George A. Sprecace M.D.,
J.D., F.A.C.P. and Allergy
Associates of New
London,
P.C.
www.asthma.drsprecace.com
RAPID
RESPONSE (Archives)...Daily Commentary on News of the Day
This is a new
section. It will
offer fresh,
quick reactions by myself to news and events of the day, day by day, in
this rapid-fire world of ours. Of course, as in military
campaigns,
a rapid response in one direction may occasionally have to be followed
by a "strategic withdrawal" in another direction. Charge that
to
"the fog of war", and to the necessary flexibility any mental or
military
campaign must maintain to be effective. But the mission will
always
be the same: common sense, based upon facts and "real politick",
supported
by a visceral sense of Justice and a commitment to be
pro-active.
That's all I promise.
GS
HEREIN, THE FULFILLMENT OF MY ONE NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION: to test the accuracy of the history and personality of Winston Churchill as depicted in the movie "DARKEST HOUR". I have already posted my Movie Review...in a word "Excellent". But, as noted there, I became suspicious based upon the total absence of Churchill in the movie "Dunkirk." Stupid. In this effort, I have reviewed the relevant sections of the following books in my possession. 1) "The Last Lion: Alone - 1930-1940", by William Manchester. 2) "The Gathering Storm" and "The Finest Hour", by Winston Churchill. 3) "The Battle of Britain - World War ll", by Leonard Morley. 4) "Inside The Third Reich", by Albert Speer. 5) "Clementine", Sonya Purnell, 2015. Bottom
Line: The depiction is accurate regarding Churchill, his difficult
personality, his intimate and dependent relationship with his totally
loyal and protective wife, and his never wavering from his commitment
to fight to victory or death with his fellow Englishmen rather than
appease or surrender. What is not mentioned is that the disaster
that almost was Dunkirk was a direct result of the sudden surrender by
King Leopold of an effective 1/2 million man Belgian army that was
covering the British left flank. Other facts, historical but not
part of this movie, include that Hitler himself declined to invade
Britain immediately, expecting a surrender. Also, Albert Speer
considered the early experience of Dunkirk for the British to have been
fortunate. For the cocky Nazis, Stalingrad was their Dunkirk, only
after which did they mobilize their population as the British had had
to do immediately. And that's the way it was, well - presented in a movie that will definitely win several Academy Awards, in my opinion.
"THE LORD IS
MERCIFUL AND SLOW TO ANGER".
Well, maybe not for long, as He sees what his creatures are doing to
His Creations.
Maybe we will see a return to the God of the Old Testament.
Maybe that has already begun.
TRADITION.
IN ITALIAN LIFE AND CULTURE, THAT WORD TRANSLATES INTO "LA FAMIGLIA".
And
that is what sustained Italian immigrants as they left everything in
the Old Country for the promise of nothing but Opportunity
here
in America. Once here, their one goal, besides survival, was to become
"AMERICANO".
And they did it on the strength of Faith, education, hard work and La
Famiglia.
There
is a critical lesson here for all 21st century migrants - and also for
those brought here in the 17th and 18th centuries: integrate or
languish. America is a "melting pot" - not a poorly cooked and
indigestible stew!
"And that's the way it is".
WHAT'S THIS? NEW IDEAS FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION?
It
certainly is not coming from the Teachers' Unions' monopolized public
school systems...for which "new ideas" and "public schools" has been an
oxymoron for many decades.
ANOTHER SATURDAY, ANOTHER FINE WSJ "REVIEW" SECTION... (12/23/17).
This offers a review of Robert Dallek's biography: "Franklin D.
Roosevelt:
A
Political Life" (Viking). If you recoil from reading all 692 pages,
this work will remind you of the years that some of us lived through.
In fact, President Trump should read it, since he faces similar
domestic and foreign challenges. He does not display the "tactical
fluidity" that FDR was known for. He does not command 60% of the
popular vote. He does not have 75 Senators and 331 House members to
support him. But he seems to have a similar philosophy of
"experimentation" and a definite willingness to play hard-ball with
adversaries.
Who knows: President Trump may be able to leave a
similar mark on the trajectory of America in two terms as FDR did in
four terms, hopefully without a World War.
GS
RR#5
DESPITE ALL THE EVIDENCE, PRODUCED OVER MANY YEARS HERE AND ELSEWHERE,
THE BEAN COUNTERS AND BUREAUCRATS CONTINUE TO TURN THE SCREWS.
The article posted below describes one serious result.
The other? Health care costs are INCREASING.
Again: Einstein's definition of IDIOCY.
MASSIVE GOVERNMENT VS. LESS CENTRALIZED GOVERNMENT.
SELF-PERPETUATING POLITICIANS VS. REGIONAL PUBLIC SERVANTS.
WASHINGTON BUREAUCRACY VS. STATE INITIATIVE AND PLANNING.
FACELESS DICTATION VS. INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM.
DESPOTIC DEMOCRATS VS. LAISSEZ-FAIRE REPUBLICANS.
That's the choice. That's the battle.
So LET'S HAVE AT IT!
GS
RR#2
FOOD - AND FACTS - FOR THOUGHT ON THIS HOLY CHRISTMAS.
HOW TO SURVIVE THE HOLIDAYS: A FEAST FOR THE MIND.
Going from general to specific, here are some suggestions for working
off the empty calories of vapid conversation.
1) The WSJ offerings,
every Saturday - Sunday, in the section entitled "REVIEW". Always
excellent. Here are some examples from just one edition,
December 16-17,2017:
a) "The Mind That
Harnessed The Atom", about Enrico Fermi;
b) "The Plot Against Hollywood", about the struggle between Hitler's
5th column and the Jews in Hollywood;
c) "Co-Creating 'John Wayne'", the tug-of-war between Wayne and
director John Ford that "together forged an ideal of American
masculinity".
