We the People   

   Go ahead. Make fun of Florida's election foibles. 

   But while you're laughing about hanging chads and misplaced ballots, we the people are running rings around our legislature and special interests. We just pass amendments to the state constitution.

   This November, there were 12 proposals on the ballot, including: phasing out greyhound racing, restoring voting rights to most felons who did their time, voter control of gambling, and crime victim rights. We exceeded the required bar of 60 percent approval on all but one proposal, and 58 percent supported that one "failure."  

   This blogger is not qualified to judge all the merits, and we don't particularly like messing with any constitution. But, if the tortoises don't get anywhere, we'll be the hares. Yea!

   Maybe in 2020 we'll clean up the algae mess in South Florida. Sorry, Big Sugar. 

   Get ready. Ban Assault Weapons Now is collecting hundreds of thousands of voter signatures required to make the next ballot. The Miami group has to convince us this is not about disarming law-abiding gun owners.

   For starters, those who already own assault weapons would be exempt, just required to register. If Floridians don't want the ban, it won't pass. We the people, not politicians or special interests, will make the call. A win either way.

   Would this be a slippery slope to banning all guns? This year, some argued that banning greyhound racing could lead to the end of our fishing and hunting rights. Fact or scare tactic?

   After Parkland, 62 percent of Florida voters favored a ban on the sale of assault weapons. We can assume some of those polled believe in the Second Amendment. Many must be Republicans. 

   But, caution: Frequent amendments may work for awhile, but it's a dangerous departure from (honest) representative government. This approach on a national level would be a disaster. Hello, failed government.  

      Jimmy




    

Man Goes Shopping   

   Let me tell you a story about a normal man in his humble home on a routine day.

   It occurred to him, their anniversary was around the corner - figuratively speaking, of course. Being a normal husband - not too dimwitted, nor too wonderful - he backed out of the driveway and headed toward the mean streets of life. 

   Along the way, this normally self-centered man groused about his aging, aching back. About the sad state of politics. About tax cheaters. Spouse cheaters. Drunken drivers. Domestic violence. Kids with guns. About leaky plumbing and attic mice. About his own faults.

   That was only the first mile.

   At a normal store, Mr. frowny-face selected an appropriate card. Then he beheld a noble bunch. For the love of money, he checked the price. Not too little; not too much. 

   On the appropriate morning, his Mrs saw the card and the lovely dozen on her breakfast table. The fallen world was outside and out of mind. 

   This is truth for the heart, beauty by design - for the spirit.  



   The One and Only had provided the ingredients. He assigned normal men to plant, grow, cut, buy and present his gift to others. By this and other means He reminds us that despite all the tension and conflict, He is still on the throne. 

   Our normal man received above-normal approval. The dozen continued to praise God a week later, for Thanksgiving guests to enjoy as well. 

The End

   

The Smaller the Better?   

   Analysts and policymakers have debated for decades whether smaller classes are best for teaching and learning. 

   Parents and teachers are settled on the subject. Parents want their kids to have more one-on-one time with teachers. They in turn have an easier time managing fewer students.

   A few years ago in Florida they mandated class sizes be not larger than 30. Imagine the costs necessary to comply. Was it based on opinions, or evidence?

   A new worldwide study indicates lower student-teacher ratios have few benefits. With 127 studies in 41 different countries there was some improvement in a few cases, while others produced no effect. 

   Students benefited most from small class sizes in reading. In other subjects, those in small classes showed no appreciable advantage.

   Researchers suggest that school systems reconsider their emphasis on more construction and staffing. "Class size reduction is costly," they wrote. "The available evidence points to no or only very small effect. Moreover...small classes may be counterproductive in some subjects."

   Along with Florida, some 24 other states have implemented reductions in student-teacher ratios. Most of them have seen very little improvement in student achievement. 

   Researchers didn't advocate abandoning all class-size reductions, but urged educators to consider where their efforts might do the most good - special cases in individual schools. 

WORLD online

Fire: Fact or Fiction       

   A week ago we wrote of California's destructive wildfires, one in particular which killed more than 80 and destroyed more than 13,000 homes. All this - leading up to what should have been a pleasant 
Thanksgiving season out there. 

   You've probably heard that climate change is responsible for this and other (extraordinary) destruction, such as Hurricane Michael. 

