One of the reasons I’ve been absent from Grand Rants lately is that I’ve been recovering at home from a recent double by-pass operation. During this time, I’ve been following the news, trying to stay current. The focus of my attention has been the economy (which, under the watchful eye of Ben Bernanke and the Obama administration, continues to spiral further and further towards “the debt of no return“) as well as the building crisis in the Middle East (where the “Arab Spring” is rapidly turning into “the Winter of Israel’s discontent“).
It appears to me that no-one on the left has the courage to face the gravity of either of these two major issues (and I’m hard-pressed to find many Republicans who are capable of handling them, either). The main culprit? Political Correctness.
We at Grand Rants have been hammering at the idiocy of Political Correctness (which seems to be one of the major platforms of the Democratic Party and the Obama administration) for some time now. The mantra of the lunatic left seems to be:
“God help those who actually speak common sense and logic. It’s a far better thing we do to make sure nobody’s feelings are hurt.”
Well, it didn’t take an operation where my heart was stopped for 4+ hours to make me realize that life is too precious and time is too short to waste it on being politically correct while civilization collapses around us.
However, other than a few Republicans (far fewer than are currently running for the nomination), there just doesn’t seem to be a voice of sanity speaking loud enough to make sense of it all. Most of the current candidates for the GOP Presidential Nomination merely want to replace the far left ideology with the far right equivalent, which is not what the vast majority of Americans seek. We want solutions, not party line conformity.
Rep Allen West (R) FL
Personally, I am a huge fan of retired Army Colonel and current US Rep. Allen West (R-FL) who eschews political correctness as much as I, but has far more experience on the global, political, and military stages and has a masterful grasp of relevant history. Sadly, he has no interest in running for President (for which we are all made poorer). Two of the best videos defining this man’s broad depth of comprehension of Islam and refusal to put up with politically correct crap can be viewed here and here. I promise you, they are well worth your viewing!
But who else in this sea of sludge can cut through the bull-crap and tell it like it is, and do so in a manner that forsakes political correctness for the benefit of reality? Perhaps, more to the point: since the only way to reach the masses these days is if you package such information in an entertaining way, would it be possible to find a person capable of doing so in a way that both informs and entertains?
I think I’ve got just the fellow who can put perspective on this in a way that both educates and entertains:
Recorded shortly after the mid-term elections last year, comedian Dennis Miller sums up many of my feelings succinctly.
(Warning to other recent bypass patients: Watching the following video may cause serious laughter that could threaten the integrity of your incisions and possibly re-separate your sternum. But hey… it’s worth the risk.)
You know… maybe the right GOP ticket in 2012 would be Allen West for President with Dennis Miller as his Veep. Just think about the logic: We’d be replacing a complete and utter failure of a President (who is African American) with a brilliant, no-nonsense, experienced, world savvy straight-talking American (who happens to be black) who has the ability to not only command the respect of all Americans, but world leaders as well. As a bonus, you’d have a vice-president who is intentionally funny replacing a the incumbent who is little more than a sad joke.
Lurking around the big screen at home for awhile,
Gerry Ashley
Breaking news: A respected Pakistan-born Islamic scholar who gained recognition outside the Muslim world last year by publishing a detailed fatwa (religious ruling) against terrorism and suicide bombings, led a rally in London on Saturday to fight Islamic extremism and promote a moderate, inclusive version of Islam. The event, led by scholar, Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, was held at Wembley Arena and was attended by thousands, including families with young children and students.
Tahir-ul-Qadri’s message to the crowd: “I want to address those who are lost, who have a total misconception of jihad — I want to send them a message — come back to normal life. Whatever you’re doing is totally against Islam.”
Well, like they say about discovering 1,000 dead terrorists, “It’s a start…”
Grand Rants 
Thanks for getting my day going with Dennis Miller! Damn he’s a funny man. I haven’t laughed that hard in many a day.. That should be required listening for everyone. I think a good laugh even in these serious times can do wonders.
Glad you’re doing well.
Gerry, your suggestion re: West for POTUS. and Miller for VP is actually not bad at all. At best we’d have a Pres. who actually could lead without notes from the far side, and at least, we’d have a VP who is a professional funny man instead of a dufus who is funny by default.
Like most good humor, Miller’s rant is funny because it is based on reality. His description of Pelosi as perpetually watching the docking of the Hindenburg is truly inspired satire. As for Ruthanne’s (I hope I got that right) calling her “Pelosi Galore”, well, that is simply just too good.
I, too, am glad you’re doing well. If anything, your writing is even better than before. A little extra oxygen certainly does wonders.