Musings of a Hardcase Texan

I’ve lived in a couple third-world pestholes before. Sarajevo & Zenica, Bosnia-Hercegovina – 1996; Rustimyah & Baghdad, Iraq – 2003 & 2006-2008; Kabul & Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan — 2009; all come to mind. I’ve lived in former authoritarian dictatorships (communist and otherwise) before. Baghdad (see above), Skopje & Veles Macedonia – 1998; Kyiv & L’viv, Ukraine – 2002 and 2009-2014 all come to mind.

What made a pesthole a pesthole?

Ignorance of the law. Check.

Absence of law. Check.

Refusal or inability to prosecute violators of the law. Check.

Broken windows. Check.

Increasingly rampant, increasingly violent crime. Check.

A corrupt judiciary system (numbers of cops, lawyers, and judges on the take in one form or another). Check.

An economic system based on bribes, kickbacks, and who-do-you-know. System often affected by artificial “shortages”. Check.

A preponderance of formal mobs (mafia), formal gangs of disadvantaged youth, informal neighborhood small gangs out of self-defense. Check.

Declining or decrepit infrastructure. Check.

Overburdened health care services. Check. (Trust me. You NEVER want to go to a state hospital in a socialist or democratic socialist county. Ask me about my surgical stay in such a hospital in Germany. Never mind state hospitals in Ukraine or Macedonia.)

Inept or missing education systems. Check

Heavy narcotic or opioid legal or illegal drug use. Check.

State and municipal leaders who only give time to those who pay-to-play. Check.

No true respect for elders, authority, competent educators, community service members (EMS, law enforcement, military). Check.

Little or no national identity, patriotism. Check

I could go on, but you get the idea.

The current political divide in our country has morphed into something more dangerous. Look at that list of pestholes again. It becomes obvious that that divide is creating or worsening things here right in our own country. I could provide local or national examples of every one of those checks right here in the United States and often, right here in Texas. However, I’ll bet money that each of you could do the same thing.

Worse, we can start to list examples of abuses of power by politicians and top level executives of government agencies either abusing power, abdicating responsibilities, and creating division and chaos in everything from absolving criminal acts by people like Hillary Clinton, to corrupt g the education content and process in our public education system with so-called “woke” ideology. Or infiltrating blatant pornography into the school libraries and curriculum.   

So, (I hate people who begin sentences with “So, . . .”. Let me begin again.) What to do? If you are reading this, you are probably already involved. Heh! Let me quote the rules of a gunfight.

1. Bring a gun.

2. Bring friends with guns.

Instead of guns, we need to bring 1. Knowledge. And

2. Friends with knowledge and influence.

Who is in?

It is always important to know and understand your opponent’s perspective. In our political situation, understanding may be out of the question. I can see their position. I can’t figure out how in the hell they arrived at their position. What kind of idiot thinks that Open Borders is a good and sustainable idea?

Below is an article that the Coastal Liberals support. They are so afraid of former president Trump that they ascribe to him all of those attributes that our side accredit to Adolph Hitler, Che Guvera, Joseph Stalin, Mao Tse Tung and Joseph Mengele.

In a different article, this same rag makes the following statement:

“Most Americans are not ideological, meaning that they do not possess a coherent and consistent worldview that drives voting and other political behavior. In the aggregate, the American people tend to take their cues from trusted elites about how they should think about politics and what they should do about it.”

Can that be true? Most of us out here in the sticks really aren’t “political”. But I believe that we do have an ideology. Us Christians, whether we be Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Pentecostal, etc., believe in a few good things that are based on our collective faith in the Lord. Those who aren’t religious, still have a belief in the Golden Rule. “Treat others as you would have them treat you.” Most of us believe in some form of charity. We believe that it is a good thing to help others who can’t help themselves. Our issue with the liberals is that we prefer to make our own choices as to who gets our charity, not having it forced down our throats and stolen from our wallet or bank account, or our taxes. It is a matter of choice.

