Unraveling in Europe!

Greece has been reduced to junk bond status, Spain is not far behind, and the European Union in general is not far behind both of them.

Germany is angry with Greece, France is angry with Germany, England is angry with the Euro, and the trade unions are angry with everyone. Countries are trying to retrench and cut government salaries by as much as 25%, raise the retirement age, and strikes are pending – everywhere.

The rest of the world is unprepared to handle a single crises – while the US fights two wars, keeps the peace everywhere, and (however poorly) manages the spill in the Gulf.

It reminds me of WWII, where the US fought in Europe, in Asia, produced sufficient arms to ship to Britain and Russia AND develop the atomic bomb when Britain and Germany both had several years head start.

The abilities of this nation are absolutely prodigious!

Flag Day

Today, as is usual in our small community of only 3,500, I was the Master of Ceremonies for the Flag Day Ceremony.

I love to do that, and today I used the opportunity to again remind everyone of the sacrifices for that flag by the Submarine Force, which, in WWII suffered a 25% rate of death.

We had current military, and WWII vets in uniform. We had the DAR, and as Guest Speaker we had a retired Professor of History at Palomar College who has created a website to honor those who served in WWII.

The crowd was small – about 50 – as it always is in anything less than a full, all-out war. In WWII the crowd would have been 10 times the number but still it is our intent to keep the flame burning for the day it may need to increased in intensity.

No one ever wrote more true words than Kipling did when  he wrote “Tommy.” If you have forgotten the words, Google it,