Split in NATO?

Germany's Angela Merkel remarked that Europe no longer considered Britain and the US reliable partners.

The US saved Europe from German aggression twice and then kept Germany safe from Soviet invasion, so, ah, you're welcome.  Brexit occurred because the European Union kept trying to impose polices on Britain that was detrimental the British interests and what they felt was their economic well-being and perhaps even freedom.

Meanwhile, Europe (by this I mean the European Union) lurches from crisis to crisis without handling anything.  Islamic terrorism, Greek insolvency, and manufactured Russian hysteria are just the tip of the iceberg.  Below the surface are other insidious undercurrents like high long term unemployment and deep dissatisfaction with the political systems.

Instead of creating more problems she cannot solve, Frau Merkel might be advised to keep such sentiments to herself and focus on finding solutions.

History doesn't end and like I said earlier, it might be heading in a nasty direction.

Get ahead of this while you still can!

Happy Name Day!

Stay classy, Academia

Dr Edison Jackson was the adult in the room full of children.  He had to step in and take control of a situation where alleged college graduates were acting like middle school brats.  He did what needed to be done, showing more backbone than most.

College may indeed be overrated, especially in 2017 where campus seems to be overrun by idiots who cannot see two sides of an issue and are quick to take offense at anything that does not conform to everything on their ideological checklists.

College is about learning how to THINK, something that is clearly not being taught.

It's time to start tossing people out.

There was the disgraceful episode at Bethune-Cook where Secretary of Education had to deal with rude obnoxious morons who would not shut up long enough for her to give a speech.

Thanks to Dr Jackson, she did.

Then there were the reprehensible horribly racist comments by Dean June Chu on Yelp. Yale tried to brush it under the rug but now there appears to be some  discinpinary action forthcoming, but only after some extensive media coverage.

Then of course, there are the violent protesters of Berkely,, who should really rethink their approach because if Youtube is any indication, they can't fight very well.

Democracy is all about varying opinons.  You will not agree with everything everyone says.

So what? That is life.

What you see in Academia today is totalitarian behavior.  Take a good look at history.  Totalitarians always fail and end up in the ash heap of history.

Enjoy the ride, PC Commissars, because it is about to come to a halt.  Maybe screeching halt (defunding) or slow spiral into oblivion (University of Missouri's 20% fall in enrollment), but the end is coming.

Good idea to change course.

Civil war in France?

The reaction to the French election here in the US is not if there will be a civil war in France but when.  Naturally if anything like that happened, America would be drawn in.  Good idea to keep an eye on a Europe that is becoming way too interesting lately!

Not only is their concern about the Islamic terrorist attacks in France,but the utter corruption of the French political system.

Sound familiar?

Le Pen (not as far right as some in the media try to convince you) is an outsider, yet so is Macron, who has never held office. France is extremely divided and the European Union is not really helping one way or the other.

End of history?

Hardly!

It keeps going and the direction it has heading in lately may be  a nasty one.  France has a history of revolution--five monarchies, sixteen constitutions and five republics.Is there a countdown to another underway?

When you deal with large masses of angry people, it can get confusing.  Throw in Gallic passion and Islamic extremism at the same time and it goes from complicated to almost impossible very quickly.

Having a two year "state of emergency" and holding an election under those conditions is unheard of in the Western world.  The fact that it happened is an indication that all is not well in France.  Add in a history of political insanity and see what you get.

Translation: Bumpy road ahead.  Might be a good time to  pull out the old Normandy maps.

 

Time for the adults to step in

Two weeks ago, a passenger was dragged off a plane. You would have thought someone would have learned something.  I guess someone did not get the memo.

If you are in customer service, you need to keep your cool.  If you can't, you have no business being a flight attendant.

If you cannot control your plane, you don't need to be a pilot.

If you dramatically raise prices, cram people into spaces meant for half that many and turning flying into a living hell, you need to resign as CEO.

Everyone refrain from flying for a day and watch what happens.  You can do it.  People are hooked together via social media, so you can coordinate a boycott.

But will they?

In any event, something has to change.  You have an escalating situation that has all ready turned violent.Clearly the airlines do not seem interested in changing anything and I see the passengers becoming more hostile and belligerent. 

As much as I don't like it, it might be time for the government to step in.  Time to guarantee a Passenger and Crew Bill of Rights.

If not, well, have a mop ready because blood is hard to get out of the carpet.

Flying the Unfriendly Skies

Is there any other industry that truly hates its customers more than the airline industry?

There is no reason that David Dao should have been bloodied and dragged off an airplane by police because the airline overbooked.

I have been shouting about airlines for years and now it seems America finally gets it.  Airplanes are to get you from point A to point B, not become airborne prisons where paying customers are frogmarched off a plane if they are being deprived of the seat they have paid for.

There was a time when it was fun to fly.  Now it is torture.  You are shoehorned into tinier seats, there is no food as prices rise and  increasingly confrontational staff.

Unless someone is vilonet and out of control, there should not be a policeman on a plane.

Natuarally, the airlines are always shouting about "security" and invoking 9/11, standing on the graves of nearly 3,000 people as an excuse to treat others as prisoners and make life unbearable for all on a plane.

I am not a fan of government intervention in businesses.  On the other hand, extreme actions lead to extreme reactions.

There is a Passenger Bill of Rights.  Time to enforce it and bring the police in on the right side for a change.

Beating the customer is not a good business model.  If you cannot understand that, airlines, go find another job.

And lose the attitude.

Or it'll be taken from you.

Happy Greek Independence Day

HAPPY GREEK INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Gyros for everyone!  Stay away from the uzo!