Gomer Pyle, Second Stanza

Sargeant Carter!! Sargeant Carter!! You'll never guess what just happened!!

GM will default, and finally do what should have been done long ago--head to bankruptcy court.

Now, how much money did the politicians hand these clowns in the effort to avoid the obvious?

Remember December, when Senator Corker tried to negotiate a deal that looked like bankruptcy, with the taxpayer playing a 'debtor-in-posession' role?

Remember how the head of the UAW, Gettlefinger, arrogantly rejected the deal, vilifying Corker in the process? Remember how he demanded to see the books of Toyota before he would consider a deal for GM?

When the press begins the crocodile tears, remember how GM got here. Remember the decades of shabby cars, rip-off financing, dealerships that made their fortunes with inflated prices on cars, parts, service, bogus fees, and general rank dishonesty.

They weren't too big to fail. They were too stupid and greedy to succeed.

France in 1938--encore

Martin also covers in detail the quandry faced by the French leadership in the late 1930's: The Great War had decimated a great portion of a generation, creating a demographic 'hole' that ensued in 1935. Even had they had the wisdom and will to go toe-to-toe with Hitler (and they had neither), they didn't have enough young people to staff the armed forces. Which explains in great part why my mother's best friend was sent from a small town in Kentucky to die on a beach in Normandy.

Now consider this, a brilliant post from Bearwatch.

Life is sacred, period.

It's a truth, not just a fond sentiment.

Chilling Words from an Historian

Several long-overdue days spent at the beach at a friend's apartment last week.

The second-best thing there (just behind the beach view) is his well-stocked bookshelf.

Tucked away between the big volumes was one of the best books I've encountered in years:

Benjamin Martin's France in 1938.

It truly is a page turner, because morbid curiosity compels the reader to read on to the next page's folly, enacted by a ridiculous cast of characters. And the thought kept occurring throughout: 'My mother's best friend died on the beach in Normandy, in great part to rescue these clowns from themselves. Mention the boy's name, and at age 83, she still breaks into tears...relieved to know she'll never truly know what transpired before poor Tom was sent to his death.'

Two cogent moments to share: Martin recalls the story of a search committee for a university presidency interviewing the final three candidates. Three candidates--a mathemetician, an economist, and a lawyer. One question--'How much is 2+2?'

The mathematician says: 'Four'.
The economist says: 'Maybe three, maybe five, it depends...'.
The lawyer says: 'What do YOU want the sum to be?'
(The lawyer gets the job.)

And, he reminds us of the cynical proverb: 'You don't always get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get.'


Words to keep in mind, considering the economists and lawyers presently in control of our country...