Page 28 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • May 9, 2012 combat personnel on the payroll. The so-called “average American” already knows this. His or her voice is seldom heard, and when it is, he or she is disparaged as a sissy because he or she did not personally terminate Ho Chi Minh. Nobody else did either. Liberal people also have a problem. Those who are committed to politically correct values see the armed services as a respectable alternative to welfare. These good and kind people instinctively see it as insufferable when anyone points out that women in mostly male units and homosexuals in uniform represent a double liability: once to themselves, and once to the rest of the unit. Given the mindset of the average person in an all-volunteer military, women and gay men are targets for all sorts of abuse. American Legion magazine, perhaps the most patriotic publication on the planet, pointed out in a recent issue that both heterosexual and homosexual rapes of service personnel by fellow service personnel are statistically enormous problems in the military, and that the victims are not getting the help they need. They said it, folks. I was not there. Putting these people in harm’s way twice – once from the enemy, and once from the worst people on their own side – is doubly cruel. A few months ago, a Chinese-American kid who joined the Army to help his family was not just hazed but tortured by his “buddies” to the point where he committed suicide – or so it is said. A couple of the “warriors” responsible had previous criminal convictions, including assault and violence against women. Will placing women or gay men in the company of such people help them to have better lives? I have been a soldier. Though I saw a lot of combat as a civilian and none as a soldier, I can tell you that it will not help service personnel to be raped or bullied – despite the fact that the right to serve with personal problems that impact on military life has become an entitlement. This problem is compounded by the fact that better adjusted people are now avoiding the military like the plague, and three-quarters of those who try to enlist have to be rejected for mental, physical, or criminal issues. People who have not served – including most of Congress and most of the lobbyists who work outside the defense industry – have no right to expose the people who sign up to attacks and, at the same time, to add internal conflict to units that have more dangerous problems with external conflict. Conversely, we should not require anyone who criticized in-service rapes or war crimes against civilians to have the Congressional Medal of Honor among his credentials. The generals all nod and smile and say how great it all is because, having taken serious risks when they were young, they are eager to plunk on an extra star before they get that pension. However, a survey of U.S. Marines in combat units found that the majority of those who responded object to serving with gay people in combat situations. They are the ones getting shot at. Listen to them. Illegal immigration is a big problem for both parties. The party that has a reputation as “the white man’s party” may blush to touch it, because the illegal immigrants are not coming here from Sweden or Ireland. As whites become demographically less than an absolute majority, being slapped with the “racist” brush is the political kiss of death. Conversely, the other party has to know that blacks, Hispanics who were born here, and white members of labor unions – construction workers in particular – are the ones most heavily impacted by illegal immigrants who cannot demand a fair wage or safer working conditions, but take jobs away from people who know they can afford these rights. A lot of people who have the money to vote conservative may profit from illegal immigration. A lot of people who vote liberal think the answer is to plug illegals into entitlement programs that are already creaking and crumbling rather than be thought mean or racist – even though American people of other races are the primary victims of open borders. The problem is not what to do. The problem is how to get it past the voters. The obtuse belief that global warming is a fiction invented by tree-huggers has a voting bloc. Defense spending in case Stalin is alive in Siberia and just thawing out for a replay, or in case Akihito turns vicious on us, has a constituency. The fact that U.S. teacher tenure must remain bullet-proof has a constituency. Sluicing women and gay men into the military to be victimized by their peers because of “equal rights” has a constituency. The idea that America should maintain huge overseas garrisons has a constituency. Politicians all have to pretend to have deliriously happy marriages, even when they do not. They all have to pretend to love sports to distraction, even when people of the appropriate IQ to run a nation usually find spectator sports soporific. A perfect presidential candidate: Who would vote for one? As the election looms in November, the perfect presidential candidate looms into view – but only in the imagination. If such a candidate were to exist in real life, he or she could never hope to be elected. Consider the issues that are most important. Consider the political positions of both major parties, bolstered from the inside by the people who control voting blocs and funding. Weigh what needs to be done against what is politically possible and you will see why the perfect candidate could never be elected. Global warming is real. Global warming is a threat. One party, or some of its most important financial backers, seems to be in denial about this because a lot of their money comes from the oil companies or