Candidate Qualities - The Search For The Grail

Well for those of you who have followed me in my quest for the qualities that should be needful or desirable in a political candidate or office holder, my heartfelt congratulations (and my sympathies). You have participated in a journey seemingly as long, as difficult (and almost as fruitless) as that King Arthur's knights made for the Holy Grail (Monty Python version, of course).

Like the knights in that tale, you have had to deal with everything in the world from the sublime to the ridiculous. You have braved the twisted paths of logic and reason created by the vagaries of the English language and faced the abuse of that mode of communication with the stout hearts shown by those fearless knights as they faced everything from vicious rabbits to French tormentors. (OK, they did run away in the end ... but so what.)

Be now of good cheer however, for though this cup may yet remain beyond our our grasp, we have discovered some of what we seek. Take rest now, and let us review this remarkable expedition so that we can all move on with the rest of our lives (and about time, eh).

In this search for the qualities that both we, and the candidates themselves seem to place the greatest importance on, we have explored: character, honesty, morals (and with it, ethics), and the ability to be a leader.
Character: Unfortunately, this appears to have been a rather elusive quality. We were told that this was a symbol or a role for an actor which we knew wouldn't work, and the only hint of something of substance pointed towards moral excellence. As we later discovered, this can be a rather fluid concept.

Honesty: This trait seemed an obvious one, and proved less so. Our search here left us with "an adherence to the facts". Unfortunately for our search, the "facts" in politics often seem to be subject to interpretation (and sometimes some serious spinning).

Leadership: This led us to a definition of "a person of commanding authority or influence". While seemingly good on the surface, this definition left no room for the direction of this leadership, and the world has too often been led down the wrong path by people of commanding authority.

Moral: This was our most slippery term, though we did find, "Sanctioned by or operative on one's conscience or ethical judgment". Unfortunately for this search, counting on the conscience and judgement of a politician is often an exercise in futility. In the end, we were left with the fact that 'moral' may have been the wrong word, and that we needed to move on in order to reach our goal.

Wisdom: Here for the first time, we saw some light at the end of the tunnel, when we found, "Marked by deep understanding, keen discernment, and a capacity for sound judgment". There is little doubt that this would be something that we would like to see in politics and candidates (and far too rarely do).

Ethics: Here again, we found something to sink our teeth into with, "The principles of conduct governing an individual or a group". A candidate should have an abiding sense of principles that act as a guide for their actions. For myself, I would prefer that they drew these principles from the Founding Fathers, The Declaration of Independence, and The Constitution of the United States.

Perhaps the very elusiveness of these qualities is what makes choosing a candidate or a leader so difficult. Perhaps the problem is the "profession of politics", with a group of potential power seekers using professional speech writers, political handlers, and spin masters to further confuse us and make these choices even more difficult. Perhaps even when we can agree that the qualities of both Wisdom and Ethics are necessary for a candidate or leader, being able to recognize these qualities through the cult of personality built around candidates these days is extremely difficult. Then again, nobody ever said that democracy was going to be easy (OK, Representative Republic). It took the Founding Fathers 3 years to come up with the system of government that now gets abused after the Revolutionary War ended, and only after having abandoned the Articles of Confederation that they had originally come up with. I suppose that if the people wise enough to design a form of government that has lasted for over 200 years in this country struggled with it, that we can cut ourselves a little slack over the process.

I have to tell you though, that this Quest has worn me out. Exhausted, road weary and sore at heart, I think that I will seek instead that most desired by the Knights of Ni:

"Bring me a shrubbery!"

That's Not Right #11 - Help I've Fallen Update

You know, it seems like only a month ago I was doing a posting on the government stepping in to bail out those who gambled and lost in the real estate market with adjustable rate mortgages. (Oh wait, it was just a month ago!) Well it seems that much like I had warned, the auto industry is picking up torch and is running with it as if they were on their way to the Beijing games with a bunch of Tibetan protesters nipping at their heals.

I don't know if you have been listening closely to the car dealers commercials lately, but I have. They are offering deals on new car purchases which include paying off the loan on your existing car, even if it's $10,000 more than your car is worth!

Perhaps I am simply over-reacting to the situation; but it seems to me that if you are financing a new car plus $10,000 more that you still owe on the old one, you might be placing yourself in a questionable financial situation. The fact that you are probably buying this new car because you can't afford the gas for your current vehicle might likewise make us believe that you are a someone potentially in an over-extended credit position.

