In the courses of our thoughts and reflections, there are some things we need to be considering.
People, who are fed up with the way this government has conducted the affairs of the nation, must understand it will take more than a few tea parties to get the attention of our elected officials. Don't get me wrong, they are a good start, and a great opportunity to express our frustration at the way things are playing out.
Assembling as a group is only half of the battle. Each individual has to exercise their free speech, and their right to present complaints to his/her freely elected officials (who are drawing good salaries with good perks, all at the expense of the American taxpayer).
Here is the letter I plan to send to my Congressman, who is a Republican:
Dear Congressman ___________.
I wanted to drop you a line, because I haven't heard much from you these days and I have been worried about you. Granted, I am not so egocentric as one who would expect you to owe me any explanation for your absence, certainly not in the form of a personal communique. But it would be nice to see you on TV or hear your voice on radio, knowing that you are alive, well, and on the job. It would be equally as comforting to hear you arguing against the policies, which threaten the long term economic viability of this nation.
If all is well with you and yours, I am glad. But if health hasn't been the issue, I must assume the reason you have been so silent is that you are in agreement with the wholesale socialization of our economy. I must also conclude that you have no problem with the Obama Administration seeking to nationalize banks and the auto industry. I must surmise that you are not worried about Barney Frank wanting to control wages of every employee of every company that is disbursed funds by the government, and a foreign policy that features a former First Lady parading around the world, shaking hands, and telling everyone she meets exactly what they want to hear.
My thinking on this is simple. We need leadership in Washington and we need it right now. Waiting to see who the Democrats run against you in 2010, will be too late.
We need men and women of both parties to demonstrate courage and take a principled stand against what we believe to be a radical shift, toward European-style socialism. We need them to address the loss of the freedoms, as a result of such a sudden marked shift.
We need you and many others to stand up against the insane positions of a morally depleted Democratic leadership. We must have advocates that are arguing against putting my grandchildren into debt, before they even reach kindergarten. We must have a noisy and persistent loyal opposition making an intelligent case, against throwing massive amounts of money into things that have long been proven, to be useless and futile.
In 1994, the GOP was entrusted with 1) decreasing the size of an out of control government, 2) cutting taxes for those that work and struggle to be self-sufficient, and 3) using common sense to solve problems. That's what you all said you would do and that's what we expected to see.
But what we got was Democrat Lite, from compromising the very principles which brought your party to power. Instead of trend setting and innovation in governing, we watched as you allowed the Democrats to shout you down, causing you to tuck your tails between your legs.
Personally, as it stands right now, it would not matter one iota if you had lost to your Democratic opponent last year. It may have meant one more vote for Pelosi's flawed agenda. But your silence has made it that much easier to implement her reckless plans, anyway. Your votes have made no difference, your voice has not either. Who is to say, you have made any difference at all?
I seriously hope your handlers forward this letter to you, so you may better understand the frustration that is currently rising in this nation.
It is a real feeling that Congress needs to turnover several times, before those whom we entrust to lead this nation come to know and understand, just who they serve. The experience argument is not going to fly much longer. With all of the longevity and seniority in government right now, we are still in a mess. So it stands to reason that voting for a novice could/would not be any worse, than we have it now.
Please examine yourself and see if you feel the same urgency that many of us do. Otherwise, we the people of this district must begin a new job search to replace you. It's not out first choice, but it's a viable option that is worthy of consideration.
Sincerely,
Mr. LA Sunsett
Every one of you, who feel as I do, should seriously consider writing a detailed letter to your Representative like this (at least once a week). Flood their mail system with your thoughts and opinions. The only thing these people fear is losing an election. So if that is what it takes, I say let's teach them all who they work for. This way, they cannot say they were not warned.
Some time ago, I overheard two co-workers talking; they adamantly agreed Brazil is not a racist nation. Both are Americans, one is a black lady and the other is a naturalized citizen from Brazil. I have known both for years and have the utmost respect for both in matters of personal integrity. But in matters of politics, I am afraid we don't always see eye to eye. So I just listened.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Thursday blamed the global economic crisis on “white people with blue eyes” and said it was wrong that black and indigenous people should pay for white people’s mistakes.
Speaking in Brasília at a joint press conference with Gordon Brown, the UK prime minister, Mr Lula da Silva told reporters: “This crisis was caused by the irrational behaviour of white people with blue eyes, who before the crisis appeared to know everything and now demonstrate that they know nothing.”
He added: “I do not know any black or indigenous bankers so I can only say [it is wrong] that this part of mankind which is victimised more than any other should pay for the crisis.”
I don’t know about you, but that statement sure sounds racist to me.
I realize there are many on the American left who firmly believe that racism only works from one direction. I have heard and read statements to the effect that blacks, browns, and Asians cannot be racist towards whites; only white people owned slaves (and other such nonsensical garbage). It is a historical fact that white people were enslaved in far larger numbers than black people and that many slave owners were Islamic blacks. The fact is that everyone, regardless of skin color, is capable of the most outrageous racism. Brazil’s president ranks among these numbers. However, in his moment of utter stupidity, he seems to have overlooked one or two things.
First and foremost, he is incorrect. His statement is dead wrong and one only needs to look at a list compiled by Time Magazine to see whom most people are blaming for this current economic mess. Here are my thoughts about that list, in brief:
· Wen Jiabao made the list, he is Chinese.
· Bankers Stan O'Neal and Franklin Raines are both black.
· Angelo Mozilo is of Italian descent, no blue eyes there. Some members of the elite group now known as the "Friends of Angelo" may have them, but I doubt all do.
Many of the others on the list are white; but I would be willing to bet many have hazel eyes.
American consumers made the list, but we know that they are not exactly a monolithic racial demographic, certainly not all of Aryan descent. So knowing what we now know, it is plainly obvious that President Lula da Silva is an idiot along the lines of Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, and Joe Biden, who more than anything in the world prefer listening to the sound of their own voices.
