Yes, a lot of people would love to be poor in America. Many have poured across the border now for decades, and if we didn’t have oceans separating us from the rest....Then Kid quoted the lyrics from the Temptations' tune "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)."
Still Democrats do maintain the lower standard of living areas in America.
From 1971. You’d think it was today.
Here is the "Ball of Confusion," with lyrics (apologies to FreeThinke, who will, no doubt, wish to silence the sound track):
Truly...
There is no new thing under the sun. — Ecclesiastes 1:9b (KJV)
The ball of confusion could be ended if (and only if) parents begin doing their jobs. Instilling discipline in children must come before children develop an ability to impose self-discipline. The primary reason for poverty in America today is that our high school dropout rates hover between 25-40%. Let me emphasize, we are talking about students who refuse to finish high school even though it has already been paid for by local taxpayers.
ReplyDeleteThe issue is complex. The one-size fits all mentality in American education assumes that approved high school curriculum meets all the needs of every student. It is impossible to do this, of course, but neither are educationalists trying to do better. So, students lacking self-discipline, lacking a dream for the future, become quitters. Fact: there is no room for quitters (or whiners) in American society. Quitters live under the overpass and beg for money at the end of the freeway ramp, or they become minor entrepreneurs in the illicit drug business. Some of these become dead at an early age.
We don’t have poor people because of the color of their skin; we have poor people because they are too undisciplined to finish school, and they are stupid. No, not incapable of learning, but rather too stupid to take advantage of free education. Imagine, you’re living in the land of milk and honey, yet living under a bridge and begging for money. THAT is how I define stupid.
The beat doesn't have to go on, but it certainly works out to the advantage of Democrats that it does ...
Mustang,
DeleteEven the worse losers in my family -- and there are a few -- all graduated from high school. Not to do so would have resulted in their being shunned, even by the branches of the family that are not Mennonites or related thereto.
As a result of their managing to get their high school diplomas (and in most cases at least a 2-year college degree), none have ever been on welfare. Not a single one. And not a single one ended up living under the bridge -- not even the druggies.
So, these wayward members of my family might be losers in many respects, but these family members of mine weren't totally stupid.
Auntie Mame said it most succinctly, Mustang.
Delete"Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death."
Meaning they live their lives with BLINDERS firmly put in place by mindless adherence to stupid Traditions, thoughtless, careless, unimaginative Parents, unenlightened, unimaginative, uncaring Teachers, and Bad Influences from TV, the sidewalk and the gutter.
So true. But we have always had low education people. They used to be able to find jobs at local MFG companies. bill clinton sent all those jobs out of the country.
DeletePolitical Ball of Confusion:
ReplyDeleteA months-long effort by Senate Republicans to pass health legislation collapsed early Friday after GOP Senator John McCain joined two of his colleagues to block a stripped-down Obamacare repeal bill.
[...]
The decision by McCain to vote no came after weeks of brinkmanship and after his dramatic return from cancer treatment to cast the 50th vote to start debate on the bill earlier this week. The GOP’s ‘skinny’ repeal bill was defeated 49-51, falling just short of the 50 votes needed to advance it. Republicans Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski also voted against it.
It wasn’t immediately clear what the next steps would be for the Republicans....President Donald Trump blasted the vote: "'3 Republicans and 48 Democrats let the American people down, As I said from the beginning, let ObamaCare implode, then deal. Watch!' he wrote on Twitter at 2:25 am Washington time." .
I don't see any confusion. A bad bill failed to pass.
DeleteBy repealing the mandate it would have raised premiums for older insured and people with families. But they're rolling in disposable income.
Duck,
DeleteThis post is about much more than this morning's failure on Capitol Hill. I queued up this post long before the failure this morning.
But let's talk about the bad bill for a moment....
For election cycle after election cycle and subsequent victory after victory in elections, the GOP was "brave" and voted to repeal, but under the administration of a POTUS who would never sign such a bill into law.
These bureaucrats can't wait to go on vacation -- and without enacting much of anything for which WE THE PEOPLE have been voting, election cycle after election cycle.
Stay put, Congress critters! Do your job!
Govt [non]Health Care is a failure. It's a given. Repeal this evil and go from there. We are beyond easy or free.
Delete;p
ReplyDeleteOne of my former homeschool students from years ago -- long before I started blogging -- was once a hunk. Moreover, this student was a brilliant student! He could have entered any university and pursued any field: language arts, STEM, whatever. He chose to go to West Point and is now an officer in the US Army.
DeleteA few months ago, he "came out" to declare his sex change, which is apparently complete except for the amputation.
His>her photos are freakish and disturbing.
Of course, his>her wife, a real knockout, left him>her and took their little son. During visitation, he>she takes his>her son to LGBTQ marches. SICK!