Of course these auto dealers, and the people stupid enough to buy cars using such a program are probably counting on the fact that it is more than likely that we will see a Democratic majority in Congress (and a Democratic president as well). Certainly such a kind, compassionate, and caring group of politicians will look with equal favor upon these transportation ne'er-do-wells going down the road (pun intended) and likewise find a bail out program for these victims of "big oil" and "predatory auto lenders".


Now if you will excuse me, I have to go find my duct tape. My head is about to explode....

The Loose Thread

Have you ever found a loose thread on a shirt that you just couldn't resist pulling? (You should be hearing the voice of Andy Rooney when reading this.) Didn't it drive you crazy as it got longer and longer? And what about when you looked down and realized that continuing to pull this thread instead of just snipping it off has completely ruined the shirt. Didn't that make you feel silly? (OK, Andy voice off) You may be wondering where all of this is going, and that's exactly the point that I'm trying to make. OK, maybe I need to go back just a couple of steps here for those of you not already hip deep in the blogging world. 

• Bloggers like myself put up postings on a variety of subjects
• Most bloggers allow comments on these postings as a way of allowing the presentation of additional information, encouraging discussion, or just having some fun with the subject.
• The list of comments after a posting is called a "thread".
• Most people commenting do so intelligently, rationally, and politely.
• Some people commenting do not. They either bring up extraneous information which diverts the attention of the readers from the original subject, use this forum as a soapbox for their own agendas, or in some cases just get mean, petty, and personal - commenting on other comments and the people who make them instead of the subject at hand.

While nothing is a sure thing, the odds are pretty good that the longer the thread of comments gets, the more chance that it will go off topic and get more than a little nasty. Add to the mix that because all are capable of posting comments anonymously or using a pseudonym for this purpose, people in the blogosphere often feel free to say things here that they would never say outside of this world.

This is not to say that rational discourse does not take place in blogging. I have shared intelligent, thoughtful and amusing exchanges with many out there; even those who I disagree with. Likewise I should say that I can only look at this from the outside, as postings on this site do not normally engender long threads of commentary and irrational discourse that I am talking about. I would like to tell you that this is because of my amazing ability to sway people to my opinion, but find it more likely that I simply do not have the volume of readership or take on the type of subjects in a way which inspires such vitriol and insanity.

I have been watching with interest and amusement, a couple of these longer threads on other blog sites in recent days. They are guilty of everything I am talking about: wandering off subject on a scale that would intimidate Johnny Appleseed, personal attacks that should make those involved grateful that the practice of dueling is no longer in favor, and naming calling that ranks right up there with one 4 year-old calling another "doo-doo head". Reading them is like watching a bad version of a TV reality show in which the residents can't seem to get along with each other and seek to draw attention to themselves through mindless misbehavior. 

While some might consider such things (and shows) entertainment, I simply find them further proof that civilized behavior is dying in the world. I will not try to delve too deeply into the background of misbehavior of this type however, as I have always found that such actions, and the children who commit them, should be ignored rather than catered to by attention (just ask my kids).

It's a shame that blogging has to be the beneficiary such childish behavior. It's a shame that many use anonymity to spread ignorance, stupidity, and vitriol. It's a damn shame that rational discussion on many issues in this country cannot take place without a breakdown of good manners and civility. Having said all of this however, I find that I should end this posting as well, before the thread of my argument gets away from me and begins to unravel as well.

Annoying things these loose threads; and the longer they get, the more annoying they become, and the more damage they do.

The "Stuck on Stupid" Toledo Dictionary #5

Courtesy of my friends at WSPD, and a roundtable discussion between Brian Wilson, Fred Lefebvre, and Maggie Thurber; we have yet another addition to the SOS Toledoisms we are entering into our dictionary.





Rescind
usage: to Rescind a law unnecessary or detrimental to citizens or businesses in Toledo

1. To look at a law or regulation with an eye on removing it, with the expectation of making no serious effort, nor taking any further action to actually do so.

The "Stuck on Stupid" Toledo Dictionary #4

New entries for the SOS Dictionary of Toledoisms...

Will Of The People

1. Any levy that is passed, even by the smallest of margins.

Unwise Decision

1. Any levy which fails, whatever the margin.

Where Have You Gone, Thomas Jefferson?

I cannot think of a more fitting time for a posting that I have been playing around with for some little while. (You would be amazed if I told you how many times some of these were edited or rewritten.) So just one day after the 4th of July, the anniversary of both the death John Adams and Thomas Jefferson in 1826 (our 2nd and 3rd Presidents respectively) , I offer the following.

