Friday, August 31, 2012

Happy Labor Day!

My dear and wonderful readers, your grateful Peasant
thanks you for your continued support through your
visiting me at this blog each week and wishes you all
a very happy and fun-filled Labor Day!

We shall get together again next week with some more
news items to examine and discuss. May you all have
a safe and wonderful time during this holiday! God bless!

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Two Astronauts Embark Upon The Ultimate Journey

America bade farewell to two of its heroes, both of whom
were revolutionary space explorers who fired the imagination
of our nation and the world and inspired the study of science
and outer space in our youth. Neil Armstrong, the first human
to set foot on another planet when he landed on the moon on
July 20, 1969, left Earth for the last time after a long battle
with a heart ailment at the age of 82. Sally Ride, the first
American woman to travel in outer space in her historic flight
in 1983, embarked upon her final journey after seventeen-month
fight against pancreatic cancer.

Neil Armstrong was one of the three-man crew on board
Apollo 11 along with Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins.
On the moon, Armstrong took the first step on that planetary
frontier, followed by Aldrin. Collins remained in orbit
on board the command module. Your fascinated Peasant
watched the historic event on TV, spellbound by it all,
as did and were millions of Americans. Big stuff for an
11-year-old boy, I can tell you. Armstrong's stroll on
a planet other than Earth made me all the more proud to
be an American, as this feat reinforced the reputation of
Americans as the "can do" people, the people of accom-
plishment, the people who could push through boundaries
and make possible the impossible simply by doing it!
He would receive decorations of award from 17 countries
including his own, among the many accolades being the
Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Richard
Nixon and the Congressional Space Medal of Honor
from Presidential Jimmy Carter. Armstrong also received
the Congressional Gold Medal with his crewmates in
later years.

Sally Ride was the first American woman in space, and
probably the first lesbian in space. She was survived by
her partner, Tam O'Shaughnessy, a professor emerita of
psychology at San Diego State University and a childhood
friend of Ride's. Ride would name her the Chief Operating
Officer and Executive Vice President of her company,
Sally Ride Science, which assisted schools in creating
science curriculae. A very private person, Ride's sister
revealed her relationship with O'Shaughnessy upon Ride's
passing. Your appreciative Peasant's admiration for Sally Ride
is as boundless as space itself. Her life and career prove
that if you have enthusiasm, drive, persistence, and proper
preparation, you can achieve anything that you desire;
whatever labels you may wear have no bearing.

Godspeed, our valiant space explorers, as you experience
traveling in and exploring that frontier which lies beyond
the frontier which you have explored in this finite life.


MEM




Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Foot-In-Mouth Disease Strikes a Senate Candidate

Your part-Irish Peasant returned from a joyous celebration
of Irish culture, the Milwaukee Irish Fest, with a light and
joyful feeling. But almost immediately after my annual
personal holiday had concluded and I returned to business
as usual, something came to my attention which had all but
swept away my happy mood; a Republican candidate for a
U.S. Senate seat held by a very vulnerable incumbent
Democrat had uttered something so volatile that he had all
but wiped out his nearly insurmountable lead over this
senator in the polls --- and not only could his controversial
statement hurt the GOP's chances of capturing the Senate
but the clueless fool gave an almost cavalier-sounding
apology and will not step aside for another candidate to
replace him on the Republican ticket in his state, even
though the list of Republicans from around the country
calling for him to do so reads like a Who's Who of
the political Right!

U.S. Rep. Todd Akin from Missouri won a three-way
Republican primary to win the nomination to face
Democrat incumbent Senator Claire McCaskill in
the general election in November. The opposition
he overcame consisted of Tea Party choice Sarah
Steelman and John Brunner, a businessman with deep
pockets. Enjoying an eleven point lead at the time,
Akin made the following comment:

"It seems to me, from what I understand from doctors,
that's (pregnancies resulting from rape) really rare ...
If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try
to shut that whole thing down. But let's assume that maybe
that didn't work or something: I think there should be
some punishment, but the punishment ought to be of the
rapist, and not attacking the child."

Rep. Akin made these comments during an interview with
KTVI-TV which was posted on the station's web site on
Sunday, August 19, after which the smelly stuff hit the fan.
Let us now examine Akin's words and determine how he
could have avoided this fiasco if he in fact felt that he must
comment on conception coming about through rape.

