Johnny D. Symon
Hubble bubble western trouble
By Johnny D. Symon
A few weeks back I had a colorful conversation with a Spanish business friend over his country's compounded ills, the usual stuff, for everything, politically speaking, has become tiresome and jaded. Then as we experienced one of those famous conversational lulls, I asked my friend if his ancestry had been goat herders. His reaction reminded me of that age-old Monty Python sketch where someone was called Mr Smokealot. You remember? Everyone found his name funny, and asked him, "Do you?", and he said, "Do I what?" They replied, "You know. Smoke a lot?" . .. For you see, my friend's surname is Cabrera, the feminine of Cabrero, yet he'd never tied in the significance of his family name. I'll never forget unto my dying day the blank look he gave me! It sure was funny. And with Spain held in the grip of the worst government in Spanish history, humor is sorely lacking.
Last night's third and final Live Debate between Gordon Brown, Nick Clegg, and David Cameron was yet another event that lacked humor. Except for Nick Clegg's surname of course. Nick is the Liberal Democrat, and most pro-Europe of the three main candidates, and his surname signifies his vocation; A blood-sucking horsefly! Nonetheless, Britain looks like its headed for a new Conservative government next month, for Brown came third last night, the horsefly came distant second. It's a pity really because I for one could have anticipated many hours of happy scribbling over the next few years, writing about a Clegg. Aw shucks, looks like I've lucked out on that one!
Cameron, to me, appeared as the most mucilaginous of all three politicos. And somehow I can't reconcile the term Conservative with Cameron. English age-old Conservatism, the Churchill-Powell variety, is nowhere to be seen. Modernism, Internationalism, and shaky, nay, contradictory or playing it safe, views on Europe, are the order of the day. Yet another notch in the barrel for the march of 21st Century Universal Socialism.
As the political world homogenize themselves into one blind spiritless unit, and the world becomes as one, what's for me part of the essence of life, a vital part, is taking a backseat; Humor. In world politics humor can still be found, but it's a needle in a haystack commodity. Yesterday's confused vote in the Andalusia Parliament on the Conservative's 29 amendments to the Water Bill was real funny, for, as it turned out, the PSOE, IU, and other hostile parties, failed to understand what it was they were voting for, yet all the same gave a resounding "Yay"! The Conservatives were dumbfounded and couldn't believe their luck. They did of course, and always have, believed in the stupidity of the other parties, and yesterday found them more than vindicated on this. Which reminded me of yet another interesting conversation I held with a Spaniard last year.
In Spain I'm a well-known strong supporter of the Guardia Civil, the Civil Guard, my admiration for this organization could not be greater. Without those amazing people Spain would be in dire straits, yet they're the lowest paid of all policing services, I reckon it's about time this was rectified. This happened to be a part of the above conversation I had last year.
Then my friend, fully in agreement with my views, offered something else in return. Something quite profound in my opinion. For he said, "You know? To join the Guardia Civil, the Policia Nacional, Policia Local, or the Armed Services, you have to undergo strict psychological testing." I mentioned on the passing that this was commonplace worldwide. "Yes I know that," he said, "but the point is that to become a politician, and quite possibly work your way up to lead your nation, there's no requirement to prove you aren't loco!" "Well, that's a good point," I said, "and maybe there's no requirement because it takes politicians to legislate that requirement in, and they'd be nuts if they did, for most of them would find themselves hitting the bricks in record time!"
Yet for me it ain't so strange to find undiagnosed crazies in power, what's so strange for me, is that there's no requirement for incoming politicos to prove they have faith. Madness is contagious, but faith is a hard and lifelong vocation requiring much study and practice.
