Like most folks with an IQ north of Gump, I nearly shit a brick this past week when the White House declared that there's nothing special about Britain. You're just the same as the other 190 countries in the world. You shouldn't expect special treatment.

What. The. Fuck. Our staunchest allies on the globe, who are doing much of the heavy lifting in Afghanistan, who have sacrificed 300 of their very best citizens in Iraq and Afghanistan combined since 9/11, have been reduced to the same as everyone else on the globe. Congratulations Britain, you're on par with Iran and North Korea now in our book!

The stunning idiocy that is forming within the White House under the guise of foreign policy has become breathtaking. Why not just put Gordon Brown up in a Motel 6 the next time he's over, and send over some Subway?

There's only one thing I can think of that will rectify this situation in the shortest possible time frame: turn over UK/American relations to WAF.

We like to make occassional fun of our UK brethren here, but beyond the jokes, you have to give the Brits credit where credit is do. While their society is being overrun by liberalism run amok, there are still small oasis of tradition holding out that give one hope, and one of the greatest rays of light is their sporting traditions, and specifically racing. A great percentage of the great racing drivers in history have been Brits, and for good reason: these fuckers are just flat out crazy when they get behind the wheel. And they'll race anything, and I do mean anything:



There isn't much that gives me hope in the world anymore, but watching some crazy Brit two wheel a double decker around a corner does the trick.

So this is what I'm proposing: give us a race track, a keg of Guinness for the "after action review", and send us a proper contingent of Brits. It doesn't really matter what we drive; we're just going to wreck it all anyway...but in a day, we'll have this whole "you're nothing special" thing sorted out.

Don't worry UK...there's plenty of us over here that think you're still pretty fucking special; and not just in a short bus sort of way.

My portfolio is going down faster than an out of work stock broker in a back alley in Chinatown, so I’ve decided to diversify my holdings.

I’m going to buy a Rent-a-Center franchise.

Let me explain.

“Cramming down” is a process by which a bank is forced to write off a portion of an individual’s mortgage balance to make the home worth more than the owner owes said bank. Bankruptcy lawyers are about to be granted much more liberal power with which to “cram down” the balances due on upside down mortgages, thus allowing the Obama administration to succeed in pulling off his greatest campaign promise.

They’ve redistributed the wealth of the "haves" to the "havenots" without most Americans even understanding the process.

Let me explain some more -

I own a house that is worth more than I owe. Some other schmuck owns a house that is worth less than he owes. Obama tells judges to set up Butthead's mortgage so that his house is worth more than he owes on it. Obama then takes my money to make up the difference to Corky's bank. Shmo end up with equity in his home – i.e. wealth – that used to be my vacation fund.

Who ends up being the beneficiary of this redistribution, what with me buying equity in some moron's home and giving it back to him?

Rent-a-Center, that's who.

You know damned well that the minute these Mensa members have an inch of breathing room they’re getting another home equity loan to buy a sweet, sweet 64” plasma with the super duper package (including the sports plans!!) from Directv.

Now if you'll excuse me I've got some kickin' speakers to sell.

Most American moderates..err, I mean progressives know by now that President Obama has no intention of governing from the center, but for the komrades who need one more dollop of sour cream on the borscht, here's a name for you - George Tiller.

Tiller, "MD" is the leading late term abortion "doctor" in Kansas, and one of the "preeminent" late term abortion "doctors" in the country. (It sickens me to use "MD" and "doctor" and "preeminent" when describing this scumbag.)Tiller's "justification" for performing late term abortions - in KS a definable medical condition needs to be determined before this murder, I mean this procedure, can be performed - is often "temporary depression".

Christin Gilbert, a teen with Down's Syndrome and "temporary depression" actually died of sepsis after an abortion that took several days to complete --- at Tiller's clinic.

What does George Tiller, "MD" have to do with the Obama administration?

