The Real Intent of the Constitution?

One advantage of working and living overseas, outside of the monetary ones, is that I get to see the way other nations and governments function, and how their people interact with them. Because of that, I am also able to contemplate from afar the way America is today, and how we differ.
With this in mind, it was a conversation with my wife the other day that triggered something that I feel is profound and really defines what our nation SHOULD be about.

Now, I have read the US Constitution, including all twenty-seven Amendments. If you would like to see an excellent website on the document and that highlight those portions that have been amended, I suggest http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html. I have done some study just of the document and am surprised at just how much of our Federal bureaucracy may be unconstitutional. (Interestingly, I have yet to get any answers to my questions concerning the commissioning of Army officer through Officer Candidate School and West Point. See Article. I. Section. 8.)

The thing that really dawned on me was the Constitution's Preamble, or at least a portion of it: "...provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare..."

Now, it is clear that the intent was to ensure that the nation could defend itself and promote what was best for all. That conversation with my wife was the moment that the ludicrousness of the American political argument between bread or guns was the most obvious. The COMMON welfare does not mean, nor has it ever meant, nor was it ever meant to be an excuse to give certain portions of the population "free" money. Our forefathers, and those of us who actually read and study history instead of just Us or People magazines, understood the problems inherent in Britain with a system of proprietary payments and stipends to certain groups by the government. It was NEVER meant for the government to pay for anything outside of the expenses for the direct functioning of the government.

One thing that IS certain, is that they did understand that defense was one of those expenses. The defense of the nation is certainly a common interest for all citizens, though it is clear that the founders never intended for a large standing army.

What is also clear is that the modern welfare system does NOT promote the general welfare, in that a small group of citizens see nearly half their tax dollars GIVEN to those who do not earn it. If the receivers of this wealth are actually "the working poor," it seams that they would be better off without paying taxes that they do pay, and not receiving funds seized from others.

One of our founding fathers stated that “We should make the poor uncomfortable and kick them out of their poverty.” That was Benjamin Franklin. The fact is that today's welfare system provides for poor Americans a darn good living. Between rent subsidies, food stamps, utility assistance, and welfare payments, the average poor person in America has a full, modern kitchen, air conditioning, a television, DVD player, stereo, cellular phone, car, Nike shoes, sport-team clothes, and as much liquor as he can buy. And all he needs to do is - nothing.

Does anyone REALLY believe this is what the founding fathers were after?

History Unfolding

This is not mine, but a confirmation of exactly what I have been saying fort the past five years by a man much more educated and scholarly than I. It was forwarded by a good friend, and it speaks volumes to anyone out there willing to read and listen. This isn't me talking; this is a man with a Doctorate in History from Harvard, and has taught there and at Carnegie Mellon. Those are credentials EVERY liberal loves! RGB

History Unfolding

I am a student of history. Professionally, I have written 15 books on history that have been published in six languages, and I have studied history all my life. I have come to think there is something monumentally large afoot, and I do not believe it is simply a banking crisis, or a mortgage crisis, or a credit crisis. Yes these exist, but they are merely single facets on a very large gemstone that is only now coming into a sharper focus.

Something of historic proportions is happening. I can sense it because I know how it feels, smells, what it looks like, and how people react to it. Yes, a perfect storm may be brewing, but there is something happening within our country that has been evolving for about ten to fifteen years. The pace has dramatically quickened in the past two.

We demand and then codify into law the requirement that our banks make massive loans to people we know they can never pay back? Why? We learned just days ago that the Federal Reserve, which has little or no real oversight by anyone, has "loaned" two trillion dollars (that is $2,000,000,000,000) over the past few months, but will not tell us to whom or why or disclose the terms. That is our money. Yours and mine. And that is three times the $700 billion we all argued about so strenuously just this past September. Who has this money? Why do they have it? Why are the terms unavailable to us? Who asked for it? Who authorized it? I thought this was a government of "we the people," who loaned our powers to our elected leaders. Apparently not.

We have spent two or more decades intentionally de-industrializing our economy... Why?

We have intentionally dumbed down our schools, ignored our history, and no longer teach our founding documents, why we are exceptional, and why we are worth preserving. Students by and large cannot write, think critically, read, or articulate. Parents are not revolting, teachers are not picketing, school boards continue to back mediocrity. Why?

We have now established the precedent of protesting every close election (violently in California over a proposition that is so controversial that it simply wants marriage to remain defined as between one man and one woman. Did you ever think such a thing possible just a decade ago?) We have corrupted our sacred political process by allowing unelected judges to write laws that radically change our way of life, and then mainstream Marxist groups like ACORN and others to turn our voting system into a banana republic. To what purpose?

