My Blue Year

2015 started great with the birth of our daughter, but is ending terrible with me trying to preserve our marriage. I really love you T.

Just Hanging On

Praying my wife does not file.

Not Any Better

A Sad Day

So What Sunday

After Christmas Rush

The after Christmas rush is apparently to return gifts to retailers.

Best and Worst

2015 is the best year ever because my daughter was born in January. Being able to visit her only five times since August 15 made it the worst year as well.

Just Last Year

At this time last year, my mother was about to sustain a major stroke on the right side of her brain. My wife was about to deliver our first child. The year has been a whirlwind.

Picking Up Cassie

We are collecting Cassie's ashes today.

Lying About Video

Hillary is at it again. Just as she blamed a video nobody had seen for the Benghazi disaster, she claimed during the Saturday night debate that the Islamic State is using video of Donald Trump for terror recruiting. I do not believe that for an instant.

Cassie Is Gone

Really Bad Shape

Our Chow or Keeshond mix Cassie is in awful shape. Prayers are needed and appreciated.

Surgery Is Postponed

Curry's operation has been postponed until we can regulate her thyroid.

January 7 Surgery

Curry will have the tumor removed (Lord willing) on January 7.

Said It ... Right

Hillary said that she "does not have horns", implying that she is not the devil. She is however close enough for government work.

Lord Protect Curry

Prayers Are Welcome

Market Down Monday

Good for Nothing

Hillary

The Handout Man

Donald Trump attacked Ted Cruz for being against the ethanol subsidy. Trump is for continuing the corn carve out. Through his support for warping the markets by applying the heavy thumb of government, Trump may gain the support of Iowa farmers (by essentially buying their votes). This may help Trump win Iowa, but it proves he is no conservative.

No Perfect Candidate

There never will be a perfect candidate for the Presidency of the United States. Ted Cruz is pretty darn close though.

The Trump Card

No matter how hard the main stream media are trying, no matter what the establishment elites say, Donald Trump seems to gain political momentum. Perhaps, the vast majority of everyday Americans are tired of those who consider themselves their betters telling them what they should think. People in flyover country do not want DC and New York City elites telling them how they must vote.

Life in Flux

All in all, I would rather be in Louisville (with my baby girl).

Trump on Tuesday

Do you think terrorists might just pretend to be Jewish or Christian or Hindu or Buddhist for that matter to enter the US after Trump's proposal to ban Muslim integration? Whatever you think about the morality of Trump's position, practically, it would be next to impossible to implement.

Remember Pearl Harbor

A nation must always be ready to counter those who would attack it. On December 7, 1941, the United States was not. On September 11, 2001, America was still not prepared. I fear today that the USA is still not ready. If we were serious about our sovereignty, the San Bernardino attack would never have happened.

Her First Hanukkah

I wish I could spend your first Hanukkah with you, my little Sayde. I love you with all my heart.

An Intelligence Failure

Apparently, the female jihadist from the California slaughter gave an address that did not exist in Pakistan to the US State Department as it was vetting her for admission into the United States. She also belonged to the hyper-militant Red Mosque in Pakistan but US intelligence agencies missed that as well. She was a ticking time bomb that America admitted into the homeland. How many more jihadists have been let in by authorities more concerned with a consistent narrative of political correctness than with defending American lives?

Protect Fellow Americans?

Hillary wants to "protect fellow Americans" in the wake of the California terror attack (just as well as she did in Benghazi).

Are They Kidding?

Much of the main stream media is acting perplexed about what the motive for the California attack might be. The motive is religious fanaticism and it should be obvious. This was an Islamist massacre on US soil.

Willing on Wednesday

Floods in Tennessee

Menace on Monday

There is a terrorist threat against the University of Chicago.

Slipping on Sunday

Cast Your Vote

If you want a leader who will defend America, Ted Cruz is the best choice. With Ted Cruz, the terrorists will lose.

Which Is Worse

Which is worse, a candidate who mocks a cripple or a President who cripples a nation?

Thankful for Sayde

I am thankful for our baby celebrating her very first Thanksgiving. I only wish we could be together.

So Very Sad

Darling Sayde- how I wish we could spend Thanksgiving as a family!

This Terrible Tuesday

Turkey shot down a Russian jet that was attacking terrorists. Erdogan is a friend to Sunni fanatics. Putin wants to defeat Islamists. Erdogan is an Islamist. Erdogan can live with a caliphate. Putin knows Russia and the West can not.

Another Miserable Monday

Here I Am

Miss My Baby

Feel Safe Friday?

How can anyone feel safe when we read the Islamic State is seeking to deploy chemical weapons in attacks on the West? How can we feel safe when the jihadists have just attacked a Radisson Hotel and are murdering people who can not recite versus from the Koran? How can Westerners feel safe when we know that our normal activities like going to a concert or even dining out may result in our being murdered as we just saw in Paris? How can we possibly feel safe to board an airliner when we know malicious forces are actively trying to bring them down as we saw tragically succeeding in the Metrojet bombing over Egypt? How can we feel safe when Boko Haram abducts little girls to rape and sell as sex slaves and slaughters thousands in Nigeria? How can we feel safe in the West when our insane leaders leave our borders open to have these Islamist fanatics enter our countries to threaten us all? Let us elect the leaders that allow us to feel safe by taking the fight to those who would harm us to the extent that they not us live in constant fear.

Thursday Down Market

A Wet Wednesday

The Obama Response

Barack Hussein Obama has denounced the attacks on Paris. Obama continues to insist that he will not use ground troops to root out the Islamic State. There is no way America can defeat the caliphate without ground forces in large numbers. Obama is against IS but not against them enough to actually vanquish them. Half measures never produce victory. The West and Russia can not win a cost-free war against the Islamists.

Life and Death

I want the decent and moral people of the world to unite to defeat the atavistic nihilists who are targeting us. This is a battle of good against evil. This is a fight for freedom against a benighted enemy that seeks to drag the world back to the time of Mohammad. This is a fight for our very survival. The forces of civilization must prevail or we will see many more massacres of innocents. No decent person is eager to go to war, but in this case, it is either us or them.

They Mean It

When jihadists say they "love death more than the infidel loves life" they mean it. That is why they fly planes unhesitatingly into buildings and unflinchingly detonate suicide bombs. When a Leftist ideologue like Justin Trudeau pulls Canada's forces out of the fight against the Islamic State (IS), he is only emboldening Islamists to launch more attacks against the West. IS must be wiped out root and branch by the civilized world. If you think you can hide from the terrorists if they are left standing, just remember the poor souls on the upper floors of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, the happy holiday-making Russians headed home on an airplane from Egypt a few days ago, and what just happened in Paris. America's appeaser-in-chief declared to the world that he would lead from behind. Obama gave away victory in Iraq and ignored the threats he had made about red-lines in Syria. Now, look what abdication of US leadership in the world has spawned. At least, Putin is making an effort to destroy the Islamic State while Barack Hussein Obama sends fifty American Special Forces which in reality, is nowhere near enough to pose a serious threat to the rising caliphate.

Massacre in Paris

I have read the term "executed" bandied about by so-called journalists in the wake of the attacks on France. Those innocent victims were not "executed", they were murdered by members of the death cult known as the Islamic State. Those slaughtered at the concert hall were never "hostages". When someone takes hostages, they have demands. Those massacred were simply innocent people who had gone out to enjoy a Friday night. To Leftist Western leaders like the new Canadian Prime Minister, this carnage of innocents and the Russian plane being brought down is what you get when you turn away from the fight against Islamism. The evil is not limited to the Islamic State either. A Jewish father and son were murdered in the Holy Land in the midst of a spate of Palestinian attacks meant to kill as many Jews as possible, and in Indonesia, an Imam has issued a fatwa that some Muslims are carrying out to burn down Christian churches. It is certainly true that most Muslims are not violent, but some Muslims are no doubt motivated toward violence and even murder by their religious belief. The world including decent Muslims must root out those who are doing murder in the name of Islam.

Freed on Friday

Tried on Thursday

Wednesday Wrap Up

Busy as Bee

Cold and Rainy

Stumbling on Sunday

Silent on Saturday

Free Up Friday

Looking Forward Today

A Wednesday Welcome

A Tricky Tuesday

Mom is having surgery today. Please pray for her and her caregivers.

Miss and Mess

A Somber Sunday

I am without my kid// And poor Uncle Roger is dead

Her First Halloween

Fed Up Friday

Thrashed on Thursday

Wrecked on Wednesday

Tension on Tuesday

Misery on Monday

Sadness on Sunday

My uncle by marriage is dying. I am deeply saddened because I like Roger Eppinger very much. Please keep him and the family in your prayers.

My Staggered Saturday

Feeling Better Friday

Tribulation on Thursday

Wiped Out Wednesday

Tested on Tuesday

Moping on Monday

Saddened on Sunday

Shame on Saturday

Fear on Friday

Idiotic or Insane

This morning the female BBC news presenter asked Jerusalem's mayor Nir Barkat if his call for Israelis to carry guns was "proportionate" since they are only being attacked with knives. I am not kidding. Not withstanding that one of the bus attacks that led to Jewish deaths involved an Arab using a gun, this moronic or immoral newsreader apparently thinks it is alright that Muslims are being incited by their leaders to carve Jews up like salami (or shawarma).

A Wacky Wednesday

A Troublesome Tuesday

A Miserable Monday

A Sickening Sunday

A Sullen Saturday

A Fractious Friday

That Tremulous Thursday

A Wretched Wednesday

A Tumultuous Tuesday

A Melancholy Monday

A Sordid Sunday

A Saturday Spoiled

A Rainy Friday

Russia Bombing Terrorists?

Russia has launched an air campaign in Syria. The Russians say they are attacking terrorists. Western media report that the attacks are not aimed at the Islamic State or al-Qaeda but at opponents of the Assad regime. It is certain that Russian planes are doing great damage. I have not yet seen convincing evidence one way or the other as to who the Russians are actually targeting,

A Conflicted Year

I am elated that my daughter was born in my forty-eighth year. I am deeply saddened that my wife changed the locks on what I thought (and had contributed thousands of dollars into) our condo. It is killing me not seeing Sayde.

Sad Soggy Tuesday

A Maudlin Monday

An Odd Night

A Peterbilt eighteen-wheeler crashed and rolled on its side through my front-yard. We were lucky. The two neighbors sustained worse damage. I hope the driver recovers.

A Sad Saturday

Save My Marriage

Down Not Out

Despot Is Denied

Despot Needs Help

Please pray that my marriage survives.

