Eppler-Effect

Check it out

2010-10-14T12:39:00.001-05:00

Outstanding blog. Check it out:

http://dissectleft.blogspot.com/

Islam a Religion of Peace?

2010-08-15T21:51:00.004-05:00

Hell no! While I have long defended people of all religion and their right to practice their faith freely in this country I can no longer ignore the glaring differences between Islam and nearly every other major religion on the planet. People have done terrible things in the name of Christianity, but that occurred centuries ago. The religion is modernized and has under gone reformations. The occasional nutjobs make headlines, but they are a fringe. Islam receives every excuse. The media gives it a pass. History books used in schools give it a pass. It is supposedly such wonderful religion of peace. No it is not. Muslims supposedly contributed so much to the world in math and science. Perhaps some did, but this was in spite of the Islamic faith and not due to its teachings. There are probably some good practitioners of the faith that are conforming to their own version of the faith devoid of its inherent violence and lack of civility. They need to be more vocal and demand an international reformation of the faith. Unfortunately they'd probably have their throats cut by the more orthodox muslims.

In New Jersey a woman was repeatedly raped by her ex-husband. He said that it was her duty. He was her husband and under Islamic law she must submit to him. Well what does Islam have to say about this?

Qur'an 4:34 states:

Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them. Lo! Allah is ever High, Exalted, Great.

Muhammad said: "If a husband calls his wife to his bed [i.e. to have sexual relation] and she refuses and causes him to sleep in anger, the angels will curse her till morning" (Bukhari 4.54.460).

He also said: "By him in Whose Hand lies my life, a woman can not carry out the right of her Lord, till she carries out the right of her husband. And if he asks her to surrender herself [to him for sexual intercourse] she should not refuse him even if she is on a camel's saddle" (Ibn Majah 1854). (From Jihad Watch)

So the woman seeks a restraining order. She would like to be protected from her husband who brutally raped her on multiple occasions. The judge said NO. Apparently if rape is okay with Islam it is ok with him.

We are supposed to be a Republic. A nation of laws. Our laws are supposed to protect OUR rights. The government's one and only legitimate function is to protect the people and maintain maximum liberty consistent with civil society! If we have descended to this degenerated state then there is little hope. This is unacceptable. Have we so weakened our nation and its institutions? This is sad. What is happening to this country? Political correctness is a cancer that is destroying our culture and society. Where is the outrage? Moreover, where is the media? Maybe I missed it, but have you seen this reported ANYWHERE?? If a Christian or Catholic man tried to use his faith to justify such a despicable act people in the media would demand he be strung up and his faith criminalized (I may be exaggerating only slightly). There would be justifiable outrage. Why the double standard?

The ones who want to build that mega-mosque right next to Ground Zero should be told to piss off. If a Greek Orthodox church can't get their existing facility rebuilt in its original location at Ground Zero why the hell are we fast tracking this mosque? Unacceptable. This is only meant as a finger in the eye of America and salt on the wounds of the victims' families. It is the equivalent of the muslims destroying the Temple Mount and then building the Dome of the Rock on its old foundation. Islam is about conquest and forcing others to submit. There can be no peace. Not until there is a fundamental transformation of Islam.

Please checkout http://www.jihadwatch.org/ .

ESSAY 1: Religious Freedom in America

2010-07-07T22:17:00.000-05:00

I have not posted in a very long time. I am trying to change that. This is the first in a series of essays I am going to post on this blog. I hope I can post more regularly.

Those who migrated to America from 1629 to 1775 were not “paradigms of diversity” as we would define it today. Almost all came from the same part of Europe, spoke the same language, and believed in the same God. However, there was plenty that they disagreed on. There were serious cultural differences among the people who colonized America. The people of colonial America all sought to worship God in their own way. In England the Anglican Church was not going to allow this to happen. Interference from the State into religious affairs was a fact of life. Puritan reformers wanted to “purify” the Anglican Church of some of the practices and customs that were deemed to be too much like the Catholic traditions that the church was supposed to have abandoned. The Puritans wanted the Anglican Church to be “more Protestant” and the Stuart Kings, as head of the Church of England, did not like this criticism. Many feared that the monarchy was increasingly influenced by the Catholic Church.

The formula for religious freedom in America looked something like this: Suspicion + Dislike = Liberty. Each group, whether they were Puritan, Quaker, Catholic, or any of the other various Christians migrating from Europe to America had a fundamental disagreement with their country of origin. The State regulated religious affairs to a high degree in Europe. There was an official State religion. If you did not practice that religion in accordance to law, or more likely royal decree, you were likely persecuted. Now, these differing groups shared two things: they disliked each other, and they were suspicious of government involvement in religious affairs. Quakers in colonial America disliked Puritans, and that dislike was mutual. To Quakers the Puritans were stuffy and misguided. The Puritans saw the Quakers as licentious and strange. There were even instances of Quakers causing a ruckus in Puritan towns. They would disrupt Puritan church services, and in at least one instance, strode about the pews naked in the middle of a sermon. These groups disliked and distrusted each other. They all distrusted State involvement in religion. So, these groups made it a point in every colony to protect their right to worship as they please. The best way to ensure this right was to make freedom of worship a fundamental right not subjected to the whims of the rulers or colonial assembly. Each religious denomination in every colony was vigilant against interference from others in their personal religious affairs. The sentiment among the colonies was that each should mind their own business, and more importantly so should any governmental element.

The common thread for all of these groups was the desire to live their lives and practice their faith without interference from outside groups or the State. In colonial America this was possible. Primarily due to the sheer distance separating them, the colonies were relatively free from the dogmatic influences of their country of origin. The Atlantic was a buffer between the colonies and the religious turmoil back home. So these groups that escaped persecution in England, or elsewhere, were successful in achieving the religious freedom that they sought to establish. The colonies became progressively less European as time went on. They established their own culture, religious traditions, and legislative assemblies and laws. They gained a measure of self government that was impossible to achieve in the highly hierarchical European monarchies. This translated into, if not tolerance, an acceptance of other religious practices. People did not want other groups or government meddling around in religious affairs. So they protected all faiths by ensuring that the colonial legislatures could not regulate the religious affairs of any group.

The “wall of separation” (as Jefferson would later describe in private letters) was not designed to cut religion out of government affairs. It was designed to keep the government from meddling in the affairs of the faith. In fact many colonies had an official religion even at the signing of the Constitution, and it was wholly compatible with the letter of the Constitution as understood by the Framers. The First Amendment prohibited the federal government from interfering in the religious affairs of the states. It is important to understand this distinction if we are to understand what religious freedom is all about. The Constitution is designed to guarantee that religious establishments are safe from outside interference from the government. The “separation of church and state” is a phrase not found in the Constitution, or in any of the colonial charters or state Constitutions. Today when federal courts strike down religious expression within the states, they are perverting the meaning of the First Amendment. The Founders intended NO federal intervention in religious issues of any kind. It is therefore my contention that the colonies were successful in establishing freedom of religion, and furthermore we have lost much of that freedom today. Every time some federal judge or some bureaucrat insists that a local courthouse or school purge all symbols of religious expression we are destroying that freedom. All of the colonies protected religious freedom and individual rights while still displaying the symbols of the prominent faith in the colony. In today’s world we have perverted the meaning of religious freedom to mean absolutely no religious expression. While in general we are still free to worship as we choose, there are those who are trying to take that freedom away. In colonial times, such usurpations would not be tolerated. While there have always been elements that have exploited religion and wielded it as a tool to get what they wanted, the story of colonial America is one of unprecedented religious freedom. While this term has changed in meaning somewhat over the last 200 or so years it still retains its relevance today. This adherence to individual rights, and the right to pursue a faith as one pleased was the cornerstone of the struggle for independence that would culminate in the founding of the greatest beacon of liberty the world has ever seen.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

2010-05-01T22:17:00.002-05:00

James Madison once said: “Enlightened statesman will not always be at the helm.”

He was definitely correct.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

2010-04-14T21:02:00.002-05:00

"The two highest achievements of the human mind are the twin concepts of “loyalty” and “duty.” Whenever these twin concepts fall into disrepute--get out of there fast. You may possibly save yourself, but it is too late to save that society. It is doomed."

-Lazarus Long

QUOTE OF THE DAY

2010-03-29T12:47:00.000-05:00

“Unjust laws have to be fought ideologically; they cannot be fought or corrected by means of mere disobedience and futile martyrdom" --Ayn Rand

I won't be posting anything for a while. Started a new job. Things are hectic and I won't have much time. So I will occasionally post quotes that I feel are relevant to current events.

Today's quote is regarding the 'hellthcare' [sic] bill recently signed into law. It is a fitting quote indeed.

More 'Hellthcare' Reading

2010-03-17T14:38:00.001-05:00

1/3 of Doctors Say 'I Quit' If Obamacare Passes:
From CNS News:
"Nearly one-third of all practicing physicians may leave the medical profession if President Obama signs current versions of health-care reform legislation into law, according to a survey published in the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
The survey, which was conducted by the Medicus Firm, a leading physician search and consulting firm based in Atlanta and Dallas, found that a majority of physicians said health-care reform would cause the quality of American medical care to “deteriorate” and it could be the “final straw” that sends a sizeable number of doctors out of medicine.
More than 29 percent (29.2) percent of the nearly 1,200 doctors who responded to the survey said they would quit the profession or retire early if health reform legislation becomes law. If a public option were included in the legislation, as several liberal Senators have indicated they would like, the number would jump to 45.7 percent."

Premiums Will Rise Under Obamacare

New Poll Confirms Once Again that Americans Overwhelmingly Oppose Obamacare

New Study Shows that Obamacare Will KILL 700,000 Jobs

Physcians Against Obamacare!

Wednesday Hero

2010-03-17T07:46:00.001-05:00

Cpl. Charles Aldieri(Ret.) & 1st Lt. Jack Jewell(Ret.)

Lt. Col. David Hurley, commander of Schweinfurt, Germany's 15th Engineer Battalion, presents unit coins to two 9th Infantry Division World War II veterans -- Charles Aldieri, a former corporal with the 746th Tank Battalion (shaking hands) and Jack Jewell, a former first lieutenant with Company B, 39th Infantry -- during a March 8 ceremony honoring the division's efforts in capturing the famed Remagen Bridge in the closing days of World War II. The commemoration took place in the Remagen Bridge and Peace Museum now housed in the remains of the span, which collapsed 10 days after its capture on March 7, 1945.

Photo Courtesy United States Army

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can gohere.

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College Educators, Elected Officials FAIL Basic Civics Exam

2010-03-13T14:24:00.000-06:00

From the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI):
Are you more knowledgeable than the average citizen? The average score for all 2,508 Americans taking the following test was 49%; college educators scored 55%. Can you do better? Questions were drawn from past ISI surveys, as well as other nationally recognized exams.

I missed 1. That's a score of about 96%. That means I scored 40 points higher than the average college educator. Elected government officials who took this exam averaged a score of 44%! WTF!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

2010-03-12T22:18:00.000-06:00

Daniel Webster wrote,

"Good intentions will always be pleaded for every assumption of authority. It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters."

A Stroll Down Memory Lane...

2010-03-11T23:36:00.000-06:00

I recently rediscovered the old blog. I had not posted on it for about 4 years, and I had forgotten about it. I thought it had been deleted long ago. I stumbled on it accidently while doing some research and browsing other blogs. The original Epler-Effect was shut down after an incident in 2005 that I might go into later on. I started another blog called Effective Archive where I salvaged some of my old posts and continued to blog for several months. I quit blogging for several reasons. I was let down by Bush's lackluster second term and I had to weather a personal storm during 2005-2007. A couple of attempts at starting a new blog never really took off. At the Effective Archive, and the orignial Effect before that, I had one or two additional contributors. I am thinking about adding some people to contribute to this blog as well. Let me know if you are interested. I don't post as often as I should, but with the way things are now I really ought to. So anyway, feel free to swing on by the old site. I even published a few posts that were saved as drafts. It was a fun trip to see all the old school blog postings and such. Interesting perspective to see how much things have changed. I have changed, America has changed, and blogging has changed since that time. Stop on in for some nostalgia: http://effectarchive.blogspot.com/

Wednesday Hero

2010-03-10T22:29:00.004-06:00

Cpl. Jason L. Dunham
22 years old from Scio, New York
Rifle Squad Leader, 4th Platoon, Company K, Third Battalion, Seventh Marines (Reinforced), Regimental Combat Team 7, FIRST Marine Division (Reinforced)
April 22, 2004

For The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor (Posthumously) to Corporal Jason L. Dunham, United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Rifle Squad Leader, 4th Platoon, Company K, Third Battalion, Seventh Marines (Reinforced), Regimental Combat Team 7, FIRST Marine Division (Reinforced), on 14 April 2004. Corporal Dunham's squad was conducting a reconnaissance mission in the town of Karabilah, Iraq, when they heard rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire erupt approximately two kilometers to the west. Corporal Dunham led his Combined Anti-Armor Team towards the engagement to provide fire support to their Battalion Commander's convoy, which had been ambushed as it was traveling to Camp Husaybah. As Corporal Dunham and his Marines advanced, they quickly began to receive enemy fire. Corporal Dunham ordered his squad to dismount their vehicles and led one of his fire teams on foot several blocks south of the ambushed convoy. Discovering seven Iraqi vehicles in a column attempting to depart, Corporal Dunham and his team stopped the vehicles to search them for weapons. As they approached the vehicles, an insurgent leaped out and attacked Corporal Dunham. Corporal Dunham wrestled the insurgent to the ground and in the ensuing struggle saw the insurgent release a grenade. Corporal Dunham immediately alerted his fellow Marines to the threat. Aware of the imminent danger and without hesitation, Corporal Dunham covered the grenade with his helmet and body, bearing the brunt of the explosion and shielding his Marines from the blast. In an ultimate and selfless act of bravery in which he was mortally wounded, he saved the lives of at least two fellow Marines. By his undaunted courage, intrepid fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty, Corporal Dunham gallantly gave his life for his country, thereby reflecting great credit upon himself and upholding the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

All Information Was Found On And Copied FromMilitaryCity.com

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can gohere.
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Fact Checking Obama

2010-03-06T15:30:00.000-06:00

"If You Like Your Plan, You Can Keep Your Plan" The President Himself Previously Admitted That “Some Of The Provisions” In The Senate Bill "Violated That Pledge"

PRESIDENT OBAMA: "If You Like Your Plan, You Can Keep Your Plan. If You Like Your Doctor, You Can Keep Your Doctor." (President Obama, Prepared Remarks, 3/3/10)

PRESIDENT OBAMA: “Some Of The Provisions” In The Democratic Health Bill “Violated That Pledge.” "We said from the start, that it was going to be important for us to be consistent, in saying to people if you can have your – if you want to keep the insurance you’ve got, you can keep it. That you're not going to have anybody getting in between you and your doctor in your decision making. And I think that some of the provisions that got snuck in might have violated that pledge." ("Obama's Planned Medicare Cuts Distress Some Democrats," Bloomberg, 12/3/09)

PRESIDENT OBAMA: "Eight To Nine Million People … Might Have To Change Their Coverage." "Well, let me, since you asked me a question, let me respond. The eight to nine million people that you refer to that might have to change their coverage, keep in mind, out of the 300 million Americans that we're talking about.” (President Obama, Health Care Summit, 2/25/10)

DEFICIT REDUCTION
Contrary To The President's Assertion, CBO Says Long Term Deficit Projections “Would Not Be Meaningful Because The Uncertainties Involved Are Simply Too Great"

