Simmering Beneath the Surface

Latest letter to Senator Cornyn

2008-03-25T18:24:00.000-05:00

Senator Cornyn,

Thank you for the opportunity to communicate with you through this email.

On Monday, March 24th 2008, I read with dismay an article in the Wall Street Journal, "Bogotá Eyes the Irish Model", by Mary Anastacia O'Grady, of how the Democrats in Congress are blocking the pending Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with our closest South American ally, Columbia.

Maybe "disheartening" is a better word for how I feel. In Columbia, we have a friend who wants to emulate the same freedoms and success that we have in these United States. This country has cleaned up public corruption, and their people are some of the freest in South America. A country who is asking for one of the most basic and iconic of American ideals, “The Fair Shake”. And yet Democrats want to slap the Columbian people away. A bulwark of democracy in an unstable region, and the Democrats don't care.

The next time any Democrat says, "America's reputation is the world is damaged", the counterpoint must be made, "What did you do to help those who asked for our help?" Instead of standing on principles of what is best for the United States, the Democrats who whine about our American reputation hide behind special interest propaganda.

I can not think of any better way to strengthen American interest (political, trade, security) in South America other than to pass the FTA with Columbia. Stronger trade with Columbia will fortify the country from enemy attacks from the likes of Venezuela and Ecuador. We must protect our friend from continued assaults from an increasingly unstable tyrant like Hugo Chavez.

I kindly ask you to help move this agreement forward under the aegis of American security.

thank you

Letter to Senator Cornyn

2007-01-25T00:02:00.001-06:00

Dear Senator Cornyn,

Thank you for your consideration of this email.

I watched today’s (1/24/2007) proceedings of the Senate Foreign Relations committee meeting, and when I heard the fetid sewage that poured forth from the mouths of Senator’s Hagel and Voinivich, it stirred my anger. In their strutting peacock pomposity, they reveal themselves for what they really are, and that is a coward. I say they are cowards because they hide their convictions until the outcome is at hand, casting their lots with the popular majority and slight of hand. And now the November election results have cast a light into their shadow of convictions, forcing these cowards to find a scapegoat and shine the light somewhere else.

The President has stood before all Americans, laying open his convictions, staying strong on his principles. He has taken pot shot from the oppositions, which is to be expected. He should not take pot shots from his own party, and I expect more from Republican Senators than the jelly-back-boned response I have seen from the Washington lately.

The President has taken us to Iraq on a principle of protecting this country by spreading democracy. This non-binding senate resolution spits in the face of the President, our country’s security, and the democratic principle that everyone can be free and the United States is there to help. This action will continue to re-enforce the belief already held by our enemies and allies, you can not count on the USA if there is a chance that someone will get a bloody nose. Look back to our reaction of how Sadam crushed the Shia after the Gulf War, and you will see the rest of world expects us to respond in Iraq today, and conflicts in the future.

The USA is the progenitor and protector of modern democracy. We can also be democracy’s purveyor, bringing peace and prosperity to a world too often filled with violence and corruption. It is these ideals where the Senate should be focused. The principled debates of democracy should not be pushed aside so that others can preen for the 2008 election photo op.

Senator Cornyn, I ask you to please take this message to the Senate. Please do not be dragged down by this despicable resolution, and please hold fast to the principles of democracy.

Thank you,

Syria and Iran are not the USSR!!!

2006-12-22T11:59:00.000-06:00

I posted this to the Wall Street Journal, then to the GOPUSA board, now to my site.

I would add that it is because of the thinking as expressed in the article, I can see how Clinton got himself in trouble with the Islamofascist terrorist. Clearly, none of us truly understood the sort of trouble we were in or the trouble to come. Yet, if our foreign policy debates had only been centered on one enemy for 50 years, and then that enemy is suddenly gone, I'm not sure you can expect policy advisors to immediately recognize a new threat if it doesn't fit into the current perceptions. Thus, the Clinton administration probably approached all foreign negotiations like we had for the past 50 years, as if we were still dealing with the Soviets. I think it has been clear since 9/11 that we aren't dealing with the Soviets nor should the negotiation tactics be similar. Yet, there is still a large contigent of Washington insiders who do believe this, and the article I mention below shows this.

_______________________________

Thank you for the rant. You folks may have seen Wednesday's (12/20/06) Opinon section of the Wall Street Journal were Abraham Sofaer, former legal advisor to the State Department, '85-'90, gave his opinion as to why the President should follow the Iraq Study Group proposals of negotiations with Syria and Iran. I don't agree, and I try to point out the fallacies in his argument, specifically, don't compare the USSR and how we negotiated with the Soviets, with the Syrians and Iranians.Mr Sofaer's piece can be found on line here: http://www.opinionjournal.c

Below is my rant to the Wall Street Journal.

Thank you for printing Mr. Abraham Sofaer’s piece, “A Reagan Strategy for Iran and Syria”. It provided me with insight the foreign policy “stability” crowd’s way of diagnosing our foreign policy challenges. It clearly highlighted for me how previous administrations saw negotiations with foreign countries through the prism of “what would the USSR do?” The wall came down, these same policy advisors did not and still have not shifted gears to the new reality, the USSR is dead and strategy comparisons to modern day conflicts are facile. Foreign policy advisors need to quit referring to the our play book for what worked with the USSR and accept that the field has changed, and thus our approach to the new players also needs to change.The very beginning of Mr. Sofaer’s piece begins with an error when he compares the USSR with Syria/Iran. Yes, all of those parties were and are full of naughty boys, yet:

1. The USSR wanted international stability as much as the USA.
a. The Soviets had an empire to protect and would roll out the forces in border issues, a la Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Afghanistan
b. Nuclear deterrence was a real threat, especially if you felt that you had everything to lose.

2. Stability in the Middle East is not in the interest of Syria/Iran. Mr. Sofaer says that it is, yet doesn’t support that point and leave it open as if it is self evident.
a. Instability in Iraq makes us look silly and the Syrians/Iranians look strong.
b. This relative Syrian/Iranian stability, at a cost to their respective populations, could provide an appealing model for those in Iraq. Consider Germany’s struggling democracy in the 20’s. Fascism was a relief to many Germans.
c. Instability in Iraq continues to allow Syria/Iraq to meddle in external affairs and to continue to strengthen their holds on their respective countries.

I do not expect either the Syrians or the Iranians will ever allow a flourishing stable democracy to develop on their doorsteps. Such a country will pose a threat to those two fascist regimes, and thus you can make another comparison to the former USSR.

Diplomatic negotiations are good in that it keeps everyone talking, and hopefully, fingers crossed, looking for solutions. Yet to expect the Syrians/Iranians to have meaningful negotiations on the stability of Iraq without giving up our principles would involve weaving a tale of fantasy.

From the Jerusalem Post

2006-12-17T20:50:00.000-06:00

I could not agree more:
Caroline B. Glick, Center for Security Policy Senior Middle East Fellow and Deputy Managing Editor of The Jerusalem Post, on the Iraq Study Group Report:

With the publication of the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group chaired by former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker, III and former Congressman Lee Hamilton, the debate about the war in Iraq changed. From a war for victory against Islamofascism and for democracy and freedom, the war became reduced to a conflict to be managed by appeasing the U.S.'s sworn enemies in the interests of stability, and at the expense of America's allies.

The ISG report makes me sick. What a wretched piece of trash. The shortsighted knuckleheads in the media, the ones with no sense for history, report the results like "Oh, here's the plan that will save everyone." Knuckleheads. They seem to conveniently forget that the "stability" plan is how we arrived at the moment of 9/11. GEEZZ!!!

Congress Approves Offshore drilling in Gulf States

2006-12-12T15:49:00.000-06:00

HOORAY!! There is finally some good energy news out of Congress.

Before the elections, I saw an interview of James Carville (Yes, the Carville with the scary visage and the “I’m going to talk loud until you give up” debate tactics) and he had completed some poling research that showed a vast amount of Americans were in favor of alternative energy sources. I’m watching the interview, thinking “yes, it’s called drilling in ANWAR.” Yet Carville with his Louisiana drawl says “’em peoples want ‘lectric cars!”

Electric cars? Oh, come on. I remember my father telling that as a kid, everyone believed they would be flying helicopters to work. It’s a neat idea, but one that is hardly economically feasible. When you look at the alternative fuel tradeoff I’m thinking electric cars have a future like those helicopters.

Still, let me give Carville credit, he was right about our desire for alternative sources. Yes, we want alternative sources of fuel; those sources come from drilling offshore and remote places like ANWAR. We are sick of being held hostage to thugs in the Middle East and punks in Venezuela.