Despot in Retrograde

Despot Is Disgusted

Despot Is Derided

Despot is Deluged

Despot in Despair

Despot in Disarray

Despot in Dismay

Despot in Contemplation

Despot in Retreat

Despot on Sabbatical

Despot on Hiatus

Despot in Repose

Thanks to G-d

A portion of the family's worries has so far had a good outcome. Keep the prayers coming please. They can only help.

The Islamic Invasion

Europe is being inundated with a flood of Moslems. Some are authentic refugees, largely Shiites fleeing murder by the Sunni Islamic State (IS) in Syria and to a lesser extent, Iraq. Some are not Moslem at all but the remnants of Christendom as that faith is being eradicated everywhere IS is in power. There are even some secular Sunnis trying to enter Europe because they do not want to live under Sunni fanatics. Some of those trying to enter Europe are purely economic migrants looking for better opportunity. The "refugees" who worry me the most are those who may not be asylum-seekers at all but jihadi fanatics posing as refugees to ease their infiltration into the West. The countries accepting so-called "refugees" must carefully vet them and monitor their activities to make sure they have not just imported more terror.

The Hillary Bandwagon

Hillary Clinton was supposed to be the Democrat nominee virtually by acclamation. Hillary was going to be the next President with a coronation. In the event, it seems Hillary's tires are flat. Her election bandwagon has broken axles. It looks like Hillary may even lose the first Democrat primary to fireball Bernie Sanders. I am not certain Hillary will ultimately be the Democrat nominee. I am sure that if she is, the Republican nominee (whoever that happens to be) will win the general election.

Prayer and Faith

The time prayer is needed most is no time to question faith. I know I will never be able to come close to understanding the ways of the Lord. The One who created all is who I have praised and will continue to praise even as I beseech the Creator.

A Family Crisis

My regular posts will likely be disrupted as we are in the midst of a family crisis. Thank you gentle reader for bearing with me during this time.

Nashville Mayor's Race

The runoff election for mayor in my hometown of Nashville, Tennessee between David Fox and Megan Berry is a strange race. Berry has bragged that she is the most "progressive" candidate since she entered the quest to replace Karl Dean. She counts that as a positive. Berry has pledged dish out plenty of "free" cultural events when she becomes mayor. Her ads criticize David Fox as a "hedge fund manager who made millions". I would think people would like to have a mayor who knows how to handle money. Since when is being successful an indictment. I have already early voted for David Fox and encourage my fellow Nashvillians to do the same.

Appeasement and War

Barack Hussein Obama now has sufficient votes to assure his big wet kiss to the mad mullahs of Iran. Not a single Republican is going along with easing Iran's path to the Bomb, but enough Democrats are not serious about national security or bought off that Obama's veto will stand. This lunacy does not solidify peace but will cause a regional arms race and in the not too distant future, war. The Democrats voting with Obama and Iran will go down in history as a bunch of Neville Chamberlains. There will not be "peace in our time" but a bloodbath between Iran and her Shia supporters and the Sunnis and quite possibly Iran and her proxies and Israel. Obama has not earned his Peace Prize but made a mockery of it.

A Terror Currency

The Islamic State (IS) is now creating its own money. It has also announced plans to attack the West financially. Wherever there is rule of law, anyone who attempts to conduct business using Islamic State coins should be prosecuted for abetting terror. The Islamic State is no "state" at all but a bunch of murderous fanatics who are temporarily in control of some territory. The West should also bomb the mint where IS is producing coins out of existence. So far as waging economic war on the West goes, the Islamic State can not hold a candle to the damage our political leadership is doing.

The Central Planners

Some American investors thought the oppressive central planners who run Red China were wizards at successfully managing their economy. These Americans believed the butchers of Tiananmen were brilliantly guiding mainland China to prosperity. Central planners attempt to manipulate markets. Every time they have tried, no matter where they were, the central planners have failed. China is a massive nation with massive resources. The Communists managing China create worse outcomes than free market forces.

Sound Investment Advice

Many of those offering you tips on what you should do with your money have vested interests in the product(s) they are pitching. Your own broker wants to make money from you whether you are buying or selling. These people profit from you when you buy or when you sell. Even if you are buying or selling at the worst possible times, someone will gladly take the commission. I am in no way saying that any particular individual is dishonest. I am simply saying the investor must take recommendations with a grain of salt. Shareholders can not be mercurial, whatever advice is being given. If you are a long-term, buy and hold investor, who buys shares of well-run companies, chances are you will make gains.

Protection from Correction

Many promoters have been saying we need to own gold as protection from everything from crashes to inflation. Gold has sunk like the proverbial lead balloon. Others have recommended investing in foreign markets. How has that been working for those who socked money away in Red China? Money in US banks is earning virtually no interest. I would still rather maintain strong cash positions even if holding cash yields nothing than risk losing big in stocks or commodities.

Free Public Entertainment

Tonight, I attended a "free" concert in the park. All the taxes the audience pay do not count. I would rather pay admission and have low taxes than have everyone forced to pay more in taxes for spectacles that only a small percentage of the community actually attend. Beyond the cost, another troubling aspect is that hundreds of people gathered with no visible security in this age of terror. The music was good. A number of the concert-goers danced. It occurred to almost no one that there is nothing in life that is free and by crowding in like sardines, the audience placed itself at risk.

Wall Street Pothole

I will not pretend to be able to guess the day to day direction of any particular stock. I can not fortell the direction of China's market. I will say I have no confidence in US political leadership. I think the influence of the Fed is waning. Whatever clout Greenspan and Bernanke had, Yellen has squandered. There is no room left for quantitative easing. US stocks may have a little room to rise, but it is much more likely, they will fall, perhaps precipitously.

Just a Stumble

Are US stock markets back on solid footing? Is the "correction" over? Was it a correction at all? Was the massive decline a harbinger of recession or, worse yet, a depression? A one day resurgence was certainly welcome, but is by no means proof of recovery. I do not pretend to know which direction the market will go, and I am not short in US stocks, but I will say I am maintaining a large cash position relative to my holdings.

Dead Cat Bounce

It looks like there was more cowering than covering in America's markets. I see very little reason for optimism as Red China is not improving. World markets are not stabilizing. US markets see no leadership from the Fed or the White House. How low will America's stocks go? If I knew that I would be as rich as Warren Buffet, but then again, I do not have the government granting me any concessions to build my fortune. Most are suffering in the crashing markets, except those who have a "special" relationship with the regime.

Correction or Depression

Yesterday's bloodbath in the markets may be a one-off or a harbinger of terrible things. If it is a temporary hiccup, it is one that claimed a trillion dollars or so of wealth. If it is the opening salvo of a cannonade of economic horror, it could signal the start of a panic. It could deepen recession, although manipulated figures pretend that we are not in recession. In the worst case, it could be the start of a 1929-style great depression. Time will obviously tell whether this is a blip or a catyclysm, but it will not be Washington or the Fed that saves us from anything.

A Looming Depression

With Red China's markets collapsing, is the world about to enter an economic depression? I fear it might be. Oil prices have crashed. While motorists may end up paying less at the pumps, this is not necessarily good news as widely-held oil stocks are also sinking. The US Federal Reserve is out of arrows in its proverbial quiver to stabilize the US economy. Barack Hussein Obama is clueless as to what might turn the economy around. The world was able to absorb the fall of Greece, which is a small nation with an economy that is not crucial to the world. The global economy will be crushed if Red China does not rebound.

The Obama Recession

Barack Hussein Obama is not a capitalist. Obama is a crony capitalist. Obama has made a cadre of supporters and donors vastly wealthy. Obama has done next to nothing to lift the impoverished out of poverty. If you were wealthy enough, Obama's lousy economic policies did not harm. Wages have stagnated under Obama. US stock markets have just tanked. I am surprised this decline did not happen sooner.

Courage in Action

Unarmed American servicemen in France stopped what otherwise would have been a train massacre. They tackled and disarmed a Muslim fanatic from Morroco. He was armed with a pistol, a knife, and an assault rifle. Because of their quick selfless action, no one was murdered and only three people were wounded.The gunman was knocked unconcious and detained. The natural inclination of people is to run away from an attacker. These brave men and a British civilian who helped subdue the attacker, ran toward him. We need more heroes like this.

Koreas at War

The "police action" in Korea never officially ended. From time to time, since the 1953 Armistice Agreement, fighting has heated up between the North and South. In the last few days, the Koreas have started fighting again. There is a pronounced difference this time from past flareups. This time the North Koreans have nuclear weapons. The North may be embarking on a Samson tactic. If the North Korean regime feels it will fall anyway, it may decide to take the South with it. Let us hope cooler heads prevail in the North before all Korea suffers.

Crime Against Humanity

Harvesting the brain of a baby who survived an abortion while that baby's heart is still beating is murder, pure and simple. The pattern that undercover investigators have revealed of selling aborted baby parts is repulsive. That some of those babies are alive when those organs are harvested is undeniable. Those infants obviously gave no "informed consent" to the butchers slicing them to pieces. This bestial practice of selling baby brains, hearts, lungs, livers, kidneys must end. If an abortionist has finished off a baby that survived an attempt at abortion and was alive outside the womb, that doctor or medical staffer should be imprisoned for murder.

Wiping Her Server

Hillary Clinton is the only person I have ever heard that wiped her server in the bathroom. The reason she wiped the drive is that it was too heavy for her to immerse in the bidet. Charmin makes a great product, but it is not great for erasing evidence. Hillary might have taken the server out on her driveway and had her chauffeur run over it in an SUV. Hillary could have poured a gallon of Drano on the server. Then, the FBI would have had a real hard time recovering data.

No Stinking Email

Hillary knows better than we do. She only purged communication about yoga, a wedding, and a funeral. There was nothing about Benghazi. Got it. Ms. Clinton will tell us all we need to know. That is the little to which we are entitled. We should be thankful for all her highness is sparing us.

The Cattle Call

Just about every candidate for the US Presidency has made an appearance at the Iowa State Fair. For generations, Iowans were clear-headed Midwesterners, not easily having their heads turned by empty trappings. Donald Trump has become one of the most remarked upon visitors to Iowa. Trump arrived with his haircut and helicopter. Some Iowans were evidently impressed. I would not be so taken in with the Donald. There is no doubt that he is a master pitchman. If you listen to what he is selling, he is not the answer to America's problems. I do not think Trump will ultimately triumph in Iowa or New Hampshire. I think the race is Cruz to lose. Ted Cruz has the winning ideas and right convictions.

