Author: David

Well, as reluctant as I have become to embrace any politician *spit*, I have read Fred Thompson’s positions, examined as much as I have yet had time to examine of his past history (record in the Senate, legal work, etc.) and have tentatively come to the conclusion that of all the men running for the Presidency (including the Hildebeast–who seems to have more testosterone than “her” hormone-driven “husband”), Fred Thompson seems to be closest to my views.

See his position statements–paying very, very careful to his statement about Federalism–and study them. Compare them to his record. The guy just makes sense on more topics than the other guys do, and has a track record that–more than most–bears out his committment to his stated positions.

Sure, I know some like Ann Coulter have gone to seed on his failure to vote for a conviction of Bill Clinton on the impeachment charges (and I’d like to have a heart-to-heart with him on that one, myself), but unlike Ron Paul–the only other person who (surprise!) even approaches my views on a majority of issues but who has a serious and glaring fault in his wrongheadedness on Iraq:cluebat, Ron–we broke it, it’s ours to fix–whose record is also consistent with his stated views. Thompson is 1. electable and 2. not a loon (Paul’s courting of conspiracy theorists and his accusations of deception leading up to the Iraq adventure are pure loony).

Duncan Hunter is far too tainted with Washington D.C. mentality.

Mike Huckabee wants to be the Second Coming of the Messiah (or is that “Southron Baptist Mahdi”? *shudder*)–watch out for his good intentions: “I’m from the government; I’m here to help” are probably the eight most terrifying words in the English language. *sigh* He actually thinks government should substitute for personal responsibility! Yep. From his own mouth and record.

*profound sigh*

Tancredo is a one trick pony. I like the guy and agree with his position, but he really only as one issue. Yes, it’s an important issue. Of paramount importance for the feds. But it’s not the only one, Tom. (Yeh, yeh, I know he has “positions” on other issues, but they’re just pale, imitation positions: all else is completely overshadowed by his one trick.

McCain? Puhlease! I’d not vote for Snake McCain for dogcatcher even were I lobotomized and given a one-choice ballot. I despise the air that creature breathes.

Rudy? Not a chance. His one qualification (Mayor of NYC–did a credible job, didn’t fall to pieces after 9-11) is not nearly enough to balance out the simple fact that he’d be the final stake through whatever shred of principle is left in the Republican’t Party.

Oh, forgot Mitt Romney, the Mormon winup toy. An automaton who can with a clear conscience flip from one position to another saying his former positions are (redundancy alert) “old history” … because he’s a construct, a puppet, a windup toy, and such things simply do not have consciences.

Who’s left? Realistically, Fred. And the more I look at the issues, his record and his position statements, the more comfortable I am with the choice.

And I mean that I’m much more comfortable in seriously considering actually supporting the guy’s run than I was voting for GWB in 04. Seriously. That was a “lesser of two evils” vote. Granted, it was a MUCH lesser of two evils vote. And even with the fact that GWB has utterly lost my respect by lying to me (to all of us) about his amnesty push, signing McCain-Feingold, playing footsie with the Saudis (instead of kicking their asses for their continued support of jihadism and the terrorism it actively encourages) and more, my 04 vote for GWB wasn’t wasted.

After all, at least I don’t have to wake up in the morning to read about “President Jean Fraud sKerry,” now do I?

But I’m growing more fond of the idea of a “President Fred.” Just say that a few times. Wouldn’t that roll trippingly off the tongue in introductions to foreign dignitaries? *heh*

Better than “President Bill” was or “President Hildebeast” *shudder* would be, eh?

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It occurred to me a bit ago (though not for the first time) that while most campaign finance laws seem geared toward enabling skullduggery (just look at McCain/Feingold, for an example) rather than actually curbing it, the one real lack in political campaign laws is one that would allow common citizens to sue their elected officials for failing to actively pursue the platforms they campaigned on. Call it an “Truth in Campaigning” law. As it stands, everyone simply expects that 90% (or more–perhaps in some cases 100%) of a politician’s *spit* “promises” are anything from complete hot air to flat out lies, with the rare candidate who actually means what he says (and is likely not elected).

Heck, at the federal level, I’d support an “Honesty in Politics” amendment. We’d still have loony idiots, charlatans and creeps elected (by constituents who are themselves loony idiots, charlatans and creeps), but at least then we could more surely expect those who were elected to adhere to their campaign promises (heck, I’d almost be satisfied if they simply adhered to their oaths of office).

Until activist judges and Mass Media Podpeople got involved, of course.

*sigh*

Tea Party, anyone?

*heh*

Just a passing thought…

Saying “venal, dishonest politician” *spit* is like saying “stupid little Chihuahua” isn’t it? Perhaps not. While I am sure there may be one (perhaps even two!) politicians *spit* who are not lying, corrupt scumbags, surely there can be no Chihuahua (the so-called “dog” not the town or state in Mexico, of course)–that long-legged rat species that masquerades as a dog for gullible neurotics–that is not both stupid and little.

