SOME THOUGHTS ON MEXICO

I am flying out for Mexico today, where I will be giving a series of 9 lectures in the colonial cities of Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende.  My topics will deal with Mexican history, politics, and culture.

Ever since my first trip to Mexico at the age of 12, I have had a fascination with life south of the border.

On the first visit, my young mind grasped that to be so close, Mexico was an exotic and very different place.  I still tell the story of how I crept out of our hotel room in Monterrey while my father was sleeping and experienced sights, smells and situations that I had never dreamed of when living in small town America.

Today, Mexico is a very different place.  Its 110 million people are experiencing challenges that would never have been imagined in the 1950's.  Each year, for example, a million potential new workers attempt to enter the Mexican workforce, with only half of that number being accommodated with what we might term "regular jobs."  As for the other 50%, the options are limited to establishing street-side businesses in carts and other conveyances, or hitting the road, hoping to discover work as illegal aliens in "el Norte."

With estimates of poverty affecting up to 40% of the population, most Americans are surprised to learn that Mexico has more billionaires than Britain and France combined.  In fact, Mexico is a rich country, blessed with mineral and oil deposits that most nations would envy.  As the 5th largest oil producer in the world, Mexico ranks 3rd in quantities of foreign oil flowing into the U.S.

Sadly, a significant element of Mexican culture is the oligarchical nature of society, which has tended to rigidly divide class structure and to concentrate wealth in a relatively few quarters.  In other words, the Mexican playing field has not been one noted for its fairness and impartiality.  Hence, the migration of labor to the U.S., where opportunities for income and advancement are far more numerous than in Mexico.

The out-migration of Mexican labor has, in large part, been welcomed by the wealthy oligarchs who call the shots south of the border, for the northward movement has served as an escape valve for what might have festered into political discontent in Mexico.  Frankly, the established order in Mexico has been, in this regard, irresponsible and highly reluctant to engage in meaningful efforts to remedy societal shortcomings.

Despite Mexico's many challenges, the country has the potential of becoming a real Latin American economic powerhouse.  It has a workforce not afraid of hard work and segments of a growing educational system that have begun to turn out graduates well trained in the technology and science that Mexico must have to advance herself in the global economy.  In the next few days, postings on Two for Texas will seek to probe developments that  mutually affect the U.S. and its culturally distant neighbor of Mexico.

"PANEM ET CIRCENSES": WHATEVER HAPPENED TO REAL STATESMEN?

The beginning of my disillusionment with President Barack H. Obama began quite early in 2009, when I heard him speaking on Iran and Afghanistan.  During those talks, he declared that the vernacular of both countries was Arabic.  As someone who had spent a great deal of time in the Middle East and had also visited Central Asia, I was appalled.  Perhaps, I thought, he or his speech writers were confused.  But, as time went on, several of his subsequent speeches were marred by similar instances of inaccurate information.

Eventually, I simply threw up my hands and cried out, "What have we done?"  To think that someone coming out of the thuggish politics of Chicago who had his most productive employment as a "community organizer" and had passed a mere 2 years in the Senate would be an effective chief executive was nothing more than a pipe dream.

That we have twice elected Barack H. Obama to the highest office in this land speaks volumes about America in the 21st century.  Perhaps there were many who wished to believe they were "good people" and wanted to see a minority president as proof of the exceptional quality of the nation and its citizens.  However, I fear that the basis for the election of our 44th president goes far more deeply and is, on reflection, somewhat disturbing, although capable of remediation.

As one who has never been far from the study of history in his lifetime, I often find myself engaged in attempting to find past parallels to the state of today's society, although that, admittedly, can be a dangerous preoccupation.  Unfortunately, one hears more and more lately talk of deterioration and decline.  The Spenglerian liberals and progressives now in  power seem convinced of imminent American failure, following the example of Europe to rack and ruin.  And it appears that they see themselves as the modern day equivalent of British Labourites, who ushered the Empire to the dustbin of history.  But, to me, this is nothing short of begging the question.

Dear readers, decline is nothing more than a mindset.  If we were of a mind, for example, to destroy ourselves, then  an interpretation of our plight based on a pessimistic view of the future would likely be valid.  To be sure, there are infinite numbers of  interpretations to explain the decrepitude of civilizations.  Certainly, in our case, we could speak to civic breakdown and even refer to being inundated by legions of newcomers having nothing to contribute to the established order, nor any frame of reference to even relate to it.  Nevertheless, I am of the opinion that the remedy to our present desolate course is at hand.