And as a bonus, in the same edition of the WSJ, is a fine story about
"One Striver's Small-Town Regrets" (pA1).
2) Then there are the usual facts, not fake news, embodied in the WSJ
Opinion sections:
a) "A New Trumpet For
Democracy" (Dec. 21, 2017);
b) "ObamaCare's Failed Cost Controls" (Ibid).
3) Did I mention fake news? Try the gassy offering by one of the prime
Fake-Newscasters: the "Honorable" Adam B. Schiff: "What We Know About
The Trump Campaign's Collusion With Russia" ( Dec. 19, 2017). That will
produce an appreciated "deflation".
GS
RR#2
"BERNARD LAW, DISGRACED CARDINAL IN BOSTON CLERGY SEX ABUSE SCANDAL,
DIES AT 86."
ON THE SAME DAY WHEN CARDINAL BERNARD LAW IS EULOGIZED,
AND WHEN "NORWALK PARENTS UPSET..." BY A VISIT TO THEIR KIDS' SCHOOL BY
IVANKA TRUMP,
we have this great news about Geno Auriemma and the UConn Women.
ROUTINES...EVERYONE HAS SOME.
My
early morning routine is checking out the 7AM NBC Today TV show, with
Savannah Guthrie (very good) and the lately departed Matt Lauer ("very
good", I thought). Always with a Leftist bent, but generally good.
The
top of the show on Wednesday, Dec. 20, hours after the Senate passed
the TAX REFORM bill and hours before the House completes its work, had
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan being given the 3rd degree by Savannah,
with a play book directly from (delusional or cynical) Senator Charles
Schumer. Ryan did a masterful job, a real "speaker". Savannah did not
enhance her reputation - except probably with her NBC bosses, with the
constant repetitions and interruptions. But that's about the highest
level of public discourse we have come to expect nowadays.
Out-of-mind Leftists, and even some formerly moderate Democrats,
regularly bring to mind Sergeant Schultz of "Hogan"s Heros":
"I KNOW NOTTTIINNKK".
GS
RR#3
NO ONE BELIEVES SENIORS
ANYMORE!
No one believes seniors . . . everyone thinks they are senile.
An
elderly couple was celebrating their sixtieth anniversary. The couple
had married as childhood sweethearts and had moved back to their old
neighborhood after they retired. Holding hands, they walked back to
their old school. It was not locked, so they entered, and found the old
desk they'd shared, where Jerry had carved I love you, Sally.
On their way back home, a bag of money fell out of an armored car,
practically landing at their feet. Sally quickly picked it up and, not
sure what to do with it, they took it home. There, she counted the
money - fifty thousand dollars!
Jerry said, We've got to give it back.
Sally said, Finders keepers. She put the money back in the
bag and hid it in their attic.
The next day, two police officers were canvassing the neighborhood
looking for the money, and knocked on their door. Pardon me, did either
of you find a bag that fell out of an armored car yesterday?
Sally said, No.
Jerry said, Shešs lying. She hid it up in the attic.
WITH TWO ACTIONS
TAKEN ON THE SAME DAY, PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP HAS MADE INFORMED
AMERICANS PROUD.
He announced a National Security Policy with "America First" as its
foundation.
And
our Ambassador to the United Nations used America's first veto of a
Security Council action, in the process correctly indicating that the
Council's members should be ashamed of themselves.
Indeed.
THESE PSYCHIATRISTS SHOULD HAVE THEIR HEADS EXAMINED.
No personal professional examination? And then divulge a "professional"
opinion?
That's medical malpractice.
What
psychiatrists should be allowed - and required - to do in all cases
where they have reason to believe that a third party is at imminent
risk, is to divulge that information to the proper authorities in order
to protect the third party.
That's what "the world needs now". Not schlock.
AS I HAVE SAID SEVERAL TIMES,
only
an idiot (no shortage of them) would argue that we should have nothing
to do with Russia because it is untrustworthy towards America.
In
fact, besides the obvious issue of the importance of Russia on the
world scene, this Russian leadership has been very clear in recent
years about its intentions and its actions. No game-playing here.
So:
don't trust, verify...but definitely deal with President Putin as
equals, which he seeks and appreciates. President Trump understands
this.
AND THE PRIZE FOR TRUTH IN JOURNALISM GOES TO...
Ross Douthat, a regular contributor to the NYTimes(!), who posted:
"A WAR TRUMP WON", in NYTimes Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017. A very good and
honest exposition of the defeat of the Islamic State.
There is still hope for the future.
GS
SATURDAY,
December 16,
2017
RR#1
NOT YOUR PARENTS' DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
Several
months ago, I took the opportunity to describe in this section my own
experience with the Democratic Party: a member and office holder for 30
years, only to leave it in disgust in 1991.
The article reproduced here brings us up to the present day.
AS DOCUMENTED IN EARLIER RAPID RESPONSE OFFERINGS,
President Trump has accomplished a great deal in his first year in
office.
The
most consequential of his actions is the number of Federal Judicial
Court confirmations he has achieved, more than any President in the
last four decades. And these will be helping to guide this nation for
decades to come.
GOOD.
GS
RR#3
POINT-COUNTERPOINT ON THE STATE OF THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT.
As
a resident of Connecticut for the last 54 years, I have watched this
State descend from a high perch to nearly the bottom of States in all
undesirable categories. The only exception is its natural beauty, which
is difficult to mess with. Although during that time largely in the
hands of Republicrats and mainly Democrats, A POX ON BOTH THEIR HOUSES.
