March 17, 2004

“…Remember the war against Franco?

    That’s the kind where each of us belongs.

    Though he may have won all the battles,

    We had all the good songs.

 

    So join in the Folk Song Army,

    Guitars are the weapons we bring

    To the fight against poverty, war, and injustice,

    Ready! Aim! Sing!...”

 

                        -Partial Lyrics from the

                         song “Folk Song Army”,

                         by Tom Lehrer

 

To All,

    At last it has been discovered by Republican “opposition research elves” as to what types of military forces and weapon systems John Kerry could actually vote to fund. Unfortunately for the Frog Prince of Boston, folk songs only have a practical effect on Leftie New Englanders and those few who have seen “A Mighty Wind”. As such, they would generate “blue-on-blue” casualties that would only lead to a repeat of the Great Sing-A-Long of 1988.

 

In other news:

 

A Tale of Two Cultures:

     There is much discussion these past few days as to the practical effects of the narrow victory by Spanish Socialists in the recent elections. But in reality, the elections last weekend also highlight the cultural differences between the European mainland and the Good Ole’ U.S. of A.

 

     For example, the Spain of Socialist Prime Minister-Elect Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is a place where the ideal of dealing with an onrushing bull (or two or three or…) is to run like heck away from the horns and hooves when ganging up ten to one on a hamstrung “rookie” bull is otherwise impractical.

 

     By way of comparison, the America of President George W. Bush is a place where hearty individuals choose to ride a veteran bull (usually one named after a natural disaster) in an attempt to demonstrate once and for all who is boss. Other intrinsically American ways of dealing with horned bovines include a rural form of judo know as “bull-doggin’, herdin’, ropin’, brandin’, and the ubiquitous Texas bar-bee-cue.

 

     As such, it is not surprising to see once more, in modern European affairs, that the siren song of appeasement may have its affect to the detriment of the rest of the world. After all, European-style socialists would never let the costs of security and military preparedness get in the way of providing (rationed) universal health care or preserving government of the bureaucrat, for the bureaucrat, and by the bureaucrat.

 

     What thus remains to be seen is whether the “Spanish Disease”, as some wags are now calling it, will somehow jump the Atlantic and extend this latest outbreak to the descendants of Dan Morgan, Ethan Allen, and Lieutenant Presley O’Bannon. And because certain strings of domestic Brahmins are showing the beginning symptoms of “mad donkey” disease, elective quarantine may become the order of the day.

 

     But given the sensibilities of a nation used to finishing fights started by others, there is substantial reason to believe that the voters in November will reject the patent medicines of the snake oil salesmen of Beacon Hill for the more time-tested remedies of generations past. Americans are a more positive and results-oriented people than many kinds of “old worlders” (especially when compared to the kinds of European socialists who are willing to countenance 14% unemployment, triaging of diabetics and kidney patients over age 55, and the kinds of bureaucratic corruption that made the Iraqi Food-for-Oil program what it is today). As such, they will recognize that it is better to stay the current course of action rather than let a few bandits with mentalities from the 12^th century frighten them into following in the footsteps of Neville Chamberlain or, ultimately, Vichy France.

 

     That is not to say that there is not a Greek chorus among the so-called elites and members of the Lamestream Media who would otherwise prefer faint praise from certain European capitols, rather than protect the Republic. But since these are the same morons who cannot even deal with exploding white-tail deer populations without going into vapor lock, it is plain to see that they should be discounted posthaste.

 

     So activists and “darned” likely voters are counseled to keep their powder dry, have discipline, and be prepared to fire for effect when it matters the most. Given the way in which Liberal Wing of the Democrat Party is showing off jaws made by Waterford (Given Mrs. Heinz-Kerry’s investments, that may be Mikasa instead), the day of reckoning may be at hand sooner rather than later. Stay tuned.

 

Story basis may be found at:

http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/
feature.html?id=110004829

 

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/benshapiro/
bs20040317.shtml

 

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/tonyblankley/
tb20040317.shtml

 

http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=6297

 

http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/21004.htm

 

 

Smoke Gets (Blown) In Your Eyes:

     Voters and firearms activists have been “entertained” of late with some of the finest examples of Donkey Party mendacity since The Comeback Kid promised in 1992 that he was going to cut taxes.

