Category: Politics

The State of the Union Address

America, Government, Headlines, History, Media, Morality, Politics, Reason, Society & Culture, Values

I admit. I didn’t watch it. I am so disgusted by the continuing marionette show I prefered to simply review the commentary afterwards. Others far more informed than I have already pointed out all the lies and distortions that spewed forth from the mouth of the puppet-in-chief. I’m going to, rather, address the peripheral question as to whether the GOP over-reacted and/or inappropriately reacted to the deliberate, pre-meditated misrepresentations and accusations hurled at them. Should they have sat quietly shaking their heads as Kevin McCarthy did, or should they have stood and yelled, “liar”, as Marjorie Taylor Greene did?

I’ve listened to both sides of the argument. Some on the Right say that not only was it uncharacteristic of members to shout out their opposition, but unseemly at best, rude and obnoxious at worst. They suggest that having done so, the GOP descended into the mud pit and acted no better than the Democrats. “Take the high road” has more often than not been the admonition of the Right.

What good has taking the high road done? I’m all for nobility and decorum, but when your opposition elevates their game from name-calling to defamation, censorship and character assassination (not to mention threat of REAL assassination – e.g. Kavanaugh), i.e. nonsensical speech to verbal kinetics, and has destroyed all means of civil undertakings to oppose him, the decision has to be made whether to take off the gloves and fight back, or not. The Democrats have so destroyed the principles by which we as a nation have governed ourselves for over three hundred years, so twisted and perverted the vocabulary, the rules of engagement, our history, even FACTS, that we have no choice, really, but to fight fire with fire.

This does not mean that we should simply resort to the kind of perverted antics so cherished by the Alinsky/Cloward and Piven brainwashed Left. Throwing the BS flag onto the floor of the House as was done during the SOTU isn’t a duplication of their style. Rather, it was a transparent, for-all-the-world-to-see return of fire akin (but more honest) to the ripping up of Trumps SOTU speech by Pelosi.

While some on the Right have argued that we gave the MSM a golden opportunity to castigate us further, I could almost hear the unified voices of the Traditionalists and Conservatives in America joining MTG, in unison!

Just as the Chinese push and push to see how far they can go, what our limits are, the Democrats have pushed and pushed to determine how far THEY can go. And once our limit is reached, and we push back, they cry, “See, you’re pigs and fascists and racists and anti-democracy and insurrectionists and threats to America.”

This is projection of the first order! Their banal vituperations are so childish, so outlandish, so petulant, so descriptive of precisely what THEY are and what THEY do, it would be laughable if it were not so destructive.

Shouting “liar” may be rude, but it’s factual, and for many brain-addled, MSNBC/CNN/NBC/CBS/ABC-watching Americans, it’s the first time they’ve ever seen any opposition to the BS spewing forth from their “leaders”.  The MSM has so distorted and censored the truth, they have created an alternative reality that millions of our fellow Americans actually believe! They are shocked to see the Right stand and call “BS”. They are puzzled when the MSM is forced (follow the money!) to cover the Democrats’ patently obvious treachery and deceit, their attempts to hide their failures and the results of their destructive policies and actions.

Is vocal opposition such as that witnessed during the SOTU enough to turn the tide? Does it help push the pendulum back? Will the probes by Comer and Jordan and the continuing exposure by what remains of conservative media start to repair the damage done to the hearts and minds of so many Americans who have fallen for the Leftist “alternative reality”?

I fear not. As good as it felt to hear someone voice what I would have said in the House chamber that night, it’s all talk. Until the GOP uses its power to halt the idiocracy created by the Democrats, until it garners and uses every tool at its disposal to pierce the dark fog of BS with which the Democrats have filled the airwaves, until more MTG’s, Gaetz’s Jordans, Kennedys, etc. create enough headlines with truth bombs to get the lemmings to break from their rush to the precipice, we will continue to simply hurl invectives at one another and continue sliding down the slippery slope.

