Here in Washington State certain groups are attempting to pass an income tax on individuals, through Initiative 1077, making more than $200,000 or couples earning more than $400,000. One of the leaders of this modern day witch hunt is the father of 'His Majesty' Bill Gates; William Gates Sr (my first thought was: He's still alive???). The populist argument in favor of this attack on the wealthy is that it will reduce middle class and small business taxes.
Regarding the Middle Class, it will come in the form of property tax relief. The supporters claim a 20% reduction in state property taxes. That may be true but they conveniently omit the fact that only 10-15% of your property tax bill is levied by the state. The rest is local. So you will get relief of 20% of 15% of your tax bill. For the math impaired, 20% of 15% is a whopping 3%! That's $30 on a $1000 property tax bill. Try not to spend that all in one place! Small businesses will see a similar 'savings'.
In return for that, all we have to do is cannibalize the people in WA state who create our jobs. Bill Gates Jr. employs nearly as many people as the gubbermint. Boeing has quietly been sending jobs to states with less onerous tax burdens and what makes anyone think they won't accelerate this process as more of their high income officers start taking a hit on their personal incomes?
Of course, like any other increase in taxes, this will have the opposite of its desired effect and REDUCE revenue to the Treasury. I-1077 will head us in the direction of California rather than Texas and the few states that are not in fiscal trouble. Even if, in the unlikely event, I-1077 did increase revenue, there is no precedent that demonstrates the morons in Olympia will spend the additional revenue wisely by reducing the state's deficit.
All around the nation we are seeing attempts to eat the rich. Much of this is being pushed by socialists and other anti-capitalists attempting to direct populist outrage against government mismanagement of OUR money toward wealthy people who mismanage THEIR OWN money. Oregon just passed an income tax on the rich. Why don't we in WA wait for a year or two and see what happens in Oregon before we throw our own rich in the cooking pot? Better yet, why not reduce state spending?
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Friday, April 23, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Doom, Gloom, and the iPad?
A couple of non-sequiters before I hit you with the depressing stuff:
I heard this on Glenn Beck the other day and it took me a while to verify independently. As everyone but the average contestant on "Are you Smarter than a Fifth Grader?" knows Iran used to be called Persia. The people of Persia have long called themselves both Persian and 'eran' or Iran which is the Farsi word for Aryan. Yes, that's the same Aryan that Hitler and the Nazis believed themselves. The Nazis were the ones who encouraged the change and helped nurture the anti-Semitic leanings of Iran that menace us in the form of 'President' Tom today.
Speaking of evil cults; Apple's introduction of the iPad, aside from making the teenager inside me giggle at the name and want to abuse it in connection with feminine hygiene products, made me realize that Apple ownership has become less about the product and more like a cult. Ardent initiates gathered around Steve Jobs to worship at the release of the iPhone and the iPad as if called to prayer. Apple product owners have a nearly religious affiliation with the high priced products (the iPad is essentially Apple's answer to the netbook and is probably going to start at about 3-4X the cost) that don't play well with others. I can understand the desire to appear as part of the counter-culture (since I am a counter-culture unto myself) but latching on to a product like the Apple or Subaru as a symbol of that urge demonstrates a general shallowness rather than genuine like of the product or belief.
THE END IS NEAR
Okay, so that might be a little too dramatic. Those of you who regularly read my diatribes or have them read to you by a co-worker know that I'm not given over to panic. Yes, I rail against injustice and corruption with Apocalyptic fervor but I never panic.
Several weeks ago my attention was returned to something I remember hearing as far back as my days at the University back in 1990. I floated the notion by Mrs. C and brother RC only to be met with monumental indifference. They can hardly be blamed since what I am speaking about has been largely relegated to academic conferences that would put an insomniac in a coma.
I am talking about Peak Oil...yes, yes I can hear your indifference through the Internet. Peak Oil isn't a corporation although it would be a good name. As I said in my last post, a Peak Oil crisis has the potential to cause conditions like those written about in the book of Revelation. It is a forgone certainty that a Peak Oil crisis would trigger anything from a large regional war to a full out world war. But before we get there, I should explain what Peak Oil is exactly.
Peak Oil is the very real fact that at some point the world will reach its maximum oil production ability. Estimates of where this point will be range from it having happened in the 1990s to as far out as 2030. The mid range for it happening tend to fall right around the 2010-2015 time period.
The sources I've researched tend to show that Peak Oil will occur at about the same time we have used half of the world's easily accessible/cheaply recoverable oil reserves but I don't believe the two events are necessarily related. In all likelihood oil production did/is/will expand until 60-75% of world reserves have been used and, like shlucking on a milkshake, we have to work harder to get the rest of it out of the glass. One thing is certain though. We will use the second half of the oil far faster than we used the first half.
Peak Oil itself will, for most of the world, be a non-event. No one is going to be standing over an oil rig to bemoan the fact that we have pulled X% of the oil out of the ground and only the bearded weirdos wearing sandwich boards will be trumpeting the end of the world. Peak Oil will not be a problem for anyone until it reaches a crisis point.
Peak Oil has been all but ignored in the mainstream media and it faces other hurdles working its way into the general psyche of the developed world. Most lay people when confronted with Peak Oil respond that they will accept higher gas prices and travel less but a Peak Oil crisis will cause a lot more disruption to our lives than just that.
Using Oil
How much oil do you think you use in a day? How much do you think oil impacts your life in a day? As Americans we have the highest standards of living in the entire world and those standards require a lot of energy. Following is (at best) a partial list of how oil affects everything we do:
The average American uses just over 1000 gallons of gasoline per year for travel. A barrel of oil produces 20 gallons of gasoline so you use 50 barrels of oil just for travel. That car you are driving required roughly 20 barrels of oil to produce; more than that if you drive a hybrid that uses more exotic metals in the batteries.
The computer you are reading this on used its weight in oil to create.
Producing a one gram microchip uses 630 grams of oil.
Want to telecommute for work? The Internet gobbles huge amounts of oil in order to power the infrastructure that keeps servers cool and electrons surging through the system. It is estimated that right now 10% of the US's power consumption is dedicated to keeping the world wide web up and running. Most of that, especially the further east you go, is created by burning oil and natural gas.
In the US food travels an average of 1500 miles to get to your table. In Canada it travels an average of 5000!
All that food doesn't just happen either. It takes oil to make and power the equipment that allows us to mass produce/harvest food. Imagine how many people it would take just to harvest the Palouse every year without those harvesters. Keep in mind that the US also produces 60% of the world's food.
In addition modern fertilizers are ammonia based and much of that is derived from natural gas.
Everything you use daily is produced using oil. Natural and synthetic fiber clothing; furniture, electronic equipment, books, toilet paper... Everything we touch on a daily basis was likely produced using oil at some point. Even the greenest person can hardly avoid it.
Concrete and asphalt require extensive energy to produce. Asphalt is oil based. One ton of cement requires 45 gallons of oil or 420 pounds of coal to produce.
For those who think there is a panacea in alternative fuels/energy I have bad news. So far all of those sources have oil at their base. Nuclear needs massive amounts of concrete. Wind turbines require a lot of metal - mostly aluminum. Solar cells require more exotic metals and use a lot of oil in their production. It takes almost 18 barrels of oil to get a ton of copper. It takes almost 360 to process a ton of aluminum.
An aluminum plant requires the energy of a city of 175,000 people.
Ethanol is not a replacement. It takes 1.2 barrels of oil to create 1 barrel of ethanol (not including the oil used to grow the corn). Even when you get that, ethanol is only 80% as efficient as oil. Bottom line there is that you get 2/3 of the energy you invested from a barrel of ethanol. That's like spending $1 to make 66 cents. (Makes you think about how the government works.)
The bulk of American houses are heated with oil, natural gas, or electricity created from fossil fuels.
When you tally it all together; virtually every aspect of our lives and economy is based on oil.
Take that with you through the day and as you go through your routine think about what you are doing in relation to how much oil it took for you to do that activity. My next post will continue to look at Peak Oil and how we could be closer to a Peak Oil crisis than you might think.
I heard this on Glenn Beck the other day and it took me a while to verify independently. As everyone but the average contestant on "Are you Smarter than a Fifth Grader?" knows Iran used to be called Persia. The people of Persia have long called themselves both Persian and 'eran' or Iran which is the Farsi word for Aryan. Yes, that's the same Aryan that Hitler and the Nazis believed themselves. The Nazis were the ones who encouraged the change and helped nurture the anti-Semitic leanings of Iran that menace us in the form of 'President' Tom today.
Speaking of evil cults; Apple's introduction of the iPad, aside from making the teenager inside me giggle at the name and want to abuse it in connection with feminine hygiene products, made me realize that Apple ownership has become less about the product and more like a cult. Ardent initiates gathered around Steve Jobs to worship at the release of the iPhone and the iPad as if called to prayer. Apple product owners have a nearly religious affiliation with the high priced products (the iPad is essentially Apple's answer to the netbook and is probably going to start at about 3-4X the cost) that don't play well with others. I can understand the desire to appear as part of the counter-culture (since I am a counter-culture unto myself) but latching on to a product like the Apple or Subaru as a symbol of that urge demonstrates a general shallowness rather than genuine like of the product or belief.
THE END IS NEAR
Okay, so that might be a little too dramatic. Those of you who regularly read my diatribes or have them read to you by a co-worker know that I'm not given over to panic. Yes, I rail against injustice and corruption with Apocalyptic fervor but I never panic.
Several weeks ago my attention was returned to something I remember hearing as far back as my days at the University back in 1990. I floated the notion by Mrs. C and brother RC only to be met with monumental indifference. They can hardly be blamed since what I am speaking about has been largely relegated to academic conferences that would put an insomniac in a coma.
I am talking about Peak Oil...yes, yes I can hear your indifference through the Internet. Peak Oil isn't a corporation although it would be a good name. As I said in my last post, a Peak Oil crisis has the potential to cause conditions like those written about in the book of Revelation. It is a forgone certainty that a Peak Oil crisis would trigger anything from a large regional war to a full out world war. But before we get there, I should explain what Peak Oil is exactly.
Peak Oil is the very real fact that at some point the world will reach its maximum oil production ability. Estimates of where this point will be range from it having happened in the 1990s to as far out as 2030. The mid range for it happening tend to fall right around the 2010-2015 time period.
The sources I've researched tend to show that Peak Oil will occur at about the same time we have used half of the world's easily accessible/cheaply recoverable oil reserves but I don't believe the two events are necessarily related. In all likelihood oil production did/is/will expand until 60-75% of world reserves have been used and, like shlucking on a milkshake, we have to work harder to get the rest of it out of the glass. One thing is certain though. We will use the second half of the oil far faster than we used the first half.
Peak Oil itself will, for most of the world, be a non-event. No one is going to be standing over an oil rig to bemoan the fact that we have pulled X% of the oil out of the ground and only the bearded weirdos wearing sandwich boards will be trumpeting the end of the world. Peak Oil will not be a problem for anyone until it reaches a crisis point.
Peak Oil has been all but ignored in the mainstream media and it faces other hurdles working its way into the general psyche of the developed world. Most lay people when confronted with Peak Oil respond that they will accept higher gas prices and travel less but a Peak Oil crisis will cause a lot more disruption to our lives than just that.
Using Oil
How much oil do you think you use in a day? How much do you think oil impacts your life in a day? As Americans we have the highest standards of living in the entire world and those standards require a lot of energy. Following is (at best) a partial list of how oil affects everything we do:
The average American uses just over 1000 gallons of gasoline per year for travel. A barrel of oil produces 20 gallons of gasoline so you use 50 barrels of oil just for travel. That car you are driving required roughly 20 barrels of oil to produce; more than that if you drive a hybrid that uses more exotic metals in the batteries.
The computer you are reading this on used its weight in oil to create.
Producing a one gram microchip uses 630 grams of oil.
Want to telecommute for work? The Internet gobbles huge amounts of oil in order to power the infrastructure that keeps servers cool and electrons surging through the system. It is estimated that right now 10% of the US's power consumption is dedicated to keeping the world wide web up and running. Most of that, especially the further east you go, is created by burning oil and natural gas.
In the US food travels an average of 1500 miles to get to your table. In Canada it travels an average of 5000!
All that food doesn't just happen either. It takes oil to make and power the equipment that allows us to mass produce/harvest food. Imagine how many people it would take just to harvest the Palouse every year without those harvesters. Keep in mind that the US also produces 60% of the world's food.
In addition modern fertilizers are ammonia based and much of that is derived from natural gas.
Everything you use daily is produced using oil. Natural and synthetic fiber clothing; furniture, electronic equipment, books, toilet paper... Everything we touch on a daily basis was likely produced using oil at some point. Even the greenest person can hardly avoid it.
Concrete and asphalt require extensive energy to produce. Asphalt is oil based. One ton of cement requires 45 gallons of oil or 420 pounds of coal to produce.
For those who think there is a panacea in alternative fuels/energy I have bad news. So far all of those sources have oil at their base. Nuclear needs massive amounts of concrete. Wind turbines require a lot of metal - mostly aluminum. Solar cells require more exotic metals and use a lot of oil in their production. It takes almost 18 barrels of oil to get a ton of copper. It takes almost 360 to process a ton of aluminum.
An aluminum plant requires the energy of a city of 175,000 people.
Ethanol is not a replacement. It takes 1.2 barrels of oil to create 1 barrel of ethanol (not including the oil used to grow the corn). Even when you get that, ethanol is only 80% as efficient as oil. Bottom line there is that you get 2/3 of the energy you invested from a barrel of ethanol. That's like spending $1 to make 66 cents. (Makes you think about how the government works.)
The bulk of American houses are heated with oil, natural gas, or electricity created from fossil fuels.
When you tally it all together; virtually every aspect of our lives and economy is based on oil.
Take that with you through the day and as you go through your routine think about what you are doing in relation to how much oil it took for you to do that activity. My next post will continue to look at Peak Oil and how we could be closer to a Peak Oil crisis than you might think.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Weekend in Review
OK friends, events are moving so fast that its hard to keep up. This weekend marked several significant items of note.
1. Saturday would have been Ronald Reagan's 99th Birthday. Unless you are a Progressive, a Socialist, or Communist; no matter how you felt about some of his policies it is almost impossible to argue with his most famous mantra: the government that governs best governs least. So it is a fitting tribute that:
2. This weekend marked the very first Tea Party convention. I suppose that the Tea Party will use those famous words of Reagan's as one of their rally cries. Tea, in case you don't know, stands for Taxed Enough Already. The name also ties it back to those heady days of the 1770s when American citizens used their God-given right to redress grievances with the symbolic dumping of tea from an East India Company merchantman into Boston Harbor. The modern Republican party was America's first successful alternate party - formed by abolitionists that tore away from the too conciliatory 'Whigs' and eventually eliminated that party altogether. The TEA Party might have a shot at being the second successful alternate party (by that I mean able to challenge for the majority - something the current alternative parties have been unable to do) if they remember that what unites them (and makes them popular with many people) is more important than what divides them.
3. I believe this weekend also marked the 5 Billionth public appearance of Obama since he was sworn in as president. Boy, I thought I was tired of Clinton after the first TWO years!!! I mean seriously. What other president would weasel his way onto television while the whole of America only cares about the Super Bowl? Could we have a few days without having to look at, and WORSE, listen to this jug-eared nonce? So far his only presidential 'success' is to take personal hubris further into the universe than NASA will get after he guts their budget.
4. Largely unnoticed in the media was a 6.4 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Japan. I suppose its not earth-shattering news except that major earthquakes seem to be unusually numerous lately. It is fortunate that so far only one has hit a populated area because even that one has strained the western world's (therefore the world's) disaster response services. A second major disaster while the world is trying to dig Haiti out of the last one could overwhelm private agencies like the Red Cross and add buckets of money to our deficit since America would respond no matter the long term costs to us.