Our ideology also includes a need to work for what we get and get that for which we work. Our efforts, our energy, used to obtain those things we need or want. We also want sustainable programs. We are so very tired of government programs that are best described as self-licking ice cram cones. How many “temporary” government programs are ended? Damned near zero! The bureaucrats running them have one main ideal: To keep the paychecks coming!

Years ago, I was instructed as a contractor to do something special. I was directed to work my way out of a job. My job was to teach and train the locals to do what I could do. I was instructed to train my own replacement. And I did! Even though that knucklehead Mr. Obama yanked us out of that country as we were having the best success, my counterpart was able to take over and continue the work we had been busting our ass on. I did it! I worked my way out of a job! Show me a current government program that tries to do the same!

Back to the point. Liberals either don’t understand us, or they fear us. They are trying hard to demonize us, following Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals. They want to energize their followers and the uninformed crowd that us conservatives are going to destroy their way of life. <chuckle> And it’s true! We do want to destroy the way of life these poor idiots are enjoying. Their self-destructive, unconstitutional, illegal ways are destroying our nation. They love to be able to divide our children into victims and oppressors. We want that to stop. They are injecting immoral, vulgar, ideas into our kids. They think drag queens are good teachers. They want our kids (and us) to think that there are more than two sexes. They want to ignore the science. They want to get to choose who gets our charity.

They do those things because they don’t believe that us country folk are smart enough to do it ourselves. Not intelligent enough to make our own choices.

They call us a dark power. A basket of deplorables. Near-Nazis. Authoritarians. Semi-Fascists.

Look around you. Those oil-field hands at the other table in Billy Bob’s, eating their Mushroom and Swiss burgers, are Semi-Fascists? The woman in front of you at the H-E-B checkout line is a dark power? The guy on the other side of the pump, filling diesel into his 15-year-old F-250, and frowning at the price, is a Nazi in disguise?

Nah . . .I don’t think so either.

Go vote!

https://www.salon.com/2022/10/28/we-regret-to-inform-you-that-donald-is-cashing-in-on-americas-wish/

The Medina County GOP has donated signs with the National Motto “In God We Trust” emblazoned on them to all the campuses of the county’s schools. Heh! We’ve started to get God back into schools! Faith is belief without tangible proof. We have our faith in the Lord. And, although most folk won’t believe it, we have tangible proof! Every day that I continue to wake up on this side of the grass is proof.

We aren’t stopping there. We’re diving into the libraries and the curriculum being taught to our kids. I spent a day up in Austin, observing the Texas State Board of Education meet and debate. I had to send them the following email:

Members of the Texas State Board of Education (sboesupport@tea.texas.gov),                   11/17/2022

I was privileged to attend most of the group meeting on Wednesday but was delayed by traffic and construction and arrived too late to register as a public commenter. Regardless, I would like to express a few thoughts.

1. You discussed the proposed Amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 112, TEKS for Science and 19 TEC Chapter 113, TEKS for Social Studies. Although the majority of the debate and conversation were positive, you all failed to recognize and debate that the materials you want removed from those two chapters have also been infiltrated into other subjects, such as Mathematics. Word problems, purportedly used to develop critical math skills, are actually used to infiltrate “oppressed v. oppressors” and “permanent victimhood” material into the curricula. This must stop, or CRT, 1619 Project, promotion of homosexuality, gender-fluidity, etc., material will continue to be stealthily taught to our children. Only your action will prevent this.

2. I applaud your attempts to reduce the 21 priority legislative action list (for the next Texas Legislature session) into a much more manageable five subjects. However, I am appalled that you failed to include the one subject that is most on the minds of Texans throughout the state: School Security! During your discussion one Board member, whom I could not identify during cross talk, spoke out the words “School safety”. All of you ignored him.

During the rest of the discussion, I was so very tempted to interrupt with just those same two words. Decorum prevented me from doing just that, but now I am embarrassed that I didn’t; decorum be damned! I believe every single person in that room failed all Texans in the moment. PLEASE correct this mistake!

TEA Staff,
Please share to all members of the Board.