As I have come to conclude, it’s going to take something monumental to wake America up. Not a balloon, not the Hunter laptop, not yelling “liar”. Something truly nasty may need to happen that will cause us to apply chemotherapy combined with radiation to kill the cancer that has metastasized. The Democrats have skillfully exploited the ratchet effect to incrementally destroy our values, our principles, our country.

We need to strip the ratchet.

On The House Speaker Circus

America, Government, Headlines, Politics

I watched Hannity last night excoriate Lauren Boebert, referring to the sixth failed Kevin McCarthy vote, endlessly repeating “It’s 200 to 20”! No Sean. It’s 0 for 6! The issue isn’t whether there are more votes for McCarthy than against him. The issue is binary: either he has sufficient votes or he doesn’t. If he doesn’t, an alternative is needed.

I come down on the side of the rebels in this clash. If the Republican Party doesn’t change its leadership, strategy and tactics, it will continue to fail to take back the country, drain the swamp and prevail against the Leftist onslaught.

One of the phrases I keep hearing about Kevin McCarthy is: “He’s done the work. He’s raised the money. He’s recruited good candidates.”

THAT’S THE PROBLEM! THE REPUBLICANS RAISE MONEY AND RECRUIT CANDIDATES. THE DEMOCRATS ARE FIGHTING A WAR, COLLECTIVELY, FOR THEIR PRINCIPLES, WRONG AS THEY MAY BE! There’s a huge difference in approach to governing!

As I’ve noted previously, our Speaker doesn’t have to be, nor should he or she be, another Nancy Pelosi. Couldn’t happen anyway – Republicans wouldn’t follow a demagogue or someone as corrupt as she was/is.

Our Speaker must do more, however, than eat rubber chicken, raise money and recruit candidates who will kowtow to “Leadership’s” diktats. Our Speaker needs to FIGHT, INSPIRE, MOTIVATE, LEAD, not just espouse, but TEACH and PROMOTE conservative principles (as Reagan did!). He or she needs to do more than just talk. The GOP Speaker needs to rally the Silent Majority who overwhelmingly support the conservative agenda and PUSH that agenda. And at the moment, while Biden controls the Senate and Executive Office, the Speaker needs to BLOCK, TACKLE and CLIP the Democrat agenda at every opportunity.

Kevin McCarthy lacks the most important of the necessary leadership qualities: the ability to inspire and motivate! He is, in fact, an archetype of the Old Guard (a.k.a. Swamp)!

I could be wrong on this, but isn’t is just possible that the Rebel 20 opposition to McCarthy is based on a sincere desire to change the way the GOP does business in Washington? Could it be that while they may not have a specific “hero/heroine” in mind as an alternative, that first they have to win the argument that electing McCarthy won’t help us win but set us back further? Could there be personal antipathies and hidden agendas, yes, but fundamentally, is what the Rebel 20 are saying, “This is our chance to change how the GOP will fight Leftism in the Future, and it begins on this hill.”?

Some pretty terrible labels are being attached to the Rebel 20: “terrorists”, “obstructionists”, narcissists, etc.

I, on the other hand, think they’re behaving the way they are because they fundamentally recognize the following:

Republicans are ill-equipped to take back the country, drain the swamp and fight the Left. If we don’t change, we’ll continue to atrophy and die.

The Left, lemmings and brain-addled followers that they are, coalesce whenever the music comes up and they “feel” righteous in their pursuit of the “Can’t we all get along” utopia they dream about. Like proper sheep, they follow the demagogue leaders who have written and pronounced the words of the hymns. No original thought. No concern for what’s best for America. Concern only for power and money, and I might add, celebrity.

Republicans, on the other hand, are the inheritors and keepers of the rugged individualism that built this country. They are skeptical, thinking, opinionated but generally more altruistic and freedom-loving, self-reliant, subscribe to the notion that “government isn’t the solution, it’s the problem”, and are unwilling-to-be-dominated and refuse to be told what to think or do.

So, with those solid principles in their ideology, of course they’re opposed to Kevin McCarthy’s business-as-usual approach to leadership!

Let it play out.