Now, he>she is worried. If the hormones are not provided to him>her, he>she will have to purchase his>her own. Damn expensive!
Meanwhile, on this creature's FB page, there are supporting comments and hugs all around.
SURREAL!
The world really has changed. There are no longer "stories of the weird." Weird is the new status quo.
" He chose to go to West Point and is now an officer in the US Army."
DeleteWOW, He's (its) still "an officer in the US Army"! Did the Army have to pay for this and will it continue to do so? Yeah, "SURREAL" it is, indeed. So Trump is just a big BULLY for trying to end such madness-we're done!
Jon,
DeleteDid the Army have to pay for this and will it continue to do so?
Yes to both of your questions.
And his commanding officer is fine with this. Very supportive!
He>she entered the process about eight months ago -- very shortly after the June 30, 2016 transgender policy change for the armed forces.
He>she began to wear the women's uniform last April. Makeup, too, of course.
We the taxpayers are paying and will continue to pay for his>her transition unless military policy changes. Hormone supplements are forever! About $50,000/year, I've heard (not verified).
"Makeup, too, of course."
DeleteI suppose that the "taxpayers" will have to pick that up , as well. This while some normal folks that I know are getting jacked around with their legitimate VA benefits as B.O.'s wonderful legacy lives on and on and on......... In the meantime if this he/she really cared a wit about the Military it would resign, forthwith!
Much Madness is divinest Sense ––
DeleteTo a discerning Eye ––
Much Sense ––- the starkest Madness ––
’Tis the Majority
In this, as all, prevail ––
Assent –– and you are sane ––
Demur –– you’re straightway dangerous ––
And handled with a Chain ––
~ Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)
Do you NOT believe that this handsome, brilliant, high-achieving former student could have made the drastic decision for some reason OTHER than sheer CUSSEDNESS?
Do you honestly think any reasonably intelligent person would take such a step for a FRIVOLOUS reason?
Do you believe he is so innately vile, so amoral, so fundamentally INDECENT that he would do this primarily to inflict PAIN on his parents, siblings, wife and child?
Can you not imagine the terrible STRESS he must have felt all his life at always PLAYING A ROLE, because SOCIETY EXPECTED IT of HIM –– the terrible strain of NEVER –– even ONCE –– being able to be HIMSELF –– of ALWAYS wearing a MASK to please others in order to make himself appear acceptable?
I admit this case, as you describe it, is singularly odd, and bound to be disturbing to all who THOUGHT they knew him, but obviously never did. However, what makes ANYONE think he should have a right to DEMAND that another must forever PLAY A ROLE –– engage in a continual MASQUERADE –– a vain PRETENSE –– JUST for the purpose of NOT disturbing those ill-equipped to comprehend a peculiar reality out of their normal experience?
Jesus never used the word, but His words entreat us to develop ever greater amounts of EMPATHY for other human beings –– to make every effort to try to see thngs from THEIR perspective.
Do I IKE Transsexualism? NO! I wish it didn't exist. It would be much more CONVENIENT for the majority if it didn't. BUT I do not believe this is one of those "Inventions dreamt up the Left" designed to upend society and destroy the moral fabric we like to believe holds us together.
As always, THE GOLDEN RULE is the ONLY rule that should apply in magtters of human interrelationships.
FT,
DeleteDo you NOT believe that this handsome, brilliant, high-achieving former student could have made the drastic decision for some reason OTHER than sheer CUSSEDNESS?
His>her reasons are his>her own.
He>she is making a holy show of this. Quite a display! Unseemly -- to say the least. So many selfies!
My view is as follows:
1. He>she should have deleted his>her FB page and gone on with his>her life -- and resigned from the military and assumed his>her medical costs, which will forever run up a helluva bill at taxpayers' expense.
2. I shudder to think what his wife is going through. She's very hurt and humiliated. I can't recall how long they were married: at least eight years, I think.
3. And what of that little boy who sees his daddy is now a woman and accompanies daddy on the LGBTQ marches? The pictures are posted.
FT,
DeleteI do not believe this is one of those "Inventions dreamt up the Left" designed to upend society and destroy the moral fabric we like to believe holds us together.
I disagree to some extent.
I think that transexualism is not dreamt up, but I do think that it is being exploited by the Left.
In the case of my former student, he was quite politically conservative until around the time that he decided to have a sex change operation. Then, voila! Hardcore Left screeds appeared on his FB page. Interesting -- to say the least.
FT,
DeleteScientific FACT:
1. Those who elect to "transition" will have to take hormones for the rest of their lives. Otherwise, they will revert to their biological gender. The final surgery doesn't definitively change their body chemistry. I've read that the cost of the hormone therapy = $50,000.
2. These individuals continue to have the gender DNA with which they were born.
To be clear, I'm not asking anyone to play a role.
