Posse Incitatus

Good and Disappointing Simultaneously

I've never felt that writing movie reviews was my forte. My co-blogger is much better at it than I am. Nevertheless, I am going to give a quick analysis of "Iron Lady," the film depicting the late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. This movie was in the theaters in early 2012, and I never got around to seeing it until just after Lady Thatcher passed away on Monday.

Meryl Streep does a marvelous job playing Thatcher; with the right makeup, clothing and hair style, she strongly resembles the Iron Lady. Her vocal inflections and British accent sounded authentic.

I am a lover of history and nostalgia, and that's the main reason I rented the DVD from Red Box. There were some accurate segments, such as those depicting the miserable state of British society before Thatcher took command. She and her husband Denis were seen walking down a London street with black plastic garbage bags stacked up on both sides to the rooftops of 2-story buildings.

There were scenes of unruly youth and union militants smashing windows and clashing with police. Bombings done by the Irish Republican Army were more frequent than Islamofascist attacks are today.

But far too much of the film focused on two things:

A) Making Thatcher out to be an insufferable biddy who always had to get her way, would act abrasively toward friends and foes alike, and would not hesitate to dress down a chief aide in front of his colleagues during a cabinet meeting; and

B) Mrs. Thatcher living her final years as a pathetic, doddering octogenarian with dementia, frequently hallucinating that her late husband Denis was at her side, and having a propensity to drink alone.

There were some compelling scenes of her mixing it up with opponents during heated sessions of Parliament, and a pretty detailed treatment of the 74-day Falklands War, when Argentina invaded the South Atlantic islands in 1982 and the British ousted them after several hundred combatants on both sides had perished.

Thatcher's relationship with President Ronald Reagan wasn't given much time; there were a few brief film clips and photos, but nothing about their policies and actions vis a vis the Soviet Union.

I suppose I should not be disappointed that overwhelmngly leftist Hollywood sensationalized this fascinating 20th century leader and tried to take potshots at her. It's what they do. But the distortion  could have been worse, so it doesn't bother me that much.

Of late I have seen quite a few disparaging comments about Thatcher's reign written by leftists who claim her economic policies didn't work and she caused much suffering. But these insights come from the same type of Orwellian observers who think Barack Obama's policies have helped our nation. There is no disputing that Great Britain, referred to in the late 1970s as the "Sick Man of Europe," was a dysfunctional basket case when Thatcher took over in 1979, and much more stable by the time she relinquished her leadership role in 1990. May she R.I.P.

BELATED NCAA HOOPS OBSERVATIONS — Belated congratulations to the Louisville Cardinals for their victory Monday night over the Michigan Wolverines in the NCAA Basketball National Championship. It was a wild, physical game with poor officiating and some incredible story lines. Both teams shot well from behind the arc (8-of-16 for Louisville; 8-of-18 for Michigan); and both teams had players take some nasty spills in what occasionally seemed like football on hardwood.

Michigan's all-everything superstar point guard Trey Burke got into early foul trouble (a couple of those calls were horrendous) and had to sit down for 10 minutes or so. Then, little-used backup guard Spike Albrecht came into the game and spread some pixie dust. He hit all four of his 3-point shots and scored 17 points in the first half.

Michigan had a 12-point lead in the first half, but Louisville came storming back in the second half to win the game, 82-76. The day after the game, I heard some sports talk radio pundits criticizing Michigan head coach John Beilein for having a poor grasp of how many fouls had been called on his squad late in the game and wasting precious time by not ordering his players to foul ASAP to stop the clock. The first few fouls against Michigan late in the fourth quarter would have resulted in the Cardinals taking the ball out of bounds, not shooting free throws. 

There was also criticism of Beilein for not having Burke and other players drive the lane more frequently to cause Louisville's best players to either sit down for a while or foul out.  Stars Luke Hancock and Peyton Siva both had three fouls on them with lots of time left. It was a catastrophic error for Michigan to continue jacking up 3-point shots rather than moving the ball inside.