Now, it is true that pregnancies occurring from rape are
quite rare. The Alan Guttmacher Institute, the research
and statistics arm of Planned Parenthood International,
has averred as far back as the 1970s that pregnancies
through rape are statistically small in terms of percentage
among all pregnancies and their circumstances. But what,
pray tell Congressman Akin, constitutes a "legitimate rape"?
For rape, after all, is actually less about sex than about
domination. It is the feeling of conquest of his victim that
a rapist's twisted, fevered mind feeds upon. Since forced
intercourse may be attempted but subsequent conception
is not very likely, is a rape not "legitimate" unless (A) there
is attempted sex, but no resultant conceiving of a child,
or (B) sex is attempted and conception does come about?
Or, according to the Missouri Congressman, a rape achieves
legitimacy through some other criteria? Somehow your
quizzical Peasant does not think that Rep. Akin has expert
knowledge on such matters, including how a woman's body
could naturally protect itself from being impregnated by
a rapist.

As to a child being conceived as a result of rape, one could
credibly hold the opinion that since the child's life came about
through such a terrible circumstance, but the child itself had
done nothing to assist in its creation; that it was not an agent
or co-agent of its creation but simply the result of the action
in question, then it would be wrong to terminate the child's
life as the child is absolutely innocent of having anything to
do with the awful event which brought it into existence. Some
people on the pro-life side of the abortion issue do hold
this view. But most people who hold this view state their
opinion and their reasoning in a less ham-handed way than
did Rep. Akin, and this is in fact not a difficult thing to do.

What Rep. Akin should have said would be something like
this:

"While, thankfully, pregnancies occurring as a result of rape
are rare, they still in fact do happen. So I say, let us punish
the rapist but not the unborn child. We should make the rapist
pay for his crime but not make the child pay with its life for
a crime in which it had no active role, but was instead a
consequence of that crime."

But, alas, words are like bullets fired and missiles launched;
they cannot be called back into the gun barrel or the launch
apparatus once they are set forth. So Rep. Akin would be
prudent to apologize for his ill-conceived (no pun intended
by your aware Peasant; I have a far better sense of humor
than that!) and crude comments. In fact, he has already
done so. However, the fallout from same has resulted in
the loss of what was a most comfortable lead in the polls
over Sen. McCaskill, and if this seat cannot be won in
November the quest for winning the Senate will be much
more difficult and even more unlikely for the Republicans,
hence the growing line of Republicans nationwide calling
for Rep. Akin to step aside and leave the ticket in order to
put up a candidate who will not have such baggage and will
stem the loss of points in the polls before the election. But
here's the rub: Akin won't comply. He won't take the hint.
Hell, no, he won't go!

Here's just a few conservative figures that your favorite 
Peasant is aware of who have called for Rep. Akin to
remove himself from the ticket for the good of the party
and its election chances:

*Reince Priebus, Chairman of the Republican National
Committee and former Chairman of the Wisconsin GOP.

*U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, also from Wisconsin.

*Rush Limbaugh, the veritable dean of conservative talk
show hosts.

*Ann Coulter, controversial columnist who has as many
detractors as admirers among conservatives. Some
people, including conservatives (this conservative too)
think that Coulter is off her rocker because of some of
the things that she herself says, so if Coulter states that
Rep. Akin must pack it in for his own verbal miscues then
you KNOW this fool is done!

*Vicki McKenna, conservative talk show host who hosts
shows in Madison and Milwaukee. She was apoplectic
over this shmuck's spoutings.

*Jay Webber, conservative talk show host in Milwaukee
whose show is on the air just before Vicki's on WISN-AM
Radio on weekday mornings. A greatly respected
statesman for conservatives on the local airwaves
here in Beertown.

*Sean Hannity, a prominent conservative talk show host
himself, who interviewed this self-serving, kack-handed
candidate on his show just a few days ago. Sean lobbed
no softballs; he threw like Nolan Ryan and in the end
made the suggestion of resigning from the ticket in order
to preserve the GOP's chances of winning the Senate seat
from Missouri and also winning the Senate itself. Akin's
response struck me as what a clueless, self-centered teen
would say if confronted by an adult in authority about a
misdeed, saying that maybe he/she shouldn't have done
what they did but what's the fuss? And the teen is SO
sincere and all that so why should there be any punishment?
Regarding Akin and his own misdeed, the fuss is that he
has embarrassed himself, his party, conservatives in general,
and has damaged (hopefully not irreparably) the Republican's
chances of winning the U.S. Senate. Democrats are having
a field day with this pop-off pol's remarks and being aware
of the possible benefits to them if he sticks around for the
election are not calling for his stepping down. Why should
they? The Dems have little to lose and perhaps much to
gain if Rep. Akin remains on the ballot. And this boob
won't take the hint, even when it is applied with a sledge
hammer!

