While pondering the present state of the 2012 General Election cycle, I have developed several interesting scenarios concerning Barack Obama that are perfectly capable of occurring. In the present environment of both a highly energized GOP and a frustrated and fearful left-wing Democrat electorate, it is easy to imagine one of these scenarios actually taking place.
First, as President Obama's approval rating continues to fall amidst a growing unease with his leadership abilities, it's not hard to imagine him announcing another nationally televised speech when he admits he has no answers to our ongoing economic situation and informs America that he will not be seeking re-election to a second term. In fact, if his numbers do not improve by the end of 2011, it's likely the very best thing he could do for his legacy. By announcing his decision not to run for a second term and vowing to dedicate his remaining time in office to working with Congress to find real fixes to America's problems, Obama could leave office still admired by his followers and even forgiven by his political enemies. I must admit, I was somewhat expecting this very thing to occur last Thursday night during the Joint Session, so please...take that into consideration as I unveil these scenarios.
Secondly, because of his obvious narcissistic tendencies, Obama could continue pretending to be POTUS while actually the Panderer-in-Chief, lose the general respectably, and have to live with his failed presidency and infamous legacy.
Third - if his numbers continue to fall, Obama could face a landslide loss in the General Election. This should, of course, be an unthinkable thing to say in the wake of the Democrat punditry proclaiming as well as celebrating the death of the GOP during the aftermath of the '08 General Election. And this leads to my fourth scenario -one which is very possible.
Like every other perpetrator of political assassination against a sitting US President or prominent political figure in America's history, some left-winger, most assuredly a Democrat, will take it on his/her self to eliminate a doomed Obama candidacy with a well-placed shot to his brain. Remember, it was a Democrat who shot Lincoln, a left-wing anarchist who murdered McKinley, a communist who fired the magic bullet into Kennedy's cranium, a palestinian activist who took out Robert Kennedy, a Democrat racist who ended MLK's life, a left-wing Manson family-member who tried to kill Gerald Ford, and a crazy weirdo trying to impress a vocally left-wing actress who nearly ended Ronald Reagan's life. One can easily imagine some deranged leftist "nobly" rescuing his party from a shameful defeat in November of 2012 by making room for a more competitive candidate.
Then again, Obama could win re-election. Despite...or perhaps because of...his record, he could win re-election. An ugly symptom of American descent.
All are viable scenarios.
If Obama does happen to be re-elected, I predict he will be forced to resign from office in disgrace during his second term.
But that's another scenario we can explore later, perhaps.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
That Scheme Called "Ponzi"
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics there was only 1.75 full-time private sector workers last year for every one Social Security recipient. Obviously this doesn't include part-time workers, or "covered" workers-- those who, while receiving Social Security benefits, also work part-time and pay social security taxes. But part-time and covered workers didn't pay enough to make up the difference between what came in and what went out...
This is the beautiful part: government workers paid their social security taxes with our tax money... that non-government workers have to pay back. Taxed twice, essentially... private sector workers paying for public sector workers' social security benefits.
Public sector workers deserve to receive benefits when they reach that age, but there needs to be a better system in place where the private sector isn't carrying the tax burden of public sector workers as well as their own.
This pyramid scheme isn't going to be able to keep pace with demand for much longer. Last year saw a 32 billion dollar shortfall. Reforms MUST be made. Reforms that include a lock and key on all future contributions; no more plonking it all into the general fund where politicians can squander it. Reforms that include allowing taxpayers the option of investing a portion of their pre-tax earnings into private retirement investments. Reforms that ensure that present recipients and those of a certain age are guaranteed the benefits promised them.
Follow the link for the full article:
Labor Dept. Data: Only 1.75 Full-Time Private Sector Workers Per Social Security Recipient
UPDATE:
Found a bit of history surrounding Social Security over at Godfather Politics. Here are the salient remarks:
That means that for each husband and wife who worked full-time in the private sector last year there was a Social Security recipient somewhere in the country taking benefits from the federal government.
Most state and local workers are part of the Social Security system and pay Social Security taxes; and, since 1984, all federal workers have been part of the system and pay Social Security taxes. However, unlike private sector workers who pay Social Security taxes with private-sector dollars, government workers pay their payroll taxes out of wages government pays them with tax dollars or with money that was BORROWED BY GOVERNMENT AND TAXPAYERS MUST EVENTUALLY REPAY. [emphasis added]
In its latest annual report, the Social Security board of trustees reported that the federal government’s total revenue from Social Security taxes in 2010—$544.8 billion—was not enough to cover Social Security’s total benefit payments—$577.4 billion.
This is the beautiful part: government workers paid their social security taxes with our tax money... that non-government workers have to pay back. Taxed twice, essentially... private sector workers paying for public sector workers' social security benefits.
Public sector workers deserve to receive benefits when they reach that age, but there needs to be a better system in place where the private sector isn't carrying the tax burden of public sector workers as well as their own.
This pyramid scheme isn't going to be able to keep pace with demand for much longer. Last year saw a 32 billion dollar shortfall. Reforms MUST be made. Reforms that include a lock and key on all future contributions; no more plonking it all into the general fund where politicians can squander it. Reforms that include allowing taxpayers the option of investing a portion of their pre-tax earnings into private retirement investments. Reforms that ensure that present recipients and those of a certain age are guaranteed the benefits promised them.
Follow the link for the full article:
Labor Dept. Data: Only 1.75 Full-Time Private Sector Workers Per Social Security Recipient
UPDATE:
Found a bit of history surrounding Social Security over at Godfather Politics. Here are the salient remarks:
Most Americans don’t know much about the financial structure of Social Security, and they also don’t know much about its history. Here’s just a little background. Take it for what it’s worth.
In William L. Shirer’s book The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich we learn the origin of Social Security policies and the effect they had on the German people. Social Security was engineered by German Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck in the 19th century. His policies gradually made the German people “value security over political freedom and caused them to see in the State, however conservative, a benefactor and a protector.”[1] Between 1883 and 1889 Bismarck put through a program for social security far beyond anything known in other countries at the time. It included compulsory insurance for workers against old age, sickness, accident and incapacity, and though it was organized by the State it was financed by employers and employees. Sound familiar? This is American-style Social Security!
Adolf Hitler took full advantage of the German state of mind and Bismarck’s early progress in turning the nation into a model of socialist reform. Hitler remarks in Mein Kampf, “I studied Bismarck’s socialist legislation in its intention, struggle and success.”[2] It was Hitler’s social security policies and promises that helped get him elected.
Hitler was not alone in his admiration of Bismarck and what he was able to accomplish. FDR borrowed Bismarck’s socialist agenda and created what is now known as the Social Security System. Bismarck said that “the State must take the matter in hand, since the State can most easily supply the requisite funds. It must provide them not as alms but in fulfillment of the workers’ right to look to the State where their own good will can achieve nothing more.”[3] Roosevelt and his admirers agreed. P. J. O’Brien, writing in Forward with Roosevelt, links Bismarck’s social policies with those of Roosevelt: “[The quotation by Bismarck] might have been lifted out of a speech by President Roosevelt in 1936, but the Iron Chancellor uttered it in 1871.”[4]
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Ten Years Later
Everyone has been looking back this week; where they were, what they saw, heard, felt. I was fortunate enough to actually work at a television station [and still do]... I literally got paid to watch the whole spectacle, in all its grandiose horror, for some 48 hours before we ever bothered to do a local news broadcast. Looking back, it seems now that at the time we were too focused on what we were losing to worry or even bother about what we were doing, or saying... we allowed ourselves freedom enough to express [or expel] our very natural uncertainties and insecurities born of that day.
Not only could I not believe what I was witnessing, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I heard language on live television that would incur huge fines were such words and phrases ever uttered on live television today. I remember being stunned by some of the "vocalizations" CBS allowed to air that day-- especially the blasphemies.
I wasn't blogging then-- very few were (blogger was only two years old) --but I was writing.
What follows are my own impressions of that day, on that day, September 11, 2001.
To Shine That Much Brighter
It is said the Egyptians built with eternity in mind-- perhaps inspired by the Sphinx itself which is older than Egyptian civilization. It’s said also, that Caesar found Rome brick and clay, and left it marble. The Pyramids still stand, the Coliseum still stands, the Acropolis still stands, but the Twin Towers do not. We build to satisfy our egos, but we don’t build for posterity. In three thousand years, will there be anything left in America to exemplify the culture of our time? Will we leave a mark, or will others leave marks upon us?
