In the context of politics, equality and quality are both noble values, but they come at each other’s expense – as equality increases, quality decreases, and vice versa.
Take health care, for example. Here in the U. S., we offer a very high quality of health care, if you have insurance or can otherwise afford it. That’s why the rich and powerful from all over the world, including the countries that have socialized medicine, often come here for their critical health care needs. But, because high quality health care is expensive, those with good insurance or lots of money get better heath care than the less fortunate. So, we have a high quality but little equality of health care. In countries with socialized medicine, on the other hand, health care is free and everyone is treated equally, but access to certain specialists, drugs, and expensive tests is limited and typically involves an extended wait. The result is that such countries have great equality but a lesser quality of health care.
The same relationships exist for income, housing, standard of living, education, and just about any other aspect of life. If you value quality above equality, then you prefer a system wherein the harder you work, the greater will be your income and standard of living, etc. You favor capitalism and a weak government. If you believe equality to be more valuable than quality, you prefer a system that distributes wealth and living standards equally. You prefer socialism and a strong government.
Really, the issue boils down to fairness vs. freedom. Progressives argue for fairness and equality. “It’s not fair that the poor don’t receive the same health care/education/income/lifestyle/(fill in the blank) as the rich. Everyone should receive the same. No one has the right to judge anyone else.” Conservatives argue for freedom – not equality, but equality of opportunity. “Everyone should have the right to achieve in accordance with their abilities, drive, and determination. You should never judge anyone based on their race, ethnicity, gender, or other intrinsic characteristic, but you can and should judge everyone’s character, competence, skill, and performance.”
It’s pretty easy to see where I fall on this continuum. I strongly believe that freedom is our greatest, most precious, and most fragile, gift. I acknowledge that freedom is not fair. In a free society, some end up with better educations, nicer cars, larger homes, higher incomes, better health care, and more comfortable lifestyles. Some achieve more, some less, and some end up with very little. America was founded and has flourished in a wealth of freedom that offers boundless opportunity and a quality of life that is the envy of the world. There is little equality, but great equality of opportunity – everyone can succeed in accordance with their abilities and willingness to work hard. I should note that some folks choose to forgo some of the rewards of hard work for a life of public service – they accept a more modest lifestyle and dedicate themselves to the betterment of all. I include members of the military, public safety personnel, clerics, some educators, and some medical personnel, as well as most charitable workers, in this category. We all owe an immeasurable debt to such people, and we must always honor and defend their commitment.
As a 21st century conservative, I believe that each of us has a bounden duty to provide, care for, and protect ourselves and our families. I believe that government’s only job is to provide those few services and controls that civilization demands and that cannot be provided by individuals themselves. I do not seek to be taken care of by anyone, especially the government, unless I become unable to care for myself. Conversely, I am more than willing to contribute to or provide for those who are unable to care for themselves, noting that this pledge in no way extends to those who are unwilling to care for themselves. I fully accept that, in this exciting and unpredictable journey of life in a free land, there will be a wide range of personal achievement and accomplishment. I do not begrudge those who achieve more, and I do not feel superior to those who are less accomplished. I ask only that I be given the opportunity to reach my own potential.
These days, there seems to be an impetus, led by progressive politicians, media, press, and academia, to diminish the value of freedom in favor of fairness. If they succeed, we will have forsaken our greatest gift. I cherish that gift beyond measure. If you seek to diminish the freedom personified by America, do so at your own peril.
30 May 2010
Humor: Danger Lurks
After extensive anecdotal research (that means shooting the bull with my buddies), I’ve concluded that my Medicare card has been contaminated (probably by an alien force from an alternate dimension – the same conspiracy that produced spiked hair and facial piercings). The card itself looks ok, and I haven’t been able to detect any forensic evidence of actual contamination, but I can find no other explanation for all the weird things that seem to be happening. I can’t prove it, but I believe the card somehow warps the time-space continuum for several feet around me. Ok, that statement sounds highly technical, and maybe scary, but you can expect no less lofty a conclusion from the profound discussions that occur when a bunch of geezers gather over cocktails. I’m pretty sure that my buddies and I are on the right track here.