5. Also largely ignored in the US is the economic disaster looming in Europe. Greece is largely insolvent and facing the prospect of being run by EU commissioners - a surefire guarantee that they will never again be solvent. Spain is also on the verge of economic collapse and the London Telegraph has reported that this might cause a "Lehman-like tsunami" of economic collapse throughout the EU. This could decimate the Euro's value and shatter the already fraying political union of Europe. (On the plus side that would temporarily silence talk about replacing the dollar as the world's reserve currency.) Facing the very real prospect of being controlled by the French and Germans, many EU nations could arbitrarily opt out of the Union or hold plebiscite elections regarding leaving the union.
Those events, while damaging to the psyche of Europeans, would pale in comparison to the damaging economic ripples that would hit the world. This could deepen and extend the recession (in spite of what is being said by the white house and media we are still in the recession) or raise the spectre of the 'd-word'; worldwide Depression.
And yet all of that pales in comparison to another disaster I think is looming on the horizon. This disaster threatens the western world like nothing we've encountered before. It could trigger wars, destroy the Constitution and personal liberty like nothing we've considered before, and trigger events that will be equated with the horrors of the Biblical book of Revelation. How's that for a warm-fuzzy beginning to the week?
1. Saturday would have been Ronald Reagan's 99th Birthday. Unless you are a Progressive, a Socialist, or Communist; no matter how you felt about some of his policies it is almost impossible to argue with his most famous mantra: the government that governs best governs least. So it is a fitting tribute that:
2. This weekend marked the very first Tea Party convention. I suppose that the Tea Party will use those famous words of Reagan's as one of their rally cries. Tea, in case you don't know, stands for Taxed Enough Already. The name also ties it back to those heady days of the 1770s when American citizens used their God-given right to redress grievances with the symbolic dumping of tea from an East India Company merchantman into Boston Harbor. The modern Republican party was America's first successful alternate party - formed by abolitionists that tore away from the too conciliatory 'Whigs' and eventually eliminated that party altogether. The TEA Party might have a shot at being the second successful alternate party (by that I mean able to challenge for the majority - something the current alternative parties have been unable to do) if they remember that what unites them (and makes them popular with many people) is more important than what divides them.
3. I believe this weekend also marked the 5 Billionth public appearance of Obama since he was sworn in as president. Boy, I thought I was tired of Clinton after the first TWO years!!! I mean seriously. What other president would weasel his way onto television while the whole of America only cares about the Super Bowl? Could we have a few days without having to look at, and WORSE, listen to this jug-eared nonce? So far his only presidential 'success' is to take personal hubris further into the universe than NASA will get after he guts their budget.
4. Largely unnoticed in the media was a 6.4 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Japan. I suppose its not earth-shattering news except that major earthquakes seem to be unusually numerous lately. It is fortunate that so far only one has hit a populated area because even that one has strained the western world's (therefore the world's) disaster response services. A second major disaster while the world is trying to dig Haiti out of the last one could overwhelm private agencies like the Red Cross and add buckets of money to our deficit since America would respond no matter the long term costs to us.
5. Also largely ignored in the US is the economic disaster looming in Europe. Greece is largely insolvent and facing the prospect of being run by EU commissioners - a surefire guarantee that they will never again be solvent. Spain is also on the verge of economic collapse and the London Telegraph has reported that this might cause a "Lehman-like tsunami" of economic collapse throughout the EU. This could decimate the Euro's value and shatter the already fraying political union of Europe. (On the plus side that would temporarily silence talk about replacing the dollar as the world's reserve currency.) Facing the very real prospect of being controlled by the French and Germans, many EU nations could arbitrarily opt out of the Union or hold plebiscite elections regarding leaving the union.
Those events, while damaging to the psyche of Europeans, would pale in comparison to the damaging economic ripples that would hit the world. This could deepen and extend the recession (in spite of what is being said by the white house and media we are still in the recession) or raise the spectre of the 'd-word'; worldwide Depression.
And yet all of that pales in comparison to another disaster I think is looming on the horizon. This disaster threatens the western world like nothing we've encountered before. It could trigger wars, destroy the Constitution and personal liberty like nothing we've considered before, and trigger events that will be equated with the horrors of the Biblical book of Revelation. How's that for a warm-fuzzy beginning to the week?
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Barry of 365 Days
Today is the first anniversary of the official beginning of the Obama administration. I say official because in spite of the left's worries about George Bush being a dictator in training, Bush pretty much abdicated his power to the Democrats in the spring of 2008. So one quarter of the way through, I think it is time to give him a report card. I will give a real world grade followed by a "Progressive" grade in parentheses
In holding the Progressives together Obama scores an F minus in the real world - which is good for us (Progressive grade: D plus). The Tea Parties and late summer march on Washington that every news outlet except Fox News ignored signalled American discontent was on the boil. Every side election has splintered the alleged hegemony of the Democrats expected permanent majority. Republicans Chris Christie and Bob McDonnell won gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia over Obama backed candidates. On the 364th day of his presidency, Obama lost a HUGE election when Scott Brown (R) won the Senate seat held for 47 years by Tedward Kennedy. Pushing his hard left agenda has blasted holes in the Progressive agenda and Americans have rejected it at every turn. Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi are both in trouble in their home districts. So why only a D plus for the Progressive grade? In spite of all this, Obama, Reid, and Pelosi have managed to strangle internal opposition and bribe potential dissidents into line.
In spending control he gets an F minus minus minus (Progressive grade: A). Do I need to go into this in detail? Using repaid TARP money as a slush fund rather than returning it to the Treasury as detailed in the law; cash for clunkers; the Stimulus.
Homeland Defense is a D minus (Progressive grade: A). Even if we give him a pass on the underpants bomber which was an external problem, we can judge him on the aftermath. In the wake of the failed bombing the administration used it to further inconvenience the rest of us when we take to the air (a typical Progressive response). From day one he has attempted to undo everything regarding the War on Terror. He still plans to close Gitmo. He hired former AZ governor Janet Napolitano as Secretary of Homeland Defense in spite (or in his case because of) her poor record on dealing with illegal immigrants in Arizona; which IS a homeland defense issue. His Progressive grade reflects the fact that modern Progressives hate America as constituted and are actively undermining it internally and externally.
Foreign Relations equals a big old F minus (Progressive grade: B plus). Obama's first act as president was to insult our British allies. He has given our European allies embarrassing gifts. His speeches at state occasions are lackluster and insulting to the guests. Wherever he goes he misses no opportunity to belittle this nation and apologize for a past that needs no apology.
On maintaining Constitutional intent: is there a grade below F minus? How about Z minus? (Progressive grade: A plus) Obama and Progressives have hated the US Constitution and attempt to subvert it at every turn. He tried to silence dissent by getting into a war with Fox News. His willing accomplices in the media ignore or attack dissenting voices. His ally Jeffrey Immelt CEO of GE (General Evil) and therefore CEO of NBC has driven that network to the brink of bankruptcy by being in the tank for the B-HO. Obama assaulted and insulted Christians during his campaign and attempts to marginalize us. He spent 20 years in a 'church' that preaches real hate but attacks the rest of us as being hateful. His thugs in the SEIU attempt to stop freedoms of assembly and redress of grievances at Townhalls. He is quietly pushing an anti-gun agenda. His Progressive allies literally destroyed the right to be secure in your property getting a supposedly Conservative Supreme Court to vote for an unimaginable expansion of Imminent Domain before Obama was even close to becoming president. Health care is not just an assault on our freedom to spend money where we please but will add further unfunded mandates to burden states. Everything this man does is aimed at gutting our Constitution and drawing us into the soft socialism that has dragged Europe into terminal mediocrity (which the Progressives love).
Overall, Obama's first year in office garners a solid FAIL for real Americans and about a B plus for Progressives (and yes, I DO believe that no one who holds to the Progressive line can be a real American). He is keeping his promise to an audience when he said "...we are five days away from FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGING this country..." (emphasis added) to a group of his kool-aid drinking constituents. The only fundamental change most people want is a return to the intent of the Founders. This nation was created for the sole purpose of maximizing individual liberty. The "Progressive" idea that government is the answer and not the problem has a virtual lock on the rest of the world but they aren't satisfied since America's prosperity shines a beacon on their mediocrity. Therefore America as it is has to go and they are closer than ever to bringing us down to their level. Obama and his cronies will fight harder than ever for their agenda now that they are getting an idea of the overwhelming opposition brewing out in "flyover country". The first year is over and like the end of 1942 in World War II, the hardest fighting is yet to come. Scott Brown's win is a beginning and a source of hope but it is only one battle. We must keep fighting. Stand up for liberty and capitalism whenever you hear a Progressive attacking it. Remember always that extremism in defense of liberty is not a vice!
In holding the Progressives together Obama scores an F minus in the real world - which is good for us (Progressive grade: D plus). The Tea Parties and late summer march on Washington that every news outlet except Fox News ignored signalled American discontent was on the boil. Every side election has splintered the alleged hegemony of the Democrats expected permanent majority. Republicans Chris Christie and Bob McDonnell won gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia over Obama backed candidates. On the 364th day of his presidency, Obama lost a HUGE election when Scott Brown (R) won the Senate seat held for 47 years by Tedward Kennedy. Pushing his hard left agenda has blasted holes in the Progressive agenda and Americans have rejected it at every turn. Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi are both in trouble in their home districts. So why only a D plus for the Progressive grade? In spite of all this, Obama, Reid, and Pelosi have managed to strangle internal opposition and bribe potential dissidents into line.
In spending control he gets an F minus minus minus (Progressive grade: A). Do I need to go into this in detail? Using repaid TARP money as a slush fund rather than returning it to the Treasury as detailed in the law; cash for clunkers; the Stimulus.
Homeland Defense is a D minus (Progressive grade: A). Even if we give him a pass on the underpants bomber which was an external problem, we can judge him on the aftermath. In the wake of the failed bombing the administration used it to further inconvenience the rest of us when we take to the air (a typical Progressive response). From day one he has attempted to undo everything regarding the War on Terror. He still plans to close Gitmo. He hired former AZ governor Janet Napolitano as Secretary of Homeland Defense in spite (or in his case because of) her poor record on dealing with illegal immigrants in Arizona; which IS a homeland defense issue. His Progressive grade reflects the fact that modern Progressives hate America as constituted and are actively undermining it internally and externally.
Foreign Relations equals a big old F minus (Progressive grade: B plus). Obama's first act as president was to insult our British allies. He has given our European allies embarrassing gifts. His speeches at state occasions are lackluster and insulting to the guests. Wherever he goes he misses no opportunity to belittle this nation and apologize for a past that needs no apology.
On maintaining Constitutional intent: is there a grade below F minus? How about Z minus? (Progressive grade: A plus) Obama and Progressives have hated the US Constitution and attempt to subvert it at every turn. He tried to silence dissent by getting into a war with Fox News. His willing accomplices in the media ignore or attack dissenting voices. His ally Jeffrey Immelt CEO of GE (General Evil) and therefore CEO of NBC has driven that network to the brink of bankruptcy by being in the tank for the B-HO. Obama assaulted and insulted Christians during his campaign and attempts to marginalize us. He spent 20 years in a 'church' that preaches real hate but attacks the rest of us as being hateful. His thugs in the SEIU attempt to stop freedoms of assembly and redress of grievances at Townhalls. He is quietly pushing an anti-gun agenda. His Progressive allies literally destroyed the right to be secure in your property getting a supposedly Conservative Supreme Court to vote for an unimaginable expansion of Imminent Domain before Obama was even close to becoming president. Health care is not just an assault on our freedom to spend money where we please but will add further unfunded mandates to burden states. Everything this man does is aimed at gutting our Constitution and drawing us into the soft socialism that has dragged Europe into terminal mediocrity (which the Progressives love).
Overall, Obama's first year in office garners a solid FAIL for real Americans and about a B plus for Progressives (and yes, I DO believe that no one who holds to the Progressive line can be a real American). He is keeping his promise to an audience when he said "...we are five days away from FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGING this country..." (emphasis added) to a group of his kool-aid drinking constituents. The only fundamental change most people want is a return to the intent of the Founders. This nation was created for the sole purpose of maximizing individual liberty. The "Progressive" idea that government is the answer and not the problem has a virtual lock on the rest of the world but they aren't satisfied since America's prosperity shines a beacon on their mediocrity. Therefore America as it is has to go and they are closer than ever to bringing us down to their level. Obama and his cronies will fight harder than ever for their agenda now that they are getting an idea of the overwhelming opposition brewing out in "flyover country". The first year is over and like the end of 1942 in World War II, the hardest fighting is yet to come. Scott Brown's win is a beginning and a source of hope but it is only one battle. We must keep fighting. Stand up for liberty and capitalism whenever you hear a Progressive attacking it. Remember always that extremism in defense of liberty is not a vice!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Quick Quips
A correction for yesterday's post: I said that Kennedy had held the seat for 30+ years but meant to type 40+ years (both are technically correct since he held the seat for 47 years).
If Scott Brown loses the Senate race today in Massachusetts, you can 100% guarantee that it will have been through fraud.
While most white people are being sent to the back of the Obama bus, its still better than what they are doing to their own candidate in MA; Martha Coakley. There can be no doubt that the DNC talking points faxes for today are all about throwing her under that bus. Expect to feel the bump about 7-8 pm Pacific time tonight.
The coming win in MA, barring foul play, is big but don't let it relieve you too much. In spite of their denials that this is a repudiation of the Obama agenda, Democrats are in an all out panic as their "1000 year majority" is coming unravelled faster than Dolphy's 1000 year Reich. Look for them, especially Ho-bama, Reid, and Pelosi to go on the offensive worse than ever; attempting to ram as much of their Marxist agenda down our throats as they can before the 2010 election.
Chris Matthews says that one of his heroes is Saul Alinsky. If Saul Alinsky is one of your heroes, you should either be forcibly exiled from the US for the rest of your life or simply shot for treason.
If Scott Brown loses the Senate race today in Massachusetts, you can 100% guarantee that it will have been through fraud.
While most white people are being sent to the back of the Obama bus, its still better than what they are doing to their own candidate in MA; Martha Coakley. There can be no doubt that the DNC talking points faxes for today are all about throwing her under that bus. Expect to feel the bump about 7-8 pm Pacific time tonight.
The coming win in MA, barring foul play, is big but don't let it relieve you too much. In spite of their denials that this is a repudiation of the Obama agenda, Democrats are in an all out panic as their "1000 year majority" is coming unravelled faster than Dolphy's 1000 year Reich. Look for them, especially Ho-bama, Reid, and Pelosi to go on the offensive worse than ever; attempting to ram as much of their Marxist agenda down our throats as they can before the 2010 election.
Chris Matthews says that one of his heroes is Saul Alinsky. If Saul Alinsky is one of your heroes, you should either be forcibly exiled from the US for the rest of your life or simply shot for treason.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Wednesday Quick Shots
Two quick items today:
If George Bush understood the nature of our enemy after 9/11, he did not demonstrate it. Former Gitmo detainees, released by the Bush Administration, are leading the jihad going on in Yemen right now and have returned to Al Qaeda. Barrack Obama openly does not understand the nature of our enemy and visibly does not care about this fight. That makes him worse than George Bush with respect to the War on Terror (which we can't call it anymore). Closing Gitmo will create many more Al Qaeda leaders with the Muslim Terrorist equivalent of 'street cred'. Yemen may be the first of many more Middle Eastern nations facing insurgency. The UAE, Kuwait, possibly Egypt and Turkey; all considered moderate/secular nations, will be on the priority list for the bad guys. The potential for Obama's foreign policy incompetence to hurt America is far worse and happening much faster than Jimmy Carters.
Botox Pelosi says that the HC Bill has been the most open and transparent piece of legislation ever in America. This isn't a misrepresentation or half-truth. She stands up in front of the American people and outright lies to us every time she opens her mouth. I seriously hope that she suffer unlike any person in history when her time comes.
