Things I don't Understand

There’s a lot in this world that I don’t understand.

I don’t understand why kids prefer text messages to voice mail messages, which seem to me to offer more detail, clarity, speed and nuance.

I don’t understand why the deficits of the last two years, passed by the Democrat congress and signed by President Bush were a “terrible burden on future generations” and bad for the country, but the much, much higher deficits passed by the current Democrat congress and signed by President Obama are an “investment in America and the future” and good for the country.

I don’t understand how people can denigrate Sarah Palin as a quitter for giving up the governorship in her first term to do something else, but praise Obama and three of his cabinet member for giving up the senate or governorships in their terms to do something else. Aren’t they “quitters” as well? I can understand her quitting—hard to do a job when the media and liberal groups are tearing at you every step of the way. But I can’t understand how doing so will get her the Republican nomination. She’s hardly more experienced that Obama was when he started running for president.

I don’t understand how President Obama can sharply criticize President Bush for meddling in the affairs of other countries, and then go ahead and try to meddle in the affairs of Honduras, when they removed their president after he tried to overturn their constitution in defiance of their Supreme Court. Maybe he only thinks we should meddle on behalf of America’s Marxist enemies?

I don’t understand how late-night jokes about Obama’s race were off-limits, but jokes about McCain’s age were fair game.

I don’t understand what the “birthers” hope to achieve. I think they could prove Obama was born on Mars and the courts would rule he was a citizen. The courts will not overturn the results of an election, especially when doing so would result in riots in our large cities, with hundreds of deaths and millions in damages.

I don’t understand where people find the time to waste on Twitter and Facebook.

I don’t understand why Bush firing nine US Attorney’s in the middle of his term was evil, while Clinton firing all of them at the start of his term was fine. Or why Obama’s firing of an Inspector General investigating an Obama supporter isn’t much of a topic for the MSM.

I don’t understand people saying terrorists, who are not citizens of the US, deserve the protections of the US Constitution. Did the fanatical Nazi SS soldiers we captured in WWII deserve lawyers, and a Miranda warning?

I don’t understand how Republicans running on “Family Values” think they can get away with having an affair in this day and age. Back when I was in politics, a politician’s sex life was mostly off the record, thank God. Gary Hart and Bill Clinton ruined that forever.

I don’t understand why we are setting cold records this summer if the globe is warming. But then I don’t understand why Al Gore, with a huge energy-hog mansion, is an environmental hero who has made 4100M on the subject, while George Bush with a very energy efficient, green home in an environmental villain.

I don’t understand why conservatives are eager to get rid of the RINOs in the Republican Party (that’s Republicans in Name Only), when they are usually replaced with even more liberal Democrats. At least RINOs vote Republican in the motion to organize the body, thus putting the GOP in charge of the Congress or Legislature.

I don’t understand why people who hate dealing with bureaucrats at the DMV and Post Office are eager to have those same bureaucrats run the healthcare system.

I don’t understand the fascination of the public and the media with Michael Jackson.

I don’t understand why, if discrimination on the basis of race is wrong, affirmative action, minority set-asides or the appointment of Roland Burris is right.

I don’t understand who the people of Chicago put up with the Daley machine. He supported “minority set-asides” so a % of city businesses went to black-owned business, many of whom turned out to be white-owned campaign contributors. Now Daley wants set-asides for Gay owned businesses. I guess because you can tell if someone who gives a big check to the Daley machine isn’t really black when he gets a contract, but how do you tell if a Daley supporter isn’t really Gay? Short of a really interesting, Chicago based reality TV show?

I don’t understand all the movies about super heroes, but denigrating our military. We have real heroes, facing real enemies without benefit of super powers. They too often lose their loves defending our freedoms. Let us celebrate them.

I don’t understand large corporations who run advertising about their great customer service (“We drool on the toes of our customers!”), but drop you into ten minutes of voice mail hell when you call them.

I don’t understand pretty girls who get ugly tattoos. Or face piercings.

I don’t understand why some people think their cell phone or text messages are so important, they take them while driving. There was a five year old girl killed by a driver dialing his cell phone, who went through a red light. Seems to happen a lot. I hope the call was worth her life. I don’t understand why her parents didn’t kill the SOB.

I don’t understand folks with bumper stickers saying “War is not the answer.” What was the answer to Hitler? Chamberlain tried the Obama approach in the 1930s. 60 million died because he wasn’t stopped soon enough.

I don’t understand old, out-of-shape married guys chasing after young women. (Actually, this I understand perfectly. My wife made me put it in. But she never reads my blog.)

I don’t understand why people who hate lawyers and the Congress keep voting for Democrats, a party led by lawyers, so the current leaders of Congress stays in power. But the polls say that’s what happens.

I don’t understand how people can complain about government, but not have a clue as to which party controls Congress, or who their legislators are.

I don’t understand how it was decided which companies would be allowed to fail and which got bailouts. But I have my suspicions.

I don’t understand music blared at a decibel level that does damage. Maybe because my hearing is already some damaged. Too mach time near howitzer batteries in my youth, I suppose.

I don’t understand how the Democrats can blame the economic meltdown on Bush not regulating the financial industry better, when they fought off efforts by Mush. McCain and other Republicans to regulate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac more tightly, and passed the Community Reinvestment Act, which forced banks to lean money for mortgages to people who couldn’t pay. Unless they are just lying to get elected, figuring that most voters have ADHD. Probably rightly, too.

I don’t understand how a party that claims to be for the “little guy” can pass taxes and regulations that kill job creation in small businesses.

I don’t understand how anyone could read Dr. Thomas Sowell’s terrific book, Basic Economics, and every vote for a liberal again.

I don’t understand the sick jerks who go around claiming military medals they didn’t earn. Don’t they feel disgusted with themselves when they look in the mirror in the morning? Of course, I should have gotten a Purple Heart when they took my appendix out in Vietnam—I’m sure the damn VC caused it somehow.

I don’t understand people who think their good intentions excuse bad outcomes. Liberals opposed the Shah of Iran, now Iran is stoning women, hanging gays and trying to get an A-bomb to exterminate Israel. They opposed white rule in Zimbabwe, and now black life expectancy there under black rule has fallen from 63 to about 36. They opposed DDT to save the birds, and millions of black and brown and yellow kids have died of Malaria. They opposed America in Vietnam, and the number of people murdered by the Communists in the first two years after the war ended was higher than those who died in the war. They take no responsibility for these deaths, because they had good intentions, which made them feel good, so tough beans for all the dead. I don’t get it.

I don’t understand folks hanging on “reality TV.” Reality?

I don’t understand people piously “supporting the troops” who would stroke out if their kid enlisted. And God forbid anyone asked them to wear the uniform.

I don’t understand people who get involved in churches, associations or charities purely for self-aggrandizement.

I don’t understand why waterboarding a terrorist is worse than cutting off Daniel Pearl’s head.

I don’t understand why we need the rest of the constitution, if courts can do anything they want under the “provide for the general welfare” section.

I don’t understand why the courts get to decide if what the president or Congress does is constitutional, but why no one gets to decide if what the courts did was constitutional. How about a popular vote, if people gather enough signatures? Or how about in every presidential year, the names of all federal judges, up to and including the Supreme Court justices, go on the ballot. If 50.1% of the voters vote to remove a judge, he/she is out and cannot be re-appointed to the bench. No one runs against them, and a black vote thus counts for them. Give the people some power over the courts. Or is that a little too much democracy for Democrats?

And I sure don’t understand women getting breast implants. Is it because we can’t do brain implants yet?