Brussels, Paris, London, ect. The Consequences Of Genuflecting To Political Correctness

Obama is currently on his international tour rewarding bad behavior...WH Press Secretary Tweet (parody)
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I've often written that it takes more courage to be politically incorrect.  Unfortunately. most of the European Union has not heeded that advice.  Instead they've chosen to genuflect to political correctness.  Like Pres. Obama, most don't even utter the words: "Islamist Terrorism" or "Radical Islam."  Instead, we hear meaningless words and phrases as "militants" or just "terrorists."

It's been clear now for decades that Islamists are at war with the West.  No rational person can come to any other conclusion.  But what have we heard in the last several years?  Al-Qaida is on the run. ISIS is a JV team.  We will degrade ISIS.  We will destroy ISIS. And even those proclamations degenerated into "ISIS is a manageable problem."  Tell that to the victims of Brussels, of Paris, of London and of countless other regions that have been attacked by Islamist terrorists.

As I wrote over one year ago,  the promise of "Never Again" has morphed into "Over And Over Again."  We've seen this throughout the Middle East, Africa, Europe and even on our own soil.  In fact, it wasn't until last week that the Obama administration admitted there's been a genocide against Christians.  Even as Boko Haram slaughtered Christians throughout Nigeria for years,  much of the West and the press refused to admit it's been Christians who have largely been targets of their terrorism.

It also should surprise no one that Americans want a gunslinger as president not a bystander---not someone who only leads from behind.  For when an American president leads from behind, we witness tragic and horrific consequences like those in Brussels today. When we see a president erase his red lines, we watch as those red lines become soaked in blood.  Syria today is a classic example.

We're also watching as unvetted immigrants and migrants pose a serious security threat to our nations.  Europe particularly has experienced these threats and terror in the last decade. So has America.

We're facing an enemy that can be taken out. Most of the targets of ISIS have been soft targets. They attack innocent and usually unarmed civilians.  It's way beyond time for the West to unleash hell upon these homicidal savages.  They are an enemy of humanity.

This enemy can be destroyed.  We just need our leadership to understand it's time to take out the garbage and destroy it forever.  It's time to become politically incorrect. It's time to be courageous.

The Cuba Visit Symbolizes Progressives Fondness For The Devil

"We could learn a lesson from Cuba on how to run an economy." Obama said as he donned a raincoat from 1955."...WH Press Secretary Tweet (satire)
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The image of Obama in Cuba reminded me of Madeline Albright, former Secretary of State under Bill Clinton. In her diplomatic trip to North Korea to visit dictator Kim Jong II in 2000, she toasted the monster with a glass of champagne.  Even the left-leaning Washington Post wrote at the time: "...We were amazed that the Secretary of State would allow herself to be photographed, smiling, as 100,000 essentially enslaved laborers performed for her and one of the world's most repressive dictators. Secretary Albright clinked champagne glasses with Mr. Kim..."

Well, today, we've learned how well that diplomacy turned out.  And then there's the Obama administration's biggest clusterfu#k,  the Iran Deal.  Is it any wonder then why so many are not hailing Obama's trip to Cuba this week?  One fact has always been clear: Dictators cannot be trusted EVER. And anyone who does trust one of these repressive dictators is naïve and stupid. But that would be letting them off too easy. Everything these progressives do is calculated. And when it comes to Cuba, they like wearing their Che T shirts.  So let's take a moment to look at some facts:

• Cuba today harbors at least 4 American domestic terrorists responsible for the murder of  17 police officers and well over 100 bombings.  One of those, Joanne Chesimard, formally of the Black Liberation Army, murdered NJ State Trooper Werner Foerster in 1973. She escaped from prison and Fidel Castro granted her asylum in Cuba in the early 1980's.
• Cuba has imprisoned thousands of "political" prisoners and journalists.
• The Cuban people have to live on rationed beans and rice.
• The entire country and its infrastructure suffers from decay and neglect. (Kinda like many US cities governed by progressives).
• Cuba has no free press. In fact, Cubans do not even have access to the Internet.
• The country suffers from rampant poverty. But the ruling class lives relatively well.

