THE CURMUDGEON CHRONICLE ©
AN IRREVERENT VIEW
Time Line: January 7, 2007
Date Line: Flemington New Jersey
No civilized country requires that its leader be balanced; intelligent; literate; resourceful; or indeed anything other than a man with a slogan and a gift of gab that can put it across. In consequence the world has seen more than a sprinkling of Hitlers, Mussolinis, Khomenis, Attilas, and so on during its history.
This country, noble democracy though it may be, has suffered through its share of Presidential dullards and worse. Despite our constitutional rights and privileges we have not seen fit to demand that the leader who controls the red key that can blow up the world be sane and balanced.
I find it amazing that the requirements to become a letter carrier for the US Postal Service are more stringent than those to be President of the United States. Except for the requirements that he be born here and have attained a certain age, there are no other tests a Presidential candidate must pass.
While we have survived for more than 200 years by hook or by crook, through such geniuses as Coolidge, Van Buren, and Hoover, we are faced with the latest of the lot; George W. Bush. It has been said that the last time a Nation listened to a Bush it had to wander in the desert for 40 years.
I don’t know how you feel about Mr. Bush. I don’t think he is suited for the job and I don’t think he views the country as a Nation made up of many people, all of whom must be protected, cared for and nurtured. I believe that the recent elections demonstrated most folks in the electorate feel the same way about him and believe his ideology has harmed our nation at home and around the world.
How can a country rid itself of an Ideologue who does not represent the national will? How does it escape from someone who: might not pass a sanity hearing; may be unable to distinguish truth from falsehood, and who has little (if any) understanding of the social and economic responsibilities that go with the office? \How do we assure that the next guy in the office is better suited for the most important job in the country?
We must start by understanding that the Vice-Presidency is not a toy to be chosen by a Presidential candidate interested in sectional votes and campaign contributions. It is a position that merits the same dignity and voter’s choice as does the Presidency. If s heartbeat is the difference between a President completing his term of office or seeing it pass to the Vice President, then vote for the Vice- President as though he were going to be your President.
If the current Vice-President were not Mr. Cheney, perhaps impeachment would have\been considered seriously by Congressional Democrats and Republicans alike. It has always seemed to me to be the ideal way to apologize to the world for the invasion of Iraq.
So what do we do? Why not require that a candidate’s personal qualifications and mental stability be treated with the same degree of care and scrutiny as his personal financial statements. Why not adopt mechanics for removal from office if the country loses confidence in its leader. There is precedent for that procedure in The UK and other Western Democracies.
The no-confidence vote worked in California and is the law of several States in our own country. Had it been applied to the Presidency perhaps Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney would have been gone before we hit the 500 billion mark in treasure wasted in Iraq and before 3,000 of our troops died and 20,000 of our young people were maimed for no good reason.
If he had been impeached, by now Mr. Bush could have been replaced by my letter carrier; a person who has passed tests for intelligence, sobriety, sanity and freedom from substance abuse. That is more than you can say about any of our prior Presidents, including George Washington.
H. S.
Showing posts with label george bush. Show all posts
Showing posts with label george bush. Show all posts
Friday, January 19, 2007
Saturday, December 30, 2006
The Curmudgeon Chronicle -#195
THE CURMUDGEON CHRONICLE ©
AN IRREVERENT VIEW
Time Line: October 26, 2006
Date Line: Flemington New Jersey
I vote to change the National Motto from “In God We Trust” to “Nunc Vides; Nunc Nil Vides”, which translates roughly as, “Now You See It; Now You Don’t”.
At Duke University, US scientists report they have found a way to hide an object from microwave radiation; a first step to making an “invisibility cloak”. The device could be used to elude radar but there are no fixed limits to the research, or what the device will ultimately hide.
While our country may not graduate as many engineers as Korea or Singapore, (without help from Asia or India), we seem to develop theories (and produce new materials in the laboratory) that make science fact out of science fiction and give our industries a world class opportunity.
US industries outsource our jobs and say it is because we have lost our inventive edge and our youth has lost the capacity to excel in the sciences. They point to countries that graduate more engineers than we do and have higher test scores in math and science.
