The World On Fire?

California burns (Photo courtesy of Big Time)

Those are not regular clouds in that photo, no, that's smoke from all those fires out California way. From what my buddy Shaun tells me, Canada also seems to be on fire. I guess this kind of thing happens when you've got miles and miles of dry grassland and forest. It's summer, think lightning, also think stupid people out in the wild playing with matches and other combustibles. Here's the current situation -

Where this map lives, i.e. where I got it from.

Pretty bad situation in some parts of The Golden State. I'm sure the politicians are busy finding someone to blame.

Canada is having some problems in this regard as well. In particular the potential for fire is pretty high in most of British Columbia, southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan. The smoke Shaun was seeing could have come from any of those places. Here's the situation in the Great White Up -

Here's where I got this one...

While parts of California and Canada are literally on fire, most of the attention of the populace is on other things. Political things.

I think it's time for one of my periodic rants.

Now I abhor politics and most politicians, but not all politicians. There's a fellow at work, very senior, who is also a state senator here in Little Rhody. I have a great deal of respect for this guy, because he's a straight shooter and a very smart guy, I've worked with him on more than one occasion. What's more, hold onto your hats Gentle Readers, he's a Democrat.

Well, if you knew the politics of Little Rhody (and large chunks of New England) you'd know that this region is heavily populated by Democrats. In order to get elected to just about any office in our tiny state, you almost have to have a "(D)" after your name.

Now I do have more than a few friends who are of that particular persuasion. Most are what you might call "old school Democrats," think the Kennedys, not that socialist air bag Bernie Sanders (who many Vermonters simply adore, I can't for the life of me figure out why). Most of them can trace their Democrat roots back many generations. I don't think they truly know what the modern party has become.

Now with that being said, I come from a long line of Republicans. I don't really associate with that crowd of animated gas bags anymore, that party has also become something which no doubt has Ronald Reagan spinning in his grave.

I consider myself an independent, I consider the issues and where a candidate stands on those issues. I vote according to my conscience and what I feel is best for the nation as a whole, not just my wee slice of the pie.

Supposedly Winston Churchill once said, "If you're not a liberal at twenty you have no heart, if you're not a conservative at forty you have no brain.”

I say supposedly because these days, through the magic of the Web of World Wideness you can find almost any sort of quote to suit your point. Though I believe I have seen this quote attributed to Sir Winston before the internet was invented. You know, back in the Neolithic Period, not long after the glaciers began to recede. Much like my hairline. Speaking of quotes, one of my favorite lines in Bernard Cornwell's new book on Waterloo is...

'Great battles are won by artillery,' Napoleon once said, though he said so many things that it is difficult to know when he was being serious. Waterloo by Bernard Cornwell, page 216.

(A most excellent book I must say, I've studied that battle since I was a wee lad and have learned a couple of new things. When you stop learning, you start dying. And yes, you can quote me.)

Now when you're young and have few responsibilities and pay less tax, it is nice to care about the less fortunate and the less skilled. Yes, tax those rich bastards so that we can feed the poor, clothe the naked and heal the sick.

Because, it ain't coming out of your pocket, is it?

Once one reaches a certain level of responsibility (spouse, children, house, land and one or more automotive conveyances) you start to realize (especially when you look at your pay slip and see all of the stuff the gubmint gets before you get your slice of the pie) that it isn't the rich who are being soaked to help the alleged less fortunate. It's you!

Now a lot of those "less fortunate" types these days are not even citizens, they are in this country illegally. Now truth be told, I can't say I blame them. If you live in a place that sucks and provides few opportunities to get ahead in life, you can, if you're able, go someplace that doesn't suck.

Though the current maladministration is trying very hard to turn the United States into a Third World sh!thole, they haven't succeeded. Yet. So folks from places that suck want to be here, where it doesn't suck (yet). However, they don't want to abide by what we conservatives like to call "The Rules."

Here's a great post I read over at The Chief's place the other day. Check it out, I'll wait right here.

Yeah, what if they all just up and left? And didn't come back unless it was legally? The data in that post seems pretty solid. I do believe that the Left wants them to stay because they think it's a guaranteed voting block for their "free stuff" agenda.

From anecdotal evidence I have heard from out west in the Central and San Joaquin Valleys, a great many folks of Hispanic background are very conservative. Stands to reason doesn't it? They are family oriented, have strong religious beliefs and they don't like the illegals much either.

Hey, how about that Trump fellow? Okay, I used to watch that show The Apprentice, I got a kick out of the "You're fired!" line and all that. But hey, he's singing my song. He's not a professional leech politician. He's not a lawyer and the MSM hates him.

So there has to be something there to keep an eye on. What are the Republicans and Democrats offering otherwise? Well the Dems have a Commie (Comrade Bernie), a criminal (guess who, I despise her and won't mention the name if I don't have to) and at least one lunatic (Fauxcahontas) in the race.

Now as for the GOP, too many names to keep track of. Personally, I shy away from the professional leeches politicians. I just don't trust them.

Do I trust Trump? Hard to say. Do I think he'll make the United States better? Yes I do.

As to the others? The GOP has some interesting candidates but I have no doubt that the party hierarchy will screw things up, just like the last two elections.

The Democrats? I shudder to think what they have to offer. More of this current crap we're laboring under. Our allies no longer trust us, our enemies no longer fear us. Yeah, how's that "hope and change" crap working for you?

Term limits is the only answer. We, as a people, have proven that we are too stupid or too lazy to vote intelligently. We elect people who lie to us and blow smoke up our collective arses. Then we blame the representatives from someone else's district.

Wrong.

My representatives suck and so do yours. Let's kick the professional politicians out and elect people who will go to DC, get the job done, then come home. These arse wipes we have now care nothing other than how to get reelected. Let's fix that for them. Let's make it so they can't be reelected.

Then maybe we can go after the bureaucrats.

Anyhoo, that's my two cents.

End of periodic rant...