Respectfully submitted,

Robert C. Oberlender
U.S. Army, Retired
Chair, Medina County GOP School Board Committee

rcoberlender@gmail.com
(830) 444-9496

Old soldiers often gather alone; surrounded and crowded by ghosts you can’t see.

Some ghosts comfort as a bit of home; others do not, more likely to flee.

Alone with the ghosts she heads to work; not meeting others’ eyes.

A small twitch, not quite a jerk, follows the shades like flies.

Another old trooper keeps a clean mind; he works hard to fit in.

 Such shame would be, were his colleagues to see, the filthy horrors within.

A Marine in gray, still high and tight; rubs rheumy knuckles without a show.

Hiding the pain, so hard to sustain, keeping it in so no one will know.

A sailor-pilot wheelies by with two wheels high, and two big wheels on the ground.

He cackles as he flies, dreaming of skies, his Tomcat in a wheelchair he found.

An old thin Ranger with shifting eyes, paces a count from room to chow.

He’ll lead the way, every day; and get them all back somehow.

Shuffling outside with just a little pride, an old private, a bag at his side

No hero was he, just permanent PFC, doing daily police call with pride.

Behind a desk, a missile badge on his chest, an old zoomie sits with gray eyes.

He remembers the days in silos and bays, and bright red buttons …teary eyes.

In the back of the room, surrounded by gloom, she sits with fingers bouncing.

Trying to fill the 581s so the guys at the front can keep shooting.

On another’s head, a beret of red, hides a deep redder scar.

He’d landed you see, in a big ugly tree, then he fell so far.

He remembers the joke, jumping into smoke, exiting on the first pass.

We’re over the trees! Sees between his knees…the treetop aiming for his ass.

The old supply sarge, his hands so large, keeps empty boxes on his shelf.

You ask him for one…he sez “No way son…’cause then I’d have one less for myself.”

The blind girl sits, face to the sun, her skin melted and lined.

The IED she tried to defuse, somehow refused, and scarred her body and mind.


And the hidden one, her face undone, cries herself so deep. Her soldier boy, her only joy, lies permanently asleep.

Don’t pity us, we are what we were, there’s no need to weep.
That oath we swore, so many years before, was a promise we intend to keep.

Hmmm … According to Mr. Biden, I am a “semi-fascist”. Now, according to Fordham University, I am a racist.

According to Merriam-Webster:

Definition of fascism:

1 often capitalized : a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition

2 : a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control early instances of army fascism and brutality— J. W. Aldridge

Definition of racist:

A belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race; also : behavior or attitudes that reflect and foster this belief : racial discrimination or prejudice;the systemic oppression of a racial group to the social, economic, and political advantage of another; a political or social system founded on racism and designed to execute its principles

It would seem to me that the Democratic Party Regime is trying to project their own views on us. The only hope they have to keep winning elections (besides blatantly stealing them ( Go see 2000 Mules!) is to compile “underprivileged” groups to vote for them.

Well, it looks like the citizens of any ethnic group along the Texas -Mexico border are refusing to be indoctrinated. Their Roman Catholic cultural values are providing a backlash against the Democrats. The invasion of illegal aliens has depleted local and state resources and now our people are suffering.

The Democrats are trying to ignore Kash Patel’s 2000 Mules documentary. Kash has sufficient proof to show that the 2020 election was, in fact, stolen. The Democrats can’t refute it, so they try to get us to ignore it.

You can check out a copy of the documentary at the Republican Party of Medina County headquarters in Hondo. Get it. Watch it. Show it to friends. We’ve already had mare that about 175 people watch it at our venues.

I am not a racist, nor am I am fascist. I’ve fought those evil value sets with words and as a soldier under arms.

https://node-1.2000mules.com/

Over the last several years I have been searching for a way to articulate my own philosophy of life. I’ve been able to explain it to myself fairly often, but I also often struggle to explain it to my children and grandchildren. My wonderful mother once told me that I don’t have to explain it; I just have to set the right example. For years I’ve taken the easy way out and have tried to just that. However, by profession I’m a teacher and trainer. Teachers and trainers also have to be able to describe actions and processes so students can do the same. I guess it’s time for me to get off my ass and do just that.