Now our mortgage industry is collapsing, housing prices are in free fall, major industries are failing, our banking system is on the verge of collapse, social security is nearly bankrupt, as is Medicare and our entire government. Our education system is worse than a joke (I teach college and I know precisely what I am talking about) - the list is staggering in its length, breadth, and depth. It is potentially 1929 x ten...And we are at war with an enemy we cannot even name for fear of offending people of the same religion, who, in turn, cannot wait to slit the throats of your children if they have the opportunity to do so.

And finally, we have elected a man that no one really knows anything about, who has never run so much as a Dairy Queen, let alone a town as big as Wasilla , Alaska. All of his associations and alliances are with real radicals in their chosen fields of employment, and everything we learn about him, drip by drip, is unsettling if not downright scary (Surely you have heard him speak about his idea to create and fund a mandatory civilian defense force stronger than our military for use inside our borders? No? Oh, of course. The media would never play that for you over and over and then demand he answer it. Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter and $150,000 wardrobe are more important.)

Mr. Obama's winning platform can be boiled down to one word: Change.. Why?
I have never been so afraid for my country and for my children as I am now.
This man campaigned on bringing people together, something he has never, ever done in his professional life. In my assessment, Obama will divide us along philosophical lines, push us apart, and then try to realign the pieces into a new and different power structure. Change is indeed coming. And when it comes, you will never see the same nation again.

And that is only the beginning!

As a serious student of history, I thought I would never come to experience what the ordinary, moral German must have felt in the mid-1930s In those times, the "savior" was a former smooth-talking rabble-rouser from the streets, about whom the average German knew next to nothing. What they should have known was that he was associated with groups that shouted, shoved, and pushed around people with whom they disagreed; he edged his way onto the political stage through great oratory. Conservative "losers" read it right now.

And there were the promises. Economic times were tough, people were losing jobs, and he was a great speaker. And he smiled and frowned and waved a lot. And people, even newspapers, were afraid to speak out for fear that his "brown shirts" would bully and beat them into submission. Which they did - regularly (Much like Obama's SEIU thugs are doing today, RGB). And then, he was duly elected to office, while a full-throttled economic crisis bloomed at hand - the Great Depression. Slowly, but surely he seized the controls of government power, person by person, department by department, bureaucracy by bureaucracy. The children of German citizens were at first, encouraged to join a Youth Movement in his name where they were taught exactly what to think. Later, they were required to do so. No Jews of course.

How did he get people on his side? He did it by promising jobs to the jobless, money to the money-less, and rewards for the military-industrial complex. He did it by indoctrinating the children, advocating gun control, health care for all, better wages, better jobs, and promising to re-instill pride once again in the country, across Europe , and across the world. He did it with a compliant media - did you know that? And he did this all in the name of justice and ........ change. And the people surely got what they voted for.

If you think I am exaggerating, look it up. It's all there in the history books.

So read your history books. Many people of conscience objected in 1933 and were shouted down, called names, laughed at, and ridiculed. When Winston Churchill pointed out the obvious in the late 1930s while seated in the House of Lords in England (he was not yet Prime Minister), he was booed into his seat and called a crazy troublemaker. He was right, though. And the world came to regret that he was not listened to.

Do not forget that Germany was the most educated, the most cultured country in Europe . It was full of music, art, museums, hospitals, laboratories, and universities. And yet, in less than six years (a shorter time span than just two terms of the U. S. presidency) it was rounding up its own citizens, killing others, abrogating its laws, turning children against parents, and neighbors against neighbors. All with the best of intentions, of course. The road to Hell is paved with them.

As a practical thinker, one not overly prone to emotional decisions, I have a choice: I can either believe what the objective pieces of evidence tell me (even if they make me cringe with disgust); I can believe what history is shouting to me from across the chasm of seven decades; or I can hope I am wrong by closing my eyes, having another latte, and ignoring what is transpiring around me.

I choose to believe the evidence. No doubt some people will scoff at me, others laugh, or think I am foolish, naive, or both. To some degree, perhaps I am. But I have never been afraid to look people in the eye and tell them exactly what I believe-and why I believe it.

I pray I am wrong. I do not think I am. Perhaps the only hope is our vote in the next elections.