My point is, there are people who are given to making hasty generalizations at the drop of a hat. We have all heard and seen them. This is either because they think the people are too stupid to notice them or because they, themselves, are too stupid to understand how onerous they really are. Such talk, as it applies to race, is the sort of thing that increases (and even causes) racial tensions, but perhaps that is the entire purpose of such idiocy. (SEE: Jackson and Sharpton)
In spite of the man being dead wrong, there are some other considerations involving Lula da Silva and his peculiar brand of stupidity. Let's evaluate at a few pertinent facts about Brazil, the non-racist country, shall we? According to Reuters News Service:
The government of Rio de Janeiro is building concrete walls to prevent sprawling slums from spreading farther into the picturesque hills of this world-famous tourist destination, an official said on Saturday.
Construction has begun in two favelas, or shantytowns, in the southern districts of Rio de Janeiro, a government spokeswoman told Reuters. One of the two is Morro Dona Marta, which police occupied in November to control crime and violence caused mostly by rival drug gangs.
Officials say the wall is to protect the remaining native forest but critics fear the move could be seen as discriminatory and become a blemish symbolizing Brazil's deep divisions between rich and poor.
There is no way around the fact that residents of these slums are overwhelmingly black and poor. In fact, the standard of living among blacks in Rio is far lower than in LA or NY.
No one today writes about Brazil being a racial democracy," said Livio Sansone, director of the Center of Afro-Asian Studies in Rio de Janeiro. "Today, people will tell you that there is racism in Brazil, which wasn't the case 20 years ago. They think a racial democracy is a nice thing to work toward, or dream of, but no one would say that's the way things are today."
Black activists say they are frustrated that Brazilians still do not believe they could be racist. In the poll by the marginalized populations center, 87 percent of respondents said they themselves were not racist, even while large majorities saw racism as a societal problem.
"So we're fighting an invisible enemy," said Ivanir dos Santos, the center's executive secretary.
In the latest, and arguably most dramatic, evidence of the importance of race in daily life, a report by the respected Institute for Religious Studies found that police in Rio de Janeiro's slums kill nine out of every 10 black suspects they shoot--nearly double the ratio of white suspects.
That comes as no surprise to people such as Ivanilde dos Santos. Nearly two years ago, police in the Rio de Janeiro shantytown of Babilonia shot her son, Wallace de Almeida, in the back as he entered dos Santos's yard.
Witnesses said the police, who had accused the slim, dark-skinned 18-year-old of dealing drugs, initially refused to call an ambulance. They called only after learning that he was a soldier. Their allegations against him ultimately were proved baseless.
"They were just used to shooting people up here and getting away with it," said dos Santos, 41. "He died because he was black."
Babilonia is one of dozens of crumbling hillside shantytowns in Rio. Nationwide these communities tend to be majority black--and they have come to symbolize the persistent economic gap between the races.
Apparently, the situation hasn’t substantially changed in the past nine years.
Now that we have a factual understanding about social conditions in Brazil, it does not take a Rhodes Scholar to understand that Lula da Silva is typical of most Latin American caudillos. He apparently aligned himself with such nitwits as Hugo Chavez, because he believes doing so is in his best interests. Perhaps it is, in this case.
But we should note that it is a popular strategy to shift blame to other people in order to divert attention from oneself. A reasonable person might conclude that President da Silva could achieve greatness within Brazil by fixing the rampant problems that stifle his economy, and which deny hope to generations of the poor. If he chooses not to do that, fine – but the downturn in financial markets is simply not a racial issue.
My guess is that he knows he is unable to do anything about the problems of his own nation and it's government. And as a result of this ineptitude, the only way to deflect criticism of that inability is to fashion his model of governance, from the example laid out by the Congress and current President of the United States. They are both well adept at pointing fingers, without considering how many are point back at them.
It looks like CNN, once the standard bearer and trend setter in cable news, is in the tank. Even MSNBC is now beating CNN in many time slots. But as we can see, America still overwhelmingly believes Fox News to be the best source of news and information on cable. From Drudge:
So this weekend with Obama in the White House, guys like Chris Dodd and Barney Frank firmly in power in Congress, and friends that just cannot sort out reality late in the day, we celebrate the age old process of prevarication.
First up is a song from the 70s from an immensely popular band back then:
Another tune with the same title but different lyrics and melody. From their first album comes this hard edged song. This was the first song I ever heard by these guys:
Next up is a bluesy little tune from a guy that was not even born when the first two were released. Even so, this guy sounds and plays like a seasoned veteran. His name is Jonny Lang and if you haven't heard of him and have a strong affinity for the blues, you need to give this a listen. This is called Lie To Me:
In another instance of far over-reaching government intrusion, I guess it is not enough to want wide sweeping powers to take over corporations that are deemed to big and too important to fail. Now, as if they do not have enough to do, Congress is meddling in college football.
Obama and some members of Congress favor a playoff-type system to determine the national champion. The BCS features a championship game between the two top teams in the BCS standings, based on two polls and six computer ratings.
Behind the push for the hearings is the subcommittee's top Republican, Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah. People there were furious that Utah was bypassed for the national championship despite going undefeated in the regular season.
I think the BCS system stinks and should be changed to a playoff system, too. But I will be damned if I think government has any right to tell college football how to run their post-season.
Anyone that participates in this kind of BS, especially when he have an out of control government, needs voted out of office. This stuff is getting way too Orwellian, way too out of control.
Before we get started, let's hear a very important lesson in modern political terminology, shall we?
This occurred some time ago, before the last election. But as you may have surmised by now, it fell on deaf ears.
Although it had little to no effect last November, it is not too late use it as an educational tool for instruction in the social sciences.
This man gave the lesson, but no one learned. He piped, but nobody danced. People were more than content to allow themselves to be lied to, by lesser men and women. Fool us once, shame on you Mr./Ms. Politician. Fool us twice, shame on us.
But hey, it's all water under the bridge now.
The time to learn is now, the time to dance is now. This mean it's time raise the awareness and organize a common sense movement to unseat the scumbags who have infiltrated our institutions, permeating them with slime and other disgusting materials.
It's time to blog it, it's time to talk it, and most importantly, it's time to live it.
Do not think for one minute that they own this country, because it is you and I that have the control. We have the power to vote against the very incumbents who have sold our children's and grandchildren's future to finance their power grab. If only we will have the courage, the guts to do so. If only we will hold them accountable.