What Lives Matter

To the abortion industry, innocent human life is not so sacred. To the citizens of certain areas of Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, and now Baltimore, lip-service is paid to "black lives matter" while the black-on-black murder rate soars. Some suggest more gun control is the answer to the urban slaughter. Gun control will not slow the pace of the homicides as almost none of them are committed by people who legally own the murder weapon. A war on poverty will not end the killing spree. FDR and LBJ poured billions into poverty programs and Obama has only increased the dole, but that massive spending has not vanquished poverty. In fact, by banishing the father from the welfare home, the government has actually exacerbated crime. I believe all innocent life matters and that the best way to combat urban decline is to push for unified families.

If Sanders Wins

If Bernie Sanders wins the US Presidency, homeless people will end up occupying my condo. This will not happen because I lost a bet. This will occur because Sanders is an outright socialist who will systematically attack the individual right of property if he is victorious. One of the reasons I will not vote for Trump is because he has had localities use eminent domain to take the property of others that Trump coveted. I believe that right to property should be as inviolate as other rights. Sanders does not agree with me and neither does Trump. I want a President who reveres natural rights, not diminishes them.

If Bush Wins

If Jeb Bush wins, I do not think there will be an enormous difference from Clinton. Bush and Clinton both support Common Core. Bush will Federalize education just as much as Hillary. I do not believe Bush would overturn Obamacare. Bush will be just as confused on handling the Middle East, Russia, and Red China as Clinton would be. Bush is another incarnation of McCain or Romney. His accent just happens to be a tad more Southern.

If Clinton Wins

You always hear folks saying that if candidate "X" wins, I am leaving the US and moving to "Y". Some American celebrities said that if George W Bush won, they were moving to France. I do not recall many who actually did. I heard conservatives complaining that if Barack Hussein Obama won the Presidency, they were packing up and going to Costa Rica. I do not think many actually made the trip. I will tell you if Hillary wins I am going to Mexico. I will not have much to worry about at that point because Hillary will carry forward the open borders amnesty and huge numbers of Mexicans will come here. Actually, things will become so bad in the United States if Clinton does win, that Mexicans will stop coming.

Running from Office

I do not envy the next US President the mess that Obama is leaving. I would not want the burden of having to undo the many foreign policy blunders Obama has committed. I would not want the burden of Obamacare. I would not know how to deal with ninety million adults out of the workforce. I would not want to contend with the porous sieve that is the US Southern border. The next President will have a burden no previous President has had to contend with- that being all the damage caused by Barack Hussein Obama- and that new leader will need the favor of the Lord to overcome all the damage Obama has wrought.

An American Berlusconi

Could Donald Trump be the American Berlusconi? Silvio Berlusconi governed Italy relatively successfully for the better part of ten years stretched over three non-consecutive terms. Berlusconi was considered on the right in Italian politics. Trump is now billing himself as a conservative to woo Republican primary voters. Trump and Berlusconi are both undeniably wealthy. Trump gained his wealth largely through real estate while the Italian premier had a media empire he had created that helped his rise to power. Berlusconi did better for Italy than those who followed as prime minister. America can do better than Trump in the White House, but none of the Democrats currently seeking their party's nomination are as capable as Trump.

The Other Party

The presumptive nominee of the Democrat Party has some problems. Hillary Clinton was supposed to win the Presidency by acclamation but has not quite mustered the popularity that was expected. Hillary is not gaining momentum but losing support to Mister Personality Bernie Sanders. Hillary can not seem to escape her past scandals. She is also far less compelling on the campaign trail than her husband (or Obama for that matter). Hillary will probably be the Democrat nominee, even if Biden or Gore enter the race, but she is no sure thing in the general election to win the Presidency.

Trump Was Thumped

Donald Trump put his large foot in his very large mouth with his "bloody" attack on FOX News Megyn Kelly. Trump must really believe in killing the messenger. Kelly was only asking Trump about comments attributed to him. Trump sees almost everyone as an enemy. You can only fault Kelly if Trump did not say the inflammatory things about "women" that Kelly alleged. The allegations against Trump seem more credible because of the way the Donald jumped on Kelly. TV journalists are gadflies by their very nature. Remember San Donaldson? If Trump can not handle the pressure of a debate, how will he be able to deal with Vladimir Putin?

Celebrity Worship Culture

Donald Trump may bring new voters into the Republican primaries. These voters will be the kind of people who watch a lot of so-called "reality TV". They will know all about the Kardashian family but will have no idea who Janet Yellen is. The GOP has always tried to bill itself as a "big tent" party. It may now expand because of interest in Trump at a rate not seen since "Reagan Democrats" destroyed Jimmy Carter. Unlike those times, when Ronald Reagan grew the party with conservative ideas and natural optimism, Donald Trump will attract mean-spirited nativists and pop-culture-obsessed morons. Ronald Reagan strove to uphold the American ideal while Donald Trump seems to be a self-aggrandizing showman.

Trump Stood Out

For good or for ill, Donald Trump differentiated himself from the first moment of last night's main Republican debate. When the candidates were asked if lost the nomination, if they would support the GOP nominee, only Trump raised his hand that he would not. Trump apparently believes that he is bigger than the Republican Party. Time will tell if Trump actually is. I do not see anyone including Trump winning the US Presidency as an independent or representing a third party. Even if Trump does succeed at securing the Oval Office without the GOP brand, the two parties would make it impossible for him to govern. What I fear Trump would really be doing should he run as an independent, would be to tear away votes that otherwise would have gone to the Republican nominee and guarantee the Democrat (which will likely be Hillary) the Presidency.

The Trump Card

Donald Trump will be on unfamiliar ground in the debate. Trump is not a politician polished by years of experience in earlier debates. Unlike some of his rivals, Trump is not an attorney who has performed before juries and judges. Trump has been on reality TV, but that is not real, but slickly produced, with moments where Trump may look bad left on the proverbial cutting room floor. Trump will seem like a fish driving a semi compared to Ted Cruz who is a champion debater and who has argued cases all the way up to the Supreme Court. There is also likely to be pile-on with almost all the other candidates aiming their barbs at Trump because he leads the rest of the field in early polls. I do not know how Trump will stand up to the pressure. It is also not relevant to me because I will never vote for Trump in the primaries.

Debating the Debates

I have always thought a politician's record was more important than his or her performance in a debate. While some performances are woeful (like Rick Perry in the last Presidential election cycle), that does not mean the less than stellar debater would not shine in office. Barack Hussein Obama is a compelling speaker but an awful President. There is no Winston Churchill, who could dominate the floor by force of intellect, running for the US Presidency. William Buckley was perhaps the greatest debater to ever live. Buckley ran for mayor of New York and badly lost in 1965, even though he could outperform all the other candidates in a debate. How much the debates will really mean, how much they influence votes, is debatable.

A Democrat First

Many supporters of Israel are counting on Jewish New York Democrat Chuck Schumer to vote against the Iran deal. I have no such optimism. If his vote is consequential to the outcome, Schumer will always vote with his party and Barack Hussein Obama. If it is clear that Democrats have enough votes to uphold a Presidential veto, and Schumer's vote is not needed, he may vote alongside Republicans. If there is no way Obama's veto will stand, Schumer may stand with Israel. If Schumer's vote is the difference between Israel winning (which actually advances peace and stability) or Obama winning (which gives Obama a signal achievement he thinks burnishes his legacy), Schumer is definitely going to sell out his coreligionists in favor of his President. In doing so, history will judge Schumer and his master Obama made the world less safe and actually caused Israel to have to attack Iran to preempt nuclear destruction at the hands of the mad mullahs.

Ranking the Candidates

I still hold Ted Cruz and Rick Santorum in the highest esteem. I believe Scott Walker and Rand Paul would be acceptable as President of the United States. I think Ben Carson is a great human being who would be a better President than Obama. I do not like Marco Rubio's outreach toward amnesty. I am against any candidate who supports the Common Core education standards as Jeb Bush does (or simply wants Common Core re-branded like Mike Huckabee). I would not vote for Donald Trump in the primary but if the choice in the general election is Trump or Hillary, I would gladly pull the lever for Trump. I think all the Democrat candidates are pretty rank, but find Jim Webb the least pungent. For the sake of the nation, I pray the general election is not Bush versus Clinton with Trump running as a third party to hand Hillary the Presidency, but I have a great fear that is exactly what will happen.

The Republican Debate

I think every credible early candidate should be on the main stage in one consolidated debate. There should not be two debates. All seventeen campaigners should have the chance to address the same audience on the same topics. Let the candidates distinguish themselves. Why should early polls taken before the candidates really have a chance to introduce themselves with most voters keep half a dozen candidates off the stage? Only a few candidates may have a realistic chance to win the Presidency. Let us give all 17 the opportunity to separate from the field. Someone polling less than one percent now may dominate the debate and go from last to first if they are given the chance.

The Left's Court

America's courts are not going after the infanticide industry. Those who are butchering babies and selling their parts are not being dragged into the dock. It is the organization that is exposing the slaughter that the court is silencing. When courts protect evil, they are evil. US courts have failed to protect the innocent. Now, these same courts are bending over backwards to protect the guilty.

Baby Chop Shop

The true face of butchery has been revealed by the Planned Parenthood videos. This is not medicine but repulsive bestiality. Our Congress must de-fund these murderers of innocents. In fact, these abortionists should be in the penitentiary. This spree killing rises to the level of Auschwitz. This is infanticide at its worst and needs to be eradicated.

A Mystery Solved

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared more than a year ago, seemingly without a trace. A flap from a Boeing 777 was just recovered on the beach of Reunion Island. Unless some other, heretofore unknown Triple 7 is missing or one landed after a flap fell off, it is safe to conclude the recovered piece is a part of Flight 370. Like Amelia Earhart and Judge Crater, the remains of the passengers and crew of the jet may never be found. Sometimes, the sea gives up the dead. This tragedy may not be one of those times.

A Disproportionate Sentence

Jonathan Pollard may be nearing parole. The Israeli spy had to endure a much longer sentence than spies captured from other "friendly" nations. I always thought that Pollard's primary motivation for espionage was to try to protect the Jewish State after the United States dramatically reduced Israel's access to formerly shared intelligence data. The US cut off the spigot to Israel because the Jewish State used intelligence data that America provided in the preemptive strike against Saddam Hussein's nuclear reactor in Osirak. Israel removed an existential threat to itself and to the other nations of the region. Can you imagine what would have happened if Saddam had a few nukes when Iraq captured Kuwait? Israel stopping Saddam's nuclear ambition enhanced peace and stability. The US should not have cut off access to satellite imagery and electronic intercepts because that actually put Israel at great (if not existential) risk. Pollard was also blamed for actions committed by Aldrich Ames, who was spying for the Russians. All in all, I would say Pollard has served his time and should already have been released.