It’s been said of one era or another, "these are evil times…" but times are neither good nor evil. Rather, it’s the hearts and minds of Men that shape the times which create pain and suffering enough for others to name these times evil. World War II saw evil times; Hitler’s Final Solution, America's own use of atomic weapons. There were evil times in Korea, and Vietnam, and the killing fields of Cambodia, but the times themselves were not evil. Again, it was the hearts and minds of Men. The times are not evil, Men are. Change the heart of a man and you can change the world.
But can any one man or woman change the world? Can any one Nation make a difference? While it’s true the United States has had a hand in inspiring and helping to shape today’s world, it’s also true there are those who have resisted this change, seeing in the U.S. a great evil; rather to be destroyed than emulated. They cry out that the west meddles in things that don’t concern it, that it forces its own ideals and belief system upon nations incapable of defending themselves against its unwelcome intrusion. The Taliban government of Afghanistan recently arrested several westerners for trying to convert Muslims to Christianity; an offense punishable by death. Not too long ago the Chinese used tanks against their own people in Tienanmen Square, simply because they wanted to be more like the West. U.S. companies push such products as cheeseburgers, Coca Cola, and ‘decadent’ television programming upon starving third world countries. They turn a blind eye to those who see these companies as intruders, not as business adventurers; but as subversive attacks upon the core values of nations which didn’t want or even care about Kentucky Fried Chicken, before Colonel Sanders stepped off the plane. "We’re just making money!" the West cries, but others see this as an attempt to weaken their culture and their sense of national pride. When the Pharaohs built the great pyramids it’s certain they never envisioned Burger King moving in next door. China is only now beginning to open its borders to the West. They need the money; they want the money, but how much does that Big Mac really cost? How much will it cost the West?
‘But the West is decadent! It has lost its moral center!’ Many who hate her call America a Christian nation, and in this they demonstrate their ignorance. Certainly the United States was founded on Christian principles, but those principles have eroded over the last three centuries. America today is but a dim shadow of what it once was. ‘Christian’ is a word bandied about by everyone; the Right, the Left; the Agnostic and Atheist alike, but less than ten percent of avowed Christians even put their faith into practice. The mind of this nation has changed, and Morality is now viewed subjectively at best; where once the people held to a belief in God, and right and wrong were seen as black and white issues, is it any wonder Christianity has fallen from grace? Every nation we thrust our interfering hands into can see the truth in this, so why can’t we? Could it be the Emperor has no clothes after all?
Times have changed, however. It no longer takes months on horseback to reach the Pacific Ocean from the Big Apple. It doesn’t take years for ships to circumnavigate the globe. Weapon of war have also changed. Where once armies faced one another with swords and knives and spears, they now face each other not at all; they simply make a call and push a button. Where once they rained arrows down upon enemy ranks, they now rain devastation from the skies, leveling whole cities. War has become too clean, and so we balk when the children of the Third World use our methods against us, albeit with less finesse and less concern for innocents (though that point could be debated). But destroying ten thousand innocent lives is not acceptable, no matter who pulls the trigger, pushes the button, makes the call, or hijacks the plane. And justice should be required of everyone responsible, no matter where the blame falls.
Mercy, however, should not be forgotten. Any thought of revenge should be put aside. America should not concern herself with revenge; it is not a pure enough motive for what must be done. For what must be done is terrible in and of itself. A life for a life will not return said life. Death cannot be undone. And since it does not lie in our power to give life, we should be careful in our deliberations to take life. Hunt down those responsible, yes. Make them pay the ultimate price for their crimes, yes. But let us not take pleasure in what must be done.
Changing the hearts and minds of all men is impossible. It is human nature to set ones own needs above the needs of others, but its man’s capacity for self-sacrifice that sets him above nature. A dog can only be a dog, it cannot choose to rebel against millions of years of evolution; but man most certainly can. He can say to himself, "I could die in this collapsing building, but I will work anyway to save the life of someone who might yet be alive."
Today in Manhattan civilian volunteers are finding ways to make a difference; digging through the rubble, assisting in the hospitals, donating blood, giving money, praying or simply holding a stranger in their arms as they weep. This is man at his best. This is what he aspires to, but never seems to find until times like these. The times aren’t Evil, men are. But despite the times, it is comforting to know there is still good in the world, that Evil no matter its magnitude only serves to make Goodness shine that much brighter.
The Egyptians built things to last, as did the Greeks and Romans, but then they never saw anything so big as a jumbo jet falling from the sky. It’s not likely even the pyramids could have survived such an attack unscathed; neither could men. But we will survive. That is what we do. Judgment must come, but so must rebuilding. Terrorists thought to destroy a national symbol; they think even now to force us into the bunkers for fear of other such attacks, but we must not give in to this. Find those responsible, punish them swiftly, with mercy, and then rebuild. The Towers are dead, but the ideal is not. Build a memorial to the lives lost, by all means, but rebuild. Show the enemy the measure of our strength, our courage, and our resolve. Rebuild and show the world that these places are sacred; the Spirit of America does not reside in buildings, but in the hearts of her sons and daughters.
Who will ever forget September 11, 2001? Who will ever forget the loss of so many lives, or the tears shed? Who will ever forget that at 8:50am ignorance took a stab at killing something that could not be killed? They have taken untold lives, but they have not destroyed America. Let us rebuild. Let us learn to build for posterity, and hopefully leave in our wake something that will endure.
ELAshley
September 11, 2001
Not only could I not believe what I was witnessing, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I heard language on live television that would incur huge fines were such words and phrases ever uttered on live television today. I remember being stunned by some of the "vocalizations" CBS allowed to air that day-- especially the blasphemies.
I wasn't blogging then-- very few were (blogger was only two years old) --but I was writing.
What follows are my own impressions of that day, on that day, September 11, 2001.
To Shine That Much Brighter
It is said the Egyptians built with eternity in mind-- perhaps inspired by the Sphinx itself which is older than Egyptian civilization. It’s said also, that Caesar found Rome brick and clay, and left it marble. The Pyramids still stand, the Coliseum still stands, the Acropolis still stands, but the Twin Towers do not. We build to satisfy our egos, but we don’t build for posterity. In three thousand years, will there be anything left in America to exemplify the culture of our time? Will we leave a mark, or will others leave marks upon us?
It’s been said of one era or another, "these are evil times…" but times are neither good nor evil. Rather, it’s the hearts and minds of Men that shape the times which create pain and suffering enough for others to name these times evil. World War II saw evil times; Hitler’s Final Solution, America's own use of atomic weapons. There were evil times in Korea, and Vietnam, and the killing fields of Cambodia, but the times themselves were not evil. Again, it was the hearts and minds of Men. The times are not evil, Men are. Change the heart of a man and you can change the world.
But can any one man or woman change the world? Can any one Nation make a difference? While it’s true the United States has had a hand in inspiring and helping to shape today’s world, it’s also true there are those who have resisted this change, seeing in the U.S. a great evil; rather to be destroyed than emulated. They cry out that the west meddles in things that don’t concern it, that it forces its own ideals and belief system upon nations incapable of defending themselves against its unwelcome intrusion. The Taliban government of Afghanistan recently arrested several westerners for trying to convert Muslims to Christianity; an offense punishable by death. Not too long ago the Chinese used tanks against their own people in Tienanmen Square, simply because they wanted to be more like the West. U.S. companies push such products as cheeseburgers, Coca Cola, and ‘decadent’ television programming upon starving third world countries. They turn a blind eye to those who see these companies as intruders, not as business adventurers; but as subversive attacks upon the core values of nations which didn’t want or even care about Kentucky Fried Chicken, before Colonel Sanders stepped off the plane. "We’re just making money!" the West cries, but others see this as an attempt to weaken their culture and their sense of national pride. When the Pharaohs built the great pyramids it’s certain they never envisioned Burger King moving in next door. China is only now beginning to open its borders to the West. They need the money; they want the money, but how much does that Big Mac really cost? How much will it cost the West?
‘But the West is decadent! It has lost its moral center!’ Many who hate her call America a Christian nation, and in this they demonstrate their ignorance. Certainly the United States was founded on Christian principles, but those principles have eroded over the last three centuries. America today is but a dim shadow of what it once was. ‘Christian’ is a word bandied about by everyone; the Right, the Left; the Agnostic and Atheist alike, but less than ten percent of avowed Christians even put their faith into practice. The mind of this nation has changed, and Morality is now viewed subjectively at best; where once the people held to a belief in God, and right and wrong were seen as black and white issues, is it any wonder Christianity has fallen from grace? Every nation we thrust our interfering hands into can see the truth in this, so why can’t we? Could it be the Emperor has no clothes after all?