   "Things like this will be part of our future," said California Gov. Jerry Brown. 

   Not so fast, says Gregory Wrightstone, author of Inconvenient Facts: The Science that Al Gore Doesn't Want You to Know. 

   He said the number of wildfires in the Western Hemisphere is on the decline. California in particular has seen a decrease of about 50 percent. Cliff Mass of the U. of Washington agrees that in past decades the frequency of California wildfires has declined. 

   What has increased is the risk to humans. In 1940, there were 607,000 homes in high risk areas. By 2017, that number was 6.7 million. 

   President Trump was criticized for blaming forest management for some of the loss of human life and property. 

   Wrightstone backs him up. By limiting logging and suppressing lower-intensity fires, the U.S. Government gives fire more fuel to burn. "Californians are suffering not from Gov. Brown's 'new normal' but from ill-conceived policies of radical environmental activists who planted a time bomb that is now exploding," he adds. 

WORLD online

The Largest City     

   Underground. 
  
   Bigger than Minnesota. 
  
   Excavation volume equal to 4,000 pyramids of Giza. 
  
   About 200 million structures. 
      This "city" was not built brick by brick, but grain by grain. By termites. 
Over some 3,800 years.

   The only visible structures are conical mounds, each about 8 feet tall and 30 feet wide. They are spaced about 60 feet from each other. 

   How do generations of termites do that? Like, how do honey bees make perfect combs, working from the perimeter toward the center? 

   If you wish to visit 88,000 square miles of termite city, this is in Brazil. 
But, don't come back with any of its inhabitants as souvenirs!!!

Study published in Current Biology 

   

An Arrow for You; One for Me   

   Disregarding the honest prophet's warning, wicked King Ahab went to war. 
He wore armor, and further protected himself by going in disguise.  

   But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of armor. He died that evening. - I Kings 22:34  

   One of our local pastors said, "The devil has an arrow with your name on it. 
Troubles are not random."

   So, we put on the armor of Ephesians chapter 6, making certain there are no exposures between sections:

truth-righteousness-peace-faith-salvation-Word of God

   



   

Wisdom    

   "Fragile as reason is and limited as law is as the medium of reason, that's all we have standing between us and the tyranny of mere will and the cruelty of unbridled, undisciplined feeling."

- Justice Felix Frankfurter

   "Let the human mind loose. It must be loosed. It will be loose. Superstition and despotism cannot confine it." 

- John Adams

   "The sacred rights of mankind ... are written, as with a sunbeam, in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of the Divinity itself, and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power." 

- Alexander Hamilton

   "Our Constitution is in actual operation. Everything appears to promise that it will last. But in this world, nothing is certain but death and taxes."

- Ben Franklin

   "Government is not reason, it is not eloquence - it is a force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master; never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action." 

- George Washington

And decipher this:

   "There is an upside to ignorance and a downside to knowledge. Knowledge makes life messier."

- Author Michael Lewis

Time is Running Out     

   It may be too late for peace, but those who challenge the conventional wisdom of conflict hold out hope, against all odds.

   For the past 365 days, peacemakers have focused on border security, statistical methodology and quantitative methods while studying the playbooks of war. While others point to a decline in visible public support, they find optimism about war and violence troubling.

   They explore data, hoping to discover evidence that suppression of conflict is reality. "The data simply doesn't support the 'decline of war thesis,'" they lament. 

   Mere hours remain. 

   Conflict initiation leads to collision, and there is no significant change in the intensity of this particular warfare. One kick is all it takes to ignite the battle.

   Academic cooperation doesn't imply a decrease in warlike behavior, they say. Nor is there evidence that improvements in young men's behavior have altered their passion for victory. 

   To understand the dilemma, one must understand the nature of order. The goal of antagonists is paramount. In fact, there are two goals, where lines are drawn in the sand, or more accurately, grass. 

   Quick, get the kids safely inside. 

   The human race has the capacity to reject violence, but finding common ground is difficult. In this case, there is no common ground.

   Each foe is intent on doing what's right, and will resort to force to achieve short-term gains. 

   Unless mature officials somehow prevent certain mayhem, war will break out Saturday at noon between combatants of Ohio State and Michigan, on a battlefield known as the "Shoe." 

