Posse Incitatus

If California is worried about carbon, why isn't it managing its forests better?

The top story this week is the urgent, immediate never-before-considered possibility that President Trump may be impeached.

Which is weird, since that's been the top story for three years.

Of more interest to me is the cold snap that plunged Michigan into deep snow very early in the season.  The usual suspect insist that this has to do with "climate change," and for once, they're right.

Because the climate is always changing.

The very spot where I sit right now was under a mile-thick sheet of ice 10,000 years ago.  Thank God for global warming!

Supporters of Climate Change Inc. will argue that carbon emissions are introducing a new and volatile element that could DESTROY THE PLANET.

That being the case, one would think the top priority of places like California would be to see that forest debris is quickly, efficiently and regularly removed to limit the impact of forest fires. 

This would involve the time-tested tools of using logging to create fire breaks and limit fuel for the fires as well as controlled burns during wet parts of the years to remove underbrush.

Strangely, none of that is happening.

Apparently the idiots who run California seem utterly unaware that when a forest catches fire, not only does it pump far more CO2 into the sky than would otherwise happen, it also destroys the "carbon sinks" that can help absorb existing CO2.

It is literally the worst possible thing to happen for people who claim to worry about carbon emissions.

Apparently the reason for this that logging and forest management is super-bad, worse even than climate change.

This lunacy is beyond parody.  Plastic straw bans accomplish nothing, and all the solar and wind arrays in the world won't do jack if they are melted or burned by rampant wildfires.

But that's California for you: the world's largest open-air insane asylum.

Talent and Tragedy

Veterans Day weekend was a triple-gut punch for Michigan State fans and alumni. It started with Saturday’s monumental collapse at Spartan Stadium by the football team, which squandered a 28-3 lead over Illinois and lost, 34-31 on the last play of the game (a play made possible by a fourth down defensive pass interference call).

Then, Sunday morning we received the horrible news that the brother of MSU basketball star Cassius Winston was hit by a train and killed Saturday night. Subsequent investigation has ruled the death of Zachary Winston a suicide. He must have been going through some terrible, painful depression, and who knows what events may have precipitated his decision to end it all. Monday morning, word came that former Michigan State star and Detroit Lions receiver Charles Rogers was dead at 38. He had cancer and liver disease, and was on a waiting list for a liver transplant.

Plenty of non-Michigan State fans love to pile on Rogers, who was academically challenged (a Proposition 48 student), struggled with alcohol and drug issues and was a bust as a Lions player.

At Michigan State, Rogers was a two-time All-American and in 2002 won the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the best college wide receiver in the nation. Rogers holds the MSU record for most touchdowns in a career with 27, and the school record for most receiving yards in a single game with 270.

The Lions drafted him in the first round in April 2003. After starting out strong his first few games in 2003, Rogers broke his clavicle bone and was done for the season. Then, his bad luck continued as he again broke his clavicle bone early in the 2004 season. He saw little action in 2005, and was cut from the roster prior to the 2006 season.

Rogers claims his painful injuries caused him to become addicted to pain pills, but it was probably also a lack of direction and self-discipline that led him to drink to excess, smoke marijuana and pop pills. He fathered eight children by four different women, so obviously, he led a troubled life.

It is tempting to be judgmental and jump all over him, but, to use a common expression, “There but for the Grace of God go I.” Rogers was raised by a single mother, who herself spent some time in the slammer. While she was incarcerated, his grandfather raised him.

I grew up in Midland, 25 miles northwest of Saginaw. Even back in my long-lost youth, it was well known that Rogers' part of town, the First Ward on Saginaw's East Side, was deadly. I'm sure it's far worse now. Needless to say, bad influences were everywhere. Rogers' friend from Saginaw, who also played in the NFL, Stu Schweigert, spoke poignantly about Rogers, giving him the benefit of the doubt and acknowledging that the unprepared Rogers struggled with the temptations of fast wealth and uncharted waters, which apparently overwhelmed him.