Times have changed, however. It no longer takes months on horseback to reach the Pacific Ocean from the Big Apple. It doesn’t take years for ships to circumnavigate the globe. Weapon of war have also changed. Where once armies faced one another with swords and knives and spears, they now face each other not at all; they simply make a call and push a button. Where once they rained arrows down upon enemy ranks, they now rain devastation from the skies, leveling whole cities. War has become too clean, and so we balk when the children of the Third World use our methods against us, albeit with less finesse and less concern for innocents (though that point could be debated). But destroying ten thousand innocent lives is not acceptable, no matter who pulls the trigger, pushes the button, makes the call, or hijacks the plane. And justice should be required of everyone responsible, no matter where the blame falls.
Mercy, however, should not be forgotten. Any thought of revenge should be put aside. America should not concern herself with revenge; it is not a pure enough motive for what must be done. For what must be done is terrible in and of itself. A life for a life will not return said life. Death cannot be undone. And since it does not lie in our power to give life, we should be careful in our deliberations to take life. Hunt down those responsible, yes. Make them pay the ultimate price for their crimes, yes. But let us not take pleasure in what must be done.
Changing the hearts and minds of all men is impossible. It is human nature to set ones own needs above the needs of others, but its man’s capacity for self-sacrifice that sets him above nature. A dog can only be a dog, it cannot choose to rebel against millions of years of evolution; but man most certainly can. He can say to himself, "I could die in this collapsing building, but I will work anyway to save the life of someone who might yet be alive."
Today in Manhattan civilian volunteers are finding ways to make a difference; digging through the rubble, assisting in the hospitals, donating blood, giving money, praying or simply holding a stranger in their arms as they weep. This is man at his best. This is what he aspires to, but never seems to find until times like these. The times aren’t Evil, men are. But despite the times, it is comforting to know there is still good in the world, that Evil no matter its magnitude only serves to make Goodness shine that much brighter.
The Egyptians built things to last, as did the Greeks and Romans, but then they never saw anything so big as a jumbo jet falling from the sky. It’s not likely even the pyramids could have survived such an attack unscathed; neither could men. But we will survive. That is what we do. Judgment must come, but so must rebuilding. Terrorists thought to destroy a national symbol; they think even now to force us into the bunkers for fear of other such attacks, but we must not give in to this. Find those responsible, punish them swiftly, with mercy, and then rebuild. The Towers are dead, but the ideal is not. Build a memorial to the lives lost, by all means, but rebuild. Show the enemy the measure of our strength, our courage, and our resolve. Rebuild and show the world that these places are sacred; the Spirit of America does not reside in buildings, but in the hearts of her sons and daughters.
Who will ever forget September 11, 2001? Who will ever forget the loss of so many lives, or the tears shed? Who will ever forget that at 8:50am ignorance took a stab at killing something that could not be killed? They have taken untold lives, but they have not destroyed America. Let us rebuild. Let us learn to build for posterity, and hopefully leave in our wake something that will endure.
ELAshley
September 11, 2001
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Proof Multiculturalism* is Evil?
[*defined by total inclusiveness at the expense of personal, religious, and (as a result) societal freedoms]
The GZ Mosque has applied for government grants to finish construction of a Mosque that did NOT exist prior to that day, September 11, 2001.
The St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church-- the only church destroyed on 9/11 --has been refused the right to rebuild on it's old site, across the street from Ground Zero.
The City of New York has bent over backward to accommodate the GZ Mosque; the construction of which is a huge slap in the face to most New Yorkers, to say nothing of most Americans.
The City of New York has impeded and ultimately denied a Christian church the right to rebuild what Muslims destroyed.
Mayor Bloomberg has banned all clergy and prayer from the 10th anniversary observance at Ground Zero in 12 days.
Why does New York... why does New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg hate God? Why does he deny Christians a vocal presence at the 10th anniversary memorial? What is wrong with America, with American politics, that it can't bring itself to welcome God to Ground Zero; that it will not allow a Christian church to rebuild, but will allow the religion that brought the tower's down to build a mosque; a symbol of gloating, and an affront to most Americans for it's sheer audacity?
What is so evil about Christianity that it must be denied a voice? Will there be a Muslim cleric there? Will he speak? Will a Hindu be there? Some other motivational speaker? Why do Americans hate God so much that they drive him publicly from events like this? Why is Christ so hated that Christians are told to keep silent at a time when, and where, prayers are not only warranted, but a comfort to (and desired by) many who will attend.
Is all this being done simply to not offend someone? or a group of someones?
What? God kicked us out of HIS Garden, so we're gonna kick HIM out of ours?
This is nonsense, and America will pay for it. And by that I mean: are an earthquake and a hurricane Not enough of a warning for you, America?
The GZ Mosque has applied for government grants to finish construction of a Mosque that did NOT exist prior to that day, September 11, 2001.
The St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church-- the only church destroyed on 9/11 --has been refused the right to rebuild on it's old site, across the street from Ground Zero.
The City of New York has bent over backward to accommodate the GZ Mosque; the construction of which is a huge slap in the face to most New Yorkers, to say nothing of most Americans.
The City of New York has impeded and ultimately denied a Christian church the right to rebuild what Muslims destroyed.
Mayor Bloomberg has banned all clergy and prayer from the 10th anniversary observance at Ground Zero in 12 days.
Why does New York... why does New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg hate God? Why does he deny Christians a vocal presence at the 10th anniversary memorial? What is wrong with America, with American politics, that it can't bring itself to welcome God to Ground Zero; that it will not allow a Christian church to rebuild, but will allow the religion that brought the tower's down to build a mosque; a symbol of gloating, and an affront to most Americans for it's sheer audacity?
What is so evil about Christianity that it must be denied a voice? Will there be a Muslim cleric there? Will he speak? Will a Hindu be there? Some other motivational speaker? Why do Americans hate God so much that they drive him publicly from events like this? Why is Christ so hated that Christians are told to keep silent at a time when, and where, prayers are not only warranted, but a comfort to (and desired by) many who will attend.
Is all this being done simply to not offend someone? or a group of someones?
What? God kicked us out of HIS Garden, so we're gonna kick HIM out of ours?
This is nonsense, and America will pay for it. And by that I mean: are an earthquake and a hurricane Not enough of a warning for you, America?
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Demar on Leftist Dominionism
Strictly speaking, Gary DeMar's hyperpreterism is anathema to me and many others; his theology is so wildly off-base it's a wonder he can't see commonsense or make logical assumptions in regard to biblical context. But where he's 180 degrees wrong in his theology, he's spot on in the article below.
This blog is about politics, not religion; despite my occasional flights off topic, but this post is not about religion, per se, it's about the hypocritical use of religion in politics by the Left.
So while I don't respect DeMar's theology, I can't discount truth even when it comes from DeMar-- a broken clock is right twice a day.
From DeMar's article, Leftist Dominionists Hate Competition...
There is a lot of hypocrisy in this as well; not from DeMar, but from liberals. Religion, they say, has no place in politics, and yet they inject their own religion all the same, claiming it's their moral right and responsibility to do so. But let a conservative member of congress suggest that it is right and moral to do a thing for the benefit of all Americans, and liberals will rise up in apoplectic outrage. The only injection of religious principle into American culture the left will tolerate are those promoted by the left. As though they are the sole, rightful arbiters of morality in all of America.
Liberalism, especially under Obama, has shown itself to be a failure. It's time for a change. Not the kind of change he wants us to believe in, but the kind of change Americans believe in. And if truth be told, democrats and republicans (outside the beltway) are not so far apart in terms of what's best for America. There are only a few sticking points keeping us on opposite sides of the fence. If the ideologues would simply get out of the way... if WASHINGTON would get out of the way... we could work this out among ourselves.
America has no further need for ideologues. What America needs are some simple, real-world Americans with good ideas.
This blog is about politics, not religion; despite my occasional flights off topic, but this post is not about religion, per se, it's about the hypocritical use of religion in politics by the Left.
So while I don't respect DeMar's theology, I can't discount truth even when it comes from DeMar-- a broken clock is right twice a day.
From DeMar's article, Leftist Dominionists Hate Competition...
