Out-manned, out-gunned, and no longer willing to risk their lives against the drug cartel warriors.
The M3 blog translates news sources from south of the border, focusing on stories to do with illegal immigration and the drug cartels war.
It's sponsored by the National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers.
Well worth following what they offer.
OS keeps asking the question: What happens when the headless bodies begin to pile up in Kansas City? When the deputies of Christian County, Kentucky decide they are out-gunned and can't survive in their jobs?
Why won't our government enforce the border, instead of suing states who attempt to deal with the fallout of its failure?
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Passive Verbs, Active Verbs: Words Have Meaning, Unless...
...you're doing a story for NPR, and need to cover for the environmental Luddites.
For decades after World War II, the small town of Oakridge in the southern Cascade mountains of Oregon was a booming lumber town. But by the early 1990s, the lumber industry had collapsed, and Oakridge has struggled ever since, losing families and businesses.
So far, so good. Change happens. Industries come and go. Nobody's making horse buggies in great numbers anymore, for instance. So, we can use a passive form of 'collapse'. Rather like the Spanish reflexive verbs: 'se rompio'--it broke itself.
Then, a couple of paragraphs later, we discover the cause of the collapse!
There were lots of economic factors at play, but the death knell for lumber came in 1990 when the federal government listed the spotted owl as a threatened species and declared much of its habitat in the national forests off-limits to loggers.
The federal government, at the behest of environmental groups like Sierra Club, collapsed the economy of the area. That's what happened! All those people, surrounded by the riches of a forest that could allow them to prosper forever, with sane management, marooned in the name of the Spotted Owl.
The rest of the story talks about a town full of empty storefronts, depopulation, welfare dependency, food banks, and 350 miles of bike trails for visitors to ride. Retirement residences for the well-heeled. And oh-so-chic restaurants for them to dine in. And people on unemployment benefits moving in, because they are too far out of the way for the gubbermint to insist they seek work. And a former logger, now commuting 40 miles each way to do shift work at an ice-cream factory. And...and...and...
The story repeats again and again. The journalists describe this sort of travesty as if it appeared out of nowhere, using the passive verb. The people affected, living in poverty in a sea of wealth, know this is not the case.
OS drives through once-thriving small towns in his beloved South, and the story repeats again and again. Kentucky towns collapsed, because the gubbermint declared war on their way of life--tobacco--and nothing ever showed up to replace it. Tennessee and Alabama towns now dependent on income derived from industrial poultry farming, with periodic raids on the processing plants to clear the Mexicans out. Two hydro dams in Tennessee were stopped dead in their tracks in the past two decades, because the environmentalists found their own local versions of the Spotted Owl. That power is now needed, and the towns that could have benefited (not the least from the flood control) are shells, and poverty is just the normal state of being. But, the hiking trails, fly-fishing, and scenery are lovely. If you have the leisure time and resources to do that sort of thing. The forests are overrun with deer, because not enough people are hunting to control the herd. Check the fishing regulations of some states--enough to keep anyone home.
At least ten years behind schedule, State Route 840 is being completed around Nashville, tying East-West to the South without the terrifying drive through Nashville's snarl. It was held up, because one group decided that they should have the right to claim thousand-year-old Indian burial mounds as sacred, and another group wanted to be certain no exits would ever be built near their tony country estates. The taxpayers had to pay them off, and finally, finally the road is being paved. Just in time for the Great Recession. And who is going to invest into industrial facilities in all that industrial park acreage developed and set aside?
Jobs aren't created, because the gubbermint and their enviro/socialist allies, despite proclamations to the contrary, thinks of the businessman (and woman) as the enemy. At every turn, in every transaction or initiative, the gubbermint has its hand out, via a tax or regulation. Rational investors move production (and operations) overseas. We buy iPhones and other gadgets made by slave labor overseas, and carry them with us while we ride our trail bikes through the virgin forest, near the town full of impoverished descendants of the people who settled the area and made it flourish. The solidly-built houses and buildings of the remaining neighborhoods and Main Streets stand in testimony of what they accomplished, and what is being destroyed.
