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Kim Jong-un

Not So Bad After All

May 31, 2019 by Jim Leave a Comment

As our country nears its 243rd birthday we Americans may feel as if all is gloom and doom. Members of Congress are calling for the impeachment of President Trump. President Trump is tweeting out claims that some Congress people are traitors. CNN accuses FOX News of being a sycophant for the White House. Rush Limbaugh proclaims CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times and The Washington Post are not news agencies but simply “fake news” whose agendas have a single minded mission to remove the President from office.

At coffee shops and taverns throughout the United States one-time friends cannot carry on a respectful conversation. Even churches are choosing sides. In short, the last election drags into its third year and the next election is morphing into a mere continuation of the election past. Political pundits and politicians are donning sackcloth and ashes or arming themselves with skewers to assassinate the characters of those who have the temerity to disagree with them. It ain’t good, folks. Are we falling apart?

No! We are practicing the democracy bequeathed to us on July 04, 1776. A healthy lack of respect for the opinions of others is our birthright. As long as we simply “suffer the slings and arrows” and do not “take up arms to oppose them” it is all as clanging brass and hollow threats. In fact, our current political climate is about the same as it has been since John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, who both signed the Declaration of Independence, saw their close friendship dissolve over policy differences. It is America. We have the right, perhaps the duty, to voice our disagreements.

What we do not want to lose sight of is policy differences are important but should not be lethal. Maybe we should step back, take a deep breath and see how another country, North Korea for example, handles allegations of treason.

We do not know the facts and should be cautious of reports from either North Korea or other countries that may wish to harm North Korea. With that said, it has been “reported” that Kim Jong Un of North Korea was upset over the failed summit between Kim and President Trump to the point he imprisoned some of his negotiators and executed several others. He allegedly declared them traitors. Even if these reports are exaggerated, the contrast between America’s hyperbole and North Korea’s drastic actions should remind us of what the Fourth of July truly means.

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Filed Under: America, Democracy, Elections, Gavel Gamut, North Korea Tagged With: America, CNN, Congress, democracy, fake news, Fox News, impeachment, James M. Redwine, Jim Redwine, John Adams, July 04 1776, Kim Jong-un, MSNBC, North Korea, policy differences, President Trump, right to voice disagreements, Rush Limbaugh, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Thomas Jefferson, traitors executed, traitors imprisoned, White House

A Cat Is Not A Dog

March 1, 2019 by Jim Leave a Comment

Photo by Bruno Press

I read the reports of the death of 85-year-old Karl Lagerfeld (1933-2019) who was one of the Western World’s most famous fashion designers. Lagerfeld had his own design company and designed for Chanel and Fendi. Although I had never heard of him until he died as my clothes designer is Levi Strauss, apparently a lot of people had heard of him as he left a fortune worth between 200 and 300 million dollars.

Lagerfeld never married and had no children. He did have a cat named Choupette (sweetheart). Lagerfeld was German but lived and worked in Paris most of his adult life. Although cats are fairly well challenged when it comes to understanding the benefits of being a beneficiary, Lagerfeld was able to execute a will and create a trust that directed Choupette’s ashes (when she dies) shall be buried with Lagerfeld’s. Such a beau geste probably will mean little to Choupette but the life-long pampered care set up by the trust surely will mean quite a bit.

As Lagerfeld had no family survive him who could care for Choupette it appears to me to have been the responsible thing to provide for the cat after the designer shuffled off this mortal coil. Whether a lifestyle of the rich and famous is morally defensible for a cat when there are so many surly French waiters demanding exorbitant gratuities is another matter. I thought the French were still somewhat miffed about Germans and that World War II thing. I wonder what the Parisians will think about a German lavishing money on a Burmese cat. Perhaps some of Choupette’s inheritance will be needed for a round-the-clock security detail.

When Peg and I consider providing for our cat, Phantom, we usually discuss how concerned Phantom would be if he was asked to provide long-term care for us. I do not know about your relationships with your pets, Gentle Reader, but if any of us seriously believe our cats would lose even one cat nap over our welfare then a Brooklyn Bridge sale is a real possibility.

Phantom views us as about as worthwhile as North Korea’s Kim Jong-un does his half-brother and uncle. As some wag has already said, to cats we humans are merely staff. Phantom will occasionally not bite or scratch us if we keep his food dish filled and do not disturb him when he is snoring.