What liberals hate is to have some group or competing ideology to claim what they believe is their turf. For decades liberals have staked out politics, education, media, entertainment, and every so-called secular area of life to be their domain, and woe to anyone who attempts to enter the gates to their heavily protected and subsidized kingdom.
So when liberals read about a group that wants to impact the family, religion, arts and entertainment, media, government, education, and business, they go into a frenzied dance of defiance and shock. There’s nothing new in any of this. It has a long history.
There is a lot of hypocrisy in this as well; not from DeMar, but from liberals. Religion, they say, has no place in politics, and yet they inject their own religion all the same, claiming it's their moral right and responsibility to do so. But let a conservative member of congress suggest that it is right and moral to do a thing for the benefit of all Americans, and liberals will rise up in apoplectic outrage. The only injection of religious principle into American culture the left will tolerate are those promoted by the left. As though they are the sole, rightful arbiters of morality in all of America.
In 2003, Democrat presidential candidate John Kerry criticized the Vatican for saying that “Catholic politicians like him have a ‘moral duty’ to oppose laws granting legal rights to gay couples.” He went on to say that “it’s important to not have the church instructing politicians. That is an inappropriate crossing of the line in America.” Would Kerry agree to the following logic of his position?:This 'logic' is at the core of the division between Liberals and Conservatives. Liberals, according to DeMar, having entered "into every civil, cultural and political activity... patiently leavening them all as thoroughly as yeast leavens bread" is loath to give up any ground to Conservatives who are trying to do the very same today. The Tea Party has become the most dangerous grass roots organization to the Left's proclaimed cultural fiefdom, in decades (or ever). Which is why they attack the Tea Party at every opportunity. They fear change. Especially any change that threatens to topple them as the rightful purveyors of approved American license and culture.
- "It’s important not to have the church instructing politicians about slavery."
- "It’s important not to have the church instructing politicians about ethnic cleansing."
- "It’s important not to have the church instructing politicians about civil rights."
Liberalism, especially under Obama, has shown itself to be a failure. It's time for a change. Not the kind of change he wants us to believe in, but the kind of change Americans believe in. And if truth be told, democrats and republicans (outside the beltway) are not so far apart in terms of what's best for America. There are only a few sticking points keeping us on opposite sides of the fence. If the ideologues would simply get out of the way... if WASHINGTON would get out of the way... we could work this out among ourselves.
America has no further need for ideologues. What America needs are some simple, real-world Americans with good ideas.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Quakes in Colorado AND Virginia?
Rare Strong Earthquake Hits Colorado
Quake rocks Washington area, felt on East Coast
Even Obama felt the tremors on Martha's Vineyard, just as he was starting another round of golf. Perhaps the Obama administration will this occasion to blame something other than president Bush for his latest approval rating dip to 38%.
Quake rocks Washington area, felt on East Coast
Even Obama felt the tremors on Martha's Vineyard, just as he was starting another round of golf. Perhaps the Obama administration will this occasion to blame something other than president Bush for his latest approval rating dip to 38%.
"The recent earthquake in Virginia is the reason my approval rating has dropped another point..."
--President Obama,
(sometime in the near future... perhaps? one can hope?)
Monday, August 22, 2011
Even In Descent, America Still Shines On Occasion
From a purely artistic perspective this is a very nice statue/monument to Dr. King...
In terms of whatever political or philosophical statement it's meant to make, I can't begrudge a great man this kind of recognition. I will, however, argue against anyone's attempt to politicize this memorial or Dr. King's message. The only side God is on is His own, and Dr. King was a man of God.
His memorial opened today on the National Mall.
In terms of whatever political or philosophical statement it's meant to make, I can't begrudge a great man this kind of recognition. I will, however, argue against anyone's attempt to politicize this memorial or Dr. King's message. The only side God is on is His own, and Dr. King was a man of God.
His memorial opened today on the National Mall.
Would That Obama Took These Words to Heart...
"If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well."
--Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Commentary from Kirk Cameron:
Just as God speaks on tops of mountains, He also paints sunrises with light and clouds, composes symphonies with birds, crickets, and frogs, and sculpts massive rock statues with wind and water. God is not only a preacher; He is also a writer, a musician, an engineer, a carpenter, a father, a son, a brother, a King, and a servant. What has God called you to be? Don't wish you were something else. Be the very best at what you do. As a fellow actor once told me, "There are no small parts, only small actors," likewise, there are no insignificant roles to play in the Kingdom of God; they're all important. There are however, people who fail to see the significance of doing what they've been called to do with all their heart. Go all out. Be all in. Don't quit. Don't back down. Don't stop till you cross the line and finish the race. Then after you've been faithful, you may hear the heavenly words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."
To anyone reading this who takes prayer seriously...
Pray for our president. Pray for this country. Pray for mercy.
There is more to the descent of this nation than a single man, group of men, or their politics.
Nero In The White House
--Mychal Massie
August 8, 2011
Three significant historical events have been eclipsed by Obama: 1) Jimmy Carter will no longer be looked upon as the worst president in American history; 2) Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton will no longer be recognized as the greatest liars in presidential history; 3) Clinton's stain on Monica's dress, and what that did to the White House in general and the office of the president specifically, will forever pale in comparison to the stain and stench of Obama.
I need not spend much time on the failure of Obama as president. His tenure has been a failure on every measurable level. So much so, in fact, that some of the staunchest, most respected liberal Democrats and Democratic supporters have not only openly criticized him – some even more harshly than this essayist – but they have called for him to step down.
Richard Nixon's words "I am not a crook," punctuated with his involvement in Watergate, and Bill Clinton's finger-wagging as he told one of the most pathetic lies in presidential history, in the aftermath of Obama, will be viewed as mere prevarications.
Mr. Nixon and Clinton lied to save their backsides. Although, I would argue there are no plausible explanations for doing what they did, I could entertain arguments pursuant to understanding their rationales for lying. But in the case of Obama, he lies because he is a liar. He doesn't only lie to cover his misdeeds – he lies to get his way. He lies to belittle others and to make himself look presentable at their expense. He lies about his faith, his associations, his mother, his father and his wife. He lies and bullies to keep his background secret. His lying is congenital and compounded by socio-psychological factors of his life.
Never in my life, inside or outside of politics, have I witnessed such dishonesty in a political leader. He is the most mendacious political figure I have ever witnessed. Even by the low standards of his presidential predecessors, his narcissistic, contumacious arrogance is unequaled. Using Obama as the bar, Nero would have to be elevated to sainthood.
As the stock markets were crashing, taking with them the remaining life saving of untold tens of thousands, Obama was hosting his own birthday celebration, which was an event of epicurean splendidness. The shamelessness of the event was that it was not a state dinner to welcome foreign dignitaries, nor was it to honor an American accomplishment – it was to honor the Pharaoh, Barack Hussein Obama. The event's sole purpose was for the Pharaoh to have his loyal subjects swill wine, indulge in gluttony and behavior unfit to take place on the property of taxpayers, as they suffer. It was of a magnitude comparable to that of Tyco CEO Dennis Kozlowski's $2 million birthday extravaganza for its pure lack of respect for the people.
Permit me to digress momentarily. The U.S. Capitol and the White House were built with the intent of bringing awe and respect to America and her people. They were also built with the intent of being the greatest of equalizers. I can tell you, having personally been to both, there is a moment of awe and humility associated with being in the presence of the history of those buildings. They are to be honored and inscribed into our national psyche, not treated as a Saturday night house party at Chicago's Cabrini-Green.
The people of America own that home Obama and his wife continue to debase with their pan-ghetto behavior. It is clear that Obama and family view themselves as royalty, but they're not. They are employees of "we the people," who are suffering because of his failed policies. What message does this behavior send to those who today are suffering as never before?
What message does it send to all Americans who are struggling? Has anyone stopped to think what the stock market downturn forebodes for those 80 million baby boomers who will be retiring in the next period of years? Is there a snowball's chance in the Sahara that every news program on the air would applaud this behavior if it were George W. Bush? To that point, do you remember the media thrashing Bush took for having a barbecue at the White House?
Like Nero – who was only slightly less debaucherous than Caligula – with wine on his lips Obama treated "we the people" the way Caligula treated those over whom he lorded.
Many in America wanted to be proud when the first person of color was elected president, but instead, they have been witness to a congenital liar, a woman who has been ashamed of America her entire life, failed policies, intimidation and a commonality hitherto not witnessed in political leaders. He and his wife view their life at our expense as an entitlement – while America's people go homeless, hungry and unemployed.