For you future candidates, THIS IS AN ELECTION ISSUE. Make yourself a winner, stand up for more drilling.

The lost little ones of North Korea

2006-12-07T17:37:00.000-06:00

Back on Nov 6th, I was moved by a column in the Opinion section of the Wall Street Journal, written by Melanie Fitzpatrick, titled "The Lost Little Ones". The article highlights the plight of North Korean orphans left in China and it just ripped my heart out.

I was so moved my the article and the YouTube video I found that I was compelled to send the following email to the President, Vice President, and the two Senators who represent me and other Texans, Kay Bailey Hutchinson and John Cornyn.

Here is a copy of the email:
Subject: Wanting to save the Little Ones in North Korea

Dear Mr. President

Thank you for your consideration in reading my email. My hope is to make the email brief yet poignant.

Today (11/6/06), as I read the Opinion section of my Wall Street Journal, I came across the column written by Melanie Fitzpatrick titled "The Lost Little Ones" which highlighted the plight of North Korean orphans who have been abandoned in China. Without a parents or a country, these children are left to scavenge the streets, with their best hope is to be taken in by a secretive orphanage. Many of these children aren't this lucky and starve.

Groups like Liberty in North Korea (LINK) are doing what they can to help, though the task appears monumental. Here is a link I found to a short video of what these children face. I'm a 41 year old male, self described tough guy, and these images made me cry out loud. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBzHCVv5GeQ

I've heard the stories for years of starving folks in North Korea, yet this brings it home. As Americans, we must do something NOW.
My suggestions:
1) China is critical in solving the problem. We need the Chinese to allow more groups into China to openly help take care of these abandoned children.
2) US funding for groups like LINK.
3) South Korean support for repatriation of these orphans. It is in the South Korean constitution to take North Korean refuges.
4) Regime Change! Yes, I know we are busy in Afghanistan and Iraq, but count me in for support of deposing Kim Jong Il.

Again, thank you for your consideration in reading this email

Frankly, I didn't expect a reply, nor did I receive one until today. Senator John Cornyn, or at least his office, sent me the following email in reply.

Subject: Thank You For Contacting My Office

Thank you for contacting me regarding the United States’ policy toward North Korea. I appreciate having the benefit of your views on this important matter, and I am glad to have the benefit of your ideas and suggestions.

As you know, North Korea successfully tested a nuclear weapon on October 8, 2006. This test, together with North Korea’s development and testing of short- and long-range ballistic missiles, represents a serious threat to the United States, our allies, and the security of Northeast Asia. North Korea has withdrawn from the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, expelled monitors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and reopened previously banned nuclear installations. Moreover, North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons violates the U.S.-North Korea Agreed Framework of 1994, an agreement requiring North Korea to halt development of its nuclear weapons program.

I strongly support multilateral diplomacy and the continuation of six-party talks to achieve a Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons. Countries in the region that have considerable economic and political leverage over North Korea—among them Japan, South Korea, China, and Russia—must play a key role in resolving the North Korean crisis; and the international community must act decisively to prevent a brutal dictator like Kim Jong-Il from continuing to develop and, potentially, to proliferate nuclear weapons. As such, I am pleased the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to levy strict sanctions and other punitive actions against North Korea, and I am hopeful that North Korea’s decision to return to the six-party talks will move the peninsula toward a North Korean decision to abandon nuclear armament.

I appreciate having the opportunity to represent the interests of Texans in the United States Senate, and you may be certain that, as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I will continue to closely monitor this situation and keep your suggestions in mind as these matters are discussed. Thank you for taking the time to contact me.

Sincerely,

JOHN CORNYN

United States Senator

That was nice. I hold no real illusion that "Oh my God! John Cornyn is thinking of me while on the hill!", yet he did respond and addressed the subject in only a way a politician can, "Thank you, and now let me talk to you about what I want to discuss." I don't blame them. You have a message you need to get out and you need to be consistent. I'm just glad he took the time and responded.

Iraq Study Group

2006-12-06T22:33:00.000-06:00

(I have more thoughts on this topic. Namely, military victory, political victory, where Neocons succeeded, where they failed. More on this later)

What I haven’t seen in the analysis of the Iraq Study Group (ISG) is the in depth analysis of who wrote the study. Sure, its James Baker and Lee Hamilton, long time Washington insiders, blah blah blah. Yet, no one has said, “Hey, if the President follows the recommendations of the ISG, this is a cataclysmic shift in the US foreign policy, and the old line “realists” from the State Dept have won”. Has everyone forgotten old line foreign policy wonks like Brent Scowcroft, Baker, et al., were critical when the President built his case and announced his intention to go into Iraq? That is because the attacking first goes against everything the old line “realist” believe. These folks believe in stability at any cost, and thus the reason we have an uncomfortable history of propping up dictators like Noriega, shaking hands with thugs like Saddam (remember the picture of Rumsfeld from the early 80’s), and running arms to half crazed fundamentalist in Afghanistan. If the president follows these recommendations, Neocon foreign policy is dead. Instead, we go back to a time before 2001 when the State Dept would cut deals shady thugs, all in the name of stability, while lying through our teeth about the importance of spreading democracy.

I believe that it can be rightly said that the same authors of this report own a share of the responsibility of the terror attacks on this country. It was their 30+ year’s foreign policy in the Middle East that led to the attacks we’ve seen in the last few years. This reasoning, to follow the old paths that lead to our being attacked, is just ridiculous.

Ask Iran and Syria for help? You have got to be kidding? Is this the same Iran that read about today in an AP story where their top security official urged other Arab nations to expel US military bases from the region and to join Tehran in a security alliance? Yep, that sounds like a good choice of folks to ask for help.

The report also says that there can be on military victory? Well, there has been a military victory. Saddam is gone and a democratically elected government is in place. What has been missing is a political victory, and that is who you bring everyone to the table for the greater good.

There was a lot made of “the Arab street” soon after 9/11, and whether or not America had heard from this disgruntled group within pan-Arabia. The voice said, “You were hit because you ignored us. You are democracy personified, yet you turned your back on us and supported a feckless thug, and thus you were worth less to us than the thug. We hit you with impunity because we couldn’t strike our own and you are the evil surrogate.

I never really bought into the East vs. West thing, that Islam wants to make our women wear burqas, yadda yadda. Yes, I do believe there is a sizable portion of those people in the Middle East, especially the Wahabbis, who want a cultural war, yet I really believe what is going on is that those rebels in leadership are doing what all punk leaders have over the ages and that is to play upon the fears of the disaffected youths and give them a cause greater than themselves. In this case, “America keeps the strong man in power. The same strong man who tortured your cousin, made your grandfather disappear, and allows the police to threaten rape upon your women. America is weak to support to support this man who holds you down. Allah says it is so, just see how the American women dress (hold up People magazine, begin the greater cause). We can bring down this strong man, but we must first defeat the one who gives him money. America is weak and will allow us to travel and attack them like a pig in its pen.” What I wrote is just simply corrupted power manipulating those who are looking for a cause, or those who desire to be manipulated.

If we follow this path outlined by the principle of old line American foreign policy, Americans be riding through the World with blinders on, oblivious to those disaffected people who don’t have a chance for democracy, and we’ll ask ourselves, in 5, 10, or maybe more years, the same questions we asked after 9/11, “why were we attacked?”

Money is like a good idea

2006-11-27T17:45:00.000-06:00

Money is like a good idea, it needs to be spread around to do any good.

Now before you flame me with "you stinkin' commie" or some re-distribution of wealth scheme, please understand that I'm a true believer in Adam Smith and the "invisible hand".

It rarely does anyone any good to collect dollars and sit on them. The benefit of money comes from the distribution of that money into either investment vehicles, or the borrowing of credit. So, you gain $5, you buy some extra bread, the grocer buys a little extra from the supplier, supplier buys more from the baker, and so on. That extra $5 benefited more than the original owner because he spent the money and distributed the wealth. If the original owner had taken the $5 and stuck it under his mattress, it wouldn't have done anyone any good.

"Well, duh!" you say. My response, "No kidding"

I bring this up because it still surprises me how often you will still here folks on left talk about wealth as an evil. Take a look at the oil companies (yes, big oil is an easy target) yet the left is ready to tar and feather the oil execs for making a profit. Business's role is to make a profit because the profits are then.......(wait for the punchline).........re-invested and re-distributed in and throughout the company. Wealth begetting additional wealth, if done correctly. Companies have no reason to sit on piles of cash, and the money is better served to buy better equipment, hire employees, improve benefits, build new facilities, pay down debt, etc.