For a quick trip down memory lane, I suggest two articles from www.ctmirror.com
as well as recent reports from Yankee Institute for Public Policy.
• "Malloy Offers Tough Medicine For
Deficit: Taxes, Spending Cuts", Dec. 13;
• "Malloy Says CT Must Reverse A Culture
Of Postponing Hard Choices", Dec. 15.
•
An excerpt from Yankee Institute: "Did you know that Connecticut's
state government workers get $55,000. annually in benefits - just
benefits alone? Together with their salaries, the average state
worker's total compensation is 25 to 46 percent higher than that of
private sector employees in comparable jobs. They're not working for
us...we're working for them! More than one-third of
Connecticut's
state budget goes to pay salaries and benefits for state employees. If
Connecticut's public employees were compensated at rates similar to
their private employees, we would save up to $2.5 billion annually."
•
And you must have heard that Governor Malloy negotiated and signed
employment contracts with Connecticut public service employees' unions
that extend to 2027!
HAPPY NEW YEAR...
GS
RR#4
ABOUT "GUN CONTROL". VERY INTERESTING, AND MAKES SENSE.
Of course I've heard it before. And I still can't stop
laughing.
GS
A
Catholic Priest, a Baptist Preacher and a Rabbi were sitting around
drinking coffee. Someone made the comment that preaching to people
isn't really all that hard, a real challenge would be to preach to a
bear. One thing led to another, and they decided that each would find a
bear and attempt to convert it to their religion. Seven days later,
they all came together to discuss their experiences.
Father
Flannery, who had his arm in a sling and had various bandages on his
body and limbs, spoke first. Well, he said, 'I went into the woods to
find a bear. And when I found him, I began to read to him from the
Catechism. Well, that bear came after me and began to slap me around.
So I quickly grabbed my holy water, sprinkled him and, Holy Mary Mother
of God, he became as gentle as a lamb.'
Reverend Billy Bob the
Baptist spoke next. He was in a wheelchair and had an IV drip. 'I went
out and found me a bear. And then I began to read to my bear from the
Bible! But that bear came after me. We wrestled down one hill, until we
came to a creek. So I quickly dunked him and baptized his hairy soul.
And just like you said, he became as gentle as a lamb.
The
Priest and the Reverend both looked down at the Rabbi, who was lying in
a hospital bed. He was in a body cast and traction with IV's and
monitors running in and out of him.
The Rabbi looked up and said: "Looking back on it, circumcision might
not have been the best way to start..."
RR#7
BARABING!!
GS
If
someone asks you what the main difference is between most of the Obama
supporters and Trump supporters, instead of stammering and stuttering
and looking for an answer, just tell them that the Trump supporters
sign their checks on the front, and the Obama supporters sign their
checks on the back.
RR#8
VENGEANCE IS MINE. I SHALL REPAY, SAYETH THE LORD".
(Romans 2).
Yes, I know. But it's tough.
GS
For pro-life news updated
throughout the day, visit LifeNews.Com.
Top Stories
• Judge Overturns Trump
Repeal of Obamacare Mandate, Forces Christians to Pay for Abortions
• Planned Parenthood: Christians Should be Forced to Fund Abortions,
It’s “Immoral” Not To
• David Daleiden: Now We Know Planned Parenthood Illegally Sold Aborted
Baby Parts. Here’s How
. Pro-Life Teen Brutally Punched in the Face at Planned Parenthood
Forgives Her Attacker: “I Love You”
More Pro-Life News
• Planned Parenthood Cares
More About Abortion Than Women’s Health, Here’s Proof
• Heartbroken Mom Says Doctors Left Her 22-Week-Old Baby to Die Because
They Said She Was “Not Viable”
• City Tries to Shut Down Pro-Life Pastor Who Yelled So Loudly He
Disrupted Abortions
• Speaker Paul Ryan: Underpopulation is Causing Financial Problems,
“People Need to Have More Babies”
• City Wants to Ban Pro-Life People From Praying Outside Abortion
Clinics
• 15.6 Million Unborn Babies Were Killed in Abortions in India Just One
Year, New Report Shows
• Why Would Christians Go Christmas Caroling Outside an Abortion Clinic?
• The Most Pro-Abortion Web Site in the World Just Carried an Article
Celebrating Life
• Legislator Challenges Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf to Public Debate
Before He Vetoes Ban on Dismemberment Abortions
FRIDAY,
December 15,
2017
RR#1
FOR THOSE WHO WANT SINGLE-PAYOR HEALTH CARE,
see "Canada's Health-Care Queues", WSJ Editorial, December 13, 2017,
Opinion, pA18.
"The
lesson is that Canada hasn't repealed the basic law of economics that
scarce resources must be rationed by price or by time. Ottawa's
decision to mandate a single-payer system in 1984 has consigned ailing
Canadians to queues. Some 1,041,000 patients are in line waiting for
treatment, a 6.9% increase in 2017." And in many cases, this is not
just a matter of inconvenience. It is the loss of a chance
for
better health, or even life.
GS
RR#2
AS WE ENTER THE 2018 POLITICAL SWEEPSTAKES,
"Scorecard, scorecard. Can't tell the players without a scorecard."
Well, not quite so.
We can't tell what the "Republicans" are doing, because they don't
themselves know.
The Democrats...that's different. See:
"The
Quest For Collusion Is Over As The Desperate Shriek For Impeachment
Begins", by Ed Rogers, a Letter to the Editor, The Day (www.theday.com)
Dec. 11, 2017
GS
RR#3
A REPUBLICAN PLAN FOR 2018?
How about the Truth?
"If you always tell the Truth, you never have to remember what you
said."
REMEMBER THE FIRST AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION?
Freedom of Speech is the MOST IMPORTANT of our LIBERTIES.