----------
Other Reading:
Obama dangerously close to a 'Killer Rabbit' moment
Monday, August 15, 2011
Not a Friend of the GOP... or Fox
And yet, honest about Obama & the government, within a comedic framework...
WARNING! NSFW!!!
While American Descent appreciates the honesty, it does NOT endorse the profanity
Obama's approval rating, by the way, dropped below 40% for the first time this weekend.
Need an introduction to Felonius Munk?
WARNING! NSFW!!!
While American Descent appreciates the honesty, it does NOT endorse the profanity
Obama's approval rating, by the way, dropped below 40% for the first time this weekend.
Need an introduction to Felonius Munk?
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Perspective: What Stability Looks Like to Bernanke
After yesterday's 635 point sell off the DOW is up over 400 today. The question now remains... can Washington agree to disagree and do what's right for the country and the people it purports to represent? Or will it be more of the same and a worsening economy?
The way the DOW see-sawed today, it could have been a lot worse. In some places it is.
Here's a little perspective:
The way the DOW see-sawed today, it could have been a lot worse. In some places it is.
Here's a little perspective:
Date: August 9, 2011
Reporting From: Vilnius, Lithuania
Just a quick thought on a ridiculously volatile day:
One of the things that people pick up on very quickly as they travel are how different price levels are around the world. I've been to roughly 100 countries, and I still find it amazing how much variance there is among things like food, property, and entertainment prices.
There are certain places-- Cambodia, Ecuador, Tanzania-- that are so jaw-droppingly cheap that it almost seems unreal. And you wonder how these people could possibly ever survive if they came to your country.
Well, the United States has just joined this proud cadre of banana republics... at least if you're from Switzerland.
You see, the Swiss franc is one of the few currencies that have given investors some sense of comfort recently; Switzerland inspires confidence and stability, and the worse things get in the United States and Europe, the more investors pull their money out of the dollar and euro, and park it in the Swiss franc.
It's all about supply and demand. Increased demand for the Swiss franc coupled with expanded supply of dollars and euros has caused the franc to surge over the last weeks and months. It wasn't too long ago that it would take 1.20 francs to buy a US dollar. Now it takes $1.40 to buy a single franc.
I can think of a lot of words to describe the performance of the US dollar: Farce, Joke, Lunacy, Embarrassment, Disgusting. But it's more clearly summed up like this: the price of a Big Mac in Zurich is now so high (at $17.19) that a minimum wage employee in Minneapolis, Minnesota, would have to work for nearly 4-hours in order to afford it.
This is what stability looks like to Ben Bernanke.
Until tomorrow,
Simon Black
Senior Editor, SovereignMan.com
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
What's Wrong In America
Save a baby woodpecker from certain death...
receive fine of $535
Solution: Cut funding to the obviously bloated department of U.S. Fish and Wildlife. Their heads and sense of importance are simply too big.
receive fine of $535
Solution: Cut funding to the obviously bloated department of U.S. Fish and Wildlife. Their heads and sense of importance are simply too big.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Snookered Again!
At least, that's the feeling I'm left with.
I don't see any reason to cheer this fake compromise. None at all. This was a manufactured crisis by the Obama administration. And just like last December, this deal will turn out to have accomplished nothing in terms of debt reduction.
According to the messiahs speech today, "Growing the economy isn’t just about cutting spending and rolling back regulations that protect our air and water and keep people safe. We’re going to have to do more than that."
In other words... more stimulus. Hey! It didn't work the last time, but maybe it'll work THIS time, right?
As for market stability? The Dow dropped 265 points today.
And who said there wouldn't be any tax increases? Reid: Joint Committee Must Include Taxes Or Trigger Will Kick In
So what have we accomplished, with this 'nothing to show for...' piece of legislation other than an increase in the debt ceiling? Nothing. 2.5 trillion in cuts over 10 years? Future congresses are not beholden to this deal, as evidenced by past congresses with similar promises made before them. Simply put, future congresses can change, nullify, or add to ANY bit of legislation made law before their time at bat.
What we should have had, prior to any debt ceiling agreement, was a balanced budget amendment. Short of that, this piece of sham legislation will prove to be a waste of time, effort, and money. While bragging about not kicking the can down the road, they kicked the can down the road. And the truly spectacular thing about this is, NO ONE PAID ATTENTION WHEN THEY KICKED IT DOWN THE ROAD.
The president and politicians of both political persuasions want to tout 'shared sacrifice'? I'd like to SEE them make some sacrifices. With the exception of a small few, these folk have no idea what it means to sacrifice.
The Left simply doesn't get it.
Consider this cartoon. Look at the news guy response. How messed up is that. The GOP isn't barreling the car over the cliff, the Dems are, and yet Media's analysis lays the blame on the GOP.
What compromise was the Left offering? What compromise was Obama offering? The world will never know, because neither the president nor the Senate leader bothered to codify their plan. They had no intention of laying out a plan; just as they never intended to pass a budget when Pelosi was in charge.
Another Illustration: Not once has Obama taken responsibility for this economy. It is not George W. Bush who added 4 trillion to our national debt. If Bush truly drove the car into a ditch, Obama has done nothing to get us out. Instead he's hitched an impossible load to the already beleaguered (read: 'stuck') car. There's no way this car is getting out of the ditch. Not under the power of this bit of crap legislation... also known as (by a democrat, no less) a "Satan Sandwich."
Sadly... despite the apropos metaphor, Emanuel Cleaver doesn't get it either.
Here's a bit of analysis from Whiskey & Gunpowder:
I don't see any reason to cheer this fake compromise. None at all. This was a manufactured crisis by the Obama administration. And just like last December, this deal will turn out to have accomplished nothing in terms of debt reduction.
According to the messiahs speech today, "Growing the economy isn’t just about cutting spending and rolling back regulations that protect our air and water and keep people safe. We’re going to have to do more than that."
In other words... more stimulus. Hey! It didn't work the last time, but maybe it'll work THIS time, right?
As for market stability? The Dow dropped 265 points today.
And who said there wouldn't be any tax increases? Reid: Joint Committee Must Include Taxes Or Trigger Will Kick In
So what have we accomplished, with this 'nothing to show for...' piece of legislation other than an increase in the debt ceiling? Nothing. 2.5 trillion in cuts over 10 years? Future congresses are not beholden to this deal, as evidenced by past congresses with similar promises made before them. Simply put, future congresses can change, nullify, or add to ANY bit of legislation made law before their time at bat.
What we should have had, prior to any debt ceiling agreement, was a balanced budget amendment. Short of that, this piece of sham legislation will prove to be a waste of time, effort, and money. While bragging about not kicking the can down the road, they kicked the can down the road. And the truly spectacular thing about this is, NO ONE PAID ATTENTION WHEN THEY KICKED IT DOWN THE ROAD.
The president and politicians of both political persuasions want to tout 'shared sacrifice'? I'd like to SEE them make some sacrifices. With the exception of a small few, these folk have no idea what it means to sacrifice.
The Left simply doesn't get it.
Consider this cartoon. Look at the news guy response. How messed up is that. The GOP isn't barreling the car over the cliff, the Dems are, and yet Media's analysis lays the blame on the GOP.What compromise was the Left offering? What compromise was Obama offering? The world will never know, because neither the president nor the Senate leader bothered to codify their plan. They had no intention of laying out a plan; just as they never intended to pass a budget when Pelosi was in charge.
Another Illustration: Not once has Obama taken responsibility for this economy. It is not George W. Bush who added 4 trillion to our national debt. If Bush truly drove the car into a ditch, Obama has done nothing to get us out. Instead he's hitched an impossible load to the already beleaguered (read: 'stuck') car. There's no way this car is getting out of the ditch. Not under the power of this bit of crap legislation... also known as (by a democrat, no less) a "Satan Sandwich."Sadly... despite the apropos metaphor, Emanuel Cleaver doesn't get it either.
Here's a bit of analysis from Whiskey & Gunpowder:
The budget deal is all but done. Woohoo!
Back to spending beyond our means again. Back to buying more iPads. Back to more public work projects.
What a huge relief it is to get that silly spending cap out of the way.
Or... is it?
The deal making its way through congress would provide for an immediate $400 billion increase in the borrowing cap. Then they'll kick in an additional $500 billion cap increase this fall.
That $900 billion increase in borrowing is supposed to be matched by cuts to agency budgets over the next 10 years. (We'll believe it when we see it. More on that in a second...)
