2018 Winners and Losers

Losers first.

Bill Belichick has blown two huge games (and then Brady blows a third).  First, by stubbornly refusing to play Malcolm Butler in Super Bowl 52, he literally blew the game.  Butler is the one player who very likely could have made a critical defensive difference in a game decided by the razor’s edge.  Belichick has gotten to a point where his personal style and whims outweigh the concerns of the team.  And not only has this outpouring of arrogance been a detriment to the Pats; but he has apparently taken to sleeping at the wheel on occasion.  The coaching foobahs that allowed the Miami Miracle were rather obvious to anyone paying attention.  Has he forgotten how to coach?  I don’t think one of the greatest NFL coaches of all time forgets to how to coach.  I think that perhaps he has just lost his focus.  I suppose Bill figures they can win most of the time simply by showing up.  Good luck with that.

Theresa Mary May, Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel, and Vladimir Putin.   May is attempting to engineer her own personal Brexit.  Macron is hiding from the public and listening to violin music while Paris burns.  Merkel is overseeing the meltdown of what she arrogantly refers to as Europe’s premier economy.  Putin continues to play war games and joust with Trump; obviously still unaware that he is dealing with a different breed of American cat that will not cower beneath the couch.  All except Putin are headed for premature extinction.  In Putin’s case, I fear that his continued frustration from being outpaced may result in his miscalculation of some desperate measure.  All of these foreign leaders have chosen the path of very public dispute with President Trump.  How is that working out for them?  Do you suppose that in the case of this European trio, it has anything to do with their painfully and tragically flawed Progressive (think LIBERAL) governing principles?

  

Bill and Hillary Clinton.  How pathetic have the Clintons become when long-time groupie Maureen Dowd turns on them?  Her recent piece about Curtains for the Clintons is beyond humiliating for the ex-power couple.  The Clinton quest for power through greed is legendary; but in recent years, it has taken a turn for the pitiful.  It is also sad to view the early stages of Reluctant Presidential Withdrawal (RPW) from Obama and see the next chapter of this public shriveling occurring.  Please…Bill, Hillary, Barack…just go away.  Is it just me, or do we just see this disturbing syndrome from Democrat Presidents?

Moderates of any size or shape.  How maddening it must be for any common sense Republican or Democrat to live, work, and simply exist in the crazy world of WDC these days?  Between Trumpian Chaos and Democratic Resist lies a gulf so wide that it must be impossible to occupy it without some sense of absolute isolation and futility.  It has become a wasteland of irrelevance, anonymous sputtering, and a maze of interstate highways with no road signs.  What used to be known as the Silent Majority can best be described these days as the Muted Minority.  It seems that both national Parties have been hijacked by their more extreme characters and the occasional pragmatism of past years has been rendered both ineffectual and politically incorrect.  Our political environment is now dominated by a Forty Percent Discipline on either side of the aisle that would vote for a 120 pound Doberman if he, or she, were running on their ticket.

College Football Playoff (CFP) Selection Committee.  Is it Oklahoma, Georgia, or UCF?  Can a two-loss season be better than a one-loss season be better than an undefeated season?  Gosh…who knows?  I can tell you this for certain…these guys don’t.  Stop the maddening arbitrariness of the college playoffs; either expand to eight or do the right thing and establish a playoff… http://centerlineright.blogspot.com/2018/11/college-football-foolishness-redux.html

Where are the winners?

Let us start with business, both small and large.  Corporate America must be privately celebrating their new-found environment of less government influence and interference, increased consumer enablement, and unfortunately, continued public obliviousness about corporate greed, corruption, and monolithic ambition.  The loosening of regulatory shackles has indeed freed up our domestic economy to expand and grow; but it has also emboldened the dark side of Corporate America to allow its ugly, unbridled lust for profit to peek from around the curtain.  And in the case of the tech firms, they have moved alarmingly into the areas of privacy and influence as well as profit.  As Spiderman’s grandpa told him…With great power comes great responsibility; or to put it another way…If you are going to make filthy high profits, at least practice ethical business and personnel policies.   Trump has no doubt unleashed the great private enterprise machine of America; but at what cost will prosperity grow across our great land?

SCOTUS.  The Supreme Court of the United States is now positioned to enter an extended period of respect and common sense rulings while wearing a fresh face of dignity.  We appear to have a majority of SCOTUS membership that respects and reveres the Constitution.  And while that adherence to original content and intent will no doubt be refreshing, hopefully it will be intelligently balanced by the moderating influence of Roberts and Kavanaugh.  With our nation’s governance spinning wildly into chaos and extreme ideology, it is comforting to think that at least one of our three legs of democracy is setting up to be reliable and steady for the foreseeable future. 