DeleteBut I also think that some of what I'm seeing on that particular Facebook page is another kind of role playing.
Now we see a 6' tall woman with an Adam's apple and tons of pancake makeup.
His>her resemblance is a cross between Tom Hanks and Tony Curtis -- in drag. Back in the day, we who knew him in my classes often commented on how much he resembled Hanks and Curtis.
DeleteRemember Tony Curtis in Some Like It Hot? I'm reminded of it when I see my former student's FB page.
"And his commanding officer is fine with this. Very supportive!"
DeleteWell, I'm damn glad that "his" COMMANDER AND CHEIF isn't "supportive"!
Jon,
DeleteAnd he>she has posted on his FB timeline, "Thanks, loves, for being here."
Quite farcical!
Mental illness, IMO.
What's it like to have a comrade in arms who is mentally ill by your side in combat?
...and in the interest of furthered confusion!
ReplyDeleteScientific FACT:
Delete1. Those who elect to "transition" will have to take hormones for the rest of their lives. Otherwise, they will revert to their biological gender. The final surgery doesn't definitively change their body chemistry.
2. These individuals continue to have the gender DNA with which they were born.
Note: those who are born hermaphrodites are unique cases, so I'm not sure how the above applies to those anomalies.
Abnormal combinations of sex chromosomes (XXY, XYY, XXYY etc.) are rare, but not very rare -- somewhere between 0.1% and 1%. Most likely we'll all have met some.
DeleteJez,
DeleteOne at a shopping mall in 1973 and another at a freak show.
PS: The local case here was quite famous. Blue Cross Blue Shield paid in full for the sex change (woman to man) as the case was deemed medically necessary and not an elective surgery.
DeleteMedically necessary? Seriously?
DeleteWe must ALL have sex change operations! Why? Because we can...
Delete;P
DeleteIs there any discernible difference between a Shopping Mall and a Freak Show these days?
DeleteLeftist "activism" has turned the entire (formerly) civilized world into on gigantic Freak Show.
The relentless campaign by the moguls of the ENEMEDIA, COMMITTED INTERNATIONALISTS, AGGRESSIVE ATHEISTS and DISAFFECTED MALCONTENTS to define Deviancy down and elevate Abnormality, Immorality, Perversion. Dysfunction, and Depravity to formerly undreamed of heights has been spectacularly successful.
In abandoning God, we have effectively embraced the Devil.
Disbelieve that at your peril.
At the root of the Transexual Phenomenon –– a FAD really –– is the Left's passionate insistence that there is a MATERIAL (chemical, physical, medcal, pecuniary) SOLUTION to all human problems, when in fact the cause of maladies such as dysfunction, maladjustment, addiction, deep dissatisfaction, apathy, depression, etc., is SPIRITUAL and PSYCHOLOGICAL in origin.
DeleteWithout a firm grounding in moral, religious –– and yes aesthetic –– values we are most apt to live ur lives like little lost sheep –– defenseless prey in the Jungle of Life.
Embrace pluralism!
DeleteBill Chackspur said
Delete"Theres nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."
I sad that a long time ago in Hamlet, Act 2, scene 2. Go look it up, if you don't believe me.
Beantown AntiFacist,
DeleteAbout your video link @ July 28, 2017 at 12:57:00 PM EDT:
Time warp!
Beantown,
DeleteThe title of your pluralism link:
Acceptance of Polygamy Is at a Record High, and TV Might Explain Why: 'Sister Wives' could be tied to why more people are OK with a multiple-spouse lifestyle...
I've noticed the agenda!
How many of you believe that more and more transgenders will join up simply FOR the taxpayer to pay for their operation and medications?
ReplyDeleteWho could deny that wouldn't happen?
Z,
DeleteI think so. Why wouldn't they do so? These surgeries cost at least $100,000.
An interesting point was brought up to me recently...someone said they saw a couple of soldiers who've served with transgenders now...they said all that person loved to do was find somewhere to see his/her reflection. We need to remember this is extremely important to people confused about their sexuality..it's a lot of "how do I LOOK?" And our soldiers should be feeling their buddies are focused on "How can I help us stay ALIVE?" This might sound like an exaggeration regarding vanity, but...really? I think there was some merit to this argument. It couldn't be proven, of course, but...it made sense.
ReplyDeleteZ,
Deleteall that person loved to do was find somewhere to see his/her reflection
I've noticed that about my former student!
He>she is now "comfortable" posting selfie after selfie -- to many friends' accolades, of course.
I've never before seen so much discussion of hair styles and makeup. Well, except on the FB pages of "teeny boppers." Sheesh.
I do wonder how my former student explains all this to his son, who is under the age of 7.