But first, the deal also creates a "Super Congress" (two words that typically are not found so close together). The do-gooders will appoint six "no-tax-increases-Republicans" and six "no-Medicare-or-Medicaid-entitlement-cuts-Democrats" to this group. Their goal is to find $1.5 trillion in cuts by November.
But what does this plan really accomplish?
Well, despite us waiting for the phone to ring, Congress didn't seem to ask our opinion. But we're happy to provide it to you, of course...
Aside from averting an over-due and necessary U.S. default, well... the deal does... NOTHING.
Our so-called "leaders" cut under $1 trillion over ten years. That works out to be about $90 billion per year... while we're running $1.5 trillion deficits.
And best of all, because of the non-recovery we've had, the politicians want to wait until we're on more stable footing to make any of those cuts. So NOTHING will be done for at least one year.
Laughable, I know.
All that posturing... supposed arguing... back door dealing... for a piddly 5.7% spending cut of this year's deficit... and not until 2013 at the earliest!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Nobody Loves Obama?
Peggy Noonan of the Wall Street Journal has written a piece that paints a sad picture of President Obama... no one loves him. The first third of this article chides and scolds republicans and Tea Party-ers alike, but that she sayshttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif, "is not what I want to talk about."
When was the last time Peggy Noonan called ANYONE a loser? The man who won big in oh-eight, is now a loser? Well, I've near always thought this, and I have for the longest time felt Obama was the most dangerous man in the world, but to read Ms. Noonan calling the president of the Unite States a loser!? I have rarely read her to be so blunt. Even about Obama. She chides and scold everyone, no matter what their political identity, but I don't think I've ever read an article by her wherein she so coldly and deliberately slammed a public figure.
They've Lost That Lovin' Feeling
Obama still has supporters, but theirs is a grim support.
--Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal
July 29, 2011
I want to talk about something that started to become apparent to me during the debt negotiations. It's something I've never seen in national politics.
It is that nobody loves Obama. This is amazing because every president has people who love him, who feel deep personal affection or connection, who have a stubborn, even beautiful refusal to let what they know are just criticisms affect their feelings of regard. At the height of Bill Clinton's troubles there were always people who'd say, "Look, I love the guy." They'd often be smiling—a wry smile, a shrugging smile. Nobody smiles when they talk about Mr. Obama. There were people who loved George W. Bush when he was at his most unpopular, and they meant it and would say it. But people aren't that way about Mr. Obama. He has supporters and bundlers and contributors, he has voters, he may win. But his support is grim support. And surely this has implications.
The past few weeks I've asked Democrats who supported him how they feel about him. I got back nothing that showed personal investment. Here are the words of a hard-line progressive and wise veteran of the political wars: "I never loved Barack Obama. That said, among my crowd who did 'love' him, I can't think of anyone who still does." Why is Mr. Obama different from Messrs. Clinton and Bush? "Clinton radiated personality. As angry as folks got with him about NAFTA or Monica, there was always a sense of genuine, generous caring." With Bush, "if folks were upset with him, he still had this goofy kind of personality that folks could relate to. You might think he was totally misguided but he seemed genuinely so. . . . Maybe the most important word that described Clinton and Bush but not Obama is 'genuine.'" He "doesn't exude any feeling that what he says and does is genuine."
Maybe Mr. Obama is living proof of the political maxim that they don't care what you know unless they know that you care. But the idea that he is aloof and so inspires aloofness may be too pat. No one was colder than FDR, deep down. But he loved the game and did a wonderful daily impersonation of jut-jawed joy. And people loved him.
The secret of Mr. Obama is that he isn't really very good at politics, and he isn't good at politics because he doesn't really get people. The other day a Republican political veteran forwarded me a hiring notice from the Obama 2012 campaign. It read like politics as done by Martians. The "Analytics Department" is looking for "predictive Modeling/Data Mining" specialists to join the campaign's "multi-disciplinary team of statisticians," which will use "predictive modeling" to anticipate the behavior of the electorate. "We will analyze millions of interactions a day, learning from terabytes of historical data, running thousands of experiments, to inform campaign strategy and critical decisions."
This wasn't the passionate, take-no-prisoners Clinton War Room of '92, it was high-tech and bloodless. Is that what politics is now? Or does the Obama re-election effort reflect the candidate and his flaws?
Mr. Obama seemed brilliant at politics when he first emerged in 2004. He understood the nation's longing for unity. We're not divided into red states and blue, he said, we're Big Purple, we can solve our problems together. Four years later he read the lay of the land perfectly—really, perfectly. The nation and the Democratic Party were tired of the Clinton machine. He came from nowhere and dismantled it. It was breathtaking. He went into the 2008 general election with a miraculously unified party and took down another machine, bundling up all the accrued resentment of eight years with one message: "You know the two losing wars and the economic collapse we've been dealing with? I won't do that. I'm not Bush."
The fact is, he's good at dismantling. He's good at critiquing. He's good at not being the last guy, the one you didn't like. But he's not good at building, creating, calling into being. He was good at summoning hope, but he's not good at directing it and turning it into something concrete that answers a broad public desire.
And so his failures in the debt ceiling fight. He wasn't serious, he was only shrewd—and shrewdness wasn't enough. He demagogued the issue—no Social Security checks—until he was called out, and then went on the hustings spouting inanities. He left conservatives scratching their heads: They could have made a better, more moving case for the liberal ideal as translated into the modern moment, than he did. He never offered a plan. In a crisis he was merely sly. And no one likes sly, no one respects it.
So he is losing a battle in which he had superior forces—the presidency, the U.S. senate. In the process he revealed that his foes have given him too much mystique. He is not a devil, an alien, a socialist. He is a loser. And this is America, where nobody loves a loser.
When was the last time Peggy Noonan called ANYONE a loser? The man who won big in oh-eight, is now a loser? Well, I've near always thought this, and I have for the longest time felt Obama was the most dangerous man in the world, but to read Ms. Noonan calling the president of the Unite States a loser!? I have rarely read her to be so blunt. Even about Obama. She chides and scold everyone, no matter what their political identity, but I don't think I've ever read an article by her wherein she so coldly and deliberately slammed a public figure.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Bruce Lee - 38 Years Ago Today
Artwork by Adrian Hardiman
In memory of Mr. Lee,
a quote...
In memory of Mr. Lee,
a quote...
"Those who are unaware they are walking in darkness will never seek the light."
Thursday, July 14, 2011
The Old Man Remembers What the Child Once Dreamt
Putting politics aside for a moment....
For everyone of a certain age who loved Edgar Rice Burroughs; who dreamt of being John Carter, living and fighting on Mars...
Here's the movie trailer for Disney's "John Carter" [of Mars]. It's awesome. It's big. And it's out March 9, 2012.
Here's your link to the official site, where a larger version can be viewed in addition to a couple production stills-- hopefully more will follow.
I never imagined, as a sixteen year old [whose face was buried in anything and everything Edgar Rice Burroughs], that I would ever have an opportunity to WATCH "A Princess of Mars". But now, in eight short months, assuming the country hasn't collapsed or I've died, I'll get to see what I never thought possible a short thirty-five years ago.
For everyone of a certain age who loved Edgar Rice Burroughs; who dreamt of being John Carter, living and fighting on Mars...
Here's the movie trailer for Disney's "John Carter" [of Mars]. It's awesome. It's big. And it's out March 9, 2012.
Here's your link to the official site, where a larger version can be viewed in addition to a couple production stills-- hopefully more will follow.
I never imagined, as a sixteen year old [whose face was buried in anything and everything Edgar Rice Burroughs], that I would ever have an opportunity to WATCH "A Princess of Mars". But now, in eight short months, assuming the country hasn't collapsed or I've died, I'll get to see what I never thought possible a short thirty-five years ago.
This is what passes for democracy in Greece…
...and America
[lifted whole from SovereignMan.com]
July 14, 2011
Thessaloniki, Greece
Last night I had quite an unexpected surprise.
You see, at my hotel here in Thessaloniki, there's a delegation from some group of the European Parliament called the Committee on Regional Development. They're here to help... Hey, isn't that what they always say? The Committee wants to supervise Greece working its way out of the debt crisis and make sure that Greece's poor are getting the support they need.
The hotel's restaurant was filled with these sycophantic parasites last night– an entire room full of people with a superiority complex who think that they are entitled to make decisions about other people's lives and money.
They sat at dinner drinking fine wine and polishing up steak tartare making proud, bombastic proclamations about the virtues of foreign aid, the democratic process, and the great progress of Greece's austerity measures.