Besides being a world class mass murderer he's also a guy who shares happy hours at the mansion with Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Obama's future Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Does anyone else want to take the boot from their carbon footprint and shove it up someone's ass today?

If you have any topics that you'd love me to hate on, please drop me an email.

If you've got any complaints about my thoughts, always remember to send them to ScrewYourselfSlowlyWith@Chainsaw.com.

Although you’d not think it from the mainstream media, the oldest and strongest of alliances is now under threat. The alliance that has been responsible for keeping the world free of fascism. The alliance that faced down the threat of communism during the cold war. The alliance that has stood shoulder to shoulder in defiance of the new wave of terrorism and hate fueled fascism that would otherwise engulf us all.

Is it under threat because of suddenly differing policies or a change in ethical viewpoint? Because one nation was caught committing espionage upon the other? Some act of betrayal? No, it is under sudden strain because one side now wishes to be ‘cool.’

Like a hormonal teenager discarding their best friend after suddenly winning a popularity contest, President Barack Obama would have found it hard to treat Prime Minister Gordon Brown with a greater sense of contempt. Admittedly, many in Britain would like nothing more than to see Brown humiliated, but in this case, all are aware it was not the man being snubbed, but the position and by extension the country.

Much has Britain done in recent history following the 9/11 attacks beyond the usual co-operation the two countries have enjoyed for so long. Not only in military support, or the sharing of intelligence or expertise in fighting terrorism gained through the years of combating the IRA, but perhaps more crucially in simply providing symbolic and literal unity after the most horrific act of terrorism in history.

While other countries provided lip service in support, or in many cases mere condemnation, following the attacks it was Britain who first pledged unwavering military support in retaliation. It was Tony Blair who broke from international obligations to declare on international television that the UK would be there when called upon - not the hip liberal nations of France or Germany that Obama is so keen on courting. Not the Islamic states he is trying to impress. Not Russia. It was Britain, as always.

So on receiving Brown to Washington, despite paying lip service to the ‘special relationship,’ Obama made it clear how little the country that has literally shed blood for the U.S. really means to the new administration with his actions. The little things that can be dismissed by a liberal media, but only a fool takes as meaningless. Whereas a bust of Winston Churchill always took place during such press conferences as a sign of respect, Obama made a point of returning it to the UK.

No.10 was told Obama did not have the time in his diary to spend with Brown. It has since been found that such pressing demands were in fact a routine speech to the Department for Interior and a meeting with the boy scouts of America. Now unless these boy scouts are going to be taking the place of British troops fighting and dying in Afghanistan, I think most can see who should have had priority.

There was no press conference, a standard for such visits during previous administrations and the British press were made to wait in the cold for over an hour before being allowed into the White House for what was permitted. Browns speech in which he trying to push his need to work with the US against the global recession actually had several members of congress missing, their seats taken by aides. There was no lunch or dinner as had on previous visits. Let us not forget, this was not a ‘party’ thing - Britain has been warmly received by both Clinton and Bush, and Bush was friendly with Blair and subsequently Brown. Brown had made sure to bring a personal gift - a pen holder made from wood of a warship that helped abolish the slave trade. Obama gave Brown DVD’s. DVD’s that don’t play on British DVD players no less. Yes, all that was missing was essentially pomp and ceremony, but it is symbolic of the attitude that Obama feels the British aren’t worth even that despite the physical and military unity Britain has provided at the drop of a hat.

Even if ceremony can be dismissed as meaningless, this irrefutably cannot, as taken from the Daily Telegraph (a normally left wing paper) dated 7th March -

The real views of many in Obama administration were laid bare by a State Department official involved in planning the Brown visit, who reacted with fury when questioned by The Sunday Telegraph about why the event was so low-key.

The official dismissed any notion of the special relationship, saying: "There's nothing special about Britain. You're just the same as the other 190 countries in the world. You shouldn't expect special treatment." The apparent lack of attention to detail by the Obama administration is indicative of what many believe to be Mr Obama's determination to do too much too quickly.