How else could you explain the following? First, the gravitational field around me has been distorted - gravity is now crooked. A lifetime of experience has convinced me that gravity is supposed to pull straight down. But, as soon as I put that Medicare card in my pocket, everything began to change. For example, ladders became less steady, roofs became steeper, and ice and snow became slipperier. Obviously, I’m not the only one affected. Old guys fall on their ass all the time, and their wives are constantly yelling at them to “stay to hell off that ladder!” Furthermore, while you’re laying on the ground nursing your sore ass, you come to the sad realization that you no longer bounce nearly as well as you used to – proof positive that the damned Medicare card doesn’t only affect gravity, it weakens your body as well.
Worse, the effect increases with time. Before long you’re stumbling, tripping and falling on your ass even though you’re not even in the vicinity of a ladder, roof, or ice. As if that’s not embarrassing enough, the resulting huge ass bruises spread all over, take forever to heal, and morph themselves into colors and shapes that apparently resemble fruit and vegetables – my wife has described the colors of my various bruises as lime, persimmon, peach, and even egg plant, for God’s sake.
And there’s more humiliation to come: doctor’s visits, prescriptions, pills, and countless new ailments. Finally, the ultimate tragedy: instead of the high level discussions that once graced geezer cocktail hour, you find yourselves comparing ailments, prescriptions, injuries, and operations. God help us - the Medicare card – it’s gotta be that damned card!
How else could you explain the following? First, the gravitational field around me has been distorted - gravity is now crooked. A lifetime of experience has convinced me that gravity is supposed to pull straight down. But, as soon as I put that Medicare card in my pocket, everything began to change. For example, ladders became less steady, roofs became steeper, and ice and snow became slipperier. Obviously, I’m not the only one affected. Old guys fall on their ass all the time, and their wives are constantly yelling at them to “stay to hell off that ladder!” Furthermore, while you’re laying on the ground nursing your sore ass, you come to the sad realization that you no longer bounce nearly as well as you used to – proof positive that the damned Medicare card doesn’t only affect gravity, it weakens your body as well.
Worse, the effect increases with time. Before long you’re stumbling, tripping and falling on your ass even though you’re not even in the vicinity of a ladder, roof, or ice. As if that’s not embarrassing enough, the resulting huge ass bruises spread all over, take forever to heal, and morph themselves into colors and shapes that apparently resemble fruit and vegetables – my wife has described the colors of my various bruises as lime, persimmon, peach, and even egg plant, for God’s sake.
And there’s more humiliation to come: doctor’s visits, prescriptions, pills, and countless new ailments. Finally, the ultimate tragedy: instead of the high level discussions that once graced geezer cocktail hour, you find yourselves comparing ailments, prescriptions, injuries, and operations. God help us - the Medicare card – it’s gotta be that damned card!
20 May 2010
An Immigrant Speaks
I recently received the following note from a friend and neighbor. The entire illegal immigrant issue could not be better addressed. His note reminds us all to give thanks to God every day for our precious citizenship in this wonderful country.
Hi Joe,
I became an American citizen on May 6th – it was a wonderful tear filled ceremony at Faneuil Hall in Boston. I am a new immigrant, even though I have been in America for nearly 35 years! However, till May 6th, I carried a “Resident Alien” card, or green card in my back pocket every day since 1983. Even when I was out on the pond on the bass boat you’d have found my green card in my wallet next to my NH non-resident fishing license and my NH boating license. This was the law – I had no problem with it. I was not a citizen of the USA, but was being allowed to stay here by the government. The only requirement they made on me was to carry the card with me at all times. I did so dutifully, and without any issues. When asked to produce it, I did. I also recognized that if I had been convicted of a crime at any point, that along with punishment to be delivered by the US government, I would most likely have been deported from the country.
With this as background I am outraged by the backlash against the Arizona law, which only mirrors the federal law, and which makes no onerous demands on legal residents. I have said to many people that I will look for ways to go to Arizona and spend money there.
This is just another ploy to tear the Unites States apart from within, and as one of its newest citizens, this grieves me deeply.
Blessings,
Andy
Hi Joe,
I became an American citizen on May 6th – it was a wonderful tear filled ceremony at Faneuil Hall in Boston. I am a new immigrant, even though I have been in America for nearly 35 years! However, till May 6th, I carried a “Resident Alien” card, or green card in my back pocket every day since 1983. Even when I was out on the pond on the bass boat you’d have found my green card in my wallet next to my NH non-resident fishing license and my NH boating license. This was the law – I had no problem with it. I was not a citizen of the USA, but was being allowed to stay here by the government. The only requirement they made on me was to carry the card with me at all times. I did so dutifully, and without any issues. When asked to produce it, I did. I also recognized that if I had been convicted of a crime at any point, that along with punishment to be delivered by the US government, I would most likely have been deported from the country.
