This has been quite a year. Some things would have been predictable at the start of the year and others not.
It wouldn't have taken a rocket scientist to predict that the Republicans would do reasonably well in the US Mid Terms. It would though have been rash to predict that they did as well as they actually achieved.
I wouldn't have been so rash to predict that despite such representative progress, the current Republican leadership in the House of Representatives and the Senate would then cravenly acquiesce and pass the so called 'Cromnibus' bill with $1.1Trillion of new spending. One long suspected them of being RINOs but to so blatantly, and especially so soon after the Mid Terms, ignore the crystal clear direction from the American people, takes some kind of special courage or blindness and deafness. Or is it just arrogance?
Clearly though, Mitch McConnell in the Senate and John Boehner in the House must be deposed and replaced by real Republicans who understand the message that the people of America delivered on November 4th. . Roll on January and a new Congress and a new GOP leadership.
Also predictable was the results from the August killing of Michael Brown, in Ferguson. Protests about police brutality, Al Sharpton backing-up a fuel truck to add to the flames, rioters that 'trash' their own neighborhoods and loot and steal from their own people, the Obama administrations use of the incident to push their progressive agenda. Following on, when the Grand Jury decided that based on the evidence that they had the killing was justified, we saw the normal reaction from people who demand justice but don't accept it, when it doesn't coincide with their version of justice. Same thing happened in New York. In both cases the 'victim' was held-up as some kind of angel, a gentle giant, if you will. Of course the airing of the security video of Michael Brown stealing from a store and assaulting the store-owner, in the process, put the truth to that lie.
I don't though, think that I could have predicted the length or depth to which Obama and, departing but not soon enough, Attorney-General Eric Holder would drag the US Government. They spoke of understanding the anger. Of empathizing. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised. So called 'progressives' always use 'equivalence' and historical reference to justify the unjustifiable. America once had slaves that were brought to the country from Africa - therefore anything that these people do, even if it is 150 years after they were emancipated, is allowed because it is a reaction to that wrong that was done to their ancestors!
All crime statistics show that American blacks are more likely to die at the hands of another black than they are at the hands of a white cop. People point to the disproportionate number of black people in America's prison population and see this as some kind of racism. So let's ignore the fact that America's blacks - especially young black men - are much more prone to violence and crime and end up getting convicted as a result of the choices (bad ones) that they make. Instead, let's blame it on white slave owners from the 19th century (who, incidentally were largely Democrats, which is why the Democrat Party so opposed the abolition of Slavery!!)
It would have been good but probably unpredictable, to see black role models step-up and tell young black males that if you go around stealing and terrorizing people then you will end-up in jail or dead. Not because you are black but because you are committing a crime. If you want the latest clothes or shoes or cars, then do what most people do - work for them. If you want a job, don't go to an interview with your ass hanging out of your trousers and you all 'blinged-up' and talking like only another gang-banger could understand. The government can only offer blacks hand-outs. If they need a hand-up, then they need to reach for it, themselves!
ISIS was entirely predictable - Obama's administration has abdicated responsibility in the Middle East. They equate the self-defence actions of the Israelis with that of an 'apartheid' state and allow a terrorist organization such as HAMAS to go unpunished for their crimes. There is even talk that the USA might impose some kind of sanctions against Israel! having lifted sanctions against Iran, I suppose that the machinery needs to be put to work somewhere!
Talking of Iran, there are rumours that an agreement exists but it isn't being publicised because the Iranians need time to 'sell it' to the people and the Ayatollahs!
Other predictable events from 2014
All UK political parties falling over themselves to offer a blank cheque to the NHS.
The SNP, having lost the Scottish Independence Referendum, continuing to push for all of the trappings of independence without any of the responsibility. Equally predictable that they are allowed to get away with their claims about independence making economic sense for Scotland and these all being based on oil at an average price of $113 a barrel. Now it is around half that price, the fragility of their policies are exposed!
UKIP doing well as Britain, or perhaps more accurately England come to reject the recent but rapid implementation of 'multi-culturalism'. I think that the biggest problem with 'multi-culturalism' is that it allows no place in the 'multi' part for the indigenous culture. Britons feel swamped because their values are being replaced. And politicians from the three main parties are seen to be complicit in this.
Germany winning the World Cup wasn't so predictable but was fully deserved. England going home early, was, sadly always on the cards. Australia thrashing England in the Ashes was ominously predictable. The England win in 2013 was much more slender and lucky than the scorelines suggested. One wonders how the awfully tragic death of Philip Hughes will affect the bowling of Mitchell Johnson, in the future.
Unfortunately, the post-January fall-off in Arsenal's Premier League performance was also predictable though one always travels in hope!
On the personal front, I became a grandfather for the first time and though we don't see as much of my grandson, as we would like - he is in Scotland and we are in the UAE - the wonders of modern communications do help to bridge the gap.