      Jimmy




   

Today

Hope

         Atonement

         Neighbors

        Kindness

         Salvation

     Grace

                   Independence

         Virtues

                  Intercession

          Nature

           Gospel

Deception by Design    

   Just who are the real fascists and racists?

If you are a Democrat, we value you and your opinions.

We think this is interesting, not that we can vouch for it.

   Here is a short look at a documentary by Dinesh D'Souza, Death of a Nation.  

   In 1915 there was a silent, racist drama, The Birth of a Nation, that D'Souza claims revitalized the Ku Klux Klan. President Woodrow Wilson, a Democrat, watched it in the White House. (What did he think?)

   D'Souza says the political left's labels for Donald Trump - "fascist" & "racist" - are better applied to the left itself. Using historical records, interviews with academics, and other material, he says that racism existed at the Democratic Party's founding (true), and remains entrenched in progressive politics today (we would like more details; the existence of a black caucus doesn't automatically mean the party wants to improve the inner cities). 

   Nazi's, D'Souza says, modeled their exclusionary Nuremberg Laws on southern Democrats' segregation policies.

   In fascism, the state controls industry and commerce, and is the arbiter of individual rights. (Cuba, etc.) The Democratic Party and its influential allies, including the late Margaret Sanger and George Soros, have voiced similar principles. (Sanger didn't promote abortion in the name of women's rights. There are other Dems who want capitalism eliminated.) 

   We guess that many politicians and their voters don't know what the movers and shakers, and academics, have in mind for the party, and therefore, for the country. 

   What is the antidote to the tyranny of the left? Donald Trump? No. D'Souza's documentary ends with The Battle Hymn of the Republic.

"Christ ... died to make men holy,

Let us live to make men free."

   

   

   

Social Justice    
Math & Engineering Give Way   

   Has it been eight months already? A 950-ton footbridge with a "reinvented I-beam" design was being assembled over a seven-lane boulevard in the Miami area. Down it came on traffic, killing seven and injuring nine. 

   This wasn't the first bridge or tunnel collapse in history. Science and technical lessons sometimes are learned the hard way. Until recently, math and engineering knowledge was priority in the business of math and engineering. 

   Today, inclusiveness and diversity rule in many university science departments, whites Janie B. Cheaney in WORLD magazine. A professor at Michigan State in August published an essay. Social justice warriors "have sought the soft underbelly of engineering, where 'diversity' and 'different perspectives' and 'racial gaps' and 'unfairness' and 'unequal outcomes' are daily vocabulary." 

   A soft underbelly in the realm of steel and concrete?

   The prof claims that equations, ratios and aerodynamics are giving way to "group representation, hurt feelings and microaggressions." 

   Cheaney writes, "...the hard sciences were mostly immune. The push to get more women in STEM fields directs grant money into gender-specific programs. Many women are proficient, even brilliant in math and science, but the goal of equal representation skews objectives." 

   "Science is becoming an agent of change rather than discovery," she adds.

   Cheaney doesn't infer that social-justice goals had anything to do with the footbridge collapse. Who knows? 

   I was a white male in arts & sciences - majoring in journalism. You wouldn't trust your life near any bridge, tunnel or building I might design. Neither should you trust your life with the work of any engineer, white or color, male or female - unless - he or she is 100 percent proficient.

       Jimmy

A Sober Thanksgiving?    

   No, we don't mean an alcohol-free holiday.

   Thanksgiving week. Thawing the turkey. Bought the stuffing, and the yams.

   Over the baggage drop and through the metal detector, to grandmother's house they will come.

   Thank you Lord. 

   And please touch the survivors of Michael the wicked hurricane, and those 8,800 Californians whose homes are incinerated. Amen.

   Mother Nature can be nasty for people used to many conveniences, and she is no respecter of persons. Michael came and went quickly, but historic in power.  

   Wind driven fires are so different, yet so alike in pain. What does one do when not only your home but your community, businesses, utilities, medical and other services, gas stations, cell towers - everything - is gone? A taste of Hiroshima?     
   So we thank God for our blessings, and we pray for comfort for survivors, and strength for first responders, fire fighters, National Guardsmen and chaplains. At least 71 have perished in the fires, and some 1,000 are unaccounted for.  

   We feel odd. We pray. Glad it's not us. We sympathize. Pass the casserole please. It's Thanksgiving. 