Spain's vice-presidenta, De la Vaguely, was in New York a few days back, assuring all who would listen that Spain is doing just fine. She took a swipe at those entities holding a contrary view, Standard and Poors view notwithstanding. Yet somehow De la Vaguely's stance prompted, from the depths of my aged gray matter, something that bubbled up the memory of a criminal case in Germany back in 1900, involving a man named Bratuscha. This dude claimed to have killed his daughter, roasted her, then ate her piece by piece. A gruesome confession in a court of law. Then, subsequently, his wife admitted to being a partaker in that gruesome episode. Then later on she confessed that it was a lie she'd told because her priest warned her that if she didn't confess she would not receive absolution.
Strangest of all, concerning this case was the subsequent fact to be uncovered, that their daughter was in fact alive and well! The man was proven later on to be pathologically unsound. He simply made up the gruesome story because he was psychologically unwell. His wife confessed, even though she knew that the crime had never taken place, only because she wanted absolution.
Which brings us back to De la Vaguely and a parallel crime. For you see, the above mentioned marital unit confessed to a crime they'd never committed, and their reason to do so differed. Yet De la Vaguely denied that a crime had been committed, ie, against the Spanish Economy, when indeed it had. Her reasons for doing so were no doubt maternal in origin, though immoral in terms of faith, and that ain't funny.
Even less funny for me, concerning the little matter of Spain's demise by the hands of insane people, is the sad and sorry fact that at Spain's darkest hour the sole savior of the day, democratically speaking of course, is sitting back in a comfortable chair twiddling his thumbs. King Juan Carlos is endowed with the ability to dissolve parliament and call an early election, leaving the people to decide the fate of their nation. So far, his reticence has been long and frustrating.
All Western nations are, to varying degrees, suffering the same condition. The death of the West is simply due to prospective leaders and their future governments offering a Hubble telescope's view of the Universe, when really what's required is a good pair of reading glasses. Politicians and people need to concentrate on the problems immediately surrounding them, the Universe can take care of itself until a later date. Jan Brewer, Governor of Arizona, is under attack for doing just that, which simply proves, yet again, as if we needed reminding, that for Barry White House and his spirit to read and observe the dictates of the Bible would also require the powerful services of the Hubble telescope.
© Johnny D. Symon
April 30, 2010
A few weeks back I had a colorful conversation with a Spanish business friend over his country's compounded ills, the usual stuff, for everything, politically speaking, has become tiresome and jaded. Then as we experienced one of those famous conversational lulls, I asked my friend if his ancestry had been goat herders. His reaction reminded me of that age-old Monty Python sketch where someone was called Mr Smokealot. You remember? Everyone found his name funny, and asked him, "Do you?", and he said, "Do I what?" They replied, "You know. Smoke a lot?" . .. For you see, my friend's surname is Cabrera, the feminine of Cabrero, yet he'd never tied in the significance of his family name. I'll never forget unto my dying day the blank look he gave me! It sure was funny. And with Spain held in the grip of the worst government in Spanish history, humor is sorely lacking.
Last night's third and final Live Debate between Gordon Brown, Nick Clegg, and David Cameron was yet another event that lacked humor. Except for Nick Clegg's surname of course. Nick is the Liberal Democrat, and most pro-Europe of the three main candidates, and his surname signifies his vocation; A blood-sucking horsefly! Nonetheless, Britain looks like its headed for a new Conservative government next month, for Brown came third last night, the horsefly came distant second. It's a pity really because I for one could have anticipated many hours of happy scribbling over the next few years, writing about a Clegg. Aw shucks, looks like I've lucked out on that one!
Cameron, to me, appeared as the most mucilaginous of all three politicos. And somehow I can't reconcile the term Conservative with Cameron. English age-old Conservatism, the Churchill-Powell variety, is nowhere to be seen. Modernism, Internationalism, and shaky, nay, contradictory or playing it safe, views on Europe, are the order of the day. Yet another notch in the barrel for the march of 21st Century Universal Socialism.
