Teachable Moments: a few brief points concerning current events and the public theatre of madness

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     THE FIRST point concerns ex-Governor O'mally of Maryland.  He was famous for having turned over Maryland's largest prison for violent and other felony offenders to one of the prisoners.   That prisoner ran the prison in the way of all mafia-like...criminal-enterprise type convicts. The prison became essentially a criminal enterprise headquarters.

    His (O'mally's) conduct of State business was so bad that the body politic of Maryland voted for a Republican to be Governor of their State.

     O'mally made further inroads on the point that liberal Democrats have no inner moral compass, and they have no guiding moral or philosophical convictions.   He was answering a question about some matter, when he made the unfortunate remark, "Black lives matter, White lives matter, All lives matter."

     The assembled group of Democrats, mainly people of the leftist Negro pursuation, went berserk.  They shouted down the ex-governor, and drove him from the stage.   During a later interview with one of the berserk, marxist Negresses, she asked the ex-governor if he understood that the inclusion of the term White lives matter was offensive to what she and her fellow berserk-0-matic nut-cases see as the truth that she felt moved to force the ex-governor to confess, grovel, and essentially excuse himself from existence.

      And, do you all know what....????   He did.   He apologised for having said such an offensive thing as 'White lives matter' and he now understood the error of his ways, and he begged forgiveness from a socially psychotic, berserk marxist and her posse of nut-cases.

     Who needs critical thinking, testosterone, normalcy, and backbone when you can grovel?

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    Ahhhh!   And then there is that friend to the woman....I am woman...I am strong!!!! Planned Parenthood.   The spin-off subsidiary of the Margaret Sanger legacy.   Margaret Sanger who make truck with the Ku Klux Klan, the Prohibition Movement, the Communist Party USA, and with the innovative public health and cultural improvement measures of the German Democratic National Socialist Workers' Party.   You had to admire that she could put together such a gaggle of perverts, murderers, arrogant holier-than-thou meddling old WCTU battle-axes, Negro/Jew/Catholic/hating white-trash Klanners (the vast majority of whom were in northern States by that time).

     Throw in a contingent of wealthy New York and Massachusetts doctors and eugenics "scientists" of the day....the same people who in previous incarnations came up with the idea of "abolition" as a solution to the "Negro Problem".....and what a wonderful witches' brew of death and hate they could brew.

     In 1970....thereabouts...your humble writer was working for a community action agency in Hidalgo County...actually the largest one in the United States.   It was funded by the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO - Executive Office of the President) and other central government and State bureaucracies.   Among the programmes operated by the community action agency in question was a sub-contracted project titled "Family Planning Services".   The receiving agency was the Planned Parenthood Association for the county in question. 

    It fell to my task....(actually my task was to Republicanise to the extent possible the programmes operated by the Agency)....to evaluate and assure compliance with stated objectives and procedures.   My job was to do this for all the programmes, including Head Start for the whole County, and various other  projects....totalling to almost 10,000,000 worth of annualised funding...a fortune in those days.

     The Planned Parenthood account was relative small, because they had other funding and many volunteers.   My number one task was to make certain that the operations did not include abortions, or even the insistence that clients and participants consider abortion as a Family Planning alternative.  The Executive Director, a long-term combat public health Registered Nurse (RN), was definitive, "We do no abortion.  We recommend no abortion."

     Still there were wisps of opaque smoke that seemed to spell out to people in the inner sanctum,"Yes, officials in the Planned Parenthood Association organization in this County recommend and direct girls and women to abortion services."

     It was true that the Executive Director RN, a brilliant medicine woman and excellent administrator, was telling the truth.  It was true according to all the women working in the five or six sub-stations of the organisation throughout the County.   The normally-disposed-to-gossip women did not "drop the dime'' on some surreptitious aborting going on late at night in some alley somewhere.   They could not, because in this area, much of the gossip and "chisme" (whisperings), is based in truth.

     A couple of months into the passive investigation later, it was the task of this humble employee to drive down to Weslaco where the Board of Directors of the Planned Parenthood Association for the County would be meeting at a public facility.   The community action agency had a clause in the agreement that its inspectors and programme analysts of the grantor could come by at any time, and attend or presence any activity of the grantee.