The Democrats are in complete disarray and unless you get your news from CNN and (P)MSNBC you're probably aware of it. A number of prominent Democrats have announced their retirement. Latest to fall is Chris Dodd (the other end of Kennedy's 'human sandwich': and yes, it is as repulsive as you might be imagining right now) who should be facing charges of treason rather than a comfortable retirement. An Alabama Democrat switched to the GOP recently. Expect more of that. If the nation can hold out and hold up HC just one more year, we may barely overcome the worst attempt at Marxist intrusion in the US economy since Hilarycare.
The Fiesta Bowl does not exist and if it did, it was the product of New Jersey 'waste management' personnel.
Today is the Baseball Hall of Fame election announcement. I am rooting for Andre 'the Hawk' Dawson, pitcher Bert Blyleven, and relief pitcher Lee Smith. All three have reasons to deserve a shrine at Cooperstown even though their numbers are considered on the line. Dawson played for horrible Expos and Cubs teams while posting great numbers and an NL MVP. Blyleven also played for some terrible teams and posted HOF strikeout numbers but missed the magic 300 wins by 13 because of his time on those bad teams. Lee Smith deserves to be in the Hall as one of the first truly great closers but has been overlooked in the past because of the institutional bias against relief pitching that existed during his career and is finally dying out.
If George Bush understood the nature of our enemy after 9/11, he did not demonstrate it. Former Gitmo detainees, released by the Bush Administration, are leading the jihad going on in Yemen right now and have returned to Al Qaeda. Barrack Obama openly does not understand the nature of our enemy and visibly does not care about this fight. That makes him worse than George Bush with respect to the War on Terror (which we can't call it anymore). Closing Gitmo will create many more Al Qaeda leaders with the Muslim Terrorist equivalent of 'street cred'. Yemen may be the first of many more Middle Eastern nations facing insurgency. The UAE, Kuwait, possibly Egypt and Turkey; all considered moderate/secular nations, will be on the priority list for the bad guys. The potential for Obama's foreign policy incompetence to hurt America is far worse and happening much faster than Jimmy Carters.
Botox Pelosi says that the HC Bill has been the most open and transparent piece of legislation ever in America. This isn't a misrepresentation or half-truth. She stands up in front of the American people and outright lies to us every time she opens her mouth. I seriously hope that she suffer unlike any person in history when her time comes.
The Democrats are in complete disarray and unless you get your news from CNN and (P)MSNBC you're probably aware of it. A number of prominent Democrats have announced their retirement. Latest to fall is Chris Dodd (the other end of Kennedy's 'human sandwich': and yes, it is as repulsive as you might be imagining right now) who should be facing charges of treason rather than a comfortable retirement. An Alabama Democrat switched to the GOP recently. Expect more of that. If the nation can hold out and hold up HC just one more year, we may barely overcome the worst attempt at Marxist intrusion in the US economy since Hilarycare.
The Fiesta Bowl does not exist and if it did, it was the product of New Jersey 'waste management' personnel.
Today is the Baseball Hall of Fame election announcement. I am rooting for Andre 'the Hawk' Dawson, pitcher Bert Blyleven, and relief pitcher Lee Smith. All three have reasons to deserve a shrine at Cooperstown even though their numbers are considered on the line. Dawson played for horrible Expos and Cubs teams while posting great numbers and an NL MVP. Blyleven also played for some terrible teams and posted HOF strikeout numbers but missed the magic 300 wins by 13 because of his time on those bad teams. Lee Smith deserves to be in the Hall as one of the first truly great closers but has been overlooked in the past because of the institutional bias against relief pitching that existed during his career and is finally dying out.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Last Chance News for 2009
The world seems to slow down a little in the blissful week from Christmas to New Year's. Mercifully Congress will not be in session until the 3rd week of January again so the American people can breathe a sigh of relief for the moment. Even though the House and Senate have passed Death care bills, they are a reasonable distance from reconciling those and, if the GOP can find a backbone to share before MLK Day, maybe they will use all the procedural tricks they can to slow it down further. I doubt it will matter in the end but if they can make this a bitter fight that lasts into the summer, many Americans will still remember that the Democrat party forced it on us in spite of the fact that over 60% of us don't want it and we can destroy their majority in November.
Well there was another almost terrorist attack on an airplane on Christmas Day (but don't worry, Islam isn't at war with Western Civilization or Christianity). How embarrassing must it be to be a failed suicide/homicide terrorist in the first place but to go down in history as the "Underpants Bomber"? It would be hilarious if it weren't deadly serious. The press won't mention it but this year has seen an increase in attempted and successful terrorist acts over the Bush years following 9/11 which means that Al Qaida and others see Obama as being militarily weak. Well, duh! Naturally the American government won't blame itself for the lapse in security but it WILL make new regulations to further inconvenience the millions of innocent Americans that fly every day rather than do something LOGICAL like profiling.
Knowing Hobama and crew this could be part of their plan to ultimately drive the average person from the skies making air travel the playground of the rich again. I don't think they care if all but one or two air carriers survive to ferry them between their various playgrounds and they have willing accomplices in the enivro-whacko crowd who will see the lower CO2 output from fewer planes as a good thing.
Speaking of CO2, remember that it has been 'de-listed' as a greenhouse gas. Four square feet of grass will exchange all the CO2 you or I exhale this year. The earth cleans out 50% of all CO2 produced in the world every year NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE PRODUCE (that means Earth's capacity to clean CO2 has not yet been reached). Do you know what the biggest greenhouse gas is? No, it isn't methane. It's water vapor. Anyone with any sense knows this. Here in Washington even a publicly educated teenager knows that 70 degrees F feels cooler in Spokane than Seattle because of Seattle's humidity. A visit to the US South East in July will also convince you of the power of water vapor.
Speaking of the rich, as I've always said, the dirty secret of graduated or 'progressive' taxation is that it penalizes people who are attempting to become rich, not people who are already rich. The Kennedy and Soros fortunes are secure even if the upper tax rate is raised to 100% because it won't affect money they already have but it would affect you or I if we were coming from middle class wages into the upper income brackets with high taxation. So, if we're going to go for that, I suggest that we attach a rider to make sure that these people are equally penalized by their confiscatory taxation. If they want to redistribute OUR wealth, let's make sure they have to redistribute THEIR wealth as well. Since we're in the Hobama age of favoritism, I'll only redistribute the wealth of people I don't like (I'll let them keep $250,000 each except for Soros who can't keep so much as a penny). So, for example, we'll take the Kennedy family's estimated $3 Billion (I'm going for the high mark just in case), George Soros' $13 Billion, Teresa Heinz-Kerry's $1 Billion and John's own $225 Million, Democrat Representative Jane Harman's $225 Million, Jay Rockefeller's $81 Million, Warren Buffet's $40 Billion, Michael Bloomberg's $17.5 Billion, and Algore's $300 Million. If my math is correct, that totals just a shade over $ 75 Billion. If we divide that among the 300 million LEGAL Americans, it works out to a whopping $250 per American! Of course we've destroyed the Heinz ketchup company and all of the people they employ are now out of work as are the people Warren Buffett employs and all the people at Bloomberg television (although Charlie Rose should spend the rest of his days as a janitor somewhere just for being so boring). Taking the fortunes of the others won't help us much but since politicians don't actually create wealth, who cares. As for Soros, he should be shot for treason anyway and his money isn't enough to rebuild the wealth that he robbed from the people of England and Eastern Europe or the American public but it would be some sweet justice if he and his family were on the side of a road begging for handouts from passing motorists.
Well, that's my last rant for this year - at least the last one I'm posting! Other than changing the digits on the calendar, I don't put much stock in the whole New Year celebration thing so I prefer to use it as a time for reflection rather than partying. 2009 was a pretty rotten year and we need to pray that 2010 is better. If nothing else we are living that old Chinese curse "May you live in interesting times". Even if 2010 turns out to be worse, it promises to be interesting. See you next week!
Well there was another almost terrorist attack on an airplane on Christmas Day (but don't worry, Islam isn't at war with Western Civilization or Christianity). How embarrassing must it be to be a failed suicide/homicide terrorist in the first place but to go down in history as the "Underpants Bomber"? It would be hilarious if it weren't deadly serious. The press won't mention it but this year has seen an increase in attempted and successful terrorist acts over the Bush years following 9/11 which means that Al Qaida and others see Obama as being militarily weak. Well, duh! Naturally the American government won't blame itself for the lapse in security but it WILL make new regulations to further inconvenience the millions of innocent Americans that fly every day rather than do something LOGICAL like profiling.
Knowing Hobama and crew this could be part of their plan to ultimately drive the average person from the skies making air travel the playground of the rich again. I don't think they care if all but one or two air carriers survive to ferry them between their various playgrounds and they have willing accomplices in the enivro-whacko crowd who will see the lower CO2 output from fewer planes as a good thing.
Speaking of CO2, remember that it has been 'de-listed' as a greenhouse gas. Four square feet of grass will exchange all the CO2 you or I exhale this year. The earth cleans out 50% of all CO2 produced in the world every year NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE PRODUCE (that means Earth's capacity to clean CO2 has not yet been reached). Do you know what the biggest greenhouse gas is? No, it isn't methane. It's water vapor. Anyone with any sense knows this. Here in Washington even a publicly educated teenager knows that 70 degrees F feels cooler in Spokane than Seattle because of Seattle's humidity. A visit to the US South East in July will also convince you of the power of water vapor.
Speaking of the rich, as I've always said, the dirty secret of graduated or 'progressive' taxation is that it penalizes people who are attempting to become rich, not people who are already rich. The Kennedy and Soros fortunes are secure even if the upper tax rate is raised to 100% because it won't affect money they already have but it would affect you or I if we were coming from middle class wages into the upper income brackets with high taxation. So, if we're going to go for that, I suggest that we attach a rider to make sure that these people are equally penalized by their confiscatory taxation. If they want to redistribute OUR wealth, let's make sure they have to redistribute THEIR wealth as well. Since we're in the Hobama age of favoritism, I'll only redistribute the wealth of people I don't like (I'll let them keep $250,000 each except for Soros who can't keep so much as a penny). So, for example, we'll take the Kennedy family's estimated $3 Billion (I'm going for the high mark just in case), George Soros' $13 Billion, Teresa Heinz-Kerry's $1 Billion and John's own $225 Million, Democrat Representative Jane Harman's $225 Million, Jay Rockefeller's $81 Million, Warren Buffet's $40 Billion, Michael Bloomberg's $17.5 Billion, and Algore's $300 Million. If my math is correct, that totals just a shade over $ 75 Billion. If we divide that among the 300 million LEGAL Americans, it works out to a whopping $250 per American! Of course we've destroyed the Heinz ketchup company and all of the people they employ are now out of work as are the people Warren Buffett employs and all the people at Bloomberg television (although Charlie Rose should spend the rest of his days as a janitor somewhere just for being so boring). Taking the fortunes of the others won't help us much but since politicians don't actually create wealth, who cares. As for Soros, he should be shot for treason anyway and his money isn't enough to rebuild the wealth that he robbed from the people of England and Eastern Europe or the American public but it would be some sweet justice if he and his family were on the side of a road begging for handouts from passing motorists.
Well, that's my last rant for this year - at least the last one I'm posting! Other than changing the digits on the calendar, I don't put much stock in the whole New Year celebration thing so I prefer to use it as a time for reflection rather than partying. 2009 was a pretty rotten year and we need to pray that 2010 is better. If nothing else we are living that old Chinese curse "May you live in interesting times". Even if 2010 turns out to be worse, it promises to be interesting. See you next week!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Quick Guide to Political Philosophy
Two political philosophers that impacted the creation of the United States, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, had very different views of government and I get the sense that their outlooks are competing against one another in the US again today as many of those who are supposed to be our servants now view themselves as our masters.
I'm hoping that most of you at least heard of these two men in your high school American Government class. Thomas Hobbes is probably best known to most of us for his statement that life in the state of nature is "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short". This is the basis for his political treatise Leviathan. Leviathan is properly named considering that the paperback version I have is as thick as an average Tom Clancy novel but the type is about half the size. Hobbes argues that any government is better than being in the state of nature. Civil society should be placed under a sovereign authority that severely curtails many of the natural rights of the individual and any abuses of the heavily centralized power must be tolerated by the populace as the price of a better life than that found in his state of nature. If however the central authority crosses an egregious line of abuse then they should expect a rebellion even though he is strongly against them.
On the opposite end of that spectrum is John Locke. Locke's Second Treatise of Government argues much the opposite of Hobbes and is mercifully as brief as Hobbes is wordy. His claim is that man has certain natural rights bestowed upon him by God that predate the existence of government. As such, when we enter into the social contract of civil government, we should only cede minimal rights to the central authority for the sake of creating a civil society. Most of you might know Locke as the 'life, liberty, and property' guy. Not only does government have no right to interfere in certain of our political liberties BUT it has as an express duty the job of protecting those rights from interference by others. When a government fails to protect our rights or begins to take them from the people then the social contract is broken and as sovereign individuals we have a right and duty to rebel against that authority.
As you may have guessed from previous posts, I am most definitely in the Lockean camp as were many of the Founding Fathers. With some modification his rights to life, liberty, and property are enshrined in the Declaration of Independence (the word property was replaced by pursuit of Happiness because Northern abolitionists balked at the implication of slaves in the word property). They are also embedded in the Bill of Rights with many of the rights specifically listed (free speech, press, religion, assembly, redress of grievances, arms, secure in your household) and those that are not listed covered in a catch all disclaimer in the Tenth Amendment (which bars the central government from interfering in rights not listed).
Unfortunately, too many people are not taught about our rights and into that vacuum which nature abhors step too many politicians and hucksters that see the world according to Hobbes. Our man-child president, the Kenyan bastard, is one of them. Of the one hundred Senators in Congress I would guess that about 75 of them lean toward the Hobbesian world view to some degree or another (thus making this not about party politics). I would venture to say that about 3/4 of the 435 Members of Congress are also in that camp. Some of them are there thinking that if they only had more power they could do great good but many of them - especially those who have spent more than a decade inside the Beltway - want power solely for the sake of that power. Then we are beset by a literal horde of unelected bureaucrats seething with the desire to get more control over other agencies, elected politicians, and average people like you and I. Add to that the other literal horde of those who will benefit from an expansive and corrupt government like Jeffrey Immelt CEO of GE (General Evil) which also means he is in charge of NBC (you may want to research the connection between NBC, Obama, and GE's 'smartgrid', and GE healthcare to see where that relationship is going to take us); George Soros, a crooked investor and speculator (convicted of insider trading in France) with deep pockets and a hand in the leftist Center for American Progress, ACORN, SEIU, and a host of other far left organizations; and so many other individuals/groups all vying for power over us.
I believe that we may quickly be approaching that dreadful and yet glorious day when it is necessary for us to revoke our consent to be governed by these people. All of my adult life - starting with the George Hebert Walker Bush administration - I have watched as sinister forces have been eroding our liberties. Some do it in the guise of helping the less fortunate through weakening our borders, protecting us from terrorists, 'giving' us health care, and bailing out failing businesses. Others do it through draconian bureaucracies like the IRS with its tangled web of regulations that no layman can understand or the EPA by declaring every species that sneezes as protected (or the subhuman wretches that forced wolf reintroduction in Idaho). We must not live in fear of that day or one another. That will be the one thing that stops a critical mass of us from standing up to be counted with the true Patriots. It is a daunting task but I know that I would rather die free and on my feet rather than live to an old age on my knees and die a slave to the people I've named above and their political descendants. As Patrick Henry said "If this be treason then let's make the most of it."
I'm hoping that most of you at least heard of these two men in your high school American Government class. Thomas Hobbes is probably best known to most of us for his statement that life in the state of nature is "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short". This is the basis for his political treatise Leviathan. Leviathan is properly named considering that the paperback version I have is as thick as an average Tom Clancy novel but the type is about half the size. Hobbes argues that any government is better than being in the state of nature. Civil society should be placed under a sovereign authority that severely curtails many of the natural rights of the individual and any abuses of the heavily centralized power must be tolerated by the populace as the price of a better life than that found in his state of nature. If however the central authority crosses an egregious line of abuse then they should expect a rebellion even though he is strongly against them.
