THE MOUNTAIN OBSERVER ON-LINE                                

ISSUES, PEOPLE, OBJECTS & POLICIES- CLOSE UP

 Vol. 04                                                Issue 05                                 August 31, 2004

A FREEWHEELING CONSERVATIVE COMMENTARY DEDICATED TO THE DEFENSE OF FREEDOM, THE NEXT GENERATION, AND THE WAY THINGS OUGHT TO BE.   TO UNDERSTAND THIS NEWSLETTER, IT IS NECESSARY THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO READ AND TO THINK.

Updated occasionally on this website when I decide to do it.                                J. E. Sohmer   Jefferson, CO  Flyover country, where the air is thin, the heavens bright, and the hunting and fishing are good.

Website Development Note:  This letter, LFMOWEB 231 LETTER 04-05, signals the resumption of the original letter format, with exceptions.  The main change is the omission of the old "Ad Nausium" section, replaced on this website by "Great Thoughts for Free"  Great Thoughts  on the "Free Side".   Meanwhile, for commentary made during the intermediate period, go to FMOWEB 970.001 ARCHIVED LETTERS ON LINE 2004

Blowing off Steam:

08/30/04

Zell Miller (D-GA) is scheduled to make the keynote address at the GOP convention, which starts today.  The fact that this is so conveys several messages.  The Liberal wing of the Democrat Party, which ought to listen most closely, will not listen at all, for to do so would be to admit defeat.  Zell is an honorable Southern Gentleman with such pride in his heritage that he will not abandon his party, as it has abandoned him.  However, Zell is an American first, and embedded in his message will be words of wisdom pertinent across the entire political spectrum.  I would suggest you listen, and think.        JES

08/30/04

Agree or disagree, the message that will come out of the GOP convention will be positive, and looking forward, even as conservatives are in short supply.  Even so, this fall, voters will have a real fundamental choice.  You will hear the word "conservative" a lot this fall, but mostly from those who aren't, including too many Republicans.  We conservatives are still in the background, but we are the center of gravity and everybody knows it.  Tom Daschle's campaign for re-election in South Dakota is instructive and illustrates the point.  Vote for Thune.   The correct path, in the immediate context, is to support the Bush/Cheney ticket, and those who otherwise are genuine conservatives.  JES

08/13/04

The Republican establishment is showing healthy signs of caution in not allowing a pre-election panicked "fix" to our intelligence problems as recommended by the 09/11 Commission.  I certainly support this caution. Go to Great Thoughts on 07/10, 07/19, and 07/22 for my earlier comments.  While the Commission report no doubt contains some good ideas, the fact is that it is a political document in a political year.  Congress should focus on getting its own house in order, and let the President run his shop.  The President's nomination of Porter Goss to head up the CIA is excellent.  The politicians, and the press, who will raise objections under these wartime conditions should be questioned as to their pre-election motives.  This is not to deny the need for proper congressional oversight, but to point out that the burden belongs on an institution, Congress, that has utterly failed in its Constitutional role in the matter for 30 years.  The available evidence on its face is that the Goss nomination is excellent, and under the circumstances, should be expedited.  We can push the chairs and tables around later.  JES

08/13/04   Actually, the election this Fall is not so much between two men as it is between two cultures.  The attacks and the support of either candidate are serving merely as a foil for a far greater contest.  While to some extent the same could be said of almost any election, it is intensely true of this one, and the electorate seems to sense the longer range implications.  So it is that many people will not be inclined so much to vote for a candidate, but to vote against the opposition.  With the exception of the President himself, whom many of his supporters genuinely love, there is, in general, a wide disappointment with politicians.  It is a symptom of the growing Balkanization of American society.  It is the underlying issues that are really on trial.  Whatever the result, there will be huge disappointment by many, and a mend not so simple.  We are at a crossroads as profound as that of the 1860's, and on November 3, the contest for 2008 will begin.  JES

07/22/04    As it will be easy to witness shortly in Boston, the Democrat Party has been hijacked by far left extremists.   It is the only logical result that could have been expected after years of drift in that direction.   You are witnessing the collapse of reason and common sense.   As an American, I find it embarrassing, particularly realizing that given the failed state of our academies, the Left could still win an election or two.  It will only be by the Grace of God that we will be able to survive all this.   JES