And as stupid as these critters are, what does that say about people they can fool into thinking they are dogs? Hmmm, come to that, as stupid and venal as politicians almost invariably prove themselves to be–or amazingly willing to become–what does that say about the people who continue to re-elect so many of them to public office?

After all, stupid is as stupid does, right?

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No, not Fred Reed this time, Fred Thompson. I saw this first at Leaning Straight Up and checked the Fred08 site out as a result. Folks, each and every point made in Fred’s position statement on this issue is straight and true and on target. Every one is in the X-ring. Read it. Really. READ IT. To begin with,

A fundamental responsibility of the federal government is to secure the nation’s borders and enforce the law.

*Hmph* That’s certainly something FIfi Mohammed Bush and his partners in crime (Democraps and Republican’ts alike who want to erase our borders) have sneeringly dismissed from their areas of responsibility. Fred’s “position paper” goes on to describe specific steps he proposes to “secure the nation’s borders and enforce the law”.

The only thing I’d add would be a system encouraging citizens to turn in companies and individuals they believe are violating immigration law. Perhaps a $5,000 reward per illegal deported as a result (tax free :-)) would be a good thing. No, not perhaps; I could retire a moderately well-off man on a reward like that. *heh* And still do a world of good for the citizens of this country, as well as for those who are willing to follow the law and seek entry legally.

Oh, and I very, very much appreciate Fred’s point 4:

English As Official Language. Make English the official language of the United States to promote assimilation and legal immigrants’ success, and require English proficiency in order for any foreign person to be granted lawful permanent resident status.

Yes, we really do need that. Heck, it’d do a world of good to have English exams for citizens born and raised here before they could exercise certain aspects of their citizenship… It’d have the salutory effect of limiting some of the harm done by subliterate Mass Media Podpeople, for example, if they had to show a proficiency in English (more and more of what I hear issuing from their pie holes is alien gibberish, straight from the Mothership orbiting Uranus *LOL*), but that’s another issue, eh?

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“Never ascribe to malice what can adequately be explained by stupidity.”–attributed to Napoleon

As I was out driving Prostate Washboard Road about 0-Dark-Thirty this ayem, I was once again reminded that the best intentions of even very intelligent, well-meaning people, urm, “gang aft agley“.

*heh*

Driving along on twisty-turny two-lane washboard of a road. High beams on, naturally. Another vehivle approaches and we both dim our lights, except… I turned mine completely off! You see, the engineers who designed the car put the on-off switch right on the end of the light stalk (how I often miss the old floor dimmer switch!) and it rotates very, very easily.

Right. Dimmed the beam and turned the lights off at the same time as I drew the light stalk–which is juuust far enough from the steering wheel to require removing ones hand from the steering wheel (on a twisty-turny two-lane road) to securely high/low beam–toward me to dim the headlamps.

Disconcerting? Yeh, and in slightly different circumstances potentially fatal.

I’m sure the design team carefully considered all the situations the average driver might encounter in average driving conditions, but it’s difficult to plan ahead to every circumstance, even more diffifult when planning for the “average person” in a diverse population, cos the “average Joe” DOES NOT EXIST. Such a person is simply a mental construct.

It’s even worse whenever politicians *spit*, bureaucrats, educrats or some other class that makes decisions affecting large numbers of people try to fix something they broke to begin with. The Law of Unintended Consequences insists that, however benign their intentions, however bright and capable individual politicians *spit*, bureaucrats, educrats, etc., may be, their meddling will always create proplems that did not exist before their intervention.

And, of course, savvy politicians *spit*, bureaucrats, educrats, etc., know this and simply consider it “job security”–though not aloud where those whose lives they’ve screwed around with can hear them.

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So, Steven Colbert *yawn* is “running for President” (in North–oops!– South Carolina, only, at last word)… and possibly running afoul of “feddle gummint” bureaucraps in the process. *sigh*

“How serious can you get about running as a joke?” said Massie Ritsch, communications director for the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan group that tracks campaign finances. “The Federal Election Commission doesn’t have a great sense of humor.”

Hey! FEC, gettaclue! Colbert’s not even as serious a candidate as Pat Paulson was. Now, him I could see as a serious candidate, given some of the other loons running “seriously”. Too bad he died in 1997. Heck, Paulson’s corpse would be a better candidate than some of today’s current crop of politicians. *spit*

Loved one of Paulson’s campaign slogans (one that almost anyone could use in debating nearly every one of the current crop of presidential candidates):

“I’ve upped my standards. Now, up yours.”

Colbert is, urm, bush league by comparison.

UPDATE: A comment by Barb led me inevitbly to think of this:

*heh*

(BTW, the Bee Gees are often slammed as musicians by people with little or no real musicality of their own. Or even simple appreciation for music or the ability to recognize the lil things like, oh, pitches *sigh* The numbers of contemporary “artists” who wouldn’t recognize a song if it bit them in the a**, however, are legion. Take rap. Please. *heh*

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“sent to Coventry”

The explosive subject of race and genetics has sullied the reputations of many scientists over the decades but none quite so famous as James Watson, who was suspended by his laboratory in New York late Thursday over his comments implying that black people have inferior intelligence.