On the opposite end of that spectrum is John Locke. Locke's Second Treatise of Government argues much the opposite of Hobbes and is mercifully as brief as Hobbes is wordy. His claim is that man has certain natural rights bestowed upon him by God that predate the existence of government. As such, when we enter into the social contract of civil government, we should only cede minimal rights to the central authority for the sake of creating a civil society. Most of you might know Locke as the 'life, liberty, and property' guy. Not only does government have no right to interfere in certain of our political liberties BUT it has as an express duty the job of protecting those rights from interference by others. When a government fails to protect our rights or begins to take them from the people then the social contract is broken and as sovereign individuals we have a right and duty to rebel against that authority.
As you may have guessed from previous posts, I am most definitely in the Lockean camp as were many of the Founding Fathers. With some modification his rights to life, liberty, and property are enshrined in the Declaration of Independence (the word property was replaced by pursuit of Happiness because Northern abolitionists balked at the implication of slaves in the word property). They are also embedded in the Bill of Rights with many of the rights specifically listed (free speech, press, religion, assembly, redress of grievances, arms, secure in your household) and those that are not listed covered in a catch all disclaimer in the Tenth Amendment (which bars the central government from interfering in rights not listed).
Unfortunately, too many people are not taught about our rights and into that vacuum which nature abhors step too many politicians and hucksters that see the world according to Hobbes. Our man-child president, the Kenyan bastard, is one of them. Of the one hundred Senators in Congress I would guess that about 75 of them lean toward the Hobbesian world view to some degree or another (thus making this not about party politics). I would venture to say that about 3/4 of the 435 Members of Congress are also in that camp. Some of them are there thinking that if they only had more power they could do great good but many of them - especially those who have spent more than a decade inside the Beltway - want power solely for the sake of that power. Then we are beset by a literal horde of unelected bureaucrats seething with the desire to get more control over other agencies, elected politicians, and average people like you and I. Add to that the other literal horde of those who will benefit from an expansive and corrupt government like Jeffrey Immelt CEO of GE (General Evil) which also means he is in charge of NBC (you may want to research the connection between NBC, Obama, and GE's 'smartgrid', and GE healthcare to see where that relationship is going to take us); George Soros, a crooked investor and speculator (convicted of insider trading in France) with deep pockets and a hand in the leftist Center for American Progress, ACORN, SEIU, and a host of other far left organizations; and so many other individuals/groups all vying for power over us.
I believe that we may quickly be approaching that dreadful and yet glorious day when it is necessary for us to revoke our consent to be governed by these people. All of my adult life - starting with the George Hebert Walker Bush administration - I have watched as sinister forces have been eroding our liberties. Some do it in the guise of helping the less fortunate through weakening our borders, protecting us from terrorists, 'giving' us health care, and bailing out failing businesses. Others do it through draconian bureaucracies like the IRS with its tangled web of regulations that no layman can understand or the EPA by declaring every species that sneezes as protected (or the subhuman wretches that forced wolf reintroduction in Idaho). We must not live in fear of that day or one another. That will be the one thing that stops a critical mass of us from standing up to be counted with the true Patriots. It is a daunting task but I know that I would rather die free and on my feet rather than live to an old age on my knees and die a slave to the people I've named above and their political descendants. As Patrick Henry said "If this be treason then let's make the most of it."
Thursday, December 3, 2009
More Rambling Thoughts
Afghanistan is a failed state. The Indians (that's natives of India not aboriginal North Americans) knew it. The Mongols and Chinese knew it. The Muslim Caliphs knew it. The British found out. The Soviets found out in brutal fashion. Even the Taliban knew it. For some reason we haven't learned it yet. I believe its because the people at the State Department assigned to Afghanistan are "experts" in Latin America or Africa but that's only my opinion.
You can control Afghanistan but not if you fight a "civilized", Western style war. We need to drop poison gas (we have plenty wasting away in depots in Umatilla, OR and Hawthorne, NV) in every cave from Kabul to Lahore (that's in Pakistan for the geographically ignorant) and count the bodies until we get Osama bin Laden and his cronies.
Speaking of failed states, we haven't learned much from the debacle in Somalia that was started by Bush 41 and shorted by another loser left-wing president. I guess on the plus side, Afghanistan is land locked so there won't be many pirates raiding shipping from there.
Continuing with the failed state theme, how about California, huh? Just like their peers in the Beltway, the CA general assembly passed a bill to spend umpteen billion dollars that they don't have. Not to worry though. I'm sure that the Fed's will bail them out. California is the world's 8th largest economy on its own. They seem to be banking on the hope that they will be "too big to fail" and hey, why not. With the precedent set by the bailouts of the banks and GM and Chrysler it looks like their hope will take our change and large bills as well.
Joe Morgan may be the worst sports broadcaster EVER. He is a horrible combination of grandpa Simpson and Narcissus. In other words, he tells disjointed rambling stories that are all about himself and how wonderful he is. Which makes him just like our president...
Those of you who know me know that I have no problem with women in positions of authority. Heck I have worked for women and I have a female doctor; so I'm obviously not threatened by it. That said, I swear that most of the women in Congress are some of the dumbest fishwives ever spawned. Nancy 'Bo-tox' Pelosi can't open her mouth without lowering the IQ of the room she's in. Sadly that's better than her ne'er-do-well witch apprentice Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (ah, the famous hyphenated last name...the flashing red light of b*tchiness) who can't string together a coherent thought to get it out. California gives us a who's who of moron women including Maxine Waters, Zoe Lofgren, Hilda Solis (who is now Labor Secretary), Jane Harman, and their two vomit inducing Senators: Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer (Democrats all). Here in Washington we suffer the Basset Hound of politics: Patty Murray and her apprentice witch Maria Cantwell (oh, the things I've done to that last name!). The Republicans aren't much better with Olympia Snowe and the ditsy Susan Collins. These hags and political whores don't do much credit to their part of the species.
Is that enough for today? I haven't been focused on politics this week. I'll try to alert you in advance next time.
One more thing since I'm listening to Christmas Carols on the radio. I really don't like Karen Carpenter. Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate her silky voice, but for crying out loud, her songs could go on the Soundtrack to Seasonal Affective Disorder. She sings waaaaaaaaaay too slow. William Shatner doesn't draw out a word like she can. Some people may like that but I like my music up tempo and BIG.
If you've heard Amy Grant's versions of Angels We Have Heard on High and Hark the Herald Angels Sing, or Michael Crawford singing O Holy Night, or Boney M singing Mary's Boy Child (all favorite carols), then you have an idea of how I like my music. I once told someone that I will not have considered myself to have fully lived until I have heard Ride of the Valkyries clearly from a mile away. If it can be sung it should be accompanied by music (that doesn't include rap which should be accompanied by the report of field artillery and followed by silence). If it can be accompanied by music it should be orchestrated. If you can orchestrate it and add a chorus then you can double the orchestra. Music should move you...literally. The sound waves should be felt in your body and physically move your cells.
You can control Afghanistan but not if you fight a "civilized", Western style war. We need to drop poison gas (we have plenty wasting away in depots in Umatilla, OR and Hawthorne, NV) in every cave from Kabul to Lahore (that's in Pakistan for the geographically ignorant) and count the bodies until we get Osama bin Laden and his cronies.
Speaking of failed states, we haven't learned much from the debacle in Somalia that was started by Bush 41 and shorted by another loser left-wing president. I guess on the plus side, Afghanistan is land locked so there won't be many pirates raiding shipping from there.
Continuing with the failed state theme, how about California, huh? Just like their peers in the Beltway, the CA general assembly passed a bill to spend umpteen billion dollars that they don't have. Not to worry though. I'm sure that the Fed's will bail them out. California is the world's 8th largest economy on its own. They seem to be banking on the hope that they will be "too big to fail" and hey, why not. With the precedent set by the bailouts of the banks and GM and Chrysler it looks like their hope will take our change and large bills as well.
Joe Morgan may be the worst sports broadcaster EVER. He is a horrible combination of grandpa Simpson and Narcissus. In other words, he tells disjointed rambling stories that are all about himself and how wonderful he is. Which makes him just like our president...
Those of you who know me know that I have no problem with women in positions of authority. Heck I have worked for women and I have a female doctor; so I'm obviously not threatened by it. That said, I swear that most of the women in Congress are some of the dumbest fishwives ever spawned. Nancy 'Bo-tox' Pelosi can't open her mouth without lowering the IQ of the room she's in. Sadly that's better than her ne'er-do-well witch apprentice Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (ah, the famous hyphenated last name...the flashing red light of b*tchiness) who can't string together a coherent thought to get it out. California gives us a who's who of moron women including Maxine Waters, Zoe Lofgren, Hilda Solis (who is now Labor Secretary), Jane Harman, and their two vomit inducing Senators: Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer (Democrats all). Here in Washington we suffer the Basset Hound of politics: Patty Murray and her apprentice witch Maria Cantwell (oh, the things I've done to that last name!). The Republicans aren't much better with Olympia Snowe and the ditsy Susan Collins. These hags and political whores don't do much credit to their part of the species.
Is that enough for today? I haven't been focused on politics this week. I'll try to alert you in advance next time.
One more thing since I'm listening to Christmas Carols on the radio. I really don't like Karen Carpenter. Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate her silky voice, but for crying out loud, her songs could go on the Soundtrack to Seasonal Affective Disorder. She sings waaaaaaaaaay too slow. William Shatner doesn't draw out a word like she can. Some people may like that but I like my music up tempo and BIG.
If you've heard Amy Grant's versions of Angels We Have Heard on High and Hark the Herald Angels Sing, or Michael Crawford singing O Holy Night, or Boney M singing Mary's Boy Child (all favorite carols), then you have an idea of how I like my music. I once told someone that I will not have considered myself to have fully lived until I have heard Ride of the Valkyries clearly from a mile away. If it can be sung it should be accompanied by music (that doesn't include rap which should be accompanied by the report of field artillery and followed by silence). If it can be accompanied by music it should be orchestrated. If you can orchestrate it and add a chorus then you can double the orchestra. Music should move you...literally. The sound waves should be felt in your body and physically move your cells.
Monday, November 23, 2009
On Sheik-y Ground
Politics hasn't been the center of the RC's attention for the last week which explains the distinct lack of postings. Besides its been a bit slow lately with regard to business inside the Beltway (which is usually a good thing for the American people). Granted the Senate is still haggling over just how much debt they will saddle our progeny with but that's about as interesting as watching Harry Reid speak...oh yeah, been there done that.
Another reason not to post is because I'm not sure I could control the foul language clogging up my head at the decision by the Obama Administration to try Khalid Sheik Muhammed and his cronies in a civilian court. Make no mistake even though Atty. General Holder is claiming that this was his decision alone, he could not have gotten the prisoners remanded to his custody without the cooperation of the Secretary of Defense and my guess is that Gates wouldn't do that unless the president ordered it. This is all a scam on the American people so that WHEN these trials blow up Holder will be the fall guy and Obummer can do the plausible deniability dance.
Of course they don't really care. This already has blown up since the five have already plead not guilty in order to turn the trial into a political statement. I expect that sometime next year, after this trial has distracted us from what the Kenyan Katastrophe is doing behind the scenes to stomp on the remains of the Republic, Holder will resign 'in disgrace' and end up in the far left Center for American Progress or some similar organization where he will continue to make bad policy for America. The terrorists and their allies in the Middle East will have gotten an open platform to bash American foreign policy and probably a hung jury. Then they will be returned to the custody of the Defense Department since the president has already announced that they won't be released even if they fail to be convicted. And we will be back where we started but our enemies will wrongly be shown that there is nothing just in our justice system.
Now if I remember my Geneva Convention correctly, spies and 'irregulars' (enemy combatants that do not wear a uniform that identifies them as a military member of a nation) can be detained indefinitely, interrogated (that includes enhanced), and summarily executed. This is precisely what should be done with KSM and the other four. A show trial will only serve our enemies both foreign and domestic which is a violation of the oath that Obastard took less than a year ago. But when you don't believe in the Constitution why defend it in the first place?
My friends, this IS and always has been a war on Islam. It should never have been described as anything else because Islam is at war with us. Islam has only two options: the Dar al Islam and the Dar al Harb. The Dar al Islam is all people or lands that have submitted to the will of Allah. The Dar al Harb (literally House of Death) is all people and lands that have not submitted to Allah. Those of us in the Dar al Harb have three options as far as the Koran is concerned: conversion, slavery, or death. Obastard and his cronies seem willing to take us into slavery (Dhimmi-tude) or conversion.
I would like the fourth option: resistance. In a sane world, KSM and the others would be marched out in front of a firing squad, have their mouths and noses stuffed with pork fat (pork is unclean to Muslims and those contaminated by it cannot enter 'Paradise'), and be executed. Of course in a sane world, we would have nuked Damascus, Mecca, Medina, Riyadh, Baghdad, and Tehran on 09/12/01. But that would have been too 'uncivilized'. We would have killed millions of 'innocents'. We would have saved thousands of American lives. We would have scared Islam back into the shadows for ten generations. We are at war; we have been since the 7th century AD. That we refuse to fight the war to win it means we have already lost.
Another reason not to post is because I'm not sure I could control the foul language clogging up my head at the decision by the Obama Administration to try Khalid Sheik Muhammed and his cronies in a civilian court. Make no mistake even though Atty. General Holder is claiming that this was his decision alone, he could not have gotten the prisoners remanded to his custody without the cooperation of the Secretary of Defense and my guess is that Gates wouldn't do that unless the president ordered it. This is all a scam on the American people so that WHEN these trials blow up Holder will be the fall guy and Obummer can do the plausible deniability dance.
Of course they don't really care. This already has blown up since the five have already plead not guilty in order to turn the trial into a political statement. I expect that sometime next year, after this trial has distracted us from what the Kenyan Katastrophe is doing behind the scenes to stomp on the remains of the Republic, Holder will resign 'in disgrace' and end up in the far left Center for American Progress or some similar organization where he will continue to make bad policy for America. The terrorists and their allies in the Middle East will have gotten an open platform to bash American foreign policy and probably a hung jury. Then they will be returned to the custody of the Defense Department since the president has already announced that they won't be released even if they fail to be convicted. And we will be back where we started but our enemies will wrongly be shown that there is nothing just in our justice system.
Now if I remember my Geneva Convention correctly, spies and 'irregulars' (enemy combatants that do not wear a uniform that identifies them as a military member of a nation) can be detained indefinitely, interrogated (that includes enhanced), and summarily executed. This is precisely what should be done with KSM and the other four. A show trial will only serve our enemies both foreign and domestic which is a violation of the oath that Obastard took less than a year ago. But when you don't believe in the Constitution why defend it in the first place?
My friends, this IS and always has been a war on Islam. It should never have been described as anything else because Islam is at war with us. Islam has only two options: the Dar al Islam and the Dar al Harb. The Dar al Islam is all people or lands that have submitted to the will of Allah. The Dar al Harb (literally House of Death) is all people and lands that have not submitted to Allah. Those of us in the Dar al Harb have three options as far as the Koran is concerned: conversion, slavery, or death. Obastard and his cronies seem willing to take us into slavery (Dhimmi-tude) or conversion.
I would like the fourth option: resistance. In a sane world, KSM and the others would be marched out in front of a firing squad, have their mouths and noses stuffed with pork fat (pork is unclean to Muslims and those contaminated by it cannot enter 'Paradise'), and be executed. Of course in a sane world, we would have nuked Damascus, Mecca, Medina, Riyadh, Baghdad, and Tehran on 09/12/01. But that would have been too 'uncivilized'. We would have killed millions of 'innocents'. We would have saved thousands of American lives. We would have scared Islam back into the shadows for ten generations. We are at war; we have been since the 7th century AD. That we refuse to fight the war to win it means we have already lost.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Jackboots Tromp...Are you listening?