By now, owing to serial crises and scandals ranging from government shutdown to Benghazi and the IRS to attacks on the 1st Amendment and a free press, the minds of Americans are beginning to gauge the seriousness of of the shortcomings of the Obama administration, which has exploited its "rock-star" image to conceal and deceive.  And, despite the all-too-apparent sham and fraud of the charlatans surrounding the president, our rock-star-in chief persists in drawing more acolytes to his altar of self-adulation..  On what basis, for example, could a chief executive of a great country nominate a shallow-minded pseudo-intellectual, who has compared the policies of her country to those of Nazi Germany to represent us in the U.N.?  And to cap it off, how could it be acceptable to move a prevaricating, failed U.N. ambassador to the White House to advise the president on security matters?

Yes, dear readers, many of us were taken in by the mask of duplicity and deceit.  But now the mask is off, and we have looked political extremism, opportunism and power-seeking in the eye, seeing it for what it is..  Thankfully, the antidote is in our hands, and our 1st opportunity to remedy the situation will arise in November 2014.  At that time, we must be ready to repudiate the disaster of Barack H. Obama and the minions of his administration!  Let us rally to join together at the polls to return sanity, American principles and competence to the United States of America!

Deo vindice!

THE GREATEST STORY NEVER TOLD

Ever wonder what might be the most persecuted religion in today's world?  Hands down, it's Christianity.  It's hard to believe; but, in most respects, our Christian brothers and sisters are exceeding the early Church as martyrs for the Gospel. But that is not a story the established media wish to pursue in the United States.

If one mentions religious persecution to the "faux journalists" who are wielding power through both the print media and the airwaves, you'll probably get either a blank stare or a few words about the Inquisition or the religious wars of the 16th and 17th centuries.

Despite the silence of those who report our news, nuns are being subjected to rape in Africa, Hindus are slaughtering Christians by the hundreds in India, and the Muslim world continues its massive pogrom of decimation against the followers of Jesus.  All told, in more than  100 countries throughout the world, Christians daily face either de jure or de facto persecution and discrimination, most of it occurring against believers in the Southern Hemisphere, whose fate is made even worse by virtue of the poverty-stricken conditions in which they must live.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., some Christians face the prospect of being forced by governmental or judicial fiat to breach their consciences when it comes to abortion, birth control and same-sex marriage.  At the same time, the insouciant attitude prevailing in our neo-pagan society makes it even less likely that the pro-government media will devote any coverage to such issues, and an administration pursuing accommodation on a large scale with countries in which toleration is an unknown concept makes it more likely that Christians will be persecuted in those locales.

In an average year, dear readers, more than 100,000 Christians will die for their faith throughout the world.  During the recent Muslim Brotherhood takeover in Egypt, radical imams harangued their followers to attack churches and priests and to abduct Christian young women.  After Mohamed Morsi and the Brotherhood were ousted from power, Muslims went on a binge of destruction and mayhem in retaliation.  And, still, Egypt's Christian population continues to hemorrhage from unceasing attacks.

Last week, nearly 70 people died during an attack on a shopping-mall in Nairobi.  The radical Islamic group that carried out the attack is a Somali-based organization called al-Shabaab.  Not so well known is that al-Shabaab has systematically eliminated the few Christians left in Somalia.  Even less well known is that al-Shabaab operates openly in Minneapolis, where it has raised money for its undertakings and has sent jihadists to terrorize Christians in places like Nairobi.

Of the numerous grotesque  stories of Christian persecution.  many are certainly known to the State Department and the media, but the larger population, distracted by a pagan popular culture, is largely indifferent. Consequently, official action and media coverage is virtually nil.  So, what is it that Christians in the U.S. should do?

For some, the opportunity to travel abroad to hot spots where they would attempt to place themselves between their co-religionists and their tormentors might be an option.  Some might say that affluent Christians should sell their worldly goods and assist in setting up aid programs and refugee camps to serve persecuted Christians.  At home, perhaps, Christians should fight the good fight to get out the word that Christians are dying daily at the hands of persecutors.  That could certainly be an effort of committed Christians working in their own overly-privileged and complacent congregations.  And our representatives in government must be constantly reminded that the U.S. has no business dealing with and placating regimes that allow persecution.

The late great American Egyptologist James Henry Breasted once found a hieroglyphic inscription at Gizeh, which translated roughly as: "And no one cared."  Surely, we cannot allow that to be the epitaph for persecuted Christians around the world.