As you become irate about the AIG bonuses, let us not forget the people that made those bonuses possible. Certainly let us not fail to recognize that every last lying thieving bastard who has feigned outrage at it is guilty of the same thing on a daily basis. It is their dirty dealings in the halls of our buildings that have led us to be at this point. It is them we should blame, not the corporate welfare recipients whose bad behavior was just positively reinforced, by these lower than the lowest vermin.
If their blatant and brazen hypocrisy isn't enough to make your blood boil, maybe this will.
A hedge fund manager who predicted the global credit crunch has said the financial crisis has been 'stimulating' and the culmination of his life's work.
George Soros, who predicted the global financial crisis twice before, was one of the few people to anticipate and prepare for the current economic collapse.
Mr Soros said his prediction meant he was better able to brace his Quantum investment fund against the gloabal storm.
But other investors failed to take notice of his prediction and his decision to come out of retirement in 2007 to manage the fund made him $US2.9 billion.
And while the financial crisis continued to deepen across the globe, the 78-year-old still managed to make $1.1 billion last year.
How great is that? The biggest financier of the Progressive movement is making money, while average people have lost their asses in their retirement funds. The man that is known as the kingmaker has been profiting from other people's calamity. And the sad thing is, these jerks in office are beholden to this worthless puke.
Let's get busy, let's get the incumbents out of there. If the person running against them looks like another idiot, so what? Is the current idiot doing anything of any value now ? Could the next idiot screw it up any worse than this bunch already has?
Let's take back the process from special interests. It time to let them know the only special interest they need to be concerned with is, the American people that spill their blood, sweat, and tears to make this country what it is.
Let's persuade good men and women who are qualified to run against these deviant minds and toss them out in the street. Let's put these crooks into the private sector, force them to earn their own money, and pay taxes like the rest of us. Let's not wait until election day, let's start today.
Not to mention any names (Mustang), but to those of you who have some time, how about getting an anti-incumbency blog network together? I'll join it. I'll do whatever I can to further the cause. I 'll help in whatever way can and I bet others will too.
Let's not sit idly by and merely be content to vent and bitch. Let's do something and let's not wait any longer. Let's have people organize events and activities this summer, like the tea parties. Because of the economy, people are looking for inexpensive vacations where they can bring their families. Let's stand up, be counted, and show the young people how to peacefully assemble --how to make their voices heard.
Let's do it the right way and see what happens. What do you say?
I was going to write on another topic, but have since changed my mind. We'll hit that one another day, but for now I think we need to open up a dialogue with our Representatives and Senators and let them know that there is a need to slow down this juggernaut, just a bit.
Politics is a social science. And as is the case in any science, radical changes in certain properties can cause a great measure of instability. If you are new to PYY, you may not have read these posts from the earlier days, the Political Yen/Yang Principle and the sequel to it. They explain some things more in detail. But whether you read these posts or not, consider some things with me for a moment, will you?
Think about radical changes that occur in chemistry. Acids, bases, the more radical the ions the more unstable the chemical or compound. The same is true in politics. The Left, the Right, the more radical the agenda the more unstable the political and economic situations can become.
Biologically, it is necessary to maintain a certain pH in the blood, as well as the body in general. Death can occur if this balance cannot be maintained, it matters not which direction the shift goes. Homeostasis cannot occur in either direction from the window of the norm. Once again, the same concept holds true in politics. Shifting too far to either extreme cannot sustain a nation. It cannot keep the body of that nation, stable, healthy, and growing strong.
Think about this for a moment, as we use another scientific metaphor, from the world of oceanography. Think about this political juggernaut as you would, if you were sailing out to sea. The farther you go from shore, the farther you must travel back. That means if you get into trouble (like the NFL players that tragically lost their lives recently off the coast of Florida), it takes you that much longer to get back. If the seas become rough and something bad happens along the way, you may find yourself in very unfamiliar territory very quickly.
No government should have the ability to ram through unread agendas, before an adequate amount of thought and discussion can be put into them. It's apparent that very few in Washington read the Obama stimulus package. It's even more apparent that even if they did, they would have voted for it anyway. I remember many of these same people complaining about a GOP controlled Congress and White House, like they were the fascists out of control. Yet with the current Administration and Congress, we do see some disturbing trends developing on the horizon and they are worthy of our concern.
Is it getting clearer, yet? Collecting names of those who support and those who do not. Does this not sound strikingly familiar to Europe in the 1930s? Does this not remind one of the nations that ended up in ruins, before they were able to do anything about it.
Think I am kidding about the indoctrination? Take a look at this:
Hitler had his Brown Shirts. Mussolini had his Black Shirts. And now, Obama has his blue shirts, which are now functioning as an information gathering network. Don't you suppose this is how the base of support was solidified, once these men were legally seated in power?
But what happens later? What happens when the names are known? Take a look at this:
After watching how fast these Marxist Alinksyites have come out of the gate, I wouldn't be surprised if this isn't already on the drawing board. Maybe this is something that has already been planned for, here is something from the campaign:
Folks I can't make this stuff up. You see it, just like I do. Many of you are already sold and I am preaching to the choir. But many that may read this blog may not be picking up up on the signals just yet. If this be the case, I ask you to explain this stuff in a way that makes sense, if you think you can. Because from where I sit, it is crystal clear what is happening.
So have you had enough yet? Did you vote for Obama and now regret it?
Whatever, just know that what's done is done. But if you are wanting to rectify things, you can consider helping to put a stop to this out of control beast, which is an animal that is devouring whatever is put before it. Call your Congressman and Senator, tell them enough is enough. Tell them to put the stops on this, before it devours the very institutions that are rooted in the rule of law, and the liberties they are assigned to protect.
If it continues unabated, the response of the system may not be good and the reaction of the people may be even worse. Remember from history that the natural response of socialism rammed down a society's throat is fascism. Pre-Mussolini Italy will bear this out if you take the time to read up on it.. The harder you allow the pendulum to swing to the left, the farther it will swing back to the right to correct.
One of the biggest liars in the history of the United States House of Representatives, Barney Frank, is at it again.