Two years ago, a local sports talk radio host interviewed Rogers, who had been working at an auto detailing shop in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. It was sad to hear him struggle through the interview. Was he really that inarticulate, or had drugs fried his mind? What was his father like? Did his mother drink while she was pregnant with him? I couldn't help but wonder about the adversity that surrounded him.

Back in the summer of 2002, I lined up like a lot of other Spartan fans to get an autograph from Charles during one of those "Meet the Spartans" days during training camp. Sitting at a long table with his teammates, he seemed pleasant. I handed him a football magazine with him on the cover and said with sincerity, "Thanks for taking the time to sign all of these autographs, Charles." He smiled and said, "No problem, man."

I obviously didn't know him personally, but many who did said he was a nice guy, albeit someone who seemed tormented by demons; who too often associated with the wrong people simply because he didn't know how to say "no."

Who knows, maybe he would have been a failure even if his father had stuck around and he hadn't been raised on the wrong side of the tracks. But clearly the deck was stacked against him from the start. It's always sad to see someone die too young -- especially someone who never took full advantage of his tremendous talent. May he rest in peace.

 

Thank You, Veterans

As I get older, I realize how vital it is to be grateful for our blessings. In that light, I want to say "Thank You" to all who have served our nation and protected our freedoms. I know that many who serve pay a heavy price, as do their families and other loved ones.

Looking back, I believe that my late father's struggles with depression and alcoholism may have been closely related to the horrors he experienced while fighting battles in the South Pacific during World War II. He seldom talked about his wartime experiences, probably because he had no desire to recall bad memories and also wanted to avoid having his children hear about those awful days. But the main reason may have been simply because that's the way men in the "Greatest Generation" conducted themselves: They tended to be stoic and maintain a stiff upper lip. The last thing they wanted was for anyone to think they were seeking sympathy.

Each year in late May, we honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice on Memorial Day. Veterans Day, on the other hand, is to thank all who served, and in doing so, keeping in mind the extent of their sacrifices, the price they paid in various forms, and their character and honor.

The strength, courage and integrity Veterans demonstrated while protecting our precious liberty carries over into their numerous contributions and the productive roles they continue to play in their families, communities and society.

Thank you all, and God Bless.

 

 

Veterans Day 2019

This Veterans Day finds our nation in a strange place.

For the first time in history, we have president who was targeted by a subordinate for essentially conducting foreign policy without the Establishment's permission.  Indeed, the very term "whistleblower" has no application here, since military officers are expected to obey the orders of the president, not run to Congress under cover of anonymity and whine about them.

This is only the most recent example of military leaders not so openly declaring that military decisions are too important to be left to the people with Constitutional power to make them.  The Syria withdrawal appeared haphazard because it was resisted to the last minute.

Interestingly, a majority of veterans now consider the Global War on Terror - both in Iraq and Afghanistan - to be not worth the effort.  I agree.

In both instances, what was called for was a rapid, punitive strike to cripple their capabilities and serve as an object lesson to other hostile regimes.

The incompetence is bipartisan and apparently no lessons have been learned.  The same people who have gotten it wrong for the last three decades continue to get it wrong and are now trying to subvert the Constitutional order so they can keep getting it wrong, forever.

Today we honor those who served and that honor stems from the oath they take - not to an individual, or a party, or a policy, but to the Constitution itself.    The US is unique in both the type of oath and the fidelity with which it has been observed for more than two centuries.

Thank you.

More Horrible News for MSU

I started out earlier this morning intending to focus on the miserable condition of Michigan State football, but I'm going to keep that part brief and follow up in a few days. This is due to devastating news just breaking this morning.

I am deeply saddened to learn that the brother of MSU basketball star Cassius Winston was hit by an Amtrak train and killed in Albion, Mich., Saturday night. Zachary Winston, 19, played on Div. III Albion College's basketball team. At this point, specifics of how the incident occurred are not available, and I will refrain from conjecture.