They Are Going To Try To Crucify DeSantis

Headlines, Politics

Back on September 22nd I gave my two cents on whether Trump or DeSantis ought to be the GOP nominee for 2024. Long story short, I recommended Trump be the standard bearer, and I still feel that way notwithstanding his faults. Here’s why…

Trump has been so vilified, so investigated, so assaulted, he has achieved “victim” status even in the minds of progressives who sense the Left has gone too far. It is a given that now he’s declared his candidacy, the opporesearchers and fake news will continue to work overtime to try to disqualify him from running. But they have little to nothing left to go on. The Merrick Garland special counsel/prosecutor is just so much political flak, and everyone knows it. Now that Trump has been restored to Twitter, he’ll be better able to counter the inevitable BS that will be thrown out there by the MSM and social-media-sphere. As a result, he’s got a certain degree of teflon layered on himself.

DeSantis, on the other hand, is fresh meat for the Left. If he declares, the next two years will consist of endless attempts to discredit him and bring him down. 99% of it will be horse#$%^, but the wear and tear, the debilitating effects of having to fend off the BS, the damage to the GOP as the circular firing squad does the Left’s work for them and gives the MSM tons of material with which to work, will make it difficult for ANY GOP candidate to win.

My preferred/suggested alternative is for DeSantis, who is young, to stay on as Governor of Florida, and let less popular candidates flay at Trump in the Primary. Sitting on the sidelines, supporting Trump’s POLICIES, and continuing to do a good job in Florida, more options open up for him:

If Trump implodes, even as late as Spring of 2024, DeSantis can always be called up from the bench in the 8th inning.

If Trump gets elected, and DeSantis hasn’t opposed him in a primary, he can be drafted to serve in a senior Cabinet position or in some other prominent Administration capacity either right away or in 2026 when his term as Governor expires. There he can be groomed for 2028.

If Trump somehow loses, DeSantis will still have his crown and can serve as the de facto leader of the Right and the GOP, and when termed out as Governor in 2026, can then occupy himself with running for the Presidency in 2028.

In short, Trump is still the GOP’s best bet to win in 2024 so long as there is, in fact, no truth to malfeasance or illegality in his former administration and so long as he can win back soccer moms and at least SOME of the Gen Z’rs who are only now beginning to feel the effects of real life, i.e. consequences for being snowflakes and mega-entitled. If he and his team can introduce some tough love on them but in a way that makes celebrities and heroes out of those who face real-life and thrive (not an easy task, but possible with the right marketing), he could defeat even the most propped up, straight-from-central-casting Leftist candidate like Gavin Newsome.

It’s going to be a long two years.

Keep your seat belts fastened.

Finally!

America, Elections, Government, Headlines, Media, Politics, Reason, Society & Culture

It was ugly, but we’ll take the win. My worst case scenario materialized – we took the House but not the Senate. Blame can be placed wherever you want. Firing Nancy Pelosi and being able to block the Biden administration idiocy and masochism was a critical precedent for climbing back up the slippery slope.

Trump running? If, and that’s a huge if, he can stay on message and not revert to his childish name-calling and belittling tactics, he just might, and it’s a tough bet, win over enough independents to win in 2024. Some big if’s there. More likely, everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, is tired of the antics, the self-aggrandizement, the narcissism, the self-promotion. If he’d just act his age instead of like a schoolyard bully who put on a clean shirt to run for student body president, we have a shot at winning it all in 2024. But if the Dems recruit Tulsi Gabbard or Joe Manchin or some similarly popular and populist figure, Trump will go down in flames.

As much as we’d like to think that performance record is the determining factor in how people pull the lever on election day, it ain’t! This election proved that. How on earth could the Red Wave not have materialized given the Left’s performance record?

They won because of OTHER factors: visceral factors; clever marketing and merchandising; good production values in the pro and con messaging, and, of course, exploitation of the rule changes, habitual and proven cheating methods and above all, the hundreds of millions of dollars of free propaganda supplied by the main stream media.

That Lurch (Fetterman) could have won in Pennsylvania, or pre-adolescent Hobbs in Arizona, is testament to the gullibility of the masses and the ability of the MSM to manipulate perception, thus reality.