07/18/04  A SHORT ESSAY ON THE NATURE OF FREEDOM AND ITS OBLIGATIONS.    Go to   Essay on Freedom

07/09/04  It has always been my contention that, in a strategic sense, the greatest challenge to ourselves and our traditional core values would be China.   I have every reason to believe that this remains to be true in spite of the distractions of Islamic Fundamentalist Fascism.  One of the dangers in waging the War on Terror against the messengers of Islamic Fundamentalism is the temptation to imagine a common interest between ourselves and Chinese Communists in confronting the Islamic threat.  Our national interest is to evolve policies and actions designed to defend ourselves from the depredations of Islamic Fundamentalist attacks against ourselves.   The Chinese Communist interest, under the cloak of Chinese nationalism, is to suppress threats on their western borders by more regional nationalistic, and religious, initiatives.  It is not in our national interest to enable Communist depredations against peaceful religious minorities, and democratic political opponents within China, which really is what is going on at the bottom of the woodpile.  For Conservatives here at home, the problem is that these distinctions are lost by the "moral equivalency" crowd of the American Left, most tempted to resurrect with Chinese Communists the illusion of partnership that guided their analysis of the old Soviet Union.   Our proper priorities in dealing with  Islamic Fundamentalist Fascism should proceed in the context of our total strategic foreign policy interests. 

Corrections:

None

Bush Score Card:

Excellent:   Hang tough, my man, you're doing fine.  Your critics regarding the War on Terror, Iraq and your recovery of American foreign policy do not understand the nature of the threats posed against us.  However this election turns out, history will come down on your side, but I believe you will prevail.

Not So Good:   Your support of Arlen Specter against Pat Toomey in the Pennsylvania primary race was disgraceful.

Terrible- or even worse:  Your failure to properly address our immigration and borders issues, and our national failure to address our balance of payments problems are your greatest liabilities.

Wall Street & Main Street:

08/12/04   I repeat, verbatim, my comments made in FMOLWEB 128 LETTER 04-02:  

" If I am in error in predicting only a 4% growth of the S & P 500 in 2004, then I will most likely be on the down side.   There are some real concerns, however, some Snow Snakes that could upset the applecart, in descending order of likelihood:

1.)    Further terrorist attacks on this country, or our off shore interests.

2.)    A sudden interruption in the international oil market.

3.)    Our international balance of payments problem.  Keep a close eye on the price of gold, the value of the dollar, and foreign decision making with respect to US Treasury investments.

4.)    A collapse of the very delicate politics of Pakistan and corresponding destabilization of Pakistani relations with India.

5.)    A Chinese attack on Taiwan.

6.)    A North Korean attack on anybody.

7.)    A Republican loss of the White House and/or the Senate, at the moment unlikely, but possible at the rate and direction this Administration is moving on trade, spending and the border."

Currently, all the market signs point to Items 1, 2 and 7 as the issues explaining a lackluster market.  The market is in true fear of the implications for tax policy that would arise with a Kerry Presidency.  The market hates uncertainty, and taxes.

Ad Nausium:   Go to GREAT THOUGHTS FOR FREE Great Thoughts . 

Prediction:

Draft Cheney for President for 2008 starts right here 11/03/04

Heartland Rebellion Update:

The Swift Boat Vets take on the Liberal establishment.

Current Reading Recommendations:

1.) THE NEW SOLDIER, 1971   JOHN FRANCOIS KERRY

                OUT OF PRINT   USED COPIES CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON EBAY CURRENT BID $611.99 (08/28/04)

 2.) UNFIT FOR COMMAND     JOHN E. O’NEILL & JEROME R. CORSI

                REGNERY                                        XXX                                       $27.95

 3.) AMERICAN SOLDIER        GEN. TOMMY R. FRANKS, USA Ret.

                HARPERCOLLINS                            XXX                                       $27.95

                                                                   God Bless America

                                                                   Jim                             

                                                                    American Nationalist Conservative

                                                                    Jefferson, CO 80456