With this as background I am outraged by the backlash against the Arizona law, which only mirrors the federal law, and which makes no onerous demands on legal residents. I have said to many people that I will look for ways to go to Arizona and spend money there.
This is just another ploy to tear the Unites States apart from within, and as one of its newest citizens, this grieves me deeply.
Blessings,
Andy
18 May 2010
Duplicity
President Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner, and State Department Spokesman P.J. Crowley, have denounced the new Arizona illegal immigration law. Oh, by the way, all five of them have publicly admitted they have not read the law. Now that’s government you can believe in, and trust to represent you fairly, and do the right thing. Right ....
I just read the law. It took me 20 minutes.
Latinos are protesting, and, based on interviews with them and the signs they carry, they fear that Arizona police will stop any Latino looking person and “ask for their papers” – not surprising since President Obama expressed that same concern. Yet the Arizona law specifically prohibits police from doing that very thing. Federal law already requires non-citzens to carry documentation on their person, and the Arizona law prohibits police from asking to see that documentation unless the person has been detained for violating some other law. Furthermore, racial profiling is specifically prohibited. In fact, the Arizona law is completely consistent with existing Federal law (you’d think the U.S. Attorney General would know that).
Administration officials, including the President, are making inflammatory public statements that are outright falsehoods. In so doing, the Administration is once again dividing the country, this time along ethnic lines, which is of course consistent with previous Administration efforts to divide us along racial and socioeconomic lines. (Does that make the President responsible or irresponsible?) Don’t I remember Obama campaigning on “unifying the country”, based on “post-partisan” politics. The “great unifyiner”? I don’t think so – more like the “great divider”.
I just read the law. It took me 20 minutes.
Latinos are protesting, and, based on interviews with them and the signs they carry, they fear that Arizona police will stop any Latino looking person and “ask for their papers” – not surprising since President Obama expressed that same concern. Yet the Arizona law specifically prohibits police from doing that very thing. Federal law already requires non-citzens to carry documentation on their person, and the Arizona law prohibits police from asking to see that documentation unless the person has been detained for violating some other law. Furthermore, racial profiling is specifically prohibited. In fact, the Arizona law is completely consistent with existing Federal law (you’d think the U.S. Attorney General would know that).
Administration officials, including the President, are making inflammatory public statements that are outright falsehoods. In so doing, the Administration is once again dividing the country, this time along ethnic lines, which is of course consistent with previous Administration efforts to divide us along racial and socioeconomic lines. (Does that make the President responsible or irresponsible?) Don’t I remember Obama campaigning on “unifying the country”, based on “post-partisan” politics. The “great unifyiner”? I don’t think so – more like the “great divider”.
07 May 2010
The Spin Goes On
In order to ensure that I hear all sides of issues, I spend some time watching MSNBC, CNN, and some network news shows, and I frequently listen to Public Broadcasting Radio – balancing it all with a steady dose of talk radio and FOX News. I am continually amazed by the clever spin from all sides; but, since the Democrats won the presidency and both houses, the spin has reached numbing heights.
Today has been a perfect example. The unemployment numbers were just released, and the rate climbed from 9.7% to 9.9%, yet more jobs were created than lost – a seeming contradiction. The answer, of course, is that the “unemployment” rate does not accurately portray unemployment – it only counts those people who are actively seeking employment through local/state/federal government unemployment offices. The number is always much lower than the actual number of folks out of work, because, once the unemployment checks run out, many people stop looking through the unemployment office. Some continue to look using other means, some work “under the table”, some work part-time, some become self-employed as a cottage industry, and I suppose some just hang out at home. These folks are often called “underemployed”, a rate which is often double the official unemployment rate. Anyway, each Spring, as summer jobs begin to open up, many of these folks once again register at the unemployment office, thus raising the official “unemployment rate”. At the same time, the summer jobs employ many people, thus creating many new jobs.
Both of those phenomena happened the past month and were reflected in today’s seemingly contradictory job figures. All that is fine, and even encouraging, but it is hardly worthy of the response exploding out of the “mainstream” media and press. They have been reveling all day, ecstatic and even delirious with this “evidence” that the Obama economic stimuli are finally taking hold. Their spin is that the improving economy is drawing the underemployed back into the work force, witness the fact that the unemployment rate went up.