For those of us who call ourselves Christians, silence is not an option.  If need be, let us shout it to the heavens that our brothers and sisters are in peril.  If we truly love our Lord and Master, the story of persecution cannot remain the greatest story never told!

Deo vindice!

THE UNPARALLELED ARROGANCE OF MEAN, NASTY AND HURTFUL

"It's very rare that I go to an event where I am only the fifth or sixth most interesting person present." (Barack H. Obama)

I can well remember the government shutdown of 1995.  Speaker Gingrich was in constant contact with President Clinton.  There was probably not a day that they did not confer during the shutdown.  Clinton also met with other Republican leaders.  He did not stonewall the opposition and refuse to negotiate.

The relationship between Democratic Speaker Thomas "Tip" O'Neil and President Reagan was known for accommodation and cordiality.  Neither of these leaders was reluctant to speak with the other during fiscal maneuvering.  They were both too big to engage in pettiness.

In contrast, the present occupant of the White House allows his arrogance to trump the well-being of the country.  Certainly, he will negotiate, but only with the likes of those sworn to demean and derogate our country and our strongest ally in the Middle East, Israel.

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives had sent several bills providing for funding of various areas of the U.S. government to the upper chamber.  In response, the Senate and its Democratic majority leader have totally stymied any meeting of the minds, returning all the proposed legislation to the House.

This is not how American government is supposed to work, as our system is based on a strong culture of give and take, compromise and negotiation.  Perhaps this is how community organizers go about their work, but this is a government based on our Constitution and a tradition of  cooperation for the good of the country.  We are not to be dictated to, and neither are our duly elected representatives.

The members of the House were elected by constituents who had expectations that their representatives would take defined and principled stands.  Their legitimacy of office is just as great as that of the president.  As such, the minimum expectation should be that the concerned parties will confer on differences.  And the House has every right to be treated with respect and to have its positions considered.  We have not yet succumbed to dictatorship, but the 44th president gives every indication of wanting to move in that direction.

Disregarding the Affordable Care Act in its original version as passed by Congress, the president has put himself on dangerous constitutional ground by amending the act on 19 different occasions, granting exemptions, dispensations and waivers for Congress, big business and political allies. Congress is empowered to pass laws, but its ability to modify legislation has been overridden by an arrogant power-hungry chief executive, hell-bent to spread as much pain, hurt and nastiness, hoping to brand principled members of the House with the blame.  In other words, it's politics over statesmanship.

Hopefully, the American people still have enough sense to see beyond the superficial spin put on the situation by the president and the Senate.  There is still hope for our Republic if ordinary citizens are willing to see beyond the blinders of the leftist media.  The future of our country may very well depend on their ability to do so.

Deo vindice!















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CONSTITUTIONAL IGNORANCE BEFITTING A BANANA REPUBLIC

It has been instructive to watch popular reaction to the looming possibility of a government shutdown.  Americans interviewed around Times Square, for example, voiced such dismay that made it seem as though a great catastrophe was in the offing.  Little did they know that essential services would continue and that partial shutdowns had occurred in the past without widespread upheaval and disruption.  In other words, the sky did not fall, and essential services continued.

With the dumbing-down of America, too few students are exposed to a serious study of the Constitution and how America was designed to work.  Consequently,  most adults these days would have no idea of the concept of checks and balances and how this provision is necessary to protect citizens from the tyranny of ill-conceived actions and fiscal profligacy.

Legislating in the United States is based on the premise that law-making and budget-building will be undertaken in the spirit of negotiation and compromise.  Thus far, with three revised continuing resolutions sent to the Senate from the House,  the Democratic-controlled upper house has simply refused to consider any sort of compromise, even though the House has proposed that a joint committee of senators and representatives should review possible areas for negotiation.

Despite polls which show overwhelming opposition across the U.S. against the Affordable Care Act, the president and his minions in the Senate have refused to budge.  In fact, during a crucial time period during last weekend, the Senate did not even show up for deliberations, and the president spent his time on a golf course.  As it now stands, Democrats want to implement health care legislation that that is so discriminatory that it contains special subsidies for Congressional staffs and a year-long exemption from the mandate  for big business.  Of course, there will be no exemptions or subsidies for middle class America.

As a job killer, the Affordable Care Act will be most effective.  Employers, unsure about how the legislation will affect the economy, will be unwilling to hire more than 49 employees.  More Americans will be forced into part-time employment and will find the options on the insurance exchanges to be inordinately expensive. Nevertheless, the president and the Democratic senators refuse to make any concessions.