In general, I’m a libertarian (small L).  In my opinion, the current Libertarian Party does not have a feasible foreign policy; else I’d register to vote Libertarian. However, they don’t so I don’t.

So what is a libertarian? The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy says: “Libertarianism, in the strict sense, is the moral view that agents initially fully own themselves and have certain moral powers to acquire property rights in external things. In a looser sense, libertarianism is any view that approximates the strict view.”[1]

I am an agent in this definition. That means that I own myself. I may have an employer, but I am the one who chooses to follow my employer’s instructions, regulations, policies, etc., or not. I am responsible for my actions. That means I am required to face the consequences of my actions, good or bad.

As a citizen of the United States, and resident of Texas, I have an obligation to obey the laws of my country and my state. I didn’t choose to be born a citizen, but I have accepted that obligation. However, as stated above, I own myself. If I find that a law is too onerous to follow, I may choose to disobey it. And again, I am responsible for my actions so I have to face the consequences of that decision, good or bad. It is what a man does.

I am often accused of being a Conservative (big C). I don’t believe that I am. I actually support the legalization of most, if not all, recreational drugs. Or, at least, treat them the way we do alcohol. A person owns their own body, what they choose to do with it is their business, and their problem. If they hurt someone else while under the influence they must own their actions and face the consequences, and make reparations if possible. If they just abuse their own body, it is not my obligation to pay for their medical treatment. I might do it if they are family, but that should be my choice … the government has no business using my tax dollars to do it.

I am often accused of being insensitive about my social obligations. I often ask just what my “social obligations” are. The response is often some tripe that I have to “care” for other people, or animals, or trees or some-such.  Since I must not care about the homeless, or I don’t have consideration for women, or some particular ethnic minority, or snail darter minnows or the conservation of the “rights of Mother Earth”, I don’t have compassion.

This is usually followed by that previously mentioned accusation that I am a Conservative.

What these people are saying is that I don’t meet their ethical standards. And they are right. I don’t believe that most of them have rational standards, so I can’t meet them.

I believe that each human being is a person who owns themself. Animals and trees are not human. They are not sentient. Animals operate by instinct and their evolution. A shark eats. It is not evil. A butterfly flies. It is not an angel. A scorpion stings if disturbed. It doesn’t go out one morning and think, I’m going to cause someone pain today! Animals do what they do.

Trees are beautiful and wondrous things. But they don’t think! People think! (Or they’re supposed to, anyway.)

Part 2. So, back to people.

 I believe that each person is an individual. Some have capabilities, mental or physical, that are more or less effective than others.  I have been blessed in life because I have had role models who helped guide me to being a man. My parents and grandparents began by teaching me that values are key. Others helped me see that certain values are more important than others. One of the values that has struck me as near the top of the list is respect for competency. Being competent at your job heavily contributes to success at the job. Most of my adult life has been associated with the military. In the US military there developed a culture of strongly pursuing ability and competency to perform the tasks necessary to accomplishing a mission. Of course, this was before affirmative action set in. So, you now think I’m racist?

Soldiers taught me that respect for competency; demonstrated it by leading by example. They gave positive reinforcement to positive behaviors and negative reinforcement to unhelpful behaviors. So, who were those soldiers? I grew up in the 82d Airborne Division in the 70’s. In the early 1970’s there were three US Army divisions that were totally voluntary: the 82^nd Airborne Division, the 101^st Airborne Division, and the 1^st Air Cavalry Division. To join the airborne units, you had to volunteer to go to Airborne School to learn how to jump out of an airplane. The Cav Division was transitioning to airmobile operations and service there was considered extra hazardous. So who volunteered to go to these units? All kinds of men, but interestingly, large numbers of these volunteers were of African-American and Hispanic (mainly Nuevo Yorkaricans) descent. In many cases, these minorities outnumbered the Caucasians by far. In my platoon, most of the noncommissioned officers, and the platoon leader, were Black or Puerto Rican. These were the men who trained and tested me. And their highest demand was that I be competent in my job. They took the time to teach me, to make me practice, and to evaluate my performance.  They were the ones who made me a soldier. There was no consideration of my ethnicity; there was only consideration of my performance. I either performed my tasks correctly, or I did not. If I did it correctly, I was rewarded by promotion or additional responsibility. If I did not perform correctly, I was re-trained or required to do more practice until I got it right. Or else, I wasn’t good enough to stay; if that had been the case, they could have kicked me off the island. Certain jobs require people who can DO THE JOB. No “affirmative action”, no “gender-norming”, no “nice try”.