In 1967, Simon & Garfunkel wrote, "Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio? Our nation turns it's lonely eyes to you." This line in the song "Mrs. Robinson" from the movie "The Graduate" speaks to a confused culture, crying out for a simpler time when heroes were easier to recognize, easier to admire, and easier to gain inspiration from. The sentiment was a noble one, but picking a baseball player may be a little more naive than can be tolerated in the reality of today's world. If we really wanted to pick a true hero, we should go back more than 200 years to one of our Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson, for the type of inspiration that we could use today.

Here is a man who served his country well and fully as a member of the Assembly and Governor of Virginia, Ambassador to the Court of France, Secretary of State, Vice-President, and as our 3rd President. Most importantly, he served as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress. It is in that early role that we see his intelligence, his eloquence, and his vision as he penned the Declaration of Independence.

The truly amazing thing about this is that Jefferson did all of it while earning a living as a: farmer, lawyer, inventor, horticulturist, archaeologist, paleontologist, author, and architect (oh yeah, and he also helped found the University of Virginia). In spite of all of the time he spent in government service, Jefferson ultimately remained a private citizen, believing in the concept of the "yeoman farmer" as the ideal. Serving the government when required was a duty, not a profession; and was performed as personal sacrifice.

This belief in working with the land made him suspicious of urban dwelling as well. Jefferson loathed both commerce and manufacturing as ways of life, seeing them as temptations for corruption. He was also skeptical of both newspapers and banks. When the discussion of a National Bank arose, he said:

"I sincerely believe, with you, that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies; and that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale."

(You have to wonder how he would feel about the current state of the Federal budget and the Federal Reserve.)

In truth, he had nothing but contempt for large cities, and believed that the country was best served when there were new lands to conquer. It was this vision, over strong opposition in the country at the time, that compelled him to complete the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 (many thought it was in fact, unconstitutional at the time). This massive land purchase from Napoleon for just over $23,000,000 now encompasses about 23% of the Continental United States, and truly established the US as a world power. This new frontier, and the Lewis and Clark expedition to explore it, fit very well with the concepts of freedom as Jefferson understood them, and provided citizens at the time with the chance to act in relative isolation and independence, free from the entanglement of government and growing with the country.

Above all, Jefferson was a man who believed in Republican principles (no, not the political party, but the principles of representative government). He truly believed in the inalienable rights of man, restricted only by interference with the rights of other men. He also believed that men had an innate sense of morality, which would allow them to restrain themselves from interfering with their fellow man's rights. He believed that because of the nature of man, little government was necessary, or preferable. Government's only function would be to prohibit individuals from infringing on rights of other individuals and to restrain itself from diminishing individual freedom. (I would say that belief in such principles today would make Jefferson sound like a libertarian, but I wouldn't want to place the "right-wind lunatic" label on one of our Founding Fathers.)

The epitaph on his tombstone (he was buried on his Monticello estate), is one that he himself wrote with the insistence that it be only his words used and "not one word more". It was simply:

HERE WAS BURIED THOMAS JEFFERSON
AUTHOR OF THE DECLARATION OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE
THE STATUTE OF VIRGINIA FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
AND FATHER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

Where are those today who believe in the rights and responsibilities of Man? Where are those who believe in the limits of government? Where are the true defenders of Republicanism today? Where those who contribute from a broad range of knowledge to their society? Where are those citizen-servants who leave private life only for a brief period in order to serve their fellow citizens in government? Where have you gone, Thomas Jefferson?

Happy 4th: The Tomb of the Unknowns

Many will be posting today about fireworks and picnics, family gatherings and parades, and these are all wonderful subjects in which I too hope to participate over the holiday. I am going to choose instead on a day that I don't normally post, to pass on a bit of obscure information that I was able to dig up from a number of websites out there on a little more somber subject, the monument to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to provide the very independence that we celebrate on this day.

