Some thoughts on Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a day to remember those who gave their lives serving this country.

The meaninng seems to get lost (at least this section of the state) in that it's turned into a rememberance day for all dead friends and relatives.  All good to do, of course, but the intent of Memorial Day is to remember a solder, sailor, airman, marine who lost their life in duty to their country.

If you don't have a relative that meets this criteria, there are many forgotten graves in the country side that have such men in them.  Adopt one of these graves, keep the headstone repaired or at least level, so it won't fall over.  Mow the grave once in awhile, if the township doesn't own the cemetery.

It's a real shame when you visit a cemetery and see a pile of headstones thrown over the hill.  Untended/maintained headstones fall over, get hit by mowers, etc.  Then the grave location is lost and before you know it, the headstone is gone.

A little care, even once a year, to ensure the headstone is in good shape, level and won't fall over makes the senerio in teh above paragraphs less likely.

The other issue is that we have too many dead service mean due to un-needed wars.

Civil War should never have happened.  The hypocracy of this war is unbelievable.  600,000 dead soldiers.  If the war was about southen states attempting to succeed (which Lincoln said he had no desire to free the slaves and his emancipation proclomation only affected slaves in the north) why did Lincoln allow the north western portion of Virginia to succeed for Virginia and become West Virginia?

This war was about establishing (once and for all) the supremacy of the federal government over the States. 

Spanish/American War:  not needed
WWI: not needed, if we would have kept our noses out of it, and let Germany and England/France fight it out and end up with a comprimise that did not put Germany on the path to Socialism and Hitler.
WWII: See above.  Though one has to wonder how much Churchhill and Roosevelt really wanted a avoid the war.  Especially when Rodulf Hess flew to England with a peace propsal from Germany, but was immediately put in prison for life.  He eventrually "committed suicide".
Here was his propsal:
a) Withdrawal of all German Troops from Poland, Belgium, France & Holland.
b) Reimbursement for war damage to those countries
c) Total German disarmament
d) Destruction of all German war weaponry.

Korean War:  Um, it's Korea, how was/is this a concern of the US?  Fighting Communism would not have been needed if WWI wouldn't have happened.  Germany would have still been a force to counterbalance Communism in Europe, then the spread of Communism would not have had a free hand to spread.
Vietnam War:  See above and change Korea to Vietnam.
Persian Gulf War: Obviously about oil and the dollar and how the oil trade is conducted exclusively via the dollar.  If it was about Saddam, they would have went and got him.

Many, Many men have died fighting for this country in stupid, stupid wars.  Very sad.

One more thing.  I think this is the only thing I can remember agreeing with Obama on.  He did not cave to the war mongers in the GOP, the press or his own party to get involved in Syria.  We don't need to be there and it's none of our business.






   

Ohio Chamber of Commerce advocates raising taxes

The Ohio Chamber of Commerce has released a report on how Ohio can start digging it's way out of it's budget mess.

One item I disagree with is the suggestion of the elimination of the real estate rollback. This was implemented in the early 70's to help "sell" the income tax. (never trust your government).

(The Chamber is playing a Chameleon again. Depending on the subject............they either say we are massively overtaxed (which I agree with) or now, we are "giving money to taxpayers", propaganda Lenin would be proud of)

Now the Chamber thinks it's a costly entitlement given to tax payers! This sounds just like a press release from the obama administration.

They also float the idea of "means testing" the real estate rollback based on the value of the property. Again, never trust your government. They know that over time inflation will make whatever number they come up with meaningless.

Previous posts on not trusting what the government says when they try to sell a new tax: here and here

The part of the report I do agree with is consolidation of local governments. They talk all around the idea but they get there. I wish they'd be even more bold and suggest the elimination of Townships. It doesn't matter if the cost only equals whatever percentage of the upcoming shortfall. If Townships are wasteful and not needed, they need to go!

Previous posts on eliminating Townships here and here.