“The World According to Tom” is an article that appears in the March 15 issue of “Time.”  It is all about Tom Hanks’ interest in American history.  It’s not a bad article until Mr. Hanks is quoted in the second to last paragraph. 

Referring to World War II he stated:

“From the outset, we wanted to make people wonder how our troops can re-enter society in the first place. How could they just pick up their lives and get on with the rest of us? Back in World War II we viewed the Japanese as ‘yellow, slant-eyed dogs’ that believed in different gods.  They were out to kill us because our way of living was different. We, in turn, wanted to annihilate them because they were different. Does that sound familiar, by any chance, to what’s going on today?” 

For some background I served as a medic with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam, 1967-68.  I retired from the Army as a Physician Assistant and my son currently serves in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division.  This does give me a bit more insight about our military and “how our troops can re-enter society”. 

It is not so hard to re-enter society when society is on the side of a war.  We have all seen the clips of victory parades after WW II soldiers were welcomed home as heroes. Many soldiers returning from Vietnam were actually spit on and called baby killers. I am sure this had an effect on every soldier who ever served in that war.  I am sure that it contributed to the high rate of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that occurred in our Vietnam Veterans. 

Though it has been around for hundreds of years PTSD was added to the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders in 1980.  Certainly this was a result of the war in Vietnam. 

When I returned from Vietnam in 1968 I was given all new uniforms and put on a plane at the airport in San Francisco.  We had to travel in our dress uniforms then so being inconspicuous was not an option.  But the Army chose to fly me late at night and I arrived in Jacksonville, Florida at about 3AM.  Maybe they did that so I wouldn’t get spit on or called a baby killer. 

I don’t know how much PTSD there is today but I do know it is not an easy diagnosis to make.  Certainly the Army’s suicide rate is the worst it has ever been.  How much of that is due to public opposition to the war? Yes many soldiers are doing three to five tours with little time in between.  This certainly plays a part but so does the “Code Pink” crazies and the likes of Berkley, California nuts that don’t want a recruiting station in their city. 

The other statement I take issue with:

“Back in World War II, we viewed the Japanese as ‘yellow, slant-eyed dogs’ that believed in different gods. They were out to kill us because our way of living was different. We, in turn, wanted to annihilate them because they were different.  Does that sound familiar, by any chance to what’s going on today?” 

Now that is a simplistic and ill-informed opinion.  I was born in 1945, and I never learned that in school.  I did learn that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor without warning, without any provocation from the United States.  I know from watching the History Channel that they would rather die than surrender.  Their leaders convinced civilians to commit suicide rather than surrender to American forces. 

I know we called them “japs” and we had every reason to call them “yellow dogs.” I didn’t learn that they attacked us because our “way of living was different.” And we didn’t want to “Annihilate them because they were different.” We wanted to annihilate them because they threatened our sovereignty, but I don’t think annihilate is the proper word.  Americans are not like that, when we won the war we helped them rebuild, if annihilation was in our hearts we would have just let them rot. 

“Does this sound familiar?”  Alluding to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, again it started with an unprovoked attack and here Mr. Hanks has it right. They did attack us because of our “way of living.”

Today our enemies must be stopped and those who think different have forgotten that history ignored is likely to be repeated.  Anti-war folks thought that President Obama was going to end the war.  He has not; in fact he is continuing the conflict just like President Bush did.  Iraq is winding down and Afghanistan will eventually be won.  If all Americans had been behind the war from the beginning our enemy’s resolve would have been defeated.  Yes, I blame those anti-war nuts for prolonging the war.  And I believe in “Peace through superior firepower.”

Well, I want you, dear viewer, to make the same promise to me. Except instead of killing me if I become a zombie, I want you to kill me if I ever turn into Dylan Ratigan.

I am not joking. If you see symptoms of me frothing, twitching, or ranting until my eyeballs pop out and roll across the floor – I want you to hack me to pieces with a hatchet. Try to make it quick.

See, there is a reason why no one should ever be Ratigan. He has a hard time being himself. Check him out interviewing a Tea Party leader, Mark Williams, as if Williams himself ran a concentration camp in the 1940’s.

Does Williams get a chance to respond? Not really. Because when he tries, Ratty accuses him of trying to hijack the interview!

Anyway, I guess the segment was meant to analyze the fringe elements in an otherwise earnest movement filled with decent people. But because the analyst is Dylan Ratigan and the couch is MSNBC, you know it was just a ruse used to paint all tea partiers as a bunch of Nazi-sympathizers who eat babies.

More delightful, though, is the segment banner, which reads “Anger in America.” Which makes sense – judging from his manufactured outrage, the angriest person in America is Dylan Ratigan.