A Reckless Liar

Barack Hussein Obama said, he "has Israel's back". If Obama is a friend to the Jewish State, I would hate to see an enemy. Obama pretends that his enmity is reserved for Benjamin Netanyahu. Obama is in fact more broadly hostile. Obama is against anyone who would try to maintain a defensible Jewish State. Obama does not merely want the Jews back inside the 1967 suicide boundaries. The US President wants the Jews contained within the 1948 partition lines. On top of this Obama wants so-called Palestinian refugees to be permitted a "right of return" which will consign the Jewish State to oblivion as masses of Arabs with no connection to the Holy Land would swamp Israel, causing the Jews to either lose the democratic character of their state or simply allowing the new Islamic majority to vote Jews (and, by the way, Christians) into dhimmitude. Obama has consistently claimed to be a friend to the Jews and protector of Israel, but his actions do not match those claims. By selling out America's best (only real ally) in the Middle East Israel, including by his rapprochement with the mad mullahs of Tehran, Obama has lit the fuse for World War III.

A Feckless Liar

I agree with Ted Cruz. Mitch McConnell is indeed a liar. Beyond that, McConnell is ineffective at thwarting Obama. Has Obamacare been reversed? How much has actually changed in the US Senate since McConnell replaced Democrat Harry Reid? Kentucky had a chance to unseat McConnell but failed to elect the excellent Matt Bevin in the Republican primary. McConnell is no more than a progressive tool of the establishment.

Just a Guess

My prediction is that the Iran Deal will be universally opposed by Congressional Republicans. In both the House and Senate, the GOP will stand against appeasement. Some Democrats will oppose Obama and Kerry as well, just not enough to muster a veto-proof majority. Obama will prevail once again, to the detriment of world peace and US security. If it were not for the insane Corker bill, the preexisting Senate rules could have been used to block this fiasco. Before my Tennessee Senator had his bright idea, it would have taken two-thirds of the Senate to approve the Iran Treaty, but now it takes two-thirds to block it because Corker set up the trap of a Presidential (Obama) veto. The establishment GOP is not the gang that can not shoot straight, they are a band of morons who manage to blow their own toes off with the first shot. They have once again snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, and in so doing, not only handed Obama what will soon be seen as a Pyrrhic victory but given the mad mullahs of Iran a dream win.

Save the Whales

A killer whale beached someplace and dozens of people rushed to keep it wet and cool until high tide came in to allow it to swim back to the open ocean. I wonder how many of these nature lovers have lent a hand to the persecuted Christians of the Middle East. Do you think many of the orca rescuers have raised a finger to help the Yazidis being enslaved or slaughtered by the Islamic State? I wonder how many of the animal rights advocates have demanded an end to genital mutilation of women in the Muslim world? Do you think many of the folks launching campaigns for animal rights are equally adamant in their defense of human rights? The creatures the Lord gave us dominion over are important but not as important as the welfare and freedom of the human race.

Save the Humans

There has been another mass shooting in a so-called "gun-free zone". This time a movie theater was targeted in Louisiana. The enlightened minds of the Left are already demanding more restrictions of our Second Amendment. These massacres do not demonstrate that more gun control is needed. They simply show that a sign barring guns will never stop someone who is determined to murder. If gun bans are the answer, why do the politicians and celebrities pushing the anti-gun agenda almost invariably have armed bodyguards of their own?

The Last Hurrah

We will soon determine whether the Obama regime means the end of Democrat power or the end of the nation as she was conceived. America was founded to be a light unto the nations. Obama has turned off that light. Obama has decided that instead of leading the world as President of the last superpower, he would "lead from behind". He has, and that has destabilized the Middle East and the world. Has that hashtag "bring back our girls" liberated the captives from Boko Haram? Has Obama making nice with Iran turned the Islamic Republic into a benign neighbor to the nations that surround Iran or a friend to the US? Did pulling American forces out of Iraq pacify it or turn it into a haven for terror? Did Obama hold onto to America's red lines in Syria or allow hell to be unleashed there? Is Libya more or less stable than it was before Obama orchestrated the downfall of Gaddafi? Was the new caliphate of the Islamic State a threat under George W Bush or was its creation conducted entirely on Obama's watch? Obama has done much to diminish America. If his successor is Hillary or any other Democrat, America will be finished.

They Shot Back

Apparently, the sailor murdered and one marine killed fired back at the Chattanooga jihadist with personal weapons that they were not supposed to have on base. I have only seen one report about this, but if true, it demonstrates that not all members of the military are willing to be sitting ducks. The report said that it was uncertain whether the uniformed personnel hit the terrorist. In any event, it shows some initiative on the part of our forces who would not comply with an idiotic order to make them defenseless. If you are entrusted with the nation's security, surely you must be trustworthy enough to protect yourself and your comrades or at least have access to the tools to try. The "gun-free zone" signs were obviously no deterrent to the murderer.

Seeking a Motive

Some respected (not by me) pundits are scratching their heads over the Chattanooga murder spree. They can not figure out why a smart young man would carry out the massacre. They are searching for any number of reasons. These talking heads are deliberately overlooking the obvious motivation. The murderer did not attack a movie theater. The shooter did not go after a black church (or a white church for that matter). The killer struck at America's armed forces in an obvious act of jihad. Was the shooter depressed? Was he on drugs or alcohol? Who cares? He is now being lauded as a "martyr" by Muslim fanatics online from all over the world. The murderer killed four unarmed marines and a sailor as an act of religious devotion. Some folks pray to their Lord, some monsters kill for theirs.

An American Boy

The Chattanooga murderer was as American as falafel. Andrea Mitchell tried to conjure the idea that the killer (who I will never glorify by mentioning his name) was a gun-loving small-town Southerner. Not many rednecks had their Palestinian families banished from Kuwait after Hussein's Iraqi forces were evicted by Bush the Elder. Not many Bocephus fans ever had their Dad on the terrorist watch list. Very few Tennesseans visit their uncle in Jordan to be immersed in tales of Palestinian victim-hood and glorious jihad. Not many Skynyrd or CDB listeners spice their days with trips to the local mosque. You know there are hundreds of thousands of young country boys with access to guns and the knowledge to use them who would never dream of shooting up American military installations.

The Iran Deal

Nazi Germany did monumental damage without ever developing a nuclear bomb. Do you think that Iran might be a destructive force even without nukes? Has Tehran backed international terror since the fall of the Shah? Will Iran continue to fund terror and continue to deploy Shia jihadists in Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen even after this nuclear agreement? Do you trust the mad mullahs to keep their end of the bargain? Do you understand why areas where Iran is most likely to conceal ongoing work on atomic weapons were specifically excluded from the agreement and are not subject to search? Do you realize the deal allows Iran to delay the inspections for twenty-four days? You do know that even if Iran cheats massively and openly that Russia and China and even Western countries making profits from dealing with Iran will never permit sanctions to be reimposed. You will find that far from guaranteeing peace, the Iran deal will force Israel to preempt Tehran's nuclear strike and likely trigger World War III.

The Tennessee Terrorist

Another of the wounded has died in Chattanooga, this time a Navy man. The bloody-minded terrorist had an open field as he knew the places he was attacking are Federally-mandated gun-free zones. How can government trust men to protect the nation but not trust them to defend themselves? I was always gung ho for military service and tried to join the US Naval Reserve after September 11,2001. I would now do everything possible to dissuade my child from entering the US military should the situation that exists now prevail when the child is of an age to join. Allow our forces the right to carry and issue a sidearm to at least one airman, sailor, soldier, coast guardsman, or marine at every shift at every duty station in the world. Allow our already rigorously trained military personnel to carry their personal sidearms at their duty stations. The Chattanooga jihadist would likely have been shot down before killing five men if those now dead men had guns to shoot back.

Thoughts on Chattanooga

A murderer clearly motivated by religious fanaticism slaughtered US Marines who were inexplicably not allowed to carry arms on their military stations. A gap of seven minutes elapsed between a shooting attack on a recruiting station, where one man was wounded, and the navy base where all the fatalities occurred. I wonder if any warning or alert was issued to potential targets after the first attack. If so, would the Marines not have had warning to either lock down their post or arm themselves? Every military installation or recruiting center should have an officer of the day, a non-com, or an enlisted man (or woman) equipped with a loaded sidearm. Other military personnel should have the option of carry an issued firearm or their personal weapon. By giving them that choice, they would at least have the chance to defend themselves when (not "if" because it is bound to happen again at some point) the next attack occurs. We give our military the responsibility of defending our nation. We have an obligation to give members of our military the chance to defend themselves.

New Middle East

With the world acquiescing to Iran, do you think Saudi Arabia might just want to obtain a nuclear arsenal of their own? Do you think that the Sunni Arab states who fought Israel might now rally to Israel to face the common threat of Shia Iran? Do you think seeing Iran triumph in negotiations with the world makes Iranian ally Assad more or less likely to quit his power in Syria? Do you believe Israel will just accept that Iran will launch a first strike nuclear attack on Tel Aviv? Do you agree that Iran will use their previously frozen funds when released to them to further develop missiles and atomic weapons and sponsor even more terror? Do you think Iran wants peace or regional, if not world, domination?

The Possible Ramifications

The Iran deal is going to lead to war. The only question now is when? Will Israel strike now before Iran can harden targets? Will Israel wait and hope that a new US President in 2016 reverses course and rids the world of the mad mullah menace? Will Iran unleash the nuclear weapons designed to "wipe Israel off the map" before someone takes action to preempt that attack? I do not know, but I do know that because of the toothless deal by the spineless West, war is now inevitable.

A Catastrophic Error

An agreement has just been reached with the lying murderers who run the Islamic Republic of Iran that will give the mad mullahs an easier pathway to the nuclear weapons they covet. This deal represents APPEASEMENT writ large for all the world to see. Hitler has just been given the Sudetenland wrapped up in a bow, but this capitulation is actually worse because people of today know what happened to Europe and the world because of Chamberlain's weakness and are moving forward anyway to give in to Tehran. Did Iran suddenly have free and fair elections to remove the End Timer nutcases that oppress the freedom-seeking majority? Did Iran stop hanging homosexuals and religious minorities in public squares or is Iran still not one of the worst human rights offenders on a par only with North Korea in its scope of vast abuse? Did Iran give up its pretend space program which all the world knows is really a masked ballistic missile program designed to provide launch capacity against Israel, Europe, and America when the mullahs have their nukes? Did Iran suddenly stop sponsoring terror or are they more blatant than ever with their backing the Houthis in Yemen along with Hezbollah worldwide? Iran is already a regional menace without a nuclear weapons capacity. Permit Iran to have A-bombs and you will make the Islamic Republic the Middle East's leading power, subject the rest of the world to nuclear extortion, and ensure the destruction of the Jewish State.

