From Richard Fernandez at the Belmont Club:
The problems we are witnessing are the result of the fact that Xi, Vladimir and the Ayatollahs have already done their 500 fights. They’ve stomped over whole cemeteries full of rivals. They are genuine tough guys. And against them all Barack Obama can set are his sealed academic records, a couple of books which may or may not be his, a “present” voting record, no job experience and a string of failures dating back to the day he was elected. In the contest of totalitarians, America is overmatched. The “elite” — determined to play the power game — are in over their heads.
The mismatch did not exist back when America was a country content to be run by its citizens; that didn’t aspire to be run by elites who were nothing but media creations. The earlier America didn’t need an experienced thug for president. It could rely on its freedom to be a superior, productive society as a trump. For it was the country — not the elites — that beat its rivals. When you let America be itself it simply overwhelmed the opposition. All the cleverness of Hitler or Stalin did them no good. They still lost the Second and Cold Wars to an America of ordinary free people.
I used to have a Beretta, and I detested it, for landing the ejected cases on my forehead.
ReplyDeleteDamned distracting and annoying.
Maybe new ones don't do that, there are to many other reliable brands to bother finding out.
Tom Bogan
Laconia NH
Tom
ReplyDeleteI very much value stories like yours. I too once bought a TV 40 years ago and it broke after 10 years of use. I have never had one since. I had a shirt with a pulled thread on it. I don't use shirts anymore. I had a car and the spark plugs needed to be replaced. I don't use cars anymore. Thanks for the in depth analysis.
The earlier America didn’t need an experienced thug for president.
ReplyDeleteWas that back when we could mine, manufacture and had a population of workers? Ahh, the glory days. We've had our share of thugs but since looking and sounding on good on TV made elections a joke, {insert Frank Zappa's "I'm the Slime" lyrics here} now we have posers and worse pretty academics running the show.
The workers have retired or died, the businesses have plywood over the windows, the EPA thinks mining is the Devil porking the planet and manufacturers find it easier and cheaper (wages/benefits, EPA, OSHA) to ship the goods over the pacific than it is to make it here.
Welcome to the Banana Republic of the United States!
Too bad the policies and the 'dug in like ticks' bureaucrats won't be going anywhere soon. We're fucked.
@Anon 5:32:
ReplyDeleteI think what Tom said was perfectly reasonable. He had a gun that gave him a bad experience and he sees no reason to go back to it when there are many others that are excellent alternatives. Whatever it did right, it evidently didn't impress him enough to go back for another chance; kind of like old girlfriends you leave in the past.
And may I say THANK YOU for your input.