It must suck doing Rachel Maddow’s laundry.

And if you disagree with me, you’re a homophobic racist tea-partying baby-eater.

Tonight!

Imogen Lloyd Webber (a delight!)

Rick Leventhal (dashing!)

the great author Andrew Klavan

….and more!

On the morning of Febrary 13th, 2010, the most profligate President in the recent history of the Republic attacked the last decade as being “a decade of profligacy.” In fact, the current POTUS’ two budgets were by far the most profligate of the last ten years. This is a textbook case of what psychologists call “projection.” Tío Chano could not let this vile calumny stand!

Now the sleeping giant needs to put on some clothes. 

Hallelujah!  I was praying about our country.  And then, Scott Brown dropped out of the sky. My friend Bonnie was praying and fasting.  I said, “Fasting?  You weigh 90 lbs.!” 

She said, “I am fasting from Glenn Beck.  Fasting means abstaining from anything that you love, not just food.” 

Oh good.  Because I can’t even go two hours without popping a Coffee Nip (hard candy, 30 calories each) in my  mouth.  Maybe I’ll fast from Coffee Nips in an effort to enhance my prayer intensity.  Only God can save our country. 

So, our prayer and fasting is working.  Millions of us have been praying.  And, thanks to Glenn Beck we are learning exactly who our enemy is.  Whether you call it Progressive, Radical, Far Left, Communist, or Socialist, it is one thing – Government Control.  Those two words don’t register in many minds because our secular school system ”forgot” to teach political science and accurate history.  Communism destroys freedom, annihilates Christianity, kills people, and doesn’t work. I recently sang my “There’s a Communist Living in the White House” song to a 12 year old.  He said, “What’s a Communist?”  I said, “Here’s your crash course in politics – Communism is the opposite of Freedom.”

Now, all young people want Freedom. So, why don’t we educate them using their own toys?  Hip, sexy, MTV shows, sexy clothes and sexy rock ‘n roll.  Let’s paint “I WANT MY FREEDOM” on naked models and place them on a big billboard on Sunset Blvd.  Let’s get a freedom rap song anthem, a “We Are The World” event where cool conservatives raise a ruckus. (Well, I’d prefer a Randy Newman tune.)  Let’s get a Reality TV show that follows the Tea Partiers, or follows a Conservative Candidate.  Sprinkle some “hot” teenagers in it.

More Ideas: 1)  Glenn Beck’s Program becomes a required high school and college course. Required reading being every book plugged on his show.  2) Propaganda Art – If the Progressives can use it, so can the Constitutionalists.  I encourage all artistic types to start pumping out the T shirts, posters, key rings, head scarves, socks and hats that say “Scott Brown” instead of “Che.”  Or skateboards, and boxers that say “James O’Keefe” and “Hannah Giles” instead of “Obama.”  How about a miniskirt that says, “I love my Constitution!” or a bikini that lists the names of all the conservative heroes and pundits; Palin, Miller, Ingraham, Hannity, Coulter, Malkin, Levin, Gallagher…  How about “I heart Huckabee!” on a snowboard?  A cute outfit, maybe a tummy shirt and short shorts,  with the word “Rush” all over it.  I will refrain from inappropriate Bush jokes. 

 Or, how about I sell my original art (how does one do that?) to a fabric company who makes bikinis out of it?  I call it “The Obamunism Bikini”.  On it, in tiny black letters, will be a list of all the horrid, terrible, destructive things he’s done this year;  Snitch Program, flag@whitehouse.gov, Gitmo, “Police acted stupidly”, “57 states”, Sealed college records, “Spread the wealth”, Blame Bush, Gazillion dollar deficit, Cap ‘N Trade, Obamacare, Bowing to Sheiks, Apology Tour, Lying, Lying, Lying, Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, Partial Birth Abortion, “I’m ashamed of my country” -Michelle-with-22-assistants, NEA fiasco,Van Jones Communist Czar, Jarrett, “Spread the Wealth”, Marxist Professors, Mao Christmas ornaments, Dissing Fox News, Ignoring”Astroturf” Tea Partiers, ACORN, Lame Stream Media Control, Spendulous Package, Bailouts, Kill Middle Class, Waterboarding, NY Terrorist Trials, Destruction of Small Businesses, Saul Alinsky, Ft. Hood Muslim Massacre, Christmas Muslim Bomber, Transparency?, No Earmarks?, No Special Interests?, C Span?, Barry Sortero from Indonesia.  I see red pipe trimming.  Little red ties on the side.  A matching sarong. 

