Stop Pulling the Wagon

JUST TO BE CLEAR.  

I WILL SPELL THIS OUT IN BOLD CAPITAL LETTERS.  

I DO NOT WANT TO BE TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT OR MISREAD.  

I BELIEVE THAT SLAVERY HAS ALWAYS BEEN WRONG, IS WRONG AND WILL ALWAYS BE WRONG.  

HUMANS WERE NOT MEANT BY THEIR CREATOR TO LIVE IN SLAVERY.  

I ALSO BELIEVE THAT RACISM IN ALL ITS FORMS IS NOT ONLY WRONG BUT IS STUPID AND THOSE WHO PRACTICE IT CHEAT THEMSELVES OUT OF THE RICHNESS OF OUR COLLECTIVE DIVERSITY.  

PERIOD!

Having said the above I am witnessing in our media and on our streets a form of mass hysteria and hate.  It scares me in the sense that I can see it ripping our society apart. I hear and read about “non-negotiable” demands to erase and tear down any relics of real or imagined links to slavery in our nation.  

It seems that anyone with any cultural, racial or historical ties to slavery by any association or relationship in any way, is marked for removal from the annals of  our nations heritage.

The other day it was announced that ESPN removed a Sportscaster from the commentary at a Sporting event because the man, who had an Asian background, shared the same name as a Confederate General.

Let me share something with you.  I have a 60+ year fascination with history.  

But, don’t take my word for it, study for yourself.  When you study you will find that, take a deep breath, slavery in various forms was practiced by: The Carthaginians, the Romans, The Greeks, The Persians (Iranians), The Babylonians, The Chinese, The Mongols, The Huns (Europeans), England, The Vikings, The Russians, Southern Asian Peoples (including India), Egyptians, Middle Eastern and North African Islamic States, Native Americans (North, Central and South America), The People, Tribes and Nations of Central and South Africa.  Also, many Island Nations including Japan. And, I have probably missed naming a few.

Also keep in mind that the horror of slavery is still practiced in parts of the world.

I could be wrong but the only Continent that I am aware of that has no history of slavery in some part or way is Antarctica.  So, if you can firmly establish that all of your ancestors were Native Antarcticans you are stain free. Otherwise, join the rest of us in the cesspool.  

Virtually all of us have a skeleton or two in our closet if we want to dig a little and drag them out.  

If it is decided to eradicate all statues, memorials, hospitals, schools, parks, highways, malls, airports, landmarks etc. etc. etc. with the names of anybody who has any ties in history to slavery, racism, a now despised group or family heirloom associated with such, you are going to be very busy.

Just one example:  Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia. Besides being a Senator, he was a former Grand Wizard in the Ku Klux Klan.  I have heard an estimate, probably exaggerated, that perhaps half the airports, schools, hospitals, parks, highways etc. in the State of West Virginia are named after him.  You are going to need a lot of shovels, backhoes, “whitewash” and other equipment to eradicate his name and memory from the state.

But not to pick on just the Senator.  Many, most or all of our great leaders, as well as us common folk, have historical skeletons we would probably just as soon not know about. 

Slavery was abolished in the United States more than 150 years ago.  

The stain of racism is still with us and is practiced by people of all colors.  It will be with us until we all learn to love one another, forgive one another and be enriched by one another.  You cannot erase it by law, edict, marching in the streets or hating one another.  Unfortunately, the latter is what I see being practiced in the media and on the streets.  Pity.

Bob Bandy

We see and are told in the news that we have a border crisis with tens of thousands of undocumented, would be immigrants flooding across our southern borders.  

On a serious note, I do not know anyone who is not moved by the sight of thousands of seemingly parent-less young children or ragged adults trying to escape poverty and even danger.  But, do we solve this by opening our borders to “all comers”?  Do we turn our Border Patrol agents into a kind of “Welcome Wagon”?  Do we just open all our borders on all sides to anyone and everyone from all countries around the world?  Can we just shut down the Department of Immigration and Naturalization?  

The Federal Government, State Governments and Congress are in a battle as to how to solve this crisis.  Some shouting to “Seal Our Borders” and others saying to welcome them all and create a “Path To Citizenship” for all comers whether legal applicants or those without papers.

I see a simple solution that should make everyone happy.  Lets send them where they are needed and wanted.

For example, Detroit, Michigan (pictured above) is a city that has lost tens (hundreds?) of thousands of citizens.  There are thousands of empty homes available either free or almost free for the taking.  And, Detroit has a long history of generous benefits to those in need.

Why not load these folks desiring to immigrate onto buses and take them to Detroit? On arrival they could be given a sack lunch and a map with directions (in their native language) to the offices of “Public Assistance” as well as street guides to areas where there is housing ready for the taking.

This program could be expanded to other cities that have by way of public pronouncements, ordinances and local laws indicated support for undocumented immigrants.  Some of the cities that come quickly to mind are San Francisco, New York, Chicago and Seattle but there are many others.