So on we go. If this next House doesn’t get its act together and learn how to fight, how to use their newly acquired power to stymie the Left’s agenda and fully expose, prosecute and perp-walk their rampant corruption, the pendulum will swing back to the dark side ever more powerfully next time.

You can’t win by pointing out the other guy’s a fool. You have to beat him at his own game, and if you’re not fighting on your chosen ground but his, i.e. on a field occupied by dumbed-down, dependent losers, you have to be a better Santa Claus. Parents have the hardest time teaching their children right and wrong. The GOP are the adult parents, and the Democrat Left are, predominantly, the immature, dysfunctional, self-absorbed and prodigal children.

Time for some tough love. I hope McCarthy and the GOP can apply it.

Trump Has Finally Pissed ME Off

Elections, Politics

Ron Desanctimonious???? There was no call for that obnoxious remark. Even if Ron decides to run against him, for the obvious frontrunner to denigrate a fellow Republican like that at this point in the cycle is not only uncalled for, but about as low-class and vicious as a New York real estate thug can get. Don Jr., Eric…you have simply got to get hold of your Dad. Putting down the rabid leftists like Hillary, Biden, etc. is one thing. Ripping on a friendly rival and potentially HUGE ally is simply dumb! Just look at the immediate reaction of people like me! I’m willing to accept idiosyncrasies, showmanship, grandstanding, narcissism and a lot of other human peccadillos, but bowing to the Left’s antics to split and turn the Republican Party into a circular firing squad is falling right into their trap. CHAOS is their recipe for preserving and increasing power, and Trump has played right into it. Give me the chance and I’d tell it to his face. He has simply got to put a skid-chain on his tongue and grow up from being a playground bully to an inspiring, statesmanlike leader. I hoped and prayed it was happening. With this comment he’s taken many steps back.

The Darkness Before The Dawn

Elections, Faith, Politics, Reason

If you don’t feel a dark cloud hovering over our nation, a sense of impending doom, a sick feeling in your stomach, then you haven’t shopped at a grocery store recently, heard what our kids are being taught, don’t believe the crime you see on tv is real, think mounted border patrol agents whip illegal aliens with their reins, think Biden and Fetterman are just fine mentally and ideologically. It is indeed dark out there. The election is only three weeks away. The air is saturated with, frankly, political BS.

But here’s a suggestion for those of us who actually use our brains to weigh evidence, rationally examine behavior and rhetoric, think vs. feel. What I’m about to suggest is radical…

The information coming at us CANNOT BE TRUSTED. Sure there’s truth in there somewhere, but there is so much BS in the information stream that truth is obscured or colored so as to be unrecognizable. What’s RIGHT is also confused by virtue of conservatives being pitted against conservatives: GOP Republicans against MAGA supporters, the Republican Swamp dwellers against America First Reformists, etc.

Set it ALL aside. I propose we ignore ALL of the BS and reach deep within ourselves to determine which way to vote for ourselves, our families and our Republic. Stop trying to weigh facts, pseudofacts, information and misinformation to arrive at rational decisions. Here’s my radical suggestion:

ABANDON REASON AND GO WITH YOUR GUT!

Bet you never thought I’d suggest something like that huh?

But my argument is simple…the Democrats/Leftists have achieved what they wanted to achieve: they have so infected our institutions with socialist/communist/leftist/totalitarian/self-destructive ideology, so indoctrinated our children and the weak-minded among adults, so co-opted the Media and obtained its support that they have attained their overriding goal: CHAOS. No amount of rational thinking and healthy skepticism can sort it all out. Attempting to brings one to exhaustion and potentially, despair.

So go with your gut. Deep within all of us, call it what you will: Conscience, Holy Spirit, Innate Goodness of Man, Divine Spark…we KNOW what is right, and IMHO (in my humble opinion) I will forever assert that

RIGHT is right!

Ignore the peccadillos, real or imagined, of the candidates. Ignore the tabloid headlines. Ignore whatever October Surprises materialize over the next few weeks. Go with your gut!