You get the picture. In fact, it reminds me of the many times I used to visit Eastern Europe when under the boot of Communism.  People had to wait in lines for an entire day to get a small piece of meat---if any was  left.  Shopping at a men's store and the only available suits on the racks were brown, size 48. Millions living in what we commonly call in America projects---gray, cold 5-10 story apartment buildings that all looked alike. But even life in Eastern Europe then was a tad better than in Cuba. One was able to purchase a vehicle built after 1958.

Having said all this, I hope things turn around for the Cuban people. There's always promise even under repressive regimes. And, like most people, I'm sure every Cuban can't wait to break out of that repression. After all,  thousands have tried---many died--attempting  to cross the 90 mile stretch of ocean to America.

Progressives And Their Penchant For Masochism

"It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled...Mark Twain
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In the past, I've written several posts about New York City under the tenure of its current mayor, Bill de Blasio.  I predicted he would plunge NYC into progressive hell.  It appears I was right.

I chose to write about NYC rather than some of the other American cities run by progressives. For one, I know the city well. I was raised in Manhattan and the South Bronx. In addition, even after leaving the city, I still had relatives there. I visited often over the years. I also witnessed the transformations of the city under progressive mayors and those who were conservative.  It's undeniable the city fared better under conservative leadership. Former Mayor Giuliani is the prime example.

But cities like NYC require our attention. It's usually cities (and, yes, states too) that lead the way with some specific initiatives.  Some of these become national issues.  Examples include those having to do with energy, the environment, health care and personal safety.  The examples are countless. Many are good but many are also bad. The imposition of burdensome taxes comes immediately to mind.

The question I often ask myself---knowing the implications and the outcomes of cities under progressive rule----is: Why do so many voters vote for progressives politicians realizing  full well the consequences will be dreadful?  Allow me to revisit NYC again after two years under Mayor de Blasio:

• Two weeks ago, it was reported the morale of the NYPD is in the toilet.  Of 6000 officers (of approximately 25,000 total), on a scale of 1-10, the average rating of morale was 2.49. In fact, approximately 87% of the NYPD said the city is now "less safe." It's so bad that almost 90% of the officers said they would leave the NYPD if offered a better job in law enforcement. (NY Post)
• Slashing and stabbings are up 20% this year. (NYPD crime stats).
• The number of weapons in the city's schools surged by 25%.  (Families for Excellent Schools and the NYPD)
• The number of violent incidents in the schools shot up 23% last year. (Ditto reference above).
• NYC City Council is working on a bill to allow illegal immigrants to vote in elections for mayor, comptroller, public advocate, borough president and City Council. It's estimated over 500,000 illegal immigrants reside in the city.
• Under de Blasio, NYC is now a "sanctuary" city.
• In a recent Quinnipiac University Poll, 53% of NYC residents said the quality of life has deteriorated. Only 14% reported it was better.  In the same poll, 59% disapproved of the job de Blasio is doing. 61% disapprove of his handling of poverty and homelessness.
• Last January,  de Blasio reappointed three judges that outraged the public. One of those judges freed a defendant accused of threatening to kill police officers immediately after two NYPD officers had been ambushed and executed.
• Last February,  NYC City Council announced that 700,000 outstanding warrants for low-level crimes such as public urination, disorderly conduct and public drinking.  Police point out when these people commit lower-level crimes and are caught, the police find many with outstanding warrants and/or illegal weapons. In addition, some of these people caught committing quality of life crimes can lead to solving other more serious crimes.  As one police officer noted: "Is it a big deal if a person takes up two seats on a train?...No, but it is if he pees on it."

After all of this and more (it would take several pages to list the nonsense perpetuated under Mayor De Blasio),  one can only arrive at this conclusion:  Progressives have a penchant for masochism.

Note: It would be unfair for me to blame all New Yorkers considering de Blasio won his race for mayor with the support of 73% of only 21% of the electorate.  In other words, it appears only progressives showed up to vote for him and decided to have the other New Yorkers share in their misery.