LEFT & RIGHT ...IT AIN'T WHAT IT USED TO BE

For quite some time I have found the labels for Political Left and Political Right out of date and over the course of the last few weeks I have been putting my mind to finding better descriptors.

In a very generic fashion - Right to me means supports least government and least taxes while the Left of course appears to support the exact opposite.


But to me those generic descriptors do not appear to capture the essence of either one.

I kinda like the word Doers for us Rightists and Takers for you Leftists.  But those words too are not all inclusive enough.  

That said, I read with interest the other day that a Wild Rose Supporter described the new Socialist Government in Alberta Canada as A PARTY OF ENTITLED MOOCHERS  while calling his own party on the Right as a PARTY OF PRODUCERS.

Pretty Good Descriptors Too ...I'd say.

So we have Doers / Producers on the Right and Entitled Moochers and Takers on the Left.

This weekend I read of another suggestion - this one by Lord Conrad Black.  In his article 'America the Basket Case', he refers to the Left as a bunch of Vulgar Idiots.

So no shortage of potential new names.

But I am inclined to disregard Lord Black's offering - since I think the term 'Vulgar' is a bit over the top and the term 'Idiots' quite frankly applies to all of us at one time or another.  But good try on his part...at least we know he is on our team so to speak.

So what about -  Producers & Doers vs. Moochers & Takers?

• I see the word Producers to include our inventors and our builders - those that make things and create the jobs in so doing and in the word  Doers those who work day in and day out to provide for themselves and their families in our over-governed and over taxed world.

•  Moochers & Takers are more closely aligned but between them they encompass those who love nothing better than to spend the avails of others especially the money of the Producers and the Doers.  For instance, public service workers earn much more and have greater benefits - including pensions -than their counterparts in the private sector. And why is this?  It's because our politicians - those elected to spend our tax dollars wisely - roll over time and again to keep bureaucratic peace and by so doing, buy the bureaucrats votes.  

In our country, their are twice as many Moochers and Takers than there are Producers and Doers.  In the United States the two groups are split roughly 50/50. And the rise of former is historically a rather recent phenomenon - dare I say - it started in the 1960s?
Prior to that and dating back to the very beginning of the settling of North America - our people were fully consumed with producing and doing in order to eke out a living. Moochers and Takers have only begun to appear in the last 50/60 years with the proliferation of social programs and the heavy taxes that support them along with the unrestrained growth of government.

It is worth repeating that 50 Million Americans are on Food Stamps - 1 in 6 while 100 Million - 1 in 3 receive some form of welfare.  They have opted out of society in large measure because they can. 

So let's reduce it down to Producers & Doers on the Right and Takers on the Left. 

But there is still something missing in the cut-down descriptor of the Left. It does not explain the Left's penchant for wanting - nay demanding -that everyone walk in lock-step with them (i.e. everyone must think like them).  When they support Global Climate Change - we all must do so; when they hate oil pipelines - ditto; Kangaroo Human Rights Commissions limit our Freedoms; they see Christianity as flawed  yet voice not a word of concern about the Islamic faith - well that is just the way it is and you'd better come on board, add gay marriage, unrestricted abortion and on and on and on. 

And of course, when those of us on the Right do not quietly fall in line with their often dubious way of thinking - we are labelled racists, homophobes and misogynists.

And dear Reader I have the word for this most offensive of traits - Leftists are ....drum roll please are .....Busybodies.

• Busybodies are defined in the dictionary as persons who pry into or meddle in the affairs of others.

That leaves us with Producers & Doers on the Right with Takers & Busybodies on the Left. 

So from now on when I write about Producers & Doers I am speaking of those of us on the Right and when I refer to Takers & Busybodies I am referring to those on the Left. 

A final note - there are fewer and fewer countries with a majority of Producers & Doers the day appears to be coming when the vast majorities will consist of Takers & Busybodies and that will last only as long as the hard-earned avails of the former last. It is a world I do not want to inhabit but my heart goes out to my children and my children's children who from birth to death will be told how to , think and how to act and behave.

As I sadly see it...

'K.D. Galagher'

SPEECHES ...Some Good...Some Bad

In that regard, I would rank Donald Trump's speech at the Republican National Convention as a 10/5 which I will explain in a moment.