I owe great appreciation, and my life, to the black, brown, red, white and blue US Army veterans of the 1960’s and 70’s. I respect a man or a woman because of the content of their character. I base that determination on their behaviors, their actions. I can’t read their minds, nor do I base my determination on their words alone. Don’t talk – Do!

(Or to paraphrase a great, but short, philosopher: “There is no talk, there is only do.”)

3. Compassion. I’ve found that there are many people in the world, from many countries, who understand what a liberal democracy is supposed to be. Not this semi-socialist dream that American “liberals and progressives” seem to want. I’m not against American liberalism because I’m not compassionate; I’m against it primarily because it is ridiculously unsustainable. They want things to be free. They’ve yet to realize that NOTHING is free! Somehow it has to be paid for. And in many cases they end up mandating my charity. I don’t have a big problem with charity. I’m stingy and selfish, but I sometimes have my charitable moments. However, I DEMAND the right to be charitable on my own terms. It’s MY earnings, dammit. I get to choose where it goes. Not a bunch of ill-informed, illogical, and short-sighted do-gooders! The founders of our representative democracy were pretty smart, well-educated men. They realized that there are certain human rights that are intrinsic to being human. They carefully articulated which ones required deliberate and sacrosanct protection. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. There are no guarantees of equal results, but the right to try, to endeavor, to make the attempt. Anything else can NOT be guaranteed without taking something from someone else, without their permission. Our American progressives are trying to guarantee equal results. On our dime. Without our permission.  And they say I am not compassionate!  I agree. But I do have some empathy for certain people. So, what is compassion?

According to Merriam-Webster[2]: What is the difference between empathy and compassion?

Some of our users are interested in the difference between empathy and compassion. Compassion is the broader word: it refers to both an understanding of another’s pain and the desire to somehow mitigate that pain:

Our rationalizations for lying (or withholding the truth)—”to protect her,” “he could never handle it”—come more out of cowardice than compassion.
— Eric Utne, Utne Reader, November/December 1992

Sometimes compassion is used to refer broadly to sympathetic understanding:

Nevertheless, when Robert Paxton’s “Vichy France” appeared in a French translation in 1973, his stark and devastating description … was rather badly received in France, where many critics accused this scrupulous and thoughtful young historian either of misinterpreting the Vichy leaders’ motives or of lacking compassion.
— Stanley Hoffmann, The New York Times Book Review, 1 Nov. 1981

Empathy refers to the ability to relate to another person’s pain vicariously, as if one has experienced that pain themselves. That I can relate to, having seen atrocities, starvation, genocidal purges, and modern war.

But I only feel compassion for those who try to help themselves. If others fix their problems for them, they do not “own” the solution. They become dependents. Go to any UN refugee camp to see what I mean. More on the UN later.

I’ll continue this in further postings. I’m only getting started.

---

[1] Vallentyne, Peter, “Libertarianism”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2012 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2012/entries/libertarianism/&gt;. Accessed 14 October 2013.

[2] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compassion Retrieved 06/23/2021

Over the last several years I have been searching for a way to articulate my own philosophy of life. I’ve been able to explain it to myself fairly often, but I also often struggle to explain it to my children and grandchildren. My wonderful mother once told me that I don’t have to explain it; I just have to set the right example. For years I’ve taken the easy way out and have tried to just that. However, by profession I’m a teacher and trainer. Teachers and trainers also have to be able to describe actions and processes so students can do the same. I guess it’s time for me to get off my ass and do just that.

