NJ Pollution–How Do You Ignore It?

This is the view along the New Jersey Turnpike. 

The pollution and stink coming out of these smokestacks running up and down the Turnpike is enough to make anyone sick. 

Personally, I had to cover my nose and mouth with my shirt just to try and filter this crap out. 

What do people tell themselves that live near these?

Oh, it’s okay because the government regulators wouldn’t let them be here otherwise!

For real???

If you can see it’s nasty, and you can smell that it’s nasty, and there is a lot of it, then you better wake up as to what you are breathing, drinking, and eating. 

How about these polluters put a cork in it once and for all! 😉

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Nuttiest Duck In DC

Just when I thought I’d met all the nuts in this town (Washington, D.C.)…

I ran into this one in the Capitol Reflecting Pool on the Mall. 

Check this out!

The duck is head first waddling away it’s feet in the air like a lost puppy.

Reminds me of too many folks who don’t want to deal with the many consequential problems that our nation faces (fortunately, there are also many good folks that do!).

From the imminent dangers of North Korea, Iran, and ISIS to our staggering national debt (all of which I wrote about yesterday) along with other critical issues such as healthcare, immigration, and jobs, jobs, jobs. 

Then there are the all too frequent projects that are out of control and funding that is flushed down the proverbial $4,000 toilet. 

A history of dysfunction, fraud, waste, abuse (along with an assortment of personality disorders) have ripened for the picking in the election famous “Swamp”–that we’ve been promised will be drained!

Maybe that’s what this duck is wading into…and what do you think he will find? 

This nation can no longer afford to go head in the sand unless we are looking to be a good-for-nothing dead duck rather than a thriving democracy and beacon of freedom to the world. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal

Nation In Denial

We are a nation in utter denial over our problems.

Just to name a few…

Whether from the threat of North Korean dictator, Kim Jong Un, who smiled while displaying a video yesterday of nuclear missiles destroying the USA.

To the shooting death of three in Fresno, CA yesterday by a man shouting “Allahu Akbar” that was deemed not a terrorist attack.

To our national debt of $20 trillion which quadrupled in just the last 15 years under the administration of both political parties.  

Unfortunately, denial is still alive and well, while smiling photos of the North Korean dictator adorn the light poles outside the capital of the USA.

We don’t like to admit our problems be it from despots threatening us with WMD to global terrorism that gives us no peace, and a mammoth debt that is sinking our national economic sustainability.

Smile for the camera!

Don’t worry about big problem-solving. 

What we don’t admit can’t hurt us or can it?  😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Defeating Terrorism Not Optional

So in today’s New York Times Sunday Review, David Rieff provides some insights on the state of terrorism that we are living with. 

Two very concerning points he makes:

1) A resignation that not much can be done: There are limited security resources, but infinite points for terrorists to strike. As he says, “Not all these attacks can be stopped….there is no way to police every subway station, cafe, and public square.”

2) Many of our leaders are in convenient denial or disengaged: They see the daily terrorist attacks and their response is a rote rejoinder to either join for a brief memorial, slough it off altogether, or even make a joke of it (as if murder is a laughing matter). Rieff repeats even a recent interview with President Obama where he makes light of the impact of terrorism in that doesn’t pose “an existential threat to the United States of the world order.” Unless of course, it escalates and involves weapons of mass destruction or potentially taking out significant portions of our nation’s critical infrastructure.

This just seems so different that how our nation has raised itself up in past conflicts and to win them: 

In World War II, the Allies were committed to defeat Nazi Germany, and they did, including through D-Day, one of largest and bloodiest invasions in history. 

President Reagan helped win the Cold War, by labeling the Soviets the “evil empire” and setting America on a major military buildup, one that the Soviet Union could not afford and eventually withdrew from. 

After 9/11, President Bush vowed that we would get Osama Bin Laden “dead or alive,” no matter how long it takes, and eventually we did!

Over and over, the odds were not great and the stakes were enormous, but a positive attitude and the commitment to win took us a long way. 

In contrast now a attitude of defeatism has set in with Rieff declaring that “the stark truth is that the number and lethality of terrorist attacks are far likelier to rise than to diminish in the near future,” and as he quotes the French Prime Minister Manuel Valls as saying, “Times have changed, and we should learn to live with terrorism.”

How can anyone agree with that–should we really resign ourselves to learn to live with random acts of violence, murder, and terror? 

Rieff ends with that “the best we can hope for is to hold on to enough of our humanity to have a chance of clawing back the rest when the war ends, as all wars do.”

I do not believe that this is good enough!

Not identifying the enemy, disengaging from global events or leading from behind, appeasement of sworn enemies, removing sanctions and releasing terrorists from GITMO, getting soft on terror saying it’s not so bad out there that “the birds were [still] chirping and the sun was out,“, and giving up on defeating it…is a losing attitude and proposition and one that will only result in more heartbreaking and innocent deaths. 

Dismissing or belittling the issue, defeatism, and jokes will not defeat terrorism, but a commitment to do whatever it takes to save lives and protect our nation will, as has been the case from Hitler to Bin Laden, and so it will be again. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

What Terror Attack?