And, the poverty and cultural malaise quietly grow.
The passive verb is not appropriate to our situation.
This country made some terrible cultural decisions in the 1960s and 1970s, and they have come home to roost upon us. Until we begin to make some healthier decisions, in the active voice, the decline will continue.
OS now rails and works in the hopes that his grandchildren will prosper. It may almost be too late for his children.
Passivity, in any sense of the word, is not an option.
For decades after World War II, the small town of Oakridge in the southern Cascade mountains of Oregon was a booming lumber town. But by the early 1990s, the lumber industry had collapsed, and Oakridge has struggled ever since, losing families and businesses.
So far, so good. Change happens. Industries come and go. Nobody's making horse buggies in great numbers anymore, for instance. So, we can use a passive form of 'collapse'. Rather like the Spanish reflexive verbs: 'se rompio'--it broke itself.
Then, a couple of paragraphs later, we discover the cause of the collapse!
There were lots of economic factors at play, but the death knell for lumber came in 1990 when the federal government listed the spotted owl as a threatened species and declared much of its habitat in the national forests off-limits to loggers.
The federal government, at the behest of environmental groups like Sierra Club, collapsed the economy of the area. That's what happened! All those people, surrounded by the riches of a forest that could allow them to prosper forever, with sane management, marooned in the name of the Spotted Owl.
The rest of the story talks about a town full of empty storefronts, depopulation, welfare dependency, food banks, and 350 miles of bike trails for visitors to ride. Retirement residences for the well-heeled. And oh-so-chic restaurants for them to dine in. And people on unemployment benefits moving in, because they are too far out of the way for the gubbermint to insist they seek work. And a former logger, now commuting 40 miles each way to do shift work at an ice-cream factory. And...and...and...
The story repeats again and again. The journalists describe this sort of travesty as if it appeared out of nowhere, using the passive verb. The people affected, living in poverty in a sea of wealth, know this is not the case.
OS drives through once-thriving small towns in his beloved South, and the story repeats again and again. Kentucky towns collapsed, because the gubbermint declared war on their way of life--tobacco--and nothing ever showed up to replace it. Tennessee and Alabama towns now dependent on income derived from industrial poultry farming, with periodic raids on the processing plants to clear the Mexicans out. Two hydro dams in Tennessee were stopped dead in their tracks in the past two decades, because the environmentalists found their own local versions of the Spotted Owl. That power is now needed, and the towns that could have benefited (not the least from the flood control) are shells, and poverty is just the normal state of being. But, the hiking trails, fly-fishing, and scenery are lovely. If you have the leisure time and resources to do that sort of thing. The forests are overrun with deer, because not enough people are hunting to control the herd. Check the fishing regulations of some states--enough to keep anyone home.
At least ten years behind schedule, State Route 840 is being completed around Nashville, tying East-West to the South without the terrifying drive through Nashville's snarl. It was held up, because one group decided that they should have the right to claim thousand-year-old Indian burial mounds as sacred, and another group wanted to be certain no exits would ever be built near their tony country estates. The taxpayers had to pay them off, and finally, finally the road is being paved. Just in time for the Great Recession. And who is going to invest into industrial facilities in all that industrial park acreage developed and set aside?
Jobs aren't created, because the gubbermint and their enviro/socialist allies, despite proclamations to the contrary, thinks of the businessman (and woman) as the enemy. At every turn, in every transaction or initiative, the gubbermint has its hand out, via a tax or regulation. Rational investors move production (and operations) overseas. We buy iPhones and other gadgets made by slave labor overseas, and carry them with us while we ride our trail bikes through the virgin forest, near the town full of impoverished descendants of the people who settled the area and made it flourish. The solidly-built houses and buildings of the remaining neighborhoods and Main Streets stand in testimony of what they accomplished, and what is being destroyed.