How Civilization Ends

There is one group that is apparently overtaking the Middle East who are throwbacks to the time of Muhammad. They are called the Islamic State (IS) and are in the process of reestablishing a caliphate. They gladly kill those who do not strictly adhere to their atavistic beliefs. The Islamic State is composed of Sunni fanatics. They are opposed by Shiite Muslims, who are in many instances just as fanatical as IS, but their fanaticism is directed at causing the End Times for humanity to bring the Twelfth Imam from his place of hiding in a well in modern day Iran, where he has hidden for more than a thousand years. The West is under threat from both jihadi groups but Westerners would mostly rather watch TV and surf the Internet than actually try to stop those who intend to kill them. The West has never been so decadent and weak. We have hundreds of millions of people who can tell you all about he/she Jenner but who have no idea what the caliphate is or that Iran is months away from attempting to unleash nuclear weapons on Israel. The West fritters away its energy blessing homosexual marriage, which can never naturally produce a next generation, and opens borders to hordes who may want to destroy it or at the very least, want to suck off the welfare teat funded by taxpayers. The masses in the West are content with their bread and circus and hypnotized by vulgarity on open display while in the Middle East, forces are rising that will kill them or turn them into dhimmi.

To Praise Hillary

I have never seen a candidate for public office in the United States be so able to dominate the news cycle without any achievements to speak of and without having to answer any probing questions as Ms. Clinton is. While Hillary may not be beloved by the voting public, the mainstream media certainly loves and protects her. The partisan press even let Hillary campaign operatives literally lasso them. She leads these pitiful flacks around by the short hairs, but they do not even have the sense to complain about it. Hillary is as much of a liar as her husband but she is not as artful in her perpetual deceit as Bill is. Will Hillary ever be put on the spot by a reporter about the Benghazi massacre? I doubt it. If she had an "R" after her name, do you think the press would be as malleable as they are with her? Do you think any GOP contenders will receive the same kid glove treatment and lack of scrutiny Clinton enjoys?

To Criticize Hillary

In the past, I had written editorials that appeared in the Jerusalem Post. I attempted to publish commentary critical of our former Secretary of State only to find that not only was it not published, but that I have been blocked from ever commenting on JPost again. I am flabbergasted that saying Hillary would, if elected, be "a fair-weather friend" to the Jewish State resulted in me being blocked and banned. I imagine the Post is banning a lot of readers from participating in online dialogue, if all it takes is negative comment about that lying harridan to get you banned. Any Jew who votes for Hillary Clinton is endorsing a policy of continued US pressure on Israel to the detriment of the Jewish State, but to the delight of the Palestinians. I guess we know who those who control the editorial policy of the Jerusalem Post want to see as the next resident of the White House.

Trump Speaks Up

Very few people know much about Donald Trump's policy positions. Trump's supporters do not love him because he is a supply-sider. Trump boosters do seem to be aware that he is against illegal immigration. If they are listening closely, they have heard that the Donald supports the right to keep and bear arms. I think what attracts people to Trump is his brashness. They like him because he does not back down to the Democrat-partisan hacks that comprise the main stream media. Trump speaks his mind and is not being "handled" by campaign consultants to tell him what to say to be the most inclusive or least offensive. Donald Trump tells potential voters exactly what he thinks on controversial issues. I like Trump's candor, which unfortunately, few others in the public eye seem to possess.

Quiet Trump Down

The chairman of the Republican National Committee called Donald Trump yesterday. Reince Priebus supposedly read Trump the riot act and demanded that the Donald "tone it down". Priebus told the Donald that he was alienating Hispanic voters and turning them against the GOP. I do not think Trump will listen. Trump is making headway in the polls with his bold stance on illegal aliens. Trump is sticking to his guns because he is successfully differentiating himself from other candidates. Trump is not the type of man to be cowed into silence. Trump will keep speaking up because he is winning.

Trump No Parrot

Donald Trump has declared that he is no "Perot". Trump is no "parrot" either. He is saying what no other candidate would. Trump does not care if his words offend certain people. He does not need their contributions for his campaign. Trump is the only person running who can bear the expense of seeking the Presidency without turning to anyone else. I do not envision voting for Trump, but I do like the fact that he is never concerned with political correctness.

Level Playing Field

I am for the free market. I am against crony capitalism. I am not a corporatist. The United States is not a free market anymore because it is not a fair market. Set-asides and rent-seeking are the order of the day in America. Almost every major project is either funded by government, has a portion funded by government, or has concessions granted by government that grant lower taxes, waive impact fees others would have to pay, or provide an effective monopoly status before a company or corporation spends a cent for anything other than lobbying and the slanted feasibility studies that tout how great the project will be and how government should support it with money confiscated from taxpayers. I oppose subsidies for billionaires and multi-billion dollar corporations.

Hold Those Responsible

The many Greeks who derived no benefit from the economic and fiscal policy that felled Greece should not have to pay for the few that did benefit. The world rails against collective punishment yet wants to impose collective punishment on Greece. If you want to make Greece suffer, why not take from the few Greek elites who gained even through austerity? They can easily afford a Cyprus-style "haircut". Do not take it out on the common folk. International creditors can bleed the poor Greeks dry, and it still will not come close to covering Greek debt.

A Peace Crime

If the creditors of Greece allow Greeks to starve, they will have committed what amounts to a war crime in peacetime. Without a shot being fired, creditors, especially German, may be responsible for Greek deaths. Relentless austerity kills. Have successive governments in Greece been responsible economically and fiscally? Of course not, but that does not mean the Greek people should suffer for the sins of the few. I do not think Greece will have a large enough impact to bring down the world economy. I also do not want to see Greeks who had no hand in making the decisions of government suffer. I do not care whether the Greeks vote "yes" or "no" today, but only hope that either way, no one dies from want in Greece and no Greeks who trusted banks with their money have their deposits stolen to placate rapacious international bankers.

On Being Humans

We are all fallible. Each of us has feet of clay. I have made my share of mistakes. I hope that I am judged by the totality of my actions and not just the many errors that I have made (and will continue to make). I just try to be a better person today than I was yesterday. I believe the Lord forgives much. I pray those who I have offended forgive as well.

On Humans Being

I can not imagine how I could be a member of the same species as Islamic State (IS) terrorists. They may look like human beings, but that similarity in appearance is where comparison ends. In this enlightened (or perhaps not so enlightened) day and age, how can children be crucified to death for breaking the Ramadan fast? Who could chop of the arms of a grieving mother reaching for her murdered babies? IS thugs can and did and filmed the sadistic spectacle to upload to the World Wide Web. This display is cruelty for cruelty's sake, not religious devotion. Where are the armies of the West hunting down these barbarians? Where are Western leaders marshaling the forces of good to smash this evil. The spineless Western leaders are not even using their bully pulpits to warn their citizenry that this atavism must be fought? Obama and Cameron are bloodless, soulless empty suits who sanitize the horrors inflicted by IS because they lack the will to do what it takes to defeat this mad Wahhabi jihad.

Donald Trump's Mirror

I do not plan on voting for Donald Trump in the Republican primary. Trump seems to be very full of himself. Trump is fearless in what he says, which I like. It has been reported that Trump has given donations throughout his life to Democrat politicians, which makes me doubt that he is particularly conservative. Of course, if Trump somehow secured the GOP nomination, I would vote for him over the hideous Hillary. I think Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum, Rand Paul, or Scott Walker are better choices than Trump for the GOP Presidential nomination. It is wrong that Trump is being dropped by Macy's for speaking his mind about immigration.

Murderous Freak Show

The Islamic State (IS) has reportedly attracted more than forty million adherents. These religiously-inspired fanatics have conducted the most disgusting public relations campaign in the history of the world. These thugs love to disseminate videos of themselves slaughtering people in increasingly barbaric ways. First, they strangle a woman in a public square in Syria and film the throttling to broadcast it all over the internet. Then, they have a father insist on and participate in the stoning murder of his allegedly promiscuous daughter to be computer-cast all over the globe. After that, the IS thugs look for more and more original ways to kill and video the results to the world. The jihadists managed to capture a hapless Jordanian F-16 pilot and roasted him alive in a cage. The slick video producers of the terror state have just decided to continue a fire and water Koranic theme by drowning a group of captive men, once again on camera. These repulsive videos attract a crowd of bloodthirsty deviants to their atavistic cause. Those who want to take the world back to the seventh century have no problem using the latest technology to murder and then to broadcast those horrific acts.

What Matters Life

I just read that the Islamic State (IS) just beheaded two women accused of sorcery. The Islamic State has repeatedly employed suicide bombers, but each one only once. The carnage in Syria continues unabated with chemical weapons used allegedly by the Assad regime. Nearly forty tourists were murdered for trying to enjoy a Tunisian beach. A Frenchman went to work in the morning that same day only to be decapitated and displayed like a trophy by his employee, who it turned out is a fanatical jihadist. That same day a Shiite mosque was blown up in Kuwait by the Sunnis of IS. And on that very day, IS butchered hundreds on Kurds, including women and children. For what is alleged to be a (the) "religion of peace", it seems some Muslims do not hold life very dear.

Magicians and Engineers

The United States Supreme Court has just performed some prestidigitation in crafting their marriage and Obamacare opinions. The Court majority in both cases is determined to do feats of social engineering that have nothing to do with the US Constitution as it was written. The wizards in the majority on each case manage to twist words and in the marriage decision, invent a portion of the Fourteenth Amendment that no previous Court had ever seen. The plain meaning of language any seventh grader literate in English could understand is discarded in favor of language that simply is not in the Constitution or its amendments. The majority opinions are artfully worded to sound high-minded. Justices have actually just become a supra-legislature without ever standing for election.

Our Moral Underpinnings

As Americans, more than that, as human beings, we used to sense an obligation to conduct ourselves a certain way. We could be sexually-free, opening ourselves up to any number of sexually-transmitted diseases. Women could use abortion on demand rather than contraception (or dare I say it- a bit of restraint). We could use all manner of intoxicants. We could hurt or kill innocents under the influence of drugs or alcohol. We could condone and promote same sex liaisons and even pervert the age-old institution of marriage. We could have done all this, but for generations, we were guided by a moral compass that kept us from indulging base impulse and falling into depravity. The United States is indeed now doing all these things that earlier generations held repulsive to provoke His Righteous Wrath.