   There's a lesson here. Always be ready to meet your Maker.

      Jimmy 

A Place Called Moriah       

   Earlier this week we noted that buildings, ceremonies, persons and places are no substitute for worship of the One and only, the sacrificial Lamb of God. 

   However, God had a certain place in mind as he began unfolding his plan for redemption. To Abraham, he said:

   Take your son to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice a burnt offering there. Sacrifice him there.

   Where is the lamb? Isaac asked. God will provide, his father promised. 

Genesis 22:1-18

   King David had disobeyed God. He saw a terrifying angel wielding a sword. An angel sent word to David to build an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah, on Moriah.  

   David approached Araunah. Let me have the site ... and he offered to pay full price. He sacrificed burnt offerings, and fire fell from heaven. 

   The angel stood down. David declared, The house of the Lord God will be here, and he made preparations for the temple.

1 Chronicles 21: 14-30

   David's son Solomon began to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father, David. It was on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, the place provided by David. 

2 Chronicles 3:1-2

   Eventually, Babylonians destroyed Solomon's temple, and Romans destroyed its replacement. Today, Moriah is a Muslim holy place. God's story is not finished. Can you find the "holy mountain" in Isaiah 66? 

A History of Welfare      

   Early American compassion flowed from churches and synagogues, close to the action. They offered personal and spiritual help to immigrants, writes Marvin Olasky in WORLD magazine.

   By the 1960s, a federal welfare system with rules and regulations replaced personal help. The system offered uniformity: Income x and number of children y results in welfare check z, he says, regardless of values or willingness to work. 

   Republican welfare reform in 1996 supposedly improved the system. No, we now have about 80 different federal welfare programs, one of which is Aid to Families with Dependent Children (now called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). 

   Here's the problem, Olasky writes: We know every person has a unique set of circumstances, needs and values. But we prefer uniformity (fairness). 

   When "experts" propose changes, politicians usually strangle their proposals, claiming they won't work because society has changed so much. 

   The biggest changes, he says, involve beliefs, values, family formation or non-formation, and education. Marriage rates are down.

   More kids grow up without a sense of right and wrong. Schools pretend that most everyone should go to college, so millions end up without work skills. 

   Old virtues might work with new opportunities, if we give them a chance.

      Jimmy 

PS. Today is someone's anniversary. 

Follow the Money    

   What do Apple, IBM, General Electric, Google and PepsiCo have in common? They are among companies with enormous amounts of money stashed abroad.

   The tax code allows this. Fortune 500 companies alone accounted for $2.6 trillion held offshore in 2016. 

   Apple led the way at $246 billion. Next in order were Pfizer, Microsoft, GE and IBM, all among 30 companies which accounted for two-thirds of the total. 

   Other familiar names include, Johnson & Johnson, Exxon Mobil, Procter & Gamble, Chevron, Intel, Coca-Cola, Goldman Sachs, Wal-Mart, Hewlett Packard and Bristol-Myers Squibb. 

   Apple, Pfizer and Microsoft were in triple digits, the rest ranging from $82 to $23 billion.

Ozone Recovery

   The Northern Hemisphere, upper ozone layer will be repaired by 2030. The Antarctic ozone hole should disappear by 2060.

   I can't wait!   

       Jimmy


   

Don't Mind Me     

   I'm a white male. I don't count anymore. Boohoo. 

But, if you're interested, here's what I've learned 

from Dr. Ravi Zacharias and others:

   Loving and patient though He is, God judged the pre-flood world, ancient Israelites and tolerated other nations in the years A.D. Seeking a better way, our country's founders chose a new path.

   That doesn't make us superior. We're just fortunate to have a citizen-friendly Constitution, and a faith that doesn't behead blasphemers. 

   Yes, we have a sad history of mistreatment. 

   The young American church was God-fearing. We understood God the Father, and God the "Son," who appeared in human form, paying the ultimate price for our sins. We believed the accounts of people who said He visited them, alive again! 

   Eventually, someone rediscovered the third Person of God, the Holy Spirit, sent by the Son to usher us though life with grace, truth and power. Who knew? 

   Here's the order: The Spirit guides our spirit, which oversees our mind, which in turn tames the flesh. 