All-n-all, it was an entertaining tilt. I know some good people who attended U-M (they're not ALL arrogant and obnoxious), but I know far more people who are insufferable and arrogant fans. For that reason, I am glad Michigan lost. It would have been damned tough for we Spartans to put up with the gi-normous, swelling yellow heads for the next 6 1/2 months until college hoops returns. I say "yellow" because even though BLUE is supposed to be Michigan's primary color, the team and its geeky fans seem obsessed with dressing like A) canaries; B) Laffy Taffy; C) highlighters; or D) Peeps. Gotta be careful: If I don't wear a welding mask while watching them, those garish uniforms will cause permanent retina damage!

R.I.P. Iron Lady; we will miss your character

Perhaps the three most important people in the world during the 1980s, Ronald Reagan, Pope John Paul II and Margaret Thatcher, are now all deceased. Reagan and the pope died in 2004 and 2005, respectively; Lady Thatcher passed away at age 87 earlier today.

I am old enough to remember how closely England's economic chaos and failure paralleled what was going on in the United States in the late 1970s. Thatcher and Reagan were "just what the doctor ordered" for their beleaguered nations.

England was gripped in a union stranglehold,  with uncollected garbage piling up in the streets due to striking garbage collection workers, and frequent power outages thanks to striking coal miners.  Its economy was limping along with high tax rates and moribund public monopolies inhibiting innovation and efficiency.

Thatcher slashed profligate spending, cut tax rates and privatized a slew of industries and utilities including coal, steel, gas, electricity, water supply, railways, trucking, airlines and telecommunications.

Shortly after she took office in 1979, Reagan was sworn in to clean up the colossal mess Jimmy Carter had left, with 21 percent interest rates, 9 percent unemployment and 13 percent inflation.

Both leaders revived their nations' economies, and both stood tall against the Soviet Union. Pope John Paul II, meanwhile, supported Lech Walesa and Solidarity in Poland, and was not afraid to face down the Soviet dictators in the name of human dignity and freedom.

Earlier today I was reading some accounts of appalling, vicious behavior by loser leftists who are dancing in the streets, popping champagne corks and holding up vile posters insulting Lady Thatcher and calling her disgusting names. Many of these young dunderheads were not even born when Thatcher was repairing the damage years of progressive policies had inflicted on Great Britain. And most of them are sorely lacking in knowledge of economics, critical thinking skills and plain old human decency.

There seems to be more and more of this disgraceful behavior happening every day, all over the world. We who call ourselves traditionalists and conservatives must push back, educate and inform. As has been said, choosing to do nothing is making a choice. 

As Edmund Burke observed, all that's necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. In the Orwellian minds of leftists and Obama supporters, Thatcher and Reagan were evil and destructive. We can't just stand by and let so many ignorant people spread their warped views. Margaret Thatcher wasn't afraid to take on ignorance in the British Parliament; Ronald Reagan didn't cower from challenging the leftists of his day. Let's follow their example.

Not So Sure

My co-blogger has posted a brief and obviously frustrated/exasperated blog about how the Michigan Wolverines will win the national championship in college basketball Monday night.

I am not so sure. The Wolverines have won some impressive victories in the NCAA Tournament, including an 87-85 overtime win vs. Kansas last weekend and Saturday night's 61-56 victory over Syracuse.

But the Louisville Cardinals are an incredibly athletic and fast team that can make even talented opponents look bad. I was unsold on how good they were until I saw them dismantle an excellent  Duke team on Easter Sunday, winning by 22 points. 

My prediction is that Louisville will win Monday night by a narrow margin. I hope I am right, because it pains me to A) Think of arrogant Michgian fans gloating endlessly should they win; and B) Realize that MEEEECHIGAN is national champion despite the fact my beloved Michigan State Spartans beat them by 23 points in East Lansing on Feb. 12 (a 75-52 victory).

Louisville is an immensely talented, well-coached and dangerous team. I think they can beat Michigan. But then, Michigan might have caught lightning in a bottle. They might have that magic going for them and be on an invincible ride.

We will find out in slightly more than 24 hours. (I will probably be waking up from a nap to catch the last few minutes; don't think I can stay up until 11:30 p.m. on a work night. Will try to follow up with a "post-mortem" (pun intended) late Monday night.