Sadly, Labour, being full of liberal wet rags have done all they can to dismiss what was clearly a snub and pathetically try to convince people it was a diplomatic success. Anyone with a brain can see what it was, and why it happened. In his bid to keep up with his ‘cool liberal’ image, Obama has brushed off America’s most important ally to gain favour with Europeans who favour image over substance, but it has not gone unnoticed over here. Even left wing media outlets are talking of the snub for what it is. The same press that bent over backwards to hail the coming of Obama as salvation of America’s ‘soul’.

What can also only be missed by an idiot is that Labour will not be winning the next election. America may find itself with a British government with a spine. One that will take offense at such an international slight. So when America next finds itself in need of an ally, Obama may find his arrogance coming home to roost when Germany and France forget how to answer the phone. When he finds himself alone in the world beyond polite nods and condescending smiles from Europe upon finding his gloss carries no weight with Iran who still wish to see the destruction of the US, he may realise that maybe Britain wasn’t just one among the many, and maybe the relationship was actually that important after all.

Today's not-so short round focuses on Biden's meeting with AFL-CIO executives last week in Miami. At the five-star Fontainebleau Hotel. (remember that last part, we'll come back to that one)

Here is the gist of his message: Frick and Frack in the White House will do all they can to boost union power. In Biden's words:

“We're going to make sure that in every policy, every decision, we don't lose sight of the folks that brought us to the dance,” he said -- a reference to organized labor’s support of the Obama-Biden ticket. “And toward that end, we have to make sure that the jobs we're creating come with fair wages and decent benefits.”

Well...I'm glad to see they've put a stop to pandering to special interests.

Wait. It gets better.

"economic injustice and inequity are bad for everyone. It's just not right and everybody knows it -- it's just not right when the average CEO makes $10,000 more every day...than what the average worker makes every year.”

Stirring words really. Especially when delivered at the five-star Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami. Funny, I don't notice any outrage at this boondoggle.

To continue:

Biden says the middle class has been "slipping" in recent years because the “social contract” is out of balance.

"When productivity goes up, the people responsible for that productivity are supposed to benefit. That’s the “deal,” he said: “We don't want chief executives and wealthy people not to get wealthy. That's okay by us. (I'm sure it is, they're needed to foot the bill) Every one of us hope our kids end up there some day.” (Because we're leaving them the mother of all debts to pay off)

But Biden said the deal involves workers getting a piece of the higher profits generated by their labor: “While a company’s management may come up with a good idea, workers “help make it happen…we do things faster and better and cheaper for you so the profit margin increases -- the deal was we get a piece of that. We get a piece of it -- a fair piece. That's the bargain.”

Let's ask the auto industry how well that bargain is working, shall we?

http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=44621

There's a new "space power" in town:

China Readies Military Space Station

China is aggressively accelerating the pace of its manned space program by developing a 17,000 lb. man-tended military space laboratory planned for launch by late 2010. The mission will coincide with a halt in U.S. manned flight with phase-out of the shuttle.

The project is being led by the General Armaments Department of the People's Liberation Army, and gives the Chinese two separate station development programs.

Shenzhou 8, the first mission to the outpost in early 2011 will be flown unmanned to test robotic docking systems. Subsequent missions will be manned to utilize the new pressurized module capabilities of the Tiangong outpost.

Importantly, China is openly acknowledging that the new Tiangong outpost will involve military space operations and technology development.

Also the fact it has been given a No. 1 numerical designation indicates that China may build more than one such military space laboratory in the coming years.

"The People's Liberation Army's General Armament Department aims to finish systems for the Tiangong-1 mission this year," says an official Chinese government statement on the new project. Work on a ground prototype is nearly finished.