David Kaiser
Jamestown , Rhode Island

David Kaiser is a respected historian whose published works have covered a broad range of topics, from European Warfare to American League Baseball. Born in 1947, the son of a diplomat, Kaiser spent his childhood in three capital cities: Washington D.C., Albany , New York , and Dakar, Senegal. He attended Harvard University, graduating there in 1969 with a B.A. in history. He then spent several years more at Harvard, gaining a PhD in history, which he obtained in 1976. He served in the Army Reserve from 1970 to 1976.

He is a professor in the Strategy and Policy Department of the United States Naval War College. He has previously taught at Carnegie Mellon, Williams College and Harvard University. Kaiser's latest book, The Road to Dallas, about the Kennedy assassination, was just published by Harvard University Press.

World War II Stories in Print, on Film and as Oral History

In the past few years there has been a surge of new and interesting books and movies on the Second World War. I guess this should really be expected as so many of the "Greatest Generation" are leaving this World. Productions such as "Band of Brothers," "Saving Private Ryan," "Defiance" and the highly fictional "Inglorious Basterds" have helped to bring the greatest military cataclysm in history to a new generation. Additionally, I have encountered some amazing books recently such as "The Mascot," an incredible true story about a young Russian-Jewish boy who became the beloved mascot of a Latvian SS unit in World War II. Additionally, I have encountered some living personal histories here in Germany that are fascinating.

Just yesterday, I spoke with a Briton who spoke of his father, a Pole who fought at Arnhem in the 1st (Polish) Independent Parachute Brigade fighting with the Brirish Army. The Poles were nearly destroyed by the defending Nazi SS troops (this action was dynamically portrayed in the classic "A Bridge To Far") when they made their much delayed jump into the Netherlands. This man fought in France at the beginning (he was there working in his father's business), was captured and sent to a concentration camp and escaped during a British air raid. He then found his way back to France and then to England where he was able to join the Polish Army in exile. This man's son, the man I met, became a British Para (as the British refer to their airborne troops), and is now retired and working as a contractor in the IT field here in Germany.

Then there is the landlord of one of my colleagues, who was eight when the "Amerikaner Panzers" (tanks) arrived in Sandhofen, less than ten miles from here. His mother warned him to "stay away from the Americans! They're here to kill Germans!" When he and his mother went to bed that night the American tanks were 100 yards down the road. When he awoke in the morning (before his mother awoke), an American tank was in their front yard. He quickly dressed and as most any eight-year-old boy would do, ran out to see the tank. "The soldiers gave me food and chocolate," he related to me in his broken English and my broken German. "I loved the Americans," he told me through a huge, chuckling grin.

Today, I rented a 'New Release' at the Army shoppette called "Max Manus, Man of War." I have seen this DVD over the past month sitting on the shelves and finally rented it. I looked at the cover and sort of expected another film in the same vein as "Inglorious Basterds." Instead, I found a gem of a Norwegian film based very closely on the exploits of a Scandanavian national hero. (In retrospect, I can imagine Warren Zevon using this man as the model for his 'Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner.' If you've never heard it, check out Zevon's 1978 album "Excitable Boy." It was also the last song he ever performed publicly.)

Max Manus was a Norwegian mercenary infantry volunteer who went to Finland to fight the Soviets in the Winter War of 1939-1940. Despite odds of around 14-to-1, a lack of armor and a small, obsolescent air force, the Finns scored a miraculous tactical victory in the 3 1/2 months of war, fighting the communists to an embarassing and bloody stalemate. Nevertheless, sheer numerical superiority led Finland to relinquish nearly a quarter of its territory in the ensuing peace talks. Upon the German invasion of Norway in April of 1940 all the Norwegian volunteers, including Manus, were discharged from the Finnish military and sent home.

Upon his return to Norway, Manus and a boyhood friend formed a nascent resistance group that was eventually incorporated into the larger national resistance led by the Norwegian King Haakon 7, and his government- and military-in-exile.

It's a fascinating look at a small nation's efforts to stand up to overwhelming evil and might, and how the efforts of a few individuals can have far-reaching and positive effects despite truly overwhelming odds. It's a timeless story that, sadly, unfortunately, has lost most of its cachet in our current society.

Further Observations of Europe

Since my last post I have been home for a week, celebrating my 30th wedding anniversary, and taking home those three bottles of Ruppertsberger wine. It was a wonderful week, and the wine was surprisingly good, in my opinion.