Until then, ENJOY THE BREAD 'N' CIRCUSES AND DON'T WORRY ABOUT KIM JONG UN!

Michigan will win the @#$! national championship

I've been busy with other writing projects for the past few weeks, but a respect for our readers compels me to place this marker:  U-M will win it all in hoops. 

Why?

Because it has been that kind of year.

Pushback under the radar

Each day that goes by, I am more and more amazed about the blithe, carefree and lackadaisical manner in which the mainstream media reports on news, issues and politics. 

If a creature from another planet were tasked with spending time on earth and taking notes based on news accounts of what’s happening here, then compiling a report for his superiors on Planet X, methinks he’d be utterly misinformed. That is, UNLESS he took the time and trouble to speak to the average Joe on the street. In fact, if the alien — sorry libs, but at least I didn’t say “illegal” before that word — really tried to take the pulse of society, to mingle among the grassroots masses, he’d discover a gigantic disconnect.

While the politicians spin their wheels with mindless gun control legislation and wrongly believe that immigration ranks high on Americans’ list of concerns, and the lame media waxes eloquent about gay marriage, immigration and an alleged economic recovery (Wow! LOOK at that stock market!), people throughout the land are dealing with foreclosures, unemployment, rising gas prices, stagnant wages, spiraling health care costs and underwater mortgages. They are juggling credit card bills, scraping by with coupons and hot dogs, shopping for bargains at the dollar store and deciding which utility bill to pay and which ones will be overdue.

Millions of young people have found out too late that they got their hopes up about the supposed magic of a four-year college degree only to be disillusioned by a brutal job market and unemployment or a minimum wage job in a coffee shop. Student loan debts upwards of $30,000, $50,000 — even $100,00 — loom as a menacing, nagging burden that lingers like a cancerous tumor threatening long-term health.

The number of young adults in their 20s and 30s who are living with their parents has increased dramatically. Sadly, the parents themselves are often grappling with the same financial problems and unemployment. This cannot be proven or quantified, but I am certain there are a lot of families who are stressed not just financially, but emotionally and interpersonally.

Meanwhile, the Obama family continues to party and vacation on the taxpayers’ dime, either being insensitive and detached, or so full of hubris and contempt for the little people that they actually derive a perverse pleasure from living the high life. 

The news media was shocked (SHOCKED, I TELL YOU!) about the 2010 midterm election results. The media was clueless about the intensity of Americans’ anger and disgust with Obamacare — the deficiency of the legislation itself, the destruction it will do to our health care system, the disastrous fiscal ramifications and the gangster-like way it was rammed through Congress in the middle of the night.

Those of us who live in the real world understand, comprehend, live and witness the rage, antipathy and disillusionment with our government and its policies. We grasp that alarming, sickening sense that things are slipping out of control, that we’re losing our freedom and our nation.

To smug and arrogant liberals, it’s just cranky old white guys who are upset that the black and Hispanic populations are growing faster than the white population, and/or self-righteous Bible thumpers agitated about gay marriage and contraception. But these assessments simply speak to the vacuous, inane nature of progressive thought. Put simply, there just isn’t much substance to what the left thinks and does. (Matter of fact, it is directly inverse to what they think it is, i.e., intelligent and cogent thought).

In the coming months, as health care costs continue to escalate, unemployment remains stubbornly high, gun control measures hurt law abiding citizens, schools carry out asinine policies such as suspending students for sketching a gun or being in possession of a toy plastic pistol, consumers get fed up with nanny-state regulations on soft drinks and churches fight infringements on their religious liberty, the pushback is going to build into a din. 

The 2014 elections may well slap Democrats so hard, they won’t know what hit them. More importantly, states, cities and communities will do what they can to survive and thrive in spite of the malfeasance being thrust down their throats by the shameless, lying criminals and crooks in Washington, D.C. Mark my words. Big changes are coming. But don't expect to read about it in the papers or hear it on the news. The folks who produce these products are part of a withering, dying institution. They are like addled drunks, only even more delusional. Soon they will be entirely irrelevant. 

DIM JONG UN — I have made some disparaging remarks about the North Korean dictator and how his saber rattling cannot be taken seriously. Now I am beginning to wonder if he really IS dangerous due to insanity and utter recklessness. 