It doesn't take a whole lot of imagination to dream up the havoc that taking out the GPS satellite system and a few choice communications & reconnaissance satellites will create in a shooting war. Take all this into account with President Obama's campaign pledge to "not weaponize space" and "slow development of future combat systems" and it's really starting to look like ceding this new arms race to the Chinese is a supremely bad idea.

What's even better is the Chinese are virtually rubbing our faces in it.

You know how sometimes you hear a campaign promise and actually hope the candidate is lying about it? This is one of those times.

Okay kids, here is today's math question presented by Professor Reardon.

To pay for all of these wonderful programs that the government is attempting to expand and create, we are going to TAX THE RICH! Universal health care? Tax the rich! Everyone goes to college? Tax. The. Rich. Cure cancer? No really, we're now going to cure cancer according to the President. You guessed it- tax the rich.

Currently the top 5 percent of income earners in the United States already pay 60 percent of income taxes to Uncle Sam. 60 percent.

The bottom 40 percent pays nothing. You know, the same people who will benefit from the universal health care and FREE college educations.

Really.

But I digress.

The answer we look for is, under these current conditions, how long will the rich last?

Be sure to provide and add any circumstances you want to your projections. Leave answers in the comments section.

Professor Reardon

My name’s Frank and I like to eat meat. Unapologetically.

I recently got into a heated discussion with some ahole who was hacked off because I had the unmitigated gall to disagree with his anti-gun/anti-hunting/anti meat consumption rant. Let me start by saying that I don’t personally hunt (the natural elements reek havoc on my perfectly coiffed, product-laden head of hair), but I do enjoy consuming the spoils of the game.

Isn’t it ironic that the human race spent five million years crawling to the top of the food chain only to have vegetarians tell us that they are more evolved than those of us that revel in being carnivorous?



I love steak. I love pork chops. I love seabass. I love turkey. Hey PETA - want to get really pissed off?

Make it your personal quest to eat an extra animal for every vegetarian that frosts you today.

You know what’s almost as bad as a nut punch? Freezing your balls off holding a door open for a woman only to have her berate you for being an insensitive, sexist prick.

Anyone else think that Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio suck incredible amounts of ass? If you watch their films for any reason other than to get a handjob you should turn in your ‘nads. Hell, I think that you have to drop your scrotum off at the concession stand on your way into the theater.

Ok, here’s your popcorn, slurpee aaaaaaand… whoa… you’ve still got your ball sack. You know that you can’t take that in there, right?

Why doesn’t Troma Entertainment crank out the high art that we took for granted in the 80’s?

Who else is pissed off that you didn’t buy a house twice the size of the one that you own for the low, low, low ARM rates?

Show of hands.

Now that Obama has decided to "spread the wealth" from the "rich" to the downtrodden we once again have proof that God protects stupid people.

When the hell did Jeff Spicoli start taking himself so seriously?

At the recent Oscars Awards show Spicoli called out the "homophobes" that voted against gay marriage in California. In the next breath he praised Americans for electing "such an elegant man" as President of our country.

Hey Spicoli – Obama is against gay marriage.

Dearest Nancy, we'll give you a seven day waiting period and mandatory training before gun ownership if you give us a seven day waiting period and mandatory counseling before an abortion.

Deal?

Finally a shout out to my man President Barack Hussein Obama – thank you for getting Kathleen Sebelius the hell out of my state.

She has all but bankrupted Kansas due in no small part by making it a safe haven for illegal aliens. She recently went so far as to threaten Kansans with not receiving our tax returns before caving to the Republican dominated legislature who had the audacity to get her to promise to balance the state budget.

This woman screwed up healthcare delivery as the Kansas insurance commissioner, she’s screwed up Medicaid reimbursement as our governor, and now she gets to oversee the correction of our nation’s "healthcare crisis".

Is it too late to give up my citizenship, move to Mexico and cross the river back in?

Got a contradictory comment? Send it to ScrewYourselfSlowly@WithAChainsaw.com

I intended to discuss the state of our newspaper industry today, but the weekend was filled with news that is simply impossible to pass up.