GS
Dear
Freedom Lover,
Can
you imagine what the world would look like if the Left takes over the
internet
as they have done with the University? Well, it is happening -- and we must stop them.
We
are seeing censorship of conservative ideas all over the internet, and
YouTube,
which is owned by Google, is taking the lead by censoring content they
don’t
agree with. They block, restrict, and demonetize videos just because
they
contain conservative ideas.
Currently,
I’m fighting a lawsuit against YouTube for its systematic censorship of
our
videos. They’re claiming nearly 40 PragerU videos violate their “Community
Guidelines” and are restricting access to young people.
They’re
actually trying to keep the ideas of personal freedom, limited
government, a
strong national defense, and individual responsibility OUT
of the hands of young Americans!
That
means millions of young minds won’t even get the chance to hear about
conservative
principles -- unless we fight back.
My
name is Dennis Prager.
A few years ago,
I founded Prager University
to harness the power of the
internet and bring the conservative ideals that have made our nation
great to a
new generation of Americans.
And
let me tell you - our work is making a difference.
Surveys
show that 70
percent
of our viewers
have had their minds changed by the
content of our videos on issues ranging from the right to life, to
religious
liberty, to national security, to Constitutional freedoms, and more.
We
are changing the cultural and political landscape of our nation,
thousands of
young minds at a time.
And
apparently, the Silicon Valley elites at Google/YouTube don’t like it.
You
see, despite our videos being professionally produced and
family-friendly, they
have flagged our content as being in violation of their “community
standards”
and thus have restricted access for young people.
That’s
why we have filed suit against them in federal court -- to demand that
they
cease their ideological discrimination against PragerU and conservative
ideals.
Leftists
already dominate our nation’s college campuses, where they’re hard at
work indoctrinating
a new generation of leaders into their godless, morally desolate, big
government “nanny state” ideology.
The
internet is one of the few places where America’s youth can still turn
to
participate in the free exchange of ideas. But now, Google, the
internet’s
largest repository of information, is trying to silence dissenting
conservative
voices, too!
PragerU
is taking Google to court not just to keep our own content on YouTube,
but to
protect free speech online for all Americans.
And please,
tell a friend about this raging battle to protect the free exchange of
ideas
online.
We
need all the help we can get as we take on the world’s largest and most
powerful internet company.
If
we lose, the consequences for our movement -- and our nation -- will be
dire.
If
we don’t win this battle, Google and its allies could reshape our
culture in a
matter of years simply by silencing and censoring the principles that
have made
our nation and our culture what they are today.
I
hope -- and I pray -- that you will stand with us before it’s too late.
"THE LONG WAR ON DONALD TRUMP", by Holman W. Jenkins, Jr.,
WSJ, Dec. 9-10, 2017, Opinion, pA13.
The following are direct quotes taken from that article, for those of
who prefer "Cliff Notes".
"Trump
is guilty of something. It's Robert Mueller's job to figure out what,
even if today's theory of the crime is the obverse of yesterday's".
"Once
upon a time, no reputable paper would print a sensational claim from a
source who won't vouch for its truth, who got it from a source he won't
identify, who got it from a source he can't or won't identify, and all
were paid."
"Let us go now from the psychological motive to the sociological motive
- i.e. from self-deceiving to others-deceiving."
"So
began a cascade of incompetent or worse FBI meddling in U.S.
domestic politics, which will turn out to be the story of the decade
once the Trump collusion story has given up the ghost."
As my old Italian piano professor used to say:
"CATCH ME WHAT I MEANS?"
GS
WEDNESDAY,
December 13,
2017
RR#1
RIGHT ON!
This article reflects exactly my analysis of the Moore defeat...at the
hands of the Republicans in Washington.
The
only hope for anti-Leftists now and through the 2018 national elections
is for the craven Republicrats to focus on the nation's needs and not
merely on the needs of their major donors. But that may be like an
addiction...in which case they and we will lose Congress and any chance
of progress until 2020. Meanwhile, our adversaries and enemies march on.
"You're doin' a heck of a job", you JACKASSES.
While
being a “Helicopter Crew Chief Instructor,” I’d go to Washington
DC , with a few buddies almost every weekend. We’d
do the
Smithsonian and all.
On the way back to Ft. Eustis (125 miles), we’d often stop for
something to eat.
One
time, it was getting late. We landed in Falls Church ,
VA. We saw an old general store that was still
open.
We walked around on the old creaky floors looking for Frito's or
something? I came across, an old wire frame post card
holder. It was full of WWII post cards ... Penny a piece!
I
asked the guy, "How much do you want for the Post Cards?" He
said, “A penny. They have been here ever since he was a kid.”
I counted them ... 300 plus. I gave him $4.00 and I got the
rack, too.
In San Diego , I sold a bunch for $1..00 each. I still have a bunch to
hand down.
I
know some of you are too young to recall these posters and WWII, but
they were a part of my life and others who are now "older than
dirt". These are great. Pass them along, especially
to your
older e-mail friends. I wonder whatever happened to this kind of
thinking.
I got a lump in my throat when I read
this. I "grew up" thinking: patriotism, it is the AMERICAN
way! I am glad to see that somebody saved them. The
statement at the end says it all!
I guess we are the last generation to see, or even remember anything
like these!
Whatever happened?
70 years of ”progressive” education happened!
Political correctness (or "re-education") happened,
Lack of God's name happened,
Lack of personal responsibility happened,
Lack of personal integrity and honesty happened,
Lack of respect and loyalty to our country happened,
Lack of being an American happened.
Did all of these things die along with common sense?
I for one am still proud to be an American!
"Let me control the TEXTBOOKS and I will control the state."
- Adolph Hitler
"I CANNOT SPARE THIS MAN. HE FIGHTS".
