It’s Not the Fourth

First and foremost we should all be aware that the holiday is not the “4^th of July”.  The 4^th of July is the date that the holiday happens to fall on. Our founding fathers didn’t sign the Declaration of the 4^th of July. They signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1,776. The name of this most important holiday is Independence Day. So please show a little respect and call it by its true and proper name: Independence Day.

On the subject of respect, let’s talk a little bit about our flag. Undoubtedly we will see many flags flying this Independence Day and that is truly inspiring. Also without a doubt we will see those same flags flown improperly and without the respect due them. I have included a link to a website that will be helpful in teaching us the proper ways to fly Old Glory.

http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagetiq.html

Now let’s go celebrate the birth of this wonderful country and proudly fly our flag.

Happy Independence Day.

Hugo

European Model

No no no, not that kind of model. That will have to be left for a future post. I am talking about the financial and healthcare model, the one that everyone seems to bring up when they talk about changing the American free market model. When the question about healthcare comes up somebody always lauds the European Model. They say that medical care is free. They say that prescriptions are free. They say that it should be that way here, and that no one should ever be denied medical care because they can’t afford it. I usually (and somehow I am always alone in my view) reply that it is in no way free. It is being paid for by a higher tax rate. They counter my point by saying that they are willing to pay a little more so that it may happen here. They start to name countries to try to make their point. They inevitably end up mentioning Canada. By this time they have lost their calm and are shouting. As if saying it louder will make it true or sway me to their side. I ask them if they know how much they are being taxed here in the U.S. Most of them lowball it to around twenty percent. I ask them if they would be willing to double that tax to get “free” healthcare most of them say no way. Then I tell them that the tax rate in the U.S. is at 35% and their jaw drops to the floor. And yet they keep saying that healthcare should be provided by the government. When I tell them that they would have to pay about 50% in taxes, well they begin to lose their steam. I press my points and they seem incredulous. They start to tell me how Britain’s system works. Then how the healthcare in the Netherlands is so wonderful and on and on until the come back to Canada. Just so you don’t think I am full of crap; here are some of the income tax rates for those countries.

United Kingdom 50%

Netherlands 52%

Canada 50%

Sweden 57.77%

Spain 43%

Portugal 45.88%

Greece 40%

WWW.taxrate.cc

Okay, just to be a little clearer, their system doesn’t work. It works maybe in the short term, but eventually it collapses. Here are a couple of videos that illustrate quite well what I am talking about.

High taxes + high unemployment = riots 

No thanks Obama, we don’t need higher taxes or high unemployment.  I will pay for my own health care.

Hugo

Presidential Candidate

Jimmy McMillan is a not shy. Jimmy McMillan is fairly easy to pick out of a crowd. Jimmy McMillan is a Republican presidential candidate? Yes, apparently he declared his candidacy in December of last year. For those of you who don’t know about Mr. McMillan I included a little video. He has been seeking public office for a while. He has sought out the mayor’s office, a senate seat, and wanted to be in the governor’s mansion in New York. He represented the “Rent Is Too Damn High Party”.  I am not sure if he is serious about taking the White House, but I am sure if we get to see him in a debate it will be entertaining.  I personally think he looks like a cross between Randy “Macho Man” Savage and Samuel L. Jackson.

http://2012.republican-candidates.org/

Hugo

Total War

A few months ago a beautiful and very intelligent woman told me her philosophy on fighting the wars against the terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan and anyone who dared to attack the United States. Her philosophy was “nuke and pave”. I found this to be pretty extreme at first. I also saw the merit in this strategy. I began to do a little digging to find out about this strategy. It wasn’t long before I found out that it was actually a verifiable military strategy. This is called Total War. Total War is more than a strategy or a philosophy; it is complete commitment to the eradication of the enemy. That means that every available resource is utilized in the war effort including all civilians and civilian assets. These resources are put to one use and one use only; annihilate the enemy and all of its resources which include all civilian and military personnel and all of the physical assets in the land. It does not differentiate between government and civilian buildings or companies or people. It destroys all. Most importantly, it kills the will of the enemy to fight and dissuades any other potential enemies or aspiring despots from attempting to wage war.