In Article I, Section 9, of the Constitution,  provisions are established regarding the appropriation of funds to support legislation passed through Congress.  The House is presently fulfilling its power of the purse.  It is no more extraordinary for the House to question the fiscal integrity of a law than it would be for a president to either sign or veto legislation.  Obviously, if blame is to be apportioned for a government shutdown, the lion's share must go to the Democrats in the Senate and an arrogant president who proclaims that he will not stoop to negotiate any portion of his signature legislation.

Predictably, Democrats are turning to their base of under-educated and benefit-dependent voters to cast aspersions on the House.  Just as addicts shake and shiver when they are told that their fixes are in jeopardy, the food-stampers, medicaders and Obamaphoners shudder as they are regaled with stories of doom, not realizing that, despite a shutdown, their subsidies and allowances will continue to flow.  Yes, entitlements are here to stay despite a shutdown!

Unsurprising, too, is the urgency of the leftist media to jump on board the blame-game express, hurling their poisonous invective and gobbledygook of distortions of hardship caused by the shutdown.  The tragedy of it all is that there will be millions of ignorant Americans more than willing to believe every word.

Those who are relutant to look down the road and ponder the destructive effects of ill-gotten legislation on future generations are reminiscent of Esau, who was willing to forego his inheritance for a mess of pottage. Thus, certain questions assume more and more importance. For example, has it now come to pass that the energetic and hard-working must exist for the convenience of the takers and shirkers?  Are we to be subsumed by an increasing number of ill-informed and poorly-educated individuals whose blank slates are easily filled with an ideology of envy and dependency?  And, finally, are we in the process of witnessing the destruction of the Republic by a disdainful and condescending leader who gives every indication that he desires to impose a banana republic-type dictatorship on a land whose citizens were once a proud and sturdy people?

BEST DESCRIPTION OF OUR PRESENT ECONOMY? HOW ABOUT "CRONY CAPITALISM?"

Should citizens of the United States be treated equally?  Most of us would definitely answer in the affirmative.  However, increasingly, that is simply not the case.

My first inkling that favoritism was becoming a way of life with the Obama administration came early on, when General Motors began to come under federal domination.  For generations, in the small Ozark town of Van Buren, Missouri, my cousins had the local Chevrolet dealership,  Grassham Chevrolet, which provided employment and quality vehicle service throughout that part of the state.  Under government pressure, GM began to eliminate dealerships that supposedly did not generate a significant amount of business.  Grassham Chevrolet was one of the many dealerships notified that their relationship with GM was being severed.

Upon close examination, it became clear that dealerships owned or managed by individuals who were contributors to the Democratic Party were more likely to remain in business with GM.  Those who were identified as Republicans were more likely to be closed.  The Grassham family was decidedly Republican.  Accordingly, after many years as a mainstay in Van Buren, Grassham Chevrolet was to be no more.

In observing developments with the Affordable Care Act,  it is easy to see that the legislation is now riddled with exceptions, waivers and dispensations, all bespeaking of cronyism running rampant.  Big business, big labor and big government have all lined up to exempt themselves from provisions which the rest of us must live with.

I do not anticipate any subsidies coming my way to offset the inconvenience of Obamacare; however, members of Congress and their staffs will have the privilege of being subsidized to cushion the hardship of living with a monstrosity that they themselves passed.  This is, put into simple language, an outrage.  In the spirit of equal treatment, the minimum that we should expect is that those who pass the laws should live under the mandates spawned by their actions.

President Obama was quick to issue an executive order delaying conformity to the employer mandate  for big business.  For Mr. and Mrs. America, however, no such exception was forthcoming. In effect, there is no delay in the individual mandate. If this does not strike one as unfair and discriminatory,  then we have truly lost what America is all about.

The Monsanto Corporation, through its many patents, has a virtual monopoly on the process of  genetic seed modification. Stories of health hazards of genetically produced food are becoming increasingly common. How did Monsanto begin invading our food supply with agricultural products resulting from their patents?  It's simple:  They placed their own man in the government position charged with oversight of this area of agriculture and science.  Now, all of us are consuming food stemming from genetically modified seeds, and Monsanto, the same folks whose carelessness killed hundreds in Bhopal, India, reaps unparalleled profits.