   More is expected of Christians, because we've been shown more. When the age of the Gentiles, the "grafted branches," comes to an end, God will turn his attention back to Israelites, the "natural branches."

   When King Henry VIII died, Jesus lives. When Napoleon died, Jesus lives. When the Kaiser, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Hitler and your favorite leader died, Jesus lives. 

   We still need grace, and a Savior.

   Some of us care more about our temporary American home than our eternal home. But unless we Christians seek the Lord's presence, other forces are ready to dictate the terms.   

   Cathedrals, holy places, religious ceremonies and attractive personalities don't save anyone, or a country. I believe God used America to take down two evil empires in World War II. That was then.    

      Jimmy

What About Opioids?    

   Many Americans have opioids in their medicine cabinet. These are prescribed for conditions like back pain, neck pain and headaches. 

   While helpful, opioids can lead to serious dependence, addiction and overdose. More than 115 Americans die from overdose every day. 

   Common brand names are Vicodin, Norco, OxyContin, Percocet and fentanyl. Since the 1990s, the sale of prescription opioids has risen dramatically. 

   UnitedHealthcare's magazine says patients should understand why the script is needed, interactions with other drugs, how long to use, possible side effects and risks of dependency. 

   There are alternatives: over-the-counter pain meds, topical pain relief creams, counseling, physical therapy, exercise and other lifestyle changes. 

   About 70 percent of misused opioid scripts are received, stolen or purchased from a friend or relative. As with any dangerous item, medicines should be secured, and never shared. takebackday.dea.gov lists collection sites for unneeded drugs.

   UnitedHealthcare says opioid addiction is a medical condition, not a bad habit or personal weakness. Recovery from addiction is difficult, but possible. 

   Help is available at 1-800-662-HELP, or findtreatment.samhsa,gov for information on treatment programs. 

       Jimmy



   

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit   
    
   Where did this idea come from? 

   Islam? Hinduism? Buddhism? Shintoism? Communism? No. No. No. No and No. 

   Name a culture of spiritism where they assembled to "establish Justice ... insure domestic Tranquility ... promote the general Welfare and secure the Blessings of Liberty." 

   Our "more perfect union" was not formed to promote Christianity. But, most of our founders were believers in Jesus Christ, or at least, "Providence," whatever that meant. 

   As in the beginning, American flesh rebelled before, during and after our Revolution. Church denominations chose not to "unite," Irish Catholics were not welcome, slavery thrived, and Christian men fought each other during the Civil War. 

   Now we receive immigrants from around the world. We assume most come for the Blessings of Liberty and economic opportunity. Many pass the test for legal citizenship, but how many acknowledge the Source of freedom?

   Some people worship or venerate buildings: a temple, cathedral, mosque, tabernacle, little brown church in the vale. Or places: Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem, Salt Lake City, Vatican. Or persons: Abraham, Moses, Muhammad, Young, Luther, Buddha, saints. Native Americans worshiped the "great spirit," and some still do. 

   Who can we trust to keep us free? Here at Views, we say the "bride of Christ" needs another great awakening. We don't need God to bless America. We need to bless him. Where light fades, there is darkness.  

   Jesus died to save the world. He is not an American. Revisit the tragedy of ancient Israel if you think God will be patient with us no matter what.  

      Jimmy




   

An Aura of Glory   

   Saturday we watched some college football on TV. 

   A few times after a player did something extra well, a special-effects person put a lighted circle around the player's feet. As they reran the play, the circle accompanied the athlete so viewers could better appreciate his performance.

   It was like a halo, only on grass, not over his head. One dictionary definition of halo is, "an aura of glory."

   Sunday as we drove to church, it suddenly occurred to me to imagine a halo beneath/around our vehicle. 

   The Bible says the earth is the Lord's, and everything in it. 

   So it was good to think of ourselves - being children of God - briefly occupying a tiny part of the Lord's earth along our 15-mile drive...on man's roads. 

   We don't know who occupied those spaces before or after us, but so what?

   If you belong to the Lord, you too can imagine a halo wherever you are. His Spirit is with you at all times. 

   Imaginary halos are not angelic, for sure, and not glorious, just a "special effect" to remind us whose ground on which we occupy until He calls us home. 

     Jimmy

Whom to Fear; Whom Not to Fear      

   Acting as if we are what we are not. That's hypocrisy.