Unsurprisingly, the pause in Global Warming or Climate Change or whatever is the current name that is applied to the non-happening environmental event, continued. This of course didn't stop countries spending untold billions and impoverishing their people along the way, to try and address the climate change that simply refuses to conform to the expectations of the science and psuedo-science community and all of the other 'hangers-on' and band-wagon jumpers. Thinking about 2015 and onwards, I predict that people will come to the realisation the this climate change just isn't happening and will demand that their politicians stop wasting money and stop funding the regressive policies of the so called 'progressive agenda'.
Of course it would have been very difficult to predict what happened to those two Malaysian Airlines planes. One becoming inexplicably lost in the Indian Ocean and the other being shot down as a victim of Russian expansionism or European Union adventurism, depending upon your viewpoint. Nevertheless, the loss of life was tragic.
It wouldn't though have been difficult to predict something like the Peshawar school massacre. The chances of this being perpetrated by the Taliban (Pakistan Branch office) were always high, given the effectively 'failed state' that is Pakistan and the state within a state that is the Pakistan Intelligence Service. Unfortunately, we can expect more of the same in 2015 and later years. Indeed, this won't ever cease while so many Muslims silently accept these acts being committed in their name.
Ebola was predictable but not Obama's actions in importing this into the USA. Like the diseases brought into the USA by illegal immigrants through the US' open Southern border, these could have been prevented but they fit Obama's warped agenda to hollow-out and destroy America.
Boko Haram's action in kidnapping 200 young girls is of a kind with ISIS' enslavement of Yazidi and Christian girls. The feeble #hashtag effort by Obama and his wife and their Hollywood allies was a sad reflection of America's declining position in the world.
Crime continued as could be predicted - Oscar Pistorius found guilty, though of a lesser charge. Rolf Harris and Max Clifford and Stuart Hall convicted on ancient sexual assault charges - though Bill Roach and Michael LeVell acquited. Not sure how to categorise Dave Lee Travis who was acquitted and then re-charged.
Israel and Gaza fought a war because, predictably, Israel got tired of having rockets fired into its territory and tunnels being used to infiltrate the country. Equally predictable the leftist media sided with the aggressor Palestinians rather than the defending Israelis.
The most predictable event of 2014? The USA raising, yet again, its debt ceiling.
Most of the above is, I am afraid a more than a little depressing but some things particularly lifted my spirits this year.
Malala Yousafzai winning the Nobel Peace Prize - one in the eye for the Taliban and anyone that wants to hold back women.
The Ice Bucket challenge raised funds for ALS and got people around the world, engaged.
Who cannot have been moved by the tale of Stephen Sutton? In the short life of this remarkable young man, his story touched so many people and his efforts raised significant funds for cancer research.
Not Happy Holidays but I do wish you a very Merry Christmas and here's hoping 2015 is more peaceful for the world!
It wouldn't have taken a rocket scientist to predict that the Republicans would do reasonably well in the US Mid Terms. It would though have been rash to predict that they did as well as they actually achieved.
I wouldn't have been so rash to predict that despite such representative progress, the current Republican leadership in the House of Representatives and the Senate would then cravenly acquiesce and pass the so called 'Cromnibus' bill with $1.1Trillion of new spending. One long suspected them of being RINOs but to so blatantly, and especially so soon after the Mid Terms, ignore the crystal clear direction from the American people, takes some kind of special courage or blindness and deafness. Or is it just arrogance?
Clearly though, Mitch McConnell in the Senate and John Boehner in the House must be deposed and replaced by real Republicans who understand the message that the people of America delivered on November 4th. . Roll on January and a new Congress and a new GOP leadership.
Also predictable was the results from the August killing of Michael Brown, in Ferguson. Protests about police brutality, Al Sharpton backing-up a fuel truck to add to the flames, rioters that 'trash' their own neighborhoods and loot and steal from their own people, the Obama administrations use of the incident to push their progressive agenda. Following on, when the Grand Jury decided that based on the evidence that they had the killing was justified, we saw the normal reaction from people who demand justice but don't accept it, when it doesn't coincide with their version of justice. Same thing happened in New York. In both cases the 'victim' was held-up as some kind of angel, a gentle giant, if you will. Of course the airing of the security video of Michael Brown stealing from a store and assaulting the store-owner, in the process, put the truth to that lie.
I don't though, think that I could have predicted the length or depth to which Obama and, departing but not soon enough, Attorney-General Eric Holder would drag the US Government. They spoke of understanding the anger. Of empathizing. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised. So called 'progressives' always use 'equivalence' and historical reference to justify the unjustifiable. America once had slaves that were brought to the country from Africa - therefore anything that these people do, even if it is 150 years after they were emancipated, is allowed because it is a reaction to that wrong that was done to their ancestors!
All crime statistics show that American blacks are more likely to die at the hands of another black than they are at the hands of a white cop. People point to the disproportionate number of black people in America's prison population and see this as some kind of racism. So let's ignore the fact that America's blacks - especially young black men - are much more prone to violence and crime and end up getting convicted as a result of the choices (bad ones) that they make. Instead, let's blame it on white slave owners from the 19th century (who, incidentally were largely Democrats, which is why the Democrat Party so opposed the abolition of Slavery!!)