the coal companies. Some of them see this as a “freedom-of-speech” issue. Since some hired guns of science claim the carbon imprint on the atmosphere is irrelevant, we can go right on without coal-scrubbers or solar panels. Sadly enough, science is not about freedom-of-speech, which is a political issue. Science is about peer review, repeatable experiments, and calibrated results. Since global warming cannot be responsibly addressed without losing the funding needed to turn the perfect candidate into a talking head who can consistently overwhelm the other candidate with paid advertising, one party will not address global warming. Strangulation by taxation is real. Strangulation by taxation is a threat. People who actually earn good money but have not yet saved enough to afford the tax shelters available to the multi-millionaires are gradually being euthanized. The money the big earners get is used to fund programs that are useless, and sometimes counter-productive to the maintenance of the nation. Both parties – one more than the other – depend on excessive taxation of provident and responsible wage-earners and salary earners to cover people who cannot earn, or do not want to work, to float their particular boats: the armed forces in one case, the educational establishment in the other. Neither side can afford to care about what is best for America. American schools are failing. Schools need to get rid of tenure so bad teachers do not ruin kid’s lives. They need to address excessive pensions, and they need to deal with the fact that IQ invalidates the lower portion of the quadrant from the benefits of four-year colleges, especially at the taxpayers’ expense. The party that gets most of the money from the national and state teachers’ unions cannot deal with this. Tenure is not mentioned in the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights does not stipulate free college for unqualified people – still less for illegal immigrants. One party may handle this, and one party will not touch it. The armed forces cost too much money and are largely redundant after the collapse of world communism. This is a problem for one party. Conservative people who are heavily invested in the defense industry find it insufferable to restrict the development of weapons systems. Local politicians and foreign lobbyists will howl when we suggest that we have too many bases and too many non- The perfect candidate we cannot inaugurate Ho-Ho-Kus Jottings Chamber plans ‘A Taste of Ho-Ho-Kus’ Plans are now in progress for “A Taste of Ho-Ho-Kus,” a June 7 evening out sponsored by the Ho-Ho-Kus Chamber of Commerce. From 6 to 9:30 p.m., participants will be invited to sample fine wines and signature dishes from several restaurants, and will have the opportunity visit various downtown businesses. Tickets are $15 per person and $25 per couple when purchased in advance. On the day of the event, tickets will be $20 per person and $35 per couple. Tickets will be available on or about May 15 from participating merchants. Those who attend are encouraged to park at the Ho-HoKus commuter parking lot and walk into town. Proceeds from this event will benefit the community. Foundation holds Wine Tasting benefit The Ho-Ho-Kus Education Foundation will host its Annual Wine Tasting Event on Friday, May 18 from 7 to 10 p.m. The event will be held at The Upper Ridgewood Tennis Club and will be catered by The Catch-y Caterer. The casual evening, which is being hosted by Carlo Russo’s Wine & Spirit World, will feature over 50 wines to taste. The cost to attend is $80 per person. All proceeds will benefit the education foundation and the Ho-Ho-Kus School. For details, contact Nan Norbitz Kelly, cnkelly@aol.com, or Sue Reynolds, reynolds78@optonline.net. HSA offers scholarships The Ho-Ho-Kus Home & School Association is offering $1,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors who currently reside in Ho-Ho-Kus and have attended the HoHo-Kus Public School for at least one year. The awards are based on scholarship, leadership, and community service. The need for financial assistance will not be a prerequisite. Interested students may pick up an application at borough hall, the Ho-Ho-Kus Public School, or the office at Northern Highlands High School. The application deadline is May 11. Call Jenn Liljergren at (201) 961-2417. Bedtime Story Time announced The Worth-Pinkham Memorial Library will hold Bedtime Story Time on Thursday, May 17 from 7:15 to 8 p.m. at the library located at 91 Warren Avenue. Children are invited to come in their pajamas and bring a special toy or blanket. No signup is required. Call (201) 445-8078. Seniors learn about space Space historian Joe Lenox will present “One Small Step for Man, One Giant Leap for Mankind” to the Ho-Ho-Kus Seniors on May 22. The Ho-Ho-Kus Seniors group meets the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month in the Hermitage Education Building at 335 Franklin Turnpike, Ho-Ho-Kus. Beverages and desserts are served at noon, and programs begin at 1 p.m. or as noted. Residents age 55 and up are welcome. Contact Joan at (201) 444-4896 for program information. For trip information, contact Sue at (201) 444-7235. Contemporary Club hosts fundraiser Tickets are now on sale for annual cash prize contest hosted by the Contemporary Club of Ho-Ho-Kus. Tickets will be sold through June 9. Proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit the Youth Activities Council of Ho-Ho-Kus and the Contemporary Club’s Scholarship Fund, which assists graduating high school seniors in Ho-Ho-Kus. Tickets are $25 each and winnings may total up to $10,000 in cash prizes. To purchase tickets, contact Patricia at (201) 892-7229 or patti0372@gmail.com.