As the political world homogenize themselves into one blind spiritless unit, and the world becomes as one, what's for me part of the essence of life, a vital part, is taking a backseat; Humor. In world politics humor can still be found, but it's a needle in a haystack commodity. Yesterday's confused vote in the Andalusia Parliament on the Conservative's 29 amendments to the Water Bill was real funny, for, as it turned out, the PSOE, IU, and other hostile parties, failed to understand what it was they were voting for, yet all the same gave a resounding "Yay"! The Conservatives were dumbfounded and couldn't believe their luck. They did of course, and always have, believed in the stupidity of the other parties, and yesterday found them more than vindicated on this. Which reminded me of yet another interesting conversation I held with a Spaniard last year.
In Spain I'm a well-known strong supporter of the Guardia Civil, the Civil Guard, my admiration for this organization could not be greater. Without those amazing people Spain would be in dire straits, yet they're the lowest paid of all policing services, I reckon it's about time this was rectified. This happened to be a part of the above conversation I had last year.
Then my friend, fully in agreement with my views, offered something else in return. Something quite profound in my opinion. For he said, "You know? To join the Guardia Civil, the Policia Nacional, Policia Local, or the Armed Services, you have to undergo strict psychological testing." I mentioned on the passing that this was commonplace worldwide. "Yes I know that," he said, "but the point is that to become a politician, and quite possibly work your way up to lead your nation, there's no requirement to prove you aren't loco!" "Well, that's a good point," I said, "and maybe there's no requirement because it takes politicians to legislate that requirement in, and they'd be nuts if they did, for most of them would find themselves hitting the bricks in record time!"
Yet for me it ain't so strange to find undiagnosed crazies in power, what's so strange for me, is that there's no requirement for incoming politicos to prove they have faith. Madness is contagious, but faith is a hard and lifelong vocation requiring much study and practice.
Spain's vice-presidenta, De la Vaguely, was in New York a few days back, assuring all who would listen that Spain is doing just fine. She took a swipe at those entities holding a contrary view, Standard and Poors view notwithstanding. Yet somehow De la Vaguely's stance prompted, from the depths of my aged gray matter, something that bubbled up the memory of a criminal case in Germany back in 1900, involving a man named Bratuscha. This dude claimed to have killed his daughter, roasted her, then ate her piece by piece. A gruesome confession in a court of law. Then, subsequently, his wife admitted to being a partaker in that gruesome episode. Then later on she confessed that it was a lie she'd told because her priest warned her that if she didn't confess she would not receive absolution.
Strangest of all, concerning this case was the subsequent fact to be uncovered, that their daughter was in fact alive and well! The man was proven later on to be pathologically unsound. He simply made up the gruesome story because he was psychologically unwell. His wife confessed, even though she knew that the crime had never taken place, only because she wanted absolution.
Which brings us back to De la Vaguely and a parallel crime. For you see, the above mentioned marital unit confessed to a crime they'd never committed, and their reason to do so differed. Yet De la Vaguely denied that a crime had been committed, ie, against the Spanish Economy, when indeed it had. Her reasons for doing so were no doubt maternal in origin, though immoral in terms of faith, and that ain't funny.Even less funny for me, concerning the little matter of Spain's demise by the hands of insane people, is the sad and sorry fact that at Spain's darkest hour the sole savior of the day, democratically speaking of course, is sitting back in a comfortable chair twiddling his thumbs. King Juan Carlos is endowed with the ability to dissolve parliament and call an early election, leaving the people to decide the fate of their nation. So far, his reticence has been long and frustrating.
All Western nations are, to varying degrees, suffering the same condition. The death of the West is simply due to prospective leaders and their future governments offering a Hubble telescope's view of the Universe, when really what's required is a good pair of reading glasses. Politicians and people need to concentrate on the problems immediately surrounding them, the Universe can take care of itself until a later date. Jan Brewer, Governor of Arizona, is under attack for doing just that, which simply proves, yet again, as if we needed reminding, that for Barry White House and his spirit to read and observe the dictates of the Bible would also require the powerful services of the Hubble telescope.
© Johnny D. Symon
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