Strip shopping centers.  As marvelously impressive as they are from an engineering and marketing standpoint, there is something that is eerily decadent about the mega malls.  The overwhelming power of raw consumerism and the mesmerizing aura of effective mass merchandising is mind-numbing; not to mention the oftentimes unsavory habits of the self unaware shopping public.  It is somehow refreshing to see the trend of stores moving from the huge commercial conglomerations that are malls out to the strip shopping centers that are more frequently popping up in communities all across America.  Not only does it lower the startup costs involved for an enterprising small business, but it also adds flavor and diversity to our urban and suburban landscapes.  I like it.  It is also fascinating to watch how the vacated and monolithic mega mall structures are being re-purposed by colleges, government, and other enterprising entities.  Cultural evolution is sure something, ain’t it?

Streaming.  One single word that will undoubtedly transform an entire industry.  In rural (very rural) Kentucky, I can get up to 25 FREE television stations with HD quality pictures as long as I provide a decent antenna setup.  I can supplement this with a cable or satellite provider to get broader and more current programming; but I will pay dearly for that service and I will likely only view a small fraction of the programming offerings I pay for on a monthly basis.  On the other hand, streaming allows me the freedom to watch what I want, when I want, and where I want to; paying only for the special selections I occasionally choose or by taking advantage of the generous free content available.  The only impediment to streaming taking over the television universe is the not-yet-completed establishment of affordable and reliable internet service all across our country.  That is now happening a bit more every day and the potential freedoms that this access offers to rural America are incredible.  I anticipate with relish that ever closer day when I can tell my satellite provider about that shady place where they can store my TV viewing package that they are so proud of.  When you get the chance, do all you can to encourage and support the expansion of inexpensive and reliable internet service to all areas of our nation.  It is one of the most liberating advents of the modern world and can dramatically expand the horizons of those who wish to utilize it fully.

We are.  For all the madness that surrounds us on a daily basis; the world continues to spin and exist.  Oh, the times they are a changing; that much is certain.  And even though the jury is still out on whether or not that change is predominately positive; the fact is that the world (we) remains.  For every callous deed, there is a magnanimous gesture.  For every arrogance, there is a compensating humility.  For every stupid action, there is an intelligent response.  It is true that many times, the balancing movement is quiet, unassuming, and simply hard to recognize; but it is there nonetheless.  For all of the political and social upheaval we have experienced in recent decades, our nation remains stubbornly steadfast.  From Rush Limbaugh to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, from the Kremlin to WDC, from the frozen arctic to the sizzling deserts, from the daily triumphs of glorious victories to the all too often tragedies of personal defeats, from the narrow visages of ideologues to the all too rare visions of statesmen, from the regimented lifestyles of many world citizens to the absolute personal freedoms of American residents.  We have survived Clinton…and Obama…and we will survive Trump.  Life will continue and whatever the future may hold for the United States, this nation will rise to meet it in its gloriously disheveled, uncoordinated, and multi-faceted fashion that is our way.  Our way and our privilege.  A true gift from God.  A gift that has been purchased and preserved by the active and retired personnel of our U.S. military.

Christmas 2018

In this world full of conflict, so varied and common;

We look for that space to be quiet and solemn.

The anger, the rage, the hate, and the scorn;

The inconsideration that is too often worn.

We’ve turned from the civil towards the face of the coarse;

We’ve traded persuasion for the harshness of force.

No compromise, no concessions, no giving, all take;

Simple victory’s not enough, we need a head on a stake!

There’s little real tolerance, positions locked down;

No room for learning, our answers are found.

We rush and we strive and we work and we play;

We intertwine with each other in an antiseptic way.

The force behind the face, the heart behind the person;

No time for these things, that much is certain.

Our lives have become a demand undenied;

Pushing and pulling and mostly contrived.

At times there is clarity, a moment to “feel”;

But those moments are swallowed in the swirl of the “real”.

And we look back with whimsy at the images left behind;

Opportunities passed by with no hope of rewind.

If only we could learn to seize the moment;

To grasp the cup rather than live with the torment.

To do what feels right as we know we should;

To follow our angels who whisper the good.

Yes…something lies with us, a notion of giving;

It’s a gift from God, a recipe for living.

Pay it Forward…Do Good First…call it what you will;

We each have that spirit within us so still.

And if we can find it and look at its face;

Just give it a moment to make its own case.

That spirit will change us and help heal this world;

That spirit will lift us and help find the Lord.