Yet, I still think there is a large segment of our society who doesn't understand this concept of basic business. There is still some old mythology (was it formed in the gilded age with the Robber Barons?) that rich companies are essentially individual and these behemoth individuals sit around all day lighting their cigars with $100 bills while trying to figure out how to squash little people.

2006-10-17T17:23:00.000-05:00

Yikes! 2/15/2005 was the last post? Well, its not for lack of things to say, just time spent in other places

Freedom of speech. What does that mean?

2005-02-16T22:02:00.000-06:00

Thomas Sowell had a column today in the local rag where he touched on the Ward Churchhill affair (U of CO professor who compared 9/11 victims to Nazis) and Sowell made two really great points:

Too many people- some of them judges-seem to think that freedom of speech means freedom from consequences for what you have said. If you believe that, try insulting your boss when you go to work tomorrow.

and...

Freedom of speech does not implay a right to an audience. Otherwise the audience would have right to their own freedom.

Good stuff. Unfortunately, too many college students feel that they have little or no recourse. Free enterprise and the market seem to fail at the doors of academia. The student is fotting the bill for the class and should not be subjected to such tripe, yet the arcane rules of tenure allow academic cancers like Churchill to continue to spew their filth.

Texas is a right to work state, so I wonder how/if tenure rules have any real bite here?

Social Security reform, NOW

2005-02-05T23:26:00.000-06:00

Another little line I dropped to the Statesman the other day. It was short, and not some of my best work, so they ignored it. That's okay, I feel better that I got it out.

On Wednesday night, I saw President Bush be the man we all saw while he was governor of the state of Texas. He put together a bold, clear, and concise plan on how we can all benefit from a reform of Social Security, and that we must reform Social Security now. He is the leader who is ready to take on this difficult task, the man I saw tackle difficult tasks in Texas, and I couldn't be more happy with my vote for him last November

The right side of democracy

2005-02-05T23:21:00.000-06:00

Here is a little ditty I sent off to the local Austin American Statesman

Has Senator Kennedy sold his political soul to an unknown political Beelzebub? His actions appear that he wants the destabilization a fledgling democracy. When did modern American Liberalism become the movement of status quo and anti-war? Presidents Wilson, Roosevelt, Truman, and Kennedy felt that democracy was the inherent right of all common men, home and abroad, and that the right time for democracy is NOW.
No one wants war, yet open and free democracies do not go to war with each other. This is an old ideal of political scientists, yet an ideal that Democrats have willingly abdicated to the neo-conservatives. I can not see how you can be on the opposite side of this ideal and not be on the wrong side of democracy. If American Liberals no longer believe in this ideal, then the 2004 elections foretell of a long drought.

Iraq elections

2005-02-01T22:06:00.000-06:00

60% of eligible voters in Iraq turned out to vote. And they were threatened with their lives. Zarqawi says that he will kill them if they vote. And yet, the % turn out is greater than the recent US Presidential election. I couldn't feel happier for the Iraqis.

Another sign of a growing economy

2005-01-27T15:44:00.000-06:00

To me I find it interesting that not enough people watch the coming and goings of the transportation market. You want to know how well the economy is performing, look at the transports. If trucks are empty or not moving, that means nobody is buying and selling.

That being said, I take this as good news for the economy:
Yellow Roadway triples Q4 profit (YELL) By Jim JelterSAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) - Trucking company Yellow Roadway Corp. (YELL) reported late Thursday adjusted fourth-quarter operating income of $107 million, or $1.24 cents a share, up from $34 million a year ago. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call had expected the company to post per-share earnings of $1.22. The report gave the first combined results for the company since Roadway Express merged with Yellow Transportation. Revenue for the quarter totaled $1.77 billion, up from $903 million a year earlier. Shares of the Overland Park, Kan.-based company closed $1.17 higher at $53.19 ahead of the report.

al-Zarqawi declares war on democracy

2005-01-26T13:22:00.000-06:00

So, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has declared war on democracy . Who knew?

Seriously, does he really think that he can create any sympathy for his cause when he says things like, "We have declared a bitter war against the principle of democracy and all those who seek to enact it..."

What a knucklehead.

Oh, and you've got to love the latest on Iraqi voter turnout. 72.4% of eligible Iraqi voters said they would vote in the upcoming election.
Uhm, let me think about this......yep, that's a higher percentage that what turned out for the last US Presidential election. Wonder why we haven't read this in the mainstream media (scoff!!)

Pacific Alliance: The Big Four

2005-01-25T13:44:00.000-06:00

Really good post by Colin May of EuroSoc about the significance of the alliance put together by the US, Australia, India, and Japan, to deal with the tsunami disaster.

http://www.eursoc.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/697

Back on April 11, 2004, I posted an idea that the US should consider a deeper military alliance with India, and begin to disengage with our European counterparts. Glad to see I wasn't some crazy man wandering in the wilderness.

If you have read Kagan's book Of Power and Paradise what May states makes a lot of sense. Europe is largely pacified and is increasingly becoming more militarily irrelevant.

I would like to read more of May's thoughts on Japan and whether it can increase it's stature outside of being an economic power. I have felt for sometime that we should encourage Japan to take the training wheels off of the Japanese Defense Forces. Yes, I understand the constitutional implications for Japan. That's why constitutional amendments exist. Not that a change will be easy as a change would also mean a cultural shift for the Japanese people.

Sorry, broke my crayon. Nothing to write with.

2005-01-25T13:34:00.001-06:00

Its been way too long since the last post.

The irony was that I started this blog so that I could get the ideas/thoughts that roll through my brain out in the open. I thought I would be cathartic, cleansing, releasing, but ironically it wasn't.

Odd, but the 2004 elections were emotionally and creatively draining. After reading about the election debates, I would get home at night and just not want to think about the elections anymore. My mind was made up, the choice was obvious, and I just couldn't understand how people saw things differently. Still don't, but thankfully some on the left have pointed out how pathetic Kerry was as a candidate. Kerry was nuanced?!?! That's another way of saying he was "without foundational principles".

A little business blogging

2004-09-22T20:17:00.000-05:00

I really do enjoy talking about business. What people do for a living, the companies they've worked for, why they had certain jobs, what is the driving force of the company, the history of the company, how they treat customers, their go to market strategy, etc. I really enjoy it all. I may not fully understand the products a comapny makes, but I know enough to kepp the conversation flowing. Why is it fascinating to me? I don't know. Maybe its the competition, the living by your wits, the last vestiage of a time were you can beat down an opponent, and that's okay. Not really, I just read that somewhere years ago by someone who thought that is why more men attained high executive positions than women. It's some sort of testosterone thing. whatever. Actually, I like the understanding the strategy of a company. It gives you insight into how they think, and that is what interests me. I like people who can be thoughtful and reasoning. I like the same thing from companies. I've never fully trusted anyone who is impulsive by nature. Implusive people are just looking for the next thing that makes them fell good.

Anyway, the reason I started writing tonight is that I've noticed a decernable split between what I call the "haves" and "have nots". The economy is picking up steam, and yet there are plenty of companies whose numbers just don't look very strong. Is the economy not really that strong, or is there something wrong with the company. I say, take a look at the competitors. Coca Cola; not doing so good, yet the competitors are doing fine. HP; not so good, yet Dell is doing well. The airlines; many are doing poorly yet Southwest is still eating their lunch.

The airline business is an intersting business, though one I'm not sure I would enjoy working in. How is it for so long now that these businesses has stayed intact and still deliver a crappy customer experience? And its all about logistics. It seems to me that the airlines know how much it costs them to fly from point A to point B, so why do they have a hard time managing their costs? Here's a radical idea, why not charge customers for a fixed percentage over cost? So, instead of charging $49 from NY to LA, but $249 from NY to Pittsburgh, why not charge more for LA and less for Pittsburgh? I understand why it doesn't work that way, competitive pressures drive the pricing, but the current system makes things confusing for the customer. "Same low price all the time", sounds like Walmart, but maybe it would work for the airlines. Its got to better than bankruptcy.

The Children of Beslan

2004-09-09T22:37:00.000-05:00

I have been fuming for days since the children of Beslan were killed by those......those what? How can I call them monsters when that de-humanizes their evil. And yet, how can a human kill a child and not have a care? Doesn't that make the killer less than human? To be human is to value life, the promise of life, and potential for a better future, all those things that are embodied in a child. Then it seems to reason that to shamelessly snuff out a child's life is inhuman.