This came home to me while recently attending a Reunion in Quantico, VA of my late father's Marine Corp Battalion (something that I did last year ). During the trip this year, we visited the grave site of their commanding officer, Colonel Peck, in Arlington National Cemetery. While touring the cemetery, we passed, but did not stop, at the Tomb of the Unknowns, something that I had hoped to do and truly regret foregoing. We were on the way to the Evening Parade at the Marine Barracks on 8th & I however, and one does not keep the Marines waiting. I promise that I will regale you in the future with some of the other things I was exposed to during that visit, but in the meantime, I would like to share with you some of what you might never have known, and I was recently enlightened about: 

Tomb of the Unknowns
 

 

1. The tomb contains the unidentified remains of a soldier who served in: World War I, World War II, Korea, and Viet Nam, and has been guarded continuously since 1930.
2. The Guards are members of the 3rd US Infantry Regiment (the Old Guard), and wear no rank insignia on their uniforms while on duty so as not to outrank one of those lying in the Tomb.
3. The Guards take 21 steps, in recognition of the 21 gun salute; the highest honor given anyone in the military or any foreign dignitary.
4. Upon completion of those steps, the guards hesitate 21 seconds in memory of that same honor, turns 90 degrees and hesitates again for 21 seconds, before completing another 90 degrees and hesitates one more time before resuming his march.
5. The Guards march with moistened gloves to prevent the gun from slipping from their grasp while on duty.
6. Guards are changed every 30 minutes; 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
7. The guards always carry the rifle on the shoulder furthest from the tomb. This move places the sentinel between the tomb and any threat.
8. The Guards of the Tomb, an honor currently carried by just over 500 people, is awarded only after careful examination (and noted by the award of a wreath pin). They subsequently live under very strict guidelines for the rest of their lives.
9. For the first 6 months of this duty, guards spend most of their free time learning of the most notable people buried in Arlington in preparation for their exam. With their rigorous training, hours of marching, and rifle drill, they have little time for anything else.
10. Each guard spends five hours each day getting his uniforms ready for this duty.
11. In 2003, as Hurricane Isabella approached Washington and while Congress took 2 days off in anticipation of the dangers of this storm, these guards stood their duty. Soaked to the skin, they continued to march their rounds in the pelting rain of a tropical storm. They had been offered the opportunity to suspend this assignment; but refused, stating that such duty was not simply an assignment, but was the highest honor afforded to a serving member of the military.

Honor indeed to those of our troops serving in defense of freedom around the world today, to those who have in every conflict where Americans have served, and to those who gave all for the men that they served with and for their country.

(Keep an eye out for an additional posting relating to the Holiday as my regular Saturday effort.) 


 

The Oil Shortage Is My Fault

I reached a moment of epiphany yesterday that I felt that I had to share with all of you. I discovered, during a singular moment of clarity, that I am responsible for the current shortage of oil here in the United States, and the resultant higher prices that we are all paying for gasoline. 

I know, I know ... I am not an oil company, nor do I have the ability to drill for oil. (Hell, with my little car and the amount that I drive, I don't even use much of the stuff.) The problem that I appear to have created instead seems to be one of imitation. You see, I have been meaning to lose some weight for some time now (since about the Carter Administration if you must know). This is a problem (like the person with it) that has been growing for a number of years. I have complained about it, sought sympathy over it, and have told myself that I was dealing with it as best I could. The problem however, is that I was not making the honest effort that I should to change. Looking at the situation, it would be easy to say that: 

* My appetite has increased, but I don't make much of an effort to curb it. - My situation leaves me desk-bound, but I don't push to exercise more. 

* I am capable of eating healthier, but I don't do so nearly as much as I should. 

* Not dealing with this problem for so long a period has made it worse, but recognizing that this is the case has not caused a change in my overall behavior. 

Compare this to the way that the country has been dealing with the current energy crisis (a problem that we have been facing off and on since the oil embargo during ... the Carter Administration), and you will begin to see why this relationship is now so clear to me.  

- We know we have a greater appetite for oil, but perform only the most cursory efforts to curb it.  

- We know that we need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, but won't exercise our right to drill for it domestically.  

- We know that there are healthier sources of energy out there like nuclear, but don't make an honest effort to use them.

 - Not dealing with this problem has added to inflation (pun intended) and other economic hardships for the country; but though we recognize this, we appear to be unwilling or unable to make any real changes and resolve it.

 Based on due consideration of the above, I am forced to the conclusion that my personal behavior has been controlling national policy, and that the country has suffered as a consequence. I wish to apologize for the hardships that I have caused the American people. I further wish to apologize for not realizing the problems that I have been causing. 

Ignorance (even when not aggressive) is no excuse for such a lapse in discernment or judgment however. In recompense, I hereby resolve to expend every effort to address this situation as quickly as possible. In fact, it is my intention to immediately go on a diet ... well tomorrow anyway.  

(For those of you who believe that the concerns that I have share here might be nothing more than a form of posturing and pretension that may even border on megalomania, I must concede that it's possible you are correct. My response however is, "What's your point?")

