Undeniably Right

My daughter and I just spent a week in Vienna, Austria. For you government school graduates, that's the country that does not have kangaroos. Except for the Australian Pub that served kangaroo steak. I had several observations about life in Vienna. One that really hit home was the pace at which they live their daily lives. Don't get me wrong, there is still a sense of urgency in Vienna as there is in any big city. Got to get to work now.

But as we sat in the cafes and restaurants, we quickly began to realize that things are different in Austria, and most of Europe, when it comes to dining. Having a meal whether alone or with others is not primarily a reason to obtain nourishment, it's an opportunity to slow down, enjoy the moment of respite or to socialize. Getting a bratwurst or slice of pizza from a street vendor is still the same, grab and go, with a beer I might add. But sitting down is treated quite differently.

A couple of points as I start today's column: Progressives love to point to Europe as shining example of how government should be run; I have long thought we are too wasteful. Of course, progressives talk about the 'free healthcare,' months of mandatory vacation, and other benefits of living in Europe. They ignore the loss of freedom, high taxes, dependency upon government for retirement and other significant negative aspects of the European way of life. When I say we are wasteful, I talk about things like K cups for coffee, all the plastic bottles, individual wrapping packages and so on.

My column was late in arriving because my daughter and I were traveling to Vienna, Austria yesterday. We flew on something called Condor Airlines. Marissa told me it was because it was less expensive. I appreciated that but was dreading it also as images of Ryan Air popped into my mind. A no-frills airline with uncomfortable seats, no leg room, and a constant barrage of sales pitches by the sky waitresses. If you've flown Ryan Air, you know. If you haven't, it makes Southwest, one of my favorites, look like a luxury brand.

I hope not, but it may be inevitable. Unless something changes drastically!

An undeniable truth in my world is that politicians lie to us. We know they lie to us. We know when they claim they couldn't keep their campaign promises, blaming the other party, that they are lying to us again. And yet we continue to vote for them. Because we don't want to believe they are lying to us. At least in the past, there might have been some modicum of truth to the lies they told us, justifying our decision to vote for them again. Nowadays, the political machine and corporate propaganda media don't even pretend to care about the lies. It's like catching your naked spouse in bed with someone else and believing that it really isn't what it looks like.

What do you think he starts his conversations with? 

The party that wants to 'protect democracy' took several undemocratic moves to remove Joe Biden from the ticket and attempt to hand the nomination to Kamala Harris. Not surprising unless you believe their rhetoric. Amazing how a man can go from being the "most energetic," "the hardest worker," "the smartest man in the room" to incapable of running for office in the space of three weeks. Now that Kamala is the preferred nominee, for monetary reasons only, the spin machine is quickly handing out talking points.

hmmm. going to listen to find out about this one.

As we celebrate another Fourth of July holiday, I had anticipated writing a column celebrating the ideals and principles upon which this nation was founded. But as is the case with any person writing something, sometimes the motivation or mood just is not there. Don't get me wrong, I love our country and the principles upon which it was founded. But watching the puppeteers successfully convincing people to run down a path that will destroy our country is depressing. Some days, it's difficult to write something positive. I'll take a break and head down the road to something a bit more amusing. People watching.