We’re not all perfect and not all smart;

We’ve all made mistakes and fallen short of the mark.

But we each can do something, special unto us;

Unique and private, a sacred kind of trust.

It is ours to give freely as we each see fit;

It flows without cost and is received without debt.

So as this Holiday Season barrels through our lives;

As we rush and we rumble and we fight to survive.

We each should remember that inside of us all;

Waiting and yearning for a summons or call.

Lies that special something that can transcend and ring…

The power to do good and the joy it can bring.

May you and yours have a                      

blessed and peaceful Holiday 

Season.

My Impossible Christmas Wish List

Anyone who has ever dealt with kids and their Santa Claus lists understands how to handle the situation when they put that particular thing on the list (usually at the top of the list) that is unobtainable, inappropriate, or just too expensive.  The typical response is to simply tell them to go ahead and put it on the list; just be sure to put some other things on there also.  This is the old escape route that places the blame squarely on ole St.  Nick for picking the wrong gifts from the list and allows you to skate away unscathed.  Well, here is my impossible gift list for Santa; made with the full knowledge that they are quite likely fantastical and totally unrealistic.

First off, I am going to cheat and split the first request into two parts.  The initial part is for our President to grow up, shut up, and man up.  Stop whining, stop throwing sand, stop pulling hair and slapping faces, stop dropping bathroom references every little whipstitch, and stop pumping up the arrogance to levels that are barely tolerable. Start performing by walking the walk and stop talking the talk.  Choose your words more carefully, doing a better job of matching the quality of your speech to the quality of your content.  When you are caught with your hand in the cookie jar…simply smile, slowly and plainly retract your hand, confess you are sorry and won’t do it again, and then move on.  If you don’t want to be put in the uncomfortable position of defending poor decisions or actions by your bad associates in the future, stop running around with bad associates.  Do your job and fill the vacant positions in your Administration.  It is inexcusable to allow important, critical, and essential positions to continue unfilled two years into your term.  There is a reason why top level government offices exist and leaving them vacant puts those departments and agencies into positions that lead to inaction, misaction, and abuse. Nature abhors a vacuum and so does government.   You got elected; now do your job and put good people in a position to fulfill your campaign promises.  Oh…and by the way, when you select good, competent people to fill those positions (as I admit you are prone to do), leave them the heck alone and let them do their jobs.  Don’t engage in public and trivial spats with them and instead, give them the respect and support that accomplished professionals expect and deserve.  Recognize that you have survived probably the most unfair initial two years of a Presidential term in recent  history, feel good about that accomplishment, and allow yourself to grow into the dignified (now THAT is getting into impossible territory!), inspirational, and credible President that this nation deserves and that you have the unique opportunity to become.  Now the second part…

If you cannot find it within yourself to make these course corrections; then demonstrate the benevolent good sense to refrain from running for re-election, collect your laurels as they may be, and return to that corporate jungle from whence you came.  Be proud of what you have accomplished; but spare us from another four years of constant sparring with all of your political enemies, both real and imagined.  Allow the Republican Party to learn from their past primary debacles, let them choose a worthy successor to your primarily sound governing principles, and let us build on a relatively solid domestic and foreign policy foundation.  And if perchance you choose to continue your occasional adolescent approach to the Executive office; then I will wish for some extraordinarily gifted and courageous Republican to stand up and oppose you for the 2020 Republican Presidential nomination…and defeat you. 

My second gift wish crosses the aisle into that fantasy land commonly known as Liberal/Progressive thinking.  I continue to be absolutely baffled by the successful bait and switch game played by Liberals who are slyly changing their moniker to Progressives. As we all know from experience, a rose by any other name is still a rose.  Just as global warming conveniently morphed into climate change when its ridiculousness was exposed for all to see; we now see the Liberal community attempting to ditch the age old label of Liberal for the new and yet to be defined label of Progressive.  The new one just feels so fresh and seems to roll off the tongue…don’t you think?  Whatever.

Don’t miss the next post!  Follow on Twitter

@centerlineright.  If you enjoy the blog, pass it on to your friends.

If these people, who inhabit basically all of the Democratic Party leadership positions, want to paint themselves as the only remaining hope for mankind (excuse me please…that should be humankind), then let them do it.  They can call themselves whatever they like, tell us all how to live our lives, promote their socialist agenda of everything free all of the time for anyone standing in line for it, and frolic merrily about as if there is no tomorrow and no accountability for the actions we take today.  Let them do that.   Just let them do that somewhere else.  My wish is that the Democratic Party will remove these idiots to the smaller meeting room in the other wing of the hotel, reassume the role of a credible national policy variation to the Republicans, and select a 2020 Presidential candidate that can offer a reasonable alternative to a grownup Trump or his more acceptable successor.  This nation needs two national political parties and whether they realize it or not, those parties need each other also.  The plain and simple truth is that either party, left to its own devices and full control of government, will devolve into ideological certitude that eats away at the democratic principles upon which our country was formed.  It destroys the reasonable functioning of our government. 