   Acting publicly as godly while hiding immorality, greed, lust etc. - hypocrisy, living a lie. Think, Pharisees. And from time to time, most all of us.

   Jesus told a large crowd that no one gets away with it. 

   There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. - Luke 12:2  NIV 

   I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. ... Fear him who, after killing the body, has power to throw you into hell. 

   He tells them/us that He sees all his creatures, yet we are worth more to him than many sparrows. He even numbers the hairs on our head. In other words, the Lord knows us inside and out. Everything. He wants us everyone to know him:

   I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God. 

   Then, Jesus makes a remarkable statement, well before his Last Supper discourse and Pentecost, 50 days later:

   And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. (Also in Matthew 12.) 

   Blasphemy: The deliberate rejection of the Holy Spirit's witness to Christ, his Word and his convicting work against sin. The voice of the Spirit alone leads us to forgiveness. Grieving, resisting the Spirit leads to hardening of heart, which leads to depravity, and at God's determination, the Spirit ceases to lead one to repentance. (From Bible commentary.)

Nice Work     
If You Can Get It    

   Swamps don't like being drained. "Retired generals, admirals and government procurement officers are still accepting lucrative positions with companies that do business with the military." - Washington Post   

   The Project on Government Oversight (POGO) says, "Major U.S. defense contractors have hired hundreds of former high-level government officials, including at least 50 since Donald Trump became president." Maybe it makes sense, and cents, for people with knowledge to work both ends of the contracts. 

   Or, maybe not.

   POGO found 645 cases over the past decade in which a retired, senior official, member of Congress or senior staff member became a registered lobbyist, board member or executive at a major contractor. Some retirees worked for multiple companies.

   These cases included 25 generals, nine admirals, 43 lieutenant generals and 23 vice admirals. 

   This is not unlawful. The concern is that government officials might seek favor with contractors in hopes of securing future employment. And, there is opportunity for lobbyists to lobby former subordinates still in government.

   Measured by contract receipts, the top defense contractors are Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics. 

   Are there outsiders who could lobby just as well? We don't know. It might require some knowledge of complicated systems. 

Tomorrow: Who to fear, not to fear. 

      Jimmy

Time to Save Our Country     

Following are portions of a column published on election day
by "Sully" Sullenberger, captain of US Airways flight 1549.
(Underlines by the blogger. Some rewording for brevity.)

   "It was not a miracle. It was an example of what is possible when we serve a cause greater than ourselves. I witnessed the best in people who rose to the occasion. Passengers and crew... New York Waterway... This successful landing was the result of good judgment, experience, skill - and the efforts of many. 

   "A leader sets the tone and must create an environment in which all can do their best. Today...too many people in power are projecting the worst. Many are cowardly, complicit enablers, acting against the interests of the United States, our allies and democracy, encouraging extremists at home and emboldening our adversaries abroad. 

   "Many do not respect the offices they hold; they lack - or disregard - a basic knowledge of history, science and leadership; and they act impulsively.

   "We are in a struggle for who and what we are as a people. We have lost what in the military we call unit cohesion. The fabric of our nation is under attack, while shame - a timeless beacon of right and wrong - seems dead.

   "Our ideals, shared facts and common humanity are what bind us together as a nation and a people. We must rededicate ourselves to the ideals, values and norms ... upon which our democracy depends. We must be engaged and informed voters, and we must get our information from credible, reputable sources.

   "I have always voted as an American. We must save ourselves, voting for leaders who are committed to the values that will unite and protect us." 

What Do We Think?    

   Glad you asked. My opinion of the election results ... doesn't matter.

   But, in case you missed it, the president held a 90-minute press conference Wednesday, describing the midterms "a tremendous success." Indeed, he fared much better than most presidents do in the first midterm after their inauguration. 

   Trump probably put more time and effort into campaigning for senators than any prior president. Gains will assure continued success nominating judges. 

   There were too many House candidates to help that way, but he had an answer for that too. Republican representatives who support him won; those who keep their distance, lost. 

   We all understand.    😃
   
   The president said he may have more success "dealing" with House Democrats on mutual goals than if the GOP had kept a slim majority. Republicans don't stick together. He already took the first step, congratulating and complimenting Rep. Nancy Pelosi. If she/they want to attack him and the GOP for two years, he called that "a warlike posture."    