Last week in a show of force, the Obama administration sent two B-2 bombers from Missouri all the way to Korea to drop some dummy bombs. Just sending a message to remind the Dim Son who’s boss. And now the U.S. is sending missile defenses to Guam. I hope and pray all hell doesn't break lose; there is enough death and suffering in the world as is.

 

How crazy is North Korea?

Like most observers, I assumed the latest round of belligerence from North Korea was part of their usual routine of threatening to throw a tantrum until they get additional foreign aid.

 

However, I am no longer sure.  For one thing, there is no deal on the table – Kim Jong Un doesn’t appear to be asking for anything.

 

Usually there is a request for food aid, or something similar.  Not now.  Just threats of war.

The study of international relations is dominated by the “realist” school which maintains (among other things) that states are unitary actors (that is they speak with one voice - that of the regime) and that they are primarily rational.  Note that this does not mean their choices are always the best, but that they have a certain logic to them.

 

What if neither of these conditions apply?

 

It is possible that North Korea is on the verge of dissolution as competing elements vie for control.  The current occupant may be only a figurehead – or an ruler with limited control.  Because of its almost hermitic isolation, we just don’t know.

 

Adding to the difficulty is the likelihood that the barely-30-something ruler is not necessarily rational.  Little is known about him.  Even his age is vague.  We know he went to school in Switzerland, but that was years ago. Given how rapidly modern celebrities go from hungry artists waiting tables to ego-inflated idiots who consider themselves to be experts on everything, it would not be surprising if the quiet student classmates knew in Bern is now a raving psychotic with delusions of godhood.

 

I am also interested by the administration's response, which (as is customary these days) seeks to downplay the situation entirely, just as a parent might try to ignore a misbehaving child trying to get attention.

 

The problem with this approach is that the child often escalates to the point where attention must be paid – either through direct violence or breaking something else. The Obama administration has made it clear that pushing gun control is a higher priority than deterring North Korea, which is why the otherwise alarming rhetoric coming out of Pyongyang is being discussed by cabinet officers rather than the president. The US is moving forces to the area, but doing so without much fanfare, perhaps hoping not to escalate the situation.

 

Maybe there are no good answers. Maybe Kim Junior wants war. If nothing else, it is a reminder that whether we like it or not, the world around us is still turning. Even if we persuade ourselves that our enemies are reasonable and passive unless we provoke them, the opposite may be true – they're crazy and itching for a fight.

 

OUCH! That one HURT!

Friday night's loss to the Duke Blue Devils really stung. Michigan State's offense, seldom prolific but usually effective, was stymied for much of an ugly second half, being held without a field goal for 11 minutes. Duke's defensive intensity was laudable, and the Blue Devils also were devastating with their 3-point shooting.

The 71-61 final score was actually not indicative of how one-sided this contest was. While the Blue Devils' Seth Curry hit six of nine 3-point shots, MSU's team hit just 3 of 12 from behind the arc. Freshman shooting guard Gary Harris, normally a sharpshooter, hit just 2 of 11 shots despite having many open looks, but was 0-for-3 behind the arc. Even rebounding, supposedly MSU's strength and an area in which they ought to have dominated, was pretty even: 33-29 in favor of MSU.

Duke goes on to face a dangerous Louisville team (Louisville knocked MSU out of the 2012 tournament), and the Spartans go home to lick their wounds and start thinking about next year. It's been a successful season for a team that was expected to finish middle-of-the-pack and ended up being much better than that.

Michigan's other NCAA Tournament team, the U-M Wolverines, came from 14 points down against Kansas with seven minutes left to tie the game with a Trey Burek 3-pointer with 5 ticks left on the clock. Then the Wolverines broke the Jayhawks' hearts by winning in overtime, 87-85. Michigan has had its share of close shaves this seson, including losing a heartbreaker at Wisconsin when Ben Brust heaved up a half-court desperation shot as time expired (it was good), which sent the game into OT and led to a Badgers win. On the last day of the Big Ten regular season, Michigan choked away a 5 point lead with a minute left and lost at home to Indiana, 72-71. On Sunday the Wolverines will face the Florida Gators for a chance to go to their first Final Four in 20 years. I'm no Florida fan, but I hope they win because if Michigan wins, their fans will be insufferable this week. (I should know, I work with some of them.)