Over the last several years I have been searching for a way to articulate my own philosophy of life. I’ve been able to explain it to myself fairly often, but I also often struggle to explain it to my children and grandchildren. My wonderful mother once told me that I don’t have to explain it; I just have to set the right example. For years I’ve taken the easy way out and have tried to just that. However, by profession I’m a teacher and trainer. Teachers and trainers also have to be able to describe actions and processes so students can do the same. I guess it’s time for me to get off my ass and do just that.

In general, I’m a libertarian (small L).  In my opinion, the current Libertarian Party does not have a feasible foreign policy; else I’d register to vote Libertarian. However, they don’t so I don’t.

So what is a libertarian? The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy says: “Libertarianism, in the strict sense, is the moral view that agents initially fully own themselves and have certain moral powers to acquire property rights in external things. In a looser sense, libertarianism is any view that approximates the strict view.”[1]

I am an agent in this definition. That means that I own myself. I may have an employer, but I am the one who chooses to follow my employer’s instructions, regulations, policies, etc., or not. I am responsible for my actions. That means I am required to face the consequences of my actions, good or bad.

As a citizen of the United States, and resident of Texas, I have an obligation to obey the laws of my country and my state. I didn’t choose to be born a citizen, but I have accepted that obligation. However, as stated above, I own myself. If I find that a law is too onerous to follow, I may choose to disobey it. And again, I am responsible for my actions so I have to face the consequences of that decision, good or bad. It is what a man does.

I am often accused of being a Conservative (big C). I don’t believe that I am. I actually support the legalization of most, if not all, recreational drugs. Or, at least, treat them the way we do alcohol. A person owns their own body, what they choose to do with it is their business, and their problem. If they hurt someone else while under the influence they must own their actions and face the consequences, and make reparations if possible. If they just abuse their own body, it is not my obligation to pay for their medical treatment. I might do it if they are family, but that should be my choice … the government has no business using my tax dollars to do it.

I am often accused of being insensitive about my social obligations. I often ask just what my “social obligations” are. The response is often some tripe that I have to “care” for other people, or animals, or trees or some-such.  Since I must not care about the homeless, or I don’t have consideration for women, or some particular ethnic minority, or snail darter minnows or the conservation of the “rights of Mother Earth”, I don’t have compassion.

This is usually followed by that previously mentioned accusation that I am a Conservative.

What these people are saying is that I don’t meet their ethical standards. And they are right. I don’t believe that most of them have rational standards, so I can’t meet them.

I believe that each human being is a person who owns themself. Animals and trees are not human. They are not sentient. Animals operate by instinct and their evolution. A shark eats. It is not evil. A butterfly flies. It is not an angel. A scorpion stings if disturbed. It doesn’t go out one morning and think, I’m going to cause someone pain today! Animals do what they do.

Trees are beautiful and wondrous things. But they don’t think! People think! (Or they’re supposed to, anyway.)

Part 2. So, back to people.

 I believe that each person is an individual. Some have capabilities, mental or physical, that are more or less effective than others.  I have been blessed in life because I have had role models who helped guide me to being a man. My parents and grandparents began by teaching me that values are key. Others helped me see that certain values are more important than others. One of the values that has struck me as near the top of the list is respect for competency. Being competent at your job heavily contributes to success at the job. Most of my adult life has been associated with the military. In the US military there developed a culture of strongly pursuing ability and competency to perform the tasks necessary to accomplishing a mission. Of course, this was before affirmative action set in. So, you now think I’m racist?