The Democratic lawmaker, who is gay, was discussing gay marriage and his expectation that the high court would some day be called upon to decide whether the Constitution allows the federal government to deny recognition to same-sex marriages.
"I wouldn't want it to go to the United States Supreme Court now because that homophobe Antonin Scalia has too many votes on this current court," said Frank. The video of the interview is available online.
No need to search the internet, here it is:
Here, we have a known liar, caught in the act by his own words many times in the Fannie/Freddie fiasco, doing his best to deflect attention away from his own malfeasance. When you are not winning the war of ideas, nor persuading the American people that you have their best interests at heart, there isn't much else you can do. He senses he is in a heap of trouble with his constituents, so he is forced to demonize someone solely based on ideological disagreements, as a smokescreen to his own dirty deeds.
Whatever we do, be sure not to look at Barney and his part in the housing crisis. But let's do call Justice Scalia names, because he has a belief system that differs. Don't criticize Barney's lack of leadership in a time of economic peril, but let's do pick someone that has nothing to do with Barney's problems and vilify him.
One thing is for sure. He and the rest of the Left-wing cabal, running roughshod over the American people right now, are feeling very empowered right now. They fear nothing. They do not respect the people, they are not listening. They have convinced themselves that they are invincible. They know best, because they are government.
As they delude themselves further and further, they lose even more contact with reality. It's at the point now, where they believe themselves to be Patricians (as in the last days of the Roman Republic). They view the people as their peasants to be used as pawns, whenever it suits their selfish and greedy purposes. They feel this sense of entitlement is owed to them, so it's no wonder the American people have internalized that attitude on the individual level.
I lived through decades of Democratic rule in Congress and I have voted for many Democrats in my lifetime. In my years of following politics, I have never seen a bigger bunch of weasels nor a more dangerous group of politicians. They are doing more to set back the cause of personal and individual liberty than any before them, they are clearly out of control. And Barney Frank is setting the pace with his nasty mean spirited comments, specifically directed toward anyone that may have an opinion different than him.
From the Hartford Courant comes a scathing review of their worthless crook of a Senator. From the sounds of things, he's not so popular these days. Rumor has it that Dodd will not run for re-election. If he does, he's toast. If only we could get someone in the 4th Congressional District of Massachusetts mad enough at Barney Frank to vote him out.
The Congressional Budget Office's projected deficit for the 2009 fiscal year ending on Sept. 30 would amount to 13.1 percent of expected gross domestic product -- a level not seen since World War Two. In January, the budget office had forecast a $1.2 trillion deficit for fiscal 2009.
Get used to it. As long as the government keeps spending money, it's going to get worse.
I watched the CBS 60 Minutes interview with Obama last evening. I found most of the questions to be of the softball nature, except for this little exchange:
"You're sitting here. And you are laughing. You are laughing about some of these problems. Are people gonna look at this and say, 'I mean, he's sitting there just making jokes about money.' How do you deal with, I mean, explain the…mood and your laughter," Kroft asked. "Are you punch drunk?"
"No, no. There's gotta be a little gallows humor to get you through the day," Obama explained. "You know, sometimes my team talks about the fact that if you had said to us a year ago that the least of my problems would be Iraq, which is still a pretty serious problem, I don't think anybody would have believed it. But we've got a lot on our plate. And a lot of difficult decisions that we're gonna have to make."
Several times he blamed Bush, several times he had no real answers for the questions. One was how he planned to handle Afghanistan. Although he answered the question with his usual tap dancing rhetoric, he still doesn't know just how he is going to win this thing or what exactly he is going to do.
Hamas is hailing Obama. Why not? They contributed to his campaign and probably want in on this stimulus package, like AIG and countless others that have benefited from their contributions.
Meanwhile, Chavez called him an ignoramus. Brother Hugo doesn't realize that he just irritates this nation more and more, every time he opens his mouth. Obama may be an ignoramus (in some areas), but he is OUR ignoramus.
This is the opening weekend of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, which sports fans everywhere have come to affectionately know as "The Big Dance". I always look forward to it. Not only because of the games, but it comes at the beginning of spring. So, I figure we can enjoy some songs that have some form of the word "dance" in the title, as a celebration.
This first one was pumped out in dance halls throughout Europe, when I was wreaking my havoc on the continent. No one knew what hit them, especially when we hit the Costa Brava in Spain.
I love this one. I can remember listening to this one on AM radio at one of my best friends house, back when we were just a bunch of goofy teenagers.
This "one-hit-wonder" is the extended dance version that cranked out in my favorite joints as a young man in the 80s. This one reminds me of a time, way before I had any real responsibilities.
This one is for my friend Mustang. He hates the Beatles, because he thinks they were a bunch of communist heathens. But I'll dedicate it to him anyway.
(And if he doesn't stop making up lies about a certain friend of his, there will be some certain oaths of allegiance broken.... which may yield some severe consequences.)
When Democrats turn on each other, it's not pretty. As we now know, Dodd was the biggest recipient of campaign money from AIG in the last election cycle, followed closely by Obama. But notice who is blaming who for the insertion of wording on the bonuses:
Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd said the Obama administration asked him to insert a provision in last month’s $787 billion economic- stimulus legislation that had the effect of authorizing American International Group Inc.’s bonuses.
Dodd, a Connecticut Democrat, said yesterday he agreed to modify restrictions on executive pay at companies receiving taxpayer assistance to exempt bonuses already agreed upon in contracts. He said he did so without realizing the change would benefit AIG, whose recent $165 million payment to employees has sparked a public furor.
What a lying sack of ...(you fill in the blank).
Meanwhile, Mustang has an interesting solution that may help global warming. My wish is that we pilot it in Washington DC first, to see if expanding the program worldwide would be of any benefit. If not, then we'll know he wasn't having one of his more lucid moments, when he wrote this.
I have to say, it does look good on paper. But if it can't work in DC, it can't work anywhere and we'll have to scrap it. Of course it might work in DC, but but once we realize that DC was the problem to start with, we may want to scrap it anyway. Oh well, see what you think.
Frustration often leads to anger. When people do not think they are being listened to, they tend to speak louder, with more passion and tone. When it reaches the anger point, it can turn to rage. This is where it becomes counter-productive and it solves nothing at all. But when anger turns to appropriate action, things can get done.