Abraham Lincoln
GS
This
is one of the best written articles that I have seen lately.
You
will not see these types of comments in the New York Times or the
Minneapolis Tribune.
My Leftist friends (as well as
many ardent #NeverTrumpers) constantly ask me if I’m not bothered by
Donald Trump’s lack of decorum. They ask if I don’t think his tweets
are “beneath the dignity of the office.”
Here’s my answer:
We
Right-thinking people have tried dignity. There could not
have
been a man of more quiet dignity than George W. Bush as he suffered the
outrageous lies and politically motivated hatreds that undermined his
presidency.
We tried statesmanship. Could there be another human
being on this earth who so desperately prized “collegiality” as John
McCain?
We tried propriety – has there been a nicer human being ever than Mitt
Romney?
And
the results were always the same. This is because, while we were
playing by the rules of dignity, collegiality and propriety, the Left
has been, for the past 60 years, engaged in a knife fight where the
only rules are those of Saul Alinsky and the Chicago mob.
I
don’t find anything “dignified,” “collegial” or “proper” about Barack
Obama’s lying about what went down on the streets of Ferguson in order
to ramp up racial hatreds because racial hatreds serve the Democratic
Party.. I don’t see anything “dignified” in lying about the deaths of
four Americans in Benghazi and imprisoning an innocent filmmaker to
cover your tracks I don’t see anything “statesman-like” in weaponizing
the IRS to be used to destroy your political opponents and any dissent.
Yes, Obama was “articulate” and “polished” but in no way was he in the
least bit “dignified,” “collegial” or “proper.”
The Left has
been engaged in a war against America since the rise of the Children of
the ‘60s. To them, it has been an all-out war where nothing is held
sacred and nothing is seen as beyond the pale. It has been a war
they’ve fought with violence, the threat of violence, demagoguery and
lies from day one – the violent take-over of the universities – till
today. The problem is that, through these years, the Left has been the
only side fighting this war. While the Left has been taking a knife to
anyone who stands in their way, the Right has continued to act with
dignity, collegiality and propriety. With Donald Trump, this all has
come to an end. Donald Trump is America ’s first wartime president in
the Culture War.
During wartime, things like “dignity” and
“collegiality” simply aren’t the most essential qualities one looks for
in their warriors. Ulysses Grant was a drunk whose behavior in
peacetime might well have seen him drummed out of the Army for conduct
unbecoming. Had Abraham Lincoln applied the peacetime rules of
propriety and booted Grant, theDemocrats might well still be holding
their slaves today. Lincoln rightly recognized that, “I cannot spare
this man. He fights.”
General George Patton was a
vulgar-talking, son-of-a-bitch. In peacetime, this might have seen him
stripped of rank. But, had Franklin Roosevelt applied the normal rules
of decorum then, Hitler and the Socialists would barely be five decades
into their thousand-year Reich.
Trump is fighting. And what’s
particularly delicious is that, like Patton standing over the
battlefield as his tanks obliterated Rommel’s, he’s shouting, “You
magnificent bastards, I read your book!”
That is just the icing
on the cake, but it’s wonderful to see that not only is Trump fighting,
he’s defeating the Left using their own tactics.. That book is Saul
Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals – a book so essential to the Liberals’ war
against America that it is and was the playbook for the entire Obama
administration and the subject of Hillary Clinton’s senior thesis. It
is a book of such pure evil, that, just as the rest of us would
dedicate our book to those we most love or those to whom we are most
indebted, Alinsky dedicated his book to Lucifer.
Trump’s tweets
may seem rash and unconsidered but, in reality, he is doing exactly
what Alinsky suggested his followers do. First, instead of going after
“the fake media” — and they are so fake that they have literally gotten
every single significant story of the past 60 years not just wrong, but
diametrically opposed to the truth, from the Tet Offensive to Benghazi,
to what really happened on the streets of Ferguson, Missouri — Trump
isolated CNN.. He made it personal.
Then, just as Alinsky
suggests, he employs ridicule which Alinsky described as “the most
powerful weapon of all.” ... Most importantly, Trump’s tweets have put
CNN in an untenable and unwinnable position. .. They need to respond.
This leaves them with only two choices. They can either “go high” (as
Hillary would disingenuously declare of herself and the fake news would
disingenuously report as the truth) and begin to honestly and
accurately report the news or they can double-down on their usual
tactics and hope to defeat Trump with twice their usual hysteria and
demagoguery. The problem for CNN (et al.) with the former is that, if
they were to start honestly reporting the news, that would be the end
of the Democratic Party they serve.
It is nothing but the
incessant use of fake news (read: propaganda) that keeps the Left
alive. Imagine, for example, if CNN had honestly and accurately
reported then-candidate Barack Obama’s close ties to foreign terrorists
(Rashid Khalidi), domestic terrorists (William Ayers), the mafia (Tony
Rezko) or the true evils of his spiritual mentor, Jeremiah Wright’s
church.. Imagine if they had honestly and accurately conveyed the evils
of the Obama administration’s weaponizing of the IRS to be used against
their political opponents or his running of guns to the Mexican cartels
or the truth about the murder of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and the
Obama administration’s cover-up.
So, to my friends on the Left —
and the #NeverTrumpers as well — do I wish we lived in a time when our
president could be “collegial” and “dignified” and “proper”? Of course
I do. These aren’t those times. This is war. And it’s a war that the
Left has been fighting without opposition for the past 50 years. So,
say anything you want about this president - I get it - he can be
vulgar, he can be crude, he can be undignified at times. I don’t care.
I can’t spare this man. He fights for America!
