As IF Times

Source: Donald Trump becoming next US president represents 1 of top 10 risks facing the world, Global Risk assessment claims | Daily Mail Online

Well it was all fun and games for a while, but now it’s getting serious.  Trump has leapt onto the top 10 list of dangers facing the world placing just slightly ahead of terrorism but still below a hard landing for China’s economy.  As competitive as Donald is, he will be annoyed that he isn’t rated the top risk facing the world.  Global warming didn’t make it to the list which is odd since so much political rhetoric and taxpayer money has been spent ‘addressing’ the issue.  So if you think about it, Donald Trump is more of a danger than even global warming…which is  saying something.

Trump’s rhetoric has been mostly about making America great again; so it’s implied that other nations are on their own.  This is in contrast to the claims of the present Whitehouse incumbent who was to preside over  the settling of the rising oceans, the healing of the earth and a new harmony in the world’s peoples replete with joyful singing.  Well the singing was implied. So in that respect, Trump’s ambitions are rather modest and provincial compared to the expansive ambitions of the last guy.

Hysterical pundits worldwide are warning that Trump’s rise is a parallel to the ascension of a famous German dictator from the 1930’s.  This tired comparison has lost its significance since the “N” word has been invoked to smear almost anyone that terrorizes  people  from policemen, to IRS agents, to soup chefs.

The article claims that Trump is pushing for ‘radical’ policies.  I’m not so sure that Trump’s main ‘radical’ platforms, those concerning the  securing of the borders are any more radical than people insisting on locks on their homes.  That this is considered radical while one of the opposing Presidential candidates pitches free college, free health care and a 90% tax rate is amusing.  Re-assessing trade relations with other nations as he’s threatened is entirely logical as it would be in any business if the cost/benefits are out of balance.

If there’s anything to fear from Trump, it’s the possibility that rudeness and coarseness become admirable traits.  The political tradition of skewering, civil discourse is at stake, but no one is sounding the alarm on that.  Far from the colorful, rapier-like rhetoric of Winston Churchill or John Kennedy, Trump’s verbal barbs consists of: fatso, ugly, short and of course, liar.  Wharton must have not had a strong English program back in the day.  On the other hand, it’s a change from most politicians who typically spew out 135 words of babble when 10 would do.  At least Trump keeps his babble brief.

It’s quite telling that so many disparate factions worldwide, in addition to the usual leftist groups, are marshalling their efforts to stop Trump’s rise to power.  It tells us that their status quo is at risk.  It may be hard to be a fan of Trump’s, but when you look at the reputation of groups lined up to oppose him, it reminds us of the old middle eastern proverb:  the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

link Border Patrol union blasts Homeland Security instructions to run away and hide from gunmen | Fox News.

Even border patrol guards have their pride.   The directive from Homeland Security instructing guards to run for it if a gunman happens to confront them while on the job has some guards up in arms…   Luckily, the border guard union is not taking kindly to this new de-fanged role.   If this policy is followed, their job descriptions will likely change from Border Guards to Border Impediments, hardly something to brag about at a bar.  The DHS obviously haven’t thought this through since implementing this new job policy will in fact bring in millions of school crossing guards who can easily replace their overpaid union ranks.  We’ll have Don Knotts clones at every border post.

Most people today acquiesce  to surly and snippy attitudes from border guards on the acknowledgement that they are only doing their jobs to “protect” the public.  Such as the time I was asked by a border/customs officer on why I was going to Hawaii.  We dutifully accept obnoxious attitudes because, after all, they are brave and put their lives on the line every day for the helpless public and presumably are compensated to some degree for this danger.

If the new policy gets put into place, then the “guard” aspect of their job disappears and they may as well be greeters at a Costco; only surly.  Not a lot of jobs will expose you to possible gun violence, but something tells me that if the word “guard” or “officer” is in your job description and you are issued firearms, the risk of being exposed to violence is not just an abstract possibility.

If the Department of Homeland Security is successful in having their way on this issue, imagine how many other professions can be affected by this mindset.  Lifeguards at beaches wouldn’t be obligated to jump into the water to save swimmers in distress.  They would instead phone for backup from the Coast Guard and just yell “help! help!” until they arrive.  The DHS is of course responsible for feeling up grandmothers in wheelchairs, terrorizing 4 year olds and making the travelling public unwitting porn stars during their airport inspections.

As in most inane policy directives that are foisted upon the hapless public, they usually emanate from the mind of a single misguided person.  We don’t know who the genius was who thought up this policy, but he was aided and abetted by others who rubber stamped this idea without pushing back.  But if you think about it, the public has been conditioned for years to accept the dictates of authority regardless of how much it flies in the face of common sense.   How often are we told to “let the police handle it” instead of actively defending our own lives or property?  It’s one thing to neuter the public, it’s another to de-claw those that are supposed to protect the neutered public.   There’s a famous quote, much attributed to George Orwell, but actually by Winston Churchill that comes to mind:

“…We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm…”

If the mindset of the DHS policy holds, forget the beds, start looking for skirts to hide behind.

Update:  I can’t make this stuff up:  Lifeguard fired