So, let me get this straight. If the unemployment rate goes down, that’s good because it proves that Obama’s economic policies are working; and, if the unemployment rate goes up, that’s good because it also proves that Obama’s economic policies are working. It’s as simple as that.
What, are you surprised? This double talk is totally consistent with recent history. For example, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and President Obama explain that development of the health care bill was conducted in secret behind closed doors, yet development of the bill was the most open and transparent legislation ever, just as the President promised. Similarly, Pelosi, Reid, and Obama refused to consider any of the hundreds of Republican proposals and amendments, yet the bill was developed with input from all parties, even though the Republicans stubbornly refused to participate in the process. The heath care bill had overwhelming support of the medical community and the public, even though 70% of doctors and 60% of the public opposed it. The most pork-laden budgets and stimulus packages in history were scrutinized line by line by President Obama himself to ensure a minimum number of “earmarks”. It goes on and on.
Do not be confused. The key to understanding all this is simple: listen to what they say and ignore what they actually do. Get it?
We should not fret. We should thank God that the Obama administration and the congress always do the right thing for us, even if we don’t understand or approve of it. Given how obviously dumb and incompetent we are, we should be eternally grateful that we are led by brilliant elitists who know better than we do. Politics, economics, and government are too complicated for our simple little minds, but have no fear, they will take care of us.
My dream come true: someone to take care of me and free me from troublesome ambition, drive, work ethic, individual effort, personal excellence, and freedom. Whew.
Today has been a perfect example. The unemployment numbers were just released, and the rate climbed from 9.7% to 9.9%, yet more jobs were created than lost – a seeming contradiction. The answer, of course, is that the “unemployment” rate does not accurately portray unemployment – it only counts those people who are actively seeking employment through local/state/federal government unemployment offices. The number is always much lower than the actual number of folks out of work, because, once the unemployment checks run out, many people stop looking through the unemployment office. Some continue to look using other means, some work “under the table”, some work part-time, some become self-employed as a cottage industry, and I suppose some just hang out at home. These folks are often called “underemployed”, a rate which is often double the official unemployment rate. Anyway, each Spring, as summer jobs begin to open up, many of these folks once again register at the unemployment office, thus raising the official “unemployment rate”. At the same time, the summer jobs employ many people, thus creating many new jobs.
Both of those phenomena happened the past month and were reflected in today’s seemingly contradictory job figures. All that is fine, and even encouraging, but it is hardly worthy of the response exploding out of the “mainstream” media and press. They have been reveling all day, ecstatic and even delirious with this “evidence” that the Obama economic stimuli are finally taking hold. Their spin is that the improving economy is drawing the underemployed back into the work force, witness the fact that the unemployment rate went up.
So, let me get this straight. If the unemployment rate goes down, that’s good because it proves that Obama’s economic policies are working; and, if the unemployment rate goes up, that’s good because it also proves that Obama’s economic policies are working. It’s as simple as that.
What, are you surprised? This double talk is totally consistent with recent history. For example, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and President Obama explain that development of the health care bill was conducted in secret behind closed doors, yet development of the bill was the most open and transparent legislation ever, just as the President promised. Similarly, Pelosi, Reid, and Obama refused to consider any of the hundreds of Republican proposals and amendments, yet the bill was developed with input from all parties, even though the Republicans stubbornly refused to participate in the process. The heath care bill had overwhelming support of the medical community and the public, even though 70% of doctors and 60% of the public opposed it. The most pork-laden budgets and stimulus packages in history were scrutinized line by line by President Obama himself to ensure a minimum number of “earmarks”. It goes on and on.
Do not be confused. The key to understanding all this is simple: listen to what they say and ignore what they actually do. Get it?
We should not fret. We should thank God that the Obama administration and the congress always do the right thing for us, even if we don’t understand or approve of it. Given how obviously dumb and incompetent we are, we should be eternally grateful that we are led by brilliant elitists who know better than we do. Politics, economics, and government are too complicated for our simple little minds, but have no fear, they will take care of us.
My dream come true: someone to take care of me and free me from troublesome ambition, drive, work ethic, individual effort, personal excellence, and freedom. Whew.
06 May 2010
Arizona Law: Comments from Arizona State Senator
The following is a legitimate letter from an Arizona State Senator that generally supports my essay on the same subject.
