Switzerland out, Brexit next?

Switzerland formally withdrew its membership bid to the European Union.  The EU was flabbergasted.  "How could anyone NOT want to join the European Union.  Britain may provide an answer.

Undemocratic and run by unelected bureaucrats in Brussels seeking to insert their way into membership countries is not a way to build a harmonious union.  The EU has threatened to fine Hungary and Poland for not accepting Moslem refugees (from which at least two terror attacks have been traced), and has threatened sanctions on those countries for internal political practices it deems, ironically/hypocritically, as "undemocratic". 

Now omoioulsy, the EU is thinking about changing its decision making process from unamamous membership vote to a mere majority thus compelling dissenting members to go along with decisions that run contrary to national interests.  I am beginning to seriously believe this entire Moslem refugee crisis was brought on by the EU as a way for it to increase its coercisive powers.  It would not be out of the question to think that the horrific assassination of Labour MP Jo Cox could be a false flag to push the Brexit vote to EU favor.  We have seen governments do this a lot recently.

On the other hand, Britain may have all ready won.  The EU is bending over backwards offering special deals to London to stay in the European Union.  That in itself is a violation of the EU charter, but why should we be surprised?

The truth is that the British people--and most of the other Europeans--are tired of the autocratic EU and its disregard for, well, Europe.  The European Court of Justice (an EU creation) ruled that European nations cannot jail illegal immigrants for illegally entering their borders.  It seems even the EU cannot stand the EU.

Britian's new Moslem mayor now wants to ban advertising showing "unattainable body images" (ie swimsuit models).  Well, get off the couch and exercise ya fat slobs!  This sounds like typical leftist double-talk right out of Orwell. Naturally, he sings praises of the European Union.  Let the sharia watch begin...

Like the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact, the European Union cannot allow defections.  If it does, it will spread.  Just like Poland in 1989, once one goes they all go.  The EU is doomed anyway, like all totalitarian forms of government.  End it quietly now and go back to being a trade association.

Do yourself a favor Britain and get away from this EU thing.

If not, you brought it on yourself.

Pittsburgh Penguins--Stanley Cup Champions!!!

The Penguins won their fourth Stanley Cup on Sunday.  This team joins its comrades from 1991, 1992 and 2009 on the Cup!

I greeted my class today with "In hoc singo vinces_ (in this sign you will conquer) and the Penguin emblem on the board.

Was it a little strange?  Yeah, but it was fun.

Now we wait for either a Pirates World Series or Steeler Super Bowl win and Pittsburgh can rightfully be the City of Champions again like 1979 and 2009.

Meanwhile, my class learns about the Roman Empire too!

Prayers for Orlando

Prayers for Orlando

The Thucydides Trap

I was reading about the increasing rivalry in the Pacific between the US and China and Graham Alison wrote about his concern about the United States falling into what he called "The Thucydides Trap."

In 431 BC, Sparta went to war with Athens, plunging Greece into the Peloponnesian War.  Thucydides wrote in History of the Peloponnesian War, that the war began because the Spartans feared the rising power of Athens and feared being surpassed.  This has happened before and it will again.  There is usually a naval component to this phenomenon as well.

Sparta did not have a navy and fought Athens to an unproductive standstill before building its own navy and eventually triumphing in 404 BC.  Later, the Romans faced this same dilemma facing off with Carthage.  Both sides were afraid of the other in that one.

Napoleon hijacked the French Revolution to build his own empire.  Britain led the coalition to stop him.  The French (OK, Corsican) emperor drove all before him, but could not cross the English Channel.  Then came Waterloo.

In the twentieth century, two very different German leaders--Kaiser Wilhelm and Adolf Hitler--found themselves in the same shoes.  You could even put the Union and Confederacy in this construct.

Today we see the US and China posturing in the Pacific.  If Thucydides has taught us anything, it is to remember that (1) human nature does not change, (2) navies cost more than ground forces, and (3) you need a navy to be a world power.

In 2016 AD, China is regarded as the rising power while the US wants to preserve the status quo. China is building a navy, but the US refused to budge off of the Asian littoral.  Some have proposed accomidating China by giving them the South China Sea.

Will China be satisfied with that?  Will the US even consider that course of action?  Think about Thucydides and then answer those questions.

The Thucydides trap has happened before and it will happen again in the future.

After all, the Federation was worried about an expanding Klingon Empire in the last Star Trek movie.

Personally, I am more of an Aliens vs Predator type of guy.