31 August 2005

Kick 'em when they're down

A caller to the Laura Ingraham Show (KNUS-AM, Denver, Co., 31 August 2005), discussing the disaster in the wake of Katrina, asks why other countries never help us when we have disasters, when we are frequently helping other nations with theirs. The answer is quite simple. We comprise a small fraction of the world's population and we consume the largest fraction of the world's resources. With these resources we cause global warming, which creates all those natural disasters. When it happens to them we ought to help them because it is our fault anyway; we cause those disasters to happen to them. When it happens to us, we're on our own, since it's our way of life coming home to haunt us; we deserve it. Or, other nations simply don't have the resources to help us because we have them all. How was it Ward Churchill put it? Oh, yes: Chickens come home to roost--or something like that. (See, e.g., Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., For They That Sow the Wind Shall Reap the Whirlwind,HuffingtonPost, 29 August 2005 [accessed 31 August 2005].)

Well, that's probably what they tell themselves, anyway. You know, to ease their consciences. (See, e.g., Patrick Goodenough, German Minister Links Katrina to Global Warming, Bush Policies, CNSNews.com,
31 August 2005 [accessed 31 August 2005].) Of course, no one who actually knows anything about weather cycles, especially hurricane cycles, could say such things (see, e.g., Lindsey Sherrill, 14 named storms predicted, The Atmore Advance, 9 June 2004, which includes this interesting sentence: "According to...estimates, the south Alabama area is more than 100 years overdue for a Category 4 or 5 storm." [accessed 31 August 2005], emphasis mine). But politicians these can't be expected actually to know anything about much--except, apparently, how to get and use power. And their mouths.

It's just like a leftist, isn't it? To kick a rightist when he's down. (This pussilanimous behavior is one of the reasons that leftist intellectuals are, rightly (so to speak), some of the first people to be liquidated after successful Marxist military coups. When you're done with the butter, you no longer need the container.) This sort of whimpy behavior is one of the reasons I...uh...left the Left--that and a growing conviction that (1) there might be a God, and (2) it might be wrong to take one guy's money just because he has it and give it to another guy just because he doesn't (while keeping a pretty sizeable portion for the distributor's self, of course).

P.S. I have heard that Japan has offered to open up its petroleum reserves to help us out here. But I have been unable to confirm the rumor. (If so: Thank you, Japan, for the offer.)
18 August 2005

The barbarian invasion of the US

Because of my family's (hispanic) heritage, we talk alot about immigration, especially illegal immigration. In general, I'm probably the most conservative about the matter. I think we can--and should--be as stringent in protecting our border with Mexico as as we possibly can.

The influx of illegal immigrants from Mexico is not likely to let up any time soon, and certainly not without stronger enforcement measures on our part. The reason? It's the economy--the Mexican economy, that is. And this problem is not going to be solved merely by closing the border as some conservatives have suggested. Oh, I suppose we could and it would work, but before we get too enamored of that idea consider that the unemployment rate in Mexico is roughly equivalent to that of the U.S. during the Great Depression. This article ("Mexican Magnet" published 17 August 2005
) would be well worth the time spent reading it.

Now, in all honesty, while I am certainly no fan of illegal immigration, I must wonder what I would do had--putting shoes on another foot--I been alive during the depression and all I had to do to support my family was smuggle myself into Mexico. I have always found it difficult to fault people simply for trying to make a living (though I do greatly fault people who do so and demand the privileges and immunities of citizenship, such as free education, in-state college tuition, drivers' licenses, etc).

Having said that, let me say that I find none of the arguments defending illegal immigrants very persuasive. My least favorite is the argument that illegals only take jobs that we are unwilling to take. The real truth is that they take jobs that most of us don't have to take. Frankly, most of us can take other jobs; we have other options. After all, why should someone give up a job that pays tens of thousands of dollars per year for one that doesn't pay much more than ten thousand--if even that much? The others of us don't take those jobs because one of the privileges and immunities of U.S. citizenship is that those members of the ranks of the unemployed who don't want "those jobs that no one wants" and, consequently, do not work, are able to live off of those who do work. We could try ending welfare and then see if there are any takers for those jobs "no one" wants.

But, for all that, it remains the case that the real problem is Mexico's economy. There is virtually no middle class in Mexico. And with an unemployment rate roughly that of our Great Depression, the average Mexican lives in the midst of what we would call a disaster area. And it isn't much different in South America either (especially in Guatemala). Our approach to the problem (and I don't claim to have a clue) must deal intelligently with that fact that many illegals are refugees. And it would be easier to feel like treating them like refugees if they would simply act like refugees. And many of them don't.

Take for example a certain rancher I heard of, though I have not been able to confirm this yet. He has been cautioned by his local government not do travers his property to check on the condition of his cattle. Why? Because it's dangerous. You see, his cattle are being rustled, not by cattle thieves who are going to take the rustled cattle to market, but by illegals. They take this man's cattle, slaughter them, then barbecue them--right on his property! This same man's parents, I have heard, were essentially held prisoners in their own homes by a group of illegals who came in and took over while they were trying to get away from someone who was after them. Imagine it.

In short, many people would find it easier to respond compassionately to theses refugees if more of them would act like refugees instead of invaders. You have to really know your Roman history to get the full import of this (and if you don't know your Roman history you won't understand it the way that you think you do): what is presently happening is a "barbarian" invasion. (Michelle Malkin has used her column to report on this invasion, which includes invasions by dangerous and violent gangs--in some cases machete-wielding gangs. See. e.g., her "The gangstas in my neighborhood" 31 August 2005 (accessed 31 August 2005).)