The lesson in all this: the Republicans need all of the voter
groups and their votes that they can get in order to not only
unseat Obama from the presidency but to win the Senate
and gain control of it while also keeping the House. The
conservative prospect for restoring constitutional, limited,
responsive and responsible government lie in achieving
these goals in November. We must convince the electorate,
key voting blocs (i.e. women) especially, that we are not
zanies from the political fringe, nor extremists with a hell-
or-high-water agenda and matching zeal to enact it, nor
agents for evil --- in other words, we must disabuse the
voting public of the notions that our liberal opposition have
worked to plant in their minds to frighten them off from us.
And yes, it is unfair and a crying shame that there is a double-
standard concerning the words and actions of those on
the left and those on the right (your observant Peasant
has written about instances of this in previous posts). But
we must mind our words and our manners, and bring out
heavier artillery when, and only when, there is no other way
to counter our enemies. Off-hand, ill-informed comments
such as those by Rep. Todd Akin are tantamount to our
shooting ourselves in the foot. And your concerned Peasant
also thinks that Rep. Akin should go. Away. Over the hills
and far away, to quote the words from an old Scottish song.


MEM



Thursday, August 23, 2012

Something Big This Way Comes

My fabulous readers, your beloved Peasant is working
on a very big, very lengthy article for your perusal and
your thoughts and comments! However, as my personal
schedule has both thickened and quickened upon my
return from the Milwaukee Irish Fest, I am having to take
extra time to complete the piece. I therefore ask for your
understanding, your patience, and your indulgence while
I assemble the facts of the story which I shall comment
on and package everything neatly and ready it for your
reading consumption.

Your harried Peasant plans to have the piece in question
ready for you by Monday, August 27. Thank you for
your kind understanding! You won't regret it!


MEM

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

A Note of Endorsement

Friends, your faithful Peasant has a brief note for you
this week. As today is the day of Wisconsin's primary
election, and there is a Republican primary for the soon
to be vacated U.S. Senate seat due to Sen. Herb Kohl
(D) retiring, I want to urge my fellow Wisconsin conser-
vatives to vote for Jeff Fitzgerald to be the GOP nominee
and to back Jeff in the general election this fall.

The current Assembly Speaker, Jeff Fitzgerald has been
highly instrumental in getting Gov. Scott Walker's budget
and accompanying reforms passed in a most contentious
political atmosphere in Madison. He has been a great team
player in making this historic legislation come to life, and
is a genuine conservative, someone who will be respectful
of both the people and the Constitution; not just on fiscal
matters but on all issues and legislation. Also, in a campaign
for the party's U.S. Senate nod, Jeff has refrained from
getting involved in the rhetorical brawl that has broken out
among the other GOP candidates, preferring to speak of his
legislative accomplishments and stands on the issues of
importance rather than trashing his opponents with partial-
truths and strategically-clipped sound bites of their words.
The sad thing is that each of the four candidates for the
Republican nomination would make a good U.S.Senator,
certainly better than the unopposed Democrat candidate
who will be the opponent to beat in November; one is a
former governor of the state (and a very popular political
figure to this day), a former congressman, and a businessman
who is a first-time political candidate, but all of them have
gotten engrossed in a battle of name-calling, innuendo,
and questioning the conservatism of one another. It is your
fair-minded Peasant's fervent hope that Jeff Fitzgerald will
be able to quietly pass the political food fight by and grab
the GOP blessings; will you, my fellow Badger State
righties, help Jeff to triumph?

He's so committed to his Senate bid that he's giving up both
his powerful position as Speaker and his safe Assembly seat
to bring some Wisconsin common sense to woebetide and
awash Washington. He is doing this for us! This alone is a
strong reason to give Jeff Fitzgerald our support. How
about it, folks?


MEM


Thursday, August 9, 2012

Arrogance Sans Frontieres

Well, my faithful readers, our Fearless Leader has done it again.
President Obama's arrogance has reached a new and startling
height (or, as some would state it, a new and startling depth!).
In a recent campaign speech given in Roanoke, Virginia, Obama
declared that business owners did not build their businesses ---
yes, my beloved readers, you read that right --- according to
the almighty and all-knowing Obama, entrepreneurs did not
create and build their enterprises; rather, government made
their money-making ventures possible! No, it wasn't the ideas
that the businesspeople generated and acted upon; their
efforts and sweat in putting everything together mean naught.
It was Uncle Sam --- Big Brother --- D.C. Daddy that made
it all happen!