Bastards. That's all I can say. Bastards.

I'm so tired now, just thinking of the suffering those damn bastards put those children through. It ruined my weekend. It ruined the joy I felt after the Republican Convention. There was so much I wanted to write after the convention, and those BASTARDS through me into a black mood.

Black moods are not good. Stewing, thinking, unable to act against the Bastards, tears, and stewing. I honestly do not know what I would do if I was in the same shoes as the parents in Beslan. The logical slide of me says, "Catch the bastards, make them talk, get as much as you can, and then punish them in a court of law." The emotional side says, "Strike, take a breath, and strike again." Now that I'm a parent, I can see why there are stories about how the mother bear is the most dangerous animal in the wild. You try an come after my child, you've got another thing coming. I've been mean before, but touch my kiddo and you'll see cataclysmic shifts in the Earth. I have to believe that most parents feel this way. I know that if my child was hurt or worse, gone, I've got nothing else, and thus nothing left to lose. When Momma Bear hits, she hits hard. I'm the male version of Momma Bear.

Okay, (deep breaths, calming down)....It's been six days, and I still get worked up. It took me this long just to write about the tragedy.

Anyway, so the Statesman prints a Commentary justifying the pictures of Beslan that they used. The lead picture was of the mother, caressing her fallen child's face, obvious sorrow in a place so deep in her soul that I pray no one should ever have to feel such sorrow ever again. The picture tears me up as I write about it. The picture was appropriate, yet some readers felt it was too emotional. Too emotional!!!???? Are you frickin kidding me?!!?!?!? Nearly 400 children died, a pain and grief so strong and deep that the Earth should have been knocked off of its axis, and these people want to hide from the unpleasantness? No, I say. You people need to pull you heads out of the sand, and really look at these pictures. Understand that these children didn't do anything to deserve this attack, and anyone who tries to argue otherwise is no better than the BASTARDS who killed the children in the first place.

Here is my latest letter to the Editor of the Statesman. They haven't printed anything of mine lately. I'm not sure if this is a reflection of my poor writing, being too acerbic, or both.

Thank you for the photos you used for the hideous tragedy in Beslan. They were poignant and compelling. The fact that readers openly wept at the sight of these pictures tells me that the message is not lost. The message is that unthinkable evil walks this earth.
I challenge the readers look at these pictures again. Don't turn away, divert your eyes, or go to your "happy place" and make believe that this evil can't happen here. Let that woman's deep sorrow, a sorrow she didn't ask for or deserve, sink into you. And then the next time you hear some smart-aleck say that we are getting what we deserve, this is all about oil, or our leaders are too simplistic, you should stop and think about this woman's face. She didn't deserve this, it wasn't about oil, and it's not simplistic to call this purely evil.

As always, I wanted to write so much more, but I'm limited to 150 words. (sigh)

I think I'm now going to kiss my son's sleeping head, and head off to bed.

Another letter to the editor

2004-08-20T21:16:00.000-05:00

Eeeeerrrrrrrgggggg!!!!!! GAWD!!!! The Austin American Statesman really burns my butt!!! Why do I keep buying this rag???? Probably because it is the only game in town, and so what drives me more crazy than a whacked Liberal, a MONOPOLY! Thanks the Lord for the Wall Street Journal. I read the Statesman and think, " We are all going to Hell in a hand basket" and then I read The Journal, and I can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that all is okay, but that there are still some whacked out folks in the world, and they write for the local paper.

I'm as serious as I can be, if the Statesman didn't report on local events, I would drop it in a half second.

So, the reason for my fury, the knuckleheads at the Spaceman, er...Statesman, have called into question the deeds of over 200 veterans of the Swiftboats as "highly suspect". Veterans groups are composed of men who work closely together, who rely on one another for their lives. They are put into situations where they clearly understand that they can not survive with out the support of each other. A "Band of Brothers" isn't some new Hollywood idea, this is ideal that has come down through the centuries of warriors who rely on each other for every thing, including their lives. I have not been in war, yet I have been in situations where I could not succeed without my "Band of Brothers", and I am here to say that the band you feel for these brothers is most extreme. Even for me, and the piddly little things I have done, the bonding was amazing, and I can easily see why why these bonds are sometimes stronger than the bonds of family.

So, to me, it is exceptionally illuminating to me that so many vets who worked with Kerry, would now say that he is a liar. Granted, he crapped all over them when he came home by essentially testifying that they were all baby killers. Yet, through all that they went through together, and knowing how forgiving Americans can be (look at Bill Clinton) these Vets said, "No, he is lying". To men, that is a "Wow" moment.

Here is my letter to the editors of the Statesman;

The President should denounce the swift boat veteran's ads? Has the Statesman forgotten that Kerry has made his service in Viet Nam the reason he is fit to be Commander in Chief? We don't know what Kerry stands for today because he keeps us focused on what he did 30 years ago. And why does the Statesman say that the claims made by over 200 veterans who were there with Kerry during his four and a half months in Viet Nam are "highly suspect", yet give credence to one dissenter, John McCain, who wasn't even there. I respect John McCain, but he has publicly said that he doesn't like it Veterans fight about their war records. It's clear what McCain's motivation for dissent.
So, following the Statesman logic, shouldn't you also be calling on Kerry to denounce George Soros's $15M to MoveOn.org's ad campaign that compared the President to Hitler?

Remember that I only get 150 words to the editor, so I had to be concise. I think I hit my point.

Trying not to fall into cliche'

2004-08-18T23:05:00.000-05:00

One of the things I really do enjoy about the Olympics is how the athletes and there accomplishments can be a metaphor for life and the "real world". In the Olympics, the athlete who takes home the gold medal, and thus all the glory (and endorsement deals!) doesn't have to destroy his or her opponent, they just have to win. The margin of victory can be by hundredths of a second or hundredths of a point. They are still the winner, and thus they take all of the spoils. The real world is much the same.

I think of all the opportunities that I have won or lost in my professional career, many of them were narrowly won and lost, and yet the margin of victory didn't matter. What mattered is that I had won, and the opportunity turned into a contract for millions of dollars. There is no silver medal for second place in the real world. Silver medals in the real world doesn't put food on the table, and in the Olympics, it doesn't get you the endorsements.

Hey, wait a minute! She said 9/11!

2004-07-26T23:29:00.000-05:00

Remember a few months ago when the President included scenes from 9/11 in a campaign ad? The purpose of the ad was to show that the terrorist attacks were a defining moment in this presidency. Democrats howled and cried "fowl". How dare the President bring up images of such a horrible time and claim them for his own.

Well, isn't that Hillary Clinton did tonight in her speech before the DNC convention? She brought up some memories of 9/11 with the purpose of stirring the crowd. Do Republicans get to cry fowl now?

Letters to the Editor: Bill Cosby

2004-07-18T21:53:00.000-05:00

The Austin American Statesman did an article today about Bill Cosby's recent comments about the state of the African-American community. The paper then went out and interviewed various Austin area black leaders. It was pretty interesting in that this article pointed out that Cosby's comments are stirring a debate within the black community. I see this debate as being very welcome. Too long have we heard that the black community is diverse and independent in thought. Yet at every election, the black community votes as one block, and too many of the self proclaimed leaders in the community are nothing more than peacock demagogues. As a white person, I'm supposed to shut up and not say anything because it can be considered "racist". Excuse me? I actually see it just the opposite way. I want African-Americans to succeed. I'm very pragmatic in this approach, sorta Adam Smith-like. If there is any community that is underachieving, it brings everyone down. There is no place in a capitalist society for racism, and so for everyone's greater good, all must be given the chance and the will to succeed. Racism is inefficient, and inefficiency is an anathema to capitalism. Again, I want to be very clear about this, THERE IS NO PLACE IN CAPITALISM FOR RACISM.

So, here is a copy of a letter I sent to the editors tonight. They limit letters to 150 words, which is good in that it forces me to edit. Its bad because broader points are difficult to make.

Thank you for your article about Mr. Cosby’s public statements about the state of the African-American community, and the opinions of black leaders in the Austin area.

I did find Nelson Linder’s comments troubling. It appears that Mr. Linder lives in a past where every African-American is cloaked in chains. When presented with the notion that he can release himself, Mr. Linder further drapes himself in chains as if it were a badge of honor.

We can learn from history, but we shouldn’t be condemned by it. It tells us what we are, but doesn’t define who we can be. Condemning one’s future because of history is to give up and admit defeat. If “giving up” is Mr. Linder’s message, then good luck to him and his constituents. The world gives no quarter to those who give up in defeat. It honors only those who fight to improve their condition.