     And it dawned on me as I drove down.....the staff knows nothing about anything pertaining to abortion.    What about the hootsey-tootsey snootsies, all rich-folks and real, live MD-type doctors?   I went into the meeting room and took a seat in the far back.   As people filed in...finally about 15 folks...I stayed seated in the back, minding my own business.

     There was a call to order...no prayers, pledge of allegiance, etc.  A report of the balance and a report of the activities was read.  Then the chairwoman called a certain doctor to report on his research about the need for intervention services and availability of provision of such services.  A very well known Ob-Gyn strode to the lecturn.  He immediately announced that he had good news.  He took his wallet out, extracted a small piece of paper.  He then declared, "Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud and excited to tell you that we now have a women's health centre facility in Corpus Christi....a telephone number and address....where elective pregnancy termination has become a reality for women in South Texas.   There is some indication that soon there will be a facility in Harlingen.   So, nobody can say that we haven't been doing  our job down here."

     There was applause and "hurrahs" and other celebratory comment.  The chairwoman reminded everyone before departure that, in spite of this 'good news', everyone needed to remember that so long as Planned Parenthood was receiving money from the community action agency it would be necessary to continue to follow the line that there were no abortions performed by Planned Parenthood Association in the service area covered by this local chapter.

     She reminded that all referrals will be discreet and handled by the man who had made the announcement a few minutes previous.   As we broke up, some of the people who knew me socially and others who knew me as an officer of the community action agency exchanged salutes and comments, but none seemed at all concerned that I had been there.

     A full report was made.  Preparations were also made to begin to withdraw funds from the local Planned Parenthood Association over the next eight quarters.    Some time after, however, there was an out and out firing of all the top ranking personnel...the RN and her bookkeeper, several of the office managers, and so forth.    People more "realistic and sophisticated" were put into place and the PPA became integrated into the abortion chain of relationships.  You know...women's health issues.

Planned Parenthood has always been a House of Horrors, a ghoulish dealer in the death of innocents and the barter of their dead flesh.   It is the crime of the Century and the Judgement will come upon America when and/or if we ever stop fighting this macabre worship of Baal on American soil. 

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     And now at the risk of being called an Old Grumpo, we are totally disgusted with the stupid advertisements that dwell on the fact that there are auto insurance companies that force people to drive around on three wheels.   The insurance companies do this to the hapless policy holders on purpose because they want the poor unsuspecting policy holders to stop saying things like, "Hey, insurance companies, nobody's perfect!"

     Be there a mind so numb, be there so many stupid people who believe Banks when they offer "Buy one suit and get 10 suits, FREE!"?

     Did the stupid people whining about having to drive around on three wheels think that the insurance company they were using would be glad to essentially put on the "accident forgiveness" rider just like the one advertising with these stupid advertisements, if the client agrees to begin paying for the rider that provides that coverage.   Then, perhaps, the hapless victim client might have a chance to uselessly expend money for something that might be better covered by a savings account.

Arrrrrggggghhh!!

     And no, Virginia, the shipping is not free, either.   It might be included in the cost of purchase of the product, but it is not free.

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More later.

El Gringo Viejo

TRUE EXCHANGE - OPINION of ONE WHO IS MORE QUALIFIED TO COMMENT: EL ZORRO

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This may be one of our very few disagreements.

I do not see John McCain as a war hero.  Trump is correct, not that I am a fan of him, that McCain is considered a hero because he simply was captured.  The fact that he was in the military is honorable.  However the things he did, that by most outside of the military would be considered as extraordinary, are a part of the job.  Most people would respond to catastrophe with the same courage and instinct for survival.  McCain gave up information while in captivity.  Many others did as well because the torture is irresistible to all but the very strongest of character. 

I don’t know the real story of the actions he took on the aircraft carrier incident but even if he were to jump into the effort with all the other pilots and crewmen that would be a reflexive reaction of most in the military.  That kind of character is instilled in every one of them first in the oath of entrance and then through basic training, and in McCain’s case through his Academy training and OCS.

