Germany vs. Greece - EU Crisis

Telegraph: Reports " Greece 'on a collision course with EU' warns Germany..Country’s far-Left anti-austerity opposition stands poised to win snap election in four weeks’ time following defeat for Greek government’s presidential candidate "

Lets Get Real:

Thus in the New Year expect the Greek mess to be at the front of the news headlines, the Germans have made it clear that the only path is their path, if Greek votes left then the Germans will cut the money that keeps Greece going.    The people of Greece have to GROW UP, without the German tax payer giving handouts to the Greek Government the Greek economy would be in the toilet.   The austerity plan for Greece is the ONLY plan in town, wake up with a left wing Government Greece and your OUT of the Euro. 

LBJ and Civil Rights - LBJ Era

Guardian: Reports on a recent row on the role of President Johnson in the Civil Rights movement, the article notes the following on LBJ, " He embarked on an ambitious legislative programme which included the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act and the “War on Poverty”, though his presidency was later undermined by an unpopular and costly war in Vietnam.  "

Lets Get Real:

This blog admits it, it has a soft spot of LBJ, this President was willing to go to the wall to defend new civil rights for African - Americans, as he stated at the time what was the point of the Oval Office is not to take risks to do the right thing.   This blog would have respected President Obama if he had stated that ObamaCare was a tax to help poor people, might not agree how it worked but one could understand the moral point, instead the President stated it would help ALL Americans, also they could keep their Doctor if they liked their heath plan.   That is now taken as the one of the biggest lies in political history.   LBJ was willing to use the power of the Oval Office to get Civil Rights through the Congress and have diect talks with Governors so they would protect African - Americans.   This blog hopes that this film is not meant to downgrade LBJ as to put Obama in a better light, one got that impression with the Butler.   If your making a left of centre film say so, if your going to mess up facts expect come back from historians, its your own fault.   This blog will wait in till the film Selma comes out.   Then will do a full historical review of the film and history. 

IS in Iraq - Update

BBC News: Reports " Iraqi government forces and allied Shia militia have recaptured the town of Dhuluiya, north of Baghdad, from Islamic State, security sources say. "

Lets Get Real:

This is a good start by the new Iraqi Army and Government, but they should not run before they can walk, after this victory they will go to Mosul, but that means house to house fighting, one doubts the new Army has the ability to win a major city without the US ground forces.   Thus early next year the Baghdad Government might ask for the US to help with ground forces, that is the day the Oval Office has dreaded for months.   Thu Oval can not afford for the Iraqi Army to lose in Mosul, thus they will need to be backed up by US/UK special forces.  That fight will decide how long the new War on Terror goes on in Iraq and Syria. 

Jeb Bush and 2016

CNN - Politics: Reports the following on the poll standing of Governor Jeb Bush, " He takes nearly one-quarter — 23% — of Republicans surveyed in the new nationwide poll, putting him 10 points ahead of his closest competitor, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who tallied 13%. "

Lets Get Real:

It not 2015 yet and here we are looking at the polls for 2016, its fun, but not serious, at this rate the political race will be between Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton, will it be the same results as 1992.   There are major differences, Hillary Clinton is not Bill Clinton, she married the man but does not mean that she can operate at his political level, as 2008 showed she can be beaten.   The problem with Hillary Clinton is with all the good will in the world, she is not a great political operator, she comes across as poll driven, telling you what you want to hear and its shows.   While Governor Jeb Bush comes across and being in the middle even if his record on taxes shows he was a conservative Governor.   Also he will have Bush 41 and 43 in his corner, that might be a negative in the general it might just be a plus in the primary elections.   Also IF it becomes another Bush 45 it will not be a on the job training, Jeb Bush has travelled and is more in touch with the feelings of others in the US region.  Also he has a Mexican wife and can speak spanish and is not conservative on immigration.  It early but the fun has just started, more polls and then we have Iowa early in 2016. 

AirAsia - Update

Telegraph - Live Blog Update: Reports the following in its 1pm post, " Searchers found objects and oil slicks hundreds of miles apart from each other and were trying to determine whether any of them were connected to AirAsia Flight 8501. "

Lets Get Real:

This has been a tragic year for planes in the Asia area, one is still missing, one was shot down over the Ukraine and now this, when a planes goes down in the sea it might take ages to find it, the current and weather patterns can move objects hundred of miles from their start poing.  Our thoughts are will the families of all three planes,  lets hope 2015 is better for air travelling, its is still the most safest way to travel, but when it goes wrong you have hundreds of deaths, the will of our Lord can be hard to understand sometimes. 

Greece on the BRINK again!! - The EU and Greece

Guardian: Reports the following in its 1.38pm post " Syriza might conjure up red-flag economics, but its programme for Greece is basic Keynesianism, according to Paul Mason of Channel 4 News. "

Lets Get Real:

The left is Greek politics wants to spend other peoples money to get out of the economic mess that is Greece, the question is will the EU fearing a Greek EXIT from the EU give better terms to a new Government.   The answer will be not be found in EU HQ, it will be found in Berlin, Germany, how much of a price is the German Government and voter willing to pay to keep Greece in the Euro.  How much German tax payer money will have to be spent to keep the promises of the left in Greece.   The Euro Crisis has not gone away, its always been in the background, the UK PM David Cameron warned that the West could face another 2008 economic crisis, what if Greek voters had had enough of tough economic love and want to have some respect back, this could cause problems in Italy and other EU Countries.  Watch this space, developing story. 

The Interview - US vs. North Korea

BBC News: Reports " Controversial comedy The Interview has become film company Sony's most-downloaded title of all time, just four days after its release on 24 December. "

Lets Get Real:

This is the answer to North Korea, lets make this film the most downloaded and legally bought DVD in 2014, freedom is the liberal foundation of Western Democracy. The day when North Korea or any other bad actor in the international system can block free speech is the day it dies.   The West and the World should make the Interview a must see film, does not matter about its content, its about more than that, its about liberal free speech, freedom, the rights of man.   The North Korean Regime is a Stalinist Regime, it murders and oppreses its people, the world by seeing the Interview is putting two fingers up to North Korea and its wicked Regime.