By the way, Nelson Linder is the President of the local NAACP. What is left unstated is that the NAACP has painted itself into a corner regarding its policies. NAACP portrays all blacks as victims, and the NAACP is the only organization who can save them from......."institutional racism", the new code word for "white people" and "Corporate America". Without victims, the NAACP has no reason to exist.
You know what really burns me, is that I work with several African-Americans. There are two, a young woman and a young man, who are REALLY sharp. They work hard, bust their tails, and are where they are because they earned it. This victim nonsense denigrates work achieved by this folks I know. Its as if the NAACP is saying "You must be lucky if you made it.", and that's just wrong.

Too, too, long in between posts

2004-07-18T21:51:00.000-05:00

Bad dog, very bad dog!

CEO's: Strong Sales and hiring

2004-06-02T11:41:00.000-05:00

Let's see if the administration can take this good news and run with it. I have been a frustrated with the amount of good economic news that has come out, yet isn't being reported or understood by the general public. The bit of news below is very clear and specific: Strong sales, higher more people, all this year.

U.S. CEOs see stronger sales, hiring
By Rex Nutting, CBS.MarketWatch.com
Last Update: 9:49 AM ET June 2, 2004

WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Top executives of U.S. corporations are more optimistic that the expanding U.S. economy will lead to higher sales, hiring and capital spending at their companies.

The Business Roundtable's CEO economic outlook index rose to 96.5 in June from 94.3 in March, the organization said Wednesday.

"America's CEOs believe that the U.S. economy will continue to strengthen steadily over the next six months," said Hank McKinnell, CEO of Pfizer who serves as chairman of the Business Roundtable. The group represents the chief executives of 150 major corporations with 10 million employees and $3.7 trillion in annual sales.

"Along with a continued rise in capital spending and a high level of sales, CEOs expect steady employment gains over the next six months," McKinnell said in a statement. "Our economy appears to have reached a self-sustaining phase of expansion."

Each quarter, the Business Roundtable's CEOs are asked about their expectations for sales growth, hiring and capital spending as well as a prediction for U.S. gross domestic product. This quarter, 116 CEOs responded to the survey.

The vast majority -- 88 percent -- expects higher sales at their company in the next six months, while just 4 percent anticipate lower sales. In March, 88 percent expected higher sales and 1 percent expected lower sales.

More telling, a growing number of CEOs say they'll hire more workers and spend more money on new equipment and facilities.

Thirty-eight percent expect to hire more workers, up from 33 percent three months ago. Nineteen percent expect to reduce employment, down from 22 percent a month ago.

Last October, just 12 percent said they planned to hire more workers.

Capital-spending plans inched higher. In June, 44 percent said they expect to increase investments, up from 43 percent in March.

The CEOs also expect the economy to grow 3.7 percent in 2004, unchanged from their last GDP forecast.

The survey began in the fourth quarter of 2002.

I love the Smarty Jones

2004-05-18T21:41:00.000-05:00

If you missed the Preakness, too bad for you. I don't even think you need to be a big horse racing fan to appeciate what Smarty Jones did to the field. He was clearly taking the lead in the final stretch with Hard Body Ten pressing behind, when "Boom", he exploded with a tremendous burst of speed. I've never seen anything like it. The other horses were clearly pushing hard but it was like Smarty Jones became a Super-Horse before our eyes. Truly amazing, and he won by the greatest margin in the Preakness's 129 year history.

I can't wait to see the Belmont.

Strategic Oil Reserves

2004-05-18T21:28:00.000-05:00

To all the people out there who say that we should release some of the oil from our strategic oil reserve, I would like to meet you. Because I would like to shake your hand and say, "You are a dumb-ass". Really. Do you realize that when Clinton released oil from the strategic researve before the 2000 election, it moved the price per barrel by $.01. One penny. For the day. That's it. Guess what that means to the average Joe and Jane. Nada. Zip. Bupkis. ZERO.

Yet, we have knuckleheads who are able to get air time and are calling for the President to release oil from the strategic researve (read here: AND THUS MAKE US VULNERABLE TO ADDITONAL SHORTAGES) so that we can have lower gas prices. For how long? A week? Maybe? Grow up and learn something about basic freakin' economics. Supply and friggin' demand! Cryin' out loud.

Guess what you will learn. China and India are buying as much oil as they can for consumers and to fill their stratgic researves. Lots of buyers, fewer (or the same) sellers...voila! Higher prices.

The other thing is if these consumer groups really want lower gas prices, push for legislation that allows for the building of new oil refineries. Refineries are at capacity and they can't make more gas if they tried. Again, that whole supply and demand thing keeps popping up.

You gotta love capitalism. It brings out the best in pragmatism.

Jerk of the Month

2004-05-18T21:23:00.000-05:00

I used to have a regular "Jerk of the Month" contest, but it became stale as the same person keep winning. When Michael Moore wins every month, whats the point? He also kept winning the "Narcissus of the Month" and "I'm Holier Than You of the Month" award.

Come to think of it, Wow, that guy is on a roll.

The Indian Elections

2004-05-18T21:19:00.000-05:00

After seeing the results from the recent Indian elections, I'm embarassed to think that I recently suggested that the USA begin to create a stronger political and military alliance with the sub-continent. For the Congress party to form a coalition with the Communist party and its splinter groups is just idiotic. I really thought that India was turning the corner, and I guess I was wrong.

If you can't say something nice....

2004-05-18T21:15:00.000-05:00

You know what I mean. I'm sure your mother said the same thing to you. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.

Okay, I'll think of something nice about Nancy Pelosi.......hmmmm........Oh, I know...I bet when she was a younger woman, she was pretty hot. Not that she isn't attractive today. She'e just a little too old for me. Too bad about her politics.

If you don't know what you are talking about, don't write the article

2004-04-29T22:15:00.000-05:00

BIG pet peeve of mine is when editors of a paper share with the rest of us their opinions about topics in which they know nothing about. Its like being in public, in a place you want to be, and its ruined because some jack ass is spewing rubbish out his mouth about thinks he knows nothing about. And to make matters worse, he tries to get all smart-alecky about it!!

Case in point, the local daily rag printed a commentary from the Associate Editor of the Baltimore Sun, Jay Bookman. Now this knucklehead tips his hand immediately that he has no clue in what he is writing about, that being deficit spending. 1) He meanders through a narrative that doesn't tie into his topic. 2) He compares deficit spending to that of a personal checking account (just plain stupid) 3) He acts like deficit spending is a relatively recent phenomenon, and thus we are driving future generations to the poor house. 4) He makes no comparison of the size of the deficit against real GDP. If you don't make this simple comparison, changes due to inflation are lost, and thus the numbers are meaningless.

So, Mr Bookman, 1) don't be so silly as to meander, and then slam your readers for being stupid. Yes, we don't like taxes, yet what we don't like even more is wasteful spending. 2) You and I have a limited way about how we can obtain wealth, and in the end want to keep a portion of that wealth. We also have to chance to create wealth. The government is not in the business of keeping money, or creating wealth. It does have the ability to create cash, whether through the treasury, through bond offerings, license sales, or a myriad of other ways. The government doesn't have a checkbook to balance. 3) Alexander Hamilton, first Secretary of Treasury, proposed and used deficit spending, and its been going on for a hundred years.

Maybe Mr Bookman should stick to writing about what he knows, and that is his love of John Kerry. Clearly Mr Bookman was trying to take a swipe at the President.

If space is at a premium, why does the Statesman insist on printing commentary from people who don't know what they are talking about? Jay Bookman's commentary that deficit spending is "ripping off" the future generations of this country was awful. Why not have economists write about spending instead of uninformed editorialists?

Mr. Bookman's elitist condescension went nowhere. He concluded that we who drive SUVs must be stupid because we whine too much about our taxes. How his theory of alternative transportation and tax spending is related was lost in the commentary, but if his ultimate point was to show that deficit spending hurts future generations, he should review our history. Alexander Hamilton, first Secretary of the Treasury started deficit spending over 200 years ago.

Finally, put the $7.4 trillion figure into context. As a percentage of real GDP, this is still smaller than the deficit spending of the 1990's.

No UNSCAM reporting in the local paper

2004-04-29T22:09:00.000-05:00

Another letter to the editor of the Austin American Statesman, asking them why they are giving no coverage to the UN Oil for Food scandal. Especially when you consider that they couldn't resist printing every story possible about CORPORATE GREED!!!!