PRESIDENT OBAMA: "Our Cost-Cutting Measures Mirror Most Of The Proposals In The Current Senate Bill, Which Reduces Most People’s Premiums And Brings Down Our Deficit By Up To $1 Trillion Over The Next Two Decades." (President Obama, Prepared Remarks, 3/3/10)

CBO: "A Detailed Year-By-Year Projection For Years Beyond 2019, Like Those That CBO Prepares For The 10-Year Budget Window, Would Not Be Meaningful Because The Uncertainties Involved Are Simply Too Great." (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Sen. Harry Reid, 12/19/09, P. 15)

"Bring Down Costs"
The President's Own Actuary Says Health Expenditures "Would Increase"

PRESIDENT OBAMA: "Finally, My Proposal Would Bring Down The Cost Of Health Care For … The Federal Government." (President Obama, Prepared Remarks, 3/3/10)

CMS On Senate Bill: "This Bill Would Increase [Health Expenditures] By An Estimated Total Of $222 Billion"

CMS: "…We Estimate That Overall National Health Expenditures Under This Bill Would Increase By An Estimated Total Of $222 Billion (0.6 Percent) During Calendar Years 2010-2019…" ("Estimated Financial Effects Of The 'Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act,' As Passed By The Senate On December 24, 2009," Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services, P.4, 1/8/10)
…
"Current Law Baseline, Total National Health Expenditures (NHE)… Total, CY 2010-2019… $35,253.3 [Billion Dollars].” ("Estimated Financial Effects Of The 'Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act,' As Passed By The Senate On December 24, 2009," Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services, P.36, 1/8/10) "Proposed-PPACA, Total National Health Expenditures (NHE)… Total, CY 2010-2019… $35,475.6 [Billion Dollars]." ("Estimated Financial Effects Of The 'Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act,' As Passed By The Senate On December 24, 2009," Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services, P.36, 1/8/10)

"Impact Of PPACA, Total National Health Expenditures (NHE)… Total, CY 2010-2019… $222.3 [Billion Dollars]." ("Estimated Financial Effects Of The "Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act," As Passed By The Senate On December 24, 2009,” Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services, P.37, 1/8/10)

CBO On Senate Bill: BILL STILL INCREASES COSTS

CBO: "Under The Legislation, Federal Outlays For Health Care Would Increase During The 2010–2019 Period, As Would The Federal Budgetary Commitment To Health Care. The net increase in that commitment would be about $200 billion over that 10-year period, driven primarily by the gross cost of the coverage expansions (including increases in both outlays and tax credits)." (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Sen. Harry Reid, 12/19/09, P. 18)

Hat tip to Marathon Pundit for this post

More 'Hellthcare' Reading

2010-03-06T15:17:00.001-06:00

This nightmare really must end. The people do not want this healthcare reform legislation. We know it is a scam. We have spoken on this matter. By an overwhelming margin the American people said "NO!"

Mark Steyn explains why the dems are pushing forward even though they know it will cost them at the polls:

"Why is he doing this? Why let “health” “care” “reform” stagger on like the rotting husk in a low-grade creature feature who refuses to stay dead no matter how many stakes you pound through his chest? Because it’s worth it. Big time. I’ve been saying in this space for two years that the governmentalization of health care is the fastest way to a permanent left-of-center political culture. It redefines the relationship between the citizen and the state in fundamental ways that make limited government all but impossible."

...

"Once the state swells to a certain size, the people available to fill the ever expanding number of government jobs will be statists — sometimes hard-core Marxist statists, sometimes social-engineering multiculti statists, sometimes fluffily “compassionate” statists, but always statists. The short history of the post-war welfare state is that you don’t need a president-for-life if you’ve got a bureaucracy-for-life"

Larry Kudlow explains how Obamacare is a giant step in the wrong direction.

"One of the most galling features of this plan is a taxpayer-subsidized government-insurance entitlement for people earning up to 400 percent above the poverty line, or nearly $100,000 for a family of four. In other words, a middle-class health-care entitlement that will add millions of people to the federal dole. It’s all too reminiscent of the political dictum of the old New Dealer Harry Hopkins: tax and tax, spend and spend, elect and elect."

Thomas Jefferson Was Right

2010-03-06T00:25:00.001-06:00

"Cherish, therefore, the spirit of our people, and keep alive their attention. Do not be too severe upon their errors, but reclaim them by enlightening them. If once they become inattentive to the public affairs, you and I, and Congress, and Assemblies, Judges, and Governors, shall all become wolves."

-Thomas Jefferson

"I own that I am not a friend to a very energetic government. It is always oppressive."

-Thomas Jefferson
...........................................................................................................................................................
...and so was George Washington:

"Government is not reason; it is not eloquence. It is force. And force, like fire, is a dangerous servant and a fearful master."

~George Washington~

Conservative Revolution

2010-03-02T15:24:00.001-06:00

Something came up in a discussion a few days ago on another blog. Someone called the Constitution a "progressive" document. Now I may be wrong about what that person meant by the word "progressive". When I hear the word I think about the early 20th century movement by the same name. In this context the word does not mean "progress." It does not mean "to make things better." Progressive politicians of the early 20th century decided that the Founding Fathers were wrong. They decided that the Constitution was an archaic document that would not function in the modern world. They wanted to 'progress' away from the Constitution. They wanted an active and powerful federal government. This was the antithesis of the Constitution.

If you mean to say that the Constitution was divinely inspired, then I apologize. If you meant that the Constitution was the work of truly enlightened men, then I agree.

The commonly held perception about the American Revolution and the Constitution was that it demonstrated a radical and fundamental societal change. It did not. The American Revolution was nothing like the French Revolution. It was not like any other revolution in history. It was a Conservative Revolution. I don't mean that the Founders were all conservatives as the word is defined today.* Our nation's First Principles were Libertarian principles. Many of the Founders were Classical Liberals. Of course, liberal does not mean the same thing today in America. Classical Liberalism and modern American liberalism are essentially opposite philosophies. Classical Liberals were more in line with Libertarianism.

Anyway, the American Revolution was about preserving the traditional rights that the American colonists had enjoyed as British citizens. They were not radicals. Glenn Beck keeps calling George Washington and other Founders 'radicals'. He says that we must choose between radicals like Van Jones or radicals like George Washington. The Founders were not radicals. They protested the British Parliament's encroachments on colonial liberties. They were in favor of limited government. They thought that they should be protected by the unwritten English Constitution that solidified the rights of British citizens.

The action of the British parliament to enact the Stamp Act, and other taxation, was against the English Constitution in the colonists’ view. The American colonists thought that they could count on the Magna Carta of 1215, the Petition of Right established in 1628, and the British Bill of Rights written in 1689. These documents, along with some English common law, formed the basis of a British “constitution” that the Founders first appealed to in order to solve the dispute with the British. The colonists even appealed to the King of England to step in on their behalf against the British Parliament. It was decided, however, that parliament was sovereign. Sovereignty rested with the parliament and not the British people, and certainly not the American colonists. This outraged the colonists.

The British Constitution, because so much of it was unwritten, was very flexible (today the left calls this a ‘living’ constitution). Parliament used this to their advantage. When faced with crippling debt after the Seven Years War (also known as the French and Indian Wars) Parliament enacted a series of revenue generating policies aimed primarily at the American colonies. Now the American colonists had long enjoyed a large degree of self-governance. They were ruggedly independent. They did not like the encroachment on their self-rule. In 1765 American colonists issued a joint statement of grievances against the British Parliament and the Stamp Act. The colonists protested that their “ancient chartered rights” were being violated. The colonists held the position that their own colonial legislatures should be the only body with the power to tax them. The colonists were not seeking to completely transform their society. They were used to self-governance and felt that it was their right under the British Constitution. They simply wished to retain self-rule. Captain Preston, a veteran of the Battle of Concord in 1775 said it best. He was asked by Judge Mellen Chamberlain in 1842 why he fought the British. A 91 year old Captain Preston replied “Young man, what we meant in going for those redcoats was this: We always had governed ourselves, and we always meant to. They didn’t mean we should.”

The American Constitution was written in the spirit of the American colonists’ desire for self-rule. The Constitution was written to prevent the federal government from ever taking too much power and encroaching on the rights of the states or that of the citizens. However, the Constitution distrusts the people almost as much as it distrusts the federal government. The people can be easily misled by a particularly capable orator or skillful politician. The Founders knew that democracy was a dangerous and temporary form of government that usually led to tyranny. Thus, the Founders intended the United States of America to be a Republic. That is why in the original Constitution the highest office that the people could vote for was the House of Representatives. Each state was a sovereign nation. When King George signed the Treaty of Paris ending the American War for Independence, he recognized 13 individual nations, not one big one. The Constitution was meant to set up a federation of nation-states. The states were to retain local control and were only agreeing to delegate certain powers to the federal government. Today our federal government is in direct violation to the principles spelled out in the Constitution. It has been so for about 100 years now to varying extents.

Like the American colonists before us those in the Tea Party movement, the 9-12 Project, and other grassroots movements based in Conservative-Libertarian ideology are not extremists. They are not radicals (though you can find a few nuts in every crowd.) They simply want a return to self-governance. I want to see a politician run on this platform: Low taxes, minimal regulation, and maximum freedom. I should throw local control in that mix as well. These are the principles of liberty the Founders meant for our country. This is what the Constitution was designed to preserve. The Founders were certainly not progressives. Progressives assume that mankind can be perfected. They assume that government can bring about this perfection and we can live in a fantasy utopia. The Founders understood that Man is flawed. People, governments, companies, etc. will always make mistakes. They will always fail to do the right thing at least some of the time. Government fails almost all of the time. The key is to strike a balance. The key is to limit the power of government, or individuals, to do damage to the rest of society. That is why we have are supposed to have a limited government with enumerated powers, rather than an omnipotent government with unlimited powers.

*Many of the Founders were Conservatives. Many were Classical Liberals, some may have been anarchists, most were deeply religious, one was an atheist (Paine), at least two were deists, some wanted a nationalist government, and some were monarchists (Alexander Hamilton gave a passionate speech at the Constitutional Convention in which he called for establishing a monarchy with George Washington as the first king.) That’s the greatness inherent in our Founding Fathers. They came from different backgrounds and believed in different ideologies, but they came together on the notion of liberty. They built the greatest bastion of freedom in human history.

Send in the Clowns

2010-02-27T15:33:00.002-06:00

I just got back from taking the kids to the circus. I was delighted to hear that global warming has now become a punchline for a clown skit. The clowns were trying to get a comical clown car to start and it backfired on them. Flames shot out and one of the clowns blamed it on global warming. Hilarious.

Well Said

2010-02-26T19:54:00.000-06:00

"If eternal vigilance is the price of freedom, incessant distractions are the way that politicians take away our freedoms, in order to enhance their own power and longevity in office. ... Few distractions have had such a long and impressive political track record as getting people to resent and, if necessary, hate other people. The most politically effective totalitarian systems have gotten people to give up their own freedom in order to vent their resentment or hatred at other people.... We have not yet reached these levels of hostility, but those who are taking away our freedoms, bit by bit, on the installment plan, have been incessantly supplying us with people to resent. One of the most audacious attempts to take away our freedom to live our lives as we see fit has been the so-called 'health care reform' bills that were being rushed through Congress before either the public or the members of Congress themselves had a chance to discover all that was in it. For this, we were taught to resent doctors, insurance companies and even people with 'Cadillac health insurance plans,' who were to be singled out for special taxes. Meanwhile, our freedom to make our own medical decisions -- on which life and death can depend -- was to be quietly taken from us and transferred to our betters in Washington. ... The more they can get us all to resent those they designate, the more they can distract us from their increasing control of our own lives -- but only if we sell our freedom cheap."
--economist Thomas Sowell

Just a Word

2010-02-26T19:30:00.000-06:00

Okay, just a word on the healthcare summit:

ARROGANCE!

Obama and his democrat cronies have overplayed their hand. It will probably cost them dearly at the polls, but if they can force this healthcare bill through, against the will of the American people, it won't matter. The damage will have been done. This summit was a sham. Obama and the dems clearly were never considering any form of bipartisanship. It is the dems who have been partisan from the beginning. They continue to arrogantly flaunt their utter contempt and disregard for the American people (whom overwhelmingly reject Obama's 'hellthcare' proposals) and their obvious disrespect for the Constitution's limitations on federal power. There is still a good chance that the healthcare bill will go down in flames. The dems still might not have the votes. This has been a democrat problem from the beginning. They never needed a single republican vote all year last year. The opposition came from within the democrat party. They still might lose a couple more democrat lawmakers who have principles, or are just worried about getting reelected. Either way I welcome their opposition to this healthcare overhaul that puts the federal government in charge of a good chunk of the American economy. Centralized planning fails everytime it is tried. When will we learn from the mistakes of the past? We are either going to let freedom prevail and let the American people solve these problems, or our nation will end up just another mediocre quasi-socialist totalitarian nightmare smoldering in the ash of history.

AWWW! Global Warming

2010-02-26T18:52:00.000-06:00

Since I have been away for a while I am catching up on reading some of the other blogs. Here is a good piece on the recent global warming scandals.

http://www.nadmennymillicent.com/2010/02/is-global-warming-finally-dead.html

PS, most of the last three months here at my house we have have about a foot of snow and temps averaging about 5-10 degrees BELOW normal. I sure could go for some of that global warming now. I wish there was some way to speed this thing up.

I am Back...

2010-02-12T13:52:00.000-06:00

...but I am not sure how long I will be back, and I do not know if I will have a lot of free time to devote to the blog. I have posted the comments that were pending on some old posts. Sorry for the delay folks. I made some brief replies, but since the threads are old I don't see reason to spend a lot of time on them. I hope to stop by the other blogs when I have time to see how everything is going. Thanks for being patient.

I Apologize for the Disappearing Act

2010-01-25T10:46:00.000-06:00

Some things have come up in the recent weeks that required my immediate and undivided attention. I apologize for ignoring the blog lately. I am very busy right now, but I want to make sure no feels like I have forgotten them. I know there are some comments that I haven't looked at or replied to yet. Sorry for the delay. I am not trying to be rude or anything. I simply have had little time to be on the computer. I have a lot to say about recent events. I will try to post in the near future and reply to any comments that I have not yet read. If you commented and it hasn't posted yet it is because I have not read it yet. The blog comments are moderated so that I remember to read and reply to them. As soon as I get time I will reply to any comments still OTF. Hang in there folks. If things slow down in the next couple weeks I will be back to the blog more consistently.

Finally Someone Calling Terrorism "Terrorism"

2010-01-15T20:49:00.001-06:00

An administration official has finally called the Ft. Hood Terrorist Attack a terrorist attack.

A senior Obama administration official, speaking on background Friday to a group of reporters, characterized the Fort Hood shooting as "an act of terrorism,"

My favorite part of the story was this:

Hasan is in poor condition; he's paralyzed from the chest down and suffers from incontinence.

The perfect fate for a deluded jihadist.

Now Our Rights Come from Government

2010-01-14T23:22:00.000-06:00

This is scary. This video is from last month, but I wanted to post about it. First of all I am ashamed that there is an idiot like this in the senate, but I am not surprised. He is laying out exactly what I predicted. The progressives are passing this healthcare bill just to get the structure in place and later on they will add to it and engineer a more complete government takeover of the healthcare system. The most shocking thing is that he says that government can grant rights to the people. He says healthcare is an inalienable right now. He says that whenever "we" (meaning the senate) pass a right "we" always "build on it." So now the government grants us our rights. Not God or nature. So our rights are subject to revocation from the government now. This is very telling. Whenever they slip up like this it speaks volumes about their intentions. This may be the beginning of some very frightening stuff.