 

Necessary, But Not Sufficient

I was sitting quietly one recent evening when that phrase began rolling around in my head (the emptiness of the appendage that decorates the top of my neck sometimes permits such things). I am not entirely sure to whom it should be attributed (anyone who knows is more than welcome to fill me in), but it feels pretentious enough to have come from one of our Founding Fathers. It struck me how little it's used these days and how appropriate that it might be to an understanding of our current relationship with government. 

For example: Providing roads and keeping them in repair is necessary, but not sufficient to justify the crushing level of taxation placed on gasoline for this purpose, the graft involved in the attempt, and the horrible job being done in spite of or because of this. 

Providing police protection for life and property is necessary, but not sufficient for the way in which it is underfunded, the lack of respect for those performing it, and the occasional examples of abuse of power which seem to be the only thing that make headlines.  

The availability and quality of the long term health care is necessary, but not sufficient to justify the phenomenal costs, the mind-numbing maze of paperwork involved in getting it, and any need for government intervention. 

Holding elections in order to fill offices at every level of government is necessary, but not sufficient to justify the money being spent on it, the annoying political ads that we are subjected to, and never-ending circus that politics has become in recent years. 

Laws to regulate the trade of goods and services between states and countries is necessary, but not sufficient to justify the incredible number and complexity of the current laws, intrusive nature of those laws, and monstrous bureaucracy (growing larger every day) that seeks to stifle the very thing it attempts to protect. 

The creation of laws to guarantee the freedom and protect the general welfare of the people is necessary, but not sufficient to make comprehensible the labyrinth of nonsense, overlapping and contradictory drivel, and obsolete claptrap that makes up the massive pile of dead trees that masquerade as law in this country. (... talk about your carbon footprint, sheesh!)  

Taxes, levies, or duties to provide for the common defense and general welfare of the citizens of the United States is necessary, but not sufficient to justify the the crushing level of taxation imposed, the unnecessary level of complication in the process, and the abuse of power that the IRS has committed in the performance of enforcement. 

A jury of peers for the adjudication of cases both civil and criminal is necessary, but not sufficient to explain the madness of consciously ignored facts, sentences without regard to the crime or the victim, and settlements that have turned the civil courts into a form of judicial lottery. 

See what I mean! Like Super Glue, there are 1001 uses for the phrase, "necessary, but not sufficient". While I am sure that anyone now reading this can easily come up with additions, or even their own list where this phrase is concerned (and you are certainly welcome to send them in as comments), isn't it astonishing that we don't hear it used more often? 

Doing Business In Ohio Is Unhealthy

Well the word is finally getting out there on the initiative currently trying to reach the ballot known as the "Healthy Families Act". Credit should be given to the poliitical handlers again for coming up with such a friendly, compassionate, and feel-good name for what should be more rightly called the "Give Ohio a Nurturing Environment" Act. Such a name would be equally friendly, but would more accurately describe what will happen to Ohio businesses. They will be GONE. Let's set aside what the direct cost of such a law might mean to Ohio businesses. Let's additionally set aside the mind-numbing amount of additional paperwork and the state bureaucracy that will be required for tracking and enforcement (more cost). Having done so, why shouldn't we want something as compassionate as this law? Because: 
 

• Business do not move to or stay in states that like to place restrictions and mandates upon them. They get enough of that at the Federal level.
• Business owners understand how to run a business (unlike governments). They likewise understand that 'giving' this benefit will mean 'taking' something else away (oh, like health benefits, vacation, non-mandated sick days).
• Unions support this proposal, and that's never business friendly.
• Government is never satisfied with the level of control or interference that is has in anything. It will not be satisfied with this "toe in the door", and we will all need to be afraid of where this could go.

Now in the spirit of full faith and disclosure, I have to admit that this appeal is strictly my opinion and is by-and-large an emotional one (much like that of those pushing this legislation). There are those however, who manage much more fact-based postings, and ones providing much more and better information on the subject. This one by Maggie Thurber does exactly that. It will not only give you the gory details of what this initiative is about, but who else thinks that it's not a good idea.

As for me, I am now cancelling my plans to incorporate "Just Blowing Smoke" as a business in the State of Ohio. In spite of the fact that I am the only employee and would not qualify under the current version of the proposed law, I believe that this measure, if passed, will eventually be forced onto every employer. I am not willing to provide these paid sick days for that employee, and experience enough labor unrest as it is without tempting the fates further.