Also, too, a colleague and I took a two-day trip over the July 4th weekend through southern Germany, western Austria, Liechtenstein, and northern Switzerland, overnighting in the heart of downtown Zurich. Liechtenstein, the fourth smallest nation on earth, is a delightful and charming place, barely 45 square miles and 22,000 citizens, and perhaps another 14,000 additional residents. Surprisingly diverse for such a small nation, it is a parliamentary monarchy boasting a new parliament building, and a beautiful and extensive National Museum. It was there that I learned of a generally unknown bit of World War II history concerning Liechtenstein.

I knew that during the war, the Germans recruited through the SS thousands (perhaps as many as a million!) of foreign soldiers. These troops came from every European nation, and in many cases there were enough to form separate companies, battalions, brigades and even divisions. The largest of these included the Russian Liberation Army (Русская освободительная армия) or POA. Not surprisingly, the Soviets labeled POA soldiers as traitors and at the war's end, POA soldiers were repatriated in accordance with allied agreements. They were tried and sentenced to death or detention in the infamous Gulag prison camps. Several leaders of the POA were tried and hanged in Moscow on August 1, 1946.

Interestingly, Liechtenstein ignored Soviet demands for extradition of a group of POA soldiers who entered Liechtenstein asking for political asylum. Most eventually emigrated to Argentina, though a small handful stayed in the Principality.

Our trip south was exclusively on the world-famous autobahns, the model for America's Interstates. Just as famously, autobahns GENERALLY have no speed limits. The exception is in built-up areas and construction zones. Reunification has soaked up huge amounts of funds, with the rebuilding of the eastern part of Germany leaving much to be neglected in the west. But, now necessary rebuilding and repair is ongoing in the west and construction zones are rampant. So, while shifting into 6th gear at 160km/h (100 mph) in my BMW rental, and holding it steady at 200 was really cool, the speed was frequently cut to 60 and 80 km/h in these zones.

And in Germany, what we refer to as "cloverleaf" are know in Germany as "Dreieck," an exact translation being "Triangle." In both cases, of course, it doesn't matter what shape the junction may be, the name's the same!

One of the things I have attempted here is to learn German. My experience at home has caused me to believe that it is rude to live in a nation and not learn it's language. So, I have endeavored to NOT be "That Guy," and to learn the local lingo. And much like American english, German has many different regional variations. An excellent example is numbers.

For instance, the number 20 can be pronounced three differnt ways that I'm aware of, and I have used all three - zwanzig, zwanzisch, and zwanzid. But, the greatest difficulty I have had is that as soon the German I'm speaking with understands that I am a foreigner trying to learn and speak German, they almost inevitably begin speaking english - "May I help you?" I always smile and continue the conversation in english, thinking, "Yeah, you can help by speaking German so that I can learn!" I have learned to say that I am a foreigner and that my German is poor. I have also tried hard to get the accent correct, too, even being asked once if I was Polish?! I smiled and answered "Amerikaner," to the very quizzical look of the inquirer. Belgians and Swiss kindly spoke German or English to me, just like the Germans. While in Spain, though, I found the locals seemed to refuse to speak english, even though they lived next to an American navy base! I did wonder if it had anything to do with the Spanish-British disagreement over Gibralter?

One other thing about Spain, at least in the Andalusia southwest, was the incredible staccato speed of the annunciation. I work with native Spanish speakers (Puerto Rican, Mexican, and a Spaniard) and some of them had difficulty understanding Andalusian Spanish!

Speaking of language, I have mentioned that I work with a number of Britons, and we constantly joke and bicker about the language, very much in good fun. The cultures are similar, but there are differences. One I like to emphasize is that Americans believe 300 years is a long time, and the British believe 300 miles is a long trip. One of my British colleagues looked at me seriously and stated, "But it IS a long trip!" I just smiled, as another of my colleagues, an American, replied emphatically, "No, it's not!" And it was in that vein that I was AMAZED that my trip through four countries (second paragraph) took a total of less than eight hours of driving time!

So far, I have found that my belief that the Lord brought me here is justified. My bonus has been to travel to ten different countries and Gibraltar in the sixteen months that I've been here. And if I had not taken this job, I would currently be looking for new employment. Many of my colleagues where I used to work are being released and retired. So, yes, the Lord does work in strange and mysterious ways.

And, I'm grateful.