I hate to say this but a friend of mine has a transgender friend and it isn't a pretty picture like we're led to believe by Jenner, etc... She said her friend looks like Frankenstein with a wig on. Mean, isn't it? And she didn't mean it to be unkind, it's just that this guy had big bones, very tall, very mannish...and the women's hair did NOT enhance it.
Delete"I do wonder how my former student explains all this to his son"
DeleteProbably along the lines of "daddy feels more comfortable presenting as a woman now. I still love you." Then I expect they talk about him.
Z,
DeleteShe said her friend looks like Frankenstein with a wig on.
I know exactly what you mean. Creepy.
@Z,
ReplyDelete"And our soldiers should be feeling their buddies are focused on "How can I help us stay ALIVE?"
ABSOUTELY and this issue certainly has a bearing on recruitment and retention, as well.
GOod point, JMB...you're right. I felt terrible about that article saying military women are being told basically that they'll be showering with men now. "Suck it up...you have no choice" We are one freakin' SICK PUPPY NATION thanks to leftwing idiocy of redoing human nature. damn
DeleteThanks for the h/t AOW. It is a facet of the bigger picture. Meaning that we all are being played decade after decade. 'Vote for me and I'll set you free' 'More taxes will solve everything'. It would be helpful if most people realized that.
ReplyDeleteBut they won't. Human nature. It is also how the stock market steals most people's money - thru short term emotion and misdirection.
Mind bender: Many trans men prefer to keep their reproductive organs and become pregnant!
ReplyDeleteAOW, Point to anything in the Amazon search list and somebody wants to sleep with it. I'll spare you the youtube links.
DeleteMy view quite succinctly: if one looks into the mirror and sees a set of genitalia, then identifies as the opposite sex, that person is mentally ill -- somewhat along the lines of what happens to an anorexic, who, although very thin, lookx into the mirror and sees a fat person. Anorexia is classified as a disorder in DSM V.
ReplyDeleteOReven worse...along the lines of schizophrenia (inability to recognize reality).
At the White House in 2015, one year before the U.S. military transgender ban was lifted on June 30, 2016:
ReplyDeleteOut Transgender Airman, In Male Uniform, Attends White House Pride Reception.
Logan Ireland, a transgender (woman>man) and Laila Villanueva (man>woman) married about a hear ago. See Facebook page Laila & Logan Ireland (public figures).
Short video:
ReplyDeletePresident of the American College of Pediatricians is concerned transgender ideology has infiltrated her field and is producing large-scale child abuse. She tells Tucker why.
Yes, child abuse!
It is mind bending how parents are allowed to have gender reassignment surgery on someone barely able to pick what effing candy bar they want right now.
DeleteKid,
DeleteIndeed.
In some circles, it seems to be a status symbol to tell others in the group that one has a child with "gender issues."
First paragraph from a WaPo opinion piece dated, July 27, 2017: The quest to prove collusion is crumbling (by Ed Rogers):
ReplyDeleteWhile everyone is fixated on President Trump’s unbecoming and inexplicable assault on Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the media has been trying to sneak away from the “Russian collusion” story. That’s right. For all the breathless hype, the on-air furrowed brows and the not-so-veiled hopes that this could be Watergate, Jared Kushner’s statement and testimony before Congress have made Democrats and many in the media come to the realization that the collusion they were counting on just isn’t there.
Read the rest at the link. Worth your time!
One more sentence from that essay:
DeleteMuch to the dismay of Trump’s haters, Kushner’s account of events even further proves just how far the media has stretched the collusion story.
Saw a blurb that Sessions might get moved to head of DHS. Kelly's old spot. That would save face for Sessions and maybe get the kind of hard charging AG Trump wants.
DeleteKid,
DeleteIf that is the case, I wonder how the hard charging AG might be?
Giuliani?
Christie?
Guiliani originally said he didn't want the job. Christie is damaged imo. Someone else. How about former sheriff Arpiao?
ReplyDeleteCould Arpaio make it through the Senate's approval process?
DeleteHis age would be against him IMO. He's 85.
Also, he lacks a JD.
Dunno :)
DeleteArpiao would have the added benefit of setting the libtard brains on fire.
ReplyDeleteChristine Jorgensen's Ghost said
ReplyDelete__ Ma cri de coeur __
My hiney is so tiny
It makes a lousy 'giny.
The government should pay me
To alter me and spay me,
So I can then enjoy a whirl
Pretending I was born a girl.
Though my teats be made of plastic,
My new 'giny's quite elastic,
I hope this change so drastic
Will prove to be fantastic.
And a real man will unfurl
His sword, and pierce this girl!
~ Christine Jorgensen
Christine: Can I have your phone number?
DeleteDeanna Dirtbin said
DeleteWHAT ARE YOU - some kind PREVOIT or something? You like doin' it wth dead bodies?
GEDDOUDAHERE! They ought to lock you up in the funny farm.