In the future we will spend plenty of time discussing exactly what President Barack Obama intends to pursue with his global bailout plan. But I will wait for the details (I know, we’ll be waiting awhile) so as not to jump on any rumors.

Apparently the largest global warming protest in history is taking place in Washington D.C. today in the middle of a snowstorm that could bring a foot of white fluffy powder to coastal communities along the Eastern seaboard in March. We don’t need to touch that one right now, irony has it under control.

Instead the topic that really got me going was a Phoenix protest by 3,000 people upset with the actions of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. If you do not know who the sheriff is the issue of illegal immigrants living in our country is not near to your heart. Arpaio has developed a reputation as being the toughest man in the country when it comes to illegal aliens. His vocal critics include Amnesty International, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Arizona Chapter of the Anti-Defamation League. In other words, he’s awesome.

His offenses range from the mundane and silly- all inmates must wear pink boxers, the establishment of his own radio station at the jail specializing in classical music and Frank Sinatra (KJOE), the reintroduction of chain gangs- to more serious matters like the establishment of a “Tent City” where inmates live outside in tents that approach 150 degrees in the hot Phoenix summer. It’s fair to say he’s from the old school.

But what draws the ire of liberals more than anything is his stance on illegal aliens. Arpaio has made his goal in life to disrupt the lives of these people, and why not? No one else in law enforcement seems to care, certainly not the federal government.

Using the Coyote Law, a 2005 measure passed by the Arizona State Legislature making it a felony to smuggle illegal immigrants into the country, Arpaio and his undersheriffs have arrested 262 people, generating over 120 convictions. He has also arrested more than 1,500 people later proven to be illegals under a deal with the government that allows local enforcement of federal statutes. He accomplishes this with targeted raids.

Last month Arpaio took the immigration debate to the next level when he marched 220 illegal immigrants in shackles and striped prison garb through Phoenix under armed guard. "My message is clear: if you come here and I catch you, you're going straight to jail,” Arpaio said recently. “I'm not going to turn these people over to federal authorities so they can have a free ride back to Mexico. I'll give them a free ride to my jail."

The backlash has been strong. Illegal immigration proponents are the most hypocritical people in the world today, no easy task considering the current state of our country. Not only do they want to have their cake and eat it to, but when they are done they will steal mine and give it to someone who just crossed over from Mexico.

Opponents of Arpaio have accused him targeting raids in predominately Latino neighborhoods in search of illegal immigrants. They say he is racial profiling. Maybe it’s just me, but if I’m looking for a cucumber, I’m not going to search an orange grove for it.

This one quote in particular is a shining example of the thought process on this issue:

“Walking people through the streets in chains, public shaming, it's medieval," said Veronica Perez, 32, an archeologist that according to Reuters carried signs Sunday that read "No Human Is Illegal" and "Stop the Raids."

No human is illegal? Really Ms. Perez? Don’t get me wrong, I understand why these people are fighting so strongly on the issue of illegal immigration. They want a majority in our country. They want to take over. And you know what? If they do that legally, and enter the United States like my ancestors did 170 years ago, all the power to them. But if you break the law to do it, you are a criminal.

"Isn't cruel and unusual punishment against the U.S. Constitution?" she asked.

Disregarding the legalities of illegal immigrants using the Constitution for protection, how is forcing people who have broken the law, who have propensity for committing violent crimes that harm the law-abiding people of this country, to march through a City in shame cruel or unusual? If anything, it is appropriate.

The National Day Laborer Organizing Network (WAF really needs to have its own network), rallied the protestors Sunday by pleading for Arpaio’s raids to end, saying Arizona didn’t need a “Bull Connors.”