This Is Just Too Easy

The ongoing efforts by our president and congress to avoid default and to adjust/increase/avoid the debt limit issue had me wondering what could be cut in our government that could help to keep the limit low and save our tax money? I went to the government's own website (www.usa.gov) and found the "A-Z Index of U.S. Government Departments and Agencies." Below is a list of various departments, agencies, admininistrations, et al, that I feel could easily be shut down and the funds sent to much more deserving programs, or back to Social Security. So, below is the alphabetical list and some suggestions:

- Administration for Children and Families - Why do we need to administer children and families. I'm fairly certain that such things have been done for centuries without government.
- Administration for Native Americans - Why? They pulled it off before Europeans arrived, and ever since non-natives have gotten involved, it's been pretty disastrous for the natives.
- Administration on Aging - Serously, people will age without government help.
- Administration on Developmental Disabilities - Much better served by charities.
- Administrative Committee of the Federal Register - What in the world does this committee do? Seriously?
- Administrative Conference of the United States - Dump it.
- Advisory Council on Historic Preservation - There are thousands of citizen and local government groups for this.
- African Development Foundation - Isn't this what USAID is supposed to do?
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality - This is a part of a larger issue, but since the US government has gotten involved in health care, costs have risen EVERY year over the cost of inflation.
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry - A medical school or association can't do this much more effectively and cheaply?
- Agricultural Marketing Service - Let farmers and ADM do this themselves.
- Agricultural Research Service - Land grant universities do this.
- Agriculture Department - Outside of food inspection, useless.
- Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau - IRS duties first, let trade be handled by the traders.
- AMTRAK - I LOVE trains, but this is an organization that needs an even playing field. Stop the wholesale subsidization of airlines, trucks and buses, and let them duke it out on their own.
- Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service - Do we really need this to tell farmers and ranchers if their products are healthy? I think this is likely something else. If so, change the name and move it out of the USDA.
- Appalachian Regional Commission - 80 years on and Appalachia is still a financial problem. Epic fail. Dump it.
- Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board - Seriously? Local folks can do this better and cheaper. If not, people can sue.
- Arctic Research Commission - Give this over to Alaska.
- Arms Control and International Security - An oxymoron.
- Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Interagency Coordinating Committee - Seriously? My tax dollars pay for this?
- Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation - I'm sure Barry would feel better if this was in the hands of a private group.
- Bonneville Power Administration Botanic Garden - Huh? no way.
- Broadcasting Board of Governors (Voice of America, Radio|TV Marti and more) - The signals are jammed and our propaganda doesn't get heard. Shut it down.
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives - I have never understood how all these are related. This is a troubled agency and probably needs to be shut down. Start over.
- Bureau of Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade - Shouldn't this be BATFE?
- Bureau of Economic Analysis - The Wall Street Journal, CNBC and Forbes do this daily. Redundant.
- Bureau of Indian Affairs - See Administration for Native Americans above. Outlived its usefulness.
- Bureau of Industry and Security - Why. It just sounds really sinister and can be done by industry. According to Obama Industry is evil and sinister, anyway.
- Bureau of International Labor Affairs - We can barely deal with our own Labor issues.
- Bureau of Justice Statistics - Let the Bar do this.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics - For what reason?
- Bureau of Land Management - The largest landholder in America. Sell it off to private Americans in 40-acre plots and call it homesteading.
- Bureau of Public Debt - WSJ, CNBC and Forbes, thank you.
- Bureau of Reclamation - Let states handle this.
- Bureau of Transportation Statistics - WSJ, CNBC and Forbes, again.
- Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion - Give me a break. Can you say "Social Engineering?" Sure I knew you could.
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services - These need to be phased out along with this center.
- Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board - Universities can do this better, I'm sure.