Total War has been a military strategy since its earliest known occurrence in the 8^th century BC. The best modern example of total war is World War II. The Total War effort was seen in both the theatre of war and at home. It the front lines you saw navies and air forces and of course the armies mobilize like none had before. At the home front people saw every one making an effort. Women rolled up their sleeves and became “Rosie the Riveter” and built our war planes. Also at the home front most resources were o being rationed. Any and all available resources were being diverted to the European and Pacific theatres. This led   to the culmination of the war in far off Japan with the flights of the Enola Gay and the Bockscar and the dropping of the atomic bombs. Fat Man and Little Boy vaporized the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima respectively, thus ensuring the end of the war and victory for the allies.

Knowledge of this has been falling out of memory for too long. If this was still fresh in the memories of terrorists or despots like Saddam Hussein and countries who would aid those who attempt to hurt us there would be far fewer attacks on the USA. Total War is the answer and the best deterrent. You attack our embassies, we destroy your country. You attack the USS Cole, we destroy your country. You attack our Marines in Beirut, we destroy your country. You take our people hostage and hold them for 444 days, we destroy your country. I’m looking at you Ahmadinejad, Karzai, Zardari, Qaddafi, and any others who dare attempt to harm our nation by hostile measure or by harboring terrorists. Diplomacy in these matters is futile. Diplomacy is for Eunuchs and capons. Nuke and pave and peace will follow.

Hugo

Circumcision

Circumcision

Circumcision has been around for thousands of years. It is most closely associated with the Jewish faith, although Muslims also circumcise their male children. That is not to say that it only occurs in religious ceremonies. Circumcision has become part of many cultures and it is practiced around the word. Here in the United States it is a very common procedure both in religious ceremony and in the hospital for those who believe that the circumcised penis is more aesthetically pleasing. Having said all of this, the reason of this commentary is not based on health or aesthetics or religious beliefs. The reason is to bring some attention to a subject that I believe needs attention, and that is: anti-Semitism masquerading as humanitarianism.

Matthew Hess is the president of MGMbill.org which is promoting the ban of circumcision in San Francisco among other cities of the country. It claims that circumcision is “mutilation” and makes some good arguments against circumcision.  I don’t have a problem with that. The problem is with a publication that he wrote and that Gledson Barreto illustrated. It is a comic (although I don’t see any comedy in it) book entitled Foreskin Man. In Foreskin Man you have a hero who has blond hair blue eyes. You also have villains who are not quite as likeable. 

Take a look.

 It should be easily recognizable as the hate-mongering that it is. Perhaps Matthew Hess is a coward for not choosing to include Muslims in his comic. Or perhaps he was ignorant of the fact that Muslims and many cultures circumcise.  I wonder if Gledson Barreto has the same views or if he just sold out. I say we boycott Gledson Barreto and expose Matthew Hess.

I believe that this sort of hatred has no place in deciding our laws. I further believe that we must all do our part to expose such an affront to our society. 

Hugo

Quadrant One

Hello and welcome. My name is Hugo and I will be your host for this blog.

First, let me explain the blog name. Quadrant One is taken from the Cartesian Coordinates. This coordinate system works on a horizontal (X) axis and vertical (Y) axis. It is used in mathematics to plot points on a graph. When both axes are employed they create a cross. This cross creates four squares called quadrants. These quadrants are numbered in a counter-clockwise direction beginning at the top right quadrant. The values of numbers place to the right of the Y axis are all positive. Thus the numbers to the left are negative. The values of the numbers above the X axis are all positive and the numbers below the axis are all negative. So quadrant one is the only purely positive quadrant.

Secondly, and this is where I get into symbolism, the quadrant is on the right and on top and positive. So, that leaves the other quadrants which are below and negative and on the left.

 Yes, I am conservative. Yes, I am republican. Yes, I stand for what is Right.

Thanks,

Hugo