Small items that define our time.

1. The Left is international. Due to the global spread of its creed, it is ”indigenous” in many places. Local conditions and traditions demand fitting camouflages. Because of this outward flexibility, what may be true in one place might not fit the appearances in another. The West’s Left derides all that smells patriotic and is aggressively pacifistic where the defense of a way of life and its institutions is concerned. In several underdeveloped states the Comrades organized as a party, are indistinguishable from their combat branch. In these cases, the Left is militant and nationalistic. Elsewhere the Left is pacifistic and claims that peace is best preserved if the victim disarms. 

2. German elections. It is wrong to ignore them. Yahoo had an article about Peer Steinbrück who is the electable Left’s candidate. According to the piece, the man is folksy, shirt-sleeved and, being honest, he says what he means. In reality, that person is angered if the press questions him. The response is vulgar signs and brutish words. He also likes to threaten to send the “cavalry” to educate neighbors. Your correspondent reacted to the praise and wrote, “Steinbrück is not plain-speaking. He is an intemperate egomaniac that regards dissent, or even signs of “non approval” as insulting attacks. His threats reveal that he knows about power but is unable to use it” judiciously. Boorishness does not add up to honesty and good sense. 

Angela Merkel might not be a member of the Green, Red and Redder crowd. Nevertheless, her predicted success is hardly a sign of purely good news. Merkel promises an implementation of her opposition’s program so that it will not hurt as much as the Socialist original would. 

The real issue, behind the limited differences and of style, is not Merkel or Steinbrück. The main matter of consequence is the fate of the newly minted AfD. “The Alternative for Germany’s” responds to a claim of Merkel. She alleged that there is “no alternative” to the EU, bailouts and pumping money into failing economies. In short, fight the debt with more of the same.  Although these transfers are “credits”, there is no chance that the funds will ever be repaid. 

With this in mind, some AfD’s success could help Merkel. By referring to it, less money can be spent on tested and sure-to-fail projects. If the AfD fails, –the PC media is working on that- then the spigot will be turned on. Therefore, the overburdened truck will be, with the breaks disconnected, destined to crash.

Meanwhile, the results are in. Merkel is credited with a huge victory. Actually, the right-left balance remains unchanged. Being one of the socialists “domiciled in other parties” the new-old Chancellor of Europe’s key country will not mind the coalition with the Social Democrats. These in government will excuse some collectivism. However, limiting it will be hard. As a SPD leader put it “Comrades, we will continue”.

The AfD scored well yet it failed to enter the legislature and therefore it will, if it can survive financially, play a role. The EU policy of the cabinet will provoke many “we have told you so-s”. That will have electoral consequences. Furthermore, AfD’s growth will excuse the restraining of turbo-charged Euro fans. Such considerations will moderate the costs of the damage that come from the Euro-zone’s inadequacies.

 

3. A surprising triumph for sanity. Let us suppose, a condemned felon flees the country where he is convicted. His past contributions qualify him for monthly payments from the state’s retirement fund. Should the money be sent to his refuge in his original homeland? “Yes,” said the courts.

 

4. Psychologists’ myths kill. Take a felon with convictions in two countries for rape. Insert into the picture a therapist (34) that is the mother of two children. The therapy boasts of success as the felon gives the right responses. His return into society is to be prepared in small increments. Therefore, leaves are allotted under the supervision of the therapist. 

Leave One: no problems reported. 

Leave two. Its purpose is “equestrian therapy” (sic). On their way, the prisoner asks to buy a knife to clean the horses’ hoofs. In the evening, the prison discovers that the inmate and his supervisor are missing. In a forest, the stabbed body of the therapist is discovered. Days later, the French criminal is arrested in Poland. 

No one is responsible. After the first leave, there was reason to believe in rehabilitation. We do not find out by what reasoning the first leave was authorized. TV shows a long report with another therapist reaped by her patient that managed to “trick” her to conclude that he is cured. Additionally, it becomes known that numerous inmates on leave commit major crimes. 

A conclusion (out of several) to give a “local story” a global point: rehabilitation might be worthy endeavor. Nevertheless, there are criminals in whose case the crime makes a relapse likely. This makes a favor to the inmate into a deadly risk for society. 

Psychiatrists are inclined to overestimate their skills. This might be related to the (leftist) premise that crime is an, albeit inappropriate, reaction to “society’s” injustice.  All people are good and loving. If therapy can convince miscreants that all of us are “nice” then, in response, they will correct their ways. Even if we accept this view, in the interest of financing the project, the diagnosis of the extent of  “healing” tends to overstate the progress. It is this trust in their “science” and the belief in their theories that explain why a woman would consent to supervise a male prisoner with a record of violence.

 

5. Good news from the “less government” front. This comes from Hungary, which pilloried as a right-wing country under a power hungry dictator. 

A spokesman announced –not accidentally unnoticed abroad- the following (here in an abbreviated version): The program to simplify public administration progresses. We have promulgated 548 new laws and have started on the path of deregulation. In pursuit of that, we have abolished 460 laws and 1966 government regulations. Also, we have reduced the items to be decided by local organs by five million cases.” You might think here of the adage that the best government governs least? An equally valid old principle is that no good deed goes unpunished. “Washington” is proving that. It is sending a new Ambassador that is a Hollywood contributor to the election of Obama.

 

6. Non- PC. (From a note whose source went missing.) “We also have minorities here whose official doctrine is that they are persecuted. They repeat this loudly until the majority really begins to dislike them. They then amplify this to resonate globally and make the world believe the charge. The result is that more rejection is generated”.