There are so many more: Chief Acquisition Officers Council, Chief Human Capital Officers Council, Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee, and at least 200 others! I'll highlight a few others that emphasize failure, the sublime, and the ridiculous:
- Department of Agriculture - Keep the inspection services, ditch the rest. They don't work.
- Department of Commerce - Let businesses handle commerce.
- Department of Education - A complete failure by any and every measure. Get rid of it.
- Department of Energy - See Education above.
- Department of Health and Human Services - See Education above.
- Department of Homeland Security - Overstepping its bounds at every turn and doing a job the airlines should do on their own.
- Department of Housing and Urban Development - See Education above.
- Department of Labor - Outlived it usefulness.
- Department of Transportation - See Education above.
- Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs (State Department) - USDA and Commerce aren't needed. Why do we need an office in this department?
- Economic Adjustment Office - Well this one is certainly screwing up!
- Economic Development Administration - as is this one.
- English Language Acquisition Office - I think we already own this language. Just saying. Or we co-own with some other contries.
- Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) - See Education.
- Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board - We can't account for the Feds. Go figure.
- Federal Interagency Committee for the Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds - Seriously? SERIOUSLY?
- Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission - Political hacks all. I wonder how much THIS is costing?
- Government National Mortgage Association - Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac was all there was, right?
- Indian Arts and Crafts Board - I'm fairly sure that Native Americans have got this down pretty well. Not needed.
- Indian Health Service - Still? How many nationalized health services are required?
- Information Resource Management College - Huh?
- Institute of Peace - Not working, last I checked.
- Interagency Council on Homelessness - FAIL!
- Japan-United States Friendship Commission - I'm pretty sure we're all buds, now.
- Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries - The WHAT?
- Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies - Oh you've GOT to be kidding.
- Joint Fire Science Program - hey, uh, fire burns. Program over.
- Millennium Challenge Corporation - The Millenium is 10 years on. Has there been a profit?
- Multifamily Housing Office - For apartments, condos, or overcrowded illegal aliens?
- National Capital Planning Commission - I thought those plans were executed over 200 years ago?
- National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform - Hahahahahaha! no, really, seriously?
- National Indian Gaming Commission - More interference with the natives.
- Office of Government Ethics - Phenomenonal failure. Just call the police.
- Overseas Private Investment Corporation- We overtax here and companies are exiting the country. We need this, why?
- Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation - The St. Lawrence has been developed a LOOONNGGGG time. Time to spin it off.
- Selective Service System - For a draft only Al Sharpton wants.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - We're stuffing our kids with Ritalin, et al, and anti-psychotics are being prescribed by the bucket-load. Is this agency the culprit? Hmmmm?
- Susquehanna River Basin Commission - See St. Lawrence above.
- Tennessee Valley Authority - ditto.
- Veterans Day National Committee - Oh, PUH-lease. Turn this over to veterans groups.
- White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance - How many hours get wasted on this Moment?

Just these examples could save us how many BILLIONS of dollars?

Observations of Europe

I've now been in Europe fourteen months and have found the cultural differences between here and home to be quite fascinating. And much like America, there are diffrences between the nations of the European Union. Perhaps the MOST universal of all cultural issues is the attitude outside of France that France is a wonderful country. Its biggest issue is that it's full of Frenchmen. I really thought it was just an American thing, but, the negative opinions of French hubris and attitudes appear to be the same throughout all non-French-speaking nations. I've heard this comment almost universally from British, Germans, Walloons (Northern Belgium), and Spaniards, along with Americans.

The music scene here is unreal. The Mannheim-Ludwigshafen area is equivalent in size to the Columbia-Lexington, South Carolina areas - medium size metropolitan area. The area was heavily bombed and devastated by allied bombing in World War II, but has been completely rebuilt, to include the restoration of many historic buildings. Very industrial, it boast a concert schedule that would be the envy of many American cities. Bon Jovi, Anthrax, Neil Diamond, Scorpions, 30 Seconds To Mars, 50 Cent, Al Jareau, Bjork, Coldplay, Eagles and on-and-on. I have also gotten turned on to the German rock band Unheilig. Their hit of last year, "Geboren um zu Leben" was huge here in Germany (See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snLeeGyTKHw&feature=related) for a taste. Amazing stuff.

And amazingly for such a secular nation, holidays in Germany, except for Reunification Day, are all faith-based and always rate a wine or beer festival. Alcohol here is inexpensive and excellent. I'm not a beer drinker, but everyone else I know here is and they all agree that the beer here is excellent. And nearly EVERY town of any size has its own Brauerei (brewery). Many towns in the area immediately west of here (the other side of the Rhein) have Weinguten (wineries) in the Weinstrasse (Wine Road). I stumbled on the very small town of Ruppertsberg in the Weinstrasse and found the Ruppertsberger winery where I have purchased three of their wines, all for less the five euro, or seven dollars. That is not atypical for really excellent German wine. Those bottles are being saved for a trip home!

Sidewalk parking may be something I will really never get used to. The sidewalks in Europe are for pedestrians, cyclist and parked cars, and are maked as such.

Living space here is compact. Obviously, with Europe having half-as-many-more people and half the territory, land use is extensively regulated. Nearly every home, apartment, etc., is multistory. I have even encountered three-story homes with two or three generations of a family, one to each floor! The individual 'footprint' of the buildings are amazingly (in this American's eyes) small. They are masonry affairs with block walls about sixteen inches thick and heavily insulated. Most newer builds have roofs covered in solar panels, too. Yards are generally very small, too, and HIGHLY groomed.