The smiley faced jackboots are moving forward everywhere in the former land of the free and they are doing it just as comedian George Carlin said they would; with a smiley face. If you haven't read Jonah Goldberg's book Liberal Fascism, I HIGHLY recommend you run out to your nearest new book retailer and pick it up. It details many of the ways we are giving up our freedoms merely because of the promise of an easier way. If someone is telling you that something is "for your own good" or "for the children" there better be red flags and sirens going off in your head.
In Cleveland the fascists are out with green shirts and baseball caps. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that First Energy will be outfitting a small army of these people to deliver two 23 watt CFLs and some energy 'saving' propaganda to every customer. To cover the cost of this seeming act of generosity, First Energy will be adding about a $0.60 surtax (don't know what else you can call it) to every customer's bill until the customer pays $21.60 for the two light bulbs that cost about $5.00 in the store (let's ignore the fact that an incandescent light bulb can be bought for about twenty cents) PLUS the cost of the energy the customer would have used anyway! All of this is legal because the Ohio State Assembly passed a law requiring that First Energy cut emissions and switch over about a fifth of its energy production to alternative sources by 2025.
That goes in line with GE's (General Evil) attempt to implement the "Smart Grid" which will regulate the amount of electricity going into a person's house. Hmmm...nothing sinister about that. GE claims it can save energy by lowering the amount of electricity it allows into a house while you're at work. I can't imagine anyone...like out Kenyan dictator...abusing THAT system. Of course GE funnelled millions into the Obama campaign.
GE is also behind the death of the incandescent bulb. Surprise, surprise, they own the lion's share of the CFL market. Not only that, but they closed an incandescent bulb factory back east and moved the jobs to China where the Commies can put as much mercury in our CFLs as they want.
In California, a legislator is floating the idea of banning big screen televisions. What the...? I'd like to tell that person I'm floating the idea of banning oxygen exchange in their lungs.
Judge David Hamilton up for a lifetime Federal position ruled that the Indiana state Legislature could not invoke the name of Jesus Christ at the opening prayer but could invoke the name of Allah. I believe we should issue a Christian Fatwa against this moron.
If Health Care passes SEIU stands to become the single most powerful union in the nation. Not only that but there is language in the House bill that would allow lawyers to sue for pain and suffering in cases where an insurance agency dropped a client (which they cannot do now). Of course government health care cannot be sued. This will be a multi-billion dollar boon to lawyers in the short term but once the government runs all health care do you think they'll allow anyone to sue them for anything?
Santa Claus is under fire again this holiday season even though he has been turned into a completely secular figure at this point. Unless you use the almost unheard term St. Nick or even know who St. Nicklaus was, you'd never associate him with Santa Claus (which is a corruption of Saint Nicklaus). Unless you pay attention to Here Comes Santa Claus (best sung by Gene Autry and Elvis) in which Santa Claus is identified as an agent of God (...Santa knows we're all God's children...) you would never think about it.
The jackboots keep us from calling the Fort Hood killer what he really is: A TERRORIST!!! Not every Muslim may be a terrorist but virtually every modern terrorist is a Muslim in spite of what the media tells us. Of course if one deranged Christian kills an abortion doctor or if clinically sane Christians peacefully picket a Planned Parenthood clinic (which is illegal thanks to a blatant misuse of RICO laws), he is instantly branded as a terrorist but thanks to PC you can ram two planes into skyscrapers or shout "Allahihu Akbar" before killing 13 people and the media will not call you a terrorist.
There are countless examples and they are coming at us so fast that one person can't keep up with all of it. Barry Goldwater said the the price of freedom is eternal vigilance but even that may not be enough anymore because we can't watch every angle every moment of the day and that is how the enemies of freedom are attacking us. Its time to stop taking it. When someone gets in your face and threatens to take your freedoms stand up and shout them down. If they push you push them back. A war against individual freedom is coming and if we aren't willing to fight back then we will live out Natalie Portman's words from Revenge of the Sith "so this is how liberty ends; amid cheers". Granted that was the best line from all three of those movies, it was also the most potentially prophetic.
In Cleveland the fascists are out with green shirts and baseball caps. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that First Energy will be outfitting a small army of these people to deliver two 23 watt CFLs and some energy 'saving' propaganda to every customer. To cover the cost of this seeming act of generosity, First Energy will be adding about a $0.60 surtax (don't know what else you can call it) to every customer's bill until the customer pays $21.60 for the two light bulbs that cost about $5.00 in the store (let's ignore the fact that an incandescent light bulb can be bought for about twenty cents) PLUS the cost of the energy the customer would have used anyway! All of this is legal because the Ohio State Assembly passed a law requiring that First Energy cut emissions and switch over about a fifth of its energy production to alternative sources by 2025.
That goes in line with GE's (General Evil) attempt to implement the "Smart Grid" which will regulate the amount of electricity going into a person's house. Hmmm...nothing sinister about that. GE claims it can save energy by lowering the amount of electricity it allows into a house while you're at work. I can't imagine anyone...like out Kenyan dictator...abusing THAT system. Of course GE funnelled millions into the Obama campaign.
GE is also behind the death of the incandescent bulb. Surprise, surprise, they own the lion's share of the CFL market. Not only that, but they closed an incandescent bulb factory back east and moved the jobs to China where the Commies can put as much mercury in our CFLs as they want.
In California, a legislator is floating the idea of banning big screen televisions. What the...? I'd like to tell that person I'm floating the idea of banning oxygen exchange in their lungs.
Judge David Hamilton up for a lifetime Federal position ruled that the Indiana state Legislature could not invoke the name of Jesus Christ at the opening prayer but could invoke the name of Allah. I believe we should issue a Christian Fatwa against this moron.
If Health Care passes SEIU stands to become the single most powerful union in the nation. Not only that but there is language in the House bill that would allow lawyers to sue for pain and suffering in cases where an insurance agency dropped a client (which they cannot do now). Of course government health care cannot be sued. This will be a multi-billion dollar boon to lawyers in the short term but once the government runs all health care do you think they'll allow anyone to sue them for anything?
Santa Claus is under fire again this holiday season even though he has been turned into a completely secular figure at this point. Unless you use the almost unheard term St. Nick or even know who St. Nicklaus was, you'd never associate him with Santa Claus (which is a corruption of Saint Nicklaus). Unless you pay attention to Here Comes Santa Claus (best sung by Gene Autry and Elvis) in which Santa Claus is identified as an agent of God (...Santa knows we're all God's children...) you would never think about it.
The jackboots keep us from calling the Fort Hood killer what he really is: A TERRORIST!!! Not every Muslim may be a terrorist but virtually every modern terrorist is a Muslim in spite of what the media tells us. Of course if one deranged Christian kills an abortion doctor or if clinically sane Christians peacefully picket a Planned Parenthood clinic (which is illegal thanks to a blatant misuse of RICO laws), he is instantly branded as a terrorist but thanks to PC you can ram two planes into skyscrapers or shout "Allahihu Akbar" before killing 13 people and the media will not call you a terrorist.
There are countless examples and they are coming at us so fast that one person can't keep up with all of it. Barry Goldwater said the the price of freedom is eternal vigilance but even that may not be enough anymore because we can't watch every angle every moment of the day and that is how the enemies of freedom are attacking us. Its time to stop taking it. When someone gets in your face and threatens to take your freedoms stand up and shout them down. If they push you push them back. A war against individual freedom is coming and if we aren't willing to fight back then we will live out Natalie Portman's words from Revenge of the Sith "so this is how liberty ends; amid cheers". Granted that was the best line from all three of those movies, it was also the most potentially prophetic.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Random Entertainment Grumbles
So Mrs. Crusader informed me that the director of 2012 cut a scene from his disaster movie 2012 which showed Mecca being destroyed lest he get a fatwa issued against him. So much for free speech. Of course he can still show the statue of Christ above Rio toppling over and the dome of the Vatican collapsing on top of people. That must mean that Christians are much more reasonable than Muslims or we know that holiness does not reside in a place or object but solely with God. I don't foresee the Pope being offended by it. Hmm...world ending disaster movie showing famous places being destroyed; obviously an attack on the Catholic Church!
Speaking of the Catholic Church, have you ever noticed that in movies you only really see Catholics represented? Granted they are generally easy to spot with their collars, their robes, and funny hat collection whereas a Protestant preacher could easily be the guy standing next to you wearing jeans and a leather jacket. Horror movies are always a kick for me because the priest is inevitably faithless or 'wrestling' with his faith to a point that he can't ward off the incoming demon with all his fancy rituals and liturgical chant. Oh how I long to direct the movie where a devoted Protestant minister comes waltzing in, looks at the hapless priest with a roll of the eyes, studies the victim, says "In the name of Jesus Christ you are commanded to leave this body", and poof evil demon leaves without time to give a forwarding address. It would probably be pretty anti-climactic since that would cover ten minutes of movie time and they'd have 80 more to fill without the scary demon around...
I haven't watched the new V series but hear that it is a thinly disguised criticism of the Obama administration which is interesting coming from the All Barrack Channel and so soon. I mean it took well over a year for any seriously overt anti-Bush rhetoric to show up in our 'entertainment' (other than the whole hanging chad thing). I'm pretty sure you won't see that over on the National Barrack Channel. Though outside of Heroes or if you watch the 15 incarnations of Law and Order, I'm not sure anyone sees much of anything on NBC. You know your network is failing when you move your "Tonight Show" style show to Prime Time and your comedy shows are up against Bones and Fringe over on Fox.
Thank Heaven for the Saturday Sci-Fi (sorry that is Sy-Fy now) movies. These B movies with hackneyed plots and writing that looks like it came off the PC's of government run high school creative writing class are about the most entertaining thing on television anymore. Sometimes you get a fairly decent one but most of the time you'll choke on your popcorn as you laugh at the plot holes or make MST3K (Mystery Science Theater 3000 - google it if you don't get the reference) like quips over the dialogue or situation on screen. This weekend's offering, Ice Twister, should be another glorious entry in the endless procession of films that make you wonder why you're wasting your life in front of the television!
I could go on about things that annoy me like how Bones is accommodating to Muslim characters and portrays Christians in a bad light or the propaganda that gets inserted into my entertainment on a regular basis but this is Friday and those are another blog. Enjoy your weekend.
Speaking of the Catholic Church, have you ever noticed that in movies you only really see Catholics represented? Granted they are generally easy to spot with their collars, their robes, and funny hat collection whereas a Protestant preacher could easily be the guy standing next to you wearing jeans and a leather jacket. Horror movies are always a kick for me because the priest is inevitably faithless or 'wrestling' with his faith to a point that he can't ward off the incoming demon with all his fancy rituals and liturgical chant. Oh how I long to direct the movie where a devoted Protestant minister comes waltzing in, looks at the hapless priest with a roll of the eyes, studies the victim, says "In the name of Jesus Christ you are commanded to leave this body", and poof evil demon leaves without time to give a forwarding address. It would probably be pretty anti-climactic since that would cover ten minutes of movie time and they'd have 80 more to fill without the scary demon around...
I haven't watched the new V series but hear that it is a thinly disguised criticism of the Obama administration which is interesting coming from the All Barrack Channel and so soon. I mean it took well over a year for any seriously overt anti-Bush rhetoric to show up in our 'entertainment' (other than the whole hanging chad thing). I'm pretty sure you won't see that over on the National Barrack Channel. Though outside of Heroes or if you watch the 15 incarnations of Law and Order, I'm not sure anyone sees much of anything on NBC. You know your network is failing when you move your "Tonight Show" style show to Prime Time and your comedy shows are up against Bones and Fringe over on Fox.
Thank Heaven for the Saturday Sci-Fi (sorry that is Sy-Fy now) movies. These B movies with hackneyed plots and writing that looks like it came off the PC's of government run high school creative writing class are about the most entertaining thing on television anymore. Sometimes you get a fairly decent one but most of the time you'll choke on your popcorn as you laugh at the plot holes or make MST3K (Mystery Science Theater 3000 - google it if you don't get the reference) like quips over the dialogue or situation on screen. This weekend's offering, Ice Twister, should be another glorious entry in the endless procession of films that make you wonder why you're wasting your life in front of the television!
I could go on about things that annoy me like how Bones is accommodating to Muslim characters and portrays Christians in a bad light or the propaganda that gets inserted into my entertainment on a regular basis but this is Friday and those are another blog. Enjoy your weekend.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Remembering the Berlin Wall
Well surprise, surprise! The Anointed One, Barrack Hussein Obama (mmm...mmm...mmm), is sitting out the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. I'm guessing that he couldn't figure out a way to make it about him so why bother going. The other likely reason is that since he doesn't believe in individual freedom why would he celebrate the greatest single event that symbolizes freeing individuals?
In 1985, I had the great good fortune to visit Berlin - East and West. At that time no one, especially a dozen teenagers from small town Idaho, could imagine that the Berlin Wall would be rubble a mere four years later. We could hardly even imagine the powerful statement President Reagan would make two years later demanding that Mr. Gorbachev tear down the wall. The wall looked permanent and immovable just like the Soviet Bloc. Towers shielded by reflective glass looked grimly down on gray concrete wall topped by miles of barbed wire. As if emphasizing the differences between East and West, the buildings of West Berlin looked bright and cheerful while those on the East side of the wall looked like they were built in gray scale. In East Berlin, all colors seemed muted and when visiting the other side, it was as if some unseen creature was sucking the joy from your soul.
Crossing into East Germany and East Berlin was a daunting prospect. Our bus was boarded by soldiers in dingy olive uniforms armed with sub-machineguns at the checkpoint. They checked our passports closely, counted us several times, and checked to make sure we weren't carrying contraband print material (especially bibles) into East Berlin. On the way out, we were counted several times again to make sure we weren't smuggling anyone out.
A small group of us accompanied by chaperons crossed at Checkpoint Charlie to catch dinner and the State run opera company on the East side. Again, there were queues and a maze of narrow halls lined by unnamed and uncounted East German soldiers; all on guard against the 'evils' of western freedom. Then we emerged behind the Iron Curtain, potential prisoners of the state just like the millions of East Germans that the wall was built to contain; blissfully unaware of the Stazi (East German KGB) officer likely trailing us. (And this isn't idle, anti-Communist paranoia; the officer was equally likely there to ensure our safety as to spy on us. After all, the last thing the East German government needed was an international incident involving American teens.)
Then there was the wall itself. On the East side, it was bordered by a no-man's land of bare ground dotted with land mines and a second wall. The wall cut through Berlin with the same disdain of human desire and hatred of freedom as the system that created it. Once busy streets now dead-ended at the wall. Subways were cut off by the wall. German friends and families were cut off by the wall. The western side became a graffiti covered running commentary of Germany's Cold War with itself. In an age before the blog, all manner of people 'blogged' on the wall. Missives against communism and capitalism dotted the wall. Here and there one could find lamentations for those trapped behind the wall, exhortations for unity, disarmament, and peace. Then there were countless names with and without dates.
Berlin and Germany left an indelible impression in my mind; one that has and continues to inform my political opinions. The close experience with the naked totalitarianism of the Soviet system is partially responsible for my conversion from an ordinary center-rightist to a Crusader.
Mine was the last generation of the Cold War. Many of those born a mere five years after me were barely aware of the rest of the world when the Berlin wall fell. If there is a down side to the end of Soviet/Warsaw Pact totalitarianism, it is that the Millenials and beyond will not be able to see firsthand evidence of the evils of Communism. The soft socialism of Europe and the velvet-gloved Communism that Red China projects to the world look far less insidious than they really are. These things make us susceptible to the idea of government as a benefactor. We begin to fall for the idea that we have rights to health care, housing, food, water, cable television, and a whole list of the things most of us know we have to work for. As we begin to embrace soft socialism we will indenture ourselves to the government. We will accept George Carlin's 'happy face fascism' because security is easier than freedom. And one day, we will have given away enough freedoms that government can take off the velvet glove to reveal the iron fist. If that day comes, this time there will be no wall; no bastion of individual freedom left to fight against it. What Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mao and like minded individuals failed to do by force, we will do to ourselves through soft words and good intentions.