Housing Collapse

2010-01-14T01:04:00.000-06:00

This is from a previous post I made back in June. The housing collapse recently came up in another discussion so I am reposting this portion:

Many people have expressed a lack of understanding on how we came to be in this economic mess in the first place. I did some reading and here is some of the factors that caused the meltdown. First there was the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977. This created an "affirmative obligation" that banks had to give more loans to poor people and minorities. In 1989 Congress changed the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act and made banks record racial and other personal data on mortgage applications.Then in 1995 the Clinton Treasury Dept. began tracking loans by neighborhoods, income groups, and races. They used this data to rate the performance of banks. These ratings were used to determine if bank mergers, acquistions, or new bank branches would be approved. So the government encouraged banks to give more loans to poor and minorities. Groups like ACORN and other community activists began extorting banks and pressured them into making more bad loans. With all of this going on banks were forced to abandon traditional underwriting standards. Otherwise the government would not allow the banks to expand. This government interference created the subprime mortgage market. Then in 1992 the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development created government corporations Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy up bundles of these sub-prime loans.This diversified the risk and made more money available for banks to make more risky loans.Then Congress passed something called the Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act. As with most legislation the title did not match the bill. This essentially mandated that companies had to buy 45% of all loans from people of low to moderate incomes. In 1995 the treasury dept. established the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund and provided banks with tax money to encourage even more high risk subprime loans. Fannie and Freddie were not regulated or forced to adhere to standard business and oversight practices. When people called for them to open up their books and comply with ethical and financially sound regulations top congressional allies of Fannie and Freddie, including Barney Frank Chris Dodd, Chuck Schumer, and others resisted all efforts of reform. Meanwhile Fannie and Freddie executives cooked the books and awarded themselves millions in bonues. Government interference and social engineering created the derivatives market. Deriviatives are contracts. One bank would sell the risk associated with a mortgage to another company in exchange for payments based on the loan's value. It was kind of like buying insurance. People were gambling. They were betting on which mortgages would be foreclosed and which would not. This practice spread and multiplied the risk of bad mortgages to other parts of the economy. The last factor that played a huge role in the economic crisis was the Fed. From Jan. '01 to June '03 the Fed slashed interest rates from 6.5% to 1%. So the Fed imposed an easy money policy that artificially manipulated the housing market, interfered with normal market conditions, and destabilized the economy. When everything began to crash the government started spending money like crazy. First it was TARP at the end of '08. This program alone might exceed $1 Trillion. or 7% of our GDP. $350 billion of that TARP money is currently unaccounted for. The Fed also began bailing out companies like Bear Stearns and AIG, and of course Fannie and Freddie got $200 billion. The Fed all together gave out $7 trillion. Then of course there is the so called stimulus package which has also been a staggering waste of money. Thus far it has been a slush fund wrought with corruption and fraud. All of this spending has slowed economic recovery and will cause a lot of pain in the future. This thing is not over yet. So all in all there are a lot of culprits responsible for this economic meltdown. Its origins are further back than people realize. This storm has been coming for a long time and there are no clear skies in sight. So cheer up the worst is yet to come! ;-)

Wednesday Hero

2010-01-13T11:13:00.000-06:00

Culinary Specialist 1st Class Tremayne Brown, from Tulsa, Okla., receives stores for the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56). John S. McCain is one of seven ships assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15 and is permanently forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan.

Brrrrrr! It's Cold!

2010-01-11T17:17:00.002-06:00

Yeah, I think we can move on from this global warming nonsense now.

30 years of global cooling?

Do the math.

Florida wildlife is dying from record COLD temps.

I have done a lot of reading about global warming and climate change. The numbers that the left likes to crank out do not add up. When it comes to climate the only constant is change. Where I live I am facing record cold temps and record snow fall amounts. Now warmists will say "short term trends don't mean anything!" My point exactly. Most of the global warming research is based on about 120 years of temperature data. A mere moment in time compared to the age of planet earth. The earth has been much much warmer than it is now. It has been much colder. It will get much colder and then maybe much warmer in the millenium to come. There is no climate change or global warming crisis. It is the invention of the political left for the purpose of seizing power and wealth. I have said before that there are serious environmental issues facing us. The global warming alarmism is undermining any common sense efforts that could be made to improve the environment. The engine of economic growth will fuel the creation of new technologies that would be beneficial to the planet in the long run. Perhaps a new eco-friendly energy source. But the solutions proposed by the left will only prevent or delay such progress. You see the left is not about progress. Progressives are anything but progressive. They are about tearing people down and lower expectations. Global warming solutions being proposed will lower our standard of living. The left wants to make everyone equally poor while securing wealth for themselves through the brute force of government.

Wednesday Hero

2010-01-06T14:57:00.003-06:00

For today's hero click on the link below to RW & RM:

Cpl. Carlos E. Gil Orozco

23 years old from San Jose, California

2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force

Several Obamacare Provisions Unconstitutional?

2010-01-06T14:07:00.000-06:00

From YID With LID:

Section 3403 of the Senate health bill, establishing a commission to cut Medicare spending, says the law can't be changed or repealed in the future. This whopper shows that Congress thinks its work should be set in stone. Wrong. The people always have the right to elect a new Congress to change or repeal what a previous Congress has done.

A Senate health-bill amendment mysteriously allocates $100 million to an unnamed facility that "shall be affiliated with an academic health center at a public research university in the United States that contains a state's sole public academic medical and dental school" (Sec. 10502, p. 328-329). Why not name the facility?

This pork deal was arranged by Sen. Chris Dodd for the University of Connecticut Health Center, although 11 hospitals in the nation technically meet these specifications. If Congress wrote the provision in Polish or Russian to keep the public in the dark, it would be unconstitutional. The language is a deception. The fact that legislators commonly do this makes it more damaging, not less so.

The bills require you to enroll in a "qualified health plan," whether you want it or not. Forcing people to buy insurance obviously reduces the number of uninsured. But Congress doesn't have the authority to force people to buy a product.

Sen. Orin Hatch (R-Nev.) said on the Senate floor, "If Congress may require individuals to purchase a particular good or service . . . We could simply require that Americans buy certain cars . . . for that matter, we could attack the problem of obesity by requiring Americans to buy fruits and vegetables."

Some Congress members claim the "general welfare clause" of the Constitution empowers them to impose a mandate. But they're taking the phrase out of context. The Constitution gives Congress power to tax and spend for the general welfare, but not to make other kinds of laws for the general welfare.

The Senate bill (pages 320-324) claims the "interstate commerce" clause of the Constitution gives Congress this authority. But for half a century, states have regulated health insurance. In fact, individuals are barred from buying insurance in any state except where they live, the antithesis of interstate commerce.

Congressional majorities have frequently resorted to the commerce clause to justify their lawmaking. In FDR's first term, Congress cited it to pass the National Industrial Recovery Act, which gave the federal government power to micromanage local businesses, setting wages and hours and even barring customers from selecting their live chickens at the butcher. Two Brooklyn brothers, owners of Schechter Poultry Corp., a kosher chicken business, challenged that interference. In 1935, the US Supreme Court ruled the NIRA unconstitutional.

In 1995, the high court again admonished Congress against using the commerce clause as a basis for expanded lawmaking, even when the purpose is as worthy as keeping handguns out of a school zone (US v. Lopez). The court ruled that Congress must stick to its enumerated powers and leave states to police school zones (and, perhaps, mandate health insurance).

Never before has the federal government intruded into decisions made by doctors for privately insured patients, except on narrow issues such as drug safety. Nothing in the Constitution permits it. But the Senate bill makes you enroll in a plan and then says that only doctors who do what the government dictates can be paid by your plan.

"Qualified plans" can contract only with a doctor who "implements such mechanisms to improve health-care quality as the [current or future] secretary [of Health and Human Services] may by regulation require" (Sec. 1311, p. 148-49). That covers all of medicine, from heart care to child birth, stents to mammograms.

Finally, the "takings clause" of the Fifth Amendment bars government from taking your property without compensation. It should protect everyone, no matter how unpopular -- even insurance companies, but Congress ignored it in writing the health bill. The Senate version goes beyond reining in insurance-company abuses, a just cause, and actually caps insurance-company profit margins at well below current levels, robbing shareholders. Next year, Congress could impose similar caps on profit margins of bodegas, pizzerias and grocers, by arguing that food -- also a necessity -- is too expensive. Your business could be next.

Wednesday Hero

2009-12-30T14:49:00.000-06:00

Wednesday Hero still needs to find a new place to host its files. So for now I will link to the Wednesday Hero Post HERE

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year: Get ready to fight!

2009-12-29T17:13:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone enjoyed Christmas. Have a wonderful holiday vacation. After the 1st it will be time to gear up and fight. The statists will be on the march and we have to be ready. The "hellthcare" debacle has gone to conference. Hopefull this nightmare ends there, but I am not counting on it. The last line of defense will be nullification. 20+ states will be considering laws to nullify the federal healthcare reform bill next year. We need to support them and encourage such a movement in our states. Obama's next push will be for amnesty for illegal immigrants. They will push for this hard. The radical agenda being pushed by Obama and his cronies is highly unpopular with the American people. The dems are sure to be devastated in 2010, unless they can secure tens of millions of new voters. That is their plan. They will push to leagalize tens of millions of illegal immigrants so that they can then vote in more socialist democrats who, ironically enough, want to turn America into a socialist hellhole like the one most of these immigrants just fled. Don't forget about the tax and cap scam too. It has lost a lot of steam and is dead in the Senate for the time being. With the climategate revelations and viciously cold winter weather people are not willing to listen to climate change nonsense and hyperbole at the moment. That will not stop the statists from pushing it, however, so be on guard. This is going to be a long busy year. Be prepared for some nasty fighting, especially around election time later in the year. We need to halt the advance of tyranny in America and secure liberty and freedom for our future. Then we can undo the damage sustained over the last several years. Remember to be skeptical of all politicians, regardless of party affiliation. Don't fall into the same traps again. Hold whoever is in office accountable to the Constitution.

The Healthcare Nightmare Goes On

2009-12-22T20:21:00.000-06:00

This healthcare disaster is indicative of everything wrong with Washington DC and American politics in general. We have corruption, bribery, extortion, closed-door meetings, big business and big union special interest group payoffs, and an accounting scam that any private citizen would end up in federal prison for. Ten years worth of taxes to pay for 6 years of "benefits" that won't begin until late 2012. Sounds like a great deal. If you buy that, then I guess Barnum was right. I think we can all agree that healthcare is a problem and it needs to be reformed. We need the right reform and this bill is an unmitigated disaster for America. There is clearly no rush so why not start over and do this honestly. This is the season for redemption. Congress and president Obama could redeem themselves in my eyes if they stopped trying to ram this bill down the throats of the American people. The people don't want this bill. The gov't is supposed to work for us, not vice versa. It would be very wise for them to scrap the bill, go home, and then come back next year and start fresh. They could craft a more effective reform bill that would have instantaneous benefit for people. If they began with an honest debate and conducted the process with clarity and transparency perhaps the American people would support it. Maybe we could come together and present some common sense reforms that would not destroy the economy and cripple us with debt. But then I guess that would require a Christmas miracle.

Healthcare Analysis

2009-12-20T10:02:00.002-06:00

Heritage has some great analysis of the Senate "Hellthcare" bill.

"The Senate is engaged in a deadly serious debate on a 2,074-page bill that would overhaul the entire health care sector of the economy, profoundly affecting the personal lives of 300 million Americans. It would erect massive federal controls over private health insurance, dictating the content of insurance benefit packages and the use of medical treatments, procedures, and medical devices.

The bill would also make major changes in payments to doctors, hospitals, and medical professionals in Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs; establish new federal agencies, bureaus, and commissions to oversee various aspects of the health care system, including how physicians and other medical professionals deliver care; and alter the relationship between the federal government and the states, transferring massive regulatory power to the federal government while reducing the flexibility of state officials to manage Medicaid and limiting their capacity to initiate health insurance reforms within their own states.
The Senate bill would impose enormous costs on the American people, totaling at least $2.5 trillion for the first 10 years. After the first 10 years, as costs escalated, Congress would need to impose additional major tax increases and impose major cuts in benefits to pay for this health care agenda.
The American people want and need health reform, but the Senate bill is clearly not what they have in mind."

The bill also may cause some unintended employment discrimination:

"The Senate health care bill includes a well-known "employer mandate" provision that would require employers to either offer a "qualified" health plan and pay 60 percent of the premium or pay an annual tax penalty of $750 per full-time employee.

What is less well-known is that the provision would also tax companies even if they do offer insurance -- but only if they hire people from low- and moderate-income families who qualify for, and elect to accept, premium subsidies. And the tax penalty for hiring those employees -- arguably the people who need jobs the most -- would be a whopping $3,000 per employee per year.
The combination of this tax penalty and the rules for determining who qualifies for premium subsidies would encourage companies to engage in some new and repulsive forms of employment discrimination."

From Heritage.org

The Nightmare Continues

2009-12-19T17:51:00.003-06:00

The nightmare that is the Obama Administration continues undaunted toward complete annihilation of the US Constitution and the ideals of American exceptionalism. The dark shroud of socialism and totalitarianism is nearing our shores and I fear that there is not enough time to stop it. The federal takeover of the healthcare system will probably pass. Unfortunately Senator Ben Nelson, or soon to be former Senator, has been bought off and will support the healthcare debacle. This happens after an apparent failed attempt by the White House to threaten Ben Nelson with the closure of Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska. This is my neck of the woods, so I am familiar with the situation. While Nelson and the White House have denied the claim (of course they would) there are numerous sources standing behind the story. An investigation has been called for, but it is unlikely that anything will become of it. This would be unthinkable under normal circumstances, but this is the Obama Chicago machine running the country the "Chicago Way" through bribery and intimidation. This administration is corrupt to the hilt and it will not let anything, or anyone, stop them from achieving their nefarious goals. Obama has continually attacked his opponents and followed the Saul Alinsky model religiously. Obama continues to attack private companies. He and his surrogates try to undermine, marginalize, and destroy anyone who won't simply be bought off. While Obama is trying to destroy America domestically, countries like Iran, terror groups like Al-Qaeda, and leftists worldwide are trying to increase their power. Iran continues to grow more belligerent and has seized an Iraqi oil field. Terrorists are emboldened by our dithering commander-in-chief and there is not a dictator on earth that fears and/or respects Obama. America was once the beacon of freedom on earth. Now we seem more aligned with leftwing dictators like Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. In fact at least one of Obama's administration officials is a big fan of Chavez. The fact is Obama has surrounded himself with radicals, communists, Marxists, and self-serving corrupt fat cat union thugs. I fear for both President Obama's safety and for the future of our country. I do not think Obama is entirely evil. He has simply surrounded himself with dangerous people. The coalition that he formed in order to get himself elected now rules him. That is why he is willing to push unpopular legislation like healthcare. The leftwing radicals that surround him demand it. Even if it destroys the democratic party he will push it because he promised it to them. Whether Obama is intentionally trying to crash the system through some sort of Cloward and Piven inspired strategy to foment revolutionary change, or he is just another politician in over his head remains unclear. One fact is undisputable: unless we get a new Congress next year, and unless we begin moving in the opposite direction from where Obama has taken us, we will not recognize the United States of America. The American Experiment will be over, and it will have failed.