Coincidentally, not 300 meters down the road, a campsite has been gathering for economic refugees, Thessaloniki's former middle class that has been vanquished by the crisis. Some of the children swung by the restaurant's outdoor terrace begging for change, only to be waved off by one of the delegate's extended pinkie fingers as he sipped his wine.
It couldn't have been more ironic... the perfect image of what passes for democracy today, right here in the country that invented it.
Today's democracy is nothing more than pseudo-authoritarian rule by an elite few, executed by legions of self-deluding freeloaders who have convinced themselves that their current bureaucratic roles are both necessary and honorable... as well as a stepping stone into the next job which will be even more necessary and honorable.
With each successive position up the bureaucratic ladder comes more power, more privilege... until they actually expect to be called "The Honorable..." so and so, or "His Excellency" so and so, etc.
My dictionary suggests a few definitions for 'honor'. One of them refers to a person's chastity... and I doubt it applies in this case given the political establishment's Twitter record. The other definition says, "conferred as a distinction, especially an official award for bravery or achievement."
In the United States, they must be confusing the term 'achievement' with 'destroying the economy and culture of the formerly most powerful nation on earth.' President Obama is apparently so honorable that he can't even be bothered to hold negotiations anymore about debt compromise, arguing that Ronald Reagan wouldn't be doing that...
He seems more concerned about his esteem and rank being respected than facing the grim facts of economic reality.
Simultaneous on Capitol Hill, Comrade Bernanke sent the dollar plummeting once again. Just to put things in perspective, the entire eurozone is on the precipice of a meltdown, and the euro had been falling for days. The second this man opened his mouth, the dollar plunged... indicating that investors would rather take a chance on European insolvency than Bernanke.
It was truly pathetic... and yet another example of what passes for democracy today: One man who has never been elected is essentially given control of the money supply to do with it as he deems best in his sole discretion.
All in all, as usual, it's going to come down to the taxpayers. The bureaucrats will go on enjoying their steak tartare and ignoring the huddled masses. The politicians will go on posturing over title. The central bankers will keep making interest free loans to their friends and destroying their currencies. We get stuck with the fallout.
In the end, the governments will make it a matter of national security and patriotism, ensuring that we 'do our duty to the nation' by coughing up more of our livelihood. I stumbled across this WW2 propaganda video a few days ago in which Daffy Duck tells us all that it's our patriotic duty to give as much as possible to the government.
Should we expect a new video soon suggesting that it's our patriotic duty to buy Treasury bonds...? In what passes for democracy today, you can bet on it.
--Simon Black, SovereignMan.com
[lifted whole from SovereignMan.com]
July 14, 2011
Thessaloniki, Greece
Last night I had quite an unexpected surprise.
You see, at my hotel here in Thessaloniki, there's a delegation from some group of the European Parliament called the Committee on Regional Development. They're here to help... Hey, isn't that what they always say? The Committee wants to supervise Greece working its way out of the debt crisis and make sure that Greece's poor are getting the support they need.
The hotel's restaurant was filled with these sycophantic parasites last night– an entire room full of people with a superiority complex who think that they are entitled to make decisions about other people's lives and money.
They sat at dinner drinking fine wine and polishing up steak tartare making proud, bombastic proclamations about the virtues of foreign aid, the democratic process, and the great progress of Greece's austerity measures.
Coincidentally, not 300 meters down the road, a campsite has been gathering for economic refugees, Thessaloniki's former middle class that has been vanquished by the crisis. Some of the children swung by the restaurant's outdoor terrace begging for change, only to be waved off by one of the delegate's extended pinkie fingers as he sipped his wine.
It couldn't have been more ironic... the perfect image of what passes for democracy today, right here in the country that invented it.
Today's democracy is nothing more than pseudo-authoritarian rule by an elite few, executed by legions of self-deluding freeloaders who have convinced themselves that their current bureaucratic roles are both necessary and honorable... as well as a stepping stone into the next job which will be even more necessary and honorable.
With each successive position up the bureaucratic ladder comes more power, more privilege... until they actually expect to be called "The Honorable..." so and so, or "His Excellency" so and so, etc.
My dictionary suggests a few definitions for 'honor'. One of them refers to a person's chastity... and I doubt it applies in this case given the political establishment's Twitter record. The other definition says, "conferred as a distinction, especially an official award for bravery or achievement."
In the United States, they must be confusing the term 'achievement' with 'destroying the economy and culture of the formerly most powerful nation on earth.' President Obama is apparently so honorable that he can't even be bothered to hold negotiations anymore about debt compromise, arguing that Ronald Reagan wouldn't be doing that...
He seems more concerned about his esteem and rank being respected than facing the grim facts of economic reality.
Simultaneous on Capitol Hill, Comrade Bernanke sent the dollar plummeting once again. Just to put things in perspective, the entire eurozone is on the precipice of a meltdown, and the euro had been falling for days. The second this man opened his mouth, the dollar plunged... indicating that investors would rather take a chance on European insolvency than Bernanke.
It was truly pathetic... and yet another example of what passes for democracy today: One man who has never been elected is essentially given control of the money supply to do with it as he deems best in his sole discretion.
All in all, as usual, it's going to come down to the taxpayers. The bureaucrats will go on enjoying their steak tartare and ignoring the huddled masses. The politicians will go on posturing over title. The central bankers will keep making interest free loans to their friends and destroying their currencies. We get stuck with the fallout.
In the end, the governments will make it a matter of national security and patriotism, ensuring that we 'do our duty to the nation' by coughing up more of our livelihood. I stumbled across this WW2 propaganda video a few days ago in which Daffy Duck tells us all that it's our patriotic duty to give as much as possible to the government.
Should we expect a new video soon suggesting that it's our patriotic duty to buy Treasury bonds...? In what passes for democracy today, you can bet on it.
--Simon Black, SovereignMan.com
As Did Nero, So Too Obama?
Imagine this. According to the White House and leftist pundits everywhere this nation runs out of money on August 2nd. Obama just the other day told CBS' Scott Pelley that he couldn't guarantee that social security checks would go out, or that the military would get paid (a bold-faced lie if ever there was one, from the captain of fear-mongery himself). Now imagine the day after, August 3rd. While all the 'defaulting and mayhem' are supposedly going on what will Obama be doing? Celebrating his 50 birthday. No big deal right?
Except... he'll be doing it in grand style. $35,000 will get you a private dinner with the Obama's in Chicago during a lavish birthday party cum fundraiser. While the nation is crumbling under the weight of its defaulted debt(according to the White House), Obama will be partying it up, asking folks to pony up 35 G's to eat cake with the president; 35,000 smackaroonies to help him finish the job he started in January of 2009... ruining the economy, and generally destroying what remains of this once great nation. Washington, according to Obama and democrats, will be in chaos! But Obama will be partying it up. "Happy Birthday to ME!"
No one, I'm sure, begrudges Obama a birthday celebration; I certainly don't. But Obama has spent the last few months demonizing the right and predicting all manner of dire consequences if the debt ceiling isn't raised. So Obama has manufactured his farce of a Liberal Noh play. The damage done to himself on August 3rd will be his doing; the crisis is of his making.
What should Obama do? First, unless he intends to come clean on the genuine consequences of not raising the debt ceiling, he should cancel those lavish plans for his birthday bash/fundraiser, and retreat to a more modest private celebration with family and a few friends-- do it the White House, I don't care. Reaching 50 is a milestone in any man's life, so celebrate, Mr. President. But as long as you continue to lie about no checks going out to seniors and the like, stay out of Chicago.
The country will be crashing down around our ears, but Obama will be raking 35 grand a pop in celebration of his birthday.
Rome is burning, Mr. President. Now is not the time to play fiddle. Instead, sackcloth and ashes are in order.
Attend that big party, Mr. President, and demonstrate, yet again, just how out of touch you are with the rest of America; how tone deaf you are to needs of EVERY American.
"What? You say the people are suffering? They have no bread to eat? Well, let them eat cake! It's my birthday, after all, so I decree everyone shall eat cake in celebration of my 50th birthday...... at the cost of 35,000 dollars a head, that is!"
--President Barack Hussein Obama, August 3rd, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
From the Washington Times
HURT: Welcome to Jimmy Carter’s 2nd term
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
It has taken three decades, but Americans are finally living through Jimmy Carter’s second term.
Now we’ve got Jimmy Jr. barking at us from the White House about eating our peas and ripping off our Band-Aid. He might not even let us have our Social Security checks.