In 1985, I had the great good fortune to visit Berlin - East and West. At that time no one, especially a dozen teenagers from small town Idaho, could imagine that the Berlin Wall would be rubble a mere four years later. We could hardly even imagine the powerful statement President Reagan would make two years later demanding that Mr. Gorbachev tear down the wall. The wall looked permanent and immovable just like the Soviet Bloc. Towers shielded by reflective glass looked grimly down on gray concrete wall topped by miles of barbed wire. As if emphasizing the differences between East and West, the buildings of West Berlin looked bright and cheerful while those on the East side of the wall looked like they were built in gray scale. In East Berlin, all colors seemed muted and when visiting the other side, it was as if some unseen creature was sucking the joy from your soul.
Crossing into East Germany and East Berlin was a daunting prospect. Our bus was boarded by soldiers in dingy olive uniforms armed with sub-machineguns at the checkpoint. They checked our passports closely, counted us several times, and checked to make sure we weren't carrying contraband print material (especially bibles) into East Berlin. On the way out, we were counted several times again to make sure we weren't smuggling anyone out.
A small group of us accompanied by chaperons crossed at Checkpoint Charlie to catch dinner and the State run opera company on the East side. Again, there were queues and a maze of narrow halls lined by unnamed and uncounted East German soldiers; all on guard against the 'evils' of western freedom. Then we emerged behind the Iron Curtain, potential prisoners of the state just like the millions of East Germans that the wall was built to contain; blissfully unaware of the Stazi (East German KGB) officer likely trailing us. (And this isn't idle, anti-Communist paranoia; the officer was equally likely there to ensure our safety as to spy on us. After all, the last thing the East German government needed was an international incident involving American teens.)
Then there was the wall itself. On the East side, it was bordered by a no-man's land of bare ground dotted with land mines and a second wall. The wall cut through Berlin with the same disdain of human desire and hatred of freedom as the system that created it. Once busy streets now dead-ended at the wall. Subways were cut off by the wall. German friends and families were cut off by the wall. The western side became a graffiti covered running commentary of Germany's Cold War with itself. In an age before the blog, all manner of people 'blogged' on the wall. Missives against communism and capitalism dotted the wall. Here and there one could find lamentations for those trapped behind the wall, exhortations for unity, disarmament, and peace. Then there were countless names with and without dates.
Berlin and Germany left an indelible impression in my mind; one that has and continues to inform my political opinions. The close experience with the naked totalitarianism of the Soviet system is partially responsible for my conversion from an ordinary center-rightist to a Crusader.
Mine was the last generation of the Cold War. Many of those born a mere five years after me were barely aware of the rest of the world when the Berlin wall fell. If there is a down side to the end of Soviet/Warsaw Pact totalitarianism, it is that the Millenials and beyond will not be able to see firsthand evidence of the evils of Communism. The soft socialism of Europe and the velvet-gloved Communism that Red China projects to the world look far less insidious than they really are. These things make us susceptible to the idea of government as a benefactor. We begin to fall for the idea that we have rights to health care, housing, food, water, cable television, and a whole list of the things most of us know we have to work for. As we begin to embrace soft socialism we will indenture ourselves to the government. We will accept George Carlin's 'happy face fascism' because security is easier than freedom. And one day, we will have given away enough freedoms that government can take off the velvet glove to reveal the iron fist. If that day comes, this time there will be no wall; no bastion of individual freedom left to fight against it. What Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mao and like minded individuals failed to do by force, we will do to ourselves through soft words and good intentions.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Election Results
Interesting election results. The Democrats must be stunned by the scope of their loss in yesterday's elections. In Virginia, Republicans won the Governor, Lt. Governor, and Attorney General; only the second time in history that all three offices were swept by one party. Only a year ago the left was chirping that they turned Virginia from red to solid blue (while in the same breath they attempted to claim that Obama made us no longer a red or blue nation). Now I know that on Monday I spanked the GOP for moving left of center and I'm still of that opinion but the candidates in Virginia ran on conservative platforms - also a smack in the chops to the Country Club elitist Republicans running the party.
In New Jersey, one of the bluest of the blue states, a modestly Conservative Chris Christie beat Jon Corzine, a self made Goldman Sachs multi-millionaire (remember Goldman Sachs is in thick with the government). Granted Corzine was up to his oversized nostrils in the political corruption Jersey is famous for but that isn't why he lost. He was slightly ahead of Christie until Obama made it his goal to 'save' Corzine. At that point polls fell into a statistical dead heat demonstrating that Jersey was as much a rejection of Obama as it was Corzine.
New York 23 has to be giving both the Democrats and Republican leadership fits. A boring, uninspiring, candidate running as a Conservative came from statistical oblivion within one month to force the hand-picked, liberal Republican candidate out of the campaign and come within a hair's breadth of beating a moderate Democrat. In fact, the Republican candidate has been shown to be more LIBERAL than the Democrat candidate! Though the Democrat won with a plurality 49% it has to be a hollow victory. I think this contest will spur other conservatives to third party campaigns in 2010 especially if the party pushes liberal or moderate Republicans in those districts.
Now to Washington politics.
I-1033 went down 55%-45% but I think that was as much on the unpopularity of its backer Tim Eyman. He has been demonized throughout the state after successfully separating Olympia from your money by getting through a flat fee on license tabs rather than us paying a 2% tax based on the value of the vehicle. Of course the state completely ignored that it received increased revenue from new car sales taxes.
Referendum 71, to expand domestic partnerships looks like a very narrow pass 51%-49%. I wrestled with this a lot. As a Christian, I am opposed to the idea of gay 'marriage' but I also realize that the US is not a theocracy. Unlike certain dogmas, I also don't subscribe to the theory that we have to make the world better in order to please God and make it so Jesus comes back. If Revelation is right, the world is going to suck worse than now when Jesus comes back. The libertarian in me also doesn't really care if Adam and Steve want to visit each other in the hospital. Frankly, I think every person should be able to draw up a list of people that can visit them in the hospital no matter the relation. If I want Natalie Portman on the list, no one should be able to stop that even if Natalie Portman is about as likely to rush to my bedside as Al Gore is to put down a doughnut. I think many people cautiously voted for this but are wary of any group attempting to take the further step of legalizing gay 'marriage'. Of course with all the rain sotted leftist morons in Seattle, I could be wrong...
And fortunately the City of Spokane overwhelmingly rejected what can only be described as a Socialist Utopian (which for real people means Distopian) change the sheets kind of dream in Proposition 4, 75%-25%! Prop 4 is the kind of idiocy that can only come from the likes of SEIU, ACORN, the Mafia run Unions, and the rest of the spectrum of drug addled, STD riddled (all that 'free' love), Wiccan, Vegan, Rainbow flag, Free Tibet bumper sticker on your Subaru Outback or Forrester crowd of Marxists that unrightfully steal oxygen from the rest of us. Don't rest on your laurels though. Envision Spokane will likely be back with more lunacy next year (they have a website so you can see just how out of touch with real people they are) so stay vigilant!
Stay vigilant. Pray for the people of Iran who are valiantly opposing 'President' Ahmedinijad (who cares how you spell it!). Sic Semper Tyrannus!
In New Jersey, one of the bluest of the blue states, a modestly Conservative Chris Christie beat Jon Corzine, a self made Goldman Sachs multi-millionaire (remember Goldman Sachs is in thick with the government). Granted Corzine was up to his oversized nostrils in the political corruption Jersey is famous for but that isn't why he lost. He was slightly ahead of Christie until Obama made it his goal to 'save' Corzine. At that point polls fell into a statistical dead heat demonstrating that Jersey was as much a rejection of Obama as it was Corzine.
New York 23 has to be giving both the Democrats and Republican leadership fits. A boring, uninspiring, candidate running as a Conservative came from statistical oblivion within one month to force the hand-picked, liberal Republican candidate out of the campaign and come within a hair's breadth of beating a moderate Democrat. In fact, the Republican candidate has been shown to be more LIBERAL than the Democrat candidate! Though the Democrat won with a plurality 49% it has to be a hollow victory. I think this contest will spur other conservatives to third party campaigns in 2010 especially if the party pushes liberal or moderate Republicans in those districts.
Now to Washington politics.
I-1033 went down 55%-45% but I think that was as much on the unpopularity of its backer Tim Eyman. He has been demonized throughout the state after successfully separating Olympia from your money by getting through a flat fee on license tabs rather than us paying a 2% tax based on the value of the vehicle. Of course the state completely ignored that it received increased revenue from new car sales taxes.
Referendum 71, to expand domestic partnerships looks like a very narrow pass 51%-49%. I wrestled with this a lot. As a Christian, I am opposed to the idea of gay 'marriage' but I also realize that the US is not a theocracy. Unlike certain dogmas, I also don't subscribe to the theory that we have to make the world better in order to please God and make it so Jesus comes back. If Revelation is right, the world is going to suck worse than now when Jesus comes back. The libertarian in me also doesn't really care if Adam and Steve want to visit each other in the hospital. Frankly, I think every person should be able to draw up a list of people that can visit them in the hospital no matter the relation. If I want Natalie Portman on the list, no one should be able to stop that even if Natalie Portman is about as likely to rush to my bedside as Al Gore is to put down a doughnut. I think many people cautiously voted for this but are wary of any group attempting to take the further step of legalizing gay 'marriage'. Of course with all the rain sotted leftist morons in Seattle, I could be wrong...
And fortunately the City of Spokane overwhelmingly rejected what can only be described as a Socialist Utopian (which for real people means Distopian) change the sheets kind of dream in Proposition 4, 75%-25%! Prop 4 is the kind of idiocy that can only come from the likes of SEIU, ACORN, the Mafia run Unions, and the rest of the spectrum of drug addled, STD riddled (all that 'free' love), Wiccan, Vegan, Rainbow flag, Free Tibet bumper sticker on your Subaru Outback or Forrester crowd of Marxists that unrightfully steal oxygen from the rest of us. Don't rest on your laurels though. Envision Spokane will likely be back with more lunacy next year (they have a website so you can see just how out of touch with real people they are) so stay vigilant!
Stay vigilant. Pray for the people of Iran who are valiantly opposing 'President' Ahmedinijad (who cares how you spell it!). Sic Semper Tyrannus!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Goodbye GOP
I hate to orient this blog on the daily news but news comes and goes so fast these days that its hard to ignore something until I want to discuss it. Tomorrow's elections fall into that category.
In the 23rd District of New York, the RINO (Republican in Name Only) candidate suspended her campaign on the heels of a strong challenge from a Conservative candidate who might actually beat the Democrat (in a show of RINO true colors, she endorsed the Democrat). Conservative independents are making strong showings in several races. While this might have some short term bad consequences, it lays the groundwork for a longer term chance to fundamentally change American politics as much as the Republican party did when it split from the Whigs.
In the 1850s the Abolitionists in the Whig party grew disgruntled with their party leadership which had gone wishy-washy and refused to address issues related to abolishing slavery and split off to create the modern Republican party. Like modern RINOs, the Whigs could hardly be distinguished from rank and file Democrats of the day.
Like many former GOPers, I have felt further and further alienated from the party since the moderates used Newt Gingrich's foibles to wrangle control of the party from conservatives. These same moderates wrecked the 1994 Revolution and by 2006 lost control of the House and the Senate. These same self-serving, East Coast, celebrity loving, elitist, Democrat wannabes then opted for the 'media darling' candidate, John McCain in the 2008 election virtually assuring that the Democrat candidate would get elected. In fact McCain's campaign was SO bad that had he picked an equally squishy moderate for VP rather than the unjustly maligned Sarah Palin, it is entirely likely that he would have lost the election by percentages somewhere in the teens rather than 8%. Of course the Party hacks completely missed or cognitively dissociated the lesson from 2008 and continue to pursue a platform of 'me too' globalist-statism while poll numbers continue to show conservatives abandoning the party en masse.
Tomorrow's elections may split the votes between Republicans and Conservative Independents. While the media prognosticators might be rejoicing over this since they are leftists anyway, they are also exhibiting signs of fear. In 1992, Republicans dissatisfied with George Bush 41 sought refuge in Ross Perot and other Independents allowing Bill Clinton to win a plurality vote. In 1996 Conservatives forced the moderate Bob Dole to pick the conservative Jack Kemp as VP in order to keep us from rebellion. In 2000 Conservatives threatened to bolt the party forcing George Bush 43 to run as a Reaganite even though he was probably closer to Lyndon Johnson politically. In 2004 Bush 43 swerved right again to keep another grassroots rebellion at bay. I have already spotlighted the disastrous 2008 election. The last thing the media wants is a unified conservative front with a strong, well articulated agenda that energizes Americans to demand that the government return us to the Original Intent of the Constitution. They shudder in fear that we will stand once again to stop the 'New World Order' they want so desperately.
Well now its 2009 and thanks to the Tea Party movement, continuing GOP marginalization of conservatives, and the actual threat of America goose-stepping down the Fascist abyss, it looks like my fellow conservatives have had enough. Even if we split the vote and let a few more Democrats in this year, the GOP has been put on notice. We have demanded spending cuts for years but the GOP and Democrats have brought us and our children a $12 TRILLION debt (and growing!). Together they have both eroded American rights and sovereignty. Together they have caressed, kissed, slapped, kicked, cajoled, browbeat, and dragged us toward globalist-Marxist-uberStatism. The GOP has one year in which to move back to a center-right party and join conservatives in preserving America or we will leave them just as our political ancestors left the Whig party. This could well be another American revolution IF we stand up as one and remember that what unites us is stronger than what divides us. In another decade, if they are not careful, the GOP might find itself sitting on a museum shelf next to the Whigs wondering how it withered and died so quickly.
When talking about the GOP, I like to paraphrase my political mentor and favorite president: Ronald Reagan. I didn't leave the Republican party; they left me.
So Goodbye GOP. Write me if you ever get your head straight.
In the 23rd District of New York, the RINO (Republican in Name Only) candidate suspended her campaign on the heels of a strong challenge from a Conservative candidate who might actually beat the Democrat (in a show of RINO true colors, she endorsed the Democrat). Conservative independents are making strong showings in several races. While this might have some short term bad consequences, it lays the groundwork for a longer term chance to fundamentally change American politics as much as the Republican party did when it split from the Whigs.
In the 1850s the Abolitionists in the Whig party grew disgruntled with their party leadership which had gone wishy-washy and refused to address issues related to abolishing slavery and split off to create the modern Republican party. Like modern RINOs, the Whigs could hardly be distinguished from rank and file Democrats of the day.
Like many former GOPers, I have felt further and further alienated from the party since the moderates used Newt Gingrich's foibles to wrangle control of the party from conservatives. These same moderates wrecked the 1994 Revolution and by 2006 lost control of the House and the Senate. These same self-serving, East Coast, celebrity loving, elitist, Democrat wannabes then opted for the 'media darling' candidate, John McCain in the 2008 election virtually assuring that the Democrat candidate would get elected. In fact McCain's campaign was SO bad that had he picked an equally squishy moderate for VP rather than the unjustly maligned Sarah Palin, it is entirely likely that he would have lost the election by percentages somewhere in the teens rather than 8%. Of course the Party hacks completely missed or cognitively dissociated the lesson from 2008 and continue to pursue a platform of 'me too' globalist-statism while poll numbers continue to show conservatives abandoning the party en masse.