America Falling Down

Abortion nation, queer nation have sparked alienation. Marijuana is legal while tobacco is verboten in more and more of Amerika. An apostate Muslim is now our lord and master, pretending to be a Christian acting as king, calling the White House not "the People's House" but "my house", then lighting it up like the rainbow flag. Obama is a moron on foreign policy, allowing the Islamic State to run wild and opening the door to the mad mullahs of Iran to develop nuclear weapons. Around ninety-three million American adults are out of the workforce in our Obama prosperity. I have never seen my nation so downtrodden.

Our Consecrated Enterprise

America's creation was Providential. Our Founding Fathers aimed to fashion a moral nation. This country was blessed from the beginning and that blessing has extended until now as the United States has been a force for good. There is a difference between standing for liberty and slouching toward lasciviousness. We are not a better nation when we lurch to put the imprimatur of government on what every organized religion has condemned as perversion. When our country blesses gay marriage, our country forsakes the blessings of the Lord that allowed us to become the exceptional nation.

Just Another Disappointment

Anyone counting on justice or even logic from the Supreme Court of the United States needs to look somewhere else. For the second time, the nation's highest court has upheld Obamacare. Obamacare is a behemoth care rationing and wealth redistribution scheme. Death panels (under the name Independent Payment Advisory Board) are going to kill us and those we love when we need life-sustaining help the most. The death panels have already killed as I can attest as I witnessed with the medical murder of my own father Seymour Goodman. We have a new kind of Supreme Court in America, one that is simply a rubber stamp for the dictator-in-chief (thief who steals our liberty) Barack Hussein Obama.

What Lives Matter

I fervently believe "black lives matter". I am equally convinced Asian lives are just as important. I think Native American lives are of commensurate value as other lives. I am convicted that white lives are just as dear. Instead of dividing by race, why are so few trying to unite us? I was always taught that the human race is the race that matters.

A Permanent Cure

Jew-hatred is as prevalent as it has ever been. "Never again" is utterly meaningless. Millions of Jew-haters still long for a final solution. These anti-Semites want world Jewry eradicated. They celebrate each time a Jew is murdered. When Jews are killed for their faith, reports of the murder are often limited to Jewish media. Mainstream media often does not even report Jews being killed by terrorists in the Holy Land. The taking of Jewish life to them is not even worth mentioning. So long as one breathing Jew remains, there are those that will despise that Jew and blame that Jew for many of the world's problems.

A Spreading Sickness

Jews constitute a minuscule percentage of the population of the Ukraine. A leader of those who want the Ukraine to join Russia nonetheless blamed the Jews for the conflict in the Ukraine. The Jews have been lambasted by both nationalists who favor an independent Ukraine and by the other side that wants Ukraine to be a part of Russia. Anti-Semitism has not gone away. It is in fact ever-growing. Jews, who are neither numerous nor powerful in the Ukraine, are simply scapegoated by both sides in a war that has everything to do with Russians who want close relations between the Ukraine and Moscow versus Ukrainians who do not want to be subsumed by Russia. If I was a Jew in Russia or the Ukraine, I would be planning to leave.

First Father's Day

For the first time in my nearly half century, Father's Day applies to me. I am not much on holidays that are creations of greeting card companies, but that little baby means so much to me. I did not know I could love so much. Obviously, the baby is not aware of the significance of today, and will not be for a few years. Being a father (or mother) changes one's perspective on so much. Father's Day does not mean much but being a Dad is of monumental importance. I pray that I am as good a provider and protector as my father was.

Very Poor Journalism

Early reports out of Charleston had the murderer's father giving him a pistol as a twenty-first birthday present despite the son having a couple of recent drug arrests. If this were true, I was hoping that the father would also be prosecuted. It turns out the gunman bought the gun himself with money that was actually his birthday present. Somehow, the killer passed a background check in spite of his recent arrests. That is a vastly different story. Reporters should be more careful.

A Party Mentality

There is a man who looks like a little boy in jail today. He slaughtered all those innocents in Charleston. He is possessed of the same mentality as members of the Nazi Party of the World War II era. I will not grant this creature the attention of mentioning his name, which is not important. He is not important. His victims are the important ones. Who could target supplicants at prayer? Who could gun down worshipers in church? Someone who might be legally sane but who is warped to the extent that he could hardly be called human committed this devilish act.

An American Breivik

A gunman has massacred a church in Charleston, South Carolina. The murderer is white. His victims were black. Nine are now confirmed dead in this senseless outrage. Rabble-rousers have been trying to stoke the fires of racial discontent in America. It looks like some have succeeded beyond their most nefarious dreams at ginning up hate enough to spark violence. Let us hope the perpetrator is quickly brought to justice and that calmer heads prevail in our fractious national dialogue.

A National Capitulation

I am not suggesting that Greece needs to surrender her sovereignty to pay off debt. I am not recommending Greece give up her patrimony to satisfy international creditors. I would never tolerate austerity measures so severe that Greeks starve. I also realize that socialism will not solve the economic problem Greece is facing. In fact, socialism has exacerbated the difficulties Greece must overcome. Greece must maintain a degree of austerity until debts are paid down. Greece must also expand opportunity by reducing bureaucracy to open the door to free enterprise to help grow a more prosperous economy. More government will not save Greece. More capitalism might.

A National Reorganization

Greece has drowned itself in foreign debt. If Greece leaves the Euro-zone, a responsible government could pursue sane economic and fiscal policy. Unfortunately, Greece does not at the moment have such a government. Greece is being led further down the primrose path by leftist firebrands. These misleaders are the equivalent of a crashing national airplane that they intend to jump from, but they do not have any parachutes. If Greece bails on her debt now, would you do business with Greece so long as the same leaders are running that country?

Recognizing the Recession

We have learned today that, to the evident surprise of some, the manufacturing sector in the United States is technically in a recession. So-called experts were not aware that sectors of our economy were anything but booming. This demonstrates anything but expertise. We have over ninety million adult Americans who are out of the workforce in a nation of around three hundred and twenty million people. Oddly, the US dollar is strong which hurt US manufacturers by making the few goods still manufactured here expensive abroad and higher in price domestically relative to similar goods imported from nations with weaker currency. I am amazed that more Americans have not recognized how bad the Obama economy really is. The manufacturing sector being in recession simply reflects where much of the rest of the US economy actually is.

Two Way Street

The goal of policing should be to protect and serve. That objective can only be met when the community respects the police. In order for this to happen, the police must respect the populace. Otherwise, you have the broad intimidation of the public by law enforcement that constitutes a police state. In many places in the United States, particularly urban areas like Baltimore, cops are feared and hated by many. Some of the animus against police is misplaced, but some of it is justified. When police bully and browbeat those who they are supposed to be protecting, trust in the law is lost. Generations of official oppression have been visited on certain minorities and poor whites. A few prosecutions of police who have abused the rights of citizens will not erase suspicion of law enforcement by those who see nothing but tyranny when a cop approaches.

An Incredible Price

Certain promoters are claiming that the price of gold will rise to twenty-five thousand dollars per ounce. We will have greater concerns than the gold price if that $25,000 an ounce is ever realized. You might think owning gold at those prices will be great. You would be wrong. If there is that much dislocation in the world economy, only those with a phalanx of private security will be able to hold on to that gold. If you can not afford a private army in what would obviously be catastrophe, you will not have that gold or your life very long. Twenty-five thousand dollar an ounce gold would not indicate that someone made a great investment, but that the world is coming apart.

Catholics for Peace

I am sure millions of Catholic laypeople truly want to see a peaceful world. The Pope and his inner-circle are not naive when it comes to the realm of conflict. The Vatican has cynically chosen to side with the non-entity Palestine over the Jewish State. The leaders of the Catholic Church have decided to deliberately carry on a two thousand year tradition of Jew-hatred which will not advance but rather stymie the cause of peace. The Vatican pretends some moral good in siding with Muslim claims. All the Pope needs to do is look around the Middle East to see how his coreligionists are being treated. In the Arab countries, only dhimmitude or death await believing Christians. Only in Israel, are Christians not systematically being driven out, killed, or being denied rights and privileges routinely accorded to the majority Muslims. In the Middle East, only the Jewish State displays tolerance for Christians. In areas far afield from Israel like Nigeria and Somalia, Muslims persecute Christians to the point of ethnic cleansing and death. If the Pope wanted to stand on moral principle, he would embrace the one country in the midst of Muslim Arab supremacy where Christians are still free to exercise their faith without fear of being murdered. That nation would not be "Palestine" but the Jewish State of Israel.

Pope Meets Putin

The Pope apparently chastised the Russian ruler for aggression against the Ukraine. Never forget that Roman Catholics are a pronounced minority in majority Orthodox Christian Russia. The Pope's call likely fell on deaf ears. Putin is more concerned with realpolitik than with the realm of the spirit. The Pope has no army (beyond a few hundred Swiss Guards) to enforce his will. I believe almost everyone wants peace in the Ukraine. The Pope thinks that peace would mean the absence of violence. Putin thinks that peace would essentially involve Russian control of the Ukraine. Regardless of the Pope's plea, there is no prospect for peace in the Ukraine on the near horizon.

The Gold Fools

Promoters have been scaremongering to try selling gold at inflated prices for years. Savings accounts and certificates of deposit are not yielding much at all. Gold however is well off its peak valuation. If you had purchased stock in the period that the hucksters were pushing gold, chances are your stock has gained value while the price of gold is not soaring as its backers had insisted it would. It is usually good to have a diversified portfolio, and that could include some gold. I would not however want all my eggs in the proverbial gold basket.

A Fool's Gold

We are experiencing an "iron pyrite" US Presidency. Barack Hussein Obama has not been able to wish away poverty. Obama can not hope the world into peace. The full price of Obamacare is nowhere near coming due. Americans will never realize the cost of the Affordable Care Act because in both monetary and human terms (with care rationing), the expense will be incomprehensible. The Islamic State, Russia, and China are running wild because Obama's leading from behind left the world vulnerable to extremism and tyranny. Barack Hussein Obama is easily the worst US President.