 

     For example, John Kerry is keeping one and all entertained with the Martha’s Vineyard style of limbo that has been keeping Jamaican-Americans, Haitian-Americans, Cuban-Americans, Palestinian-Americans, Jewish-Americans, and gun-owning hunter-Americans in stitches. Oh, and he is “promising to cut taxes” too.

 

     Likewise the Senior, More Conservative Senator from Massachusetts, “Chappaquiddick” Ted Kennedy, has opined in a recent Saturday Democratic diatribe that the richest Federal school program budget since Pell grants were enacted was somehow woefully deficient (Note to “Red Ted”- Many of us are still waiting on the explanation on how you got out of the submerged car, and Mary Joe didn’t. So perhaps it is inopportune at this time to speak of the Bush Administration’s “misleading” of the American People.).

 

     Or take James Carville’s latest CNN rant, which constitutes the finest example of a primal scream over a botched election campaign since Howard Dean “went Chernobyl” in Iowa.

 

     But it seems that, to the surprise of veteran political junkies and pundits, the Donkey bench may end up providing some of the best fodder for the Campaign 2004 highlight reels in December. In this case, one and all are directed to an article by Steve Lawrence in the Los Angeles Daily News yesterday, which discusses California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi’s “bright idea” to deal with the Mother of All Insurance Crises here in the Fool’s Golden State.

 

     After all, last summer’s fix, that has been alleged by Garamendi to produce some $ 7 billion in “savings”, is in reality producing increases in interim rates by the State Compensation Insurance Fund for hardware manufacturing categories bordering on 30% over 2003 levels (And 2003 rates were 25% higher than 2002’s).

 

    As such, the Democrat Party’s claim to fame for workmen’s compensation insurance reform is to reform the job market by driving manufacturing jobs out of the state, probably even out of the country. In other words, only by chasing out manufacturing jobs can the losses associated with those categories be “capped”. That is because imposing price controls on countless medical treatments for shoulder sprains (both real and illusory) does nothing to cap costs for a manufacturing sector which is forced to compete with the likes of countries such as China and India. And since this category includes such occupations as gunsmithing, the thought of a future gubernatorial candidate like Garamendi killing off the state’s firearms manufacturing through insurance legerdemain is a fearful one at that.

 

    In reality, Garamendi’s announcement that “…They (The four main private workcomp insurance carriers, St. Paul, Travelers, AIG, and Everest National) want to have State Fund operate in a sound business manner, price its product appropriately, not undercutting the market, offering prices that are ridiculously low…” should put the fear of the Almighty into every State Fund customer who has already seen 150% increases in rates these past 4 years. This means that a new price floor is about to be set, one that will be engineered by newer, more creative ways in which to force State Fund to keep more “cash on hand” to pay the tort attorneys with.

 

    Now, it is certain that the work-comp market cannot be fixed without addressing tort reform and lawyer’s compensation. And it is also certain that the Democrats would rather slit their own throats rather than mess with the money machine that is the plaintiff’s bar. But the very thing that helps generate campaign largesse for any future Garamendi run for the Statehouse is also the very thing that damages state employers, both private and public.

 

     It is truly a pity that Governor Schwarzenegger did not address work-comp reform the same time that he did the bond and budget initiatives in March of 2004. If Garamendi has his way between now and November, the rate increases for all those “good” manufacturing jobs will most likely wipe out those same jobs well before the November vote on the Governator’s insurance alternative. This is doubly damning, given California’s extraordinary effect on national unemployment rates (Due to it’s size, California adversely affects national economic numbers, mostly through the “management style” of a hostile Democrat political class willing to help the National Party by any means necessary.).

 

     Still, with the right action by the Governor’s Office, manufacturing work-comp rate increases can somehow be mitigated before the end of the session later this year. For if it is not, then one can know for certain that large numbers of manufacturing jobs will be “Terminated” for the foreseeable future, a future where pre-quels are highly unlikely.

 

Story may be found at:

http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/
0,1413,200%257E20954%257E2019706,00.html

 

 

Respectfully,

 

Anthony Canales

SFVMC-NRA