   When he opened the floor for questions, a CNN reporter was quite rude, refusing to sit despite several rebuffs. A few others asked "gotcha" questions, but Trump doesn't lose those games. 

   He suggested trade, infrastructure, economic growth and environmental policy as areas where he and Democrats might cooperate. 

   As for his "rough" demeanor, Trump told the press, "If you treat me fairly, I will be nice and boring. If I make a mistake, cover it, but be fair about it." 

   Finally, as for civility and bipartisanship, he told the media, "It has to start with you." 

Tomorrow, we'll summarize a column

by retired pilot "Sully" Sullenberger, 

who has wise words for us. 

      Jimmy

LBJ vs. General Giap     

   Conclusion.

   President Johnson took charge of the war. He labored over a battlefield display day and night. 

   His foremost adviser was Robert McNamara, secretary of defense. Their strategy was to poke at the enemy, then pull back, waiting for him to talk peace. According to the book's authors, Johnson misunderstood Giap throughout his term in office. 

   The joint chiefs were unable or unwilling to challenge their bosses, leaving commanders in the field cut off. General Westmoreland received criticism during the war, but the Marines say he did all he could with limited authority.

   McNamara was addicted to statistics. To him, officers in the field spoke "Nonsense!" 

   Back then, Democrats controlled Congress, and they were mostly patriots. Incredulous senators questioned admirals and generals about their problems. But nothing changed. 

   With Khe Sanh still in doubt, McNamara ordered a "barrier" to be built along the DMZ. Marines were taken off the battlefield to work like Seabees. Some 750,000 man-days and 115,000 equipment hours were dedicated to the boondoggle. 

   We're not sure who gave permission, but the Air Force finally unleashed its power. B-52s based in Thailand, Guam and one other country took the fight to Khe Sanh. Each bomber, with eight J-57 engines and 108 bombs (500 and 750-pounders), pulverized enemy positions for days. 

   Khe Sanh was won, as was every other engagement, including the Tet Offensive, despite Soviet supplies and our political mismanagement.

   But all the journalists in theater wanted to report was that Khe Sanh was our Dien Bien Phu, the 1954 French defeat - the very charge LBJ most feared. Fake news 50 years ago. 

   CBS's Walter Cronkite, America's anchor, went to a hotel in Saigon and declared the cause to be lost. Time to go home. 

   President Johnson groaned, "If I've lost Cronkite, I've lost the American people." The "war" dragged on a few more years after Nixon took office, promising to end it. 

      Jimmy



   

Losing the Victory   

   Thanks to a friend, a former U.S. Marine who loaned me a book, we just learned more about how Washington turned military victory in Vietnam into disgraceful retreat. 

   This is not about whether we should have been in Vietnam. Those were Cold War times. Russia was supplying the communist North, as it did in Korea. Fifty-seven thousand GIs died while others came home unappreciated and "wounded" in one way or another. Here is a little of their story.

   From April 1967 to April 1968 a major battle occurred on a plateau named Khe Sanh in northwest South Vietnam. 

   We can only guess why the Marines defended this hilly wilderness and its dilapidated bridges, except that the North Vietnamese Army chose this path for its invasion. The NVA could regroup using Route 9 - think of the worst farm road ever - to retreat into Laos where they knew Americans were forbidden to go.

   Vietnamese politician/General Giap, who masterminded the French defeat in 1954, was the strategist. There was no R&R for his soldiers, nor did their "tours" ever end, except when disabled or by death. Some men defected to our side, sharing valuable intelligence. 

   Terrain made it difficult for Marines to resupply; the heaviest armor stayed behind. Fighting was up close and personal, sometimes in monsoon periods of fog and torrential rains. 

   Our rules of engagement involved good intentions. But they hampered military strategy and planning. Surprise bureaucratic changes added to frustration. 

   There was no surprise to bother the enemy. It took U.S. officers an average of 15+ days to get permission from Washington to attack a new target. 

   In 1967 there were 137 days when the Air Force was in stand down, for political reasons. Even when air power was permitted, the North with its weapons depots and massing of troops was off limits. 

Tomorrow: President Johnson, Secretary McNamara and Walter Cronkite

       Jimmy