John Kerry was a hero before he wasn’t.  Trump is McCain’s swift boater (but not as successful).  That being said, McCain is honorable by any standard.  He may even be a hero by definition.  But… the only reason he is being identified as a bonifide hero is because he was captured.  If he had not been captured, he would have been given medals, which he actually was but there is not one heroic thing that makes him more outstanding than thousands of others.  Maybe he deserves the “title” because he is well known, a political figure, or by association.

I served with heroes.  I don’t even remember their names or know where they are.  I don’t know how I would have reacted had I been in situations such as those as was McCain but I hope I would pitch in.  On an aircraft carrier there is not much choice.  It is either put out the fire, save your brothers, or jump in the shark infested ocean.

Bottom line, Trump is obnoxious but he is right.  He did not say John McCain is less than honorable.  He did not even insult him.  He just told the truth.  Trump later said, in his attempt to walk back his truth, McCain is a hero but so is anybody else who is captured unless a traitor.

I don’t like what he said.  It was not called for.  He knew what he was implying.  But the truth is he did not denigrate McCain’s service.  He did not even say McCain is not a hero.  He simply said McCain is a hero “because he was captured”.

I have felt this way for years about McCain.  He rode on his father’s coattails, his money, and his notoriety.  He is not a good Senator.  He is mediocre one at best.  He and his partner Lindsay Graham.  He was a terrible choice for a Presidential candidate.  I think I, and thousands of other veterans, felt the same way.

The mainstream, uninformed talking heads are gushing all about how terrible Donald Trump is and what a national disgrace he is for his simple statement.  They know nothing of honor or duty of the military.  They are looking for anything to bring Trump down.  They are terribly afraid of him.

Okay, that’s enough.  My last thought is Trump is better than the Hag or Bernie.  I did and do support Ted Cruz but I am afraid we could end up with Marco Rubio or Jeb Bush (either would be better than Hag Clinton).  I don’t think Trump will go the distance.  The media will probably have their way.  That might be a good thing even though I don’t approve of their devious methods.

EL ZORRO

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     The above comments and observations give even an opinionated person such as myself the chance to ruminate, considerably.  McCain and I agree on about 40%, concur on about 40%, and pretty much disagree on 20%.   He has never been my idea of anything like a strike-force conservative voice.   His "suspension" of the campaign during the 2008 "crisis" brought on by the artificially induced "banking emergency" was stupid, ridiculous, and pointless for instance, and it played into the hands of a person who hated America then, hates America now, and who will always hate America and white people and black and Latin Conservatives.

     Perhaps my problem is that my service was not marked with any noteworthy valour.   A bit of dabbling in peripheral intelligence, nothing more, nothing dangerous, nothing romantic or chivalrous, no self-sacrifice.  El Zorro, as an advanced jet-engine and ground technician did not have to volunteer for out-of-theatre black and grey ops, very dangerous search and recover of personnel and hardware forays outside of South Vietnam.....but he did.   Those missions had a 1 - 3 per cent casualty rate.   Not good odds for repetitive forays.   After three or four...your clock starts to run out of ticks.

       So, perhaps it is best to put what he says into our pipes and smoke that as well as the fury of El Gringo Viejo's reaction.  I shall.

El Gringo Viejo

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COMMENTARY CONCERNING TRUMP's REMARKS ABOUT McCAIN - (very brief)

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     It is well that the Republican class see the disadvantage to having a person such as Donald Trump leading any charge, heading up any faction or fraction of the GOP, or in any way postulating as a valid candidate or spokesman.   The notion that he could denigrate the service and sacrifice of John McCain is preposterous beyond description.   We remember that McCain was also a hero in terms of the on-board catastrophe that affected his aircraft carrier before the Viet Nam War intensified.   McCain ran towards the fire that killed many and manned the hoses until the fire was done.  He was seriously injured along with several other F - 4 Phantom pilots who became firemen that day and not combat pilots.

     I am not a first line supporter of John McCain in terms of my positions as opposed to his within the debates held inside the Republican universe.  I am, and will continue to be a supporter of Ted Cruz.  But, I shall defend Governor Perry and John McCain from these ridiculous attacks made by a man who cannot help but say terribly stupid things and do astoundingly silly things as though he thinks it makes him irresistible to a gullible, ignorant political party.