RR#2
AS WAS FAMOUSLY CHARGED TO SENATOR JOSEPH McCARTHY MANY YEARS AGO:
"HAVE YOU NO SENSE OF DECENCY?"
Today, December 12, 2017, is the day the voters of the State of Alabama
address in part that question.
The
study of The Law certainly crystallizes one's understanding of the
Society around him - and of human nature. The following are some legal
principles that are directly applicable to the process and the decision
at stake today.
• The Presumption of Innocence.
• Due Process.
• Fundamental Fairness.
• Statutes of Limitation / Repose, tolled
for ages of Minority.
And then there are other concepts: Hypocrisy; Cynicism; Self-Dealing;
Self-Delusion (as in false "eye-witness accounts"); "Politics" and
Politicians....
We shall soon see which side of human nature prevails in this instance.
My guess is for the above legal principles in action.
YES WE CAN!
Abortion,
from the moment of conception, is a metastasizing Cancer eating at the
innerds of the American mind and soul. We cannot "...Make America
Great Again" without dealing with that original sin and the deep guilt
that comes with it.
And
then there is the tension between the reality that our Protectors live
every day and the smug and comfortable platitudes embraced by the
protected.
Yes we can handle the Truth. Our freedom as individuals and as a nation
depends on it.
GREAT!
In a world as fractured as it has been in recent decades,
a feckless and self-perpetuating State Department and United Nations
are incompatible with a strong America pursuing its own
INTERESTS, not "friends".
And see also a refreshing cartoon (finally) and an article on the
Perspective page of The Day (www.theday.com), Dec.
10, 2017: "8 Reasons This Trump Supporter Is Very Happy", by Bud Fay.
"THE LONG WAR ON DONALD TRUMP", by Holman W. Jenkins, Jr.,
WSJ, Dec. 9-10, 2017, Opinion, pA13.
The following are direct quotes taken from that article, for those of
who prefer "Cliff Notes".
"Trump
is guilty of something. It's Robert Mueller's job to figure out what,
even if today's theory of the crime is the obverse of yesterday's".
"Once
upon a time, no reputable paper would print a sensational claim from a
source who won't vouch for its truth, who got it from a source he won't
identify, who got it from a source he can't or won't identify, and all
were paid."
"Let us go now from the psychological motive to the sociological motive
- i.e. from self-deceiving to others-deceiving."
"So
began a cascade of incompetent or worse FBI meddling in U.S.
domestic politics, which will turn out to be the story of the decade
once the Trump collusion story has given up the ghost."
As my old Italian piano professor used to say:
"CATCH ME WHAT I MEANS?"
RR#7
THIS IS THE "WORLD ORDER" THAT OUR "ALLIES" WANT US TO EMBRACE INSTEAD
OF THE INTERESTS OF AMERICA FIRST.
NO, THANKS.
GS
The President's Historic Decision
to Move US Embassy to Jerusalem & Islam's Response
President
Trump announced last week the United States will move the U.S. Embassy
in Israel to Jerusalem. The Islamic world called for "Days of
Rage."
Over the last several days:
Muslims rioted in 30 locations in Israel, clashing with
Israeli troops in Jerusalem and the West Bank
Muslims protested at several U.S. embassies and in
Islamic countries around the world
Muslims rioted at the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon, throwing
stones, and setting fires
The
Arab League, specifically Jordan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey the
UAE, Malaysia, Iran, and others have also condemned this decision, and
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says he will not meet with
President Trump or Vice President Pence when they are in the region in
the near future.
Several European leaders have condemned the President's
decision
The Israelis launched air strikes against Hamas targets
The
U.S. and European media have reported this story in a way that gives
the impression the rioters are justly upset by a provocative decision
by President Trump. The BBC described the protesters at the
U.S.
Embassy in Lebanon as "black flag waiving protesters." In
other
words, they were waving the black flags of jihad, also known as Islamic
flags with the statement of faith on it. The BBC failed to
mentioned what the "black flags" actually were and that jihadis were
waving them.
First fact to lay on the table: Islam has no claim to
Jerusalem - neither in its faith nor in its history.
The
holy cities in Islam are Mecca and Medina, and, by the way, non-muslims
are not allowed there. There was a brief period of time when
Islam's prophet Mohammad had muslims face Jerusalem to pray in an
effort to coerce and influence the Jews to support him. When
the
Jews did not, Mohammad killed them and muslims went back to facing
Mecca for prayers.
In 682 AD, a rebellion led to Mecca being
seized and closed off for the hajj for muslims. The caliph at
the
time made a spurious justification for using Jerusalem for the muslim
pilgrimage since it was under the control of the caliphate at the time.
Jerusalem is not even mentioned in the Koran.
However,
the single point of contention made by Islamic leaders to the
President's decision is the claim that moving the U.S. Embassy to
Jerusalem strips the U.S. of its ability to objectively broker peace in
the Middle East.
This begs the question: What do all of these
muslim protesters, Islamic nations, and the Palestinian leadership mean
when they say they want "Peace?"
In Islam, "Peace" is the state
that exists when the entire world is under the control of the Islamic
State (caliphate) and sharia (Islamic Law) is the law of the
land. Additionally, Islam requires the holocaust of the Jews.
The Islamic world has been calling for the destruction of Israel since
its official statehood seven decades ago.
Where is the "common ground" here? Is true peace with Islamic
nations possible?
SATURDAY,
December 9,
2017
RR#1
AGAIN THE MALEVOLENT FRAUDS IN THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA DEPEND ON THE
INABILITY TO "UN-RING THE BELL".
These
"yellow journalists" have lost all credibility. They will not be able
to regain it - as well as our vital "Freedom of the Press" - for a
generation.
ON CHRISTIANITY, THE POPE, ISLAMIC TERRORISM AND ISIS.
