Sochi - The Little Big Man's Powder Keg

How long has it been since you've watched a newscast or opened a paper and not seen something relating to Vladimir Putin?  A while I would wager.  Especially with the Olympics just around the corner.

Here is a small man with a huge ego who never flinches in the face of publicity.  We know how much he enjoyed being the our savior in the face of possible military action in Syria.  That was great.   He saved Assad and condemned thousands more Syrians to death.  But at least it wasn't by chemical weapon.

Next came his intervention on behalf of Iran and their non-nuclear program.  He has no problem with it because by being on their side Russia will be safe as a reward for stepping up for Iran.

I'm wondering, however, if he might have taken a step too far.  There are Muslim nations or near nations that want no part of him.  The Ukrainians are mightily displeased with their leader who turned away from Europe in favor of Russia. My crystal ball shows a lot of bloodshed ahead for them.

Then there are the Chechnyans who really want no part of him.  Those gutsy folks are taking it beyond the usual street skirmishes of disapproval.  They're setting off bombs and each time they're getting ever closer to Sochi, the remote city that is home to the soon to be Olympics.

One thing I will bet on is that Putin will not recoup his investment in the games.  Not with western countries suggesting we not go.  If we listen, no big bucks for Putin.  And what person with an ounce of brain power would want to go to Russia anyway?  Not the gays, be sure of that!

What happens now.  Are the Chechnyans doing this just to toy with Putin?  I don't think so.  They know he's not easy.  Does that mean they have a plan to create total chaos and bring the games and therefore Putin to his knees?  I'd like to think not because when it comes to innocent deaths this would be a hallmark. There would be no good guy in the conflict other than the innocent victims who happen to be in the way.

I don't know that Russia throwing all it's military might into security for the games can really keep the dedicated and stealthy terrorist at bay.  I hope he can.

If he is not successful, it will bring him down.  No more strutting nor smirking.  The wrath of the entire world would ensue. It wouldn't be all bad.

On the other hand, could the Chechnyans live with themselves for their part in it?  Civilized people would say no.  But these people are Muslim radicals just like the ones we fight in the middle east.  My guess is they'd never blink an eye.

Anyone else have a thought?

No Consequences Rule

You can't hop a ride on a cable car in San Francisco today.  Why?  Because of a football game that isn't even being played in that city.

The powers that be are worried, whether win or lose, fans will attack and do damage to the iconic cable cars along with everything else.  At least the cars can be taken out of service and away from unruly mobs.

When Hub told me this I just shook my head and wondered aloud what has become of America. "No consequences," was his reply.

"How true," I thought.  From the highest reaches of government to the lowliest of sports fans,  we turn away from bad behavior rather than facing it head on and saying, "Enough!"  It's easier to hide cable cars than to confront those who would destroy them.  It's easier to give our leaders a pass than say, "You're wrong and I'm not afraid to tell you so!" We don't even have the gumption to vote the most egregious out of office, no matter the party.

Look at how our President plays loose with the Constitution when it suits his political aims.  Look how the Supreme Court can find wiggle room where there shouldn't be any.  And look at Congress.  The Republicans have made themselves into the party of complaining.  Mostly about big government and over spending.  We don't buy into it as much as we should because the Republicans thrive on it as much as the Democrats.

Look at how Harry Reid is a one man brick wall for all the Republicans want to do.  We don't buy into it as much as we should because we know there would be a Republican doing the same thing if they controlled the Senate.

Look at the sports page of any newspaper.  It often resembles a police rap sheet more than sports reporting.  Rape, spousal abuse, drugs and drinking, shootings. Too many of the too much too soon crowd defend themselves by claiming they aren't role models. Well, yes they are whether or not they want to be.  In a sports crazed society any athlete with the talent to make the pros is automatically a role model.  Such is the way the minds of the young and impressionable work.

As for those who destroy in the name of celebration, they know the chances of being identified are slim to none.  The police fear wading in and bashing a few heads because they know charges of police brutality will follow. Instead they hide as best they can that which might be damaged.  All except that which is damaged most.

The psyche of the American public.  Those who at one time valued our country, our image and our sense of self. No longer.  Today we have a culture that says anything goes.  There are no personal consequences so why not?  The damage done after this year's play offs will be long forgotten by the time next year's roll around.

Those who flaunt justice and law today will do so again tomorrow betting it will soon be forgotten amid new indiscretions. If not, all need be uttered is "What difference, at this point, does it make?"

That's all that's needed unless we stand up, shake off our fear and/or apathy, and shout back en masse, "It makes all the difference in the world!"  Then actually do something about it.

The Duck Boys Are Taking A Dive

When is enough enough?  This came up in conversation as the evening marathon of Duck Dynasty was getting under way.

The today I read that their season 5 premier is down 28% from season 4.  Most of the blame seems to be aimed for patriarch Phil's unseemly comments about homosexuality and the treatment of blacks in the deep south during his youth.

I doubt that made much of a difference to their hard core fans.  I think the real reason is the curiosity factor is fading.  The shows are predictable and the characters so unsightly that you can almost imagine how they smell. It's good for a guffaw and a shake of the head but as a regular diet - eh.

Maybe it's me and my lack of an attention span.  I only lasted through a couple of seasons of Desperate Housewives before the characters turned from amusing if dysfunctional to silly bordering on ludicrous.