     We are neither gullible nor ignorant.   We do await the moment when the deck is cleared for 19 better boys and girls who are on the "A list".   We have no time for clowns who are just another form of Hillary and Obama narcissistic self-adulators.

These comments are addressed to the OROG community and to the GOP community in particular.

Sincerely,

El Gringo Viejo

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EL GRINGO VIEJO revises and extends remarks concerning Mexico and the Mexican Government

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     IN THAT there may have been a bit of misunderstanding concerning the El Gringo Viejo's attitude concerning the Mexican Central Government in a recent and previous blog entry, we would like to make our sentiments known with greater clarity.   Fault lies with the writer, not the reader.

     While demonstrating that Donald Trump may be a billionaire, there is one thing that he is not.   He is not an expert of any kind concerning the infinite complexity, strengths, weaknesses, history, present composition, nor overall cultural projective ability of the central government of the United States of Mexico.

     To start, the Mexican central government, nor the 31 State governments, do not "send" the Mexican criminal class to the United States.  In the various offices of the Secretariat of Government, and the Secretariat of Exterior Relations,  Mexicans and Central Americans are exhorted, in fact, to avoid going to the United States of America and/or Canada in any illegal manner.   They are admonished not to use the services of "unauthorised" border-crossing assistants.  They are admonished not to go to the USA or Canada for the purpose of any illegal activity.

     There are radio and television advertisements that say the same thing, on different levels of comprehension.   The Mexican military flushes out people who are essentially being held hostage in safe houses in Reynosa, Laredo, and all along the border.   They clean the people up, and most frequently bus them down to Tapachula and dismiss them to the Guatemala entrance into Central America.

      The idea that the Mexican Government "sends" people with criminal intent and backgrounds to the United States is ludicrous.   What can be pointed out is that during the last fifteen years, requests for extraditions filed with the Mexican legal system have been met with increasing compliance.   This began in earnest during the term of Zedillo Ponce de Leon (PRI), continued through the regimens of Vincente Fox Quesada and Felipe Calderon Hinojosa (both PAN), and is still the rule de rigueur under the present administration of Ernesto Pena Nieto (PRI).
      What can also be pointed out is that Mexico during the past fifteen years, especially, has moved to the Right in terms of privatisation and de-nationalisation of industry and commerce steadily, while the United States, especially in the past five years has jumped into the boiling cauldron of acidic vomit of socialism with seeming abandon.  

THESE THINGS BEING SAID,  during this present administration of Pena Nieto, things started well enough.   But, in keeping with the normal nervousness that seemed to pervade the victory of the candidate of the old "Ruling Party" of Mexico and its 70 years stranglehold on the Los Pinos Presidential Estate, the government of Pena Nieto has steadily lost popularity.
    The Old Partido de la Revolucion Institucional (PRI) seems to have left an inescapable imprint on the chromosomes  and DNA of the New, Improved PRI.  It was my nervous belief, and the nervous belief of every literate, half-sober or more, Mexican.

     There is a parallel inertia going on while people run around in the confines of Los Pinos, apparently lobotomised, and make one stumble after another.  The very slight cut-back from aggressive action by the Naval Infantry and the Mexican Army sent a bad signal.   The "Cartels" have been and continue to be in disorder.   There are scores of "cartelitos" now, all badly led, composed of gaggles of drunken post-teenage illiterate thugs who are little more than street-corner ruffians with no souls.   They have continued to do a good job of killing themselves and setting themselves up to assault larger elements of better fighter (the Naval and the the Mexican Army), always with disasterous results.   The slightest lessening by the President of Mexico's pressure on the accelerator....turning away of interest and/or attention....failing to approve new initiatives for search and destroy and confrontation by the military seems to have co-incided with the building of the tunnel that will quite possibly lead to the castration of the Pena Nieto relevance as Presidente de la Republica.
     While business booms, the new labour unions prosper with freer negotiating authority and business at all levels steadily expands....perhaps it is well that a central, authoritarian, strong presidential presence is neither wanted, nor needed.    But it leaves the state of the War.   Once again, the forces of good are in the position of watching victory be squandered by people who have long been associated with being at times in collusion and at time tolerant of the "Cartel" activity.    I do not believe that the "new" Mexico, a two-trillion dollar economy Mexico wants to "share the stage" with a permanent class of extortionists and transporters of death poison.
     The populace wants the War continued to the furthest end that can be reached by human design and effort.  Elimination of all criminality anywhere is impossible, but to destroy the highly organized and massively lucrative activity can be  done by delivering repeated blows to ever diminishing cells and clics  of thugs.