They never add that Chinese schools: don’t cost $40,000 per semester for attendance; their text books are not like the publishing industry’s trashy teaching materials unloaded on our kids; the Chinese economy is controlled and low costs for food, clothing, shelter, and health care make low wages possible, or that only the brightest of their students compete in those international tests.
Lower labor cost takes US industry abroad for everything except US customers. As to what you get for the money, if you have ever been “customer serviced” from India you know the answer. US customers are wooed and coveted; they just aren’t employed by the guys who decide where jobs will go.
Industry’s track record indicates that the invisibility concept will be licensed for short term profit and its execution outsourced. As for opportunities for young scientists and technical workers in the United States, “nunc vides; nunc nil vides”.
One cannot forget: “weapons of mass destruction” and victory speeches on aircraft carriers. Today we are told that there will be “changes in tactics but not in strategy”. The administration is feeding us the ninth version of why we are at war in Iraq. The first eight were not true and neither is the ninth. However much they deserve to be chastised, there may be a reprieve from punishment for the administration.
If they can speed up the time for perfection of an invisibility cloak there will be no need for apologies, crocodile tears or a tenth version. The administration can give each of its key players a cloak and: “nunc vides; nunc nil vides”.
Finally we note that the death of Kenneth Lay has terminated his conviction as a felon. Here is an example of how the new National Motto will serve this country. Whenever a dewy eyed student asks, “How can that be?” all the teacher has to do is exhibit a dollar bill, point to the motto and say, “nunc vides; nunc nil vides”.
By the way, if we continue along the present fiscal course we are on, that will be true of the money too.
H. S.
AN IRREVERENT VIEW
Time Line: October 26, 2006
Date Line: Flemington New Jersey
I vote to change the National Motto from “In God We Trust” to “Nunc Vides; Nunc Nil Vides”, which translates roughly as, “Now You See It; Now You Don’t”.
At Duke University, US scientists report they have found a way to hide an object from microwave radiation; a first step to making an “invisibility cloak”. The device could be used to elude radar but there are no fixed limits to the research, or what the device will ultimately hide.
While our country may not graduate as many engineers as Korea or Singapore, (without help from Asia or India), we seem to develop theories (and produce new materials in the laboratory) that make science fact out of science fiction and give our industries a world class opportunity.
US industries outsource our jobs and say it is because we have lost our inventive edge and our youth has lost the capacity to excel in the sciences. They point to countries that graduate more engineers than we do and have higher test scores in math and science.
They never add that Chinese schools: don’t cost $40,000 per semester for attendance; their text books are not like the publishing industry’s trashy teaching materials unloaded on our kids; the Chinese economy is controlled and low costs for food, clothing, shelter, and health care make low wages possible, or that only the brightest of their students compete in those international tests.
Lower labor cost takes US industry abroad for everything except US customers. As to what you get for the money, if you have ever been “customer serviced” from India you know the answer. US customers are wooed and coveted; they just aren’t employed by the guys who decide where jobs will go.
Industry’s track record indicates that the invisibility concept will be licensed for short term profit and its execution outsourced. As for opportunities for young scientists and technical workers in the United States, “nunc vides; nunc nil vides”.
One cannot forget: “weapons of mass destruction” and victory speeches on aircraft carriers. Today we are told that there will be “changes in tactics but not in strategy”. The administration is feeding us the ninth version of why we are at war in Iraq. The first eight were not true and neither is the ninth. However much they deserve to be chastised, there may be a reprieve from punishment for the administration.
If they can speed up the time for perfection of an invisibility cloak there will be no need for apologies, crocodile tears or a tenth version. The administration can give each of its key players a cloak and: “nunc vides; nunc nil vides”.
Finally we note that the death of Kenneth Lay has terminated his conviction as a felon. Here is an example of how the new National Motto will serve this country. Whenever a dewy eyed student asks, “How can that be?” all the teacher has to do is exhibit a dollar bill, point to the motto and say, “nunc vides; nunc nil vides”.
By the way, if we continue along the present fiscal course we are on, that will be true of the money too.
H. S.
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