Why we have a Constitution

Posted on by Fritz Pettyjohn

When the Revolutionary War was over, in 1783, the 13 states of America were in an economic depression. All of these states were deeply in debt from loans taken during the war, and their economies were frozen by a lack of credit. The Americans owned very little hard currency, and no country or creditor in Europe was willing to lend the additional sums the Americans would need to get their stagnant economy back on its feet.

Shay’s rebellion in 1786 was the last straw for George Washington. Those farmers in western Massachusetts were so desperate that they were willing to defy the law in order to avoid paying their lawful debts. It was an attack not just on credit, but upon private property itself.

Washington and all those who drafted and promoted the Constitution did so only because it was the only way that faith in the credit of the United States could be established. Once the new federal government, with ample tariff revenues at its disposal, agreed to assume all revolutionary War debts, foreign lenders would have enough confidence in our credit worthiness to extend new loans. Soon enough, the economy took off, and prosperity blossomed in the new country.

That’s why we have a constitution. It’s also why the Constitution needs to be amended, using Article V.

Great Men, Good Men

Posted on by Fritz Pettyjohn

Most great men are not good men, at least when it comes to politicians. Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and Napoleon were all great men, but none of them were good.

Washington and some other Founding Fathers were both good and great. Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin and James Madison come to mind. Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Alexander Hamilton were great men, but not good ones. Andrew Jackson was a great man, but not a good one. The same for Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The best man in American history, the great man who saved the Union, was of course, Abraham Lincoln.

Donald Trump is on track to be a great man. I take no particular pleasure in saying that, because I don’t like Trump. I never have, and I never will. As men, we are almost complete opposites. He’s not my kind of guy, and I’m sure I’m not his kind of guy either. I don’t think he’s a good man.

But facts are facts, and even before he’s sworn in for his second term, I think he’s on the cusp of greatness. Taming Iran, pacifying the Ukraine, and achieving a world balance of power between the United States, Russia and China are all within his grasp. This isn’t happenstance. On the world stage, Trump knows what he’s doing.

Imagine a world in which all the great powers are at permanent peace with one another. A world in which disputes among the great powers are resolved without resort to the use of force. A world in which the great powers no longer threaten each other with nuclear weapons. This was Reagan’s dream, but it was unfulfilled.

Today it’s not just a dream. It could be a reality before Trump leaves office.

How, then, could you deny that Trump would properly be considered a great man?

How President Corleone Would Deal With Putin

Posted on by Fritz Pettyjohn

People my age vividly remember Marlon Brando play “The Godfather.” It made a powerful impression on most people who saw it, including, no doubt, 26-year-old Donald Trump. It made such an impression on him that he, himself, decided to make himself into a Godfather, just like Marlon Brando in the movie. And he did.

So when you see the Don at Mar-a-Lago, think back to his inspiration, Don Vito Corleone.

In one of the iconic scenes in the movie, the Don receives those who wish to ask him a favor. It’s his daughter’s wedding day, and he is willing to make a gift of a favor granted. The supplicants are escorted in to see him and make their request.

I see Apple, and Amazon, and Google, and Facebook and Trudeau and all the other visitors to Mar-a-Lago, and I think back to the Don, on his daughter’s wedding day. Only Trump’s about to be inaugurated President.

As the Don said, “I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn’t work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness.”

And how would Trump’s inspiration, the Godfather, deal with Putin? Make him an offer he can’t refuse. As will Trump.

We Don’t Got to Show You No Stinking Badges!

Posted on by Fritz Pettyjohn

Growing up in California you naturally are around a lot of Hispanics. When I was a kid we called them Mexicans.

I was raised by three devout Irish Catholic women from northern Minnesota, and even though Mexicans were also Catholic they didn’t like them. They really didn’t like any people they were unfamiliar with, especially blacks. The strange part was that they were sweet, lovely women, and prejudiced all to hell.

I got along OK with Mexicans, and blacks too, for that matter. They didn’t seem like a threat to me. When I was 15 a bunch of us white boys hitchhiked into the central valley to make a little money working in the fields, doing stoop labor. None of us lasted more than a couple of hours. Everyone in the fields doing the work was Mexican, except for one black guy. Those people are still doing all the work, 65 years later. The California economy is utterly dependent on them.

I still get along just fine with Hispanics, especially now since they’re changing how they vote. They are turning into my political allies. This totally screws the Democrats, in addition to all the other challenges they face.

The Hispanics I’ve gotten to know are mostly macho guys. They don’t like pansy-asses, and the bossy women who run the lives of pansy asses. They like this country and are damn glad it’s not like where they come from, whether it’s Mexico or somewhere else in Latin America. After a generation or two or three they turn into regular Americans.

This change in their voting behavior is accelerating. Having a preachy privileged black woman as their candidate hurt the Democrats with Hispanics. Hispanics, for the most part, don’t identify with blacks. They’re more comfortable around a white guy like Trump than a black woman like Harris.

What the hell is an Hispanic, or Latino anyway? Someone whose ancestors spoke Spanish, I guess. Race really doesn’t have anything to do with it. There are white Hispanics, black Hispanics, Native American Hispanics and everything in between.

In what meaningful way is Senator Ted Cruz any different from all the Senators with names like Murphy or Murkowski?

According to a genetic analysis by 23andMe I’m 99.7% white. Babbie is probably whiter than I am. My race used to be 90% of the USA. It will soon be a minority, if it’s not already. I don’t lose any sleep over it. I value my liberty, and that of my family, not my race. And my liberty is derived from my culture, not my skin color. And my culture is American red, white and blue.

If you accept this as your culture, you’re my brother, no matter where you came from, or what color your skin is.

Bienvenido, amigos!

Just call them Indians

Posted on by Fritz Pettyjohn

Back in the day an Indian was a Native American, but no more. That’s politically incorrect. Today an Indian comes from India. They’ve got almost 1.5 billion people over there. and just by the law of averages there are a lot of smart Indians. Quite a few seem to be coming to America.

My neighbor owns the local UPS franchise, and he’s selling out. He just went to a meeting of about 15 franchisees from our part of California.

All of them, every one, was an Indian. And, of course, he’s selling to an Indian.

How do you classify an Indian? Actually, though many have dark skin, they’re white people. Certainly not Negroid, or Oriental. White. Many Japanese have white skin, but they’re not white, they’re oriental.

It all gets kind of confusing if you’re a racist. I happen to think racism is un-American, so to hell with them.