Today I
received two mailings attesting to the extreme brutality being visited
on Christians in Egypt, Syria, and Iraq by Islamic terrorists and Isis,
and on Jews by "Palestinian worshipers" in Jerusalem. One is from the
lay press. One is from "Religious Freedom Coalition" sited in
Washington D.C. And one is an article in this week's National Catholic
Register:
"Pope, US Bishops Lament Deadly Egyptian Mosque Attack".
News Flash:
When told that the Pope objected to his deadly actions, Stalin asked:
"How many divisions does the Pope have?"
When Pope Pius Xll mounted prolonged actions with other world leaders
against Adolph Hitler, those were not only "laments".
When
Pope Saint John Paul ll cooperated closely with President Reagan during
the entire 1980's in the destruction of the Soviet Union, those were
not only "laments".
And now Pope Francis not only laments; he
directly attacks the President of the U.S.A. - the only person who is
leading effective attacks against Islamic Terrorists and against Isis.
Not prudent. Not even Christian in Christianity's responsibility to
protect Christians and Jews worldwide. This Pope should be helping to
marshal many divisions from America and from "Christian Europe" in this
century's battle to the death with Evil.
The World Awaits, Your Holiness.
GS
RR#3
SEDITION AND TREASON.
The following definitions are taken directly from Webster's College
Dictionary.
"Sedition:
incitement of resistance to or insurrection against lawful
authority...not including overt acts of violence or betrayal.
Treason implies an overt act aiming at overt overthrow of government or
betrayal to the enemy."
The
attached reports, and many others during the last year, reflect
Sedition at least...and such actions are getting close to Treason.
TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.
I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.
I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.
NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.
WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.
FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.
THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.
THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.
WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?
I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.
SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.
THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.
I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.
THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.
THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;
I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."
THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.
I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.
I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.
THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."
ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."
RR#2
FOR THAT BRANCH OF MODERN SOCIETY THAT HAS TRASHED ETHICS AND MORALS...
the
world that they have created is coming home to roost. Although not
reason to forsake principles of "innocent until proven guilty" and "due
process", the endless stories do promote some "schadenfreude".
But better yet is the article by Cal Thomas that offers a diagnosis
rather than a knee-jerk reaction.
See: "Sex Scandals Show Society Is Lacking Virtue", in The Day (www.theday.com),
December 3, 2017, Opinion, pB4.
GS
THURSDAY,
December 7,
2017
RR#1
WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?
Did you see that hit?
THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE IS OUT OF CONTROL.
An Assault and Battery like that warrants JAIL TIME!
THE BEST DIET FOR ANYONE: THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET.
The article linked below joins many other peer-reviewed medical
articles that have concluded that the Mediterranean Diet is the BEST of
all diets available.
I have espoused this for many years in my medical practice. And I have
for many years offered a web site acquainting the reader with its
principles: www.medidietresources.com,
which can be accessed directly or through this website.
It is not only effective for weight loss, but for weight maintenance
and promotion of Health as well.
And besides: IT TASTES GREAT!.
"Try it. You'll like it".
PRESIDENT TRUMP IN THE REAL WORLD: ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS.
After decades of procrastination, double-dealing cynicism,
anti-Semitism and just plain stupidity, this President has done the
right thing: The United States recognizes Jerusalem as the Capital of
Israel.
What a Concept! Reality is like that sometimes.
Two articles are useful to introduce the subject:
1) "Trump To Recognize Jerusalem As Capital", by Matthew Lee
and Josef Federman, (AP), in The Day (www.theday.com), Dec.
6, 2017, pA1; and
2) "The Chasm Between U.S. Jews and Israel", by Richard Cohen,
Washington Post, ibid.pA4.
And then there are the points made by President Trump himself with the
announcement.
a) Jerusalem has been the capital of the Jewish people since antiquity,
as well as being the center of three major Religions.
b) Israel has been opposed constantly and in many ways since it was
born in 1947.
c) efforts toward a "Two State Solution" have languished for many
decades. We cannot continue with failed efforts and approaches.
d) The U.S. passed the "Jerusalem Embassy Act" In 1995. It has never
been implemented by three Presidents.
e) It is in the best interests of the U.S. to do so now. And it will
advance the cause of Peace.
Meanwhile, all "the usual suspects" worldwide are producing fevered
declarations of resulting imminent disaster. They are saying what they
have to say now, as a fig leaf over their many decades of studied
neglect or active interference - in their own interests, of course.
Read the entire speech of the President. It is historic. And
it forms the blueprint for American efforts in that region over the
next several years, as it begins the transfer of the American Embassy
to the Capital.
I agree with all of this...just as I agree with the sun rising in the
East and setting in the West.
HEAR. HEAR.
This
is also why I have the greatest respect for individual teachers, while
I have great contempt for the leaders of teachers' unions and for
craven education administrators.
GS
Teaching In The Real World!
After being interviewed by the school administration, the prospective
teacher said:
Let me see if I've got this right”.
“You want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct their
disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their
dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages and instill in them a love
for learning.
You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage war on drugs
and sexually transmitted diseases and raise their sense of self-esteem
and personal pride.
You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship,
sportsmanship and fair play, and how to register to vote, balance a
check book, and apply for a job.
You want me to check their heads for lice, recognize signs of
antisocial behavior, and ensure that they all pass their final exams.
You also want me to provide them with an equal education regardless of
their handicap and communicate regularly with their parents in
English, Arabic or any other language, by letter, telephone,
newsletter, and report card..
You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a
bulletin board, a few books, a big smile, and a starting salary that
qualifies me for "New Start!"
You want me to do all this, and then you tell me . . .