Here is The Great One's explanation for this phenomenon:

"There are a lot of wealthy, successful Americans who agree
with me because they want to give something back ... If you've
been successful, you didn't get there on your own. You didn't
get there on your own. I'm always struck by people who think,
well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot
of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder
than everybody else ... "

"If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you
some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life.
Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system
that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested
in roads and bridges. If you've got a business, you didn't build
that. Somebody else made that happen ... The Internet didn't
get invented on its own. Government research created the
Internet so that all the companies could make money off the
Internet."

Let us now pause to vent some steam, then regain our composure
and examine Obama's words, shining the light of truth on them
to see if they will stand or fall on their merit or lack thereof.
There are, sadly, some wealthy, successful Americans who
in fact buy into Obama's statist bilge here, even though they
themselves have either built their businesses into mega-profitable
entities or have inherited them from relations who did so.
And. of course, they want to get as many people to believe
that they had little or nothing to do with their successful estab-
lishment of their businesses, and perhaps dissuade others
from any entrepreneurial endeavors with this confidence-
gutting line. The "Limousine Liberal" set aren't satisfied with
merely garnering massive wealth for themselves; they want
to have all, or as close as possible to all, of the wealth in our
country so as to increase their power and influence.

As far as not having gotten to success on one's own, when
a businessman or businesswoman sets out to create a business
of their very own, they don't get much help from the folks
in Washington; yes, your knowledgeable Peasant is aware
of the federal loans made available for startups and expansions
of businesses, but note: all financial help from D.C. has strings
attached, strings that can become chains weighing down an
entrepreneur with regulations added onto the regulations
already applied by federal, state, and local governments.
Red tape all around. Expenses mounting in the compliance
with each of the regulations. Sometimes a business in its
embryonic stage is stymied by the many regs and the costs
of complying with same, and the business never gets birthed
into existence. So, if a business happens, it isn't so much
because of government but despite government. How, then,
can Obama or anyone else claim that a businessman or
businesswoman didn't make their business happen?

Now, many of us have had some memorable teachers from
our school days who have given us insights into things which
we would utilize in our quests for the businesses and/or the
careers which we desired to build. Our teachers gave us
wisdom to inspire and guide us in our efforts to create these
things. But our teachers were not there when we started the
creation process. They therefore did not, could not create
our businesses and our careers; we had to do that ourselves.
This is so, even for those of us who attended public schools
and/or state universities (your intellectually fortified Peasant
attended the former and later attended a catholic boarding
school, then a catholic high school, next a catholic college).

The people who created our "unbelievable" system in which
we thrive are We the People, NOT government. The first
roads and bridges were built by citizens like us all those
years ago, in our colonial times and in the nascent years
of our nationhood. People utilized their money, their tools,
their materials, their labor, their blood, sweat and tears.
Government had its hands full in determining what form it
would take and function as! Naturally, this will be a revelation
of almost apocalyptic proportions to his nibs in the White House.
And the roads and bridges being built and maintained today?
All done with the tax monies collected from business owners
along with that from individual wage and salary earners, most
of the latter being in the private sector!

Regarding the Internet, it indeed was created by, or at least
was guided in its creation, by government, but NOT for the
purpose of companies making money from it. The Internet
was started for the purpose of scientists and military personnel
being able to interact with each other via sharing data and other
information relevant to projects that they collaborate on.
Over time, the Internet was made available to the private
sector for not just the use of businesses but students and their
teachers, people wishing to stay in touch with relations and
friends, police conducting investigations, cooks obtaining
recipes for dishes they want to make, investors trading
securities online, literary enthusiasts searching for texts
in online formats, and so many, many more people with
their respective needs. These private sector uses were,
I'm sure, not all foreseen, or maybe not foreseen at all by
government.

Our misguided president was not "off prompter" when he
spoke these condescending words which made many
American business owners and private sector workers
acutely aware that they are facing not just a sickly economy
but a poisonous ideology which claims that all we have is not
ours but the government's, doled out by same as it sees
prudent to allow us peasants to have. Obama's words are
a clarion call to action, to deny this obstreperous elitist a
second term in the White House. This is what we as a
nation are up against, folks. On November 6 we will make
the choice of whether to return our country to the format
and accompanying purpose that our founding fathers
had envisioned, which has made America the model
for the world to emulate and for downtrodden refugees
from impoverished and/or oppressed countries to escape
to, or to continue down the rocky road to a statist serfdom
which we might never be able to escape from --- at least
not without a terrible cost.

Your prescient Peasant knows what he'll choose.


MEM