And, the poverty and cultural malaise quietly grow.
The passive verb is not appropriate to our situation.
This country made some terrible cultural decisions in the 1960s and 1970s, and they have come home to roost upon us. Until we begin to make some healthier decisions, in the active voice, the decline will continue.
OS now rails and works in the hopes that his grandchildren will prosper. It may almost be too late for his children.
Passivity, in any sense of the word, is not an option.
Friday Afternoon, Small-Town Tennessee, Hot Day In August
You know it's hot when you go to the bank to deposit a few checks, and the teller hands you a bottle of chilled water with your deposit slips, and invites you to sit down for a few minutes.
It's so hot (How hot is it?) that the local golf club has had to build temporary greens in two fairways, because the heat has destroyed the original greens. They heat up all day in the 100+ heat, the rain comes in the evening. Instead of watering the greens, the rain ends up boiling on the greens. OS played five holes, two with the temp greens, and a third that really should be taken out of play and repaired.
It's really hot. OS usually walks, come what may, but reason prevailed and he took a cart. Even riding, five holes in the heat was it, followed by a long cool shower before heading home. The starter will be turning away anyone who attempts to play without a cart tomorrow, even the teenagers who are too young to drive carts. It's that hot.
OS hates shopping at WalMart. Period. He'll duck in for dog food if he has to, when the seed-and-feed is closed, but that's about all he can tolerate. Blessedly, there are still small grocers and a 50's-era-by-golly men's shop on Main Street. OS ducked in to buy socks, and the salesman was gossiping with a gent who had to be at least 85 years old. He had tales to tell, especially about the bootlegger from the next county who publicly held court at the diner across the street.
The 8th District Republican primary candidates have all decided to publicly kiss and make up after weeks of circular firing squad stupidity, and visited downtown yesterday. Salesman reports there was a large crowd there to greet them. This is new behavior. Candidates have never paid more than token interest in this county, and Republicans have never drawn a crowd here. Hmmm...they turned out in 100 degree heat.
More Planet Knucklehead stuff today, but OS won't use this space to bellyache. It's the weekend.
It's so hot (How hot is it?) that the local golf club has had to build temporary greens in two fairways, because the heat has destroyed the original greens. They heat up all day in the 100+ heat, the rain comes in the evening. Instead of watering the greens, the rain ends up boiling on the greens. OS played five holes, two with the temp greens, and a third that really should be taken out of play and repaired.
It's really hot. OS usually walks, come what may, but reason prevailed and he took a cart. Even riding, five holes in the heat was it, followed by a long cool shower before heading home. The starter will be turning away anyone who attempts to play without a cart tomorrow, even the teenagers who are too young to drive carts. It's that hot.
OS hates shopping at WalMart. Period. He'll duck in for dog food if he has to, when the seed-and-feed is closed, but that's about all he can tolerate. Blessedly, there are still small grocers and a 50's-era-by-golly men's shop on Main Street. OS ducked in to buy socks, and the salesman was gossiping with a gent who had to be at least 85 years old. He had tales to tell, especially about the bootlegger from the next county who publicly held court at the diner across the street.
The 8th District Republican primary candidates have all decided to publicly kiss and make up after weeks of circular firing squad stupidity, and visited downtown yesterday. Salesman reports there was a large crowd there to greet them. This is new behavior. Candidates have never paid more than token interest in this county, and Republicans have never drawn a crowd here. Hmmm...they turned out in 100 degree heat.
More Planet Knucklehead stuff today, but OS won't use this space to bellyache. It's the weekend.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Germany Prospers, America Falters
Anyone wondering if The One's insane spending spree will work need look no further than Germany.
Angela Merkel let the US know she wasn't going to lead her country over the cliff, just 'cuz The Winner of The 2010 Nobel Peace Prize sez so.
They're on the rebound. We're not.
BTW, they didn't gut their educational system in the name of political correctness.
They don't punish success like we do.
They produce stuff, like actually design and make stuff. We don't seem to do that anymore.