Now, before my post is misused to assert that I think all blacks are less intelligent than all whites, let me assure you that I know more (well more) than a few blacks I consider my intellectual superiors and I meet white folks (daily! continually! without ceasing!) who are dumber than a bag of hammers.

That has nothing whasoever to do with the simple fact that James Watson’s observation is true, is borne out consistently in scientific investigation: unquestionably true that as a class (see here for one discussion of classes as I use the term here) blacks consistently demonstrate a lower intelligence (lower “g” if you will). That is is true is made obvious by the fact that no critic of his comments (zero, zilch, nada, complete and total absence of any whatsoever) have done anything but make ad hominem attacks upon Dr. Watson.

Name-calling absent any facts to support the labeling is no argument. That Watson’s attackers have no argument is obvious in the fact that they make no attempt to make any argument whatsoever.

The sun and moon and stars revolve around their flat earth and you’d damned well better not say differently because they can’t hear you over the fingers in their ears and the loud chanting of “La-la-la-la-la”.

Fred Reed says it well:

All right: Will anyone give me one scientific reason why separated groups of people should not have evolved different levels of intelligence? Groups differ in hair color, color of skin, shape of eyes, ratios of various long bones to others, biochemistry, and brain size. Give me one reason why all groups must be precisely identical in intelligence. Just one reason, and Watson’s argument fails. I’m waiting.

No one doubts, as long as blacks (or women) are not involved, that differences in intelligence can exist between subspecies, which is what the races are. No one will take exception if I say that Border Collies are smarter than pit bulls, or that they have been genetically selected for intelligence. Nor will anyone suggest that the difference is cultural, or that breeds of dogs are “social constructs,” or that Border Collies do not exist because intermediate breeds do.

Oh, as always with Fred, there’s more. It’s just that this time his sarcasm almost entirely takes a back seat to simple, clear reasoning.

Update: a reader at Chaos Manor in Review points out,

We hear loudly from critics when a white scientist of European descent points out that black racial groups have lower IQ scores on average, than whites. But if the point is to prove the racial superiority of whites, then why do they also conclude that East Asians are smarter than whites, and that Ashkenazi Jews are the smartest of all. Those latter conclusions are hardly going to appeal to your average white supremicist….

As a plain old “white” guy of European descent who is neither an Ashkenazi Jew nor (obviously) Asian, I have no problem acknowledging the simple fact that those two classes are smarter than the class I belong to, and that indeed, there are many in those two classes who are worlds and away more intelligent than I am.

Big stinking deal. I guess that makes me a racist who’s biased against “white” folks of European descent, eh?

*Feh* All these claims of racism (or sexism) whenever someone notes facts distinguishing classes of persons is just B.S.

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Trackposted to Nuke’s, Outside the Beltway, Perri Nelson’s Website, DragonLady’s World, The Populist, Shadowscope, Pirate’s Cove, Webloggin, Leaning Straight Up, The Bullwinkle Blog, Conservative Cat, High Desert Wanderer, Right Voices, and Conservative Thoughts, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

*sigh* Just got in a little bit ago. Yep, almost 2:00 a.m. Long story. Looking ahead to a day too full for blogging, so hit me with your best shots, so I don’t fall too far behind the times today, ‘K?

🙂

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The words from Douglas Wilson, below, called to mind all the thoughts I have about the seductive traps, the sweet poisons in our society. Of course, Doug makes strong assertion of the antidote…

To this point, the American empire is the most powerful empire the world has ever known—whether economic, military, or cultural. We the Church are the kingdom of Christ in the midst of all this and, while we may be grateful for aspects of the US, we must not be seduced by it.

If the men who run this state of affairs will not submit themselves to the Word of the only true God, they will certainly not be restrained by anything so ephemeral as the “will of the people,” or “common decency,” or “shared values.” It is either Christ or increasing wickedness. That wickedness might be bright and shiny, but idolatrous paganism is always bright and shiny.

Read on.

[N.B., the chiiling tag in the excerpt below has been exhoing in my head all morning, so… ]

Answering Sir Walter Scott’s question, posed below: Yes. *sigh* See/hear it every day from politicians *spit*, Mass Media Podpeople and many, many others…

The Lay of the Last Minstrel (excerpt)
Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)

Breathes there the man with soul so dead
Who never to himself hath said,
This is my own, my native land!
Whose heart hath ne’er within him burned,
As home his footsteps he hath turned
From wandering on a foreign strand!
If such there breathe, go, mark him well;
For him no minstrel raptures swell;
High though his titles, proud his name,
Boundless his wealth as wish can claim
Despite those titles, power, and pelf,
The wretch, concentred all in self,
Living, shall forfeit fair renown,
And, doubly dying, shall go down
To the vile dust from whence he sprung,
Unwept, unhonored , and unsung.

May the day hasten when all such

…shall go down
To the vile dust from whence [they] sprung,
Unwept, unhonored , and unsung.

Amen.

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