I'm Arizona State Senator Sylvia Allen. I want to explain SB 1070 which
I voted for and was just signed by Governor Jan Brewer. Rancher Rob
Krantz was murdered by the drug cartel on his ranch a month ago. I
participated in a senate hearing two weeks ago on the border violence,
here is just some of the highlights from those who testified.
The people who live within 60 to 80 miles of the Arizona/Mexico Border
have for years been terrorized and have pleaded for help to stop the
daily invasion of humans who cross their property . One Rancher
testified that 300 to 1200 people a DAY come across his ranch
vandalizing his property, stealing his vehicles and property, cutting
down his fences, and leaving trash. In the last two years he has found
17 dead bodies and two Koran bibles.
Another rancher testified that daily drugs are brought across his ranch
in a military operation. A point man with a machine gun goes in front,
1/2 mile behind are the guards fully armed, 1/2 mile behind them are the
drugs, behind the drugs 1/2 mile are more guards. These people are
violent and they will kill anyone who gets in the way. This was not the
only rancher we heard that day that talked about the drug trains.
One man told of two illegal's who came upon his property one shot in the
back and the other in the arm by the drug runners who had forced them to
carry the drugs and then shot them. Daily they listen to gun fire during
the night it is not safe to leave his family alone on the ranch and they
can't leave the ranch for fear of nothing being left when they come
back.
The border patrol is not on the border. They have set up 60 miles away
with check points that do nothing to stop the invasion. They are not
allowed to use force in stopping anyone who is entering. They run around
chasing them, if they get their hands on them then they can take them
back across the border.
Federal prisons have over 35% illegal's and 20% of Arizona prisons are
filled with illegal's. In the last few years 80% of our law enforcement
that have been killed or wounded have been by an illegal.
The majority of people coming now are people we need to be worried
about. The ranchers told us that they have seen a change in the people
coming they are not just those who are looking for work and a better
life.
The Federal Government has refused for years to do anything to help the
border states. We have been over run and once they are here we have the
burden of funding state services that they use. Education cost have been
over a billion dollars. The healthcare cost billions of dollars. Our
State is broke, $3.5 billion deficit and we have many serious decisions
to make. One is that we do not have the money to care for any who are
not here legally. It has to stop.
The border can be secured. We have the technology we have the ability to
stop this invasion. We must know who is coming and they must come in an
organized manner legally so that we can assimilate them into our
population and protect the sovereignty of our country. We are a nation
of laws. We have a responsibility to protect our citizens and to protect
the integrity of our country and the government which we live under.
I would give amnesty today to many, but here is the problem, we dare not
do this until the Border is secure. It will do no good to forgive them
because thousands will come behind them and we will be over run to the
point that there will no longer be the United States of America but a
North American Union of open borders. I ask you what form of government
will we live under?
How long will it be before we will be just like Mexico or any of the
other Central American or South American countries? We have already lost
our language, everything must be printed in Spanish also. We have
already lost our history it is no longer taught in our schools. And we
have lost our borders.
The leftist media has distorted what SB 1070 will do. It is not going to
set up a Nazi Germany. Are you kidding. The ACLU and the leftist courts
will do everything to protect those who are here illegally, but it was
an effort to try and stop illegal's from setting up businesses, and
employment, and receiving state services and give the ability to local
law enforcement when there is probable cause like a traffic stop to
determine if they are here legally. Federal law is very clear if you are
here on a visa you must have your papers on you at all times. That is
the law. In Arizona all you need to show you are a legal citizen is a
driver license, MVD identification card, Native American Card, or a
Military ID. This is what you need to vote, get a hunting license, etc..
So nothing new has been added to this law. No one is going to be stopped
walking down the street etc... The Socialist who are in power in DC are
angry because we dare try and do something and that something the
Socialist wants us to do is just let them come. They want the
"Transformation" to continue.
Maybe it is too late to save America. Maybe we are not worthy of freedom
anymore. But as an elected official I must try to do what I can to
protect our Constitutional Republic. Living in America is not a right
just because you can walk across the border. Being an American is a
responsibility and it comes by respecting and upholding the Constitution
the law of our land which says what you must do to be a citizen of this
country. Freedom is not free.