But first, in modern time the Best Three Speeches for me are as follows:

1.  Winston Churchill's we will fight them on the beaches speech - which arguably saved Great Britain from defeat at the hands of Nazi Germany;

2.  Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech I have a dream which advanced civil rights for the Blacks immeasurably and finally,

3.  John F. Kennedy's inaugural speech - ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.

The first two - Churchill and King were orators - Kennedy was a good speaker but owed much of his speaking success to his speech writer Ted Sorensen.

So this takes me back to Trump's acceptance speech at last week's Republican Convention - as I said above, I give it a 10 /5.

By that I mean a 5 for delivery - Trump is no orator.

But he is a Communicator - and in that respect I give him full marks for his speech - a 10 out of 10.

In this, he is able to do what most politicians are incapable of - including his opponent Hillary Clinton.  The Poor Dear is neither an Orator nor a Communicator. 

Trump though hits the necessary notes and by so doing inspires his target groups - those who, for whatever reason, feel left out of today's political landscape.

How many of those that feel this way and who actually come out to vote - remains to be seen - but if Trump is ultimately successful in his contest against Clinton it will be solely due this ability.

And in that regard, I believe Mr. Trump has changed politics for some time to come - both in America and throughout the world.

The old style politics where the masses are lectured to and misled are for now behind us.

As I see it...

'K.D. Galagher'

The Elephant and the Donkey.

This coming week, will see the conclusion of the Nomination Conventions for both the Republican and Democratic Parties in the United States.

Trump has been confirmed and Hillary about to be.

One is a performer with no political experience whatsoever - a clown if you will while the other is an olde school pol who will do whatever is necessary - e.g. lie - to get her own way.

So who do I think will win - Hillary of course - how can she lose  - she has the women's vote, the youth vote, the black vote, the hispanic vote, the welfare vote etc etc.

Trump has but the vote of old white males.

Bookmakers too share this opinion giving dear Hillary 3 to 1 odds to win.

But of course Bookmakers are sometimes wrong as recently evidenced by Britain's vote to leave the EU.  The bookies overwhelming favoured the remain side to their chagrin.


And don't forget dear Reader that the same thing was said about The Donald when he began his quest for the Republican Crown nearly a year ago.  He was a Clown - unhinged, a dolt - no one in their right mind would vote for him.

Well someone(s) did.  He took the Republican Nomination with the most votes ever recorded in the history of the party.

Even I said at the beginning that although I was glad to see him in the race - so critical issues could finally see the light of day - I did not for a minute think he would end up victorious.  

So maybe - just maybe, this time the Elephant will prove to be victorious.

But the Trumper is making it difficult for himself.  In a Party criticized for being too old and too white - he picks a VP Candidate who like himself is old and grey.

I simply do not understand his choice when there were VP candidates available to him like Marco Rubio who would cut into the Hispanic Vote which would otherwise go to the Dems. 

Hillary's choice for VP is similarly tarnished (old/white) yet she need not worry about offending the Black and Hispanic Vote since they are her's by definition.

But the one thing Trump does have going for him Big Time is Islamic Terrorism.  Hardly a day goes by without news of another slaughter at the hands of ISIS somewhere in the World. Each time such occurs, the number of potential votes for The Donald increases.

And you can bank on this continuing to happen regularly right up to and beyond November's Election.

As I see it...

'K.D. Galagher'

Good Coups... Bad Coups.

The Failed Coup in Turkey, over this past weekend, should be summed up as a 'Good Coup' that sadly failed.

Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is no Democrat despite what the 'little guy' in the White House continues to call him - as does our own Foreign Affairs Minister 'Dim' Dion.

Here is what the Tyrant himself says about himself: I am the head of the executive, legislative and judicial bodies".  

Some Democrat.

Now His Dear Highness is on a purge of his enemies that will either see him installed for life or cause another a second Coup... one that will be successful.

One of Turkey's claim to fame - even before this weekend's attempted putsch, is that it has imprisoned more media types than any other nation in the world.  I guess that is something to aspire to if you are an Obama or a Dion.

But more worrisome in all of this is the fact that Erdogan is committed to turning Turkey into an Islamic State from a Secular one.  With all the trouble the world is facing from Extreme Islamists his timing could not be worse.

Turkey is a member of NATO ... it should be booted out.

It is trying gain membership in the EU - it should be turned down unreservedly.  

