Sometimes You Need a Big Dog
WPCNR THE SUNDAY BAILEY News & Comment by John F. Bailey. March 27, 2022:
I remember as if I was watching Instant Replay in my mind.
It was lunchtime recess on the Roselle Avenue School Playground in Old Pleasantville. I was in 6h grade. I was milling around on the playground with other boys when the bully of the 6th grade decided to challenge me on the playground he called me a name. Fights were common back then in elementary school as playgrounds were not supervised.
He did not like me because I ignored him. Then he said, “I’m talking to you.”
I backed up and he put his hands on my chest and pushed me flat on the ground. Hard.
I started to get up, not knowing what to do.
I backed off backpedaling then he advanced on me both arms extended to push me again.
Then other boys started backing off quickly.
As my big cocky adversary advanced on me, out of the corner of my eye I saw this grey and white blur galloping toward me. I forgot to mention I lived a block down Weskora Avenue from the school.
My dog Vickie always walked me to school and waited patiently for me to come home from school to walk me back was racing onto the playground.
She looked like Rin Tin Tin or Lassie coming to the rescue out of a movie serial, or Yukon King coming to Sergeant Preston’s aid
And on she came! Barking furiously! (All that was missing was the William Tell Overture!
Full speed she runs into the melee of boys racing out of her way, who were backing off, scattering as she approached!
She skidded to a halt between the bully and me, rising up on hindlegs placing both fore paws on his shoulders, snarling and pushed him flat to the ground, stood over him in his face.
“Mr. Big Stuff” did not know what hit him.
Down he went, flat on his back.
I grabbed my dog’s collar and pulled her back. Saying, “No, Vickie, no…it’s all right.”
Well Mr. tough guy pushed back on his legs pronto , scrambling, got to his feet and ran.
The crowd of boys looked on in awe.
The bully never threatened me or anyone around school again.
I took my dog and walked her home.
Today of course the dog would have been impounded and probably destroyed as a dangerous animal.
She was lucky, she never bit him. No authorities saw. And no one complained. Not even a parent.
It brings to mind the realization that sometimes you have to have a big dog to come to your aid when you can’t defend yourself. My dog protected me without question.
We are two months into the Russo-Ukraine War.
Ukrainians are amazingly courageous, brave and stoic. I hope I’d be as brave as they are enduring Russian troops and mercenaries (murderers for hire) laying back and lobbing missiles into cities killing thousands of innocent people. What lessons in courage.
But the Ukrainians need a big dog here. They need some Big Dog Leaders.
Sadly there are no Big Dogs today.
The big dog countries are hanging back by not cutting off Russian oil and gas imports and bringing Russia to an economic halt.
No Russian commercial aircraft should be patronized. No stock transactions with Russian banks or exchanges should be condoned. Internet connections should be pre-severed. Cut the wires on communications. Russian telecasts and websites should be dumped by servers if they have not already done so. Can we stop airing Russian video propaganda statements on news networks? Mercenary businesses aiding Russia should be hampered financially.
The big dogs are afraid of retaliation by Russia with cybar disruption, missiles, nuclear strikes or worse
But are NATO “Big Dogs” more afraid of losing political power in their own countries by stopping buying Russian oil and gas exports and inconveniencing their citizens — that is the question.
They need to put the screws on the Russian Government now. Like they did when Russia walled Berlin. When President Truman ran the Berlin Airlift to feed the cut-off city in 1948).
The U.S. needs to use our oil and gas resources to back the NATO countries unwilling as yet turn off the Russian Oil and gas supplies and see how long it takes for Russian citizens to demand relief. Total economic embargo is needed here.
The Big Dogs have to rise up and have nothing to do with this genocide on the Ukrainian nation and decent human beings who have done nothing wrong.
How many holocausts will we tolerate to preserve our self-interests?
It is time to call in markers from the United Arab States to supply the oil that Russia supplies to Europe. And send our natural gas to Europe.
I am sick of hearing how well our economy is recovering. It’s an illusion. Inflation. Blame American business they are raising the prices.
When you’re a Big Dog, you cannot think of yourself when you see something so demented and horrifyingly wrong that it needs to be stopped.
A FOURTH TERM FOR ANDREW CUOMO: FANTASY OR REALITY?
WPCNR NEWS & COMMENT By Professor Stephen R. Rolandi. March 26, 2022:
Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, despite his resignation last summer, a scathing audit on the mishandling of the reporting of COVID-19 data in nursing homes, etc., has re-appeared in the news as well as a recent barrage of television commercials which appear to suggest another campaign this fall.
The last New York Governor to win four terms was the late Governor and Vice President Nelson A. Rockefeller who served from 1959-73; Andrew’s father, Mario Cuomo, won three terms (1982; 1986; 1990) only to lose a fourth bid to George Pataki in 1994. Andrew Cuomo won three terms (2010; 2014; 2018) only to resign in disgrace with 17 months remaining in his term, with Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul succeeding him.
It now appears that Mr. Cuomo will not be able to compete in the June 28th Democratic Party primary – the filing deadline is April 7th.
An independent candidacy appears more likely, with that deadline May 31st (45,000 signatures are required).
Given his high name recognition, $ 16 million campaign war chest, and some significant support as measured in recent polls, I do not believe that he would have any difficulty securing the necessary petitions nor identifying someone of stature to serve as the Lt. Governor nominee of the yet-to-be formed third party.
Current political party enrollment data may offer some encouragement for Mr. Cuomo. Of the state’s nearly 13 million enrolled voters, only 49% are registered Democrats. Republicans account for only 22% of all voters. There are about 3.5 million voters who do not identify with any political party. Recent polling also seems to suggest that the former Governor still enjoys some support from women and minority voters.
There may be a large field of gubernatorial candidates – in addition to Governor Hochul and Rep. Lee Zeldin, the Libertarian Party has nominated activist Larry Sharpe and the Working Families Party NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. I would expect the Green Party to name a candidate; the GP received 104,000 votes on its line for Governor in 2018.
The last third-party candidate to win a state-wide post was James L. Buckley who was elected U.S. Senator in 1970 with 39% of the vote. Several states – Maine, Minnesota, Vermont and Connecticut — have elected independent gubernatorial and U.S. Senate candidates, the most recent example being Senator Bernie Sanders.
In a 6 way race, Andrew Cuomo could conceivably win; a more likely outcome would be Cuomo’s draining enough votes away from Governor Hochul to elect Lee Zeldin.
Bear in mind, too, that if Andrew Cuomo were to come in second place, his new party would not only have official ballot status, but also equal representation on state, county and local election boards, as well as the patronage that goes with it.
Under this scenario, Andrew Cuomo could hold the balance of power in New York politics for the next several years.
Time will tell.
(Professor Rolandi served in the administrations of Governors David Paterson and Andrew Cuomo from 2008-13 as Deputy Commissioner, New York State Division of Human Rights. A political scientist, he is an Adjunct Professor of Public Administration at Pace University and John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York. His views are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of his current/former employers).