Connors is the notorious segregationist that turned fire hoses and police dogs on demonstrators in Birmingham during the Civil Rights movement. Illegal immigration advocates love to sync their cause with blacks from the mid-20th century, ignoring that the crime African-Americans perpetrated on racists was the color of their skin. They play the race card by trying to convince us that there is no difference between Latino persons here legally and those that do not bother to follow the rules. It’s among the most offensive of their ridiculous rhetoric.

Don’t believe me?

In an effort to encourage people to attend the protest the above network sent out e-mails claiming: "And last week, the nation witnessed the ritual humiliation of migrants in a spectacle evocative of some of the most horrific episodes of human history."

Spare me. Spare us.

Obama knows he cannot touch this issue with a ten-foot pole. With his sights set firmly on socializing the country he cannot afford a misstep on an issue that firmly divides most of the Democrats with the loony fringe of the party.

So we are left hoping that people like Arpaio do the job they are elected to do, and enforce the law. He is a rare breed that deserves all the support he can get.

Go Joe!

Yesterday, The NY Post printed a well written and somewhat scathing op-ed piece on some critical write-ups of HBO's production Taking Chance. Hollywood's obsession with politicizing the Iraq war has apparently extended to at least a few of its movie critics as well.

A little research beyond the quotes used in the NY Post piece will show you that Post writer Kyle Smith had plenty of material to work with.

Sundance Review: Taking Chance

It doesn’t take long for Taking Chance to cross the line from patriotic and affecting into cloying and desperate. This is a film frantic for tears and nationalistic fervor that, unfortunately, it just hasn’t earned.

Slant Magazine: Taking Chance

This is lazy filmmaking that fails to engage anyone who doesn't have a personal connection to the story or the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Boxoffice.com: Taking Chance

Given Bacon’s much-publicized fiscal troubles, it would be nice if Taking Chance were better, if only so that Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick can avoid selling hair care and exercise products on the Home Shopping Network in their dotage. But years after the bloody mire Chance died fighting in was initiated, it’s disheartening that American moviemakers are still capable of viewing the Iraq War in the simplest terms possible: as a wound to an essentially honorable American psyche, and maybe even a just cause and a sort of hero manufacturing device.

TV Review: Taking Chance

There is surely an edge of propaganda to the unfailing grace and dignity of the process showcased in "Taking Chance," replete with stirring music and intermittent mawkish overkill. But the story's power is sufficient to overcome the occasional histrionic flourish.

There was a time that things like this would simply make me shake my head. I am a Marine (no longer on active duty, but there are no "ex" Marines) and Taking Chance affected me deeply. I have watched it 3 times now, once with my 9 year old son. Every time I have watched it so far (and there will be more), I am surprised with just how much Kevin Bacon and HBO "got it right" with this one. It doesn't surprise me that there are critics who don't "get it" so much as it saddens me that they cannot look beyond their own ideology long enough to recognize that a non-political film can be made that honors the fallen; to people like those who wrote those reviews, honoring the fallen is a political statement. I no longer just shake my head at this.

(For the record, there is very little political discourse in Taking Chance. The only major exchange of politics, limited to a few lines, is from the hearse driver from Dover AFB, a young civilian who "doesn't get what we're doing over there." From then on, there are no images glorifying war. The only images of war in the entire film are a few seconds of a burning Humvee that Bacon's character briefly views on the news on a hotel room t.v. during his journey.)

Hollywood in general has had a huge problem with its portrayals of the Iraq War so far. It has worked very hard to drive a propaganda message firmly rooted in leftism about the war, and has monumentally failed. Films such as Stop Loss, Lions For Lambs, In the Valley of Elah, etc. have performed very poorly at the box office. Brian DePalma's film Redacted, probably the biggest travesty of a war film ever made, had only grossed $762,000 as of May 2008, when it had a budget of $5 million. It has become plainly evident that after being barraged by depressing news of the Iraq war from the popular media literally every day between 2004 and 2008, that Americans did not want to pay out their hard earned money at the box office to hear more of the same message.