Right now it looks like frustration has made way for anger and we are seeing some anger converted into action over this massive government spending:
This is small potatoes right now, but it is a beginning. To make any real waves, there must be more actions like this -- all within the confines of the law and visible to the public, with or without MSM coverage.
What is needed right now (with summer coming up) is a plan for conservative entertainers to work in some free appearances, at some rallies like this. I'd like to see what kind of drawing power can counter the push for socialist overhaul.
I'd also like to see someone that has the health, ability, and will, to stand up and run against the machine -- someone to oust the likes of Dodd and Frank and anyone else that has committed a great malfeasance against this great land. Maybe someone that loves their country will step to the forefront and offer themselves as an example of honor and integrity, as they make an integral contribution to cleaning up Washington. Someone with brains and doesn't need the money or the power, but only wants to see this nation get back on a realistic course.
(Now if you'll excuse me, the plane is about to land on the island and I have to find Tattoo.)
With every lie that has been told and exposed, with every deceptive scheme that creates an illusion, people are beginning to realize that this President and this Congress are not being straight with the American people.
There have been countless lies told, schemes developed, and people are wising up to them. Let's start with this one:
The Caterpillar CEO fronted this one out, but now we see the reality of his prediction come to light.
Caterpillar Inc. on Tuesday announced plans to lay off more than 2,400 employees at five plants in Illinois, Indiana and Georgia as the heavy equipment maker continues to cut costs amid the global economic downturn.
Then there was this episode that occurred just six months ago:
John McCain tried once again to assure voters that the "fundamentals" of the American economy are strong, despite the ongoing financial meltdown.
“The economic crisis is not the fault of the American people. Our workers are the most innovative, the hardest working, the best skilled, most productive, most competitive in the world, that’s the American worker,” McCain said at a town hall meeting here.
“My opponents may disagree, but those fundamentals, the American worker and their innovation, their entrepreneurship, the small business, those are the fundamentals of America and I think they’re strong.”
Of course, there was a campaign going on and his opponent had much to say in response:
Obama responded today in Colorado, saying, “It’s not that I think John McCain doesn’t care what’s going on in the lives of most Americans. I just think doesn’t know. He doesn’t get what’s happening between the mountain in Sedona where he lives and the corridors of Washington where he works. Why else would he say that we’ve made great progress economically under George Bush?”
“Why else would he say, today, of all days – just a few hours ago – that the fundamentals of the economy are still strong? Senator – what economy are you talking about?”
Well, advance us up to today and after the trillion plus dollars we have allowed our government to spend, here is what Obama is saying:
President Obama and his team sounded cautiously optimistic notes about the economy Friday as part of an accelerating campaign to project confidence that the nation can pull out of the downturn that has caused millions of jobs and trillions of dollars of wealth to vanish.
Declaring himself “confident about America,” Mr. Obama hailed the “the most productive workers on earth” and “some of the most innovative businesses on earth.” His chief economic adviser cited “modestly encouraging” signs that consumer spending had stabilized. And on the fourth consecutive day in which the stock market posted a gain, the White House press secretary pointed to “glimmers of hope” that the economy could turn around.
There are lies and then, there are bold-faced lies like this one told by one Barney Frank:
Congressional lawmakers are scrambling to think up creative ways to recover at least some of the $165 million in bonuses that bailed-out American International Group is paying executives -- but they could be their own worst enemy.
Though Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., is among those leading the charge on retrieving the bonuses, an amendment he added to the $787 billion stimulus bill last month created a roadblock to getting that money back.
The amendment, meant to restrict executive pay for bailed-out banks, also included an exception for "contractually obligated bonuses agreed on or before Feb. 11, 2009."
So why would Dodd do such a thing, you may ask? The answer is in the next paragraph:
This would seem to exempt the AIG bonuses that lawmakers and President Obama are looking to recover. Incidentally, Dodd is the largest single recipient of 2008 campaign donations from AIG, with $103,100, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Don't trust Fox? You can verify this information at Open Secrets. In fact, AIG gave Dodd a whopping $103,100, more than any other candidate in the 2008 election cycle. Do you know who was #2? Obama came in as runner-up with a close $101,332.
So, Dodd and the Administration got wording into the legislation that would allow all contracts before 2-11-09 to be honored. Then as the kitchen begins to heat up, they are now leading the charge to get the money back. Has anyone lied in this case? Not from what I see here, but the deception is there and it's very deep. In fact, I doubt there would be this much outrage if the media hadn't fronted this out and put them all on the hotseat.
Here's the point of all of this, these people promised change. They promised that this would be the most ethical Congress ever, the most ethical White House ever, and politics as usual was dead. In one respect they told us the truth, it did change. It went from bad to worse.
Instead of keeping our eyes on important issues like the one being discussed today at Social Sense, we are sitting here today watching crooks and liars like Dodd pull these kinds of stunts. As these miscreants are attacking almost every institution imaginable and throwing large sums of money around like it's candy off of a Mardi Gras float, there are other more important issues flying far below the radar. Because the attention is being given to the obvious, the not so obvious is what concerns me.
Looking at smoke and mirrors can create some great illusions and illusions are deceptions, whether intended or not. But we must not forget, illusions were what caught us sleeping on 9-11-01. Everything was fine on 9-10-01, but little did we know what was lurking beneath the facade.
Today, we are watching these fine crooks argue and fight over what is supposedly good for the American economy, listening to how Chris Dodd and the others are going to recover the money for the American people. Meanwhile, the situation described by Mustang is creeping up on us, unaware. A poof here, a smoke screen there, all take their toll on the American people's confidence threshold. Before we know it, we may wish we had figured this out sooner.