I have visions of caravans of buses with thousands of happy new, undocumented citizens streaming off the buses into the waiting arms of cities anxiously welcoming them with public funded programs to provide them with all the goods and services they need or want.

With my plan, the cities that have indicated they want them, get them and, get to pay for the services provided from their own local tax revenues.

Everybody wins.  What could possibly go wrong?

Bob Bandy

 “YOU WILL NEVER FIND A MORE WRETCHED HIVE OF SCUM AND VILLAINY”

(1977 Star Wars IV – Obi-Wan Kenobi at Mos Eisley Spaceport)

Our countries foreign and domestic policy seems to be under the control of a trio that I like to refer to as Feckless, Brainless and Clueless.  While I may be referring to our President, Vice President and Secretary of State, you might want to apply the titles to the leaders of your own choosing.  Perhaps your two State Senators and your Congressional Representative in the House of Representatives.  Each person can make their own choice.

Perhaps you think my descriptive titles too harsh and would prefer kinder more love-able names such as Larry, Curly and Moe.  We are either blessed or cursed with a broad spectrum of potential candidates for whatever titles or names you wish to apply.

For example:

Our nation is Seventeen, racing towards Twenty Trillion (with a T) Dollars in debt. Who is responsible for that?

We have an Attorney General who believes that you only need to enforce the laws you like.

A Director in the Internal Revenue Service  who never did anything wrong and will take the Fifth Amendment to prove it.

A Minority Leader in the House of Representatives who believes you should only read laws after they are passed.

A Senate Leader who does not know the difference between the truth and a lie.

Nations around the world now know the United States  cannot be depended on to keep its treaty commitments.  The U.S. signed a Treaty with the Ukraine that if the Ukraine would give up their “Nukes” and most of their army that we would defend them from invasion.

“Don’t worry, if you like your country you can keep it.  And, that’s a promise.”

So the Ukraine gave up their nukes and stood down most of their army.   The Ukraine has been invaded by Russia and we took no real action to stop them although we did dispatch Clueless, Ooops – sorry, I meant to say our Secretary of State to tell the Russians they are in violation of International Law. Maybe “John” could shake a United Nations Security Council Resolution at “Vlad”. Just as soon as he gets Russia and China to sign it.  I’ll bet Vladimir is shaking in his boots.

I wonder if Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Israel, the nations in Eastern Europe and several other countries around the world we have treaty commitments with are taking notes.  I’m sure China, North Korea, Iran and other potential adversaries are.

What could possibly go wrong?

OBI-WAN NEVER VISITED WASHINGTON D C

Bob Bandy

The government says it wants to “fix” the problem of unequal pay and income.  They say too few are paid too much (the evil rich) while too many are not paid enough (victims of the rich).  The goal of the government is to equalize pay for all citizens.

Based on the governments track record of “fixing” things like the War on Poverty, our Public Education System, the Postal Service, Amtrak, and the growing National Debt, I am not sure we want them to try to “fix” income equality.  Or anything else.

I have a vision of what a likely government “fix” will look like.

First they will establish what is a reasonable amount for everyone to be paid. For sake of  this discussion lets say they decide on $60,000 a year.  That would be $5,000 a month.

Here is a plan that I am sure would appeal to every bureaucrats heart.  All residents of the United States of working age (18?) would receive a “salary” of $5,000 per month from the government who would function as the payroll department for all employers.  A “single payer” system under complete control of the government and IRS.   We could all become cogs in the wheel of the Proletariat masses.

Don’t worry, if you like your current job, you can keep it.  That’s a promise.

Your education does not matter.  Your age does not matter.  Race, religion, political party, type of work, skill level, work ethic, level of responsibility, or experience. None of these matter.  Unions could be eliminated, you wouldn’t need them.  No merit or performance pay, everybody gets paid the same.  Movie stars, Presidents, Barbers, Plumbers, Soldiers, Dog Catchers, Burger Flippers, Brain Surgeons, etc.

Visualize a Baseball Team under this system.  The owners, the managers, star players, beginning players,  bat boys, groundskeepers, peanut vendors, everybody gets exactly the same pay.

As desirable as this sounds in providing equal pay for all of us it would have the added benefit that the IRS could withhold their “fair share” before we see our paycheck with no need for us to ever file an annual return.  Who could possibly object to such a fair and equitable solution?   Consider this,  we would all get paid the same no matter how lousy a job we do.  Just like members of Congress.

If every citizen received the same amount of pay every month, do you think we would all have the same bank account at the end of the year?  Or would some have a fat bank account, another a new car and still another a giant hangover?

Perhaps governments next task is to require equal outcomes for all of us?  It should be easy.  A plan to devolve all of us to the lowest common denominator.  Call it government approved cookie cutter equality.

An American melting pot filled with glassy eyed, average room temperature IQ automatons.

Bob Bandy

ONLY IN CALIFORNIA

Following are a couple of examples of California “Think” and planning.

Example #1:

Under a new California law the only judge of a persons sexual identity is the individual themselves and they can change that identity as often as they choose.