Now, I could wear the bikini in the ad, but I’m not sure that would actually help my career, or help sell the bikini or our cause.  I’m thinking maybe that beautiful Mila Kunis girl who’s in that fantastic (changed my life) movie The Book of Eli.  She should wear the Obamunism Bikini.  Let’s put that thing all over the place, every magazine cover, every telephone pole.  Then, the sleeping giant who has awakened can wear the clothes, educate the masses, and be dressed and ready for the fight, the fight of Good Vs. Evil.  

Let’s kick that Evil out of our Government once and for all.  Oh yeah.  Get Chuck Norris on the poster too. 

On second thought, is it “immoral” to exploit youth and beauty and kung fu for ulterior motives?  Does the end justify the means, as Pelosi recently said?  Well, how about just a “TRANSPARENCY”  T shirt or “I was RIGHT when RIGHT wasn’t cool?

The senate majority leader has recently come under fire for remarks attributed to him in the new book “Game Change.” Authors Mark Halperin and John Heilemann say that in 2008 Reid described then candidate Obama as a ” ‘light-skinned’ African American ‘with no Negro dialect unless he wanted to have one.’” The comments have been seen by some as being racially insensitive.

Reid’s defenders argue that he was merely making the point that Americans were ready to elect a black president (or at least a light- skinned black president. Baby steps.) DNC chair Tim Kaine insisted that Reid’s remarks were offered in the context of saying something positive about the Obama candidacy and why his candidacy would be strong.

What remains unclear is why we weren’t treated to an equal amount of gushing about Obama’s vast executive experience and his readiness to lead. Instead, these titans of liberalism were most impressed that Obama was Black but not too black and well spoken enough not to offend the racial sensibilities of voters. It was also a plus that he was able to turn on a “negro dialect” when speaking to Black audiences. (Actually the same could have been said of Hillary Clinton. She is also light skinned with a habit of turning on a “Black dialect” when speaking before black audiences. Recall her chicken necking as she quoted lyrics from an old “negro” spiritual: “I ain’t no ways tired.” Really Hillary? But I digress.)

I would be remiss if I failed to point out that the racial sensibilities Reid and company were concerned with offending were those of liberals. Reid was not mentally tallying the votes of Republicans, but Democrats!

Certainly Senator Reid is behind the times. Who uses the word “negro” anymore? The accepted term is “people of color,” which, for what it’s worth, sounds way to close too colored people for my tastes. But do Reid’s comments really rise to occasion GOP outrage, which, let’s be honest is a bit contrived?

Is there a double standard? Absolutely! There is also a growing sensitivity to public speech that has corrupted our sense of proportion. If one must resign for speaking the truth – Obama is light skinned, well spoken and does have a habit of turning on the “flava” when he speaks before Black audiences – what is the penalty for saying something truly outrageous? Calling for the head of Harry Reid only succeeds in making legitimate liberal outrage over the similarly innocuous uttering’s by others. If we continue down this path I fear we will end up a nation unable to govern itself because we will be unable to speak lest we offend someone.somewhere.

Moreover, these displays of outrage miss the real substance of Reid’s intimations.

What is now clear for all to see is the new lefts political calculation vis a vi race. For the left there can be no post racial America because for the new left race is a chief weapon in their arsenal. Their use of race and racism is premeditated; it is a commodity to be traded in the political market. THAT should be the focus of GOP outrage; that should be what the media is talking about; that should be the cause of our national indignation.

There was another interesting bit of “dish” found in “Game Change.” In an effort to gain the endorsement of Massachusetts senator Edward Kennedy for his wife, former President Bill Clinton reportedly said to the liberal icon about Obama, “A few years ago, this guy would have been getting us coffee.” According to the book, Kennedy was offended by the remarks and ultimately gave his support to Obama. In a subsequent conversation Clinton griped, “The only reason you are endorsing him is because he is black. Let’s just be clear.”

According to Harry Reid and Tim Kaine Clinton was quite correct; were it not for his light skin and his ability to speak like a “negro” when he has to he would still be a junior senator from Illinois and not the President of the United States.

2+2=4

What brought this to mind was discovering that it was the late Tim Russert who labeled liberal states blue and conservative states red.  Inasmuch as red had long represented the Soviet Union and the politics of those lunkheads around the globe who were devoted to Communism, I wonder if Russert had intentionally set out to muddy the waters or if he, too, had had a sinister older sister. 

A great many people, including right-wingers who should know better, have given Obama high marks for antagonizing his liberal base by deploying 30,000 troops to Afghanistan.  For one thing, General McChrystal had started out requesting 80,000 additional men and then lowered his request to 40-60,000 when it became obvious that Obama, even after spending two years insisting that Afghanistan, unlike Iraq, was a good war that had to be won, actually believed that he could personally beguile Al Qaeda and the Taliban as easily as he had America’s lap dog media. 