Seems to me it's not much of a battle, much less a war. Fox news continues to thoroughly dominate its competition. Drudge occasionally puts up numbers, here are the ones from Friday March 13th:
FOXNEWS O'REILLY 3,185,000
FOXNEWS BECK 3,074,000
FOXNEWS HANNITY 2,557,000
FOXNEWS BAIER 2,151,000
FOXNEWS SHEP 1,879,000
FOXNEWS GRETA 1,522,000
MSNBC OLBERMANN 1,223,000
CNN KING 1,046,000
CNNHN GRACE 1,045,000
MSNBC MADDOW 954,000
It doesn't take an accountant to crunch these numbers to see that FNC is beating the hell out of everyone from 5-11PM EDT. O'Reilly, often the target of vitriol from Olberrmann, is out dueling this Olbey One Kenobe by over a 2.5:1 margin. And Maddow who was to supposed be the real deal back when she debuted, is turning in pathetically embarrassing numbers. She doesn't even attract a million.
But as you may guess there are those that spin this. The Olberrmann/Matthews crowd loves to portray FNC viewers as ignorant. Don't you just love people that think they are always right and the rest of the world is stupid?
It's Monday. After one week of vacation, I must return to the salt mine. Last evening I was too tired to write anything of any value. So for today, I will simply recommend going to Social Sense for another one of Mustang's great posts.
The Left believes that the state assures social and economic mobility, in which they define as an egalitarian society. Since the state is the "so-called" guarantor of egalitarianism, justice eludes any other socio-economic model. They insist that without the help of the government, people just cannot make it in this country and many are forever doomed to a life of poverty and despair.
If you didn't get the opportunity to see ABC's 20/20 Friday evening, here is where you can watch a report that debunks this myth, advanced by those on the Left. I found the entire show noteworthy for many reasons, the one I would like to highlight can be found inPart Six, entitled America: Still The Land Of Opportunity. If you want to read about it, you can read Stossel's blog entry, which also includes a video witht some startling information.
Briefly, the part I want to point out is the profile of two books and the two stories behind the books. This is something liberals will not be able to refute, but they'll try anyway. It discusses the myth of the middle class erosion.
Social commentator and best-selling author Barbara Ehrenreich agrees. "It used to be that you could expect to get a job after college, rise in that job, maybe switch jobs at some point and then retire with a generous pension," she said. "Now, it's a very bumpy road with many gaps in between."
In her book "Nickel and Dimed," Ehrenreich went undercover to work as a nursing home aide, a Wal-Mart associate and took on other low-wage jobs to see if she could make ends meet.
She said she struggled to pay her bills and live comfortably. If you are poor, she said, and you want to move up the income ladder, in her experience, America doesn't "offer as much upward mobility as we think it does. That's a myth."
But is she right? Can only the rich make it in America? Not everyone agrees.
"I wanted to discover for myself if the 'American Dream' is still alive," said Adam Shepard, author of "Scratch Beginnings," a book he wrote after reading Ehrenreich's book in college.
Shepard, now 26, picked a city out of a hat -- Charleston, S.C. He went there with $25 in his pocket. How far could he get if he didn't tell anyone about his college degree?
"I arrived, and right away I figured I needed to get into a homeless shelter," Shepard said.
He lived in a shelter for two months. Then he got a job with a moving company, making $8 an hour. Soon he'd saved enough to buy a used truck. And within a few months he had an apartment. After one year, he had $5,500 and a car. How?
"I was able to do it because I made sacrifices," Shepard said.
Despite Ehrenreich's claim that income mobility is a myth, Shepard succeeded from humble beginnings.
There's more the learn from this particular segment. America: Still A Land Of Opportunity is worth your time because it demonstrates that anyone with a dream, properly motivated, and refuses to quit, can achieve success with little or no government assistance. I have a friend who is fond of saying that life provides two choices: chicken salad, or chicken crap. The video shows how a young person was able to demonstrate how flawed an older woman’s thinking is; it was very inspirational.
Much of human behavior is learned. People who are conditioned to believe they cannot succeed outside of extraordinary circumstances, generally will not succeed. It is a cruel joke played on young people by their parents, by our socialist education system, and often, by the people with whom we choose to associate. Evidently, this young man in the video went against that grain and resisted the lure to underachieve, because the mainstream educational experts said he would.
In all of this, let's not fail to consider the amazing transformation among people who complete military training. They become positive thinkers, planners, and develop amazing self-confidence. They, more than any other segment of our society, understand that we cannot help the circumstances of our birth. But we have much to say about what we actually accomplish in our lives.
Go ahead . . . watch this. And unless you are one of those people who love to be miserable, you’ll be encouraged at what you see. I recommend watching the entire report. But if time is limited, make sure you watch the entire Part Six. I think you'll be very surprised at what you see.
I am not sure what I would identify as my theme this weekend, other than some tunes that are relaxing and promote some level of introspection and/or reflection. And I like them.
Up first is a little tune from this decade and believe it or not, even Mustang likes it. What's not to like about it? Here is Coldplay and their 2002 hit, Clocks:
This was always a favorite mellow song of my generation. This is the legendary Procol Harum and their classic, A Whiter Shade Of Pale:
Many people may not know this little tidbit. But before he was a solo success, Van Morrison sang with a group called Them. This song was written and sang by Bob Dylan. It has also been performed by The Animals , Link Wray, and a few others along the way. This one is from 1965 and it's a great, great tune. Here is It's All Over Now, Baby Blue:
Bro. T is 18. The little 14-month girl, who he beat with a belt because she wouldn't eat and she "disrespected" him, has died. The 21-year old mother was also beaten when she tried to stop the beating. Others are being investigated for being present, standing by, and doing nothing.
Not only is Chism depraved, he is a punk. And I would love nothing more than to have him in a room with me, alone, no witnesses, for about a half an hour. I promise, I would NOT kill him.
Addendum:It sounds like there is a solid case against this heinous creep, so he's going to do some time. Exactly how much, remains to be seen. If he's smart he'll plea bargain.
But I have to say that even among the most depraved individuals in a Level 4 facility, they really don't like child-killers. Prison community justice is probably very likely in this case. Plus, at his fresh young age, he will be somebody's wife at some point along the way, if he hasn't been already.
Here is a moment of wonderment that I think we all need to be aware of. CNN is reporting it.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki confirmed Tuesday that the Obama administration is considering a controversial plan to make veterans pay for treatment of service-related injuries with private insurance, but was told by lawmakers that it would be "dead on arrival" if sent to Congress.
Apparently, we have read this correctly. Thankfully, it is not being well received by Washington Senator Patty Murray.