Wednesday Hero

2009-12-16T11:06:00.000-06:00

Wednesday Hero is having some technical difficulties so go to the link to view today's:

http://rightwingrightminded.blogspot.com/2009/12/wednesday-hero-milblogs-go-silent-today.html

"This week's Wednesday Hero is both an individual, and a group. The group we honor are the milblogs: the military blogs, spouse blogs, and support blogs who bring you the news and information you can get nowhere else. The information and news that matter to you. The individual we honor today is C. J. Grisham.

Army Master Sgt. C. J. Grisham has always led from the front, from combat that earned him the Bronze Star with V device, to doing right by the men he led. His honesty won him readership and respect, from the White House on down. Yet, when he stood up for his children in school, his command did not stand by him. You can read more at Military Times to get the full story."

Just for Fun

2009-12-14T22:38:00.000-06:00

Here is an interesting video: http://www.motivationtruth.com/2009/12/dopenhagen-by-zo-rachel.html

Some cartoons: http://www.nadmennymillicent.com/2009/12/cartoons-part-3.html

...and Palin's appearance on the Tonight Show: http://www.motivationtruth.com/2009/12/governor-palin-tonight-show-and-wounded.html

Wednesday Hero

2009-12-10T16:11:00.000-06:00

Petty Officer 2nd Class Daniel Elsey

Abdul Rashid, a 5-year-old resident of the Nawa district of Afghanistan, receives a dressing for a wound on his face from Petty Officer 2nd Class Daniel Elsey, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, while a linguist translates at a medical aid station at Patrol Base Jaker Dec. 3. Rashid was injured by a motorcycle earlier that day. Navy hospital corpsmen like Elsey routinely see local residents and children here to treat their wounds.

Photo Courtesy United States Marine Corps

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Suhperman for Heisman!!!

2009-12-06T11:41:00.002-06:00

***UPDATE: Suh finishes 4th in Heisman voting with the highest vote total ever for a 4th place finalist. Ingram of Alabama brings home the first ever Heisman for the Tide. Not unexpected at all. Suh is still the best player in college football.
***Update: Jim Rome of ESPN endorses Suh for Heisman.

Ndamukong Suh (First name means "House of Spears") defensive tackle for the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers deserves serious consideration for the Heisman trophy. Especially following the Big 12 Championship Game last night. Suh almost singlehandedly destroyed Texas and nearly willed Nebraska to the upset win. If Nebraska had managed any offense whatsoever last night they would have won the game easily. Despite having virtually no offensive production and only 5 first downs, Nebraska should probably have won the game anyway. A key mistake on the last kickoff by the kicker and some questionable officiating was all that prevented an upset and ensuing BCS chaos. Suh is the leading candidate for every major defensive award for the year. He will most likely be the #1 draft pick (he is #1 on Mel Kiper's draft board) and he will be a force in the NFL. Despite facing double teams, holding, and being chop blocked all night by Texas offensive lineman, Suh exploded for 12 tackles (7 TFL) and 4.5 sacks. He destroyed the Texas offense and probably cost Colt McCoy a shot at the Heisman. If Suh doesn't at least get the invite to New York for the Heisman voting, it proves once and for all that the Heisman trophy is a meaningless award given only to flashy offensive players on winning teams. No player in college football this year has been more dominating and meant more to his team than Suh. Over the past two seasons Suh has been dominating offenses. He ran two interceptions back for TD's last year. He has 4 ints in his career, which is unsual for a DT. When he doesn't get the sack, he gets his hands up and breaks up the pass. When he doesn't make the tackle in the backfield he has the pursuit to run them down. He has blocked 4 field goals this season and is disruptive on every play. He leads his team in tackles! The 6'4 300lbs defensive tackle didn't start playing football until 8th grade. Before that he played soccer and his excellent footwork may be a product of that experience. He has the awareness of a linebacker and will often set only after hearing the calls and seeing the offensive formation. He is smart and that gives him as much of an edge as his physical tools. Runningbacks Gerhart of Stanford and Ingram from Alabama are certainly deserving of Heisman consideration and I won't be too mad if they win it. However, Suh should at least be given consideration. He is hands down the most dominating defensive lineman I have ever seen. If he stays healthy in the NFL he will be a force to reckon with.

Global Warming Alarmism Proven to be a Fraud; Media Remains Silent

2009-12-05T10:30:00.001-06:00

Out of touch mainstream media ignored major story:
http://www.businessandmedia.org/articles/2009/20091202135822.aspx

With the Copenhagen Climate Conference looming the pseudo-science behind global warming has come into question.
http://www.climatechangefraud.com/climate-reports/5642-climategate-emails-provide-unwanted-scrutiny-of-climate-scientists

Some global warming scientists are trying to hide and falsify data and alter the peer review system to silence skeptics.
http://www.examiner.com/x-25061-Climate-Change-Examiner~y2009m11d20-ClimateGate--Climate-centers-server-hacked-revealing-documents-and-emails#update

I think that there are serious environmental issues that require attention. However, the whole global warming movement has been hijacked by opportunistic leftists that are trying to make money and gain political power. Many of the high profile global warming proponents are known marxists just trying to bring down capitalism. The science does not support the level of hysteria surrounding this issue. But, the fact is we are doing some serious damage to ecosystems and we need to do everything possible to protect and restore as much as we can. This can be accomplished without marxist cap and trade policies and high taxation. Eco-tourism is a booming industry and no one wants a dirty planet. If we can just get passed the phony global warming alarmism and talk about serious envrionmental issues we can begin to solve some of these problems.

Obama's Failure on the Economy is Apparent

2009-12-04T21:56:00.003-06:00

According to the latest numbers states that are largely controlled by democrats are suffering the most from this recession. Job Woes Hit Blue States Hardest...

Seven of the top ten states receiving the most stimulus money are blue states. To be fair these are also the most populous states and per capita they are not getting as much as say Wyoming who has about 4 unemployed people in it anyway. That's another complaint about Obama's so-called stimulus plan:
The states with the most unemployment are not getting as much help.

Then consider the fact that the Obama Administration has been cooking the books and lying about the number of jobs "saved or created". It's all a bunch of BS anyway. The government is getting away with an accounting scandal that would land a private company in federal court.

Stimulus money was sent to Congressional districts that do not even exist!

The amount of fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer money is staggering. All of this illustrates the point that government cannot create anything. Government is only good at destroying, corrupting, or complicating things. The government cannot create jobs or stimulate an economy by spending absurd amounts of money. The best thing that the government can do is get out of the way. Reduce spending, cut taxes, and create a safe environment in which people can do business, invent, innovate, create jobs, and build wealth. All I want the federal government to do is protect the country and get the hell out of my way. The unemployment rate according to the government dropped from 10.2% to 10% today. So freaking what?! That is not an improvement. Retailers hired more part-timers for the shopping season. Jan. 1 they will be unemployed again and the unemployment rate will rise to about 10.3%. It will continue to rise throughout most of the next year. Real unemployment numbers are closer to 17% when you calculate the individuals who gave up looking, whose unemployment benefits ran out, and those who are under-employed (meaning they are working part-time, but need full-time employment). Employers cannot take a risk and add to their payroll while Obama hangs the specter of massive new healthcare taxes and liabilities over their heads. (also watch this) Industries will not expand while the Senate is planning to burden us with ever increasing new cap and trade taxes and exer increasing energy prices. Small businesses are not going to be created while people are terrified about the direction of the economy. Obama's policies have created an atmosphere of anxiety and distrust. Banks cannot lend and investors will not invest. Meanwhile people are being squeezed by higher prices, higer taxes, and lower wages. The federal government continues to burden our children and grandchildren with massive debt. The dollar may crash. If that happens things will only get worse. So while Obama and his cronies are celebrating all the jobs they are supposedly creating or "saving" the real world keeps on suffering. Many analysts are predicting a double dip recession and the next crash will be worse. Dr. Doom has some dire predictions. I don't know a lot about him, but he predicted the financial collapse last year and he was right.

So while Obama finally decides to talk about creating jobs after losing millions of them, I am warning people to be prepared. I hope something happens to change the equation for the better. I hope we can stop the downward spiral. Unfortuantely, if Obama's first year in office has been an indicator I see things getting much worse. Of course the Obamabots will claim "well Obama inherited this mess from George Bush!" Shut up! Are you kidding me? That crap didn't fly when Bush "inherited" a recession from Clinton, why should Obama get a free pass? I guess the hope 'n change we were promised by Obama will be a lower standard of living for all Americans. I hope Obama wakes up and does the right thing. I hope he turns this thing around. I am not holding my breath for that though. To accomplish that he'd have to go against every leftist instinct in his body. I don't see that happening.

Obama's Surge

2009-12-04T15:03:00.001-06:00

Obama has unveiled his great plan for Afghanistan. He is sending 35000 troops (5000 less than McCrystal's requested minimum of 40000) and they will be home by fall of 2012. Obama doesn't even believe in Obama's plan. Hence the time table. You can establish a timeline without announcing it to the enemy. All Obama did was signal his weakness. The perceived weakness of our leaders is why Afghanistan and Iraq have been seeing increasing levels of violence in recent months. At any rate, there is little reason for us to invest so much into Afghanistan. We should seek to effectively manage the country rather than initiate any further nation-building steps. It is a tribal region that has never had a strong central government. We can prevent the Taliban and Al-Qaeda from building a stronghold, but there is little else we can do for the Afghans unless they initiate change themselves. Al-Qaeda is in Pakistan and Somalia. Our interests would be better served working in those nations to destroy the enemy and show them we can hit them wherever they hide. I will support Obama's surge if he fights to win. Unfortunately I think his strategy is more about a protracted retreat than a surge to victory. What I find humorous is that 3 years ago Obama was riddiculing Bush's surge and saying it would not work. Now Obama is implementing essentially the exact same plan and even sending administration officials to capitol hill to sell the plan to Congress. Gates just testified the merits of the plan by pointing to Iraq's success as a model. As usual democrats are being hypocrites. Corruptocrat John Murtha, who demanded timetables for Bush's surge, is now arguing against Obama's current timetables. His anit-war leftwing base is "grieving" over my fellow Nobel Peace Prize recipient Obama's decision to send more troops to Afghanistan. Obama has manged to piss off the right and left on this one. Good job, that takes talent.

Wednesday Hero

2009-12-02T09:00:00.005-06:00

Spc. Michael P. Garton & Spc. Rolando R. Flores

Spc. Michael P. Garton, a gunner with the Personal Security Detachment, with the 36th Sustainment Brigade out of Temple, Texas, and a Texarkana, Texas, native, relaxes on a Humvee and shares a laugh with Spc. Rolando R. Flores, a gunner with the PSD and a San Antonio native, during a break in preparations for a mission Nov. 23 in the maintenance yard at Contingency Operating Location Adder, Iraq.

Photo Courtesy U.S. Army

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.

We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

NEW! Wednesday Hero

2009-12-01T09:55:00.001-06:00

Starting tommorrow this blog will participate in the Wednesday Hero posts started by our friend at Right-Wing & Right Minded. It is a post that will honor a military member, veteran, family, or other hero each Wednesday. It is a wonderful reminder to appreciate all we have due to the efforts of extraordinary men and women serving their country and defending freedom all over the world. If anyone else would like to feature the Wednesday Hero on their blog go HERE.

George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation

2009-11-26T06:21:00.001-06:00

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houfes of Congress have, by their joint committee, requefted me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to eftablifh a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and affign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of thefe States to the fervice of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our fincere and humble thanksfor His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the fignal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpofitions of His providence in the courfe and conclufion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have fince enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to eftablish Conftitutions of government for our fafety and happinefs, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are bleffed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffufing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleafed to confer upon us.

And also, that we may then unite in moft humbly offering our prayers and fupplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and befeech Him to pardon our national and other tranfgreffions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private ftations, to perform our feveral and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a bleffing to all the people by conftantly being a Government of wife, juft, and conftitutional laws, difcreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all fovereigns and nations (especially fuch as have shewn kindnefs unto us); and to blefs them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increafe of fcience among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind fuch a degree of temporal profperity as he alone knows to be beft.

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand feven hundred and eighty-nine.

(signed) G. Washington

Real History of Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T16:21:00.000-06:00

William Bradford and the "pilgrims" are the object of much legend and falsehood. The holiday we call Thanksgiving is based on the brave voyagers who colonized Plymouth, MA and most people are taught a lot of garbage about the history of this holiday. The first Thanksgiving was not about thanking Indians for helping them survive the winter as is often taught in our pathetic public schools. Indeed I remember the lessons we were exposed to. They were wholly inaccurate. The first Thanksgiving was all about giving thanks to God. While I do not fancy myself a highly religious man, I am a believer and I feel it is important that people understand the true meaning of this holiday. Read HERE about the true history of the very first Thanksgiving.

Terrorists in NYC

2009-11-24T09:42:00.000-06:00

I haven't said anything about the decision to bring the terrorists to NYC for a civilian trial. I think this whole thing is a scam. The argument is that we are a nation of laws and people deserve a trial. Yes, we are a nation of laws. According to those laws the individuals captured on a battlefield and held at GITMO are NOT afforded Constitutional rights. They are not mere criminals and they sure has hell are not US citizens. Military tribubals are more than they deserve in terms of 'due process'. We have given them comforts and rights that they and their ilke would never give us. They deserve to be treated far worse than we have treated them. However, because we are America we have treated them with a higher level of dignity and humanity than they probably have ever experienced in their lives. They see our kindness as weakness and seek to further exploit that weakness. According to international laws we could have shot these individuals on site. They are terrorists and are not subjected to the same protections that uniformed soldiers are under international agreements. This trial is a show trial. It is a circus meant to distract and divide the American people. The politicians are playing political games with our national security right now. With each passing month we are placed at ever increasing peril. My fear is that something dramatic and tragic will occur before the rest of America wakes up and demands accountability from their corrupt and incompetent government.

NOT MORE HEALTHCARE DEBATE!!!!!

2009-11-21T01:52:00.002-06:00

I had this exchange on Hooah Wife and Friends with a good gal named Silke. I thought I should post my reply here since it was an old thread. My initial reply is in bold, her rebuttal is in italics, and my answer follows below each exchange.

SSG E said: The career politician is what has destroyed the system. The Founders never intended politics to be a career.
Since the Founders didn’t mandate term limits in the Constitution this is the system we have. And until an amendment is passed (other than the 22nd which limits the Presidency), it’s one the people choose to have. Besides, I’m not convinced we wouldn’t have more gridlock in Congress if people were constantly changing in and out. And, voters are still free to impose their own term limits by simply rejecting the incumbent.

-I am willing to throw the baby out with the bath water here. Yeah sure, some good elected officials would be tossed out of office. But, it is worth it to get rid of the bad ones. We need to get rid of scumbags like Robert “KKK” Byrd who has been in the Senate since the days of Caesar. We need to get rid of “Bawrney Fwrank” the worthless congressman that shielded Fanny and Freddy from regulation and oversight and ushered in the housing market collapse. The problem is these goons redraw congressional and senate districts to ensure that they cannot lose reelection. Both parties are guilty of this. The Founders never envisioned that people would live as long as we do today and they never thought we would one day have such self-serving and evil people in public office. Otherwise, they might have included specified term limits. I agree that the voters should institute their own term limits and reject these corrupt and worthless politicians. The problem is, however, that today too many people are either:
A. too stupid to see the corruption,
B. are simply not paying any attention, or
C. are morally bankrupt themselves and don’t care, or
D. all of the above.
I would also like to point out that gridlock is not necessarily a bad thing. If congress isn’t able to get anything done that means that they won’t be able to screw things up more than they already have. I don’t want anything passed. The government should be prohibited from doing anything until the corruption is cleaned up. No legislation will I support until these fools are held accountable to the people and are forced to deal with us honestly. We need a Constitutional Amendment to institute term limits for ALL government officials. One 6 year term and that is it! While we are at it we also need to repeal the 17th Amendment so that the states are once again represented in DC.