Under this new law, on any given day,  a hormonal 15 year old young man can decide that he is now a woman trapped in a mans body.  He may now go to his high school,  tell them that following this revelation he/she now wants to play on the girls basketball (softball, soccer, etc.) team and demand campus wide  access to the girls locker room, showers and restroom facilities.

Under this same law, signed by Governor Brown,  the schools must allow and accommodate this request.   What other impacted students and their parents  may feel about this is of no consideration.

I have no intent to offend those with true Gender identity issues but this law as written will cause considerably more unintended consequences than the writers of the law had the intelligence or common sense to foresee.  Our shortsighted Legislature and Governor at work.

Example #2:

Against voter objections, California is now on a path to install the first phase of a High Speed Rail System using some 9 Billion borrowed  State and Federal Dollars.  The first phase has begun and should be completed in 3-5 years depending on lawsuits,  strikes, environmental reports, delays, cost overruns etc.

Upon completion of this first phase,  rail passengers will be able to drive some 15 miles west of their small central valley town to a rail station built on government seized, former farmland in the middle of nowhere.   Here they can park their car and board the High Speed Train traveling at speeds up to 160 miles per hour for some 28 miles to another rail station located on government seized, former farmland in the middle of nowhere.   On arrival at destination station,  they can disembark the train and get into another vehicle (friend, family member, bus or cab) and drive some 15 miles east to another small central valley town which, by the the way, is some 28 highway miles from their original point of departure in the small central valley town.  Disneyland, eat your heart out.

For those who think this is just another waste of money,  Government boondoggle and/or labor union payoff, California residents are promised that at some vague distant future date their grand children, or great-grand children will be able to travel from Los Angeles to San Francisco in about 2 hours  on a completed High Speed Rail system that will only cost about 40 Gazillion Dollars to complete and take some 15 -40 years to build.  Ticket prices on the High Speed Rail System are hoped to be only a few hundred dollars each way.

 Did I mention that you can fly between San Francisco and Los Angeles in about an hour for around $100 on flights that leave every 30 minutes or so?

Completion of the whole High Speed Rail project is forecast by our governor for 2028 or so (fingers firmly crossed).

Of course, there may be a few delays.

Government negotiators are currently in meetings with Oprah Winfrey about running the future High Speed Train through the front yard of her Malibu mansion which just happens to lie on the only logical coastal route around the mountains between Bakersfield and the Los Angeles basin.

If those talks fail they will begin talks with the Sierra Club about  a sort of  Ski-Lift  operation (still in engineering design stages) to move the train over the mountains or, possibly, a forty mile tunnel through the mountains along the San Andreas Earthquake  fault line.

You can’t make this stuff up.

I would give more examples but enough food for thought for now.

Bob Bandy

Years ago I had a car that was ugly but wouldn’t die.  I finally put a bumper sticker on it that said “please steal this car”.   I am beginning to feel the same way about my identity.

I have always suspected, but we all now know as fact, that our government cannot be trusted at any level.

The IRS can and will target you for any reason they choose including, but not limited to, holding political views not shared by their labor union.  And, lets remember the IRS will be the chief enforcement arm for the “(un)Affordable Healthcare Act”, aka: Obamacare.  And, they get (taxpayer paid) bonus dollars for making our lives miserable.

The National Security Administration has the capability of monitoring virtually all forms of communication we use.  Cell phones,  email, web browsing, land line phones plus they claim they can observe our movements with the use of the millions of observation and security cameras everywhere.  They brag that they can determine not only where you are but often what you are doing.  Is that really just a “regular” mirror in those public bathrooms?

Its like living in a fish bowl.

I am working on a plan to become a 21st century “Invisible Man”.

A first step would be to duct tape my cell phone to the bottom of a Greyhound Bus departing for a Mexican Border city in Texas.  After doing that I would use only disposable cell phones purchased while in disguise under an assumed name at Walmart stores.

After that I have a question.  If someone steals my identity would that mean that the IRS, NSA, Justice Department and a whole host of other government agencies that take joy in making my life miserable would  now pursue the new “owner” of my identity and leave me alone?  Could I just claim to be an undocumented  person seeking a new life in America?

Maybe I could just let not one, but many, people steal my identity and really drive the “Feds” crazy.  Maybe I could form an identity exchange where like minded folks could trade identities every few months or weeks.

How about having an identity “Swap Party” where everyone comes in and puts their identity in a big fish bowl and at the end of the party they are blindfolded and pick out their new “identity” before leaving?

Hey, this could be fun.  Sort of like cluttering up a crime scene with several bucket loads of evidence leading investigators off on a hundred or more “rabbit trails”.

If called in for questioning I could just do what IRS Director Lois Lerner did and state that I have done nothing wrong and broken no laws but will take the Fifth Amendment and refuse to answer any questions.

It could even reach the point where even I no longer know who I am.  A truly Invisible Man.

Am I Bob Bandy?