For another thing, there was no political risk for Obama.  Did anyone think that his core constituency was going to desert him in 2012 and vote for, say, Sarah Palin?  The truth is, Obama could order the military to bomb London, Paris and Rome, and his liberal disciples would continue to sing his praises. 

Unlike Republicans, who will stay home on election day if the party nominee doesn’t pass a litmus test of political purity, liberals will fall into line for any cretin who has a (D) after his or her name.  Actually, when you realize how many agnostics and atheists are liberal, it’s amazing how religiously devout they are when it comes to politicians.  So it is that in every election — even without the evil machinations of the SEIU, ACORN and the Chicago machine — the party of really stupid people has a definite advantage. 

Although left-wingers regard themselves as brilliant and sophisticated, they actually place the likes of Obama, Pelosi, Reid, Waxman, Kerry, Murtha, Leahy, Frank, Conyers, Waters, Biden, Lee and Dodd, on pedestals. 

Speaking of Obama, I have finally caught on to why everything he proposes, from the stimulus plan to health care reform, always comes with a price tag of 800 to 900 billion dollars.  It’s the same reason that retailers so often sell stuff for $19.99 or $99.99.  It’s all intended to con us.  Just as we’re supposed to think we got the t-shirt for less than $20 and the sweater for under $100, we’re supposed to be grateful that at least Washington’s latest lousy idea isn’t going to cost us a trillion dollars. 

It’s a shame that politicians are a necessary evil.  Some are more necessary than others, but, for the most part, they’re just plain evil.

 In fact, being a half-full glass kind of guy, I’d like to think that every time a politician lies, an angel gets his wings.

However we are also Black parents of a certain generation and so the subtleties of race continue to speak to us and they are very real. Sometimes we are not sure if we are responding atavistically to the faint smell of something in the air or if what we are hearing are the soft echoes of our own imaginations. It’s sometimes impossible to tell, which is why race and issues associated with race (to coin a phrase from the late Ralph Wiley) continue to make Black People want to shout.

Last week I had what my parents’ generation used to call a “come to Jesus meeting” with my 7th grade son. His mid-term report card arrived in the mail. His mother and I were under-whelmed.

The comments on my son’s report card indicated that he is under the mistaken impression that school is for socializing and his grades reflect a rather lackluster effort at best. I went “old school”: after a brief lecture he received some tactile encouragement to start taking care of TCB.

There are many black students at my son’s middle school, but he is one of only three in the highly-gifted magnet program within the school. The HGM is a program restricted to students that score 99.9% on an intellectual assessment test. One of three! That doesn’t leave much wiggle room to be the black kid that can’t cut it, that clowns in class or that falls behind.

One of Three.

Last year I attended the honor roll ceremony and the vast majority of the students receiving certificates were Asian. I didn’t enter the auditorium prepared to count heads, but it was hard to miss the fact that every other child walking across the stage had an Asian surname. Nor was it difficult to miss the three Black faces sitting amongst the rows of eager and happy students.

Conventional wisdom says that black parents are less actively involved in their children’s education; that there exists an anti-intellectualism in the black community such that academic achievement is seen as acting white; that Black students do not read or write as well as their white and Asian Counterparts and that the middle class achievement gap is due to racism as opposed to a gap in work habits. In addition, convention says Black boys are angry, prone to violence and better athletes than they are academics. And sometimes we black folk do things that play into the mythology.

My son told us about a Korean girl in his class whose opinions command influence among the other Asian girls in the school, or at least she thinks they do. According to my son, the students refer to her as the “queen of the Asians.” She is a straight-A student.

My son’s little brother asked if there was a “Queen of the Blacks” at the school.

“Well,” my son replied, “there is a king of the blacks.”

“Who is that?” his little brother asked.

My son responded, “He is this boy that got held back last year.”

I cringed.

My wife cringed.

No doubt there is more to the story but on its face it is damning. How is it that the “queen of the Asians” is a straight “A” student while the “king of the Blacks” is the kid that flunked 8th grade?

This – however badly we wish it wasn’t so – is the paradigm concerned Black parents are battling. This is what distinguishes us as parents from the parents of our son’s non-black friends. This is why his mother and I feel a tremendous pressure that our son NOT be the black kid that can’t make the grade; why we have no patience for shucking and jiving – why we are not satisfied with a B average. We cheat him if we do not push him to be better, if we do not demand that he achieve. If he does not reach his fullest potential he cheats us. “To those to whom much has been given…” My son has been tremendously blessed and he is now charged with carrying the banner of the people. It may not be fair, but that is the way of the world.