Defeat Islamic State

The Islamic State (IS) does not respond to reason. Negotiation between Western nations and the Islamic State will solve nothing. Hoping that the government of Iraq or Syria's Assad will defeat the Islamic State is not a strategy. Baghdad and Damascus can not beat the Islamic State without vast outside intervention or they would have already done it. Limited drone and airstrikes can not turn the tide against the Islamic State. Even Israel is not immune to attack from the Islamic State as IS has just started to fire rockets at the Jewish State from Gaza. What will defeat the Islamic State is a concerted massive air campaign along with wide use of Western special forces on the ground to help aircraft hit the right targets and to capture or kill high value IS leaders.

An Indoor Pool

I swam in an indoor pool for the first time a couple of days back. It was over eighty degrees Fahrenheit outside when I jumped in the deep end. Talk about a shock to the system, that water could not have been warmer than 55. I turned blue. I have to say this: that indoor pool needs a heater for the water. If that water is not heated before winter, the owners are going to find they own an indoor ice skating rink.

Beginning of End

The cult of Hitler that had devoured Continental Europe started to fall seventy-one years ago today. On June 6, 1944, the forces of liberty began the invasion of France. Forces from the United States, the United Kingdom including Canada, Free Poles, and Free French began to push the Nazis back. Rommel had helped Hitler create what seemed and was a formidable defense to stop and Allied landing. Fortress Europe was not impregnable. Raw courage led to successful landings at all five beaches the Allied command had selected. On beaches code named Juno, Sword, Gold, Utah, and Omaha Beaches, thousand of young men who loved freedom more than life gave the last full measure of devotion so that Europe could be free. The Nazis clung on until May 8, 1945 but liberation began in earnest with the successful parachute drops, glider landings, and the great beach invasion of D-Day.

The Jenner Hype

I do not care if the former athlete becomes a woman or a Missouri mule for that matter, so long as he does not do either on the taxpayer dime. What concerns me is that I seem to remember a few short months ago that Jenner was involved in a wreck that killed a woman. No one seems to mention that now. I would bet more people than not can not name a single other decathlon gold medal winner. Off the top of my head I can only name two others and I used to avidly follow sport. Those two decathletes are American Dan O'Brien and the UK's Daley Thompson. I will hand Jenner this- he has found a way to renew his fame- that manages to obscure a motor vehicle death that should be the major story.

If Greece Leaves

If Greece exits the Euro, the world will not come to an end. The impact on many nations in the Euro-zone will be minimal. Even Germany, which has been spending the most to keep Greece afloat, will not collapse if the Greeks walk. Many nations will be reluctant to do business with the "new Greece" as it emerges. Ironically, at least in the short run, the country that will suffer most with a Greek exit from the Euro, will be Greece itself. The rest of Europe will be unburdened by not having to carry Greece, who has been acting as a "weak sister" pulling the rest down. The world economy did not collapse with Iceland or Cyprus and although Greece is larger, and more economically significant, the global economy will survive this too.

A Foreign Flavor

No American President has ever welcomed aliens like our current misleader. Previous US Presidents thought our border meant something. They stood for a sovereign nations with real borders. Now, we have a one-worlder in office who wants to let millions more in on top of the many millions of scofflaws who have already entered America illegally. The dumbest people on the planet must be foreigners who go through the rigmarole of trying to enter our country legally. Maybe those poor folks are the real "Dreamers".

Tearing Us Apart

It is extremely sad that a black man died in police custody in Baltimore. It is much sadder that since his death, dozens of blacks have been murdered by other blacks in that city with no great hue and cry from politicians or the media. There is a pervasive attitude in some communities not to cooperate with police, even when talking to law enforcement might stop a murderer. Now, Baltimore has descended to a place where black civilians not only do not "rat", but actively mock and harass officers trying to process locations where murders have occurred. When this happens, the murder rate soars. When people oppose all policing, anarchy naturally ensues.

The Grave Robbers

The death tax is a moral obscenity. People have been subjected to tax all their lives. Their earnings are subject to income tax. If these earnings are invested and make money, they may be subjected to capital gains tax when shares or even homes are sold. Citizens are forced to pay sales tax when they purchase most goods and some services. They are taxed separately at the local, state, and Federal levels. Their real estate is taxed and that property tax is higher than rent was when my Father moved to Nashville in the late 1930s. When you take your last breath, do you not think government has reached into your wallet enough? Why should your survivors have to forfeit what you earned to strangers? Why should families of the recently deceased have to lose businesses or farms that have been in families for generations because they must sell to satisfy the demands of the government?

Restricting Our Rights

The Left is trying to inhibit liberty in general, except regarding sexual license. Barack Hussein Obama is determined to curtail gun freedom. Obama is also pressing for his Environmental Protection Agency to have vast power to block us from using our own property as we see fit, if water ever ponds or puddles on it. Obama's EPA will call this a "navigable waterway" and institute what amounts to a "taking". Obama thinks he is clever in these attempts at overreach. I think he is a not-so-closeted Marxist. Obama is widely supported by his fellow travelers who are running our colleges and universities. These administrators have throttled liberty by instituting bans on what they call "hate speech" with campus speech codes. They use the ludicrous rationale of letting everyone "feel safe" on campus to deny the Constitutionally-protected right to say controversial things. They may permit a small "free speech zone" in an obscure place on school grounds for a student to spout dissent or hand out pamphlets in an area with little foot traffic. Students often need prior consent where what is to be said or distributed is pre-screened by what amount to administrators acting as censors to use even these "free speech zones". The college campus was central to the left rising to power in the 1960s and 1970s in the faces of what Nixon aptly called the "Silent Majority". The radicals of that era are now the authorities and are stifling the formerly Constitutionally-enshrined rights of those who disagree with them. The path Bill and Hillary Clinton used to gain power that started with campus activism is being denied to those who might rise to power by opposing Leftism.

An Epic Event

Bob Schieffer is retiring From CBS Snooze. His departure from Sunday morning television may not be quite up to the final episode of M.A.S.H., but I imagine his final Face the Nation will double his regular audience. I am sure nationwide at least several hundred more people will tune in to wave goodbye to the heart on the sleeve liberal liar, who occasionally pretended objectivity to keep Republican guests from ostracizing the increasingly ossified leftist mouthpiece. I never really cared that old Bob was on the air. I will not miss him now that he is leaving. I have no doubt that his replacement will be just as much a partisan hack as Schieffer, the has-been (if he ever really was), has been.

About Tennessee Weather

Al Gore must be right. His sorta home state of Tennessee has experienced the horror of climate change. A couple of days back, Nashville had rain and hail. Yesterday, Nashville was sunny. It could not possibly be totally natural phenomena. It must be all those sport utility vehicles middle Tennesseans are driving. If we just give up those gas guzzlers and air conditioning and electricity, Tennessee will have a climate as perfect as Camelot.

Some Warped Priorities

Listening to the Glenn Beck program this morning, I found out several members of the US House of Representatives want to give free college to prison inmates by way of Pell Grants. Mike Broomhead, who was filling in for Glenn, went on to describe how, as this free school for felons was being put forward, veterans of the United States armed forces were losing access to some of their opportunities for higher education. We should educate any veteran who seeks college before we offer benefits to offenders. We should also educate citizens and withhold in-state tuition breaks (and I would even say college admission) to those who are not even legally in the country. The taxpayer should be under no obligation to pay for those who have been caught breaking the law or those who sneak-in from abroad. Do you think an American could illegally enter Mexico, rob a Mexican bank, and then expect the Mexican taxpayers to pay his way through university?

The Bubble Burst

Was yesterday's crash on American stock markets a minor correction? It could be the start of the feared bubble bursting. The Fed has few tools left at its disposal to stabilize US stocks. Obama's Treasury Department has no arrows left in its quiver. The one percent lowering of stock values is not the end. I see many US issues giving back fifty percent or more of their presumed value on the near horizon. I see nothing coming from Washington that can prevent that. Hold on tight, the real Obama recession is about to declare itself, and if other blocks fall, like Greece, we may see ourselves in a worldwide economic depression by winter.

A Little Miracle

Yesterday, our short-legged, toothless, thirteen year old dwarf Keeshond "Curry" escaped from the safety of the house while some furniture was being moved. By the grace of G-d, Curry was not eaten by a coyote. Neighborhood dogs did not rip her to pieces. She crossed a five lane US highway without being struck by a vehicle. Thankfully, the day Curry picked for her adventure was a holiday with less traffic. An across the street neighbor, who is now one of our angels, who did not really know us or know who Curry belonged to, grabbed her to save her life. That neighbor managed to cross back to our side of the road, and left Curry in the capable hands of Mrs. Campbell, who did not know we owned Curry either. In the three years since we rescued her from a kill pound, Curry had only gotten out one other time off-leash. We are so thankful and blessed that Mrs. Campbell took Curry in with her gentle German Shepherd and kept her safe until we could be reunited. We thank you friends and thank the Lord for sparing our little Curry.

We Never Met

I had two uncles that I never had the chance to get to know. One was a pilot during World War II, who made it through combat unscathed. He kept flying private aviation and died in a crash on a golf course when I was a baby. The other uncle was that same Aunt's first husband. He met his end when his B-24 Liberator blew up over the English Channel in 1944. That uncle was Nathan "Ned" Hatkoff. He had the world in the palm of his hand before the war. He played in the band under Spike Jones and came from a prosperous family. Ned gave his all for all of us. Ned Hatkoff will be commemorated today, along with hundreds of thousands of other heroes.

What Many Forgot

Some do not remember the Alamo. If they do, they may take it to be a car rental agency. Some folks do not remember the Maine. In fact, the really obtuse may not even know that Maine is one of the fifty states. Sadly, there really are Americans who really do not remember Pearl Harbor. I would venture a guess that there are some who have already forgotten September 11, 2001. Lest we never forget that the price of freedom is dear, lest we never forget that liberty is paid for in blood and with eternal vigilance, we must remember all these events and consecrate the memory of all those who have laid down their lives to preserve our constitutional republic.

The Candid Candidate

If someone honest was seeking the office of President of the United States, that person would have to report that the eighteen trillion dollars in Federal government debt is not recoverable. That frank truth teller would also have to declare that real unemployment is actually more than double what the Federal government claims it is, because Obama's minions are using heavily massaged (manipulated) statistics. That truthful candidate would have to say the Federal Reserve has run amok and that we are left with fiat currency. That forthright leader would have to admit that jihad was overwhelming the Middle East. That aspirant would have to confess the US is selling out her allies with the Iran nuclear deal. That leader would have to try to bridge the chasm between the races that is worse under our first "post-racial" President than at any time since the 1960s. Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum, and Rand Paul may be that frank with America's voters.