These are just the latest in a long line of nagging lectures. Already, we have been taught how we should sneeze into the crook of our arm. We need to drive less. And we need to caulk up those drafty houses of ours.
What ever happened to the soaring rhetoric and big bold ideas President Obama promised us in that historic election of his?
Is this what he meant by a new kind of politics? If so, no thanks. Oh, and it is not new. Jimmy already dragged us through all this once and we just barely survived it.
One of the most unpleasant things about Mr. Carter was the condescending disdain he could barely disguise for struggling Americans and their irritating malaise.
Increasingly, Jimmy Jr. is having difficulty concealing that very same disdain for us as the political winds around him turn hostile and all of his bright ideas lie fallow as nothing more than socialist hocus-pocus.
But even Mr. Carter never laid bare so baldly and plainly as Mr. Obama did earlier this week his deep-seated contempt for this whole annoying process we call “democracy.”
The problem with reaching a deal to raise the debt ceiling, he explained in a long sermon, is that there is this huge wave of Republicans who won control of the House in the last election by promising not to raise any more taxes and to cut the absurd overspending that has driven this town for decades.
He bemoaned - in public - that these Republicans are more concerned about the “next election” rather than doing “what’s right for the country.” In other words, he is saying the honorable thing would be for these Republicans to ignore the expressed wishes of voters, break their campaign promises and raise taxes. Wow.
As if the whole problem of Washington spending us into oblivion is the fault of stingy taxpayers and stupid voters. And what we really need is Jimmy Jr., who knows what is best for us despite what we may think.
Continuing his lecture, Mr. Obama then complained about America’s “political process, where folks are rewarded for saying irresponsible things to win elections.”
How did this man get past sixth-grade social studies, much less Iowa?
When Mr. Obama finished his sermon about the contemptible Republicans keeping faith with their voters like a bunch of chumps, he then turned to his own intentions - and revealed even more of his contempt for us.
All this talk about “raising revenue” - the deceitful line he uses to describe raising taxes - has been most unhelpful, he said. “I want to be crystal clear,” he said. “Nobody has talked about increasing taxes now. Nobody has talked about increasing taxes next year.”
So when would these tax hikes that he is demanding take effect?
In 2013, well after Mr. Obama must face voters for re-election.
Lucky for us, it appears more and more unlikely every day that we will have to suffer through a third term of Jimmy Carter‘s.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
It has taken three decades, but Americans are finally living through Jimmy Carter’s second term.
Now we’ve got Jimmy Jr. barking at us from the White House about eating our peas and ripping off our Band-Aid. He might not even let us have our Social Security checks.
These are just the latest in a long line of nagging lectures. Already, we have been taught how we should sneeze into the crook of our arm. We need to drive less. And we need to caulk up those drafty houses of ours.
What ever happened to the soaring rhetoric and big bold ideas President Obama promised us in that historic election of his?
Is this what he meant by a new kind of politics? If so, no thanks. Oh, and it is not new. Jimmy already dragged us through all this once and we just barely survived it.
One of the most unpleasant things about Mr. Carter was the condescending disdain he could barely disguise for struggling Americans and their irritating malaise.
Increasingly, Jimmy Jr. is having difficulty concealing that very same disdain for us as the political winds around him turn hostile and all of his bright ideas lie fallow as nothing more than socialist hocus-pocus.
But even Mr. Carter never laid bare so baldly and plainly as Mr. Obama did earlier this week his deep-seated contempt for this whole annoying process we call “democracy.”
The problem with reaching a deal to raise the debt ceiling, he explained in a long sermon, is that there is this huge wave of Republicans who won control of the House in the last election by promising not to raise any more taxes and to cut the absurd overspending that has driven this town for decades.
He bemoaned - in public - that these Republicans are more concerned about the “next election” rather than doing “what’s right for the country.” In other words, he is saying the honorable thing would be for these Republicans to ignore the expressed wishes of voters, break their campaign promises and raise taxes. Wow.
As if the whole problem of Washington spending us into oblivion is the fault of stingy taxpayers and stupid voters. And what we really need is Jimmy Jr., who knows what is best for us despite what we may think.
Continuing his lecture, Mr. Obama then complained about America’s “political process, where folks are rewarded for saying irresponsible things to win elections.”
How did this man get past sixth-grade social studies, much less Iowa?
When Mr. Obama finished his sermon about the contemptible Republicans keeping faith with their voters like a bunch of chumps, he then turned to his own intentions - and revealed even more of his contempt for us.
All this talk about “raising revenue” - the deceitful line he uses to describe raising taxes - has been most unhelpful, he said. “I want to be crystal clear,” he said. “Nobody has talked about increasing taxes now. Nobody has talked about increasing taxes next year.”
So when would these tax hikes that he is demanding take effect?
In 2013, well after Mr. Obama must face voters for re-election.
Lucky for us, it appears more and more unlikely every day that we will have to suffer through a third term of Jimmy Carter‘s.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Time to Jump Ship
If this is what passes for education today; if this is representative of the mindset of those who govern and manage this economy... we're screwed.
One respondent's remarks:
I've been around quite a while, and I've never seen this country in such bad shape. I'm even having difficulty giving it equal billing with Carter's administration; Carter, much like Obama, failed miserably in managing the economy, but the difference between the two is ideology. Carter at least believed in American greatness, and exceptionalism (while as president, at least), but Obama has never thought of America as 'exceptional.' What Obama is doing is deliberate.
"The stimulus has worked as planned."
If this be the case, then it was the intention of the Obama administration to break America's economic back. Congratulations, Mr. President. It looks as though you'll get your wish.
Before any of you get your back up because I've insulted/slandered your man, let it be known here and now, that I don't think any better of current Republican leadership. 'A plague on both your houses,' I say.
If the economy is truly in such dire straights that it requires drastic measures to correct, then take drastic measures. Compromise is for weak-kneed, weak-willed, pandering and self-serving politicians. If a Republican truly believes this country is doomed without the taking of drastic measures, then he must not compromise. He must be willing to give something meaningful, something personal, to ensure his nation's survival.
What must that something be?
Personal interest perhaps, any thought to personal/monetary acquisition. A man who would truly seek to save his country will do so without thought of personal gain.
Sadly, there are no such men in Washington. None whatsoever.
It's time to stop playing this game, people. Time to stop playing THEIR game. By THEIR rules. It's time to begin thinking for yourself, and acting in your own best interest. Because neither our government, nor anyone in it have your best interest at heart.
Brand me a Cynic if you wish.
One respondent's remarks:
I think it's time that all Americans realized that government connected people are self interested liars, period. They never say anything because they think it's an important rational, logic or ethical fact-- their only purpose in saying anything at all is to lie the public into further theft and control.
It's transparently ludicrous that more government borrowing will help anyone but rich connected bankers and government people [at] this point.
It's also getting to the point [that] if the American people have become so degenerate that they believe ...ever more debt is a desirable thing, they deserve the slavery that's coming to them.
Make a choice Americans, live free or die in [chains of debt].
I've been around quite a while, and I've never seen this country in such bad shape. I'm even having difficulty giving it equal billing with Carter's administration; Carter, much like Obama, failed miserably in managing the economy, but the difference between the two is ideology. Carter at least believed in American greatness, and exceptionalism (while as president, at least), but Obama has never thought of America as 'exceptional.' What Obama is doing is deliberate.
"The stimulus has worked as planned."
If this be the case, then it was the intention of the Obama administration to break America's economic back. Congratulations, Mr. President. It looks as though you'll get your wish.
Before any of you get your back up because I've insulted/slandered your man, let it be known here and now, that I don't think any better of current Republican leadership. 'A plague on both your houses,' I say.
If the economy is truly in such dire straights that it requires drastic measures to correct, then take drastic measures. Compromise is for weak-kneed, weak-willed, pandering and self-serving politicians. If a Republican truly believes this country is doomed without the taking of drastic measures, then he must not compromise. He must be willing to give something meaningful, something personal, to ensure his nation's survival.
What must that something be?
Personal interest perhaps, any thought to personal/monetary acquisition. A man who would truly seek to save his country will do so without thought of personal gain.
Sadly, there are no such men in Washington. None whatsoever.
It's time to stop playing this game, people. Time to stop playing THEIR game. By THEIR rules. It's time to begin thinking for yourself, and acting in your own best interest. Because neither our government, nor anyone in it have your best interest at heart.
Brand me a Cynic if you wish.
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