Examined your cell-hone bill lately?  All of us who are self-supporting and own cell-hones are assessed a "universal monthly charge" to provide cell-phones for Medicaid and food-stamp recipients.  A corporation producing TracFones has what amounts to a lock on this business.  Who owns TracFones?  None other than Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim.  Slim, through his American executives, provided very generous donations to the Obama presidential campaign.  Get the idea?  Yes, Mr. and Mrs. America, through the tax you are paying on your cell-phone bill, you are not only providing free cell-phones for the non-working poor, you are also subsidizing the rich and famous lifestyle of a Mexican super-billionaire.

Why does the Obama administration keep its distance from developing our own energy resources in favor of "green energy?"  A good example is that of Solyndra, a green company that went belly-up and, in the process, blew a half-billion of your tax dollars, money which will never be recovered.  The executive at the top of Soyndra's chain-of-command was a heavy contributor to Barack Hussein Obama.  So, there goes the money, and we continue to make ourselves dependent on resources from regions of the world that are not well disposed toward the United States.

Our economy is replete with all sorts of examples of crony capitalism; but, the few we have referred to will, hopefully, serve to get the idea across.  Remember when merit allowed the best to rise to the top in this country? If we continue in our current direction, the possibility of morphing into Third-World status becomes undeniably greater.

Deo vindice!

WHY, OH WHY, ARE LEFTIES SUCH AN ANGRY LOT?

For some reason, all the liberals I seem to encounter are terribly angry.  If it's not one thing, then it's another.  Their ire is so revved up that they are well beyond civil discourse.  It appears that many of these people were terribly damaged in childhood.  Whatever the cause, they are filled with bile.

My wife, Alma, could not even say in the presence of a liberal that she mistakenly thought was a friend that Governor Rick Perry had a nice head of hair.  That banshee lunged for the kill, yelling at poor Alma that she should never, never let it be known in Santa Fe that she was a Republican.  And all that after Alma had invited the lady for dinner and had served her the best wine in the house!

And why is it that most liberals seem to be so down on Israel?   By their words, you would think that Israel was the earthly embodiment of evil.  Somehow, they have missed out on an accurate historical accounting of what has happened in the Middle East since the birth of Israel some 65 years ago. Having lived for 6 years on the Arab street, I can certainly tell you that there is, indeed, a case for Israel.  If you don't think so, just visit the territories adjacent to Israel that are administered by the Palestinian Authority.  But, what can you expect when an Abrahamic Christian such as myself is viewed as racist, bigoted and completely out of the mainstream of Obamic adulation.

 Has higher education in this country become so biased in its ivy-covered halls that students are only exposed to the party line?  Whatever happened to academic freedom?  And why can't we question the party line without being shouted down?  The last time I checked, we still have something called the First Amendment. However, the liberal side of the spectrum is apparently ready to jettison that little constitutional impediment in its quest for an American socialist nirvana

Polling data indicate that new college graduates are more likely to be able to identify Snoop Doggy Dog than James Madison.  Incredible but true, there are students at Ohio University who are convinced that Benghazi is a Mafia don.  Blank slates are pretty easy to fill with liberal snake-oil, but, somehow in the cookie-cutter process, they become angrier and angrier.

And why is it that angry  American feminists  never speak out in defense of their Middle Eastern sisters - and even, for that matter, their American Muslim sisters - who daily suffer oppression, assault and even rape in the name of a perverted ideology masquerading as a religion.  Hey, American feminists, haven't you heard that enfibulation and honor-killing have come to America?

"Racism! Racism!" has become the movement's mantra.  If there is disagreement on the grounds of policy and what one truly believes are truly mistaken courses of action, there is no attempt to probe differences of opinion through logical discourse and reasoned debate.  Rather, opponents are branded by the "madding crowd" in a way as to be reminiscent of those who once held forth in the 17th century at a place called Salem.

Left-heads of the media are especially obnoxious, filing the airwaves with such utter nonsense, so that one is reminded of an author of a famous book who once wrote about the effectiveness of constant repetition of what he called the "big lie."  Formerly, I made a point of exposing myself to differing points of view.  But now the spin-meisters of the left are just too darned hateful to waste my time on, and that especially applies to those such as Chris Matthews.

Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I very much miss the give and take of differing opinions from individuals who could debate while respecting one another.  More and more, we are getting to the point where those who are most effective in shouting down their opponents are adjudged to be the victors.  Could it be that eventually there will be merely a one size-fits-all analysis of public policy?  To our chagrin, will we wake up to find that that the angry leftists have carried out their own version of "kristallnacht?"   If you don't believe it's possible, stranger things have happened in nations that were once thought to be the epitome of stability.