great computer graphics and sound.

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October 17, 2009 Update: The Los Angeles Times has an article saying that scientists are trying to calm the ‘2012’ hysteria.  What hysteria?  The article itself is a great advertising piece for the movie.

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We all thought everything would stop when the calendar turned to the year 2000.  Remember?  So many people said nothing would function because computers were programmed with only two digits for the year.  Either all the systems were fixed or we were very lucky or the computers were smarter than we thought.   

Perhaps none of this is real.  Perhaps “I think therefore I am” is just a line in a script?  My theory is we are just too small and too inconsequential in this universe.  It’s a great disappointment to those who thought the Earth is the center of the universe.

The Unspoken Change in our Economy

Americans are changing their spending behavior.  The impact of this change could also result in a deflationary economy.  That is a situation where prices are dropping and everyone is waiting for the next drop in prices before making a purchase.  It’s great for consumers but businesses are forced to carry reduced inventories because they fear sales will not be sufficient to provide a return on their investment.

The ongoing recession could impact our country in a way that few people have discussed.  When so many people do not have jobs or have taken lower paying jobs a level of depression begins to set in.  Stores have less to sell and people have less to spend.  It is a cycle that is difficult to break.

The real unemployment is totaling about 17%.  That is the combination of the reported unemployment of 9.8% added to those working reduced hours, those working at jobs paying less than their historical pay rate, and those that have given up searching for a job.  All of those people have reduced their spending.  The impact is seen in retail sales.  Most retail businesses are reporting losses.  A walk through the malls tells the story with many vacancies and too few shoppers.  The Christmas selling season is expected to be slow.

For many of us our homes were our piggy banks.  With housing prices dropping by 30% to 40% and banks asking for higher credit card interest the outcome is obvious.

The stock market is up based on higher profits.  It is a temporary condition. Those profits are the result of reduced labor costs not increased demand.  This economy is based on consumers buying.  We the people have run out of money.