The Statesman hasn't been in touch yet, so I doubt they are interested in printing this in the daily rag.

Why isn’t the Statesman reporting more about the UN’s Oil for Food fiasco? A recent GAO investigation into the UN supervised program reports that Saddam received at least $4.4B in graft and another $5.7B from smuggled oil. These figures are so large that it makes the kids at Enron blush!

Are we not hearing more about this investigation because some of the phony companies trading oil in this program have terrorist connections? For the “Saddam didn’t fund terrorists” crowd, I guess it would take the wind out their sails if they found out that a Bahamian bank, with connections to Al Queda’s financial network, was involved in this scam. Or that another dummy company had close ties to the Taliban. While still another was part of BCCI, the defunct bank with ties to global crime.

Its a little snarky, but I find that I get a little snarky when I have a limit of 150 words.

Personal Stuff

2004-04-29T11:16:00.000-05:00

My kiddo is about to turn a year old!!!! Very exciting!

I sometimes sit back and reflect on the differences/similarities on how I'm raising my son, and how my parents raised me. I think greatest difference, and I hope its a positive difference, is the age difference between my folks raising children, and me raising children. My folks were young when I was born, 23 and 19. They were learning about their place in the world as young adults, while also learning about being parents. I'm in my late thirties, and when my Dad was this age, I was in high school. With my Mom, I was in college. I have a one year old. Big difference in perspectives.

My folks gave me a lot. We didn't have a lot of money when I was young, yet they built a foundation of love, discipline, and a strong work ethic. How this fits in the world, they had to figure out on their own, and there were plenty of bumps along the road. Being a parent who is older, hopefully I can help my youngster see the bumps that my parents didn't, and thus makes aspects of his growing up that was rough on me, smoother.

Cheney slamming Kerry's war record?

2004-04-29T10:59:00.000-05:00

Did I miss something? I'm thinking that I did because the excerpts that I read from Cheney's recent speech didn't anything about Kerry not being a war hero, he said that Kerry's voting record on military spending makes him questionable as a choice to be President. Kerry's service in Viet Nam and his voting record are two VERY different things, and its the voting record that every one should be paying attention to.

Look, if Cheney has anything negative to say about Kerry's service in Viet Nam, then Cheney should be publicly slapped around. Kerry have the Silver Star for crying out loud, and that isn't given to folks who show up to lunch on time! KERRY IS A LEGITIMATE WAR HERO. 'Nuff said on that topic. It really shouldn't be up for discussion.

On a different page, Kerry's voting record on military spending is fair game, and should be up for question. There are sacred cows when it comes to spending bills, and voting records give the electorate a view into how a person will act as a President. Being a war hero doesn't mean that you'll be a great President. If you believe that, would you consider Eisenhower one of the greatest Presidents of our time? Hardly. If a war hero makes for a good president, would Audie Murphy been a better president than Truman or LBJ? Hardly. War hero = good President just doesn't translate.

I'm way behind in posting....

2004-04-29T10:56:00.000-05:00

Too much work, too little time. I have a bunch of things I want to post, and I'll be trying to catch up soon. I've been pinging the guys at that Austin American Stateman, so I'll be posting those little ditties soon.

Israel Strikes Hamas Again

2004-04-18T19:01:00.000-05:00

Sure, its easy to argue that the Israeli strike on the latest Hamas leader, Rantisi (sp?), will stir violence (read: hysteria). My question is, Hamas has already said that they won't back down until Israel is destroyed, and so by killing its leader, can Hamas take Israel's threat of death to a higher level? Critics will argue that this attack will make it easier for Hamas to draw in more recruits. From what we've seen from the Middle East, terrorist respond to weakness (read: negotiations and speeches) and will back down from a strong hand. I just don't see this killing being successfully used as a recruiting. Here is in the US, the death of a leader would be a rally cry. I'm not so sure this is universal in all cultures.

Time to change the military's structure?

2004-04-11T23:07:00.000-05:00

I mentioned a few weeks back that I had an idea for the military on how we can prepare for future wars. Keep in mind that I'm not a military strategist, and don't claim to be one. I'm taking the view of an outsider, looking in, asking questions, and wondering if there is a better way. I'm also approaching this from a 40,000 foot level, so this idea is at best, half backed.

The premise is that any military that successfully defends its country, must evolve over time to prepare and match the threats it faces. Threats change as the aggressor is always looking for new ways to find a weakness. What I do believe to be true, and has held true as a constant in history, is that overwhelming force will ultimately prevail when properly applied. A second truth is that a military fills with warriors who believe in what they are fighting for, will win the war they fight. They may lose battles, but strong values, especially those tied to democracy (freedom of man, liberty, etc) are compelling enough to stiffen the resilience of most soldiers. I have a book around here making that point, yet I can't find it right now.

The military of the United States is still set up to defeat an adversary in the form of the Soviet Union. With the collapse of the USSR, we no longer need to have troops on alert for Soviets tanks to roll across the German plain. We have troops committed to parts of Western Europe, ostensibly because of real or perceived threats, though the reality is that the US has made a substantial investment in overseas bases, and the surrounding communities has made a substantial investment the bases. If a US base was to pullout of German, it would cause an economic mess for the surrounding area. If you need an idea what it would be like, take a look at the Subic Bay in the Phillipines. Okay, its an extreme example because of a volcano eruption, yet the point is that no one came in and filled the void left by the base. If the US Navy had remained, the volcanic fall out would have still been a disaster, but the Navy would have cleaned up the area, keeping jobs in the area, and mitigating some of the economic fall out.

I'm getting to the point here, and that is that the US should consider creating another branch of the military. This one would be smaller in size, and its purpose is to act as a quick-strike force, a team that can be nearly anywhere, anytime, almost instantly. Light infantry, yet with skill sets for air, sea, land, and covert intelligence. Think in terms of the best features of Green Berets, SEALS, and Rangers, yet with connections into the same intelligence as the CIA. Small teams of men ( six to twelve) would work together as "units", a small self contained military, each member with a specific skill, yet all members are interchangeable. The mission is to quickly strike, possibility pre-emptive, at threats, causing disruption and slowing down the threat in time for the regular military to step in an mop up the job.

How I came to this conclusion is that one of the criticisms of today's military is that it is not designed to combat terrorism, it cannot strike quickly should it need to, and thus target opportunities can be missed. I don't believe that we should dismantle the current military, as we still need that structure, especially if we are to continue to take part in missions like Iraq. And I don't believe it is possible to successfully create an "army within an army" where a branch of the military would take on what I'm suggesting. I belive this would be best accomplished by having a separate branch, with new independent thought and reporting, to take this on. The new branch would have unprecedented levels of authority as they would not recruit from those off the street, but would recruit from the best of the other branches. Yes, there will be some huge pissing matches on that subject, but it could be wokred out.

Besides speed and intelligence, another benefit in this plan is that our European allies could actively participate in such a plan. Our allies in NATO may not invest at the same levels on their military that we do, yet they could provide for an elite set of commandos. Let's call them Omega troops, because would be able to do everything, from Alpha to Omega.

I have some other points to make, but this is enough for now.

Robert Kagan's Book

2004-04-07T22:12:00.000-05:00

I made mention in an earlier post of reading Robert Kagan's book, Of Paradise and Power, and it was a powerful read. If you have any wonder as to how we have reached the point that we have with our European allies, you need to read this book. Originally published in 2003, and now republished in January 2004 to update the book with the Iraqi War, the book concisely sums the reason why the Europeans think they can brow beat us diplomatically, why they think we are simplistic in our diplomatic responses, and how America's policy of protecting Europe in the Cold War has created this Kantian Utopia where the Europeans feel they can question us without fear of losing their protection. The book is good in that while written by an American, it doesn't take sides in the debate, it merely offers analysis on how we got here, and why we all do what we do. Essentially, we act, because we can. Europeans dither, because, what else can they do? They have purposely cut their military to the bone. So much so that we had to help them out with actions in their own back yard (Kosovo). Diplomatically, one could argue that we were bound by the NATO agreements to help out, but we could also stay away as no NATO nation was attacked. Our allies were embarrassing themselves in Kosovo, and we had to help out.

The book also draws parallels between Europe's reaction to Kosovo and Iraq. Iraq was an unjustified attack against a sovereign nation, and in violation to UN laws. Kosovo was also a violation to UN sovereignty laws, but because occurred to Europe's back yard, it was easy for the to justify the action. Oh yeah, double standards all over the place.