Now the govt is trying to completely takeover the healthcare system all together,
Since most American’s will continue to get their insurance through their employer I don’t see how that’s possible.

-I will admit that nothing in bill(s) I read give the government total control over healthcare overnight. It will be an incremental process over many years and as new regulatory codes are written in accordance with the new legislation. There will be amending legislation and new rules written in the future. There are foreseeable consequences to this legislation. Many people will lose their private coverage and be dumped into a public option eventually. Several aspects of the proposed legislation will likely have the unintended consequence of fewer people getting private insurance.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/05/AR2009110504327.html?wpisrc=newsletter

http://reason.com/archives/2009/08/27/the-case-for-real-health-care

-The other issue is the vast array of new regulations, fees, and taxes that will destroy small businesses and incentivize larger business to stop providing insurance coverage and simply pay the fines and dump people into public healthcare.

No one has ever seriously considered the reforms that would actually lower costs.
What do you consider an objective source for assessing the costs and weighing the different options of health care reform?

-That’s a good question, and a fair one. I would say that a cost-benefit analysis must be done. What is the opportunity cost? Clearly we are about to sacrifice a lot of freedom and heavily burden our economy with taxes and our children and grandchildren with perpetual debt. How about letting the American people know the truth and decide for themselves. Instead of trying to ram this down our throats and voting on it on Saturday nights when no one is watching. The way that the congress and president has tried to slip this mess through without our notice has been disturbing. The American people need to be allowed to weigh the costs and decide what course to take on healthcare reform. Right now the current plan has been rejected outright by a vast majority and the politicians are pushing it anyway. Makes you wonder why they are so will to risk their careers on such an unpopular piece of legislation. Could it be that they are counting on the new power and money that they will inevitably draw from this plan?

Instead of trying to overhaul a system broken because of inefficient bureaucracy by creating more inefficient bureaucracy we should look to the individual to solve the problem.
Right now individuals don’t have the leverage to force big changes, not without exposing themselves to greater risk. Employers don’t even have the leverage. If they did the private insurance market wouldn’t be as costly as it is today. Besides, inefficiencies are only part of the problem and are inherent in any large organization (both private and public). The current legislation actually addresses some of the inefficiencies but is unlikely to eliminate them all.

-You’re right. There are much needed changes that must be implemented. Unfortunately government is not the answer. Government is not the solution to the problem, it is the problem. We need to get away from employer-based coverage. Shifting the burden to government will not solve the problems inherent in an employer-based system. It will only amplify the problems and diminish what is left of the free market competition forces left in healthcare. We need reform and we need solutions. This legislation is in large part a pay off to certain special interest groups, and it is a power grab by the federal government. Nothing that is over 2,000 pages long is going to address inefficiency, except to say “look at me I am highly inefficient!” For reasons I have enumerated in previous posts, the government has already shoved its fist into the orifice of private healthcare insurance and corrupted the system to the point that it is unsustainable. The solution is to remove the fist, not shove it in deeper.
http://reason.com/blog/2009/07/31/good-government-health-care-no

-The government programs already in existence are complete disasters. Anything the government touches is corrupted.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/21/business/21medicare.html

At the same time we should seek to reform our food and exercise habits and encourage people to take preventative measures to help lower healthcare costs.
I agree but any measure the government takes to “encourage people” sounds dangerously close to the “nanny-state” you oppose.

-I said encourage, not mandate. People should be given proper information and options. The decision to act on it is there own. I would be okay with incentives for healthy lifestyle choices, but at all times the individual should be free to choose.

People are still going to make bad choices, but if the people have to pay for their healthcare then they will have incentive to make better choices.
How do you do this without legislation that requires people to pay for their health care (which this legislation does – and you seem to oppose)?

-I have a problem with the government being the deciding force in this. The individual mandate is unconstitutional and will do very little to help solve the healthcare problems.
http://reason.com/archives/2009/10/09/the-madness-of-the-mandate

-There are a few cash only clinics that provide good care at low prices and would flourish in a free market healthcare system. We need more freedom to bring innovation and efficiency to a system bogged down by government and insurance company bureaucracy. I am not opposed to people paying for their own healthcare. I am opposed to government interference in that transaction.

People should work with their provider to lower costs. The only way that can happen is if the govt is out of the way and people are free to do so.
The insurance companies aren’t going to lower premiums just because people ask them to. Nor will the insurance companies voluntarily end the practice of dropping people for pre-existing conditions or dropping them when they get too expensive to cover. How does “less government and more freedom” address this?

-I’m not talking about the stupid insurance companies here. I am talking about healthcare providers. Get the insurance companies and the government out of the way. Let the consumer talk to the doctor. Do you know how much a standard doctor visit costs? Most people don’t. How many things do we pay for without asking how much it costs? It is ludicrous. Doctors will make a great deal with you if you offer to pay in cash. They would be thrilled to give you a good price just so that they don’t have to deal with the bureaucratic red tape from government and insurance companies.

We are trading one inefficient system for an even more inefficient system.
I’ll take a more inefficient system that provides some health care to many more people over the current system. Why make the perfect the enemy of the good?
I do understand the concern over paying for health care reform. The government typically underestimates costs and there are usually unintended consequences. I hope the final bill that is passed by both houses of Congress addresses this. Given what was passed by the Senate Finance Committee I think there’s reason for hope. This article explains why:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/11/business/economy/11leonhardt.html?_r=3&8dpc=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1257951954-vPLBnFjpFc0N5pc9i+sfsw
Sorry for the long response and thanks for a great discussion.

-I am not looking for perfect. I am looking for something that works and will solve problems, while maintaining the maximum amount of liberty. The article you mentioned above is a fairly good one. It points out some of the problems in the bill and some of the solutions presented. Some of the bill is good. It is not all an ‘evil conspiracy’ and I think some of the solutions could be implemented on a much smaller scale. This is something we need to take our time on. We should be debating this over the course of years, not weeks and months. It has to be an honest debate. The politicians and media pundits are not being honest. They are trying to force this through even though it only has 35% support from the American people. It is a threat to liberty and that is why people are vehemently opposed to it.

Spending on entitlements is destroying our nation’s economic solvency. This new entitlement being created will only serve to make things much, much worse.

http://cboblog.cbo.gov/?p=304

Once again, thanks for a wonderful discussion.

Welcome

2009-11-17T12:12:00.000-06:00

I would like to welcome all of the followers of this blog. Specifically I would like to welcome the two who are following publicly. Thanks for not being scared. I didn't realize that I had so many followers. No one seemed to comment much. I have recently changed my comments system to the blogger comment link. I was using Intense Debate, which seemed to not be working out well. So if you have wanted to comment before and simply did not want to sign up for the other comment profile, you no longer have to and it is back to the basic blogger comment link that pops up in another window. Now that I realize that there are people actually reading this stuff, besides my Facebook crowd, I will post more frequently. I will also try to write up some posts that will get people mad and make them want to comment. Anyone can contribute if there is something you want to write and post here. Just let me know and I will either make you a contributor, or send it to me and I will post it for you. Looking forward to the future. Should be a lot of fun, and there will be plenty to say.

Thanks,
SSG_E

Journalism is Dead (Or, at least on life support)

2009-11-11T20:53:00.000-06:00

Name one serious journalist. No Katie Couric is not a serious journalist. Off the top of my head I can think of only one fair and serious journalist on the alphabet networks and that's Jake Tapper with ABC. There might be a few more I am not familiar with. The nightly new guys are not journalists anymore. They, like Obama, merely read a teleprompter. The days when the news anchor went out and did the dirty work are gone. Journalism is dead, with very few exceptions. Had we some decent journalists out there today we wouldn't have the disaster named Obama. He would never have made it out of the primaries. They better wake up soon. If the media doesn't start asserting itself against the Obama Adminstration and resume its traditional post as the watchdog, then the media will soon be irrelevant. Soon after that liberty will likely follow.

Salute to All Veterans

2009-11-11T11:30:00.000-06:00

Thank a veteran today. Even in our darkest times there are those willing to fight for the light. There can be no freedom and no peace without our veterans and current military members. Remember them always.

Hasan a Radical Jihadist?

2009-11-08T19:49:00.000-06:00

http://michellemalkin.com/2009/11/08/why-do-we-have-to-read-british-papers-to-get-ft-hood-jihadist-news/

Michelle Malkin has a great post linking to a story found in British newspapers that American papers are apparently ignoring.

An Act of Cowardice

2009-11-06T22:38:00.001-06:00

Keep the families at Fort Hood, and all military families, in your thoughts this Veterans Day. Pray for them every day. This worthless scumbag terrorist coward at Fort Hood has suffered the most fitting fate. Rather than die a martyr, as he undoubtably wanted, he is paralyzed on a ventilator and will survive long enough to suffer for his outrageous betrayal. He is a failure as a soldier, a doctor, and a human being. Regardless of the pathetic excuses cooked up by the leftwing fringe media, Hasan is a terrorist. There is nothing that can be said that would properly describe the sorrow and anger that I feel. Just think about what happened and pray for the families. This needs to be something we remember and learn from.

Halloween Masks

2009-10-26T22:36:00.001-05:00

Has anyone been able to find an Obama Halloween mask? They always have masks of other presidents but I haven't been able to find Obama. I haven't checked any of the big stores yet that specialize in that sort of thing this time of year. Maybe they will have 'em.

I am a part time ninja

2009-10-25T17:53:00.000-05:00

Sorry I have been posting so infrequently lately. I am a part time ninja now and this new job has me keeping pretty busy.

I Admit It! I Am A Republican Donor

2009-10-23T13:27:00.001-05:00

I am officially a Republican donor now. I got one of those policy surveys in the mail that are actually just letters from the RNC begging for money. I usually throw them away, but today I filled out the survey and I sent them some money. I sent the RNC $1,000.

On a completely unrelated topic, the other day I was playing Homer Simpson Operation with my kids. It is just like the classic game Operation, but Homer is the patient and he says D'oh. So anyway, there is money in the game with a picture of Homer Simpson on it of course.

Yeah the $1,000 I sent to the RNC was in the form of two $500 Homer dollar bills. I wrote a note on the back of one of them. It read: "You better hold on to this, it will be worth more than the U.S. dollar soon!" I really hope they appreciate my sense of humor. At least I put a stamp on the envelope so they won't have to pay for the postage.

Are We All Fascists Now?

2009-10-16T21:07:00.000-05:00

Great post from Hawaiian Libertarian:

Government Regulation + Industry = Cartel

Revolution

2009-10-16T16:57:00.001-05:00

A revolution is underway in America right now. Chairman Obama and his assortment of Marxist thugs and pseudo-intellectuals that he has appointed as Czars or advisors are rapidly implementing their plans. Everything they have done up to this point is straight out of all the old communist playbooks. These people have followed every tenet of Alinsky's Rules for Radicals. These radicals emulate mass murderers like Chairman Mao, Castro, and Che' Guevara. They openly express admiration for dictators like Hugo Chavez. While Obama has thus far remained aloof from the philosophical unity between the members of his administration and the Marxist thugs and tyrants of the last 100 years, it is very concerning that such dangerous and anti-American sycophants are surrounding the president and controlling the levers of power in Washington. They have formulated a coalition of corrupt union and political allies from across the spectrum to facilitate a complete takeover. The intention and systematic destruction of our financial and economic systems is nearing a tipping point. Soon there will be no going back. I do not think 2010 or 2012 will come soon enough to prevent the collapse and eventual takeover of America by Marxist radicals. We have to stop them now and the first battle is healthcare. The proposed healthcare program is a ruse. It has little or nothing to do with reforming our healthcare system. It is all being done behind our backs. There is no single draft of the healthcare bill; instead it is a patchwork of various bills from different committees in both houses of Congress being pieced together in closed door meetings of high ranking Congressional scumbags. This "hellthcare" bill is in reality a measure towards the eventual enslavement of the people of the United States of America. The taxes, regulations, and new government bureaucracy the bills call for will thrust government control into the private lives of every American and destroy the capitalist system upon which America was founded and her greatness was achieved. Don't count on the republicans to stop the democrats and defeat the ever expanding statist regime. They might slow things down a bit, but the end result is essentially the same. BOTH political parties must be defeated. I am calling for an Independent counter-revolution. Just as the TEA Parties, townhall meetings, and 9-12 rallies across the country showed a surging pulse for anti-statism, I believe it is time the rest of America woke up and took this country back from a political elite bent on control and power and the growth of government. These political elitists are forming an oligarchy and will try to destroy our Republic. They are waiting for an emergency. There will be a national emergency that they will use to supplant the Constitution and impose irreversible control over every aspect of the people's lives. It could be a terrorist attack, some kind of widespread domestic violence, or further economic collapse. The latter is the most likely as most indicators point to a "double dip" depression coming in the next few years which will probably take a decade to recover from. Let me be clear, I DO NOT advocate violence. The counter-revolution must be peaceful or we will only play into the hands of the statists. We must, as Beck has said, model ourselves after Gandhi and MLK. Peaceful resistance will prevail over the thuggish community organizer tactics used by the left. They will strike violently first. They already have shown their tendency towards violence, as demonstrated by the SEIU thugs who assaulted a townhall protestor earlier this year. They may even create the violence that they will then use as their excuse to implement their plans. Don't be surprised if the news shows some crazy person, who they will claim is a 'right-winger', committing some act of violence. Also don't be surprised if the guy ends up being affiliated with the unions or ACORN or some other arm of the Marxist revolution currently underway. Prepare yourself and family for the worst and pray for the best. All of this can be avoided. The Marxists and Statists have already overplayed their hand in a few ways, and they have underestimated the will and intelligence of the American people. The people are waking up and making their voices heard. The people will stop this and they will do it peacefully. The economic turmoil might even be avoided if we are able to stop now and reverse course. There are so many variables and any unknown circumstance that I have failed to consider may very well end the revolutionaries' power grab without a shot being fired. I hope that I am wrong about the nightmare that is unfolding and I hope that it can be prevented. For now it is best to be vigilant and active in opposing anything that the politicians try to do in the next couple of years. Suspect everything the political parties tell us. Do not trust them. A healthy skepticism of government must once again be bred into the American fabric. We have lost our sense of responsibility over the years and we fell asleep guarding our liberty. We are waking up now, but I fear we are too late.

Top 5 Quotes From This Year's Nobel Peace Prize Winner

2009-10-15T13:01:00.001-05:00

Reposted from Gateway Pundit

1. Obama on his political opponents: "They Bring a Knife...We Bring a Gun"

2. Obama to his supporters: "Get in Their Faces!"

3. Obama on ACORN mobs: "I don't want to quell anger. I think people are right to be angry! I'm angry!"

4. Obama to his mercenary army: "Hit Back Twice As Hard"

5. Obama on the killer Iranian regime murdering their own people in the street: "The Iranians are having a robust debate."