I'm Arizona State Senator Sylvia Allen. I want to explain SB 1070 which
I voted for and was just signed by Governor Jan Brewer. Rancher Rob
Krantz was murdered by the drug cartel on his ranch a month ago. I
participated in a senate hearing two weeks ago on the border violence,
here is just some of the highlights from those who testified.
The people who live within 60 to 80 miles of the Arizona/Mexico Border
have for years been terrorized and have pleaded for help to stop the
daily invasion of humans who cross their property . One Rancher
testified that 300 to 1200 people a DAY come across his ranch
vandalizing his property, stealing his vehicles and property, cutting
down his fences, and leaving trash. In the last two years he has found
17 dead bodies and two Koran bibles.
Another rancher testified that daily drugs are brought across his ranch
in a military operation. A point man with a machine gun goes in front,
1/2 mile behind are the guards fully armed, 1/2 mile behind them are the
drugs, behind the drugs 1/2 mile are more guards. These people are
violent and they will kill anyone who gets in the way. This was not the
only rancher we heard that day that talked about the drug trains.
One man told of two illegal's who came upon his property one shot in the
back and the other in the arm by the drug runners who had forced them to
carry the drugs and then shot them. Daily they listen to gun fire during
the night it is not safe to leave his family alone on the ranch and they
can't leave the ranch for fear of nothing being left when they come
back.
The border patrol is not on the border. They have set up 60 miles away
with check points that do nothing to stop the invasion. They are not
allowed to use force in stopping anyone who is entering. They run around
chasing them, if they get their hands on them then they can take them
back across the border.
Federal prisons have over 35% illegal's and 20% of Arizona prisons are
filled with illegal's. In the last few years 80% of our law enforcement
that have been killed or wounded have been by an illegal.
The majority of people coming now are people we need to be worried
about. The ranchers told us that they have seen a change in the people
coming they are not just those who are looking for work and a better
life.
The Federal Government has refused for years to do anything to help the
border states. We have been over run and once they are here we have the
burden of funding state services that they use. Education cost have been
over a billion dollars. The healthcare cost billions of dollars. Our
State is broke, $3.5 billion deficit and we have many serious decisions
to make. One is that we do not have the money to care for any who are
not here legally. It has to stop.
The border can be secured. We have the technology we have the ability to
stop this invasion. We must know who is coming and they must come in an
organized manner legally so that we can assimilate them into our
population and protect the sovereignty of our country. We are a nation
of laws. We have a responsibility to protect our citizens and to protect
the integrity of our country and the government which we live under.
I would give amnesty today to many, but here is the problem, we dare not
do this until the Border is secure. It will do no good to forgive them
because thousands will come behind them and we will be over run to the
point that there will no longer be the United States of America but a
North American Union of open borders. I ask you what form of government
will we live under?
How long will it be before we will be just like Mexico or any of the
other Central American or South American countries? We have already lost
our language, everything must be printed in Spanish also. We have
already lost our history it is no longer taught in our schools. And we
have lost our borders.
The leftist media has distorted what SB 1070 will do. It is not going to
set up a Nazi Germany. Are you kidding. The ACLU and the leftist courts
will do everything to protect those who are here illegally, but it was
an effort to try and stop illegal's from setting up businesses, and
employment, and receiving state services and give the ability to local
law enforcement when there is probable cause like a traffic stop to
determine if they are here legally. Federal law is very clear if you are
here on a visa you must have your papers on you at all times. That is
the law. In Arizona all you need to show you are a legal citizen is a
driver license, MVD identification card, Native American Card, or a
Military ID. This is what you need to vote, get a hunting license, etc..
So nothing new has been added to this law. No one is going to be stopped
walking down the street etc... The Socialist who are in power in DC are
angry because we dare try and do something and that something the
Socialist wants us to do is just let them come. They want the
"Transformation" to continue.
Maybe it is too late to save America. Maybe we are not worthy of freedom
anymore. But as an elected official I must try to do what I can to
protect our Constitutional Republic. Living in America is not a right
just because you can walk across the border. Being an American is a
responsibility and it comes by respecting and upholding the Constitution
the law of our land which says what you must do to be a citizen of this
country. Freedom is not free.
04 May 2010
The BP Oil Spill
Let me begin by stating unequivocally that the BP oil spill is an environmental disaster – a terrible tragedy. Good men died, many more will lose their livelihood, and the environmental and economic repercussions will plague us for years to come.
