Four Branches of the Same Tree

Statism – the principle or policy of concentrating extensive economic, political, and related controls in the state at the cost of individual liberty.

Socialism – a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.

Communism – a theory or system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state.

Obamaism – All of the above.

Hypocrisy Surrounds the Cordoba House Mosque

It’s interesting that the tolerant, understanding, religious freedom loving, liberals in this country were not so tolerant when G.W. Bush attempted to sell our ports to the Dubai Arabs. They screamed about selling our ports to Muslims who had ties to terrorism. I wonder if they would have been as shrill if it was Obama selling the ports?

 Today the progressives are in favor of the Cordoba House mosque that is being built by Muslims with ties to terrorism. They call anyone opposing the 9/11 mosque intolerant racists, xenophobes, and bigots.

You might draw the conclusion that the anti-ports sale / pro-ground zero mosque positions taken by liberals might have a political overtone or two. And you would be right.

I must note that most conservatives were against the ports sale, and are against the 9/11 mosque as well.  At least the righties are consistent.

In face of over whelming opposition from both the right and the left, the Dubai ports sale was cancelled.

U.S. Naval Games in South China Sea

Commenting on the naval exercises the U.S. is holding in the South China Sea, there was an editorial by Qiu Hao in Monday’s Global Times, an English language newspaper published in Beijing. Qiu Hao opined the U.S. military is stretched thin, like a dumpling wrapper. He said there is nothing to fear from the U.S. The naval games are for show only.

Clearly the Chinese realize that Obama has no stomach to project U.S. power, military or otherwise. Under Mao the U.S. was often called a “paper tiger.” Under Obama the name is accurate.

Why the Tea Party Is Successful

One reason the Tea Party movement has been successful is it has divorced itself from the Taliban-like religious wing of the Republican Party. Like the Taliban, the religious right wants to impose its ideology on the rest of the country with a ban on abortion, prayer in schools, no stem cell research, etc.

These things are religious beliefs, and whether they agree with them or not, many conservatives are uncomfortable imposing their religion on others.

By sticking to the straight forward call for smaller, constitutional government, the TP has dodged the religious bullet. As usual KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) works.

“Let’s Reach for Hope”

“Let’s reach for hope” is Obama’s campaign slogan of the week. But he doesn’t say how reaching for hope will accomplish anything.

He doesn’t say what to do with hope when you grasp it. If you have a handful of hope, can you take it to the bank? Or the grocery store?

What are we supposed to be hoping for? Rain? Socialism? A chicken with 4 wings and 4 legs?

It sounds to me like a handful of hope doesn’t really count for much.

The Plague of Anus Stitching

In the paper the past few days have been stories of a midwife who stitched closed the anus of her patient because she was dissatisfied with the tip she received for delivering a baby. This barbaric and shitty practice must end.

I have been looking for a charitable cause to donate my time, and I think ending the practice of anus stitching is a cause I can get behind. I will start a charitable foundation called Anus Stitching Stopped.

First of all, I will go to Washington and present my case for a grant from the government. This will be easy since congressmen value their anuses as a source for both thoughts and words. After securing a few million dollars, I’ll start a website where I will raise awareness of the problem and solicit more donations.

Hollywood celebrities are always on the lookout for new charities to endorse, so I’ll fly to Los Angeles and present my case to Angelina Jolie, Tom Hanks and Madonna. Surely at least one of them give their endorsement. With Tom Hanks’ endorsement I will wipe up in donations to the website.

Hopefully Tom Hanks and I will fly to areas of the world where anus stitching is most common for photo opps with victims. I will post the pics on my website, more donations will pour in. My foundation will be flush.

Once established as a major problem in the consciousness of the world, I will start a museum of anus stitching, probably in New York. In the museum I will have pictures and displays showing of the horrors of anus stitching. The museum will display tools and methods used throughout history in stitching the anus. Stitching patterns used around the world will be compared. Perhaps even an interactive display of some kind can be set up so children can pretend to stitch an anus.

