Ralph Higgins

Ralph Higgins
color pencil sketch by Gayle Higgins

Quotes I Like


“Everyone is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

-Albert Einstein

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Wednesday, November 7, 2012

The Morning After


I’ve tried to keep my blog non-political, but, following last night’s election results, I’m filled with disgust, anger, and too many negative emotions to even begin to articulate them all.

The great intellectual and economist, Walter Williams, wrote that demographics alone would result in the outcome of the election we just witnessed. He was right.

The traditions that made our country great could not have been represented more clearly than the two men who stood up for our country as an alternative to the slide from greatness that we have witnessed over the past four years.  What a contrast in terms of experience, vision, economic alternatives, morality, and on and on.  But their vision was rejected.  Water seeks its lowest level and “free stuff” is addictive.

I once wrote that the world was witnessing the death rattles of western culture.  From the perspective of a world in chaos, when the last candle on the cake was blown out last night, America became a whiff of smoke as the former hope of the world.  The death rattles are gone and we may have heard the last gasp from a dying culture last night. 

Robert Bork, Antonin Scalia, Mark Steyn, and many others much smarter than I predicted this scenario in books that I’ve read.  Much has to do with world demographics and a moral, ethical, and philosophical shift in our country. Someone recently predicted that this may have been our last free election. 

I believe the adage that “There is none so blind as those who will not see.”  Ignorance is one thing, but the “will” not to see is harder to justify.

I’ve followed the movement that culminated in this election since the ‘60s.  I’ve studied the trends and the motivations of an insidious philosophy bent on “leveling the world’s playing field,” and, although I knew the results were inevitable, it is still painful to see how far we have descended from the days of relative freedom in a once great America

Maybe that’s why I like to write about the freedom of the ‘50s - back when I was a kid.  I’m thankful that I grew up back then.  I regret that my grandchildren will never experience that innocence, freedom and opportunity that my generation experienced.  Maybe it’s a blessing that they can’t make the comparison.

I could write an entire thesis on what I see happening and where I think we are headed, but I’ve tried to stay away from politics and negative stuff in my blog.  But after last night’s election results, I’m like a boiling caldron of disgust.

Gayle reminds me fairly emphatically that there is a greater plan and I agree.  But I feel like I’m playing in the orchestra on the Titanic and it’s hard for this Irish/Italian to passively stand by and not direct the passengers to the life jackets, despite the futility. 

I know that, for the most part, I’m preaching to choir.  Those who disagree with me can rest assured that I will do my best to stay away from controversy in my blog and simply tell stories that come to mind or pass on benign information, while basically leaving the world situation to those “with eyes to see.”

Sorry, but I had to get this off my chest.  

My next blog will present an inside look at a record company, an historical race horse, and the interesting connection between them.  I think you’ll enjoy it. No more politics and I won’t wait a week to post it.  I just need to cool down.

21 comments:

  1. There continues to be a problem posting comments on this site. I'll try to figure it out, but haven't had much luck in the past. I appreciate the emails and the support.

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  2. Anonymous also works.. It might be that we are all burned out after an election where $6 Billion spent on Ads produced almost NO change. Same WH Senate and House

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    1. Yep. It's discouraging. It raises a lot of questions. I'm burned out too and used my last post as a catharsis, I guess. Thanks for the comment.

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  3. Ralph, the results of the election are causing the GOP to look at what they need to do. What appears obvious to me is that they should not put up more conservative candidates but rather try what has worked in the past, be more moderate. The push to conservative or nothing is not how we will win the moderate and reasonable Latino, Black and Asians who are business folks who do know that we must stop or moderate the increased government control of their, and our lives and livelihood.
    What won't work is hard over pushing for overturning Roe vs. Wade, blowing apart reasonable parts of the health care law and having an unclear and largely unworkable non-plan on either side to fix Social Security. These are hot buttons that sent millions of the "Brown" vote away from a Republican Party they may well have wanted to believe in.
    We won't stop the shift left but we sure can make it harder than what the Tea Party has accomplished by pushing them away from any chance to find a reasonable compromise which will get us all a better country.
    Probably not the most popular nor satisfying approach but we must stop the "my way or no way" approach we are on now.
    Hey, love you both and respect your position as well as your right to yell it from the roof tops of the Sierra Nevada's!