Extinguishing the Lamp

The legend has it that Diogenes walked about with his lamp even in broad daylight looking for an honest man. Our sports stars are now fallen, no longer heroes, but practitioners of he who cheats the most wins. Lance Armstrong, who had apparently done so much good, is forever labeled a cheater. Alex Rodriguez has struck out as a role model. Tom Brady wears a crooked halo. Even the most notable Presidential candidate is known more for her lies than her accomplishments. Old Diogenes may still be looking somewhere, as it seems society is corrupt to its very core.

Socialist Safety Net

If you simply want to survive, you may be perfectly content on the dole. If you want the best chance to thrive, remaining in welfare programs is not a way to prosper. Three hots and a cot is not how anyone ever became rich. Accepting that sort of assistance from government will never help anyone climb the ladder of success. I am not saying not to accept vocational training or a Pell Grant. Those programs may lend a helpful hand on the journey to upward mobility. I am saying if you are satisfied with a welfare check or EBT, you are fooling yourself because you can work harder and do better. If you are able-bodied and able-mind, you can still achieve prosperity in America by working smart and living beneath your means while you accumulate savings till the time comes that you can fully enjoy the wealth you have created.

Wacko in Waco

People in Texas generally seem to be like anyone from anywhere else. They do have a penchant for wearing hats seldom seen in other places. Something may be amiss in Waco, Texas. First, we had the David Koresh death cult. Then, we had a Baylor basketballer murder a teammate. Now, we have a biker battle that killed more people than the battle at Fort Sumter that started the US Civil War. Clearly, the motorcycle gang members took it a step too far. I wonder though how many autopsy reports will find the fatal injuries were inflicted by the police as they tried to quell the violence?

Islamic State Advances

There is much talk about the US military taking out the man who ran the sales of oil for ISIS. This is no doubt a victory for the West. It is a small victory though. At the same time, American ground forces showed skill and courage eliminating one important terrorist, the Islamic State captured Ramadi. This victory by the jihadists is a terrible blow. It is a strategic threat to Baghdad itself. That taking of a city seventy miles from Iraq's capital by the Wahhab murder cult is more important than our special forces knocking off a functionary, who though valuable to the terrorists, is easily replaced.

Biker Gang Bloodshed

We well remember the Branch Davidian massacre near Waco. Now, biker gangs have shed blood in that same city. I can not conceive of why, if trouble was expected, law enforcement did not use magnetometers and pat-downs to disarm potential troublemakers. The shootout almost sounds like a Hollywood concoction, but with nine dead bikers, the gunfight was all too real. There is plenty of fault to go around, starting with the criminals who opened fire, but could RICO statutes not be employed to restrict outlaw motorcycle gangs? I also wonder how many of the casualties were from police gunfire as lawmen tried to take control of the situation.

A Somber Sunday

It is dark and cloudy with rain in Louisville today. The weather perfectly reflects my mood. I am distressed for my country and the world. Barack Hussein Obama has led the nation down the primrose path. Obama presides over an economy where over ninety million adults are not working or seeking work. Obama has allowed chaos to reign abroad. Obama has sold out the Ukraine and turned away from America's traditional allies in the Middle East. Obama has been more destructive of liberty at home and abroad than any other US President. It is not just a dark day for Louisville but for America and the world.

"Angel of Peace?"

The Pope has just called Palestinian terror leader Abbas "an angel of peace". "Angel of death" might be more appropriate. The thesis Abbas wrote for his degree supported Holocaust denial. Abbas funded murder as the second in command to Arafat in the PLO. Abbas has consistently praised those who have murdered Jews to Arab audiences. He has blessed the naming of streets and town squares after those who slaughtered innocent Jews. His speeches in Arabic to Palestinians continue to incite violence against Jews. With his statement praising an archterrorist, this Pope is simply carrying on a two thousand year tradition of Jew-hatred within the Catholic Church that was briefly interrupted in 1965 by the Nostra aetate and by more positive relations during the Papacy of John Paul II. Fostering good relations between Muslims and Catholics is more important to Pope Francis that treating Jews justly. Jews have long ago given up the idea that Catholics will treat us fairly.

Defining a Radical

To Leftists, Ted Cruz might be considered a "radical conservative". That would be an oxymoron. A conservative can not be a radical- a "reactionary" (which Cruz is not) maybe- but not a "radical". If a US President was a "rabid radical", he might order B-52s to bomb America's suburbs. That would be radical and if Robert Mugabe somehow came to be President of the United States that might happen. Just because Barack Hussein Obama is not that extreme does not mean that Obama is not a radical. I would contend any American politician who wants to turn America away from her Founding Values is a radical. Obama has certainly been doing just that since he entered the political arena. Obama is not Stalin, Pol Pot, or Mugabe, but he is nonetheless a radical.

Vatican Bashes Israel

From the folks that brought you the largest child-rape cover-up in human history, we now have official recognition of the non-existent Arab state of Palestine. The Roman Catholic Church- you know the one that gave us the Inquisition- has just granted its diplomatic blessing to the terror state of Palestine. Just look what a great job of protecting Christians the other real existing Arab countries are doing. So why not reward the Muslims who are murdering, ethnically-cleansing, and chasing Christians from their midst with one more intolerant hate state? The Jewish State is the only nation in the Middle East where Christians are not routinely persecuted and where Christian patrimony is not being obliterated. In many ways, the Vatican is an enemy of good.

The Train Crash

The Amtrak train that crashed was traveling at one hundred to one hundred and seven miles per hour in a fifty mile per hour zone according to various reports. A supposed collapsing national infrastructure has nothing to do with last night's disaster. If the passenger train was speeding that much over the limit, no modernization of the rail system would have averted the tragedy. No feat of engineering can overcome someone so cavalierly risking so many lives by doubling (or more than doubling) what had been determined to be a safe rate of travel. Sometimes a speed limit is not arbitrary, but there to protect travelers. More investigation is necessary, but going around a dangerous curve at 107mph is an invitation to catastrophe.

A Transportation Tragedy

Train passengers have been injured (and perhaps even killed) in a terrible Amtrak crash in Philadelphia. At this point, it is not certain what caused this event. What is known is that hundreds of rescue personnel are trying to save the wounded. I have heard that mass transit is statistically safer than driving a car. It may well be, but I would rather not place my fate in the hands of a stranger. Please pray for those on the train.

Hillary Losing Steam

I have seen no groundswell of support for Hillary Clinton. In fact, with recent allegations against the Clinton Foundation gaining traction, Hillary's campaign has actually lost momentum. The inevitable Democrat nominee for 2016 may not be so inevitable after all. Martin O'Malley and Elizabeth Warren have both been mentioned as potential contenders to challenge Hillary. Jim Webb may also be in the mix. Bernie Sanders has declared, but his campaign is already floundering. There are several Republicans who seem capable of defeating Ms. Clinton, should she secure the Democrat nomination. Hillary is definitely beatable.

No World Order

US Presidents have for some time promised (or threatened) a "New World Order". In the event, they have actually delivered chaos and anarchy. How stable does the Middle East look with ISIS chopping off heads like decapitation is a box score sport? How safe are Christian communities and other religious minorities in Iraq and the Levant? Is Iran now a stabilizing force or are the Mad Mullahs more threatening than ever as they approach owning a nuclear arsenal unfettered from guarantees by American Presidents who promised Tehran would never be allowed a single atomic weapon? Civil disorder reigned for days in Baltimore. A New York City policeman was assassinated last week, followed just yesterday by the murder of two law enforcement officers in Mississippi. Both at home and abroad, we see the opposite of order.

The Right Direction

I am somewhat heartened that the political Left was crushed in elections in Israel recently and this week in the United Kingdom. While the candidates who won the premierships in both those plebiscites were not as conservative as I hoped, they are certainly better than the far Left. Netanyahu in Israel is center right. Cameron in Great Britain, while nominally conservative is a centrist. Neither Netanyahu nor Cameron is hard Right. Both are preferable to the socialist appeasers of radical Islam who opposed them. Can you imagine how much weaker the fight against Islamism would be had Livni or Lapid won in Israel or Ed Miliband gained victory over David Cameron?

A Forgetful Friday

With a new baby, life is pretty hectic. With my Mom recovering from a stroke a three hour car ride away as well, I find myself overtaken at times by events. I attempt to submit a fresh column every day. These days, my daily commentary takes a back seat to my family situation. I may not be able to write a daily "Despot". I remain firmly committed though to helping a conservative win the US Presidency in 2016.

A Texas Mess

Those who have pointed out that the Fort Hood Nidal Hasan massacre took place in Texas are correct about geography but did not grasp the gist of my "Mess with Texas" posting. Unarmed people were indeed slaughtered by the mad major, but Fort Hood is a Federal Reservation on land that happens to be in Texas, where those charged with defending the rest of us, members of the US military are and have been incomprehensibly disarmed. Unlike ordinary Texans, military members were stripped of the ability to defend themselves with personal firearms. They were (and are left) at the mercy of terrorists who ignore laws mandating particular places be gun-free zones. It is insane to think a picture of a gun with a line through it will deter someone bent on doing evil. It is bizarre to think those charged with defending the nation should not be trusted to defend themselves with firearms ordinary citizens are permitted.

Not Sharia Compliant

I will never participate in stoning an adulteress or anyone else to death. I will not abet the killing of anyone because of sexual orientation. I will not try to extract a tax from someone because he or she believes in another faith. I will not try to murder anyone because they pray differently than I do. I will not try to impose a state of dhimmitude on someone because they apprehend Divinity in ways I do not. I will not destroy the cultural heritage or religious patrimony of others. I will only respect faiths that are tolerant of other religions.

Louisville and Die

There is an old expression, "see Rome and die". Some attribute the quote to Goethe, but some say he actually referenced Naples. In any event, one should not actually have to lay down his or her life to attend a cultural event anywhere. A tourist from Canada decided to take in one of the world's greatest races. Scott Hunter of Toronto should have left Louisville with no more than a hangover from mint juleps, but instead was callously murdered by dregs of society. This tragedy has not been widely publicized, but if it were, it might discourage people from attending future Derbys, or even visiting Louisville.

Mess with Texas

Islamic extremists launched an armed attack on a free speech event in Texas. What the terrorists did not factor in was that they were facing Texans. Well-trained and heroic Texas law enforcement was guarding the event. The jihadists were not facing unarmed French as was the situation with the Charlie Hebdo police bodyguards who failed to prevent a massacre. They were up against the same ethos that tamed the West. The heroes from police agencies kept everyone attending the event safe. They killed the terrorists. Police risked their lives to protect our cherished rights to life, assembly, and free speech. Last night, freedom won in Garland, Texas.