And don’t fight the brainwashed, some would say idiots, on the Left. Turn the other cheek and invite them into the tent of those who would preserve traditional norms of Good. While you may see that some members of the Republican party are hypocrites, two-faced, driven by power and money rather than altruism and devotion to our country, please, please, please don’t stay home in defiance and rejection. If you have to swallow hard and clench your teeth, vote Republican. An abstention is a vote for the other side, a vote for what is truly destructive and downright evil.

If we don’t take back power, even if it’s in the hands of leaders we may not like, i.e. McConnell and McCarthy, the only way we can turn this country around is to first STOP the insanity, and that can only be done by winning and holding the majority in both houses of Congress. Then, with WHOMEVER, we must win the White House in 2024, or, barring that, add to our majorities to achieve a veto-proof amalgamation of power, then push and pass, steamroll if we must, legislation to REVERSE the insanity and restore America to what it should be, what it needs to be to walk back the entire world from the precipice it is currently on.

Go with your gut.

On The Subject Of Election Integrity

Elections, Government, Headlines, Politics

As we approach November 8th, I continue to encounter friends and acquaintances on the Right who want to just “move on” from the 2020 Election. They argue that to echo Trump on the subject is counterproductive. They argue that not moving on constitutes relitigating the election and proves we’re sore losers. They argue that the ‘stolen’ argument is self-defeating as it plays into the left narrative. The suggestion is that it would be more productive to highlight what influences tipped the scales in Biden’s favor. I reproduce here below two of my responses to these arguments.

“The problem is the 2020 Election WAS NEVER LITIGATED! If we don’t expose what happened and refute the truly false narrative that it WAS legitimate we’ll never have another honest election in our country. To continue exposing the fraud and cheating that got Biden his 81 million votes isn’t being a sore loser, it’s being righteously indignant and protective of freedom, our constitutional republic and not allowing the leftist cancer to win. The tide is turning, the Silent Majority is starting to speak up, there is an opportunity to restore a modicum of honesty and integrity to our country and government, but not if we allow the BS in our elections to stand. We are fighting a foe that will stop at nothing for power and money and taking the high road and trying to be gentlemanly and “moving on” is precisely what they’re counting on. No, we must not let them get away with this again. The only way we could possibly lose this November in both the House and Senate is through more of the same kind of fraud and shenanigans as they foisted on everyone in 2020. If we don’t have drop box tail gate parties to prevent ballot stuffing, legions of lawyers standing over the vote counters, legislators willing to challenge the unconstitutional (both federal and state) violations of voting laws, and computer counting systems proven to be un-hackable, they will do it again, and God help us if the Dems remain in power through 2023 and beyond! We really can’t take much more of their brand of “progress” can we?”

And in response to the notion that to pursue 2020 is self-defeating and that we should focus on righting the tipped scales I responded:

“My big problem with “moving on” is that to do so is to allow the scales to remain tipped. I concede that Trump beating this theme continuously is not helpful for either him, the MAGA/America First Movement, the GOP or the country. He is not the right spokesperson to address this fundamental problem nor are Mike Lindell or any of the other champions of the ‘stolen election’ assertion.

 The reason I’m exercised about this topic this week is that Ginni Thomas, no publicity hound, had the courage to reiterate her contention that the election was stolen/rigged/whatever and that it needed to be thoroughly investigated and essentially, that we should NOT just “move on”. I agree. What I would like to see is some respected jurist like Clarence Thomas (or, preferably, John Roberts or several of the jurors) say, “We’ve got to get to the bottom of this” so the whole process gets cleaned up. Same day voting, paper ballots, proof of citizenship before registration, voter ID, legitimate monitoring of the vote count, consequences for violating state election laws, real penalties/perp walks for cheaters and the operatives behind them (those with “plausible deniability” for implementing the cheating schemes) and cleaned up voter rolls…Sounds like a tall order, but by already letting 2020 slide as much as we as a nation have, this November is going to be a s-show irrespective of the outcome. In my opinion, not resolving the problem of election integrity is the greatest threat to our republic, not all the crap the media and politicians grouse about. If our elections are honest and Millennials, Gen Y and Gen Z want to vote in all the leftist idiocy so be it…it’s their world and they can have it. But to stand by and allow a handful of evil, power-hungry and greedy politicians, oligarchs and technocrats permanently control our lives as they’re doing now on into the future without a fight is a bridge too far. I don’t have much time left on this planet but election integrity is, in my opinion, the hill to die on.”