So a good Coup - that failed.  

Many point to the fall of Iraq's Saddam Hussein in 2003 as the beginning of the troubles for the Middle East when in fact it actually goes back to 1979 when the Shaw of Iran was forced to flee to the United States.

The Shaw was deposed by the infamous Ayatollah Khomeini and this marked the real beginning of today's crisis in the Middle East. Khomeini should never ever have been allowed to return to Iran and guess - Dear Reader - who was responsible - none other than the second worst President in American history - Jimmy the peanut farmer Carter.

The removal of the Shaw (Iran)  has to go down as the very Worst Successful Coup in modern time.

Second worst is the take-out of Saddam (Iraq).  As Donald Trump so aptly points out - guys like Saddam may have been bad dudes but at least they could keep the lid on Muslim Radicals like ISIS and Al Qaeda. Our thanks in this case goes to George W. Bush.

We then come to Egypt where we experience both a bad coup as well as a good coup. The bad coup took place in 2011 with the overthrow of strongman - but decent chap - Hosni Mubarak followed by a good counter coup 3 years later where the Egyptian Military led by Field Marshall al-Sisi overthrew Mohamed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood.  The Brotherhood's goal was to see Egypt enveloped into the Muslim World of Nations.

Two others of note:

Syria - a failed coup that would have been a good coup had it worked. Today we see its President, Basha al-Assad, clinging to power with the help of Iran and Russia.  Nearly half a million Syrian Civilians have been killed since hostilities erupted in that war-torn country.  

The other is Libya - here though we have another coup like Iraq - though successful - was Bad.  Like Saddam - Muammar Gaddafi was a bad guy - but was good for his country since he too was able to keep the Muslim Extremists in check.  Today his country is a failed state.

It started with the Bad Coup in Iran, really started to snowball with the Bad Coup in Iraq and most recently with the Good Coup that failed in Turkey.

Carter and Bush take a bow for their shortsightedness and Obama for his fiddling, over the last 8 years, while the Middle East burned.

As I see it...

'K.D. Galagher'

The Left Wing Media Finally Identifies Who The Terrorists Are...

And Dear Reader ... It's TRUCKS.

You got it right - a Truck is responsible for the death and destruction that took place this past Thursday in Nice, France.

"Calling all cars ... be on the lookout for a Trucks..."

The New York Times - 'Truck attack on French crowd; scores die'

Or this, 

CNN - 'Truck rams crowd; 84 dead in Nice'.

And of course, not to be outdone - 

Our own public broadcaster - CBC - 'Children feared killed in Nice as truck attacks family event'.

So there you have it folks - it is no longer the rogue mentally ill - or petty criminals who we must watch out for - as the little guy in the White House has so often referred to them as ....but it is Trucks - we now must fear.

The timing of this revelation should not be underestimated - since these mass killings of innocents are taking place on a weekly - or should I say - daily basis.

Finally though we have something concrete to sink our teeth into - 

For too long our Elite Powers refused to specify who or what exactly we were at war with.   Now we know ...

Trucks.

So forget radicals and terrorists too .. all we need do now is focus on Trucks.

And I do not expect the State would even have to read a Truck its Rights - but in this day and age that too may be debatable.

I am not even certain that a Truck can be arrested but hopefully some common sense will prevail to ensure that it is a least decommissioned.

So I know you will share with me relief and gratitude for this progressive development - Trucks wherever you are - we will find you.

But beware ... they are very, very dangerous.

As I see it...

'K.D. Galagher'

Queers, Straights, Black, White, & Brown...Something is Wrong in the State of Denmark.

Five Cops shot dead in Dallas.

Fifty Gays killed in Orlando.

Blacks killed in very suspect circumstances by Cops throughout the USA most recently in Louisiana and Minnesota. 

What in Hell is going on?

I was thinking about doing a Blog on the recent Toronto Gay Pride Parade and its involvement this year with a branch of Black Lives Matters.

It would not have been a supportive Blog - nor would it have been highly critical - other than to say, as I have in the past, that Gay Pride Parades are spectacles that are best left to the fringes of their Community.

But the recent events in Orlando, Louisiana, Minnesota and yesterday's killings of five white officers in Dallas got me to thinking.

Now is not the time to criticize either the Gay Priders or the Black Lives Matters folks - both groups have valid complaints.