Oh, the difference between cats and dogs. Dogs curry our favor; cats desire our absence. Dogs only bite strangers; cats seek every opportunity to sharpen their claws on our hands. Dogs come when called; cats pretend to be deaf. Dogs run into burning buildings or icy ponds to save us; cats observe our distress much as our high school English teachers did when asking us to explain Shakespeare.

Perhaps you think I am being overly critical of cats or perhaps you sense some envy of Choupette’s life of millionaire ease. Perhaps you can address these issues with your cat. Well, perhaps you can if your cat can be convinced to acknowledge your existence. Phantom will not ours.

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Filed Under: Gavel Gamut, North Korea, Personal Fun Tagged With: a cat is not a dog, Brooklyn Bridge, Chanel, Choupette, fashion designer, Fendi, Gentle Reader, James M. Redwine, Jim Redwine, Karl Lagerfeld, Kim Jong-un, Levi Strauss, Phantom

Sticks and Stones

May 5, 2017 by Jim Leave a Comment

“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” A catchy nursery rhyme but a dangerous belief for political leaders. Language matters. Other animals may communicate but only humans have developed language to the point we can engage in international trade and send rockets into space.

One problem we have not solved is completely understanding what someone who speaks a language different from our own truly means. While it is possible someday the whole world will once again speak one language, the last time that was true was three million years ago when all the humans on Earth lived in Africa’s Olduvai Gorge. Somehow we managed to create an actual Tower of Babel (Genesis, 11:1-9) as we clawed our way all over the globe.

Almost everyone has experienced being both misunderstood and misunderstanding others. They hear one thing when we intended something else or we thought they meant something by their words that was not what they intended. If you are married you will not need any specific examples from me. The situation is exacerbated by leaders of foreign countries trying to reach a meeting of the minds while using separate languages.

When I taught other judges from Palestine, Ukraine or Russia the system we used to convey my English language thoughts to the foreign judges was: I would speak, or write, an idea then a translator fluent in both English and Arabic, Ukrainian or Russian would repeat to the foreign judges what I just said or wrote. I could often tell from the reactions of the foreign judges that even with the best-intentioned and diligent translators what I meant often was not exactly what the translator conveyed and/or the audience understood.

If we apply this principle to international relations, say between the United States and North Korea, we and they should probably proceed with extreme caution when we make statements which might unintentionally convey disrespect or challenge.

Perhaps another old childhood saying might be worth keeping in mind as countries deal with one another where either or both could easily misinterpret the other’s true intent: “Be careful what words you spew out to others as you might be eating them later.”

Right now many in our country are using language about North Korea and its leader Kim Jong-un that might make any person fear we are going to attack them. Irrational responses often result when one is placed in fear and doubt about another’s intentions.

Many in our government and in the news media are sounding the war tocsin and claiming Kim Jong-un is dangerously irrational. As for our own leaders much of the media is so offended by President Trump’s criticism of the media that it is in a constant attack mode. For example, this past Sunday edition of The Reno Gazette-Journal devoted three pages to calling the President of the United States a liar. It would not be surprising if North Korea were emboldened to attempt military action due to a false conclusion that Americans are weak and divided.

I am not suggesting the media or anyone else ignore poor decisions or bad policies. Our democracy has lasted over two hundred years in large part because we need not fear to speak out against what we perceive to be ill-advised actions. However, the country chose President Trump. It is much like a spouse who denigrates his or her mate. Whose judgment is flawed?

And when our politicians and media continually describe Kim Jong-un as a dangerous fool he might be misled to believing we are about to launch an attack. Perhaps both countries and their leaders may wish to ratchet back the invective with both keeping in mind another ancient aphorism: “When one is dealing with a fool he should make sure the fool is not similarly engaged”.

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Filed Under: America, Democracy, Gavel Gamut Tagged With: Africa's Olduvai Gorge, Be careful what words you spew out to others as you might be eating them later, calling the President of the United States a liar, catchy nursery rhyme, Earth, Genesis, James M. Redwine, Jim Redwine, judges from Palestine, Kim Jong-un, language, North Korea, President Trump, Russia, Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me, The Reno Gazette-Journal, Tower of Babel, Ukraine, United States, When one is dealing with a fool he should make sure the fool is not similarly engaged

© 2022 James M. Redwine

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