They know socialism is an inherent failure--they need merely look at the devastation wrought in the former East Germany.
They also know that charismatic politicians from unknown backgrounds speaking in Messianic tones are really, really, REALLY not good for one's health.
We're just now learning that one...
Angela Merkel let the US know she wasn't going to lead her country over the cliff, just 'cuz The Winner of The 2010 Nobel Peace Prize sez so.
They're on the rebound. We're not.
BTW, they didn't gut their educational system in the name of political correctness.
They don't punish success like we do.
They produce stuff, like actually design and make stuff. We don't seem to do that anymore.
They know socialism is an inherent failure--they need merely look at the devastation wrought in the former East Germany.
They also know that charismatic politicians from unknown backgrounds speaking in Messianic tones are really, really, REALLY not good for one's health.
We're just now learning that one...
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: A Heroine For Our Age
Unlike most Fridays, this one will be wall-to-wall busy. OS does try to set aside the day for his two great passions, Mrs. OS and golf. Mrs. OS is away, the temps will top 100 degrees F, and OS is way behind on his work. He'll tell that story another day...
But, the day should not pass without sharing something that may contribute to the lives of his readers. OS views his hobby as a form of creative revenge upon the new barbarians who wish to kill off our culture.
So, a CBC interview with one of the bravest, most articulate women on the planet: Ayaan Hirsi Ali. She made a courageous and fateful decision in 1992 to escape the fate of an arranged marriage engineered by her Somali father. The rest is history.
The interview is 45 minutes long, in-depth, and well worth the time invested.
OS, if you haven't guessed, is a conservative, Christian, traditional sort of guy. But, he has a passion that young women not be boxed in, have their opportunities foreclosed, by the religious wackiness of parents. It's a real problem here in the South. It's eerie, listening to Ms. Ali, because what she describes from her Somali childhood is what OS encounters here. Fundamentalism kills--soul and body. Grace, love and faith foster life, and make all things possible. OS cites Paul's benediction at the close of Ephesians 2 as the very heart of the Christian message.
Look it up, if you feel so inspired.
Grab a cup of coffee, and give her a listen:
But, the day should not pass without sharing something that may contribute to the lives of his readers. OS views his hobby as a form of creative revenge upon the new barbarians who wish to kill off our culture.
So, a CBC interview with one of the bravest, most articulate women on the planet: Ayaan Hirsi Ali. She made a courageous and fateful decision in 1992 to escape the fate of an arranged marriage engineered by her Somali father. The rest is history.
The interview is 45 minutes long, in-depth, and well worth the time invested.
OS, if you haven't guessed, is a conservative, Christian, traditional sort of guy. But, he has a passion that young women not be boxed in, have their opportunities foreclosed, by the religious wackiness of parents. It's a real problem here in the South. It's eerie, listening to Ms. Ali, because what she describes from her Somali childhood is what OS encounters here. Fundamentalism kills--soul and body. Grace, love and faith foster life, and make all things possible. OS cites Paul's benediction at the close of Ephesians 2 as the very heart of the Christian message.
Look it up, if you feel so inspired.
Grab a cup of coffee, and give her a listen:
Planet Knucklehead, Chapter 3: Unite Union (UK) Votes To Strike Six Airports During Height Of Holiday Travel
3074 votes cast, potentially affecting the lives of millions around the world.
Air travel already a horrible hassle?
'Screw you, mate, we're here to get ours.'
SO, if it's really that awful, why not seek your employment elsewhere? Betcha someone somewhere in the UK might be delighted to take over your job.
'Screw you, mate, we're here to get ours.'
But if you strike, family members miss weddings and funerals of those they love. Vital mail doesn't deliver. Businesses around the world that support families just like yours suffer. Somebody might just die if they don't make it to the right hospital because you snarled the world's air traffic. Does this not matter to you?
'Screw you, mate, we're here to get ours.'
Air travel already a horrible hassle?
