The Hypocrisy Of It

It's time, I think, to reassess our friends and allies.  While we had no high level member of the administration attending the rally in Paris against Islamic terrorism, we continue to play footsie with the likes of the Saudis.

Why is that?  In their own way they are every bit as brutal as ISIS yet we continue to do business with them.  The latest story is about a blogger.  A blogger.  Not unlike myself.

He is a human rights activist.  That's a dangerous undertaking in Saudi.  When you upset the powers that be it could cost you your life as it may well this mans.  He has been sentenced to 15 years and 50 lashes once a week for 20 weeks.  One must have an extremely strong constitution to withstand such brutality.

What did he do?  He dared to critique the way Saudi clerics interpret Islam.  He was arrested in 2012 and was first sentenced to seven years and 600 lashes. He appealed and was rewarded with an even harsher sentence.  What kind of justice is this?  All for wanting to create a dialogue on how to modernize Saudi Islam.  Not so very different from how multitudes of bloggers in this country have a dialogue on how to improve our government.  Fortunately we can do so with no worse than sneers from those who don't agree.

At one time we maintained these mid-east relationships because of our dependency on their oil.  Technology has made it no longer necessary if our government will see the light and act accordingly.

It seems an ideal time to reassess these relationships.  They are brutal, hateful people.  Some don't bother to hide the fact.  Others couch it as best they can for obvious reasons.  In this case they too are afraid of ISIS and need the west's help in fighting them.  Let's face it, they don't want their form of brutality taken over by others - especially since it's more finite than their own and might even touch them in their inner sanctums.

How we can turn our backs on western allies who gathered together to protest Islamic terrorism on one hand and cater to those who support it, even practice it, on the other escapes me. And not just Saudi.  There are many other countries who have equally repugnant practices.

It's time.  Congress holds the power of the purse.  Here's one more item where the purse strings should be pulled closed, never again to be opened.  The administration wants more revenue?  Here is a source for a pile of it.

Cartoonists Unite

Some times you need to have a say...

Have We Ever Looked Worse?

This man is the President of the United States of America.  The leader of the free world.  Until he abdicated that position in the wake of the blood bath which occurred in Paris a few days ago.

I am ashamed for my country.

World leaders gathered with French President Hollande in a show of solidarity against Islamic terrorism.  One was missing.  Obama.
Why?

Consider those who put aside differences to attend the massive rally in Paris.  Israel's Netanyahu.  Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.  Two who have little love for one another.  Ukrainian President Poroshenko  and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov.  David Cameron was there.  So was Angela Merkel.  The King and Queen of Jordan.  More than 40 in all.  Except the United States. No President.  No Vice President.  No Secretary of State.

I wonder if France will stand with us the next time we need a coalition as they have in the past.  Or any of the others for that matter.  Well, it's not a problem concerning this continent you might say. Except for Canada just a few short weeks ago.  Oh, yes, the Oklahoma beheading was in there too recently.  And going back a ways to the "work place violence" at Fort Hood.

Yes.  It is a problem on this continent and in this country with it's porous borders and political correctness run so amok authorities cannot monitor what goes on in Mosques.

When 9/11 happened the world let it be known they were all American.  Why aren't we saying today we are all Charlie?  We are, you know, and ignoring it doesn't make it any less true.

Why wasn't our President there?  Is it because it wasn't at all about him? Leader of the free world?  Not today.

The 21st Century Way

Without intending to Hillary Clinton has proven herself unworthy of the presidency.  Why is that?  Remember not too long ago when during a speech she talked of how we must understand our enemies and even empathize with them?

Wrong-o, Hillary.  Today five terrorists stormed the offices of a satirical magazine in Paris and killed 12 people for daring to publish satirical cartoons about the terrorist's precious Mohammad. What a guy.  Such marvelous actions he inspires.

We need neither understand nor empathize with these barbaric miscreants.  We need to eliminate them from the top down. Or the bottom up.  What ever works. Anyone who thinks otherwise is living in a fool's paradise. Do you really think they care if we understand them?  No.  Besides, what's to understand?  They hate us, they want to annihilate us and take over the world according to their own accords. What?  Do we want them to spell it out in English so we can understand it?

The more we placate them the worse they get.  We're just giving them more time to work toward their ends.  Just like the negotiations with Iran over the nuclear program they insist they don't have.  Right.

When will moderate Muslims band together and condemn these people? When will the west get more aggressive in fighting them? When will this administration get real with the world?

It won't.  The President will continue following his own drummer no matter the consequences.  It has become apparent he has no interest in jobs nor economic reform nor anything else except what he deems in his own little netherworld to be desirable.

The worry is today it's Paris.  It's getting closer.  Where next?  Coming across the pond isn't all that difficult these days. The last thing we need looking forward is another president who agrees with this one.  That is if we're still here to look forward!

Is Bipartisanship Already Over?

Let's see, it's January 6, 2015.  It looks like it's going to be a long year.

The President has finally made clear what he has been hinting at for years.  He will veto the Keystone Pipeline.  He will veto the medical device tax.  He will veto a return to the 40 hour work week.  And so forth and so on.

I've never seen anyone like this President in all my 70+ years.  I cannot begin to understand his thought process.  All I know is he keeps telling us his way is the 21st century way.  I guess he thinks he can single handedly bring the rest of the world up to his standard no matter how much evidence there is to the contrary.

The question now is will the Congress revert to maybe the 20th century way when both sides of the aisle would work together to come up with viable compromise.  Where both sides of the aisle would work together to over turn a veto when they knew in their heart of hearts the veto was wrong.

We have a lot of new blood in this Congress. I'm wondering what type it may be. Hopefully there is plenty of type A.  A for America.  The country, it seems, no longer has much tolerance for O.