Washington Sen. Patty Murray used that blunt terminology, telling Shinseki that the idea would not be acceptable and would be rejected if formally proposed. She made the remarks during a Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs hearing about the 2010 budget.
Even with the knowledge that this will be a waste of time, it may be that Team O will still want to press for it.
No official proposal to create such a program has been announced publicly, but veterans groups wrote a pre-emptive letter last week to President Obama opposing the idea after hearing the plan was under consideration. The groups also noticed an increase in “third-party collections” estimated in the 2010 budget proposal—something they said could only be achieved if the VA started billing for service-related injuries.
Asked about the proposal, Shinseki said it was under "consideration."
"A final decision hasn't been made yet," he said.
If this is true, this clearly shows that the arrogance of these clowns is unsurpassed by any in our nation's history. But this is not the only point worth thinking about.
Ask any proponent of single-payer government run healthcare and you will hear them blame the insurance companies for the mess we are in right now. But as we can see from this story, they are the problem only when it's convenient for them to be so. From this story, it sounds like they have no problem billing them for care, which they are not willing to cover.
Now that they are learning the costs of what it take to care for an injured troop, they seem to think the insurance company is the answer. How hypocritical is that? Is this a red flag, or what?
If you think that single payer government run healthcare is the only answer, you may want to reconsider. If the government is having trouble covering the cost of taking care of those that have been wounded serving their country, how much more difficult do you think it will be if everyone is on the same plan?
This is something for you people (those who think healthcare is the responsibility of the government) to think about. Wait until it's your sick child getting lost in the bureaucracy of an inept system and you are told there is no money for what he/she needs done.
Wake up, people. Some of you are starting to fall for the lies being advanced by elitist politicians. They want you to believe that government is the answer to every problem we have. But as one great man used to say, government is the problem.
You can't have it both ways, so don't let your emotions override your intellect. And above all, let's not ignore the red flags anymore.
Like everyone else, I am shocked and stunned at the shootings that just occurred on two separate continents. Maybe not as much as people who live in those communities, but certainly more than those that have never been to either area.
You see, I was stationed not far from both shootings. I used to know both areas pretty well at one time, many years ago. So in a sense, I feel a certain kinship to those people who are grieving. I am sure they are desperately trying to cope with these tragedies. And in whatever way they possibly can, they are trying to make some small shred of sense from what is one of the most senseless acts, imaginable.
It's easy for me to sit here and say things about these incidents. One of my kids wasn't killed, so I have no real experience at what the families must be going through right now. It wasn't my kid who pulled the trigger, so I cannot even imagine what is going on in the heads of those who survive these gunmen. So, take my words for what they are worth, as, I am no expert in these matters.
But I am a parent who has raised children. Neither of them have been perfect by any stretch of the imagination, and both have greatly contributed to the graying of what was once a full set of brown hair. I thank my God daily that they have never been capable of doing anything like this, nor did they ever witness or experience it. And I think it should definitely go without saying, I am doubly thankful they were never the victim of such a tragedy.
The first knee-jerk reaction will be to blame the parents of the gunmen. I think it can be a starting place to look for answers, but in the Alabama case the mother is dead. If she in any way contributed to the mental anguish (or did not), we may never know because she has paid the ultimate price with the other victims. The case in Germany may be different, but who can actually say at this point?
Neither of these kids (I know the Alabama man was 27, but at my age, he's still a kid) showed any signs of being capable of such heinous acts. At least that's the early report. Both gunmen were described as quiet and reserved. I know many quiet and shy people, this alone is not a sign that someone will snap like this. When someone is not able to express their thoughts in a setting that is non-judgmental and non-threatening, who knows what they are thinking? As a result, how does one find a red flag in this kind of case?
Many times over the years, I have tried to encourage my children to verbally express themselves. Sometimes they did, other times they didn't. But if not, I always left the door open if they changed their minds. So if there is any one thing that a parent can do, it's listen. Sure, we lecture. That's what parents do. Mine did it, I did it, and I am sure my kids will do it when it is their turn. But we also have to listen. Or they will get very good at shutting us out. As a result, they will not listen to us.
The second knee-jerk reaction will be for anti-gun advocates to cry out for stricter gun laws. In Europe, this will certainly be a major rallying cry and already has been in the hours since the tragedy occurred. To which I still say, the guns did not kill anyone. They did not just start firing on their own. Someone had to load them, aim them, and fire them. Those that are capable of this kind of thing will only find other ways to carry out the deed.
So when struggling to understand the incomprehensible, it is important to note something. We must try to understand, what made these kids want to believe this was a viable option in whatever turmoil they were experiencing. What caused them to snap? If we can learn something from this, we may be able to recognize something in the future. We might just be able to recognize the same things in others, who may have the capability of doing something like this. As time passes, we may learn more valuable information that may help us prevent something like this in the future.
But for right now, we know the best prevention is for parents to do their jobs, and one of those jobs is to listen to their children. It doesn't mean they have to give in on anything, on which they are not inclined to do so. It doesn't mean they have to ignore their better judgment. It means they listen to what the kids are saying and then, they teach them how to develop independent problem-solving skills.
Right now, there are too many parents that are not doing their jobs. While their kids may never snap like this, many will make other poor decisions down the road, as a result of the parents not taking the time to listen and teach proper coping skills. And unfortunately, many of those poor decisions may have a lasting effect on some other innocent person.
One of the problems that has been addressed (apparently to no avail) is the need to lead by example. The Dems are running roughshod with earmarks in the upcoming, this is a given when it comes to spending taxpayer money. But for the GOP to be effective on this as a valid issue, it is going to distance itself from officials like Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL).
This is a commentary from Pat Buchanan. I don't always agree with Buchanan's views, but sometimes he gets it right. And I believe this essay is one of those times.
As Thomas Sowell does so well, this is a very poignant indictment. Many of us are being billed for the poor decision making of others and it's no secret that most of us are not happy about it. Most of us are not in over our heads, we are keeping up, and many of us are just trying to get to retirement (so out kids do not have to take care of us).