Troop Morale Declining

2009-10-08T12:59:00.000-05:00

From Gateway Pundit A report shows US troops in Afghanistan are losing heart. Morale has declined dramatically since Obama has been president,

I can vouch for authenticity here. Not one of my military friends, comrades, or co-workers have faith or confidence in Obama. He has not earned our respect. Obama is blatantly hostile towards the military and surrounds himself with thugs who hate us. Left-wingers have always hated the US military and they make our job harder. The leftists get people like me killed. Unfortunately the same leftists who hate us and undermine our efforts are running the democrat party and the country.

I know people in the military that will not reenlist if Obama is reelected. There are people I know that have already gotten out for that same reason. They don't trust Obama or his leftwing allies. Neither do I. There was a big deal made over an article that Human Events published where the author considered the possibility of a military coup in this country should Obama go too far. No one wants that to happen, but it is not crazy to consider the possibilities. It is highly unlikely and it would be a dangerous situation, but in science nothing is ever impossible and we delude ourselves to think that the unthinkable will never occur. You only need look back a few years to see how wrong we have been in the past. The unthinkable has happened before and will happen again. People that fear Obama is taking us to a totalitarian end are villified, but they are in fact simply following events to their logical conclusions. Read history. This path has been laid out before. We are naive to think we are immune from history. That is why the military is wary of Obama and his policies. We pay attention to history and to the principles of freedom. Obama is blantantly defying those principles

Quote of the Day

2009-10-05T17:01:00.000-05:00

"I have sworn upon the alter of God, eternal hostility against every form of Tyranny over the mind of man"

~ Thomas Jefferson

Obama Snubs Dalai Lama

2009-10-05T16:11:00.003-05:00

The Dalai Lama has met with every US President since 1991. This year Obama, under Chinese pressure, is snubbing the respected leader of Tibet. Gateway Pundit has the story.

This has been a troubling theme for Obama. Every time he has a chance to stand up for freedom, he sides with the dictator. He basically ignored the Iranian people when they protested in the streets against the election fraud, he has sided with leftist thugs Chavez and Castro by supporting Hondurian wannabe dictator Zelaya, and he abandoned our allies in Poland and the Czech Republic so that he can cozy up to Putin. Obama has been wrong on every foreign policy issue he has thus far encountered. When Iran tries to nuke Israel or China invades Tawain we are in serious trouble. This guy is either stupidly naive or inherently evil. It is one or the other. The President of the United States is supposed to be the leader of the free world. Obama seems to prefer being the leader of third world leftist hellholes. All of the world's dictators are salivating at the thought of Obama. They either love him, as Momar and Hugo do, or they are drooling at the opportunity to exploit his weakness, as Makmood "Imadinnerjacket" (or whatever the Iranian dictator's name is) probably is. In either case it spells certain danger for freedom loving nations and for America in particular.

Obama's Lemmings

2009-10-03T14:17:00.000-05:00

"I have always said that individually people can be smart and reasonable. Put those same people into a crowd, political party, or government, however, and you will get a dumb and overzealous beast. For some reason the herding instincts take over and people just follow the leader, even if they are leading them over a cliff."

-William James Epler

I made this statement a very long time ago and I am amazed at just how true it has become. Obama and his followers are willing to destroy this country in order to achieve their political goals. The modern Democrat Party is absolutely insane, or at least its leaders and/or puppet masters are. The Republican Party is basically irrelevant and completely devoid of philosophical leadership. God help us we are stuck between choosing a quick bloody death on a fiery rocket ship (the democrats) or decapitation on a slow motion train wreck (the republicans). If there are any reasonable democrats left WAKE UP! We need you! If there are any reasonable politicians, democrat or republican, that will put the country and the people before power and party then stand up and lead! The independents need to wake up and lead this country and stop ceding power to the 20% on each fringe of the political spectrum. Political parties and special interest groups, like unions and big corporations, need to be rooted out of the system and eliminated from the halls of power in this country. The people need to be in charge again. I am sick of the two parties, Two Card Monty bullshit. It's time to fire all the corrupt bastards and end the political games and career politicians' leeching of the system. Obama embodies all of the things I hated about Bush, and lacks the one thing that I admired Bush for. At least Bush was willing to stand up for America's interests and was willing to tell the rest of the world to (paraphrase) "go fuck themselves". When it comes to foreign policy, Obama is a naive pushover with all of the skill, maturity, and experience of a soiled diaper. I just hope we can get a new Congress in 2010 to slow the march to obsolescence and ruin before it is too late. Then, hopefully in 2012, someone skillful enough to undo the damage will become president. I don’t care what political party wins, I just want people to solve problems and stop playing games. The republicans failed when they were in charge, and now the democrats are failing miserably. We need leaders like Jefferson, Franklin, or Washington, or more recently Reagan and JFK. Hell, I’d even settle for a Bill Clinton at this point. Even he wasn’t willing to destroy the country and he was smart enough to move to the middle out of self-preservation. He was still a disaster on the foreign policy and national security front, but today self-preservation would dictate he make better decisions. People can be reasonable and smart as individuals. Right now special interest groups and politicians are running the country and there is a whole lot of “group think” going on. As Kierkegaard says “the crowd is untruth” and right now the crowd is marching us off of a cliff.

Quote of the Day

2009-10-02T12:47:00.000-05:00

"He who wishes to fight must first count the cost. When you engage in actual fighting, if victory is long in coming, then men's weapons will grow dull and their ardor will be dampened. If you lay siege to a town, you will exhaust your strength. Again, if the campaign is protracted, the resources of the State will not be equal to the strain. Now, when your weapons are dulled, your ardor dampened, your strength exhausted and your treasure spent, other chieftains will spring up to take advantage of your extremity. Then no man, however wise, will be able to avert the consequences that must ensue... In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns."

-Sun Tzu

Meanwhile in Afghanistan we sit and wait. The president should read The Art of War.

What Am I Reading?

2009-10-01T00:09:00.002-05:00

I want to address a brief conversation that occurred Monday in class. I was asked “what book are you reading?” I was actually reading three books at once for a while there, but the only one I have yet to completely finish is the 5000 Year Leap by Cleo Skousen. It is the kind of book you can put down for a while and go right back to. That is because it is essentially a history book. It is the Principles of Freedom 101, and it contains historical data and insight into the minds of the Founding Fathers that has been sadly omitted from the crappy history textbooks most schools use these days. It is certainly more accurate and complete than anything I read as a student. I was then asked what else Skousen had written and I wasn’t sure but I thought I saw he had co-written The Real George Washington or The Real Ben Franklin. Turns out I was a little off on my memory there, but he did write a history book called The Making of America. Then the questioner replied “but aren’t those Conservative books?” How does one answer that? I didn’t realize that there was a certain kind of book for a certain group and it was a mutually exclusive relationship. How does a history book qualify as Conservative or otherwise? When I was asked this I simply replied “I don’t know about that…” I had neither the time nor interest in explaining such things to someone who already has decided to see the world through a filter. For some reason, though this has bugged me. I have had instructors in the past that tried to punish me academically for my point of view. I argued with my government teacher and won. I lost points on sociology papers for not conforming to the instructor’s world view. I do not back down from my convictions. I certainly reserve the right to pick my battles, however. The college atmosphere is supposed to embrace diversity, but I have observed a lot of bias and suppression of diversity of thought in my college career up to this point. So yes, I suppose some would qualify these books as Conservative in nature, but they are also liberal. Classical Liberalism believed in individuality, free markets, and limited government intrusion into the lives of the people. Conservatism is Classical Liberalism. Most people do not understand the lexicon, let alone the philosophical ideals behind the political movements that dominate our country. I cannot be corralled into a category. It is not that damn simple and I do not play the stupid partisan games anymore.

Really? Butt Bombs? Stupid Fucking Terrorists

2009-09-30T23:13:00.000-05:00

From Gateway Pundit

Apparently Al-Qaeda thugs have started shoving explosives up their ass. Sick fucks.

Foreign Media Gets It

2009-09-28T14:02:00.000-05:00

Since there is no objective journalism in America anymore and no honest questioning of Obama's disastrous policies, with few noble exceptions, I have been delighted to see a couple of foreign news outlets go after The One. Here is the most recent example from India.

Via Another Black Conservative

I have some hope that eventually the American media will wake up if not for any other reason than they are losing viewers and/or readers. The old media watchdogs are now lapdogs, but eventually they must wake up or they will be irrelevant and broke.

Dog-Feces Ice Cream -- By: Mark Steyn

2009-09-27T00:12:00.000-05:00

***I really enjoyed this column at NRO, so I have posted it in its entirety.

Dog-Feces Ice Cream -- By: Mark Steyn

Half a decade or so back, I wrote: “It’s a good basic axiom that if you take a quart of ice-cream and a quart of dog feces and mix ’em together the result will taste more like the latter than the former. That’s the problem with the U.N.”
Absolutely right, if I do say so myself. When you make the free nations and the thug states members of the same club, the danger isn’t that they'll meet each other half-way but that the free world winds up going three-quarters, seven-eighths of the way. That’s what happened in New York last week. Barack Obama is not to blame for whichever vagary of United Nations protocol resulted in the president of the United States being the warm-up act for the Lunatic-for-Life in charge of Libya. But it is a pitiful reflection upon the state of the last superpower that, when it comes to the transnational mush drooled by the leader of the free world or the conspiracist ramblings of a terrorist pseudo-Bedouin running a one-man psycho-cult of a basket-case state, it’s more or less a toss-up as to which of them is more unreal. To be sure, Colonel Qaddafi peddled his thoughts on the laboratory origins of “swine flu” and the Zionist plot behind the Kennedy assassination. But, on the other hand, President Obama said: “No nation can or should try to dominate another nation.”
Pardon me? Did a professional speechwriter write that? Or did you outsource it to a starry-eyed runner-up in the Miss America pageant? Whether or not any nation “should try” to dominate another, they certainly “can,” and do so with effortless ease, all over the planet and throughout human history.
And how about this passage?
“I have been in office for just nine months -- though some days it seems a lot longer. I am well aware of the expectations that accompany my presidency around the world. These expectations are not about me. Rather, they are rooted, I believe, in a discontent with a status quo that has allowed us to be increasingly defined by our differences#...#”
Forget the first part: That’s just his usual narcissistic “But enough about me, let’s talk about what the world thinks of me” shtick. But the second is dangerous in its cowardly evasiveness: For better or worse, we are defined by our differences -- and, if Barack Obama doesn’t understand that when he’s at the podium addressing a room filled with representatives of Iran, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Venezuela, and other unlovely polities, the TV audience certainly did when Colonel Qaddafi took to the podium immediately afterwards. They’re both heads of state of sovereign nations. But, if you’re on an Indian Ocean island when the next tsunami hits, try calling Libya instead of the United States and sees where it gets you.
This isn’t a quirk of fate. The global reach that enables America and a handful of others to get to a devastated backwater on the other side of the planet and save lives and restore the water supply isn’t a happy accident but something that derives explicitly from our political systems, economic liberty, traditions of scientific and cultural innovation, and a general understanding that societies advance when their people are able to fulfill their potential in freedom. In other words, America and Libya are defined by their differences.
What happens when you pretend those differences don’t exist? Well, you end up with the distinctively flavored ice cream I mentioned at the beginning. By declining to distinguish between the foreign minister of Slovenia and the foreign minister of, say, Sudan, you normalize not merely the goofier ad libs of a Qaddafi but far darker pathologies. The day after the president of the United States addressed the U.N. General Assembly, the prime minister of Israel took to the podium, and held up a copy of the minutes of the Wansee Conference at which German officials planned the “Final Solution” to their Jewish problem. This is the pathetic state to which the U.N. has been reduced after six decades: The Jew-hatred of Ahmadinejad and others is so routine that a sane man has to stand up in the global parliament and attempt to demonstrate to lunatics that the Holocaust actually happened.
One sympathizes with Benjamin Netanyahu. But he’s missing the point. Ahmadinejad & co aren’t Holocaust deniers because of the dearth of historical documentation. They do so because they can, and because it suits their own interests to do so, and because in the regimes they represent the state lies to its people as a matter of course and to such a degree that there is no longer an objective reality only a self-constructed one. In Libya and Syria and far too many “nations,” truth is simply what the thug in the presidential palace declares it to be. But don’t worry, Obama assures them, we’re not “defined by our differences.” Hey, that’s great, isn’t it? Yet, if you can no longer distinguish between the truth and a lie, why be surprised that the lie metastasizes and becomes, if not yet quite respectable, at least semi-respectable and acceptable in polite society?
Some western nations walked out of Ahmadinejad’s speech: Canada was first; Austria stuck around; America left somewhere in between. “It is disappointing that Mr. Ahmadinejad has once again chosen to espouse hateful, offensive, and anti-Semitic rhetoric,” huffed U.S. spokesman Mark Kornblau.
Oh, come off it, you ludicrous poseur. President Obama’s position is that he’s anxious to hold talks “without preconditions” with his Iranian colleague. How can you do that if you’re going to flounce out like a big drama queen at the first itsy-bitsy pro-forma judenhass?
Although he affects a president-of-the-world manner, I don’t think Barack Obama cares much about foreign affairs one way or the other. He has a huge transformative domestic agenda designed to leave this country looking much closer to the average Continental social democracy. His principal interest in the rest of the planet is that he doesn’t need some nutjob nuking Cleveland before he’s finished reducing it to a moribund socialist swamp. And so, like many European nations, when it comes to the global scene, President Obama has attitudes rather than policies. If you’re on the receiving end -- like Israel, Poland, Honduras -- it’s not pleasant, and it’s going to get worse.
It was striking to hear Qaddafi and Chávez profess their admiration for Obama, call him “our son,” and declare their fond hope that he remain president for life. The Chinese and Russians are more circumspect in public, and laughing their heads off in private. As for the saner members of the U.N., many Europeans still think they’ve got the American president they’ve always wanted: They would agree with John Bolton’s indictment -- that this was a post-American speech by a post-American president -- but mean it as high praise. As the contours of the post-American world emerge, they will have plenty of time to reconsider their enthusiasm.

***Well said.

Kids Need to be Taught to Think Critically

2009-09-26T16:55:00.004-05:00

**In light of recent videos showing kids being indoctrinated and singing a fascist sounding song praising Obama, I thought this short essay was appropriate.

Kids should not be indoctrinated by these leftist goons in the public schools. Something must be done. Children need to be able to think critically so that they can become critical thinking adults. Critical thinking is essential to our Republic. If we are to remain a free and civil society critical thinking is absolutely necessary. Without out it there cannot be self-rule. If critical thinking declines then we as a people and a culture will decline as well. Due to a decline in individualism and critical thinking, several crises have been created which were then exploited by opportunistic politicians who have continued to expand the size and scope of our federal government far beyond the limits intended by our Framers. People have not been critically evaluating those invested with power and we now stand on the brink of soft-tyranny in which the government will control even the most miniscule aspects of our daily life. So for our Republic to survive and our liberty to remain intact we need a new generation of leaders, voters, and Americans to think critically about the issues we face and start solving our problems.
Children are seldom taught critical thinking skills in most schools. This, I think, is by design. Critically thinking children will know when they are being lied to and/or indoctrinated so the government run school systems generally try to suppress critical thinking in the classroom. There are exceptions, however, in many schools where there are good teachers willing to put the effort in to teach these vital skills. I have had many wonderful teachers that challenged me to think critically and I am extremely thankful for it. There are good people fighting the good fight and giving kids the full effort they deserve from their educators.
In my classroom critical thinking would be the focus. I will strive to teach them how to think rather than what to think. I will not lecture in a one-sided fashion. All students will be required to engage in the discussion and ask questions or state a thoughtful point regarding the material presented. I will give them the necessary tools and facts and present my opinions. Then I will encourage lively debate and urge the students to formulate their own points of view. I will assign homework that will spur critical thinking. They will have to write papers and essays on different subject matter. They need to learn how to structure and frame coherent arguments and draw inferences from the factual classroom material I present. I will demonstrate how to break down someone else’s arguments into the essential terms in search of facts and truth. I will teach logical thought processes that have been lost on this day and age. It will be my goal to teach my class how to be a gadfly, as Socrates would put it, and wake the lumbering beasts from their sleep. I will teach them to (paraphrasing G. Washington) flood the battlefield of ideas with honest questions. It will be my goal to teach them to seek out the truth in all cases. That is how critical thinking can be taught, and must be taught to preserve the Republic.