BARACK ANTOINETTE — At a time when millions of Americans are suffering and struggling, the elitist president and his family just keep on taking lavish vacations on the taxpayers' dime. The daughters supposedly spent time at the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas, then jetted out to Sun Valley, Idaho for some skiing. This is in addition to seemingly countless excursions to Europe, expensive golf outings, and family trips to Hawaii. The media hypocrites would be indignant if a Republican did this, but they give their guy a pass. So typical, and so pathetic.

HAPPY EASTER & PASSOVER — Happy Easter to our Christian readers; Happy Passover to our Jewish readers. Hope everyone can step back and reflect on life's deeper meaning and spend quality time with loved ones. One thing that's nice: We're finally getting some mild weather here in lower Michigan. It's been a colder than normal March, so it was great to have a 57-degree, sunny day today, and Sunday's forecast calls for rain and temps in the 50s. I'll take it.

Bread 'n' Circuses on Good Friday

For Christians, today is supposed to be a day of fasting and solemn reflection. But for Christians who are college basketball fans, it's a day of Sweet 16 action on CBS.

As I type the Michigan Wolverines are facing the Kansas Jayhawks in Dallas, Texas, and at 9:45 p.m. the Michigan State Spartans will square off against the Duke Blue Devils in Indianapolis, Ind. I think both Michigan teams have a pretty good chance of winning.

Michigan has been playing better in recent weeks and seems to be peaking at the right time. They have the nation's best point guard, Trey Burke, and a couple of streaky 3-point shooters in Glen Robinson III and Tim Hardaway Jr. If they hit a reasonable percentage of 3's, I think they can defeat Kansas, a team that often flops in tournaments.

Michigan State faces a Duke team that is not nearly as potent as Blue Devil squads that won national championships in 2001 and 2010. The Spartans are a much better rebounding team, have more depth, and probably play tougher defense than anyone Duke faced in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Most of MSU's losses have been by less than 5 points to top teams such as Indiana, Ohio State and Michigan.

Coach Tom Izzo has a sterling track record when it comes to preparing his teams for tournament action. So I am cautiously optimistic about tonight's tilt.

Although I would normally suck down some brews, tonight I will be drinking coffee or Diet Pepsi. It's been a long, tough week and I didn't get enough sleep Thursday night. I need caffeine to stay alert. Alcohol will make me drowsy. 

I found out this afternoon that a nearby cinema will be showing the Spartans game on the big screen, so I think my wife and I will head over there. It should be quite a spectacle. If it's too crowded, we'll head back home. I really should be fasting, but I probably will indulge in some popcorn and try to make some other sacrifice in the near future in the spirit of Lent.

If MSU gets past Duke, a powerful and fast Louisville team awaits us on Easter Sunday. But we'll cross that bridge if and when we come to it. For now, let's focus on taking care of business vs. Mike Krzxswczywxzyaiaifjeiewifjei (or however you spell it).

Oh, and those bellicose threats from Kim Jong Un about sending nuclear missiles our way? I'm about as scared of his empty B.S. as I am of our Jack Russell Terrier. Why does the news media play this up so much? It's ludicrous. The guy is a crackpot who loves to shoot off his mouth. Now, whether he remains a threat to South Korea remains to be seen. But I am 100 percent certain he can't and wouldn't dare attempt to do any harm to the U.S. A.

Now, enough with the blog — time to go watch some hoops. GO GREEN!

 

Raising the (plaintiffs) bar

It's as if New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has become NFL commissioner. The National Football League has been looking into ways to protect its players from concussions and other potentially debilitating injuries, but the league might find its initiative to be pure folly.

The other day the NFL announced that running backs will no longer be allowed to run with their head down. Ostensibly this new rule will prevent running backs from incurring severe blows to their heads (blows that still do damage despite today's helmets being far superior to what players wore 30 or 40 years ago).