Not surprising. After all, it is Nancy Pelosi we are talking about here. Records are showing that she thinks the Air Force is her personal airline. I can understand if she needs to fly to and from her district. But not to gallivant. If it is her desire to gallivant, she needs to use private airlines at her own expense.
Interesting. In the days since this Congress began, crunching the numbers gives us a good feel for just what has just transpired. It comes to $1 billion per hour. This means that each member of Congress spent $1.8 million per hour in this year's session. And they are talking about spending more.
As you may know from the news, President Obama fulfilled another promise recently. He stretched out a hand to an enemy, the Taliban. In this gesture, the Canberra Times sounded hopeful, like they were praising the effort.
Afghanistan's Taliban on Tuesday turned down as illogical U.S. President Barack Obama's bid to reach out to moderate elements of the insurgents, saying the exit of foreign troops was the only solution for ending the war.
Obama, in an interview with the New York Times, expressed an openness to adapting tactics in Afghanistan that had been used in Iraq to reach out to moderate elements there.
"This does not require any response or reaction for this is illogical," Qari Mohammad Yousuf, a purported spokesman for the insurgent group, told Reuters when asked if its top leader Mullah Mohammad Omar would make any comment about Obama's proposal.
"The Taliban are united, have one leader, one aim, one policy...I do not know why they are talking about moderate Taliban and what it means?,"
"If it means those who are not fighting and are sitting in their homes, then talking to them is meaningless. This really is surprising the Taliban."
The article says it all. It's illogical for a US President to even believe that he can separate a moderate faction from the radical. Why? Because there is no moderate faction. Otherwise they would not be members of the Taliban, would they? And it's sad enough when Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran are all laughing at your President, now we can add the Taliban to that list.
If they would be consistent with past Presidential parodies, one can visualize a SNL skit, where the message reaches Taliban leadership. They read it out loud, then pass it around. As they read it for themselves, their faces tell the story. They are demonstrating the countenances of surprised men.
After the initial shock passes, they begin to chuckle. Chuckling leads to laughter, the laughter leads to low oxygen saturation levels and need for some Depends undergarments. Once they gain their composure and change their underwear, they return the message contained in this article and here we are.
The moral of the story? Making gestures towards an enemy that doesn't like us, usually results in this kind of response. In addition, we are seeing strong evidence that bargaining from a position of weakness is not the preferred method.
We, who have an understanding, see this for what it is. Those of you who have been blinded by this novice, this man that promised you hope and change; maybe now, you will come to know what we have already known and attempted to articulate to you without success. Maybe now, you can see that this was not the best person for the job, despite the fact the other guy wasn't such a brilliant catch.
Not only has this guy spent almost a trillion dollars in 50 days, in the same amount of time he has practically undone almost everything set up by the Bush Administration, in the way of foreign policy, much of it to the direct detriment of the country.
We get a green light to terror and a red light to common sense foreign policy. Get used to it America, this is the best it's going to get for awhile. But more importantly, I want to know something else. What is the next brilliant move the Obama team plans to make, now that annexing the Sudetenland is no longer an option?
Other brilliant moves by Team O and the fallout of such, can be found at:
I have finally gotten around to linking to one of the better political satire sites in the world, The People's Cube. You can now find it under Stellar Sites. I have read it since after the 2004 election. It is the sequel to the Communists for Kerry blog, which was quite active during the 2004 election.
One recent post is pretty funny, but somewhat ironic in that the humor is not so funny, when you think about the reality of the situation. When you get a moment, read this piece called Contradictions of Socialism (I saw the future & ran away).
The six dialectical contradictions of socialism in the USSR:
* There is full employment - yet no one is working. * No one is working - yet the factory quotas are fulfilled. * The factory quotas are fulfilled - yet the stores have nothing to sell. * The stores have nothing to sell - yet people got all the stuff at home. * People got all the stuff at home - yet everyone is complaining. * Everyone is complaining - yet the voting is always unanimous.
If you are a social progressive and fail to see the reality of this, you might want to undergo some self-reflection in a monastery for a couple of months. Maybe you could take some time to read without distraction, books that accurately describe and analyze the Soviet Union and her Eastern European Satellites.
But let's not stop there, There are more incongruencies listed. I recommend you read the entire article.
Then.....
In addition to the People's Cube piece, WitNit has one that is an excellent companion piece. He breaks this down into easy-to-understand biological terms which are not hard to follow.
Think about this: The government cannot create wealth. If it could, it would have no need for taxes.
This is a simplification, of course. (Governments can support activities that create wealth.) But the main thing to keep in mind is that politicians and bureaucrats through their taxing power consume wealth that is created by others.
This is only the tip of the iceberg, wait until you read the rest.
These two posts carefully illustrate much of why I am such a critic of socialist policies, and why I believe that socialism (as it has been presented in history) has been an overt failure as a viable socio-economic political model.
As WitNit clearly explains the parasite/host relationship, we would be wise to consider the government as the ultimate parasite, with the people they govern as the host. Socialists are seeking to reverse this completely. They want the government to be the host, and the people to be the parasites. They want to abolish the rich and work toward a classless society. (Well, lets just say two classes, government and subjects.)
Another way to broaden your thinking would be to carefully consider what Europe, Russia, China, Middle East nations, and third world countries would like to accomplish. Up until now, the US has been the host of the free world, while others have been parasites. There are enough nations that have long been envious of America and they are actively seeking to reverse the host/parasite relationship, as well. Obama is helping by sending a bumbling fool around the world to speak for the US, Madame Secretary Of State Clinton.
Reid and Pelosi are helping too. With the help of social progressives in America and abroad, the Left is doing whatever damage can be done. Meanwhile, the nation weakens little by little. It's so subtle, very few have caught onto it. They see it as change for improvement.
The globalists abroad are not particularly helpful and are seeking to destabilize us on their end, because these people really believe it is time for another entity to become the host and the US to become the parasite. We may be the last stronghold of strength, not to mention the last to be desirous of a national identity, individual rights, and a real liberty to pursue true happiness, free from unwanted and unneeded government intervention. But that hasn't stopped them.
Want to know why I rail so much against this ideology and philosophy that many believe will save people from themselves? Just read these two articles. They break it down, as good as any. They leave little else to say.