I CAN'T wear a necklace with a little cross, mention God, or say
"Merry Christmas" because someone might take offense?
Well, you know what you can do with your job!
This should be posted in every school in America and all countries.
Think About It!
If Muslims can pray anywhere, why are Christians banned from praying
in public and from erecting religious displays on their holy days?
What happened to our National Day of Prayer?
Muslims are allowed to block off major streets, in all American States
and pray in the middle of the street! And it's a monthly ritual!
Tell me, again, whose country is this - Ours or the Muslims?
I was asked to send this on if I agree, or delete if I don't.
It is said that 86% of Americans believe in God. Therefore, I have a
very hard time understanding why there is such a problem in having
'God' in our education system or the Lord's Prayer said in our
government buildings, schools or public meetings.
I believe it's time we stand up for what we believe!
RR#3
REGARDING THE DAY (www.theday.com), OUR
VERY GOOD REGIONAL NEWSPAPER.
As
readers of the Rapid Response section of my web site must have noticed,
I have a Love/Not Love relationship with these journalists. The
editorial content regularly leans Left in its Politics, sometimes
falling over.
But there are also many times when they get the
commentary right, at least in the opinion of a long-time former
Democrat - until the Party Lost Its Mind.
Here I offer three recent examples of the editorial writers getting it
right on point.
The recent opinion on the Sexual Harassment follies under
way.
The editorial on gun restrictions and the Second Amendment.
(Dec. 3, 2017)
The editorial advising "Democrats to play hardball",
especially with Republican hypocrites and "Republicrats". (Dec. 3,
2017).
When you're right, you're right. When you're wrong, I'll be there.
GS
RR#4
ON THIS, THE BEGINNING OF ADVENT AND OF THE NEW LITURGICAL YEAR,
I offer a bedrock principle of any true Religion, in this case quoted
from
The Holy Bible, John 8: 31-33...
"If you live according to my teaching,
you are truly my disciples;
then you will know the truth,
and the truth will set you free".
GS
RR#5
REGARDING "A NEW WORLD ORDER":
AMERICA ALONE? NO. AMERICA
FIRST, YES.
All of this looks good to me.
THIS
IS VERY SERIOUS, A CONTINUED ATTACK ON AMERICAN CITIZENS' ACCESS TO THE
TRUTH...AND THUS A DIRECT ATTACK ON OUR DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM.
As already noted, the "mistake" by ABC.
Now, the belated results of Freedom of Information suits by Judicial
Watch against the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
WAKE UP, PEOPLE!
Movie Review:
"Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"
(Posted: December 3, 2017)
First,
the good news. Frances McDormand is still a great actress, although I
prefer her wearing a badge and an 8 month pregnancy. Woody Harrelson
surprised me. I always considered him to be a B actor. He does much
better here. The strength of the movie is in its characterizations; and
there are a number of interesting characters, all played well.
Now
for the bad news. For a small town suggesting Middle America, there is
an awful lot of swearing and foul language, most of it gratuitous. Also
gratuitous and out from left field is a major dressing - down of a
Catholic priest, obviously for points in some quarters. There are too
many story-plot lines, tenuously held together. The mood is incessantly
down, unnecessarily so.
In summary, I would still have
recommended this movie if it had ended at least 1/2 hour earlier...and
had taken the rest of the detritus with it. But not now.
A "C".
GS
FRIDAY
and SATURDAY, December 1 and 2,
2017
RR#1
THE TAX REFORM BILL PASSES THE SENATE.
Historic for the Nation. Hysteric for the Democrats.
We must do better, together, to "Make America Great Again".
SHOOTING FROM THE HIP.
The following are brief personal observations on current affairs, some
prompted by articles in the WSJ and other sources.
Why should you care?
Consider this quotation of Susan Sontag:
"DO
STUFF, BE CLENCHED, CURIOUS. NOT WAITING FOR INSPIRATION'S SHOVE OR
SOCIETY'S KISS ON YOUR FOREHEAD. PAY ATTENTION. IT'S ALL ABOUT PAYING
ATTENTION, ATTENTION IS VITALITY. IT CONNECTS YOU WITH OTHERS. IT MAKES
YOU EAGER, STAY EAGER."
And so:
1) "George Soros's $18 Billion
Tax Shelter" (WSJ). There are many others, who are allowed to donate to
political issues on the Right and the Left...tax - free. NOT RIGHT.
2) British Prime Minister Theresa May chides our President for warning
about Radical Islam. Check your rear-view mirror, Madam.
3) "The Hague Aims for U.S. Soldiers". (WSJ). More, always more, on the
"World Order" tripe. ABSOLUTELY NOT!.
4)
In the world of unintended consequences, "a program to reduce hospital
admissions may have led to more deaths" (WSJ). Who but a Washington
bureaucrat would financially penalize a hospital for re-admitting
within 30 days a patient originally admitted for heart failure - who
comes in with a broken leg? You betcha.
5) Bureaucrats trying to
weaken private property rights in the form of Patent and Copyright Law
changes, issues currently before the USSC (WSJ). WRONG. Another area
where the "insane are taking over the asylum".
6) "How Tax Reform
Will Lift The Economy" (WSJ). Democrats ignore and vilify that concept,
pointing to the mainly failed social experiments they imposed over the
last 40 years financed by never-ending government deficit spending.
WRONG.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?"
GS
RR#4
THESE DAYS, WITH ALL THE NEGATIVE VIBES AROUND US,
we can use all the help we can get. And these are even pleasant.
NOW DISNEY...
There
is a great difference between recognizing and accommodating gender
fluidity - beginning in utero - and promoting alternative sexual
lifestyles in otherwise normal children who already have to go through
confusing teenages. Very disappointing. It should stop.