The Dept. of Justice Probing ACORN

2009-09-21T22:23:00.003-05:00

After ACORN officials were shown in city after city to be engaging in illegal activity and tax payer funded fraud, the DOJ is finally investigating!

Way to go BigGovernment.com for breaking the story!

MichelleMalkin.com is also covering the story and says we should pray for the IGs taking on ACORN. I agree, especially after what Obama's thugs did to Gerald Walpin.

Sacred Honor

2009-09-18T22:48:00.000-05:00

Over two hundred years ago a small group of exceptional human beings forged a great country. Born of fire, bullets, and blood the American experiment began with the creation of the world's first government based upon the concepts of natural law. Freedom, liberty, individual responsibility were to be cherished. The tyrants that so dominated human history were to be vanquished under the American system and they were not allowed a foothold here. The Constitution chartered a system of governance that limited the powers of government in favor of the governed. So it was for about a hundred and fifty years. Then something changed. People lost a moral compass neccessary for self-governance. Some citizens discovered that if they voted for certain politicians they would rob the treasury and give them money. The politicians realized they could bribe the people with the people's own money. Government grew as greedy power hungry politicians desired perpetual reelection and the perks of running the government. Politicians were bought and sold by sleazy special interests. Money is the real opiate of the masses. Those with money gained more power, those with the power gained more money. Slowly the Constitution's firewalls were breached and America descended into soft tyranny. More laws, more regulations, more government programs-all destroyed the citizen's confidence and will and freedom. People became dependent on government. People became slaves to the system. Corruption spoils the once hallowed halls in the highest offices of power. The rank festering rot spews a stench that burns the hairs within our nostrils. We know it is there but we plug our nose and look away even as snot stains our hands and tears roll through our eyes. The political elite grow fat on the backs of the American people and yet they cheer "hope and change, hope and change. yeah!" Meanwhile the politicians laugh and slap each other on the back. What a great scam. Slowly some people wake up, but they are insulted, marginalized, despised, attacked, and ignored at the same time. Will it be too late to save the Republic? Hard to say, the State and its minions will not release their jaws from the throats of our people without a fight. You may say that I am overstating the threat. I say that I am awake and you are asleep. Don't worry the time will come when you stand with me. Time wins more minds than reason.

Iraqi Poet

2009-09-18T12:10:00.002-05:00

Watch this video of an Iraqi poet. He describes his torture while imprisoned during Saddam's tyranny. He then criticizes Arab poets who glorify war and martydom while promoting tyrants. This is a refreshing point of view from an enlightened Arab poet. We need to hear more from people like him. He condemns the "militaristic" Arab culture of death which is not something most people in this world are willing to do.

Quote of the Day

2009-09-18T11:57:00.000-05:00

"Contemplate the mangled bodies of your countrymen, and then say 'what should be the reward of such sacrifices?' ... If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!"

—Samuel Adams

Are Democrats Starting to Wake Up?

2009-09-17T11:13:00.003-05:00

After an estimated 1.7 million people showed up in Washington DC on Saturday Sept. 12, I was hoping there would be more people paying attention to the nightmare unfolding before our eyes. The government power grab and rampant corruption has finally awakened a sleeping giant-the American people. Unfortunately most of the media is compliant with the current regime. All of the major networks and most of the newspapers are firmly in Obama's back pocket. The massive rally in DC last weekend was either ignored or it was riddiculed by snobbish media elites. I am familiar with the 9-12 Project movement and the TEA Party movement. There is an ever increasing number of democrats joining the ranks of these everyday Americans who have never protested before, but are now worried about the direction of their country. I have been wondering where the good democrats were. I know they exist at the local level, but in national politics they are silent. There are no democrat leaders standing up for the Constitution, or even the majority of the American people. Now I will disagree with about everything Russ Feingold stands for, but I applaud him for standing up to Obama. Feingold recently sent a letter to Obama questioning his appointment of multiple "czars".

To me this is a sign of hope. Congress may finally be starting to understand what is happening here. Obama is creating a framework that will one day render Congress irrelevant. The czars are what will be left standing if the system collapses. That is how tyranny will take root on American soil.

Read more here.

OMG!

2009-09-15T16:52:00.003-05:00

This story just keeps getting better. ACORN exposed in Baltimore, D.C., Brooklyn, and now California. This time the ACORN employee names politicians she talks to and bills ACORN is using taxpayer money to lobby for. Still no word from Charlie Gibson.

http://biggovernment.com/2009/09/15/acorn-prostitution-scandal-california-here-we-come/

09/11/2001

2009-09-11T13:17:00.001-05:00

"No arsenal or no weapon in the arsenals of the world is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women" --President Ronald Reagan--

Eight years ago I was stationed at Camp Casey South Korea. It was around 1900 (that's 7pm for you civilian types). I was doing my usual routine: Shining boots, doing laundry, and just generally preparing for the next day. Meanwhile in the United States, an event that would forever change my life took place. It was a bright autumn day stateside. Beautiful. The sun was already going down in Korea. It was just another dreary day in the Army for me. I remember the moment the first plane hit the tower. I was in my barracks room. I heard someone yell down the hall "Holy shit turn on the TV!"I opened the door and looked down the hall. The people were poking their heads out the door to see what the commotion was."A plane just crashed into the World Trade Center!" someone screamed.I ran over to my TV and turned it to the news. I got to it just in time to see the second plane hit the other tower. I remember that feeling. I was confused at first. I remember thinking that one plane could have been an accident. But the moment I watched the second plane hit I realized that these were coordinated attacks. "It can't be real" I thought. It was like someone was standing on my chest. Adrenaline rushed and a great knot welled up in my stomach. I knew that the whole world changed in that instant. I knew that this would invariably change my life in particular. I ran down the hall to the CQ desk a few minutes later. We got the alert roster out. In Korea we are on call at all times. It is essentially a warzone because the North and South Koreans are still technically at war. We accounted for everyone in the unit and then went back to watching the historic events unfold on TV.It was constantly on our minds in the hours and days that followed. We were all itching to go over and make the thugs who attacked us pay. As it were, I would not get my chance for almost two years. Everything changed for us. There were armed patrols and guards at checkpoints everywhere. I remember we could not leave the barracks unless we were in uniform. We could not leave the post unless we had official business to attend to, and only if we were armed and in a group. Korea had its share of criminal elements. North Korean agents were known to execute operations in South Korea. Soldiers had been attacked and even abducted in the past, but it was usually attributed to criminals. Now things were more serious. There were no more light-hearted jokes. There were no more nights in the ville drinking soju.When it became clear that the attackers were Islamofacsist terrorists from the Middle East, eventually some of our heightened security measures relaxed. One of my best friends in Korea was from New York City. He lost friends that day. The terrorists underestimated America. The intent of the attack was to bring us down. They wanted to collapse our economic and political system. They wanted to test our will. The attack failed to achieve its primary objectives. They underestimated the American people. At least for a little while, 9-11 united America. Eventually people forgot what that day felt like. It became too distant. People became too wrapped up in their own lives or in partisan games. Now we have many people trying to drain all meaning from 9-11. We are eliminating the factors that once brought people together and forgetting the emotional upheaval that defined it. We cannot allow people to forget what happened eight years ago today. We cannot condemn our children to suffer the consequences of ignoring history. Hold this day sacred and forget what divides us. Let's hold on to what unites us.

Remember 9-11

2009-09-11T11:55:00.002-05:00

Eight years ago today a group of Islamofascists murdered 3,000 Americans. That day should have forever changed America. It didn't. Already most Americans have forgotten what that day felt like. Already most Americans do not understand the sacrifice that so many people made; both the firefighters and other heroes who tried to save lives and the military heroes who struck back in the years since. American has forgotten. Now we have a president who views the CIA and US military with contempt. Instead of supporting the men and women who have kept us safe for the last eight years he wants to prosecute them. Our government is a disgrace. The politicians are the ones that deserve contempt. Our politicians are the ones that should be prosecuted.

Just remember what happened this day. Hold it sacred. To hell with Obama and the rest of the corrupt politicians who will soil the memory of this day.

Here is a website dedicated to teaching kids about 9-11: http://www.learnabout9-11.org/

ACORN Criminal Enterprise Part II

2009-09-11T11:36:00.003-05:00

Guess what? They did it again. ACORN cannot claim this to be an isolated incident. The same duo that exposed the Baltimore ACORN office also crashed Washington, DC's ACORN office. They used the same story with similar results. Again from Big Government.com

What is ACORN's excuse? Well they say that the undercover team tried this at other offices and failed. Wow. Big deal . So you had a few offices with employees that were not dumb enough to fall for the sting operation. The fact remains that ACORN employees were actively engaging and accomplices to criminal activity. ACORN calls this a smear campaign. Truth hurts doesn't it ACORN? Where is the rest of the media on this? Oh yeah, they are just as corrupt as ACORN. Nevermind.

ACORN Criminal Enterprise Further Exposed

2009-09-10T22:35:00.002-05:00

Glenn Beck has been all over a story Big Government exposed. Also check Gateway Pundit who has also written on it. Two ACORN employees have been fired and may face criminal prosecution for agreeing to help a couple posing as prostitute and pimp use taxpayer funding to set up a whorehouse and bring 13 year old illegal immigrants from Central America to work there. It was all caught on tape. This is just the sort of thing the media used to love covering, except now it is a liberal democrat powerhouse being investigated. Obama is closely connected to ACORN and so of course anything that would hurt "the chosen one" must be ignored to the furthest extent possible. I am just shocked at how stupid the ACORN employees must be. WOW! These are the kind of people that Obama has associated with his entire life. My that reflects poorly on the "messiah". I hope this doesn't hurt Obama's efforts to nationalize healthcare and destroy our economy.

50

2009-09-08T23:23:00.002-05:00

For my 50th post i am being lazy and linking to another blog.

Video of Congressman Mike Rogers of Michigan
Via Nadmenny Millicent

We Are a Republic!

2009-09-05T00:04:00.004-05:00

I found an interesting post from Pajamas Media. It is a good article, check it out.

I always here people calling our country a democracy. We are a REPUBLIC. We have never been a democracy. There is a very important difference. This is not about semantics or simple ignorance. There are those that have tried to use democracy to bring us tyranny. It is actually happening now. All you have to do is look.

I also found this great video linked in the comments section of the article.

Hilarious

2009-09-03T23:27:00.000-05:00

Op-Toons Review:
http://optoons.blogspot.com/

Moveon.org Thug Bites Off Elderly Man's Finger

2009-09-03T15:40:00.000-05:00

This from Gateway Pundit.

A Moveon.org thug who supports Obama's "hellthcare" plan attacked a 65 year old man who was protesting at a rally. There is a lot of confusion about what really happened. The newpapers and other media covering this are naturally blaming the old man. He supposedly punched the Moveon.org robot when he tried to cut through the anti-government run healthcare crowd. Whatever the reason, there is absolutely no excuse for some young thug to so brutally attack a 65 year old man. How barbaric. We are dealing with some seriously sick freaks. The Moveon.org crowd has always been full of loons.

Can't Stay Away From It

2009-09-02T22:10:00.007-05:00

“All 50 States are coordinating in this – as we fight back against our own Right-Wing Domestic Terrorists who are subverting the American Democratic Process, whipped to a frenzy by their Fox Propaganda Network ceaselessly re-seizing power for their treacherous leaders.”
-From Heritage.org

I know I said I would be away from this blog for a while, but I could not let this go. Obama's goons said this on the "Organizing for America" website. It was actually a notice they sent out to members. Obama's thugs should be very careful about what they call propoganda. The Obamaganda spewing from NBC, ABC, and elsewhere is nauseating. If he wants to talk about "subverting the American Democratic Process" let's look at all his czars, the corruption in his staff and affiliations, and the communists and radicals he has surrounded himself with. Obama should be ashamed of himself and his staff. Using 9-11 to try and sell his stupid healthcare plan is absolutely disgraceful.

Thanks to Chris

UPDATE: Here is the website page from the Google Cache http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:3kI-WRLXCWwJ:my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/healthcareorganizingevent/gpk4cj&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

**Updated** The worst part about this crap is that the Obamatrons are calling people who disagree with a policy "terrorists". Then they are trying to use 9-11 to force through this riddiculous Obamacare plan. Calling regular Americans domestic terrorists is an insult to those who died on 9-11. It diminishes the severity of the word "terrorist" and it diminishes the memory of that day. Using such a sacred day to try and pass some unpopular and poorly written legislation cheapens the meaning of 9-11. Do these people have no shame? Who are these vacuous fools? Wake up people, we cannot keep playing these stupid games.

Too Much...

2009-09-01T23:02:00.002-05:00

...to do. Ever feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders? I know I do. Sorry faithful readers I am going to be distracted for a while. I have classes and work and family and so much other stuff to do. I will try to post more regularly in the future. In the meantime I plan on keeping up on the news and fighting the extremists that are trying to hijack the country right now. I wish I could put my head in the sand and pretend it will all go away, but the future of the country is at stake. Those who lose freedom and liberty will not know it again. I do not want to look at my children and grandchildren and explain how America USED to be free and why we failed to uphold our heritage and Constitutional principles. The two party system must end. Both political parties must be held accountable for their corruption and incompetence. Independents, we must unite. Conservatives you need to fight for your principles. Liberals: WAKE UP! You are about to lose your country to the most despicable and radical extremists ever to control the inner workings of our government. The radical progressives and marxists must be stopped. Where are the real liberals? Where are the classical liberals who stood for freedom? Where are the liberals who will stand for free speech? Free markets? Prosperity for all? Individual responsibility? Where are the liberals who were once so skeptical of massive new government power? We need you to stand up to the democrats NOW! Wake your party up and force them to cut the cancer of progressive marxism out! If we do not unite. If we do not stand and fight together, then freedom will not prevail. We will be forced to endure the slate gray socialist nightmare of a totalitarian existence that we, as Americans, have fought and died to defeat. There is a silent revolution taking place before our very eyes. The silent and ever so small incremental encroachments on our liberty has been taking place for many years. They are about to go in for the kill. I do not want to think about this stuff. I do not want to be proven right. However, there is simply no denying the obvious. We face dangerous times in the near future. I do not think we are ready. Too many of us still slumber. Asleep at the switch, we will wake up one day and realize that our country has changed. And not for the better. Our new government will be an egalitarian oligarchy. You will lose your freedom. Wake up now and man your posts America. Freedom is once again in peril and it is up to you to defend it. Let's roll!

Time to Clean House!!!

2009-08-30T21:03:00.001-05:00

From Another Black Conservative:
"Rasmussen Reports finds that 57% of Americans would like to replace the entire Congress."

Most Americans want to fire everyone in Congress and start over! It is time to start talking about term limits!