I'll continue this review in a future post. But, before going I must relate a lighter note. I am intrigued by the similarity of the weather here to that of Western Washington and the Puget Sound region. They are so similar that I was afraid that Darlene, my wife, wouldn't like it here. While we were in Washington, she ran an Army regulated daycare in our military quarters on-post. I would ride my bike to-and-from work (like I do now), and would go home for lunch. On this particular, cold, dreary, June day I rode home to discover the kids on the playground out our back door in heavy coats. I walked into the house and greeted Darlene, who immediately turned to me and stated in a firm, angry voice, "When we move, we're moving to a place where it's warn when it's supposed to be warm!"
I replied, "Yes, Dear!" turned around and went to Burger King for lunch. It was clear - Darlene hated the weather and western Washington.

In that same vein, I told this story to some British colleagues who told me that the weather here is so much nicer than that in Britain. My first thought was, 'Well that explains why the English were such prolific colonizers. They were looking for something -anything- better."

Jody and "Home Defense"

The army trains using a variety of methods. One of the tools that is used and is freely and frequently messed up in movies are "jody calls," the cadences that the army uses to build teamwork and a sense of unity while marching and running.

I'm unsure of where the term "jody call" came from, but it shares the title with the ubiquitous "Jody." "Jody" is the guy who shows up at your home or apartment the day after you leave on deployment or training or duty.

My wife and I are in our thirtieth year of marital partnership and bliss. Even early in our marriage and military career/partnership, we were able to joke about infidelity. Even after the birth of our children, we embraced the military life much like the wonderful .38 Special Top-40 hit "Hold on Loosely" (but don't let go), and continued to joke around. And that's what we have done for 28 years now.

In early 2004 my unit was alerted for deployment to Iraq. Deployment is tough, even on families who are used to it. Factor in the word "combat" or "war," and, well, things get a tad edgier and more nerve-wracking. In the life of my children, I have been on the road in my civilian job or on military duty on more occasions than I, and probably my family, can count. Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Iraq, Kuwait, Louisiana, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, Spain, Tennessee, and Virginia have been darkened by my professional and military shadow in the lifetime of my children.

Through it all, my wife and family have held on loosely and kept that odd military sense of humor. So it was that just weeks before my departure to train for the upcoming deployment my wife and I were joking about "Jody."

"When Jody comes by, honey, just make sure the grass is mowed and and hedges are trimmed." We both smiled.

At that very moment, our 15-year-old daughter walked in hearing our conversation and asked the big, loaded question. "Who's Jody?"

...

...

The Pregnant Pause.

I looked at my wife, and she looked at me. Our daughter stood waiting patiently for an answer. Finally, I spoke.

Slowly.

"Uh, well, you see, uh, Jody is the, uh, (more quickly now) imaginary character who shows up the day after Daddy goes on deployment..." Big smile!

Our daughter's eyes narrowed, her left hip shot out with her left fist planted firmly upon it, and straight out shot shot her right arm, hand extended, index finger up and waving back-and-forth. "NOT in THIS house!" she stated emphatically and forcefully. I just looked at my wife and smiled.

She smiled right back.

Free Market Example for Airlines?

Imagine for a moment what would happen to America's and the World's airlines if they were forced off the government dole. Seriously.

Since 9-11 America's airlines have received billions of our tax dollars in subsidies, law-suit protection from terrorism (which in and of itself is ridiculous that any airline, person, or other business or entity could have foreseen and stopped such a sneak attack), tax-supported security (TSA), et al. And before that, those same airlines were subsidized with government air traffic control systems, government-owned and operated airports, and any number of programs bought and paid for by you and I. I've always wonder why in the world I have to buy a ticket when I've been helping to pay for it since I was fifteen (I'm at least three times that old now)!

What would happen if airlines had to own the airports? What would TSA be like if they had to treat you, the customer, as if you were actually a customer, instead of a crazed, terroristic maniac? What would occur if the air traffic control system was owned and run by the airlines? What if they had to manage the air lanes on their own because they owned them?

And what would happen if they had to pay property and other taxes on the items they used, instead of paying piddling amounts to the government owners - which is eventually you and me?

What would happen?

Today, right now, as you read this, there is a transportation mode in America that fills all these criteria!

Seriously? Really?

Yes. And today, these private companies are in better financial and physical condition than they have been in seventy years! Additionally, they pay substantially higher wages, benefits and retirements than most other businesses. And, their work force is generally less educated than similarly-compensated employees in other businesses inside and outside of transportation .