'Screw you, mate, we're here to get ours.'
SO, if it's really that awful, why not seek your employment elsewhere? Betcha someone somewhere in the UK might be delighted to take over your job.
'Screw you, mate, we're here to get ours.'
But if you strike, family members miss weddings and funerals of those they love. Vital mail doesn't deliver. Businesses around the world that support families just like yours suffer. Somebody might just die if they don't make it to the right hospital because you snarled the world's air traffic. Does this not matter to you?
'Screw you, mate, we're here to get ours.'
What A Difference A Bit Of Bad (But True) Publicity Can Make: East Point Georgia, Day Duex
Yesterday, the crowd looked and acted like this:
Today, the PeopleWhoKowAboutSuchThings made sure the cameras were on hand to tell a different story:
Just move on, ya'll. Nothing to see here, 'cept thousands of people trying to get rent-subidized housing from Uncle Sam.
HT: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, for both clips.
Today, the PeopleWhoKowAboutSuchThings made sure the cameras were on hand to tell a different story:
Just move on, ya'll. Nothing to see here, 'cept thousands of people trying to get rent-subidized housing from Uncle Sam.
HT: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, for both clips.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Facts Are Stubborn Things: NPR Chronicles The Failure Of Obama's Economic Madness
There's much here to read, authored by Michael Barone, but the fact that National Public (all government spending is good/all Republicans are evil) Radio is releasing this story means the rats are fleeing the ship.
He opens his essay this way:
'The pace of economic recovery is likely to be more modest in the near term than had been anticipated.'' Those were the carefully chosen words of the Federal Reserve Board after its meeting Tuesday. Translation into English: We wuz wrong.
So were a lot of people, including departing White House economics adviser Christina Romer, who wrote that the Obama Democrats' February 2009 stimulus package would hold unemployment below 8 percent.
It wasn't just administration spokesmen who expected a solid recovery. California economist Bill Watkins in New Geography recalls a conference last fall in which all the other economists presented rosy scenarios and only he forecast extended malaise. He was relieved that his colleagues didn't pelt him with tomatoes.
He goes on to quote a European author, Marc de Vos, about the failure of 'state capitalism'.
Can you imagine NPR including a quote such as this even six months ago?
Modesty, unfortunately, is not the dominant character trait of a president who predicted that his election would be seen as ''the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal.''
But facts are stubborn things. The fact that the private-sector economy has not responded as administration economists expected and confidently predicted should be a wake-up call.
Facts are indeed, stubborn things. And one fact is that Himself will soon find Himself buck-nekkid while the chill winds blow.
Romer's gone, can't stomach having to lie anymore, and she's discredited already.
Not even NPR, dependent upon Federal dollars, will cover his behonkus anymore.
He opens his essay this way:
'The pace of economic recovery is likely to be more modest in the near term than had been anticipated.'' Those were the carefully chosen words of the Federal Reserve Board after its meeting Tuesday. Translation into English: We wuz wrong.
So were a lot of people, including departing White House economics adviser Christina Romer, who wrote that the Obama Democrats' February 2009 stimulus package would hold unemployment below 8 percent.
It wasn't just administration spokesmen who expected a solid recovery. California economist Bill Watkins in New Geography recalls a conference last fall in which all the other economists presented rosy scenarios and only he forecast extended malaise. He was relieved that his colleagues didn't pelt him with tomatoes.
He goes on to quote a European author, Marc de Vos, about the failure of 'state capitalism'.
Can you imagine NPR including a quote such as this even six months ago?
Modesty, unfortunately, is not the dominant character trait of a president who predicted that his election would be seen as ''the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal.''
But facts are stubborn things. The fact that the private-sector economy has not responded as administration economists expected and confidently predicted should be a wake-up call.
Facts are indeed, stubborn things. And one fact is that Himself will soon find Himself buck-nekkid while the chill winds blow.
Romer's gone, can't stomach having to lie anymore, and she's discredited already.
