I am trying to get some posts together to share. But until I can finish them, I want to recommend something for my readers to read, and if you desire, comment on. It's located at Mustang's Social Sense and I have left my comment there, so as not to hijack his thread.
The subject is China and it contains some things we all should be thinking about, when formulating some semblance of a policy.
******************************
Another thing I'd like to bring up is a question he and I have been discussing offline, via telecommunication devices:
The subject arose during the campaign. It involved McCain's class standing at the Naval Academy. It seems he ranked on the low end of the totem pole and the question becomes the efficacy of a person in a vital profession, whereby the margin of error can be costly to human life.
Military leaders, medical personnel, public safety people all must meet standards that have been set by a collaborative effort of a given profession's leaders (and in some cases government) just to qualify to study the science of such. I'd like to believe that out of the many people that apply for appointments to the academies, medical and nursing schools, and others that rank high in the public interest, the ones that were chosen were the cream of the crop.
My contention is simple. Despite the fact someone graduated last in his or her class, it should have no bearing on their ability to effectively performing their job, according to acceptable standards set by society's reasonable expectations. They may have been last, but they made it. In all classes, there are those who didn't. In addition, there are those that do well in the theory portion of the curriculum, do not always translate to a competent...whatever.
So, what do you think?
10 comments:
I have an opinion about class rank. The best lawyers I know did not finish in the top of their class or even go to the best law schools. Some of the worst lawyers I've encountered went to Harvard. At least in my profession, as my first boss out of law school liked to say, it's more balls than brains. I think it must be the habit of hard work. The brainiacs get used to having it easy until they arrive in the real world, though that's not true in every instance.
//Some of the worst lawyers I've encountered went to Harvard. At least in my profession, as my first boss out of law school liked to say, it's more balls than brains. I think it must be the habit of hard work. The brainiacs get used to having it easy until they arrive in the real world, though that's not true in every instance.//
Funny you should say this, but I said something very similar last evening.
It would seem we have made gods out of these institutions, my case in point being the amount of politicians coming from prestigious schools like Princeton, Harvard, and Yale. The privilege that was necessary to go to these universities is the only force in which these people rise to power. The same can be said of the military academies. The best officers I knew, were those that started as enlisted and went to OCS. I knew some good ones that were ROTC grad, as well.
Hi LAS and All !
/// Suit contesting Barack Obama's citizenship heads to U.S. Supreme Court Friday
Justices will decide whether to consider the case
.../...
The U.S. Supreme Court will consider Friday whether to take up a lawsuit challenging President-elect Barack Obama's U.S. citizenship, a continuation of a New Jersey case embraced by some opponents of Obama's election.
The meeting of justices will coincide with a vigil by the filer's supporters in Washington on the steps of the nation's highest court.
The suit originally sought to stay the election, and was filed on behalf of Leo Donofrio against New Jersey Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells.
Legal experts say the appeal has little chance of succeeding, despite appearing on the court's schedule. Legal records show it is only the tip of an iceberg of nationwide efforts seeking to derail Obama's election over accusations that he either wasn't born a U.S. citizen or that he later renounced his citizenship in Indonesia. .../... ///
http://tinyurl.com/5jvgxg
Best,
L'Amerloque
l'Amerloque: on the one hand, the birth certificate thing smells a bit like the Democrats who couldn't get over Bush winning in 2000. On the other hand, at least the court took a look at that issue and made a decision. So far, no court has been interested in looking at the document in Hussein Obama's case. I know I'd like to see the document.
I read today that Hussein might not like people to see actual document because Hawaii, back when Hussein was born, would give the certificate to a child born abroad but adopted in Hawaii. That may be what happened to Hussein Obama. On the other hand, as I understand it, the US has, from almost the very beginning, considered a person a "natural born citizen" if the mother was a US citizen at the time of the birth. That's what saved McCain, btw, since he was born in Panama.
Still, I think it's an issue that needs some conclusion, and that necessarily involves looking at the document. Imagine if Hussein was born in Kenya (where they are building a monument to commemorate his birthplace, btw), and we find out he has caused a constitutional crisis with his refusal to show the certificate pre-election!
Hi Greg !
/// On the other hand, as I understand it, the US has, from almost the very beginning, considered a person a "natural born citizen" if the mother was a US citizen at the time of the birth. That's what saved McCain, btw, since he was born in Panama. ///
According to what Amerloque was told here (by the US consulate, citizen services), to be President means being ‘native born’, i.e., born in the USA notwithstanding the nationality of the mother. It has been repeatedly made clear here that being born of an American mother here in France does not qualify the child to be president.
McCain was born on a US base in Panama. US bases are/were considered US territories for citizenship purposes (one can imagine the disarray in the US military if this were not the case !). There was apparently a Supreme Court decision on this issue years and years ago. (Law library searchtime ?) (grin)
At least, this is how Amerloque has understood all this, since he wondered years ago if his offspring born here could be president, one day. "No !", apparently.
Best,
L’Amerloque
//he wondered years ago if his offspring born here could be president, one day. "No !", apparently.//
Right you are, Amerloque. But if they were born in Kenya, that is a different story. ;)
Hi LAS and All !
/// Barack Obama breaks first campaign promise by dropping oil tax
President-Elect Barack Obama has broken his first campaign promise by quietly dropping a profits windfall tax on oil companies that he promised on the campaign trail.
By Alex Spillius in Washington
Last Updated: 12:29AM GMT 05 Dec 2008
During the campaign, Mr Obama repeatedly promised to submit oil and gas companies to a profits windfall tax, citing the disparity between their huge profits and the struggles of ordinary Americans.
In the summer he said the tax would "help families pay their heating and cooling bills and reduce energy costs".
But the proposal has been quietly dropped from his agenda listed on transition team website's www.change.gov, setting off a storm of protest among liberal bloggers and small business groups. …/… ///
(Daily Telegraph) http://tinyurl.com/55zzjm
Best,
L’Amerloque
If this were brain surgery on, say.......ME, maybe I'd like the best guy in the class! (oh. Or woman, of course. oops)
I guess I DO feel grades reflect something; but I'm with you guys on Harvard lawyers, that's for SURE.
//If this were brain surgery on, say.......ME, maybe I'd like the best guy in the class! (oh. Or woman, of course. oops)//
Some of the best surgeons I have ever known weren't the top of their class.. They were somewhere in the middle or closer to the bottom.
Personally, I will take the one that has the reputation as being good, regardless of his class standing.
Hi LAS and All !
Now, what about Obama’s Selective Service registration ?!
There seem to be serious doubts about it, given the info here:
http://tinyurl.com/5muxce
Never fear, Amerloque has one. (grin)
Best,
L’Amerloque
Post a Comment