Haven’t we all heard it before…

Another terrorist attack, and there is an appeal for calm.

Radical Islam, no way…we can’t even say the words.

I’m sure we’ll hear the typical…that it was just a lone crazed gunman.

Forget that he avowed allegiance to ISIS.

And that he had previously been investigated by the FBI.

Also, that it is just 3 days since ISIS threatened to attack Florida.

We need the public to think there is stability and safety, especially right before the election.

DON’T ROCK THE POLITICAL BOAT!

The public is perceived as stupid.

Part of the echo chamber with the media. 

Feed them some crap about this being gun violence and attack the 2nd Amendment and call it a day.

The sheep will go back to their slumber and still vote for who the elites tell them to.

Over 50 DEAD.

Over another 50 wounded, many (or most) in CRITICAL CONDITION.

The WORST mass shooting in US history.

We’re tough on terrorism…keep repeating that.

Don’t flinch when the cameras are on you.

Make a remark that it’s because the enemy is angry about GITMO or Palestine or whatever.

In other words, it’s justified–we deserve it!

Close GITMO and resolve the Palestinian issue and all will be well in the world and there won’t be any more of this terrorist, murderous, violence against civilians, women, children, people at worship or at weddings or at funerals, or going to work in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, or on a bus or train, or sitting in a cafe or pizzeria or club.

Let’s stop more sanctions and release more money to Iran, the world #1 sponsor of terrorism.  

Let’s leave Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Yemen and more…all will be well.

Blood shed, treasure spent. 

Time to go home.

The enemy is not coming here.

Everyone rest assured. 

The unity rally after the attacks in Paris…we’re a no show. 

The attack in Tel Aviv last week…tell them to show some restraint. 

Orlando…forget about it, really–it’s over.

Let’s focus on the election now.

Tell them about glass ceilings and redistributing the wealth–they’ll eat that up.

Power, 4 years…maybe 8.

Citizens, sleep well…the Ambien is being carefully administered to each and every one.  Zzzzzz.  😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

 

Break-Fix After Breakfast

So I learned something new about being Mr. Fix It.

First of all, depending on how you look at things, you are either the guy who miraculously arrived on the scene and fixed what was so horribly broken and dysfunctional for way too long.

Or

You are the one who broke what was working so well before you came along and messed things up.

Second, just because you want to fix things, doesn’t mean that the system or actors want it fixed.  

Often, they are used to it that way and are comfortable in their managed chaos.  Objectively better is not necessarily better to those who like to fly below the radar and aren’t looking for change or perceived trouble.

Dealing with what’s wrong means not only admitting something is broken, but also committing to putting in the substantial effort to fix it. To some people, why even go there? 

You may be getting up after breakfast energized to take on the dysfunction, but the organization is frozen in it’s own sickness and the fever isn’t going down or away.

Be careful what you try to fix, because rather than kudos for a job well done, you may be walking into the blame game where after all, pretending that there is no problem to begin with is the greatest shenanigan to hide behind of them all. 

(Source Photos: Andy Blumenthal)

Burning The Evidence

This is a brillant funny advertisement that was displayed on the Metro in Washington, D.C.

“If I burn the evidence, those donuts never happened.”

This as astute marketing for a fitness facility.  

Burn baby, burn (calories that is)!

But in Washington, D.C. (and at times for fiduicary duty bound Wall Street), where transparency is supposed to rule the day–but often doesn’t as we know–this resonates in a whole other way for a class of political and wealthy elites as well as for a host of criminals. 

Bad things (fraud, waste, abuse, and stupid mistakes)–uh, they never happened if there is no evidence to prove it.  

Like the tree that falls in the woods that no one hears…it’s as if it never fell. 

Also, is there a habit of perhaps punishing the innocent in order to protect those that are really guilty? — That never happens too, right? 

But G-d knows what really happened, and often somehow, someway the truth does get exposed (whether by savy investigative journalists, Congressional or court inquiry, brave innocents that come forward, or some bad people getting caught up in their own jumble of lies and deceit).  

As Judge Judy says, “If it doesn’t make sense, it’s usually not true.” 

Or more in line with the ad, “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Unwillingness To Face Inconvient Facts

The Wall Street Journal today has a poignant editorial by Daniel Henninger on the fractured nation we have become. 

Henninger describes the feeling of a country ranging from fury to depression when an underlying vibrant free nation is overcome by a political fantasy of global disengagement and a doctrine of leadership from behind.

And it’s not just the continued downtrodden state domestically–see photo above from this morning’s homeless and hungry on Washington, D.C.’s streets. 

But blinded by a fearful political undertone that can’t even utter the words radical Islamists, we have taken it yet another wayward step further unable to utter the words terrorism.

With respect to the mass murder of at least 14 in California yesterday by–multiple Islamist attackers blasting off AR-15 assault rifles–the FBI in Los Angeles says this, terrorism “is a possibility, but we don’t know that yet, and we’re not willing to go down the road yet.”