Tomorrow's elections may split the votes between Republicans and Conservative Independents. While the media prognosticators might be rejoicing over this since they are leftists anyway, they are also exhibiting signs of fear. In 1992, Republicans dissatisfied with George Bush 41 sought refuge in Ross Perot and other Independents allowing Bill Clinton to win a plurality vote. In 1996 Conservatives forced the moderate Bob Dole to pick the conservative Jack Kemp as VP in order to keep us from rebellion. In 2000 Conservatives threatened to bolt the party forcing George Bush 43 to run as a Reaganite even though he was probably closer to Lyndon Johnson politically. In 2004 Bush 43 swerved right again to keep another grassroots rebellion at bay. I have already spotlighted the disastrous 2008 election. The last thing the media wants is a unified conservative front with a strong, well articulated agenda that energizes Americans to demand that the government return us to the Original Intent of the Constitution. They shudder in fear that we will stand once again to stop the 'New World Order' they want so desperately.
Well now its 2009 and thanks to the Tea Party movement, continuing GOP marginalization of conservatives, and the actual threat of America goose-stepping down the Fascist abyss, it looks like my fellow conservatives have had enough. Even if we split the vote and let a few more Democrats in this year, the GOP has been put on notice. We have demanded spending cuts for years but the GOP and Democrats have brought us and our children a $12 TRILLION debt (and growing!). Together they have both eroded American rights and sovereignty. Together they have caressed, kissed, slapped, kicked, cajoled, browbeat, and dragged us toward globalist-Marxist-uberStatism. The GOP has one year in which to move back to a center-right party and join conservatives in preserving America or we will leave them just as our political ancestors left the Whig party. This could well be another American revolution IF we stand up as one and remember that what unites us is stronger than what divides us. In another decade, if they are not careful, the GOP might find itself sitting on a museum shelf next to the Whigs wondering how it withered and died so quickly.
When talking about the GOP, I like to paraphrase my political mentor and favorite president: Ronald Reagan. I didn't leave the Republican party; they left me.
So Goodbye GOP. Write me if you ever get your head straight.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Silencing the Lambs
Well my blood pressure shot up about 50 points this morning when I heard on the radio that some complete moron in Western Michigan was filing suit to stop the annual placement of the Nativity Scene on public property to commemorate Christmas. He gave the standard stupidity line that it was an infringement of his First Amendment Rights. Ho boy...
Let us review the text of the First Amendment.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Now in this case, the pea-brain du jour is arguing that the placement of the Nativity on public property is a violation of the 'establishment of religion' clause. However this clod, like so many of his anti-religious brethren fail to understand or don't care about the actual text of the First Amendment. "Congress shall make no law..." Did Congress make a law ordering the city to place a nativity on public property? Nope. And if they did, I would be standing next to zippy the slob filing suit.
Other simpletons that file suit like to speak about the 'wall of separation' which is not in the Constitution and was twisted by judicial activists and atheists to force simple acknowledgement of religious convictions out of the public sphere as if acknowledging what 90% of the American people believe was tantamount to establishing an official religion. They misinterpret or actively twist the words of President Thomas Jefferson. Ironically, the 'wall of separation' appears in a letter to a breakaway religious group the Danbury Baptists in Connecticut. The Danbury Baptists were concerned that the state of Connecticut was going to interfere in their worship practices. Jefferson's letter, though rather vague about any help from the federal government, assured the Baptists that the First Amendment established a wall the prevented the government from interfering in their practices. It did not suggest that religious observation had no place in the public sphere. Hence the important and oft ignored clause: ...or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
Since Congress cannot prohibit the free exercise of religion, you know, coercive things like Christmas music in public buildings or school concerts, a moment of silence (which is religion neutral and does not imply prayer), Nativity scenes and so on, the leftist anti-religion Progressives have resorted to pushing out religion by judicial fiat. Idiots like this Michgander continue to use activist judges to subvert President Jefferson's words and destroy the intent of the Founders clearly written in the First Amendment.
People like this guy should be shot but since it is illegal, we need to work hard to tear activist judges out of their robes and replace them with men and women dedicated to Original Intent and the letter and spirit of the Constitution.
As a final tweak to the leftist anti-religious zealots out there. If placing a Nativity scene on public property breaks the "establishment clause", how come the same men who wrote the Constitution voted in favor of federal funds to build churches?
Let us review the text of the First Amendment.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Now in this case, the pea-brain du jour is arguing that the placement of the Nativity on public property is a violation of the 'establishment of religion' clause. However this clod, like so many of his anti-religious brethren fail to understand or don't care about the actual text of the First Amendment. "Congress shall make no law..." Did Congress make a law ordering the city to place a nativity on public property? Nope. And if they did, I would be standing next to zippy the slob filing suit.
Other simpletons that file suit like to speak about the 'wall of separation' which is not in the Constitution and was twisted by judicial activists and atheists to force simple acknowledgement of religious convictions out of the public sphere as if acknowledging what 90% of the American people believe was tantamount to establishing an official religion. They misinterpret or actively twist the words of President Thomas Jefferson. Ironically, the 'wall of separation' appears in a letter to a breakaway religious group the Danbury Baptists in Connecticut. The Danbury Baptists were concerned that the state of Connecticut was going to interfere in their worship practices. Jefferson's letter, though rather vague about any help from the federal government, assured the Baptists that the First Amendment established a wall the prevented the government from interfering in their practices. It did not suggest that religious observation had no place in the public sphere. Hence the important and oft ignored clause: ...or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
Since Congress cannot prohibit the free exercise of religion, you know, coercive things like Christmas music in public buildings or school concerts, a moment of silence (which is religion neutral and does not imply prayer), Nativity scenes and so on, the leftist anti-religion Progressives have resorted to pushing out religion by judicial fiat. Idiots like this Michgander continue to use activist judges to subvert President Jefferson's words and destroy the intent of the Founders clearly written in the First Amendment.
People like this guy should be shot but since it is illegal, we need to work hard to tear activist judges out of their robes and replace them with men and women dedicated to Original Intent and the letter and spirit of the Constitution.
As a final tweak to the leftist anti-religious zealots out there. If placing a Nativity scene on public property breaks the "establishment clause", how come the same men who wrote the Constitution voted in favor of federal funds to build churches?
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Opting out of Government...Anything
Random Thought: William Jefferson Clinton, George Walker Bush, Barrack Hussein Obama (mmm....mmmm...mmm) all have more in common than they do differences. Other than the obnoxious use of all three names, they are all ivy league educated elitists. They are all, to varying degrees, Progressives. All three of them have and are eroding American sovereignty. All of them are also Baby Boomers. Perhaps it is just coincidence or maybe coming from that failure of a generation is the problem. Granted there are plenty of decent Boomers, my parents included, but as a generation they stink. Maybe the 2010 and 2012 mantras should be 'No More Boomers!'
Okay, I am tired of the healthcare debate especially since it has been entirely corrupted and dominated by the left but I have to weigh in one more time.
I've argued a conservative line against government run healthcare and gotten scorned for it. When I argue that I want tort reform, I get leftist lawyers claiming that malpractice is a small part of their practice and it won't affect costs. Then how come doctors that have never been sued have to pay upwards of $30,000 per year in malpractice insurance? Doesn't anyone think that might impact the cost of healthcare? Tort reform is an important piece of healthcare reform but not the sole answer.
Unlike most conservatives I don't pay much attention to the argument about opening up insurance to cross state lines. I don't think it will impact the price much simply because every state has such different laws. In the long term it may help control costs but short term it wouldn't likely have any effect.
There are hundreds of other arguments from opening competition in healthcare suppliers and getting rid of price controls on what a procedure costs. Perhaps one of the best would be to force medical schools to produce more doctors and PAs at lower costs to increase competition inside the industry. But this isn't about ways to fix the problem that was created by liberals in the first place. This is about the Number One reason to be against Government Healthcare and government a lot of other things.
No one I have argued with has even attempted to refute the following argument. Government Healthcare is not a legitimate function of the Federal government under the Constitution. The Founding Fathers established a minimalist de-centralized Federal government in order to ensure maximum personal liberty. This nation was established to be as close to anarchy without the evils of anarchy as humanly possible. Most of us still want that but the small cadre of people who want to trade personal liberty for cradle to grave security and the people who want power over others for nefarious purposes are currently in control. They are bent on overturning the Constitution and ridding themselves of freedom loving individuals and the current healthcare 'crisis' is part of that. American personal freedom scares those of the Authoritarian/Totalitarian bent (especially people steeped in Eastern Civilization which negates the idea of the sovereign individual altogether).
When arguing with these people don't be afraid to shout them down. Wave the Constitution in their faces. Choke them with it if you have to. The healthcare debate isn't about healthcare, it is about whether or not we will be free. I might be labeled a hypocrite for this but a free people cannot survive by allowing those who are against freedom to exist among them. They will taint us, they will lure us to our doom with promises of 'free' housing, healthcare, food, entertainment, love, etc. They will promise us anything to get us into shackles. And at this moment they are in control of our federal government, our media, our pop culture, and many of our state and local governments. Raise the standard of freedom and take a stand before it is too late.
Okay, I am tired of the healthcare debate especially since it has been entirely corrupted and dominated by the left but I have to weigh in one more time.
I've argued a conservative line against government run healthcare and gotten scorned for it. When I argue that I want tort reform, I get leftist lawyers claiming that malpractice is a small part of their practice and it won't affect costs. Then how come doctors that have never been sued have to pay upwards of $30,000 per year in malpractice insurance? Doesn't anyone think that might impact the cost of healthcare? Tort reform is an important piece of healthcare reform but not the sole answer.
Unlike most conservatives I don't pay much attention to the argument about opening up insurance to cross state lines. I don't think it will impact the price much simply because every state has such different laws. In the long term it may help control costs but short term it wouldn't likely have any effect.
There are hundreds of other arguments from opening competition in healthcare suppliers and getting rid of price controls on what a procedure costs. Perhaps one of the best would be to force medical schools to produce more doctors and PAs at lower costs to increase competition inside the industry. But this isn't about ways to fix the problem that was created by liberals in the first place. This is about the Number One reason to be against Government Healthcare and government a lot of other things.
No one I have argued with has even attempted to refute the following argument. Government Healthcare is not a legitimate function of the Federal government under the Constitution. The Founding Fathers established a minimalist de-centralized Federal government in order to ensure maximum personal liberty. This nation was established to be as close to anarchy without the evils of anarchy as humanly possible. Most of us still want that but the small cadre of people who want to trade personal liberty for cradle to grave security and the people who want power over others for nefarious purposes are currently in control. They are bent on overturning the Constitution and ridding themselves of freedom loving individuals and the current healthcare 'crisis' is part of that. American personal freedom scares those of the Authoritarian/Totalitarian bent (especially people steeped in Eastern Civilization which negates the idea of the sovereign individual altogether).
When arguing with these people don't be afraid to shout them down. Wave the Constitution in their faces. Choke them with it if you have to. The healthcare debate isn't about healthcare, it is about whether or not we will be free. I might be labeled a hypocrite for this but a free people cannot survive by allowing those who are against freedom to exist among them. They will taint us, they will lure us to our doom with promises of 'free' housing, healthcare, food, entertainment, love, etc. They will promise us anything to get us into shackles. And at this moment they are in control of our federal government, our media, our pop culture, and many of our state and local governments. Raise the standard of freedom and take a stand before it is too late.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Getting to Know You...
It is important to know the Czars and the Cabinet since the B-HO has claimed that to know what he believes we have to look at the people he surrounds himself with. I've already gone into some detail about Economics Czar Paul Adolph Volcker. I'm going to do a brief overview of some of the Cabinet members and the other Czars.
Treasury Secretary Timmy "I can't figure out Turbo Tax" Geithner. He was 9th president of the New York Fed. He worked for the IMF from 2001-2003. He is a Senior Fellow with the sinister organization the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in International Economics and once more, he was part of Volcker's Group of Thirty. Timmy arranged the federal bailout of Bear Sterns and AIG. He also played a role in the decision not to bail out Lehman Brothers (Lehman Brothers was seen as the main competitor of Goldman Sachs for whom previous Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson worked. Hmmm...I wonder why they didn't get bailed out...). Also on Timmy's resume are the Center for Global Development (Progressive), the Economic Club of New York (claims political neutrality but leans left), the Bank of International Settlements, and the Bilderbergers. In addition, his wife was a research associate at Common Cause, a 'Progressive'/Leftist organization.
The Tarp Czar, Herb Allison was a CEO of Fannie Mae (ho boy). He also was Finance Chairman for McCain's 2000 election campaign (McCain is another Progressive which is what makes him a 'maverick' Republican). He was chairman of TIAA/CREF and CEO of Lifelong Learning (a Yale, Oxford, Stanford Progressive educational co-op).
Science Czar John Holdren has been well documented by Glenn Beck and others. I'd like to add that he is a committed Eugenicist (the same people who brought you the Holocaust). He is a member of the Limits to Growth Club a leftist environmental organization.
Carol Browner the Energy Czar was head of the EPA under Clinton. She was part of the leftist Citizen Action, a Nader created leftist environmental lobby firm, a member of Socialist International (WTF????), on the board of Algore's Alliance for Climate Protection, part of the Center for American Progress (oh yes, they are 'Progressive'), part of APX Inc. (a carbon credit trading board (and people think Cheney had a conflict of interest with Halliburton)).
Climate Czar Todd Stern is a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, Kyoto Protocol negotiator, and belongs to the CFR.
Ashton Carter the Weapons Czar consults with Goldman Sachs and a CFR member.
Cass Sunstein is a radical animal rights activist. He is a proponent of the "2nd Bill of Rights" which guarantees housing, healthcare, a house, food, and other needs even if you refuse to work. He is the quintessential Progressive believing that people should be forced to make 'correct' choices.
Christina Romer another Economics Czar is a committed Keynesian and an Economics Professor at UC Berkeley (heaven help us).
Many of the Czars and Cabinet members have ties to Harvard and Yale. Both universities have become less educational institutions than indoctrination centers for Progressives, Marxists, and Leftists of all shades. Both Obama and Bush came out of these two systems.
All of these people are committed in their own particular areas of 'expertise' to the Progressive agenda. They are transnationalists. They are anti-American values, anti-dollar, anti-individual. Learn what you can about them and tell everyone you know that these unelected, often unapproved, and always unAmerican people need to be exposed and forced out of government circles.
Treasury Secretary Timmy "I can't figure out Turbo Tax" Geithner. He was 9th president of the New York Fed. He worked for the IMF from 2001-2003. He is a Senior Fellow with the sinister organization the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in International Economics and once more, he was part of Volcker's Group of Thirty. Timmy arranged the federal bailout of Bear Sterns and AIG. He also played a role in the decision not to bail out Lehman Brothers (Lehman Brothers was seen as the main competitor of Goldman Sachs for whom previous Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson worked. Hmmm...I wonder why they didn't get bailed out...). Also on Timmy's resume are the Center for Global Development (Progressive), the Economic Club of New York (claims political neutrality but leans left), the Bank of International Settlements, and the Bilderbergers. In addition, his wife was a research associate at Common Cause, a 'Progressive'/Leftist organization.
The Tarp Czar, Herb Allison was a CEO of Fannie Mae (ho boy). He also was Finance Chairman for McCain's 2000 election campaign (McCain is another Progressive which is what makes him a 'maverick' Republican). He was chairman of TIAA/CREF and CEO of Lifelong Learning (a Yale, Oxford, Stanford Progressive educational co-op).
Science Czar John Holdren has been well documented by Glenn Beck and others. I'd like to add that he is a committed Eugenicist (the same people who brought you the Holocaust). He is a member of the Limits to Growth Club a leftist environmental organization.
Carol Browner the Energy Czar was head of the EPA under Clinton. She was part of the leftist Citizen Action, a Nader created leftist environmental lobby firm, a member of Socialist International (WTF????), on the board of Algore's Alliance for Climate Protection, part of the Center for American Progress (oh yes, they are 'Progressive'), part of APX Inc. (a carbon credit trading board (and people think Cheney had a conflict of interest with Halliburton)).