Even the phenomenally popular Downton Abbey has lost me. I'd have been happy if it had ended with the episode about the cricket match.  Matthew was still alive.  Mary was happy.  Bates and Anna were together and happy.  Matthew hadn't yet succeeded in running off Edith's suitor.  Branson was settling into life with a daughter and without a wife. The matriarchs behaved and the service staff had called a truce of sorts to accommodate Robert's desire to win the match. It was the perfect place to end it.

But no, there was talk of it going on for as many as ten seasons.  What could they possibly do to make this crowd riveting?  They reached.  And when I found out the step they took I vowed out.  You'll see it this week if you don't already know.  The whole premise ruined the series for me with the    utter lack of necessity.  When they have to stoop to sensationalism and tawdriness then their imaginations have ground to a halt and so should the series.  It probably will.  Now the talk is that season 5 may well be the last.  That will make two seasons too many.

What to watch then?  From what I've been seeing it seems that reading might be a better alternative.  With all the political pundits and their counterparts in government writing books there's a good selection of fiction to be found.  And when you finish the book, it's finished.

...And The Beat goes On

We may be in a new year, but the date is about all that has changed.  The politics of destruction thrives.

It's part of the reason I've been posting less frequently.  Even I, on occasion, look for something positive.  But day in and day out it's the same.

The President is still threatening to go around Congress with executive orders and actions.  The Justice Department can find nothing criminal in the behavior of the IRS in their denying non-profit status to politically oriented  organizations whose politics were against their own. No one is held accountable for anything except a poor governor who was snookered by a faithless staffer.

The truth has yet to be told about the real intent of the ACA or the truth about Benghazi. Hillary has an enemies list and is given a pass because she's Hillary and it's supposedly common practice anyway.  Chris Christie has been found guilty of a crime that has yet to be sorted out again, mostly because he's been leading Hillary in the polls.

Former members of the administration are writing tell all books and pilloried for so doing. Former members of the military have done the same with the same end. The economy is still weak and more and more people have left the work force leaving themselves with little prospect of gainful employment in the future.  Future?  Not for these folks.

John Kerry is still trying to get Israel bend to our will as well as those struggling with what to do about Iran.  Afghanistan is crumbling.  Syria is dying.  Iran is telling us they've won, we've bent to their will. China is still sword rattling in the South China Sea. There is no peace on earth in either the Middle East nor Asia. Our African Command, the Continent where extremist activity is escalating like topsy,  is based in Germany.

The media is still giving the President a pass, the Republicans still look feckless and the Democrats are both scared of and beholden to their leadership.  Harry Reid is still running the country.  What's so great about the new year?

Gates Gate

It is said a book cannot be judged by its cover. Well, you can't judge it if you haven't read it, especially if it has yet to be released. So I take the 'sound' bites being quoted from Robert Gates book as just that - sound bites.  The context cannot yet be judged.

That being said, however, it does show me one thing. Robert Gates, a man of my generation, takes our country and the governing of it seriously. To him foreign policy and defense are not a game to be used to further one's personal ambition but rather serious undertakings that have a long history in their making and serious consequences for not only the United States, but the world, if shunted aside because they are inconvenient.

In those two areas, good governance is an inclusive undertaking that should include all our allies.   Unfortunately, we have a President who is either incredibly naive or just doesn't care how his preferred actions affect the rest of the world.

He doesn't care that Iran is working daily toward their own nuclear armament.  He doesn't care that Assad continues to slaughter his own people.  He doesn't care that lies are still being told about the slaughter of four Americans in Benghazi.  He doesn't care that he lied about al Qaeda being decimated even as they grew in numbers and strength, returning to Iraq and spreading across northern Africa.

One subject I've write about often is how differently the world and our country are viewed by those in power  and seeking it versus  how those of my generation view it.  It would appear that Bob Gates has spelled it out far better than I can.  He has sat near the seat of power and has witnessed the change personally from the inner most circles.  I can only view it from the press point of view and we should all know that point of view is skewed.  The mind set of today's media is the same as today's politicians.  Self serving.

We're witnessing the vilification of a good man for having written a book laying out these differences.  The same goes for the Chris Christie debacle.  I have never seen so much effort to take down a man that can't even be proven to have known that his underlings behaved like children.  His biggest crime, until proven otherwise, was perhaps giving them too much power before they were mature enough to assume it.

We should take note as campaigns begin to heat up.  No PAC nor special interest group have been given the power, except by themselves, to determine who we should and should not support or dictate how a candidate should think.  Negative ads should be viewed negatively.

We should understand that those from both parties who have served their country long and well know of what they're speaking when they level a criticism.  They should not be summarily dismissed by a slanted press.  If they are it's then the press version that should be summarily dismissed

With the calls for a third party, perhaps I have a solution.  Those who are willing to look at the whole picture, realizing nothing will satisfy them completely should continue as Democrats and Republicans. From those fractions within parties, well rounded wholes can emerge. Those who are so unsure or too lazy to think things through for themselves and choose to follow the dictates of others as gospel, they should call themselves Lemmings for as sure as I write this they will follow until they go over the cliff.  Unfortunately they take everyone except those who would lead them with them.  You'll see if you look it has already started.

I can only hope there are more like Bob Gates who will come forward with their truths.  We won't all agree with everything, but we owe it to our country to hear them out.  Therein lies a lot of truth we need to hear.