My thoughts, prayers and condolences go out to the Winston family; this awful development puts things in sharp perspective, so I definitely am not going to talk about the basketball team's prospects going forward. I'll have more to say about this later in the week; but for now, a few comments on Saturday's football meltdown. 

It's official: The wheels have fallen off the Michigan State football program.

Saturday, the Spartans led Illinois 28-3 in the second quarter, and somehow managed to lose the game, 37-34. Making matters worse, it was a questionable defensive pass interference call against MSU on a fourth down play that kept Illinois alive and enabled them to score the winning TD with only 5 seconds left. Talk about a dagger to the heart.

Earlier in the game, Illinois QB Brandon Peters had the ball on his own 19 yard line with 32 seconds left in the first half, then torched the MSU secondary with a long pass that enabled the Fighting Illini to head into the locker room down 28-10 rather than 28-3. Illinois made adjustments at halftime and turned the game around, scoring 27 points in the fourth quarter, converting on several fourth down plays and intercepting Spartan quarterback Brian Lewerke three times.

This is just an aside, but the Spartans wore their hideous uniforms with the lime green trim and "STATE" emblazoned across the chest, just as they did on Sept. 14 when they lost an ugly, error-filled game to Arizona State, 10-7. I wish they would burn those god-awful uniforms, but apparently some of the young folk like them. 

Coach Mark Dantonio may well be in his last few weeks on the job. I know he hates to leave things in a mess, but his presence may be more of a liability now than a benefit, and it's clear he's lost his touch as the team is .500 since its 2015 conference championship and appearance in the national playoffs.

Spartan recruiting is in sad shape, and before Saturday's game the football team had been outscored 100-17 in its previous three games. Six players have elected to transfer out of the program this season, and star senior linebacker Joe Bachie was disqualified for the remainder of his career because he was found to have illegally used performance enhancing drugs.

The past two years have been a living hell for those who care about Michigan State, with the Dr. Larry Nassar abuses coming to light, searing testimony by his victims, a despicable cover-up by key people high up in the administration of former President Lu Anna Simon (some of whom are facing felony charges), and continued bungling and ineptitude by the Board of Trustees. Now, the football program is a dumpster fire, and terrible tragedy has struck the heart and soul of a talented MSU hoops team. Cassius Winston is not just a great player, but a tremendous person as well. 

I'm going to have to let this sink in and remember to pray for the Winston family. That's about it for today; politics and all the rest be damned. When it rains, it pours.

 

Bodacious Candor

We sometimes hear the term “scorched earth” with reference to political campaigns, and the expression conjures up images of slander, innuendo, foul language and every manner of vicious character assassination. Even when politicians themselves don’t conduct themselves in this manner, and their advertisements are not below the belt, their followers on social media are often happy to oblige. As time goes on, it gets worse and worse.

“Scorched earth” is definitely not the right term to describe what former Vice President Walter Mondale famously said in a 1984 debate with President Ronald Reagan. In that era, growing federal deficits and a swelling national debt were cause for concern. (Sounds unbelievable now, with annual deficits near $1 trillion and the debt at $23 trillion!) There was plenty of talk about the need for “revenue enhancements” (a lame euphemism for tax increases).

Mondale thought he’d score some brownie points for being brutally honest. He said something to the effect of, “Let’s be clear: Ronald Reagan will raise taxes, and I will raise taxes. He won’t tell you. I just did.” 

I am pretty sure Mondale’s calculus -- just call it "bodacious candor" -- was this: Millions of people know that tax increases are coming, because these deficits are unsustainable, and the national debt threatens our future. They will admire me for my courage and honesty, and that will make them want to vote for me. In fact, he probably miscalculated, and rather than regarding him as a man of character and sincerity, many voters thought he was foolish to make such a statement. They voted against him not just because they didn’t want their taxes to go up, but because they had ascertained Mondale had piss-poor judgment to shoot himself in the foot in such a manner on national television.

