THE 4th OF JULY
Cindy Adams' column on America is witty and anecdotal, but hurry as the link will be timed out by midnight.
SPIRIT OF U.S.A. ENDURES ALWAYS: I'M thinking July 4. I'm thinking 1776. I'm thinking patriotism. I'm thinking when all Americans were united in loving and supporting their country.
WWII. 1942. A True Story magazine article headed "Movie Stars Honor and Serve Our Country." It featured Pvt. Mickey Rooney, who took basic at Fort Riley, Kan., and was in the European theater of operations. Besides latrine and KP duties like everyone else, he did jokes for the guys like, "You know what a troop train is? A bunch of compartments separated by crap games."
Before I began blogging, I worked at a shoe store, and we used to get quite a few Canadian customers who bought stacks of shoes. Apparently shoes are expensive in Canada, and their draconian sales tax doesn't help, either. It appears that the tax tide is turning up north; if only our elected pols here would do likewise.
One small step for taxpayers ... One giant leap for Canada: There is no evidence that the $4-trillion or more spent on social programs in the past 40 years has improved the lives of Canadians by anywhere near enough to justify the programs on a cost-benefit basis. It seems reasonable to think that $4-trillion thrown randomly into the air from street corners would have done as much good simply through trickle-down effects.
I know the GST rollback is piddling -- hardly worth all my excitement. Still, it marks a change in philosophy about who's in charge, whose rights are paramount -- those of government or individual citizens.
I've been saving this link just for today. Here is Mr. & Mrs. Media Matters' little Parker in the patriotic Old Navy onsie I bought him. Since they posted this picture, they've posted more recent ones, so scroll around over there. Btw, Mrs. MM is now back to work while Mr. MM is Mr. Mom :~)
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