That is the failure of the Pena Nieto Regime.  And, it is the opinion of this writer that the blow of the escape of El Chapo Guzman may have destroyed this administration....totally.   As I listened to the overnight radio in Texas and in Mexico during my last stay down at our little place on the side of the Sierra Madre Oriental, it became apparent that reasonably intellectually enabled Mexicans were disposed to be willing to accept or even demand the retirement of the present administration.
     There are two alternatives.  One would be a military junta holding power, leaving Congress and the Supreme Court intact and functioning and holding elections on the regular schedule, with the presidentials coming in a little less than three years;  and two, allowing the President to step down and installing,  as the Constitution prescribes, the President of the Supreme Court as President of Mexico pro-tempore.   These things are being talked about in the better saloons and restaurants, beauty parlours, family barbecues, and so forth even as I am writing these words.    That is the damage done by losing the greatest victory that could have been obtained.....the incarceration of a scumbag such as El Chapo Guzman.   The Army and Naval Infantry had wanted to keep the....individual....under military custody.   The OROGs can imagine the attitude of the military at this time. 

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     Trump knows nothing of any of this.  He says the Mexican Government sends criminals to the USA.   He says Mexicans take American jobs.   The fact is that American labour unions and the unwillingness of American automakers to stand up to American labour unions is the engine driving the loss of American jobs.

     But even that is too much of a convenient explanation about jobs, commerce, and economic vitality.   The fact is that Texas and Mexico at this time have taken cross border economic/industrial activity from less than one hundred million USD in 1980 to what is now well in excess of one billion dollars per day, both ways, to-day.

     We deal with the Mexicans on a daily basis, and they deal with us.   During my time with our little property on the side of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains I have had no corrupt dealings by the State or Central governments.   During a quarter of a century, while my wife and I operated a very nice deluxe excursion company throughout Mexico we had little or no issues with any level of Mexican government.    We have had adventures, even served as counsel in criminal and civil legal proceedings, with effectiveness and no bribes.

     We have dealt with the realities and there are many, many American operations, small and large in Mexico who derive profit for both Mexican and American interests due to their presence.   We have dealt with the silly Mexican posturing about hurt feelings and "concerns about the immigrants" in the United States, and we have dealt with certain ridiculous posturing by politicians from the United States....as well as reporters....who pretend to be experts.

      I will assure one and all that Donald Trump does not know how bad the criminal illegal alien problem is in Texas.   It is far worse than he could understand.  He also does not know, less does he understand, how huge the economic activity between the Republic of Texas and the Republic of Mexico is during these days.    Were it not for the existence of Barrack Hussein Obama, our situation would be even better.   And yes, Governor Perry did act, and he did act effectively during the days of the Obama Invasion of the Unqualified of the Summer of 2014.   Mr. Trump did and said nothing about any of it until he could misconstrue and demagogue the issue and ridicule that which he chooses to not understand.

El Gringo Viejo.

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AN OBSERVATION FROM EL ZORRO, combat veteran. USAF

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As all of you on this distribution know, I am compulsive and one of my most recent indulgences is the Middle Eastern (Arab) philosophies and the differences between East and West cultures, politics and religions.

One of the most pertinent differences it that Muslims by belief and religion according to the Qur’an can only be “brothers” to other Muslims… never ever will it be otherwise.  The greeting between Muslims of “Assalam O Alaikum” per the Hadith is reserved for Muslims only.  Literally, it means “Peace be upon you” but culturally it is much more meaningful between Muslims.  Like a secret handshake or similar special meaning between special groups.  It means for you as a brother shall you have peace and the protection of Allah from evil and infidels.  Other cultures and religions and Kafirs may use the greeting but it only has a literal meaning for them.