Truth be told, running backs have been trained since they were youngsters in pee-wee football to put their heads down and barrel forward. Keeping a low center of gravity helps minimize the area on which defensive linebackers can inflict punishing blows. Some running backs fear that running with their heads up will subject them to some frighteningly violent hits. 

Keeping the head down is almost instinctive or second nature to running backs. This promises to be a difficult adjustment, with all sorts of silly penalties and fines being levied. (As if the NFL needed more interruptions to muck up the already interminable games.)

And one thing the NFL authorities have not acknowledged with this rule is that no matter what kind of rules are implemented to prevent harsh blows above ground, nothing can regulate how hard the head smashes into the ground when a player is tackled or knocked to the ground by an opponent. Who knows how often that happens to the typical player? 

A class action suit has been filed against the NFL for allegedly concealing information about brain injuries and the long-term consequences of concussions. The suit, which involves hundreds of former players, combines dozens of separately filed lawsuits. This could take years to play out.

Meantime, I am certain the NFL’s counsel has warned the league’s management that precautionary steps must be taken to reduce future liability. But how do you do that?

The game of football is inherently violent and involves great potential for injury. The players just keep getting bigger, stronger and faster. Trying to make the game safer is a much trickier task than, say, putting restrictor plates on NASCAR engines’ intake manifolds. You’re not just concerned with reducing speed; you’re trying to ameliorate the destruction of high-speed, violent collisions between large bodies.

Look for the NFL to eliminate kickoffs (the team that wins the coin toss will simply begin its possession from its own 20 yard line), and to come up with other rules to try to tame the beast. Will they actually limit the weight of defensive linemen and linebackers? Who knows. Stay tuned.

It may take a few years, but rest assured, the nanny state will take care of the NFL. Meanwhile, the plaintiffs attorneys will try to squeeze every drop out of the league before the well runs dry.

 

Spartans and Wolverines advance to Sweet 16

For the first time ever, Michigan State and Michigan are in the NCAA basketball tournament's Sweet 16 at the same time. Both teams won today at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Mich., and will advance to the Sweet 16 next weekend.

Michigan routed Virginia Commonwealth 78-53, while the MSU Spartans whipped Memphis 70-48. Both squads will need to wait until Sunday to find out who their Sweet 16 opponent will be. Michigan will play the winner of Sunday's Kansas-North Carolina game in Dallas, while the Spartans will play the winner of Duke-vs.-Creighton in Indianapolis.

Michigan outrebounded VCU 36-21 and made 51.7 percent of its shots, compared with 39.7 percent for VCU.

The Spartans outrebounded Memphis 49-29 and shot 50 percent vs. 29.7 percent for the Tigers. Today's game was the lowest point total for Memphis this season, and its second lowest field goal percentage. Freshman sensation Gary Harris scored a career-high 23 points for Michigan State, and junior forward Adreian Payne scored 14, snagged 10 rebounds and blocked five shots as he was a ubiquitous, aggressive presence on defense throughout the second half.

Congratulations to both teams. Note: Michigan State beat Kansas 67-64 back in November. It will be interesting to see how Michigan fares against the Jayhawks if they play them. But regardless of the outcome, it should be remembered that it is four months later, and none of these three teams is where they were in mid-November 2012.

March Madness continues, and it sure is entertaining. I look forward to next weekend's bread-n-circuses.

STRIKE UP THE BAND! — By a 50-49 margin, the U.S. Senate has passed its first budget in nearly four years. In truth, it's kind of like celebrating when a toddler has his first poop in the potty chair. Scary Harry Reid, the raspy voiced hack from Nevada, has been like the blind leading the blind during this period of reckless ineptitude in the so-called "distinguished body."

The $3.7 trillion monstrosity, long on tax increases and short on spending cuts, will need to meet up with the House-approved budget in a conference committee. Somehow, some kind of ugly compromise will take shape during the next few weeks.

It's clear that Reid has not wanted for the Senate to pass a budget for several years because to do so makes his legislative body more accountable. It's much easier to spend irresponsibly, without answering to anyone and sans metrics, when you don't have a budget. Methinks public pressure finally got to ol' Harry. Better a bad budget than none at all.