There is not even anymore a facade of objectivity where we say perhaps something like: it certainly look’s like terrorism, but we need to investigate and verify–instead what we get is an unwillingness to face down our enemies and the terror of our times or even to openly consider the possibility. 

Ha, it COULD BE that these are 2 completely non-radicalized folks, who happen to have terrorist ties and communications, just found the guns and pipe bombs on the side of the road, got abducted by aliens who brainwashed them to commit mass murder, and just coincidentally after ISIS threatened attacks in the U.S.–anything is possible.

But terrorism–that’s RIDICULOUS!

From the disgraceful suffering of the downtrodden and needy individuals on our streets across America to the global disorder that we are seeing daily, we are continuing to lose ground, respect, and time. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Reform The Movement

So was very glad to read this week about a top Sunni cleric who called for educational reform to combat “extremist violence.”

Sheik Ahmend al-Tayeb, a grand imam in Cairo said “corrupt interpretations” of the Koran and of Muhammad was leading to a rise of Middle East-based terrorism. 

This to hopefully stem the flow of what is now being reported as 20,000 foreign fighters flocking to join ISIS. 

What is amazing here is that good Muslim people are recognizing the problem with radicalization, extremism, and violence and are speaking out. 

Yet, many of our own leaders in the Western world still refuse to say the dirty words “Islamic terrorism.”

The President saying instead: “No religion is responsible for terrorism–people are responsible for violence and terrorism.“

So perhaps, according to this “logic,” no movement is responsible for what their people do–only the individuals are?

And therefore, accordingly, the Nazis would not be responsible for the Holocaust, nor America for Slavery, nor Communism for political purges, oppression, and violation of human rights, etc. etc. 

…in which case, there would be no apologies, no regrets, no reparations, no museums, no memorials, nothing–because this was just some individuals doing some bad things and those individuals are may no longer even be here with us. 

Doesn’t this ignore the very basic and fundamental fact that when the masses follow a movements’ (genuine or distorted) ideological teachings of hatred, racism, and discrimination, and the people act nefariously on this, then does not the movement itself hold some responsibility for the murderous and evil actions committed based on their doctrine?

The Sheik who denounced terror and called for changes to the education in the Muslim community is recognizing what apparently many of our own leaders refuse to, which is that they–and we–are responsible for what is taught and tolerated in our communities. 

As Peggy Noonan recently wrote, “The reality is that the Islamic State is…very Islamic.

Currently, we are fighting a war on radical Islamic terrorism…whether that terror is committed on Charlie Hebdo, a Jewish grocery store, or the World Trade Centers. 

That does not mean that tomorrow, we are not fighting against some other movement’s treachery. 

This is why good people everywhere must stand up and speak out when they see religions, governments, institutions, or other movements preach and teach lies, hatred, and terror. 

Bad (or hijacked good) movements drive bad actors…so we must not only go after the bad guys, but also hold the movements themselves to account.

We must demand that the lies and distortions be called out for what they are and that truth and virtue be held up in its place. 😉

(Source Photo: here with attribution to Front Page Magazine)

The Monster Under The Bed

For those familiar with Yiddish…

A shiksa is a non-Jewish girl and is sometimes used to refer to Jewish women that don’t follow the commandments. 

A shegetz is a similar term used for a male. 

Is it a bad word? 

Well, let’s just say it’s not a term of endearment. 🙂

I guess it’s funny that everyone has terms for those who are not just like them.

Of course we all don’t have to be and aren’t the same, cut from the same mold.

But we all have to have respect for each other and get along. 

I think the worst part of people being different is not even the overt jokes or off-handed remarks which can certainly be hurtful, but much more the backdoor insinuations and aggressive behaviors. 

Lately, to be frank, it seems that ethnic and religious war is brewing big time in the world–anyone else notice?

Not regional, focused on oil and resources, long held dictatorships, human rights, or even “the Palestinian issue.”

But rather what no one wants to talk about or confront, a battle of civilizations.

It is so scary, because this is there are big and powerful actors at play whether Russia or China playing for the world’s leadership role (one overtly and the other covertly), Iran and North Korea freely wielding nukes and threateningly strutting “their stuff,” and ISIS and Al Qaeda looking for the next budding caliphate and  imposition of Sharia law as far and as wide as they can take it.

East meets West, democracy vs. dictatorship, religion against religion, this thing is building up steam, pressure is rising, and the question is whether and how big this is about to blow.

Shhh, if we don’t say the words or we pretend to “make nice” and give out jobs, dole out handouts, and use our drones, oh so discretely, maybe no one will notice. 

Are we being phobic about communism, radical Islam, budding economic and military might, and other differences, or are we pointing out what we are all perceiving, but greatly fear to face. 

When I saw recently that some wonderful Muslim people were surrounding synagogues in Europe, not to attack it, but rather to encircle it to defend it, I was not only in complete awe, but also realized how many good and righteous people there are out there.

These people are actually doing something about the injustices and power grabs they are witnessing, and not trying to obfuscate or opiate the masses. 

It’s not just about being tolerant of others and stripping hatred from our hearts and lives, but about being truthful when others may choose not to be. 😉

(Source Photo: Facebook)