So for those of you who have asked why I keep pounding on the 2020 Election thing, the above explains my position.

Trump Vs. DeSantis

Politics

The speculation, the anticipation, the prognostication, the betting is all well underway. What will the 2024 ticket look like? Here are my two cents.

In my opinion, Trump running and DeSantis staying as Governor of Florida then being “anointed” in 2028 is the best scenario. Here is my reasoning.

Trump has been so accosted, character-assassinated, put through the ringer and maligned, with the Dems throwing everything at him, with his Teflon holding fast, he can do a grand “I told you so” and pick up where he left off, except with a sharper saber applied to the Swamp. While he is nowhere near the leader/statesman who SHOULD be in the Oval Office, he is the proven street fighter who will not shrink from the fight, is beholden to no-one and will be able to do the most good for the country of any GOP candidate.

Were DeSantis to be the nominee, he would be crucified and doesn’t have the wealth and may not have sufficient armor to withstand the inevitable onslaught from the Left. The attacks will be even more relentless than they were against Trump, and the painful turning of hearts and minds away from the Leftist BS to get independents to support DeSantis will become difficult.

Trump would have no problem with his base, and RINO’s will swallow hard and pull the lever for him against a Biden (choke), Harris (barf) or straight from central casting Newsome. And just tolerate or hate Trump, the Right realizes if they stay home that’s tantamount to letting the country continue on its road to hell. Friends of mine who indeed, HATE Trump, understand this, and even if their choice is between two evils, there is no question in their minds that the greater evil is the Democrat Left.

With Trump in the White House and men like Abbott and DeSantis on his flanks, not to mention the stalwarts in the press/media and politicians who have stuck by him throughout the RINO transformation/distancing that has occurred since 2020, Trump would have an unparalleled opportunity to not just halt the demise of our nation, but start what will be the difficult, long term challenge of putting it back on its feet.

What do I think WILL happen? I don’t pay attention to ANY of the polls. I don’t care what the pundits say. I don’t have my finger on the pulse of every generation, just my own, but with enough idiocy manifested by the Democrats, in the absence of any cataclysmic event like the onset of WWIII, in which case all bets are off…I think America at its core knows BS when it sees it, and the Dems have not just overplayed their hand, but may have permanently shot their utopian fantasy/perpetual power dream in the private parts.

We can only hope and pray.

Devolution

America, Government, Headlines, Politics, World Affairs

A friend of mine penned an email to me the other day that articulately summarizes the state not just of our nation but of the world. I reproduce it here in full (italics mine).

“Peter Zeihan (author of ‘The End of the World Is Just The Beginning’, a recommended read!) says that the world we knew in 2019 is gone and the post-Covid era will never be the same. Globalism, and the network of supply chains created in the past 50 years is fragmenting and will inevitably devolve into regional cooperatives of countries vying for fertilizers, food production, fuel, and the basics necessary to underpin civilized communities. Areas like Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia that have little or no food production and fuel sources may become hotbeds of civil unrest, starvation, and mass migration. And maybe that’s the best case.

Here, as inflation gets progressively worse and the costs of living and surviving get worse, it will undoubtedly lead to a greater chasm between rich and poor. We, too, may see civil unrest, for different reasons than those on the African or Asian continents, but unrest and lawlessness nonetheless. If the U.S. was the glue that held the world in check since WWII, the consequences of it turning inward to heal itself, may prove devastating for the world at large. I see this situation as self-inflicted by senseless policies, a government detached from reality, and priorities like climate change, that are divorced from the urgencies of today’s fragmenting world.