In the future as my foundation becomes rich I will endow scholarships in proctology at favored universities.

I think I am on to something big.

The Solution to Doping in Sports

It seems that every few weeks we read of doping scandals, accusations or denials in sports. Most recently Lance Armstrong has been fingered as being a doper. Every 4 years when the Olympics are upon us there isn’t a day that goes by without a doping story.

It is true that doping is a problem, and it is unlikely to go away. But there is a simple solution: make doping legal. Here are some reasons why this makes sense.

1. It will level the playing field. If everyone is doping, everyone is equal. The non-dopers will no longer be at a disadvantage to the secret dopers as they are now.

2. Steroid enhanced athletes perform better than unenhanced athletes. This will cause more records to be broken, points scored, etc. Sports will become more exciting. Interest in sports will increase. Attendance at games will skyrocket. The fans will be happier and the athletes will make more money. Everyone benefits.

3. When I was a kid I was a wise ass, but physically very weak and uncoordinated. Consequently I got my ass kicked fairly often. Had I been allowed to enhance myself chemically, my childhood would have been much more enjoyable.

4. One argument against doping is that the long term effects may harm the athletes. Everyone is aware of the risks. They should be allowed to make the choice themselves. It is not unlike choosing to smoke or drive without a seat belt. The athletes can weigh the risks and decide what to do.

5. Sports equipment has improved every year, as has knowledge of nutrition, training regimens, etc. Doping is just another step in the march toward athletic perfection.

6. Who owns the body of an athlete, the government or the athlete himself? If the athlete owns his own body, where does the government get the right to interfere with what he does with it?

7. The U.S. Congress would have to spend its time on legislating instead of wasting time and resources grandstanding about doping in baseball.

8. New drugs that are harder to detect are being developed all the time. Making doping legal would make detecting undetectable drugs a non-issue.

9. Once legal and accepted, larger more sophisticated pharmaceutical companies would research and produce ever better and safer steroids.

Is Inflation Returning?

In today’s Global Times and Shenzhen Daily there were separate stories about increases in costs of steel, pork, grain, bank charges, mung beans, and drinking water. Is this the beginning of a pattern or an aberration? With all the money the governments of the world have been printing, my bet is that inflation is rearing its ugly head.

Don’t Blame Me

At the end of my afterrnoon walk yesterday I stopped in a cafe for a cold beer before returning home. After finishing the beer I went to the w.c. In the squat toilet was a giant, fresh looking, massive, steaming pile of shit.

It was perfectly formed and looked like the plastic piles you see for sale in joke stores, but was much larger.

My first thought was what kind of asshole would leave his unflushed shit in the toilet.

Then it occurred to me it might have been left because it was an almost perfect looking pile of shit and the depositor didn’t have the heart to despoil it with a flush. And indeed it was perfect. It looked like an ice cream cone from McDonald’s down to the little squiggle at the top.

But then I panicked. I became afraid the employees of the cafe would think I left it. What to do?

I have a very weak stomach so flushing it or manipulating it in any way was out of the question. Quickly I tried to think through my options.

If I tried to flush it I might be unsuccessful and create a mess that the employees would rightly blame me for. Also, I’m pretty sure I would have thrown up.

I considered calling a waiter to take care of it. But what would prevent him from thinking I was responsible for it in the first place? I had visions of the employees pointing and laughing as I walked through the cafe.

I felt it was a no win situation, so I quickly washed my hands and walked back to my table swinging them dry with exaggerated circular motions. I wanted everyone to think that washing my hands was all I did. And in fact I didn’t even take my piss, the desire to urinate left me. I gathered up my paper, glasses and pen then left the cafe.

I wonder if I will ever stop in that cafe again?

The Ruling Class in the U.S.A.

There is a ruling class in this country. It is not a particular political party or group, but a combination of politicians, bureaucrats, politically connected business, unions, media, etc. etc. They are deeply imbedded and are accruing more power, money and privilege for themselves every day. They are sucking the country dry. It will take more than an election to remove them.