Climate Czar Todd Stern is a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, Kyoto Protocol negotiator, and belongs to the CFR.
Ashton Carter the Weapons Czar consults with Goldman Sachs and a CFR member.
Cass Sunstein is a radical animal rights activist. He is a proponent of the "2nd Bill of Rights" which guarantees housing, healthcare, a house, food, and other needs even if you refuse to work. He is the quintessential Progressive believing that people should be forced to make 'correct' choices.
Christina Romer another Economics Czar is a committed Keynesian and an Economics Professor at UC Berkeley (heaven help us).
Many of the Czars and Cabinet members have ties to Harvard and Yale. Both universities have become less educational institutions than indoctrination centers for Progressives, Marxists, and Leftists of all shades. Both Obama and Bush came out of these two systems.
All of these people are committed in their own particular areas of 'expertise' to the Progressive agenda. They are transnationalists. They are anti-American values, anti-dollar, anti-individual. Learn what you can about them and tell everyone you know that these unelected, often unapproved, and always unAmerican people need to be exposed and forced out of government circles.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
A Czar too Far
Okay, so my random thoughts have had fun poking at the physical oddities of a couple of Obama Administration officials but its time to get serious about the unelected, unwanted advisers that the B-HO has set up as out masters.
I'll let Glenn Beck go after the Marxists and Maoists. I have a beef with one of the seemingly less objectionable members of the 'Czar' list: Economic Adviser Paul Volcker. Volcker slips under the radar often thanks to the blatant radicalism of other Obama advisers but when you dig down, he is just as bad as the rest.
Volcker has an impressive resume. He has worked for Chase Manhattan Bank, J. Rothchild Wolfensohn & Co. (Mr. Wolfensohn was president of the World Bank), and was Nixon's Undersecretary of the Treasury from 1969-74. He was also the Chairman of the Fed from 1979-87. He founded and chairs the Group of Thirty, a New York (of course) based economic 'consulting' firm (which had, until recently, among its active members one Timmy Geithner).
For the conspiracists among us, he is a Rockefeller friend which adds up to a stint as honorary chairman of the Trilateral Commission. He is also a Bilderberg member.
Volcker's most notable claim to 'fame' comes from his stint at Treasury. His was the deciding vote in suspending the gold convertibility of the dollar. That vote was the tipping point for the already strained Bretton Woods system instituted by central banking, Keynesian economic theorists after World War II. It might seem odd that a committed Keynesian and Central Banker like Volcker would do in a central banking system unless you consider Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals (and I am not implying that Volcker ever read that evil tome). Typical of Progressive leftists, Volcker and company created a crisis and then exploited it to increase centralized power, this time in central banks. The collapse of the Bretton Woods system created an economic recession that lasted through the 1970s and culminated in the early 1980s. President Nixon (also a Keynesian and a Progressive) instituted wage freezes and price fixing especially in wake of the Yom Kippur war (which is why there was no gasoline but that's another blog).
Jimmy Carter, America's reigning skin lesion, can be credited for one thing: completely destroying Keynesian economic theory. Keynesian theory demands that an economy cannot have rising unemployment, rising inflation at the same time. Thanks to 'stagflation' that has proven untrue and wrecked the foundation of Keynesian economics...and yet there are so many including Paul A. (Adolph!!!) Volcker that still cling to it. Carter rehires Volcker, one of the architects of the crisis, to try and solve the crisis. While Wikipedia (which I don't trust for much) claims he did, I suspect it had more to do with Reagan tax cuts and deregulation efforts over Fed objections.
Overall, Paul Volcker has not been a positive influence in this nation's recent economic history. While Bretton Woods was a Keynesian/centralized system; it was less so than the system that is currently in collapse around us. Lord only knows what the committed Keynesians and Marxists in this administration (Volcker, Geithner, Romer, Browner, Feinberg, Sunstein, Emmanuel, Clinton, Vilsack, Locke, Sibelius, Solis, I'm sure there are others) will do to further centralize our economy and move us further into serfdom. The Progressives both in the Bush and Obama Administrations have used this recent recession and financial system collapse (which they have been engineering either by accident or design since the late 1970s) to consolidate small banks and seize control over large banks (though large banks like Chase are run by central banking allies anyway) increasing their iron grip on the economy. They continue to spend like mad driving the dollar's value to the breaking point. When (and it is now a matter of when not 'if') the dollar collapses and people start to really suffer (we'll be looking at this recession as good days) it will be that much easier for them to force a North American Union or world government on us.
Maybe that's paranoid but if I wanted to force people in that direction this is a great way to get it done.
Unrelated note: Congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies on their second straight pennant. The umpiring in the series seems to be questionable and those of us who don't trust the Commissioner/used car salesman will always suspect foul play in favor of revenue. A Phillies/Yankees world series will likely draw well on the east coast but one would think a Dodgers/Yankees series would draw equally well if not better. An Angels/Phillies series would get terrible TV ratings so don't look for that! Maybe Paul Volcker can centralize baseball when he helps finish off the dollar.
I'll let Glenn Beck go after the Marxists and Maoists. I have a beef with one of the seemingly less objectionable members of the 'Czar' list: Economic Adviser Paul Volcker. Volcker slips under the radar often thanks to the blatant radicalism of other Obama advisers but when you dig down, he is just as bad as the rest.
Volcker has an impressive resume. He has worked for Chase Manhattan Bank, J. Rothchild Wolfensohn & Co. (Mr. Wolfensohn was president of the World Bank), and was Nixon's Undersecretary of the Treasury from 1969-74. He was also the Chairman of the Fed from 1979-87. He founded and chairs the Group of Thirty, a New York (of course) based economic 'consulting' firm (which had, until recently, among its active members one Timmy Geithner).
For the conspiracists among us, he is a Rockefeller friend which adds up to a stint as honorary chairman of the Trilateral Commission. He is also a Bilderberg member.
Volcker's most notable claim to 'fame' comes from his stint at Treasury. His was the deciding vote in suspending the gold convertibility of the dollar. That vote was the tipping point for the already strained Bretton Woods system instituted by central banking, Keynesian economic theorists after World War II. It might seem odd that a committed Keynesian and Central Banker like Volcker would do in a central banking system unless you consider Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals (and I am not implying that Volcker ever read that evil tome). Typical of Progressive leftists, Volcker and company created a crisis and then exploited it to increase centralized power, this time in central banks. The collapse of the Bretton Woods system created an economic recession that lasted through the 1970s and culminated in the early 1980s. President Nixon (also a Keynesian and a Progressive) instituted wage freezes and price fixing especially in wake of the Yom Kippur war (which is why there was no gasoline but that's another blog).
Jimmy Carter, America's reigning skin lesion, can be credited for one thing: completely destroying Keynesian economic theory. Keynesian theory demands that an economy cannot have rising unemployment, rising inflation at the same time. Thanks to 'stagflation' that has proven untrue and wrecked the foundation of Keynesian economics...and yet there are so many including Paul A. (Adolph!!!) Volcker that still cling to it. Carter rehires Volcker, one of the architects of the crisis, to try and solve the crisis. While Wikipedia (which I don't trust for much) claims he did, I suspect it had more to do with Reagan tax cuts and deregulation efforts over Fed objections.
Overall, Paul Volcker has not been a positive influence in this nation's recent economic history. While Bretton Woods was a Keynesian/centralized system; it was less so than the system that is currently in collapse around us. Lord only knows what the committed Keynesians and Marxists in this administration (Volcker, Geithner, Romer, Browner, Feinberg, Sunstein, Emmanuel, Clinton, Vilsack, Locke, Sibelius, Solis, I'm sure there are others) will do to further centralize our economy and move us further into serfdom. The Progressives both in the Bush and Obama Administrations have used this recent recession and financial system collapse (which they have been engineering either by accident or design since the late 1970s) to consolidate small banks and seize control over large banks (though large banks like Chase are run by central banking allies anyway) increasing their iron grip on the economy. They continue to spend like mad driving the dollar's value to the breaking point. When (and it is now a matter of when not 'if') the dollar collapses and people start to really suffer (we'll be looking at this recession as good days) it will be that much easier for them to force a North American Union or world government on us.
Maybe that's paranoid but if I wanted to force people in that direction this is a great way to get it done.
Unrelated note: Congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies on their second straight pennant. The umpiring in the series seems to be questionable and those of us who don't trust the Commissioner/used car salesman will always suspect foul play in favor of revenue. A Phillies/Yankees world series will likely draw well on the east coast but one would think a Dodgers/Yankees series would draw equally well if not better. An Angels/Phillies series would get terrible TV ratings so don't look for that! Maybe Paul Volcker can centralize baseball when he helps finish off the dollar.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Lost in the Reids
Random Thought: Do you think if Hamid Kharzi had been an anti-American autocrat, that the UN election monitoring panel would have declared the Afghan election valid?
Random Thought #2: The balloon boy family is suspected of pulling a publicity stunt/hoax which is entirely plausible to anyone who saw the Mythbusters episode about helium balloons lifting a person (it takes a LOT of helium to even move a 60lb. child let alone get it up to 8000 feet). As soon as Shep Smith announced it was a helium filled balloon, I knew there was no way the boy was on it. Every policeman and responder, every TV station that filmed it, and every person put in any danger should file a civil suit against these people (and their backers) and ruin them financially. CPS should take their kids (that they were on Wife Swap should have been enough for that). Finally, someone should whack the dad on the back of the head with a nine iron for his Delta Bravo haircut (Delta Bravo is code for a feminine product one might use on a fresh Summer's Eve). These 'people' are prime examples Darwin was wrong. Some of us are 'devolving' back toward monkeys.
It may come as a shock to those of you who know me that I have been to an event that featured Senate Majority Leader and all around schmuck, Harry Reid (D-Nevada) as the keynote speaker. Back in the spring of 2007, my family descended on Reno, Nevada for my cousin's graduation from Nursing school at UNR and unfortunately, Reid was the address speaker.
I grumbled on the way to the ceremony about having to tolerate a speech from one of the most inane politicians ever to leave a slime trail up the Capitol steps. My dad told me that we should give him a chance and hear what he had to say. Though I did not want to, I agreed that he was right and resigned myself to the speech. Sadly, the day would prove me right and my dad wrong.
Though I did not meet Reid, I'm fairly sure that no one else did either. He apparently arrived just a few moments before the address and marched up to the stage. Barely able to see him from our spot in the campus green (and the fact that his ugly mug barely cleared the podium), we could still, unfortunately, hear him. Did he offer platitudinous rhetoric about the future? No. Did he tell the students they could achieve their dreams through hard work? No. Did he talk about America as a land of opportunity? Big nope. He gave short, pointless speech about growing up in Searchlight, Nevada and blathered on a little bit about his lack of accomplishment in the State Gaming Commission, House, and Senate.
As if that weren't bad enough, directly after the speech, HE LEFT!!! He didn't even return to his seat, he shook hands with the President of the University and walked off the back of the stage. What combination of hubris and self-centrism does it take for a US Senator, a servant of the people, to ignore 3000-4000 potential constituents at a very public function? If he were any kind of decent person, let alone Senator, he would have remained and even asked to shake each graduate's hand afterward. But then I might be expecting too much from the slimy little (and I mean short of stature...though I wouldn't be surprised if he had other shortcomings) mountebank to act like an actual human being.
Let's compare that to my graduation which was keynoted by pianist Roger Williams (Born Free, Autumn Leaves, etc.). Granted Mr. Williams was not a US Senator, but he gave a very impressive address and followed it up after the graduation by remaining behind to shake the hand of every one who wanted to meet him (students and guests included) and sign autographs. He was as kind and interested in the last people through the line as he was the first.
Harry Reid is finally in trouble in Nevada which shows you how hard it is to dislodge one of these carbuncles once they latch on to the hull of the great ship of state. Reid has survived by trailing his slime across Nevada. He is a 'MINO' (Mormon in Name Only) but it has been enough to get him votes in very conservative and very Mormon rural Nevada. Until Obama telling everyone to not go to Vegas, Reid was also chummy with the 'legitimate business interests' running that fair city giving him enough leverage to fight off GOP challengers. But thankfully he may be on the way out. His high profile as Majority Leader has made it so the conservatives cannot ignore his liberalism and his buddy the B-HO has alienated him from Sinatra's friends in Las Vegas. With luck, he will be among the political casualties left in Obama's wake in 2010.
Random Thought #2: The balloon boy family is suspected of pulling a publicity stunt/hoax which is entirely plausible to anyone who saw the Mythbusters episode about helium balloons lifting a person (it takes a LOT of helium to even move a 60lb. child let alone get it up to 8000 feet). As soon as Shep Smith announced it was a helium filled balloon, I knew there was no way the boy was on it. Every policeman and responder, every TV station that filmed it, and every person put in any danger should file a civil suit against these people (and their backers) and ruin them financially. CPS should take their kids (that they were on Wife Swap should have been enough for that). Finally, someone should whack the dad on the back of the head with a nine iron for his Delta Bravo haircut (Delta Bravo is code for a feminine product one might use on a fresh Summer's Eve). These 'people' are prime examples Darwin was wrong. Some of us are 'devolving' back toward monkeys.
It may come as a shock to those of you who know me that I have been to an event that featured Senate Majority Leader and all around schmuck, Harry Reid (D-Nevada) as the keynote speaker. Back in the spring of 2007, my family descended on Reno, Nevada for my cousin's graduation from Nursing school at UNR and unfortunately, Reid was the address speaker.
I grumbled on the way to the ceremony about having to tolerate a speech from one of the most inane politicians ever to leave a slime trail up the Capitol steps. My dad told me that we should give him a chance and hear what he had to say. Though I did not want to, I agreed that he was right and resigned myself to the speech. Sadly, the day would prove me right and my dad wrong.
Though I did not meet Reid, I'm fairly sure that no one else did either. He apparently arrived just a few moments before the address and marched up to the stage. Barely able to see him from our spot in the campus green (and the fact that his ugly mug barely cleared the podium), we could still, unfortunately, hear him. Did he offer platitudinous rhetoric about the future? No. Did he tell the students they could achieve their dreams through hard work? No. Did he talk about America as a land of opportunity? Big nope. He gave short, pointless speech about growing up in Searchlight, Nevada and blathered on a little bit about his lack of accomplishment in the State Gaming Commission, House, and Senate.
As if that weren't bad enough, directly after the speech, HE LEFT!!! He didn't even return to his seat, he shook hands with the President of the University and walked off the back of the stage. What combination of hubris and self-centrism does it take for a US Senator, a servant of the people, to ignore 3000-4000 potential constituents at a very public function? If he were any kind of decent person, let alone Senator, he would have remained and even asked to shake each graduate's hand afterward. But then I might be expecting too much from the slimy little (and I mean short of stature...though I wouldn't be surprised if he had other shortcomings) mountebank to act like an actual human being.
Let's compare that to my graduation which was keynoted by pianist Roger Williams (Born Free, Autumn Leaves, etc.). Granted Mr. Williams was not a US Senator, but he gave a very impressive address and followed it up after the graduation by remaining behind to shake the hand of every one who wanted to meet him (students and guests included) and sign autographs. He was as kind and interested in the last people through the line as he was the first.
Harry Reid is finally in trouble in Nevada which shows you how hard it is to dislodge one of these carbuncles once they latch on to the hull of the great ship of state. Reid has survived by trailing his slime across Nevada. He is a 'MINO' (Mormon in Name Only) but it has been enough to get him votes in very conservative and very Mormon rural Nevada. Until Obama telling everyone to not go to Vegas, Reid was also chummy with the 'legitimate business interests' running that fair city giving him enough leverage to fight off GOP challengers. But thankfully he may be on the way out. His high profile as Majority Leader has made it so the conservatives cannot ignore his liberalism and his buddy the B-HO has alienated him from Sinatra's friends in Las Vegas. With luck, he will be among the political casualties left in Obama's wake in 2010.
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