So, Santa Claus…if you are out there and listening, here are Jim’s impossible wishes for this Christmas (well, it is actually for 2020, but it is beginning to happen as I write).   Don’t give us a President Trump with a bunker mentality.  Don’t give us Hillary 3.0 or some lost and ambitious soul who has humbly trodden the path to Obama for his political blessing.  I am not really sure at all about which Party you might support and how you might choose to vote philosophically; but I would like to think that you might just be a good old Independent thinker like me. 

Shelf Life Expired

This is it, all laid out, plain and simple.  The shelf life for Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller’s political misadventure has expired.  If you really care about the truth; if you want to judge this sad episode on the facts; if you want to be non-partisan and objective…simply read the three articles linked below and listen to the following podcast. 

1

Mueller was appointed in May of 2017 by Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein due to the fact that AG Jeff Sessions had recused himself from the subject based on his involvement in the Trump for President Campaign.  Also, keep in mind that the firing of FBI Director Comey was basically the spark that ignited this entire dumpster fire.  How does Comey look today and after having his role, and the behavior of his subordinates, in this event only partially examined?

https://www.npr.org/2017/05/17/528846598/former-fbi-director-mueller-appointed-special-counsel-to-oversee-russia-probe

2

Now that you have read the language surrounding the original appointment of Mueller and what it was about…think about the entirety of this whole Trump/Russia Collusion nonsense.  The absurdity is this: Trump is being pursued by the Special Prosecutor for, according to his accusers, attempting to obtain derogatory information on his political opponent (Hillary Clinton) from foreign sources.  Understand…this is not a crime.  Also, he was being investigated for obstruction of justice because, supposedly, he fired Comey to protect Mike Flynn; Flynn, who by the way was being investigated for simply conducting routine diplomatic business with the Kremlin in advance of the incoming Trump Administration…after the election was over.  Please note also that there is absolutely no dispute that one, the FBI Director is a political appointee serving at the pleasure of the President and two, literally months prior to  his dismissal, Democratic leaders were unified in called for Comey’s departure due to the bungled Hillary email investigation.  We now stand at a point, as effectively illustrated by Andy McCarthy in the following podcast, where Trump is being investigated for attempting to do something that Hillary Clinton, with the direct support and involvement of the Democratic National Committee, mainstream media, and the Obama Justice Department, actually did.  I am talking about the Steele Dossier.  Read it for yourself…

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2017/12/who-was-that-masked-source.php

3

In May of 2018, President Trump ranted about the cost to the taxpayers of the Mueller investigation; claiming that it would soon be over $20 million dollars.  He was ridiculed for this statement by the NY Times, the Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC, and all their fellow Resist Fraternity members who used creative accounting principles to convey the message that…well, yes, it has cost about that much.  As the following article states, its cost was over $17 million as of May, 2018.  Does anyone in their right mind doubt that it has now far exceeded the $20 million figure in November of 2018?  The tragic comedy in this sad episode is that the entire clown show is not the investigation of a crime, but rather an investigation in search of a crime.  Additionally, it is a job that should have been executed by the standard oversight provisions of the Legislative Branch and the auspices of the Department of Justice.

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-does-russia-investigation-cost-robert-mueller-2018-5

4

And finally, to tie it all up in a pathetically neat little package, I give you Andrew McCarthy….

https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-mccarthy-report/e/57454619?autoplay=true

The time wasted, the money spent, the rancor and venom created between our national leaders, the damage done to the dignity and credibility of all the parties involved and the offices they represent…the Legislative, the Executive, and the Judiciary…not to mention the Fourth Estate, the press/media…is beyond calculation.  We will never know what might have come from the last two years of a Trump Presidency without this leaden albatross having been draped around its neck.  What history will undoubtedly show is that it was not the finest hour for any of the parties associated with it.  It will also show that the grandstanding efforts of Senators Flake and Coons aside, the Special Prosecutor provisions have long ago outlived their usefulness, they should never again be resurrected, and they are the best civic illustration of the old saying…power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.  Mr. Mueller…go into that good night.  Go gently if you will; just go.

Don’t miss the next post!  Follow on Twitter

@centerlineright.  If you enjoy the blog, pass it on to your friends.