Every once in a while I get “Thomas Sowell” urge to offer some short takes on current events. To wit:
–The auto bailouts. Call me crazy, but shouldn’t some of these so-called experts be figuring out ways to get Americans to buy more CARS instead of have taxpayers “buy” car COMPANIES? Without stimulating sales a bailout is completely pointless.
–Drilling for domestic oil. The recent collapse of oil prices is like a governor’s pardon of a death-row inmate one minute before midnight. Eventually, that inmate will pay for his crimes—just like Americans will pay high gas prices again if we squander this opportunity to make ourselves more energy independent.
–The war on terror. In the history of modern warfare, has there ever been a time when we knew the exact location of the enemy, had the means to inflict crippling or fatal damage on him–and did virtually nothing? Yes Pakistan is our ally, but their “territorial sovereignty” argument which prevents us from mounting a full-scale attack against al Qaeda’s stronghold in Warzistan is wearing extremely thin. And one can only begin to imagine how India feels after last week’s attacks in Mumbia.
–The war on terror, part two. After watching what happened in India, does anyone still think such terror is a “law-enforcement” issue? The Indian police were hopelessly outgunned and it took their special forces units three days to put an end to the attack in which ten men inflicted close to five hundred casualties. If that’s not “war” somebody tell me what is–and tell me where in the world such an attack couldn’t be duplicated.
–Piracy. Is there anything currently going on that exemplifies the impotence of the civilized world more than the success of these modern-day, high-sea thugs? We’re told that it’s almost impossible to patrol the vast stretches of ocean in which these pirates operate. Uh, how about controlling the LAND where the pirates originate? How about an international naval blockade along the coastline? How about stationing an aircraft carrier in the area which could dispatch fighter jets? What am I missing here?
–The Al Franken-Norm Coleman debacle in Minnesota. Statistically speaking, its seems rather odd that every instance in which additional votes have been “discovered,” virtually every one of them was for Franken. If they keep “counting” long enough, he might win by a landslide.
–The annual Christmas assault–In Olympia Washington, an atheist group named the Freedom From Religion Foundation has placed an anti-religious placard next to a nativity scene and “holiday” tree in the capitol building. The message: “At this season of the Winter Solstice may reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.” Since the United States Constitution guarantees freedom OF religion as opposed to freedom FROM it, one might be forgiven for wondering exactly whose hearts are “hardened” and whose minds are “enslaved.”
atahlert@comcast.net
Have PoliticalMavens.com delivered to your inbox in a daily digest by clicking here