The Deepwater Horizon was an offshore exploration/production platform leased by BP. It caught on fire, blew up, and sunk into 5,000 feet of water. Tragically and as yet unexplainably, none of the multiple redundant safety systems cut off the oil flow, and the pipes are now leaking huge volumes of oil into the Gulf. Bad weather has impaired efforts to cut off the flow, and it may develop that the flow will not stop completely until adjacent pressure relief wells are drilled – an effort requiring several months at best.
The Deepwater Horizon was a state-of-the-art platform. It was not tethered or anchored in any way to the bottom. It used computer controlled thrusters and GPS to “dynamically position” itself within a few feet of the same spot, thus allowing it to operate in waters nearly two miles deep. Its sister rigs have operated safely in many locales.
Even if it was a design flaw, and the experts are somehow able to re-create the scenario that led to the disaster and fix the design, the impact will be felt for many years to come. Scarier still, the Deepwater Horizon has been an ongoing target of jihadists and eco-terrorists, but, even if this turns out to be a terrorist attack and not a design flaw or mistake, the world will be slow to regain its confidence in offshore technology. The histrionics, hype, and hyper-criticism of the anti-oil crowd will continually inflame the issue. Why blame the poor benighted terrorists when we have the oil industry to villainize.
Logic will be no match for the hysteria. For example, there are mounds of data clearly demonstrating that the volume of leaks from tankers and other ships vastly exceeds any leaks from offshore rigs, including this one. From a strictly environmental viewpoint, therefore, the best way to minimize oil leakage is to stop using tankers to import our oil. We should instead replace that imported oil by developing our own oil fields – onshore and offshore. But who needs logic? There will be a great hue and cry to stop all offshore drilling in US coastal waters, and efforts to halt onshore drilling will closely follow.
Stand by. Cap and Trade cannot be far behind – then again who cares if our economy tanks as long as offshore rigs are banned.
The Deepwater Horizon was an offshore exploration/production platform leased by BP. It caught on fire, blew up, and sunk into 5,000 feet of water. Tragically and as yet unexplainably, none of the multiple redundant safety systems cut off the oil flow, and the pipes are now leaking huge volumes of oil into the Gulf. Bad weather has impaired efforts to cut off the flow, and it may develop that the flow will not stop completely until adjacent pressure relief wells are drilled – an effort requiring several months at best.
The Deepwater Horizon was a state-of-the-art platform. It was not tethered or anchored in any way to the bottom. It used computer controlled thrusters and GPS to “dynamically position” itself within a few feet of the same spot, thus allowing it to operate in waters nearly two miles deep. Its sister rigs have operated safely in many locales.
Even if it was a design flaw, and the experts are somehow able to re-create the scenario that led to the disaster and fix the design, the impact will be felt for many years to come. Scarier still, the Deepwater Horizon has been an ongoing target of jihadists and eco-terrorists, but, even if this turns out to be a terrorist attack and not a design flaw or mistake, the world will be slow to regain its confidence in offshore technology. The histrionics, hype, and hyper-criticism of the anti-oil crowd will continually inflame the issue. Why blame the poor benighted terrorists when we have the oil industry to villainize.
Logic will be no match for the hysteria. For example, there are mounds of data clearly demonstrating that the volume of leaks from tankers and other ships vastly exceeds any leaks from offshore rigs, including this one. From a strictly environmental viewpoint, therefore, the best way to minimize oil leakage is to stop using tankers to import our oil. We should instead replace that imported oil by developing our own oil fields – onshore and offshore. But who needs logic? There will be a great hue and cry to stop all offshore drilling in US coastal waters, and efforts to halt onshore drilling will closely follow.
Stand by. Cap and Trade cannot be far behind – then again who cares if our economy tanks as long as offshore rigs are banned.
Arizona's Law on Illegal Immigrants
Hispanic folks all over the country are demonstrating against the recently enacted Arizona law allowing police to detain illegal immigrants. Most of those demonstrators are here legally, so why are they opposed to this legislation? The answer is simple: folks have been led to believe that the new law allows police to stop anyone who looks hispanic and demand to see their “papers”. The NY Times has drawn the Nazi analogy, and the president has further inflamed the issue by conflating legal and illegal immigrants in his speeches. Yesterday he spoke twice on the issue, using only the word “immigrants”, thus implying that the law applies to all immigrants, legal and illegal. Administration officials have even suggested that they may direct ICE and the Border Patrol not to accept custody of any illegal immigrants detained by the Arizona police.