Below is a very special way of understanding the Islamic view of Kafirs (non-Muslims).  They will always consider any non-Muslim the infidel no matter the ethnicity, politics, religion, agnosticism, atheism or other differentiation.  That is one thing we absolutely have to know in order to understand their monolithic theology and the duality of Islam.

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GOOD INFORMATION TO CONSIDER BY THOSE WHO RELY ON NEGOTIATING WITH ARAB MUSLIMS and ESPECIALLY THE IRANIANS (Persian) MUSLIMS!

"East is East and West is West"

By Major General Jerry Curry, USA, Ret

The great British newsman and poet Rudyard Kipling, understanding today's situation in Afghanistan better than our State Department wrote:

"I have eaten your bread and salt.

I have drunk your water and wine. The deaths ye died I’ve watched beside and the lives ye led were mine."

There are two points the President and the Secretaries of State and Defense may want to keep in mind as they evaluate future problems in the Mid-East and how to successfully address them. Both are easiest illustrated by real life happenings.

Point 1

Many years ago I attended the Infantry officer Advanced Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. Probably ten percent of the students attending that ten month course of instruction were from foreign countries.

For about half of the course my tablemate was an Arab. We studied together, completed homework assignments together, got to know each other's families and generally enjoyed each other's company. Part of that time we students were immersed in reading about, researching and discussing wars and problems of the Middle East. By this time my Arab classmate and I had, I thought, become close friends.

A question popped into my mind and without evaluating it I said, "I have a question to ask you, but you may find it a little impertinent, or perhaps, offensive."

"That's quite alright", he replied. "We know each other well enough to be honest with each other. So go ahead and ask your question."

"Well," I began, "Each time you Arabs start a war with Israel, they beat your socks off. Why don't you learn your lesson and quit making war on them?"

The words hadn't passed my lips before I felt that I shouldn't have asked that particular question. But I was wrong. My Arab officer friend didn't get angry.

He didn't even think before replying. "My dear friend," he said in his British accent, "You are absolutely right. Each time we attack the Israelis they whip us. But have you noticed that with each loss we get better. We get whipped not as badly as in the war before."

Then he got a faraway look in his eyes, pounded on the table and said, "Sometime in the next thousand years, we will win!"

Up until then I’d never thought in terms of a thousand years, and I don't think I'm very good at it today. But for those formulating foreign and defense policy for the nation, it is worth making the effort. For it’s difficult to think in terms of the immediate future while negotiating with a nation whose leaders are thinking in terms of hundreds or thousands of years.

Point 2.

During the 1st Gulf War, US and Arab forces fought side by side and some of the officers became close friends. When the war ended in victory there was a celebration in the Officer's Club with congratulations all around. A lot of handshaking and hugging was going on. It was a time of displaying real brotherly love.

Seeing this, one of the senior Arab generals felt the need to set the record straight. 

"Look," he said to a small cluster of American generals. "We’ve fought together and some of us have died together. I know you feel that makes us brothers. But that’s not the way it is in my world."  

He looked around the circle making eye contact with all of them.

"I don't want to see you hurt, so I need to share this with you. There will be no tomorrow for us jointly. No matter how much you have helped my country and you came and helped us when we desperately needed your help and no matter how friendly you feel toward us, we are still Muslims and you are still Christians. That means that in our eyes, we can never be brothers. I'm sorry, but to us, you will always be Infidels!"

Yes, we Infidels have liberated Iraq and Afghanistan, but we’ve not made their countries, nor their people, depositories of freedom and liberty.

No matter how hard we work to rebuild their govts, infrastructure, educational and medical institutions, and no matter how desperately they need our help, as the Arab general noted, we can never be brothers to each other.

Also, I learned what Kipling meant when he wrote: "East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet". He was pointing out to the western world that to Muslims, we Christians will always be Infidels!

Jamies Summertime, Summertime