Not even NPR, dependent upon Federal dollars, will cover his behonkus anymore.
It Makes You Tear Your Hair Out: Gov. Phil Bredesen Of Tennessee
OS heard this snippet as he roused this morning, had to check to see if he heard correctly.
He did.
Bredesen is a businessman, who served two terms as Mayor of Nashville, cleaning up after the disastrous Bill Boner (who had served as a Democrat House Member, btw!) he then served two terms as governor, cleaning up after the disastrous Don Sundquist (who had served as a Republican House Member, btw!). Get the theme?
Bredesen is a boring guy who knows that words matter and math doesn't lie. OS has his differences with the governor, but that's ok. Phil Bredesen is sane, and while other states in the nation are burning to the ground, we're juggling and dipping into carefully set-aside cash reserves. The Rainy-Day Fund. Because rain happens.
From local NPR affilate WPLN:
Congress has passed a bill that is meant to restore the jobs of laid off teachers. But the state’s top officials are unsure if Tennessee will get much of the money.
The U.S. Department of Education estimates some 3,700 teaching jobs would be restored in Tennessee. While there have been some layoffs in local school districts, Tennessee has not resorted to mass teacher layoffs to balance the state budget, instead finding other areas to cut and dipping into reserves. Governor Phil Bredesen says it would have been nice to know this money might be out there back in January when the budget was getting hashed out.
“The whole notion of doing this in August, it’s the sort of thing that makes you tear your hair out.”
Bredesen says he will be “irritated” if Tennessee doesn’t qualify for some of the money, and hopes it can be used for other purposes. “State’s that have managed well,” he says, “shouldn’t be punished.” That’s the same sentiment that came from Nashville Congressman Jim Cooper, who was one of just three House Democrats to vote against the bill.
It's not about the health of the schools, Governor. It's about buying votes for Democrat House members from the teachers' unions. You're just experiencing a sane reaction to a federal government run by Chicago pols and idiots.
Congressman Cooper (D-TN5, Nashville) has credible opposition for the first time in years, so no way is he voting for this nonsense. Were his seat safe, he would have, make no mistake.
He did.
Bredesen is a businessman, who served two terms as Mayor of Nashville, cleaning up after the disastrous Bill Boner (who had served as a Democrat House Member, btw!) he then served two terms as governor, cleaning up after the disastrous Don Sundquist (who had served as a Republican House Member, btw!). Get the theme?
Bredesen is a boring guy who knows that words matter and math doesn't lie. OS has his differences with the governor, but that's ok. Phil Bredesen is sane, and while other states in the nation are burning to the ground, we're juggling and dipping into carefully set-aside cash reserves. The Rainy-Day Fund. Because rain happens.
From local NPR affilate WPLN:
Congress has passed a bill that is meant to restore the jobs of laid off teachers. But the state’s top officials are unsure if Tennessee will get much of the money.
The U.S. Department of Education estimates some 3,700 teaching jobs would be restored in Tennessee. While there have been some layoffs in local school districts, Tennessee has not resorted to mass teacher layoffs to balance the state budget, instead finding other areas to cut and dipping into reserves. Governor Phil Bredesen says it would have been nice to know this money might be out there back in January when the budget was getting hashed out.
“The whole notion of doing this in August, it’s the sort of thing that makes you tear your hair out.”
Bredesen says he will be “irritated” if Tennessee doesn’t qualify for some of the money, and hopes it can be used for other purposes. “State’s that have managed well,” he says, “shouldn’t be punished.” That’s the same sentiment that came from Nashville Congressman Jim Cooper, who was one of just three House Democrats to vote against the bill.
It's not about the health of the schools, Governor. It's about buying votes for Democrat House members from the teachers' unions. You're just experiencing a sane reaction to a federal government run by Chicago pols and idiots.
Congressman Cooper (D-TN5, Nashville) has credible opposition for the first time in years, so no way is he voting for this nonsense. Were his seat safe, he would have, make no mistake.
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