Grab Bag 'o Fun

The windchill was -6 when I left the hotel to head to the airport yesterday morning. Guess what? It is winter. We have a dusting of snow on the ground this morning. It is quite pretty.

By the time I left for the airport in Omaha, flew to  loathsome O'Hare airport, sat through my layover, flew to Indy, rode the bus to my car in long-term parking, and drove home in rush hour traffic it took almost exactly the same amount of time to get home as it would have if I drove home from Omaha.

I'm flabbergasted at the total loss of reason from the losers of the election. Michael Moore is calling for riots protests to disrupt the inauguration. Can you imagine his outrage if a righty proposed such for Obama?

I'm still trying to figure out how voting for a rich old white guy instead of a rich old white woman is racist.

I am astounded at the complete lack of understanding of how the Constitution works. I have read editorials and listened to Democrats who argue that a majority of Americans are being governed by a minority. One went so far as to argue that the whole setup was designed to placate slave states and is further evidence of the racist underpinnings of our nation. The failure to teach history in this country is America's chickens coming home to roost. The electoral college and the senate were designed to protect the less populous states from the tyranny of the larger states.

Indeed, the Connecticut Compromise ensured that the Constitution established a bicameral (two houses) legislature. Virginia wanted the legislature to be based purely on population. New Jersey wanted each State to have equal representation. The Connecticut Compromise established the House of Representatives based on population and the Senate giving equal representation to each state. From day one, the most populous states were under-represented in the Senate. Note, nothing in this design had anything to do with slavery. In fact, it was the northern small states pushing for equal representation to make sure Virginia, New York, and Pennsylvania did not push their agendas on the small states. It had nothing whatsoever to do with slavery.

Democrats are crying over Trump's electoral victory despite not winning the popular vote. This is exactly how it was designed. Clinton's margin of victory comes almost entirely from California. If we were a pure democracy then California and New York would dictate the direction of government. This is not that hard people. The election worked as it is supposed to. It is a genius design. The United States is exactly that; a collection of states. The states are semi-autonomous political entities united together.  The states are not political districts of the federal government. The collective states formed the federal government. The feds did not create the states.

If you want to believe otherwise, then I have one argument for you. If all the states have to be the same then New York, Massachusetts, California, Illinois, and Virginia would have to have the same open carry laws as say, Indiana or Texas. Federalism doesn't seem so bad now. eh?

I find the idea that California wants to secede from the Union equally laughable. Let us leave aside for a moment that secession was settled some 150 years ago. If California were to secede then Social Security stops. Medicaid stops. There are no more food stamps or WIC programs, There are no more highway funds. There are no more drought funds. There are no military bases. No border patrol. The US would likely impose a tariff on California goods. The cost to import cars and oil, and manufactured goods into California would soar. California would no longer get electricity generated by dams in the United States. US dollars are no longer valid currency. California would have to establish its own currency. What do you thing a California currency would be worth? The State is billions in debt. Who will back the currency? California would have to negotiate its own trade deals with China, Canada, Mexico, the EU, and OPEC.Go ahead and leave.

The sore losers in California cannot accept that they are out of step with a large portion of the nation. The secessionists are like petulant teenagers threatening to leave home. It sounds great until they learn they will have to pay for their own gas, insurance, cell phone, and clothing. Then mom and dad do not seem so unreasonable.

I didn't want to do a long political rant on a Friday. I suppose it is only marginally more palatable than a Friday Music selection.