Initially, I was sad to see our Prime Minister decide to attend the Toronto Parade but that was prior to the Orlando Gay Massacre.  Indeed, under those circumstances, I too would have joined in their march to show solidarity - unlike our P.M. though I would have refrained from his sticking out his tongue antics.

As for Black Lives Matters - prior to Louisiana and Minnesota I was firmly in the camp of All Lives Matters - as they do.  But the recent events in these two states now convince me that there are a number of rogue Cops out there who shot first especially at Blacks and then make-up their stories afterward.  Thank heavens for cameras.

I heard one radio announcer say today that all of this must be considered in context.  The context being that the killers of most Black People are Blacks themselves.  Which though true - misses the point entirely.

If Blacks cannot trust the police - even if it is only a significant minority - who can they trust. Police are there to Serve and to Protect - all of us - Blacks - White - Brown - Red - Yellow accordingly.  That is what a free and open society is all about.

If they are not safe - nor are the rest of us.  And as of 2016 - they are not safe and we are in for a very turbulent - violent time.

I may have misgivings about Gay Pride Parades and Black Lives Matters movements - but compared to what they are facing - my misgivings are small potatoes.

I'll bite my tongue and give both groups some slack to see if they can effect change where it is needed now more than ever.

As I see it...

'K.D. Galagher'

Euthanasia...One Good Thing !!

As Charles Dickens so aptly pointed out in his classic - A Christmas Carol - it will certainly cut down on the world's surplus population.

ESPECIALLY IN OUR NURSING HOMES.

Have you ever tried to get a loved one into a nursing home of late - many have waiting lists of 5 years and more.

I shared with you the experience we had getting our elderly aunt admitted - but for the purposes of this Blog I think it is worth repeating.

In her nineties and suffering from dementia we were told that it would take at least a year and more likely 2 years before a bed became available.

At little over a year later we received word that she was "second on the list for admission".  We cancelled our holiday plans since we were told that when an opening came up - the family had to move immediately or else their relative would be dropped to the bottom of the list.

We were told it could be a few days or even a couple of months ...but no longer.

After 3 more months I called our contact with the Province to be told that our Aunt had dropped to 7th on the list even though there had been no improvement in her condition - in fact it had gotten worse.  She was now having heart issues.

I relayed this to the Provincial Rep only to be told by her that this would make no difference whatsoever.

Eventually, we got the call to bring her in and since then - my Aunt has had the best care she has ever received as a dementia patient.

She still recognizes us and enjoys our visits.

As I was leaving after one of my visits recently I looked around at the many residents who like my aunt are receiving first rate care by first rate staff.  I got to thinking though what would it be like in say 10 - 20 years of the new Euthanasia Law....

These places will be empty.

I know, I can hear some of you saying there goes Galagher exaggerating again.

Maybe ... Maybe Not.

The law that was just past received most opposition since 'it did not kill fast enough'.  That is to say, it was limited in scope to only those in the terminal stage of death.

Court Challenges have already been launched and you can bet your bottom dollar that the Supreme Court will strike the law down for its limited scope in killing.

At that point we will have no law against Euthanasia - open season in other words just as now prevails in the case of Abortion.  

Anytime - anywhere.

When I speak with many proponents of Euthanasia, they talk about the right of the individual to have some kill them because they suffer from unbearable pain.

I come back with Hospice / Palliative Care which promises to eliminate pain while bringing joy to the patient's last days on earth - whether it is measured in months or even days.  Reports from patients and families that have experienced this care are most positive with many family members joining Hospice Teams to volunteer their services when their loved one has passed.

It is Win Win - but a recent article I read in the National Post reports that a major Hospital in Montreal, which has a Hospice Wing, has been told by the Province's Minister of Health that their Hospice must adhere to the Euthanasia Law - in other words - must kill off their patients rather than promote their end of care mission.  

The Minister, in his directive to the Hospice had the following to say:

• "For me, it is squarely against the law and borderline provocation"  

One bright light in the Euthanasia Debate - has begun to flicker...

There has been great wringing of hands about all of the Baby Boomers coming of old age.  Not to worry though, there will be many less of us around than you might otherwise have thought.

And Dear Reader - no need to worry about long waiting lists to get into care.

As I see it...

'K.D. Galagher'