Kagan also argues that Europe is more afraid of American power than that of the terrorist in the world. This is because not that the Soviet Union is gone, Europe has no leverage over our negotiations. America is free to say and do as we please with out concern of Communist assaults. To me, it is a damning argument of a self inflated ego. Instead of doing something about their sinking stature in the world, Europeans would rather deny this happening and pretend that the Emperor is wearing clothes.

It's this denial, coupled with what I see as the willingness to subjugate their security needs to the US, as the very reason we should consider looking East to strengthen our ties politically, economically, and democratically. We need the European markets as they are still large and powerful, yet those markets represent today, and we need to also look at tomorrow and better appreciate what India, China, and Southeast Asia mean to America.

Kagan also warns that America must be careful not to ignore Europe as she is still very important to America's economic health. I understand his point, yet I still want to take the continent by the lapels, and give it a good shake. Well, except for the British, and with them, I'd like to buy them a beer. I don't think they have given up, though there are "continental" forces in Great Britain who are trying to force the British to be more European. DON'T DO IT!!!! STAND UP AND BE BRITISH!!!

The Boyz of Summer are here

2004-04-07T22:09:00.000-05:00

The White Sox with Esteban Loiza won. The Astro's with Roger Clemens won. Everything is right with the world.

I expect to enjoy this baseball season as the Astros and the Cubs should really battle it out for the NL Central pennant. The White Sox don't look particularly strong, bu their division is really weak, and who knows? Stay healthy for most of the season, and anything can happen.

April, the cure for March Madness

2004-04-07T21:51:00.000-05:00

Congratulation to the University of Connecticut men and women's basketball teams for winnign the NCAA championships. I know I didn't have the Huskies picked to win it all, and they had to beat up a pretty tough field to get there. It was a really fun tournament, though I have to say, the championship game was boring. I fell asleep! Which is weird considering how many good games had been played before the championship.

The wife and I met Coach Geno two years ago in Las Vegas, at Michael's in the Barbary Coast. Fabulous restaurant. Really FABULOUS. 10 year anniversary dinner, and after dinner, we saw Tony Bennett at the Paris. It was a good night. Funny story about Coach Geno; the wife and I walk into the restaurant, and this other fellow follows us in. We're waiting for the mater' de, and I take notice of the guy who had followed us. He looks familiar, but I can't put a finger on who he is. He notices that I'm staring, smiles, and asks, "Have you been here before?" We reply, "no", but that the restaurant was highly recommended. He tells us that its one of his favorite places. I tell if that he looks familiar, and apologize to him if he is a former customer. In my job, I meet a lot of people, and I usually very good at faces (bad with names). He smiles again, and instead of saying his name, he asks where I live, what I do, etc. When I realize that work isn't the connection, I seen the "UCONN" embroidered on his shirt, and he says "Do you watch college basketball?" Being the smooth operator that I am, I stutter, "You're dat, dat, uhm coach, dat, uhm won it all!" Oh yeah, he was impressed. End of story, he sat at the table next to our's, with his friends, and was a very nice gentleman.

Whew! Where Did the time go?

2004-04-07T21:49:00.000-05:00

I have been buried at work, and by the time I get home, I'm just not in the mood to write.

Trying to catch up

2004-03-30T22:28:00.000-06:00

I've been on the road lately and have really fallen behind on my postings. Not that I haven't had a plenty to write about. Some postings I'll put up soon will be about the EU ruling on Microsoft (dumb idea), the call by Barbara Boxer to the President to lower the Strategic Oil Reserve (really dumb idea), the latest book by Robert Kagan (really good!), some ponderings on Asia-India and China in particular- and why that area of the world should gather more of our attention than Europe, a new idea and structure for the military, and finally some thoughts about hotels for business travelers.

The one topic I'm a little apprehensive to discuss is the military, and that is because I am not a military strategist. From the little I do know, a seed formed (or maybe it deformed) into an idea that may be useful in our post cold war era. Look for it soon.

Old Money & New Money: Its a mind set

2004-03-24T21:34:00.000-06:00

I'm not going to weigh in on the Martha Stewart case, just use it as a illustrative point. The court found her guilty, and so she will need to serve her time. If what I also heard about the jury is true, and there were those on the jury who made their decisions based on the idea of, "This will send a message to those crooked CEOs", then I think she has a strong case for appeal.

My point is that a number of people said two questions of the same vein, "If she is guilty, why did she throw away her fortune for $40,000?" or "She can't guilty because she has nothing to gain from $40,000." I thought is that people who think in these terms think like "new money" where a person's very being is determined buy their wealth, their possessions, and the exposing of their wealth to others. It really has nothing to do with your age or how long you or your family has had money, though the term has legs in the fact that most of the newly wealthy exhibit "new money" traits. Don't have a family history, buy one!

Old money doesn't need to prove themselves by flaunting their wealth, they already know who they are and their postions in society. For old money, its all about power, and if that can manifest itself in what can be viewed as trivial ways to some. $40 G's is chump change to Martha, yet she scored the deal while everyone else lost. Her power got her the connections with Sam Waksal, and so she beat everyone to the finish. That is very old money. Donald Trump once said that he wouldn't pass a dollar bill if it was laying on the sidewalk. Why he was ask? "Because, its a dollar!" was the reply. The Don could use dollars for toilet paper, but old money doesn't pass up the chance beat the competion to the dollar.

Old money can also manifest itself in ways that seem "frugal" or "cheap" to new money. Again,think in terms of power, and this will make sense. Sam Walton drove an old pick up. George and Barbara Bush had a simple digital alarm clock that was held together with tape. These folks could clearly afford the finest in any product, yet their reasoning for staying with what they had. "It works just fine." Spending money on what they viewed as a utilitarian item was silly, and thus meant giving up some of their power.

So, if I go with Martha being guilty, I'd say that she just couldn't pass on losing her power.

I'm Glad I'm Not Richard Clarke

2004-03-24T21:28:00.000-06:00

Yowch! Beyond the points I made the other night, the administration is making Richard Clarke look foolish. It's one thing to have one person's word against another. But to have memo's written by Clarke 18 months ago contradicting the very things he wrote in his book, well, that's just.......stupid? silly? absurd? ridiculous? election politics?

The Boyz of Summer are nearly here!

2004-03-23T20:48:00.000-06:00

Yes! Baseball season is just around the corner. I grew up in Texas, so I'm an Astros fan, and this could be a really exciting year for the team. The keys to post season include keeping the pitchers healthy, keep the speed on the base paths, and keep Biggio and Bagwell's averages up.

I also lived in Chicago for four years, so I couldn't help but fall for the White Sox and the Cubs. Yes, I like both teams, though I favor the White Sox more. The Cubs really pissed me off in 2001 and 2002, and I never grew into liking the "lovable loser" tag. The White Sox, while not always dominating their opponents, went out every game and busted their humps to win. Rarely did I feel that they didn't have a chance to win, and that makes for an enjoyable game to watch.

I can't wait, can't wait, can't wait!

The Moor's Last Laugh: From the Wall Street Journal, 3/22/04

2004-03-23T20:37:00.000-06:00

In yesterday's Opinion section of the Wall Street Journal, Fouad Ajami, professor at Johns Hopkins University, wrote a really good piece titled, The Moor's Last Laugh, were he discusses Islamic migration into Europe, and how fundamentalist, who have escaped their own country, have leveraged Europe's liberal democracies to further their own fundamentalist views.

I don't have a link to the piece, but find it if you can as I think you gain some insight into these fundamentalist, and how they view their citizenship in any country.

Here is an excerpt:

Spain may attribute the cruelty visited on it to its association with America's expedition into Iraq. But the truth is darker. Jacques Chirac may believe that he has spared France Spain's terror by sitting out the Iraq war. But he is deluded. The Islamists do not make fine distinctions in the bilad al kufr.

Bilad al kufr means "the lands of unbelief", or anything that is not considered a Muslim homeland.

Iraq? Why Iraq?

2004-03-23T20:25:00.000-06:00

To some folks, it may sound odd that I would ask this question, but hear me out on this; Why Iraq? Many critics of the administration seem to claim that the President has been all but obsessed with going after Iraq. But why? It one thing to make a claim, but it seems that with these critics, its another thing to back up the claim with any reasoning. I've heard pundits allude that #43 wants to finish the job #41 couldn't. Or that the war was an effort to grab oil. These claims are preposterous on their own merits, and give people the imagery of grassy knolls and multiple gun men. I have yet to see anyone merit stand up and say, "The President wanted to take down Saddam for reasons other than terrorism. And those reasons are..."