It must be a small twist of the knife between the ribs for the Hollywood cadre to watch a t.v. film like Taking Chance (HBO's highest rated in-house film production in 5 years) see success where it has so often failed. It must also drive them insane to have to admit that the American viewing public is tired of having a leftist propaganda agenda driven down its collective throats and being told we have to pay through the nose for it too.

In short, collective Hollywood has gone to a lot of time, trouble and money to politicize the Iraq war, and failed. HBO made one movie, left out the politics and simply honored a fallen Marine, and succeeded. Instead of learning a lesson from this, some people would rather belittle the message of honoring those our nation has lost. The truly sad part is that this is no longer surprising.

Kids with military parents naturally ask lots of questions. They ask about scars, and the little remnants of the past that you keep out for others for see, and also about the things that they know you keep tucked away from others and hold for yourself. While my son and I watched Taking Chance together, he was especially curious about the personal effects belonging to PFC Phelps that LTC Strobl carried on his person, in a small red felt bag, and asked several questions about them. After the movie ended, my son turned to me and asked, "Do you have some of your friends' things, you know, like he had in that red bag for Chance's mom and dad?"

"Yes, I do."

"Will you let me see them sometime?"

I paused, thought about it, and answered, "Yes, I will, sometime, sometime soon."

He seemed content then, as if he could stand the curiosity of knowing what these things are for awhile longer, as long as he knew there would be answers eventually. The fact that he didn't need to ask why I would keep them still swells me with pride, even as I sit here and type this. It seems like such a simple message, but as the reaction of some to Taking Chance has shown, not everyone gets it.

It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived. -- Gen. George S. Patton

Having solved the housing problem, our President now turns his attention to the education crisis. Apparently, it is a crisis that not everyone receives a post high school education. I did not know this. And I even went to college! Perhaps I need re-education. I'm sure that will be forthcoming.

Anyway, he wants every American to commit to a year or more of post high school education, be it college or vocational training. Also, by decree, "dropping out of high school is no longer an option". The President bemoans the fact that we have one of the highest high school dropout rates in the world. Whose fault is that exactly? Is someone making these deprived darlings leave school to hang out on street corners?

Look, some of the most intelligent people I know did not attend college for a variety of reasons and I'd much rather talk to them than some people with an alphabet after their name. The fact remains however, that a good percentage of the student population can't read, write and do simple math...not because they don't have the opportunity, because they choose not to apply themselves.

Our President and the Democrats don't see it that way. No, we're failing our youth. I'm sure we're going to hear a lot in the coming days about improving the quality of education at the secondary level. I have no argument with that to be honest. I'm all for making sure schools are better equipped, paying teachers a decent salary so as to attract and retain dedicated professionals, making schools safer. These are all good things. But we all know that this is not going to be the solution. Oh, a great deal of lip service will be paid to these measures and some money may even be spent on them, but they alone won't ensure every student is qualified to graduate high school and attend college.

How then, do you ensure this? This is how: high schools will be forced to adopt a "multi-cultural approach" in their course material and exams to make it easier for students to "relate". And colleges will be forced to do the same, effectively lowering their entrance requirements. That is, they will do this if they want to see a dime in federal funding. Rather than help students raise themselves up, the process will simply be dumbed down. And those students with promise and drive will suffer. In other words, they're going to do with education what they did with "affordable housing". Someone remind me again how that worked out.

Now then, who is going to pay for all this education? I think we all know the answer to that one. But fear not. All we are being asked to do is "invest" in our youth. What's the return on that investment? Oh, it's huge. You see, the President wants to make dedicated service to community or country a condition of education. Interesting. So all will be provided for the good of the collective. Where have I heard that before? I do wonder about a couple of things though: who will determine the type and length of service each fresh faced graduate will perform and what happens if said fresh faced graduate doesn't hold up his or her end of the deal? Maybe we can consult the Chinese.