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    1. I've wondered what happened to you, Malcolm. I felt like a "voice shouting in the wilderness" when I didn't get your always erudite comments in response to my posts.

      Frankly, I think it's too late to turn the ship around. Demographics and the prevailing philosophy of government as "daddy" may keep Obama and his cohorts in power long past our lifetimes.

      As you know, Gayle and I lean on a much greater power. But it sure ain't much fun riding the raft over the waterfall. (By the way, that actually happened to me once.)

      Great to hear from you, Malcolm.

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    2. Two examples of the hard right hurting the GOP are the Senate races in Massachusetts and Indiana where 6 term Senator Richard Lugar was knocked out of the primary by tea party favorite Richard Mourdock Murdock was beaten by a blue dog democrat, Joe Donnelly. Lugar would have held that seat. Sen Scott Brown would have easily won re election if the republicans hadn't blocked Elizabeth Warren's appointment to a cabinet position.
      This was the year that I was sure the republicans would have taken back the senate having a 23 to 10 edge. In two tears those numbers will be switched. The house should stay in the GOP hands for some time.

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    3. Interesting perspective, Chuck.

      Isn't Warren the reincarnation of Hiawatha or Pocahotas or someone? Have you seen the photos of her grinding maize with stone implements? Only kidding, Amigo. If she's an Indian, I'm a border collie.

      You may be right about the senate change in two years, but we have a president who uses executive orders to by-pass congress, so it won't matter much. I wish I could be more positive.

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    4. Yep. I do too, Chuck. We had some great times in those days. You were the ultimate prankster and your pranks have become legendary.

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    5. and we lived 70+ years to talk about it

      BTW 73 is a very special number, beside being our age. 73 is the twenty first prime number (2 3 5 7 11 13 etc) When you multiply 7 by 3 you get TWENTY ONE ! 37 is also prime.

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  4. What the heck happened to the reply option?

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  5. Can't reply directly. but a few statements back reminded me that you once predicted that I would be involved with cops. You were right about the "getting TWENTY years" Bro

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    1. But I always thought you would be on the other side of the bars.

      For those who don't know, you are the award-winning Film Editor of the TV show, COPS. You've served your term or "sentence" and then some.

      I think you like your job because you can identify with those guys in handcuffs. Or maybe because you are relieved that you haven't seen your face on the film you edit. I think we've both ducked a few bullets back in the day.

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    2. Chuck - I have to add to the previous comment that when I saw you receive your award on TV, that was the first and only time I've seen you in a tux. You looked good, Bro.

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  6. I bought a TUX 20 years earlier that I tried to use for the awards. Needless to say, the goodwill got a bargain and I wound up renting one that was MANY sizes larger. Scales don't bother me, even if I could read the numbers but SIZE is another story. When those buttons are THAT far apart. you really get the message

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  7. It was 30 years ago that I bought a Tux for some ACE event and last wore it at our wedding in 91 I didn't button it but it looked OK at the time but in 2008 I had to rent for the ACE award

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    1. I had a tux once when I first joined the San Jose Symphony. I think I was 13 or 14. I don't know what happened to it, but I think my parents gave it to a midget.

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  8. I'm at a loss for words to express the way I feel about the results of this election. All I can say is I feel like vomiting.
    Bob

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    1. Bob -
      Half the nation joined you the "morning after." It is mind-boggling, but I don't think we can turn the ship around anymore. This was our last shot and the new generation with a thirst for "free stuff" has now outnumbered those of us who have the "eyes to see."

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