P.S.
It should be noted that many people coming into the U.S. are not Mexicans; they are South Americans.

Also, since 911 the United States have asked Mexico to beef up security along its border with Guatemala. Apparently, the idea is that many of those coming into the US from South America via Mexico may be potential terrorists. Fine. But I don't know about the advisability of passing part of our security problem down to Mexico when, as I've just said, they really have their own set of very real problems to work on. They have a Depression to put an end to.

Proud to be a Sith

I have finally been able to see "Revenge of the Sith." While I did not note all of the politicization that my friends told me the movie contained, I did enjoy the line, "Only the Sith deal in absolutes." (Of course, I happen to believe that the derivation of "Sith" is "Seth," as in the godly line of the descendants of Adam.)

Of course, that line received some well deserved attention--especially since it itself is an absolute. But some friends of mine decided rather than offer a philsophical argument taking that line to task they would just go with it and have some fun. They gave each other Sith names.

I have decided to do the same. Call me Darth Rhiyv (sounds like "reeve"). Having nothing to do at lunch one day I came up with the following Sith names. Pick one.

Darth Aerrogain (sounds like "AIR-again") (from "arrogant", which we Sith are--for believing that we know the absolute truth)

Darth Aebail (pronounced "Abel")

Darth Aedwairds (pronounced "Edwards")

Darth Aelius ("alias") (from "aleithia", the Greek word for truth)

Darth Aenaak (pronounced almost like "Enoch," but more like eh-KNOCK)

Darth Baansain (pronounced "Bahnsen")

Darth Baegus ("BAG-us") (from "biggot")

Darth Baen (also sounds like "bane") (from "bane," which, of course, the Sith are)

Darth Baem (rhymes with "same") (from "bomb")

Darth Bain (sounds like "ben") (also from "bane")

Darth Blaeghairt (pronounced "BLEH-girt") (from "black heart," or "black guard"--take your pick)

Darth Braeg (rhymes with "braid") (from "brag," since we Sith brag that we know the truth and no one else does)

Darth Braemstain (pronounced "BRIM-stin")

Darth Daeblain ("DABBLE-in") (from the Greek, "diabolon", "devil")

Darth Faarail (pronounced "Farel")

Darth Gaen (sounds like "gain") (from "gun," which every good right-winger possesses)

Darth Haache (pronounced "Hodge")

Darth Khaalvain (pronounced "Calvin")

Darth Kaiypair (pronounced "Kuyper")

Darth Kharkopian (from "cacophony," which we surely create at all our Sith protests, etc)

Darth Khartaen (car-TAIN) (from the Greek for "judge")

Darth Khophius (also from "cacophony")

Darth Kraitaen (from the Greek "krateo," "I seize," i.e., power, money, etc [e.g., democrat], since we Sith are enemies of democracy, which is an interesting assertion when you think about what the word democracy means [i.e., "the people sieze"]!!!)

Darth Krattis (also from "krateo")

Darth Lor (from "liar")

Darth Louthair (sounds like "Luther")

Darth Maal (rhymes with "pal") (from "malicious")

Darth Maes (pronounced "mace") (from "mess")

Darth Maintus (pronounced "MAN-tis", as in praying mantis) (from the Spanish word for "liar")

Darth Mouul (pronounced "mole")

Darth Naax (pronounced "Knox")

Darth Phaeb (rhymes with "babe") (from "-phobe" ,as in "homophobe")

Darth Praed (rhymes with "braid") (from "proud")

Darth Rhaaiytwiyng (pronounced "right-wing")

Darth Rhael (sounds like "rail") (since we Sith rail against this and rail against that)

Darth Rhaek (pronounced "rake")

Darth Rhaemus (from "ignoramus", since we Sith are uneducated and stupid)

Darth Rhaes (pronounced "race") (from "racist")

Darth Rhantis (from "ignorant")

Darth Rhait (rhymes with "wet") (from "wrath")

Darth Rhiyv (pronounced "reeve") (from the Hebrew word for a legal case)

Darth Saipraem (pronounced "sih-PRAME) (from "supremacist")

Darth Sait (pronounced "set", from "Seth")

Darth Sarpaen (sar-PAIN) (from "serpent")

Darth Scaephair (pronounced "Schaeffer")

Darth Slaet ("slate") (from "absolute")

Darth Taen (rhymes with "bane") (from "certain" since we Sith claim to have certainty about our beliefs)

Darth Taihraen ("h" is silent;sounds like "terrain") (from "tryant," since we Sith want to institute a theocratic tyranny)

Darth Taihroi (pronounced teh-ROY; rhymes with "destroy") (from "destroy")

Darth Tain (pronounced "ten") (also from "certain")

Darth Tair (pronounced "tare") (from the Spanish, "poder," "power")

Darth Traen (pronounced "train") (also from "tyrant")

Darth Tourhetain (pronounced "Turretin")

Darth Vaantael (pronounced almost like "Van Til," but more like vin-TAIL)

Darth Vairachius (ver-AH-key-us) (from "veracity")

Darth Vairatis (ve-RAH-tis) (from "veritas")

Gee, this is fun! More fun than engaging in a light-saber battle (i.e., logical rejoinder) with a "Jedi"--especially since these Jedi are in most cases...uh...unarmed, if you get my drift. Try it yourself and see what you come up with.

About Me

James Frank Solís
Former soldier (USA). Graduate-level educated. Married 26 years. Texas ex-patriate. Ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church in America.
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