It would have been good but probably unpredictable, to see black role models step-up and tell young black males that if you go around stealing and terrorizing people then you will end-up in jail or dead. Not because you are black but because you are committing a crime. If you want the latest clothes or shoes or cars, then do what most people do - work for them. If you want a job, don't go to an interview with your ass hanging out of your trousers and you all 'blinged-up' and talking like only another gang-banger could understand. The government can only offer blacks hand-outs. If they need a hand-up, then they need to reach for it, themselves!
ISIS was entirely predictable - Obama's administration has abdicated responsibility in the Middle East. They equate the self-defence actions of the Israelis with that of an 'apartheid' state and allow a terrorist organization such as HAMAS to go unpunished for their crimes. There is even talk that the USA might impose some kind of sanctions against Israel! having lifted sanctions against Iran, I suppose that the machinery needs to be put to work somewhere!
Talking of Iran, there are rumours that an agreement exists but it isn't being publicised because the Iranians need time to 'sell it' to the people and the Ayatollahs!
Other predictable events from 2014
All UK political parties falling over themselves to offer a blank cheque to the NHS.
The SNP, having lost the Scottish Independence Referendum, continuing to push for all of the trappings of independence without any of the responsibility. Equally predictable that they are allowed to get away with their claims about independence making economic sense for Scotland and these all being based on oil at an average price of $113 a barrel. Now it is around half that price, the fragility of their policies are exposed!
UKIP doing well as Britain, or perhaps more accurately England come to reject the recent but rapid implementation of 'multi-culturalism'. I think that the biggest problem with 'multi-culturalism' is that it allows no place in the 'multi' part for the indigenous culture. Britons feel swamped because their values are being replaced. And politicians from the three main parties are seen to be complicit in this.
Germany winning the World Cup wasn't so predictable but was fully deserved. England going home early, was, sadly always on the cards. Australia thrashing England in the Ashes was ominously predictable. The England win in 2013 was much more slender and lucky than the scorelines suggested. One wonders how the awfully tragic death of Philip Hughes will affect the bowling of Mitchell Johnson, in the future.
Unfortunately, the post-January fall-off in Arsenal's Premier League performance was also predictable though one always travels in hope!
On the personal front, I became a grandfather for the first time and though we don't see as much of my grandson, as we would like - he is in Scotland and we are in the UAE - the wonders of modern communications do help to bridge the gap.
Unsurprisingly, the pause in Global Warming or Climate Change or whatever is the current name that is applied to the non-happening environmental event, continued. This of course didn't stop countries spending untold billions and impoverishing their people along the way, to try and address the climate change that simply refuses to conform to the expectations of the science and psuedo-science community and all of the other 'hangers-on' and band-wagon jumpers. Thinking about 2015 and onwards, I predict that people will come to the realisation the this climate change just isn't happening and will demand that their politicians stop wasting money and stop funding the regressive policies of the so called 'progressive agenda'.
Of course it would have been very difficult to predict what happened to those two Malaysian Airlines planes. One becoming inexplicably lost in the Indian Ocean and the other being shot down as a victim of Russian expansionism or European Union adventurism, depending upon your viewpoint. Nevertheless, the loss of life was tragic.
It wouldn't though have been difficult to predict something like the Peshawar school massacre. The chances of this being perpetrated by the Taliban (Pakistan Branch office) were always high, given the effectively 'failed state' that is Pakistan and the state within a state that is the Pakistan Intelligence Service. Unfortunately, we can expect more of the same in 2015 and later years. Indeed, this won't ever cease while so many Muslims silently accept these acts being committed in their name.
Ebola was predictable but not Obama's actions in importing this into the USA. Like the diseases brought into the USA by illegal immigrants through the US' open Southern border, these could have been prevented but they fit Obama's warped agenda to hollow-out and destroy America.
Boko Haram's action in kidnapping 200 young girls is of a kind with ISIS' enslavement of Yazidi and Christian girls. The feeble #hashtag effort by Obama and his wife and their Hollywood allies was a sad reflection of America's declining position in the world.
Crime continued as could be predicted - Oscar Pistorius found guilty, though of a lesser charge. Rolf Harris and Max Clifford and Stuart Hall convicted on ancient sexual assault charges - though Bill Roach and Michael LeVell acquited. Not sure how to categorise Dave Lee Travis who was acquitted and then re-charged.
Israel and Gaza fought a war because, predictably, Israel got tired of having rockets fired into its territory and tunnels being used to infiltrate the country. Equally predictable the leftist media sided with the aggressor Palestinians rather than the defending Israelis.
The most predictable event of 2014? The USA raising, yet again, its debt ceiling.
Most of the above is, I am afraid a more than a little depressing but some things particularly lifted my spirits this year.
Malala Yousafzai winning the Nobel Peace Prize - one in the eye for the Taliban and anyone that wants to hold back women.
The Ice Bucket challenge raised funds for ALS and got people around the world, engaged.
Who cannot have been moved by the tale of Stephen Sutton? In the short life of this remarkable young man, his story touched so many people and his efforts raised significant funds for cancer research.
Not Happy Holidays but I do wish you a very Merry Christmas and here's hoping 2015 is more peaceful for the world!
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