Soldiers taught me that respect for competency; demonstrated it by leading by example. They gave positive reinforcement to positive behaviors and negative reinforcement to unhelpful behaviors. So, who were those soldiers? I grew up in the 82d Airborne Division in the 70’s. In the early 1970’s there were three US Army divisions that were totally voluntary: the 82^nd Airborne Division, the 101^st Airborne Division, and the 1^st Air Cavalry Division. To join the airborne units, you had to volunteer to go to Airborne School to learn how to jump out of an airplane. The Cav Division was transitioning to airmobile operations and service there was considered extra hazardous. So who volunteered to go to these units? All kinds of men, but interestingly, large numbers of these volunteers were of African-American and Hispanic (mainly Nuevo Yorkaricans) descent. In many cases, these minorities outnumbered the Caucasians by far. In my platoon, most of the noncommissioned officers, and the platoon leader, were Black or Puerto Rican. These were the men who trained and tested me. And their highest demand was that I be competent in my job. They took the time to teach me, to make me practice, and to evaluate my performance.  They were the ones who made me a soldier. There was no consideration of my ethnicity; there was only consideration of my performance. I either performed my tasks correctly, or I did not. If I did it correctly, I was rewarded by promotion or additional responsibility. If I did not perform correctly, I was re-trained or required to do more practice until I got it right. Or else, I wasn’t good enough to stay; if that had been the case, they could have kicked me off the island. Certain jobs require people who can DO THE JOB. No “affirmative action”, no “gender-norming”, no “nice try”.

I owe great appreciation, and my life, to the black, brown, red, white and blue US Army veterans of the 1960’s and 70’s. I respect a man or a woman because of the content of their character. I base that determination on their behaviors, their actions. I can’t read their minds, nor do I base my determination on their words alone. Don’t talk – Do!

(Or to paraphrase a great, but short, philosopher: “There is no talk, there is only do.”)

3. Compassion. I’ve found that there are many people in the world, from many countries, who understand what a liberal democracy is supposed to be. Not this semi-socialist dream that American “liberals and progressives” seem to want. I’m not against American liberalism because I’m not compassionate; I’m against it primarily because it is ridiculously unsustainable. They want things to be free. They’ve yet to realize that NOTHING is free! Somehow it has to be paid for. And in many cases they end up mandating my charity. I don’t have a big problem with charity. I’m stingy and selfish, but I sometimes have my charitable moments. However, I DEMAND the right to be charitable on my own terms. It’s MY earnings, dammit. I get to choose where it goes. Not a bunch of ill-informed, illogical, and short-sighted do-gooders! The founders of our representative democracy were pretty smart, well-educated men. They realized that there are certain human rights that are intrinsic to being human. They carefully articulated which ones required deliberate and sacrosanct protection. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. There are no guarantees of equal results, but the right to try, to endeavor, to make the attempt. Anything else can NOT be guaranteed without taking something from someone else, without their permission. Our American progressives are trying to guarantee equal results. On our dime. Without our permission.  And they say I am not compassionate!  I agree. But I do have some empathy for certain people. So, what is compassion?

According to Merriam-Webster[2]: What is the difference between empathy and compassion?

Some of our users are interested in the difference between empathy and compassion. Compassion is the broader word: it refers to both an understanding of another’s pain and the desire to somehow mitigate that pain:

Our rationalizations for lying (or withholding the truth)—”to protect her,” “he could never handle it”—come more out of cowardice than compassion.
— Eric Utne, Utne Reader, November/December 1992

Sometimes compassion is used to refer broadly to sympathetic understanding:

Nevertheless, when Robert Paxton’s “Vichy France” appeared in a French translation in 1973, his stark and devastating description … was rather badly received in France, where many critics accused this scrupulous and thoughtful young historian either of misinterpreting the Vichy leaders’ motives or of lacking compassion.
— Stanley Hoffmann, The New York Times Book Review, 1 Nov. 1981

Empathy refers to the ability to relate to another person’s pain vicariously, as if one has experienced that pain themselves. That I can relate to, having seen atrocities, starvation, genocidal purges, and modern war.

But I only feel compassion for those who try to help themselves. If others fix their problems for them, they do not “own” the solution. They become dependents. Go to any UN refugee camp to see what I mean. More on the UN later.

I’ll continue this in further postings. I’m only getting started.

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[1] Vallentyne, Peter, “Libertarianism”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2012 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2012/entries/libertarianism/&gt;. Accessed 14 October 2013.

[2] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compassion Retrieved 06/23/2021