THE BAD SLEEP WELL



The Bad Sleep Well by Akira Kurosawa is a film classic.  But it still would be a notable film if only for its pithy title.  It is a title that has become symbolic of a fundamental truth of life--that good does not always triumph and that nice guys, as Leo Durocher once said, finish last.  Nevertheless, the Durocher quote, although taken out of context,  has also come to be the motto of bastard bosses, pushy feminists, card cheats, Social Darwinists, or any Socialist, including their fellow socialist travelers, the Fascists.  Make no mistake, Fascism is a form of Socialism, (see Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg pp. 31-38). 

Before I digress any further, and turn this post into yet another polemic against the left--that comes later--I would state for the record that the some of the worst actors in American politics seem to be the ones that having benefitted most from the country that they seem to hate.  But it's not only politics in which the "bad" seem to be prospering.  It just seems as if there is no crime or punishment anymore for any apparent privileged character in America.

Michael Vick, reinstated to the NFL after doing time for running a illegal interstate dog fighting ring and gambling operation was rehired by Nike as a athlete endorser.  After Vick was convicted in April of 2007 in Federal Court, he was dropped by Nike as an athlete endorser.  But what is most galling about this reversal of fortune for Vick is that there seems to be no consequences for wrongdoing.  Here's a guy that not only did sadistic acts of cruelty and violence to dogs, but was also caught running a gambling ring! 

Back in 1962, NFL Hall of Famer, Paul Hornung and Alex Karras were suspended for a year for betting on NFL games and associating with shady characters.  Both were reinstated by Commissioner Pete Rozelle in 1964.  In Hornung's case it was due to intense lobbying by Coaching legend Vince Lombardi.  The NFL was interested in building a fan base, particularly in light of the competiton from the upstart American Football League.  Bonifide stars were at a premium.  After all, business is business.

Unlike the Black Sox scandal in 1919, in which eight White Sox players were banned for like for throwing the World Series, the NFL seems to be more lenient viz gambling.  But when it comes to drugs, Major League Baseball (MLB) seems to have a more laissez-faire attitude.  Pitcher Steve Howe was suspended several times over a 17-year on and off baseball career for substance abuse, but was always reinstated when a live arm was needed. 

Outfielder Manny Ramirez recently of the Tampa Bay Rays, abruptly retired from baseball when confronted with the possibility of having to take a second drug test.  Ramirez however, is still owed some $21 million by the bankrupt Los Angeles Dodgers.  He'll get some of that money.   Many players such as Sammy Sosa were suspected of using performance enhancing drugs during the "blind eye" period of steroid use in MLB.   MLB greatly benefited from the fan increase during home run derby in the 1999 season between Sosa and Mark McGwire, also suspected of using  performance enhancing drugs.  Although they may not be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, none of these players has suffered any real financial hardship.  McGwire currently works as the batting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals.

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Unfortunately, it is bad politicians that continue to sleep well despite the collateral damage that they are causing to their fellow citizens through their bad deeds.  Senator Chuck "U" Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Friday that invoking the Constitution's 14th Amendment, which states that federal debts "shall not be questioned," to continue paying government obligations is a strategy worth considering should a debt-ceiling deal remain elusive.  What's happening here is what Constitutional lawyer Mark Levin said on his WABC radio talk program on 5 July 2011.  Senator Schumer is suggesting that Pharoah Obama simply use that clause to continue to incur debt.  Since when does America tolerate a dictator?  It is Congress' Constitutional duty to appropriate funds to meet the financial obligations of the United States of America. 

But Pharoah Obama continues his impression of Robert Mugabe by spending the nation into oblivion.  The Pharoah has parties at the White House while millions of Americans suffer from unemployment and other financial woes.  Mugabe had a party marking his 85th birthday while many Zimbabweans went hungry.  The Sunday London Times story of the birthday party gives a preview of what America can look forward to if the Pharoah is allowed to continue his profligate spending ways.  Under Mugabe's stewardship the unemployment rate is 94%!   Mugabe spent millions on luxury limousines while millions starved.  Are you starting to see a pattern? 

Meanwhile, Pharoah's wife, Michelle "Antoinette" Obama, is playing the part of the American iteration of Grace Mugabe, wife of Robert.  Her trips abroad with their children are legendary in their extravagence at the expense of the American taxpayer.  But does the Pharoah and his Queen care about that?  No, they sleep quite soundly in the People's House.  The bad indeed sleep very well.