These companies own their means of transportation almost exclusively, paying property taxes to local and state governments. They control these routes with their own employees, controlling traffic all over their systems. They own most of the equipment, and buy and maintain it in their own shops, with their own employees. When they need new or expanded facilities, they build it themselves, and maintain it. If a piece of property is damaged, they will have it repaired and operating within days. They even have their own police forces that are required to be fully certified federally and in the states in which they operate. And they have been highly profitable, even through the nation's current financial difficulties.

That's America's freight railroads today.

Surprised? Most people are. But, these are the reasons that men like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates have invested heavily in railroads recently. Buffett stunned many when he bought, with billions of dollars, all outstanding shares of BNSF Railway, a company that operates from Birmingham to Seattle, San Diego to Chicago, and most placed in-between.

Incidentally, Buffett HASN'T been investing in airlines.

Perhaps it is time for airlines to emulate success, and demand that the government turn over the Federal Aviation Administration's TSA, Air Traffic Control, airports and buildings, and other pertinent items to them. It is clear that these things can't get managed much worse, and I'd be willing to bet that they could do it much better.

Maybe then Warren Buffett and Bill Gates would by an airline.

Parental Pride

I'm a parent. My son Ian is a truly unique individual who makes me proud.

Ian has struggled through his young life, especially in school, and it has been a great frustration to his parnets and other family. A great deal of it has been poor parenting on my part, and errors on his. And without a doubt, the local school district can take a lot of blame.

The first real indication of problems was when he was in first grade. I was at work and got a call from the school saying Ian had been in a fight with three second graders. I asked why nothing had been done after the first fight? The answer was that there had been only one fight, and that he had hurt the other three boys (broken nose, sprained anothers arm, and had injured the other in some way I don't recall). I was amazed, to say the least.

"So, you're telling me that my son beat up three older boys at the same time?"
"Yes, Mr. Baird."

Thus began ten years of counseling, IEP conferences, talks with counselors, psychiatric evaluations, et al. I recall the elementary school principal saying, "We to find a way for Ian to redirect his anger." And frustratingly, it seemed that the counselors were constantly pushing for we parents to find the solution, despite our current and past efforts, and despite the fact that they had the Masters Degrees in Early Childhood Everything.

Now, I had never been a good fighter, often being the loser of the few fights I got into. So, I was amazed. I had told Ian years earlier that he should never, EVER, start a fight. But should anyone ever start one with him, make sure he ended it. He took it to heart. But, what I didn't find out till nearly a decade later was that Ian FINALLY told me why he fought.

The first fight with the three second graders was caused by racism. Ian and his schoolmates were at recess, when he stepped around a corner of the school building and saw a young black boy cornered by three white boys. He knew none of them except for the fact that he had seen them at school.

"Hey ya'll. Whatcha doin'?"
"We're gonna kick this nigger's ass."
"Why?" asked Ian.
"'Cuz he's a nigger," came the reply.
Ian stepped between the three and their victim and told them emphatically that the would have to get through him first. They tried. They failed and he ended up hurting all three. He was reported for fighting and told that it was bad to fight. So, by the time we parents were able to speak to him, all he did was shrug his shoulders when asked why he was fighting.

Later, in the third grade he smashed a kid's head into a desktop. It was about eight years later, at the same time he explained the first grade fight, that he told me that he was defending a young classmate from a bully.

Typically, a bully was picking on a girl. The girl did all the things she was supposed to do, going to her teacher, then the principal, parents, etc. And typically, all that was done was to tell the children that "You have to find a way to get along with each other." Of course, all that did was to empower the bully.

One day, the boy was picking on the girl and Ian told the boy to leave her alone, or Ian "would deal with" the boy his self. When the boy continued to pick on the girl, Ian dealt with him.

In both cases my son was suspended from school.

I was amazed that a boy, just six years old, had the wherewithal and the sense of justice to decide to step in front of three white boys to defend a single black child he didn't know. I'm proud that he stood up for a girl who couldn't stand up for herself.

Nevertheless, the actions of the school and myself as his father affected my son greatly. For a decade I did not understand my son's "anger," when in reality it was justifiable outrage at injustice. How could I not be proud of that?

My great regret is my inability to understand this. I'm half-a-century-plus in age, and I realize that I still don't have the insight I need to truly be the father I wanted and want to be.

But, I also know that I'm proud of my son, and that he is an amazing young man.

And I wish that I had the sense of honor, courage and justice that my son has.