Oh my poor brackets!!

2004-03-23T14:01:00.000-06:00

I guess its a good thing that I didn't get involved in this years March Madness office pool. Oof!is all I can say. As a fan, I love March Madness, and this year has been no different. I love the upsets, but my brackets are a mess. Kentucky and Stanford are both out!?!?! I guess I should have figured this wouldn't be my year when I missed the play in game of Lehigh and Florida A&M. Who knew a small engineering school from Western Pennsylvania, better known for football than basketball, would lose to the Rattlers of Florida A&M?

I'm still crossing my fingers for St. Joe's. Go Red Hawks!

The Administration's Defectors

2004-03-23T12:11:00.000-06:00

Why anyone would pay more than two minutes of attention to Paul O'Neill is beyond me. As Treasury Secretary, O'Neill was consistently ripped by critics for being out of sync with the needs of the Treasury and the Country. The fact that some people try to give him credibility today tells me that the media is trying to invent conflict, or they have forgotten O'Neill's track record.

Richard Clarke is another matter, and I've let his 60 Minutes interview chew on me for a few days. Here's the things that I don't understand: 1) If Clarke is the top terrorist expert, and the Administration has been having meetings regarding terrorism since the first days they took office, why couldn't Clark get a meeting with the President. The CIA Director, George Tenet, had regular meetings with the President discussing terrorism. Clarke claims that when he had concerns, he was shuffled off to the number two men of various agencies. 2) One of those "number two" men was Paul Wolfowitz, the author of "eminent threat, first strike" theory. It seems reasonable that Wolfowitz would latch onto any valid data that Clarke had regarding a valid threat by terrorist. Wolfowitz first authored his theory in the mid 1990's, so this wasn't idea that was germinated in the wake of 9/11. 3) He has been involved in counter-terrorism for 20 years, and so if he is willing to take credit for past counter-terrorism successes, isn't also to blame for the failures like the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993, the bombing by the U.S. of a suspected munitions plant that turned out to be an aspirin factory in the Sudan, the bombing attack of the USS Cole, and the bombing of the embassies in East Africa? 4) Since this counter-terrorism expert left the White House, a huge terrorist supporter, Libya, has come clean, the Mullahs in Iran are facing an uprising of democratic idealist, North Korea is back at the negotiating table, and Al Queda is scattered. Al Queda is still a threat, and scattering them doesn't make eliminating these folks any easier. Actually, and argument could be made that it is now harder to find these folks. Still, they are on the run, and are hard pressed to find sanctuary from a friendly government. 5) By his own admission, Clarke didn't have meetings with the President, yet he feels qualified to tell us what the President's plans were for Iraq. How did he have access to the information on meetings he did not attend?

I have reached the conclusion that Mr. Clarke is not as important as he makes himself out to be. This is not to impugn his character, his patriotism, or concern for country. I just think that Mr. Clarke thought that he was more connected and better thought of in the administration than he really was, and thus he has misinterpreted the events before and after 9/11. Unfortunately for him, he has also received some bad advise in releasing this book, and so I suspect he will face some difficult professional experiences in the near future. He be viewed not as a whistle blower as much as a uninformed, out of sync, unloyal, employee.

2004-03-22T21:47:00.000-06:00

Israel Opens the Gates of Hell

Missiles from Israeli aircraft killed Sheik Ahmed Yassin, spiritual leader and founder of Hamas. Following the death, Hamas proclaimed that Prime Minister Sharon "has opened the gates of hell, and nothing will stop us from cutting off his head." Thousands of angry Palestinians poured into the streets of the streets of Gaza, and the sound of gunfire and hand grenade explosions echoed across the city. This is taken from a Washington Post article.

The gates of hell? Prone to the melodramatics, are we? And hand grenade explosions? In their grief, are the Palestinians blowing themselves up?

Let's get real, is Israel really expected to believe that Hamas, a sworn enemy of the State of Israel, a group who has pledged that there can be no peace in the Middle East as long as Israel exist, a group who has again and again refused to meet at the peace table, and instead has done everything it could to stop the peace process, that Hamas could or would make things worse than they are today? To believe that is to believe that Hamas has been holding something back, that it cold have done more, and yet they didn't because.....why?

Hamas will keep gunning for Israel no matter what event has occurred, and so why not eliminate the head of the group, cause disarray, and potential in fighting for leadership that could draw Hamas to its own destruction?

Mark my words, the next suicide bomb that goes off, the easy speculation will be that it was pay back for the killing of the Sheik. The Appeasers will say that Israel had it coming to them for acting so brash, and it will appear that we all lost our minds. The reality is that the next suicide bombing has already been planned, and messaging of "pay back" will just make for good publicity.

So, hit ‘em before they hit you.

2004-03-22T21:41:00.000-06:00

The Appeasers Are Marching

I'll give the local paper a break on this one. They limit the number of words they publish in letters to the editor to 150 words, and I clearly broke that rule. Still, I felt better just getting this out, and moving forward with my thoughts on Spain, the bombing, and the emotional reaction the bombing caused at the ballot box.

As expected, the Appeasers have marched out with their banner of "I told you so". Lest we forget, France announce just a few weeks ago that it had reliable intelligence that it's rail system was a probably target by Muslim terrorist, Russia has been waging a war for several years with Chechen rebels who are well financed by Muslim terrorist, and the German government has called an EU meeting focused on security as the Germans also feel threatened. These three countries weren't exactly partners in the coalition to bring freedom to Iraq, and so when messages are sent out that the bombing in Madrid was a result of support for the US, don't follow the red herring as the results will just leave you with a bad smell. The messengers were trying to leverage our differences in opinions to create a weakness in resolve.

After 9/11, a common refrain was that "we needed to understand" the terrorist better, and once we did this, we would understand why they hated us. So, what do we do now that we understand them, because we do understand them. We used to think that all people want peace, love, and harmony, yet now that we "understand" these terrorist, we find that our ideals, and every other free democracy's ideals, of peace, love, and harmony are not universal. The idea that a pluralistic, democratic society with the free flow of communication, thoughts, and ideas, can exist is considered abhorrent to these extremist, and they believe that peace can not exist until they eliminate us. Harmony and peace lie within a narrow range for these people, and we are outside of this range, and thus must be dealt with in harsh ways. Their absolute views allows no compromise, and so to believe that support for the US policy in Iraq lead to the recent bombing, means that the Appeasers are deluding themselves for the sake of seeking a simple answer. If not prevented by military intervention, the bombings in Madrid were going to happen; it was simply a matter of scheduling for the terrorist. The whole of Europe is no where near safe, no matter their relationship with the US.

2004-03-22T21:31:00.000-06:00

More Letters to the Editor

I was feeling especially cranky when I wrote this letter to the editor. Anytime a politician has the gall to stand up in front of people and say that they will dictate how a company will run their business, well it burns my butt! The very idea that they can legislate which jobs will and will not go overseas is nothing short of pure election year politicking, and its disgusting. Can you tell I'm a free market capitalist?

Anyway, here is my letter dated March 7, 2004. I guess the Statesman didn't like me calling the Dems idea nothing short of Communism because this letter wasn't published.

Regarding outsourcing jobs overseas;
"Democrats are rushing to capitalize on such sentiments by proposing measures aimed at stemming the flow of jobs overseas..."
Ostensibly, Democrats are proposing some sort of central economic body that would oversee the planning and needs of the economy, and thus would dictate to corporation when and how often they would hire. Gee, this sounds familiar to something from recent history. Oh yes, didn't the Soviet Union try to tell each of its industries what it could and couldn't do? I wonder how that turned out?

2004-03-22T21:26:00.000-06:00

Letters To the Editor
I'll occassionally post letters that I have written to the editor of the local paper, the Austin American-Statesman. Here's one I sent on March 7, 2004 regarding the hulaballoo Democrats are making about outsourcing jobs overseas. The AAS actually printed this one!

Democrats criticize the President's use of images from September 11th as "shameful". Yet, Democrats are ready and willing to parade for us unemployed workers with emotional stories of distress and focus on the "evils" of outsourcing jobs overseas. September 11th is a defining moment for this country and this presidency, and the fall out effects from this tragedy will continue to be debated well past the November election. The effects of outsourcing job overseas on job creation is generally considered to be negligible by most major mainstream economist. So what Democrats are doing is preying on your fears by creating a phobia for a danger that doesn't exist. Now who is being shameful?

2004-03-21T23:39:00.000-06:00

And we are off! Well, sorta. First post of this new blog. Exciting stuff, eh?