Here’s the truth.
• Existing Federal law requires all non-citizens in the US to carry, on their person, documentation showing they are here legally. Thus the new Arizona law simply directs police to enforce the existing Federal law.
• The new Arizona law forbids police from asking for documentation unless the person has already been detained for some other violation, so police will not be arbitrarily stopping hispanic people.
• Most of the police in Arizona are hispanic, so they clearly won’t be abusing the law.
• Arizona has neither the means nor the will to enforce this new law. No one in Arizona likes this law, including the legislators who passed it, yet there is overwhelming support for the law, even among hispanic residents. Why? Because the purpose of passing the law was simply to get the Federal government to do their job – protect our borders. Arizona has made a simple statement: “If the Federal government will not protect us, we will protect ourselves”.
• The criminals here are the drug cartels and gang members who are illegally crossing the border and murdering, kidnapping, and otherwise terrorizing law-abiding Arizonans. Yet, the administration and the media are villainizing the Arizonans and ignoring the actual criminals – go figure.
Come on folks, the answer to this issue is relatively straight-forward.
First address the crisis – stop the flow across the porous border. Easy. Use the National Guard to guard our southern border for a couple of years until we can finish building a good fence – a high, strong double fence with dogs and border patrol in between the two fences and sonar monitors to detect tunneling. Please do not dare to call this fence a wall. Walls keep people in (think prisons and Berlin), while fences keep people out (think your neighbor’s dog, and attractive nuisances like swimming pools). We not only have a right to protect our borders – it is the Federal Government’s solemn duty to do so.
Ok, so the first step is straight-forward: protect our borders from invasion. The next step is much more complex. We need to devise a means of legally allowing immigrants temporary access to work at jobs Americans don’t want to do. We also need to provide those folks a path to citizenship if they so choose. All of this is very complicated and controversial, and we should have a nice rational and civilized national discussion on the best means of achieving these goals AFTER WE SECURE THE BORDER.
In the meantime, I believe President Bush, President Obama, and their congresses have been derelict in their duty. Do your damned job, Mr. President, and Arizona will not have to push you into it. As for your adoring media and press: shame on you for obfuscating the truth in the service of blatant political partisanship.
Here’s the truth.
• Existing Federal law requires all non-citizens in the US to carry, on their person, documentation showing they are here legally. Thus the new Arizona law simply directs police to enforce the existing Federal law.
• The new Arizona law forbids police from asking for documentation unless the person has already been detained for some other violation, so police will not be arbitrarily stopping hispanic people.
• Most of the police in Arizona are hispanic, so they clearly won’t be abusing the law.
• Arizona has neither the means nor the will to enforce this new law. No one in Arizona likes this law, including the legislators who passed it, yet there is overwhelming support for the law, even among hispanic residents. Why? Because the purpose of passing the law was simply to get the Federal government to do their job – protect our borders. Arizona has made a simple statement: “If the Federal government will not protect us, we will protect ourselves”.
• The criminals here are the drug cartels and gang members who are illegally crossing the border and murdering, kidnapping, and otherwise terrorizing law-abiding Arizonans. Yet, the administration and the media are villainizing the Arizonans and ignoring the actual criminals – go figure.
Come on folks, the answer to this issue is relatively straight-forward.
First address the crisis – stop the flow across the porous border. Easy. Use the National Guard to guard our southern border for a couple of years until we can finish building a good fence – a high, strong double fence with dogs and border patrol in between the two fences and sonar monitors to detect tunneling. Please do not dare to call this fence a wall. Walls keep people in (think prisons and Berlin), while fences keep people out (think your neighbor’s dog, and attractive nuisances like swimming pools). We not only have a right to protect our borders – it is the Federal Government’s solemn duty to do so.
Ok, so the first step is straight-forward: protect our borders from invasion. The next step is much more complex. We need to devise a means of legally allowing immigrants temporary access to work at jobs Americans don’t want to do. We also need to provide those folks a path to citizenship if they so choose. All of this is very complicated and controversial, and we should have a nice rational and civilized national discussion on the best means of achieving these goals AFTER WE SECURE THE BORDER.
In the meantime, I believe President Bush, President Obama, and their congresses have been derelict in their duty. Do your damned job, Mr. President, and Arizona will not have to push you into it. As for your adoring media and press: shame on you for obfuscating the truth in the service of blatant political partisanship.
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