Now fast forward 35 years. Former candidate Robert Francis O’Rourke, who just dropped out of the race a few days ago, tried hard to be edgy and bold (implying honesty and sincerity), but fell flat on his face. In O'Rourke's case, it was sheer arrogance, in conjunction with ignorance, shallow thinking and delusion, that did him in.

Who could forget, "Hell yes, we're going to take your AR-15!" O'Rourke dug himself deeper by discussing the feds going door-to-door to confiscate guns (at least those the owners didn't voluntarily turn in). In typical harebrained, liberal fashion, he failed to even contemplate the possibility that criminals would refuse to turn in their guns. You see, lawbreakers don't obey laws, whether you have 100 laws or 100 million laws. That's why we call 'em lawbreakers.

And then there was this with regard to the out-of-control illegal immigration that is overwhelming our country: "I would absolutely take the wall down," O'Rourke said.

As if that weren't outrageous enough, brace yourself for this breathtakingly stupid and ignorant statement:

"It's perverse, the response that we have to legitimate concerns and problems, international terrorism, which was orchestrated in Afghanistan by al Qaeda, carried out by people from Saudi Arabia, we punish people from Mexico at the U.S.-Mexico border, deport in one year alone 400,000 Mexican nationals from this country from a response to 9/11," O'Rourke said. "We wall off 600 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border. Precisely zero terrorists or terrorist organizations have ever used the border to attack a single American."

Where to begin? We try to protect our southern border mainly because gang bangers, drugs and future welfare recipients often flow across it, bringing crime and many other problems to our communities. Fentanyl, opioids and potent marijuana are wreaking havoc in our society. Much of it comes from south of the border. Our schools, courts, correctional facilities, hospitals and social services cannot continue to be overwhelmed, as many of them are at the breaking point while budgets are strained. And although terrorists have crossed the border from Mexico, securing this border has about as much to do with al Qaeda and 9/11 as an SUV has to do with a buggy whip.

This JFK wanna-be (I refuse to call him by his phony Hispanic nickname) also said that churches opposed to gay marriage should have their tax exempt status revoked. In other words, the left's doctrine on homosexual marriage trumps the First Amendment. (Hey, who cares about those amendments written on a piece of paper by a bunch of slave-owning, racist old men? They weren't "woke!")

On the issue of abortion, O'Rourke stubbornly refused to back down from his position that it should be between a woman and her doctor -- even until late in the third trimester. Even until 24 hours before scheduled birth. That may play well with the secular progressives of the left flank, but it sure as hell doesn't play well in Peoria.

Not surprisingly, O'Rourke bowed out because his standing in the polls was miserable. But many of the other Democrat front-runners have also exhibited bodacious candor. Remember the debate when every one of the contestants raised their hand to say they support free health care for illegal immigrants? And how about the craziness of eliminating private health-care plans in exchange for MEDICARE FOR ALL™.

Several of the candidates have also twisted and contorted themselves into pretzels trying to accommodate the ever-evolving LGBTQ+ alphabet soup. This isn't just moving the goalposts -- this is erasing the sidelines, yard markers, end zones and county line. Complete chaos, dysfunction and confusion would be the results of so many Democrat positions on the issues. Not to mention moral turpitude.

It continues to amaze me how far and how rapidly the Democrat Party has lurched left just in the past four years. The Al Gore / Joe Lieberman / Bill Clinton Democrats of 20 years ago seem like dinosaurs.

One takeaway that still holds true: Off-the-charts arrogance goes hand-in-hand with utter delusion. There's no question many progressives and liberals are arrogant. Consequently, their outlandish proclamations and policy positions show them to be totally detached from what mainstream America wants. For the sake of our nation, I sure hope they keep it up. Because if they go back to hiding their true intentions, as leftist Democrats have often done to get elected, the voters just might fall for it. If that happens, we're truly screwed.