In all of this Biden and the Leftists dither in the world of gender pronouns and social justice while Rome burns. However, unlike Emperors before him, none now are held to account, and are destined to repeat the mistakes of the past. They never learn, or don’t want to learn.

I cannot believe the world we are in today; it’s the Upside Down and it is surely producing a generation of young that have a weak anchor to what is right or reasoned. Products of their time? Let’s hope not for all our sakes.”

Well put John, and scary as hell for anyone willing to pay attention!

PS, a follow up from John…

“I hope that my words did not come across simply as an intellectual, geopolitical treatise. I am profoundly concerned, and alarmed, at the state of the world, no…let me say, at the coming state of the world. We are silently going down the rabbit hole and most are not aware of how bad it can become… …I know that most people today are too lost in “The Bachelor” or “The View” to sense how the world is devolving. We have never experienced chaos, but I am starting to feel its potential in the air.

The U.S. must not, and can not, for all the reasons I just wrote about, throw aside the mantle of leadership, or my worst fears may be realized and the world turn in upon itself. Where are those few good men?”

Couldn’t agree more, particularly with respect to the fact that most people today “are too lost in the “The Bachelor” or “The View” to sense how the world is devolving.”

Rest In Peace Queen Elizabeth

Family, Headlines, History, Politics, Society & Culture, Values

Writers far more articulate than I are crafting tributes and condolences which pour in from across the globe. Flower bouquets are piling up at the gates of Balmoral and at Buckingham Palace. Years from now the question will be asked, “Where were you when the Queen died?” Momentous events etch indelible images and circumstances in our minds. We can all recall where we were on 9-11. Those of us who were around will recall where we were when Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon.

What can I add?

She was many things, but I would characterize the life of Queen Elizabeth as the embodiment of Traditionalism. She was its archetype. While talking heads will continue the debate as to whether a monarchy, even a constitutional one, is or is not an anachronism, the fact that in 2022 it exists and is still much revered is testament to what I believe is a human longing for the Traditional.

“Modern”, “Post-Modern”, “Contemporary” and the repulsive “Progressive” are all synonyms for what I might call “Anti-Traditionalism”. I spend most of my time and writing excoriating the values and behaviors of those to whom these labels can be applied so I won’t do so here.

I have long argued, on the other hand, that there are principles, values and human norms or standards that transcend all periods of time, all epochs, all generations. They are immutable and exist whether or not they are acknowledged by some or all of the world’s population. Some are couched in religious terms. Some in political. Some in sociological.

Among these are acknowledgment that irrespective of our circumstances every human being has worth, has inalienable rights, has a soul and free will. Honor and respect for the family, meritocracy, diligent work ethics, absolute values of right and wrong, honesty in business practices, wholesomeness in leadership, respect for authority, moderation rather than excess, self-responsibility, charity, trustworthiness, loyalty, helpfulness, friendliness, courteousness, kindness and above all, reverence.

Think of Queen Elizabeth II in these terms and you will realize she exuded ALL of them!

By way of contrast, try to apply these terms to the political class and wealthy elites, the so-called “leaders” of today.

Ok, you can stop now…you won’t find too many examples of them being exhibited, especially by Leftists and the majority of Democrats but also too many on the Right. You certainly won’t find the whole array in any one person.

Queen Elizabeth was the exception. She manifested them ALL, every day, in every place, in virtually every circumstance.

The so-called “leaders” of today all occupy space on the world stage due to their positions. Yes she was a Queen, but she took up the whole stage because of who she WAS, not because of her office. The only leader in my lifetime who exhibited anything close to her in terms of allegiance to Traditional values was Ronald Reagan.

Queen Elizabeth’s entire life was and will always be a monument to Tradition, to what in my judgment are the values and principles which when espoused and practiced by mankind have resulted in the greatest good for the greatest number of people. She lived it with dignity, with class, with noblesse oblige, with grace and with honor. Kudos is due her, as are praise, gratitude and the utmost respect for her contribution to the human story.

Rest in peace Elizabeth and may God bless your family at this painful time.

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