Quote of the Day

2009-08-30T00:01:00.002-05:00

"We see on the theater of the world a certain number of scenes which succeed each other in endless repetition: where we see the same faults followed regularly by the same misfortunes, we may reasonably think that if we could have known the first we might have avoided the others. The past should enlighten us on the future: knowledge of history is no more than an anticipated experience."
- Charles Pinot Duclos

This quote comes to mind everytime I talk to someone who voted for Obama and is now regretting it. It also comes to mind when people try telling me that history does not matter and the things I see happening now can't happen here. You know, things like having a communist advising the president and helping him implement policy. Obama is taking us towards Marxism. He told us during the campaign exactly what he wanted to do, but no one believed him. We all just figured he was playing to his base. History show us that Marxism leads to fascism, communism, or some other form of totalitarianism. We are not immune to history. Just because we are arrogant and naive Americans it does not insulate us from the catastrophe of a failed ideology. Obama is a Marxist and he is pretty open about it. He won't call it that, but his ideology was shaped by Marxists, he is being advised by Marxists, and he admits in his autobiographies that he was surrounded by such radical revolutionaries during his formative years. Read up on your history people. Obama's playbook is straight from the 1930s. A good place to start is the book 'Rules for Radicals' by Saul Alinsky, that is Obama's Bible.

Time Out

2009-08-27T13:44:00.002-05:00

I have to take a break from this. Starting next week my schedule will be insane and I simply will not have time. I have writing to do and I have classes. At some point I would like to see my family and spend time with them. I will still be fighting the good fight locally through my various affiliations. I need to step away from the internet for a while. All this time in front of a computer is making my lifestyle increasingly sedentary. I need to get out and run. I also need to start lifting again. I have lost some weight. I have a PT test next month I would like to max. So have no fear, I shall return. For now check the various blogs and such that I have link to. I enjoy reading them from time to time and they are a good source of perspective.

Take a Copy of the Constitution and Call Me in the Morning

2009-08-20T17:18:00.005-05:00

"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent"
- Thomas Jefferson

I would like to continue the healthcare conversation. Let’s talk about why it is such a contentious issue. Why does the left wants this bill passed so badly? Let’s look at what they want and follow the roots back to the tree. Most importantly, I will leave a few common sense reform solutions that I think would be more effective than a $1trillion boondoggle. Let’s look to my favorite source first of all. The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." Healthcare is not a right, nor does the federal government have the enumerated power to control it.

Trust me I am from the government

First of all let me ask you this: Do you trust the government? I hope the answer is no. As Americans it should be in our DNA to have a healthy skepticism and disdain of government. That is how the Founders looked at government. They saw it as “a necessary evil”. That must be our attitude if we are to be free. Why is the healthcare debate turning into such a shouting match? It is a liberty issue. Most American people do not trust the government. They do not trust Obama. They do not trust Congress. Nor should they trust them. We have been burned badly over the years by the flames of an out of control government inferno scorching everything in its path. The governmental assault on our liberties has manifested itself in ways too numerous to mention here. That would be another post entirely that I may write later.
More to the point, people are genuinely concerned about the direction of our country. They see freedom slipping away with each and every bailout and new faceless government entity being created. The bureaucratic nightmare that is the federal government is not something most Americans want having any measure of control over their healthcare decisions. The legislation being debated will put about 31 either new or existing agencies in charge of those decisions. That is why we have seen such passionate debate on this issue. That is why thousands of people who have never protested anything in their life are showing up at townhall meetings and tea parties across the country. People are beginning to wake up to the fact that their government has perpetrated a tyranny of incompetence upon the American people for many years now. It has continued and accelerated in the last 8 months. For the first time many are seeing the seeds of a soft tyranny being planted. They finally realize that no politician, democrat or republican, really has their best interests at heart.
Washington, DC is a bubble. The political elite in this country are getting too isolated from the people and the concerns of regular Americans. Therefore they are surprised at the level of passion and disapproval they are facing at these townhall meetings. So naturally the politicians, including the Speaker of the House, attack the protestors and call them “Astroturf”, “Nazis”, “angry white racists”, and “un-American”. Not only are these disparaging remarks wholly inaccurate, they are also hateful. The political class has targeted regular Americans simply for expressing their opinions and passionately voicing their concerns about healthcare. At least in my life time this is an unprecedented and scary development. To top it all off we have certain politicians calling out an army of union thugs to pack the townhall meetings with supporters and to intimidate the Americans who are showing up to protest the Obamacare “hellthcare” bill. It has led to violence, including the recent townhall in St. Louis where a black conservative activist was assaulted by a group of SEIU union goons outside after the event had ended. Once violence has entered the debate it is difficult to seek out the heart of the argument. That is exactly what Obama and his cronies are counting on. They know if they can isolate and ridicule the opposition and then sensationalize and marginalize the townhalls then we won’t be talking about his healthcare reform bill.

Hurry let’s do this now before we think about it!

Why the rush by the way? Why did Obama try so hard to urge Congress to pass this bill before summer recess? It is because he knew that the American people would find out what his plan is intended to do, and he knew the American people would rise up and oppose it. And they have. Clearly he did not anticipate this level of opposition, but he knew that Congress would receive and earful from their constituents when they returned home for the summer. So, as with the stimulus, cap and trade, and the previous administration’s TARP from last year, Congress and this administration has tried to ram this healthcare bill down our throats. They said: Don’t read it. Sit down. Shut up, the debate is over. We were told “we have to do this right now or the world will explode!” Remember, “Never let a crisis go to waste”. Manufactured crisis is the ultimate destroyer of liberty. Our government is manufacturing crisis after crisis, or simply taking advantage of a real crisis, in order to usurp the Constitution and create a permanent class of political elitism to rule over us “little people”. They are building an oligarchy. Healthcare reform is a means to an end.

What is it really about?

Power: That is why the left wants this healthcare reform bill now. That is why they have fought for some degree of socialized medicine for over 50 years. The progressive movement is all about political and “expert” elites determining what is “best” for every American and implementing their policy solutions regardless of Constitutionality or the concerns of the citizens. In Britain there are over 1 million people working for their national health services. The overwhelming majority are bureaucrats. They represent a huge voting block of people dependent on the government for their livelihood. Never mind the millions more who are dependent on the State for their medical care. That makes any attempt to repair or reform Britain’s poor quality and inefficient medical system impossible. The American left knows that we are a center-right society. Always have been, it is how our Founders wanted it. They also know that the quickest way to ensure a leftist majority in government is to seize control of healthcare, which also happens to represent around 17% of our economy. So you see this “reform” is really about seizing control of the vital elements of our nation.
So here we are looking a $1trillion healthcare reform bill that is over 1,000 pages long. Most people have not read it. Most in Congress have not read it, and nor will they. Some will debate the contents of this bill. They will pull obscure lines and say it does this and not that. I have scoured the bill for hours and every time I come away very satisfied that it is full of crap. Naturally it is written in a very innocuous way. Nothing on its face is too scary. You must follow its contents to the natural conclusion. The federal government is putting money into the healthcare system to set up some kind of insurance exchange system. Whatever the government funds, it controls. We will soon find the government co-opting more power than intended with ambiguously worded regulation and legal definitions. Never mind the 1,000 bill, if passed it will spawn thousands of pages of regulatory codes. What the government touches, it corrupts. If we let them even tepidly control any aspect of our healthcare, we do so at great peril. At any rate it does not matter what the current legislation being debated contains. It is irrelevant. Congress will simply attach hundreds of pages of amendments to the bill in the waning hours of debate and demand it be voted on before the amendments are read or analyzed. We have already seen this happen in much of the legislation Congress has passed in the last 8 months.

So what’s their plan?

Despite the objections of Obama and the “hellthcare” reform bill supporters, this is about socializing our healthcare system. This is not a violent government takeover of our healthcare system. This is the proverbial “foot in the door.” The statists know that they cannot force through a complete overhaul and seize control of our entire healthcare infrastructure overnight. That would lead to outright rebellion in this country. This will take place incrementally over several years, just as Obama envisioned, as he said in remarks that can be viewed on YouTube. He is a proponent of single-payer, universal socialized healthcare. So too are the leftist leaders of Congress. For reasons I have already stated, the left wants this badly. They are patient and willing to wait while the government healthcare embryo Obama is trying to plant can grow. There can be no doubt from reading the legislation that the whole intent of the taxes and regulation within are intended to end private health insurance and create dependence on a government run program. Hence the passages regarding the insurance exchange that indicate that all insurers will be subject to the same regulations as the public option within a set number of years. The government will regulate healthcare. That is the logical end result of this legislation.
People have screamed until blue in the face that Obama’s plan will not ration care. The laws of supply and demand state otherwise. All resources are scarce, including healthcare. If we throw 47 million Americans, or whatever he claims the number of uninsured is, into the system it will increase demand. Thus, it will increase prices. Therefore to lowers costs, as Obama has promised, rationing will inevitably occur. We do not spend money on healthy people. Healthcare goes primarily to care for the sick. Naturally many of those who are ill are also very often elderly. The only way to reduce costs is to reduce the treatments allowed for the sick and the elderly. It happens every day in Britain and Canada, and it will happen here if Obama gets his way. My family doctor is from Canada. He moved here to escape the Canadian healthcare system. He has looked at the proposed reform and is terrified. The very thing he tried to escape has found him here. He has brought numerous family members from Canada here for treatment. Where are Canadians going to go for hip replacement surgery if Obamacare passes? In all seriousness though, healthcare will be rationed under Obama’s plan. AARP is bleeding members right now because of the “death panels” we were told did not exist. Then the Senate announced that they were removing the death panels from the bill. Figure that one out.

The Solutions

It would not be right of me to oppose something like healthcare reform without proposing some common sense solutions. First of all there is a role government can play in reform. It must be, however, extremely limited in power and scope. The influence of government should be like a referee. It should make sure people play by the rules, but it cannot be allowed to dictate market conditions and impose artificial price controls. It also cannot be allowed to manipulate the structure or direct the healthcare of our citizens. Nothing about government is compatible with actually providing healthcare to people. Just look at the horrific examples of eugenics and fascism in the 20th century. More recently just look at the modern day horror stories of the socialist healthcare dystopias in Canada or Britain. When all is said and done government is almost always the problem, not the solution. To determine how to fix a problem we should define it.
Our current healthcare system is the best in the world based on any honest evaluation. By far we provide the highest quality care and America is the engine of medical innovation. So it is not at all a question of quality. Our medical care delivery system is inefficient, and therefore expensive. Consumers and doctors have no incentive to hold down costs and insurance companies are forced to increase premiums. Due in large part to government interference, there is a lack of competition in the medical insurance marketplace. What’s the solution? First of all increase competition by letting insurance companies sell across state lines. That has been holding back market corrections. We also need long term insurance contracts to prevent people with preexisting conditions from being denied coverage. Sell it like term life insurance and make 20 year health insurance plans rather than doing this year to year. There is ample ground that could be covered in the realm of insurance reform. If we could introduce more natural market competition health insurance could be as inexpensive as car insurance. Let’s get the government out of the way and undo the damage it has already done. That is how we can reform healthcare insurance.
Doctors face thousands of frivolous lawsuits every year. As a result privately practicing doctors, hospitals, and medical clinics are forced to purchase very expensive insurance to protect them from such lawsuits. Paying high priced lawyers to fight these suits and then paying out of pocket to settle such frivolous claims are also seriously crippling a doctor’s ability to treat patients efficiently. The left loves to complain about doctors administering too many tests on patients. Doctors do this out of fear that they might miss something and then get sued for not catching it. It is called “defensive medicine” and that is what drives up costs. End the frivolous lawsuits against medical professionals. Instituting serious tort reform must be part of the healthcare reform conversation. Frivolous lawsuits cost us about $1000 per person in America every year. Loser should pay court costs. Lawyers repeatedly bringing frivolous lawsuits into the legal system should be disbarred.
Hospitals along our southern border are struggling under the weight of rampant illegal immigration. Illegal immigrants show up in emergency rooms by the thousands every year in these states. Some hospitals have had to close their doors forever. Illegal immigration is costing our healthcare system about $11billion annually. Another issue most people will not touch is the medical dangers illegal immigrants bring to America. Typhoid, tuberculosis, and various other diseases and parasites are ravaging border regions and working their way north as more illegal immigrants flow in from third world cesspools. The full cost of illegal immigration to the healthcare system is unfathomable. It is difficult to estimate all of the impact. Bottom line is that border security and immigration reform must also be a part of any serious discussion on healthcare reform.
Doctors are generally considered to be among the “hated rich”, also known as the left’s favorite target. Doctors should be allowed to write off free medical services provided as a tax deduction. That would encourage a greater level of charity and people would receive care that they otherwise could not afford. Along the same lines, every medical school should be given funding to open up free medical clinics. The clinics will be staffed with med students who can work to have some of their college loans paid for. It’s really important to have the tort reform first before trying this one. Maybe patients could sign a waiver? But I digress. Finally, the doctor based reform ideas continue with giving physicians the option to refuse all insurance and instead collect a flat rate from all patients. A doctor in New York tried this, but the State would not allow it. He spent most of his money and time complying with government and insurance company red tape. He wanted to just refuse all of it and offer his services for a flat fee. He was going to charge only $79 a month and all of his patients could come in and could see him as many times as they wanted. Of course the State could not allow this to happen because it would undermine the government’s insistence that only the government can solve this problem.
Health savings accounts are absolutely a key to solving this problem. Let people put some of their money away tax free for medical expenses. Let’s start one right now for every American family. Only about 10% of the “stimulus plan” has been spent. Let’s cancel the mindless government waste and pork project spending. That gives us about $700billion right there. There is an additional $70billion in TARP loan repayments sitting in the coffers. How about we take that approximately $770billion dollars and give it to the American people as a health spending account. We could give every tax paying household about $8,000 but it could be allocated based on need and in any sum that is deemed appropriate. Put people in charge of their medical expenses and decisions. It will encourage more thoughtful consumption.

Bottom line

There is a long list of failed government programs: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Post Office, and Amtrak- all bankrupt. That’s just to name a few. The government cannot run anything efficiently. The government cannot lower costs. When was the last time any project or piece of legislation came in under budget or cost the expected amount? There are numerous free market solutions to this problem. I have touched on a few ideas that I have come across in my conversations with others. There are better, more targeted ways to help people receive medical coverage and to reduce costs than opening up the “Pandora’s Box” of governmental interference. If it was really about getting people covered and lowering costs then the bill would not be 1,000 pages long and they would not have tried to force this through so fast. This debate is about liberty. It is about freedom. We are a Republic. Our government is to be limited in power and reach. If allowed to usurp the Constitution and once again establish dangerous new federal power over the lives of every American we will one day see the rise of totalitarianism in our nation. We are not immune to the laws of reason, the laws of logic, or the laws of economics. We are not immune to history. Know your history and you will know your future. Many have tread down this dark path. It has never ended well. We must not make the same mistakes.

“I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.”–James Madison

Quote of the Day

2009-08-20T10:46:00.001-05:00

"The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money."
-Alexis de Tocqueville

I hope its not too late to save our Republic.

The Dangers of Socialized Medicine

2009-08-19T18:18:00.002-05:00

Many have tried to debate with me about the merits of the "Hellthcare" bill. They insist that it will not result in government controlled healthcare. That's true. It won't instantly result in socialized medicine. It will happen incrementally over time. People are naive to think that the government would put this much money up and not demand a measure of control. Whatever the government pumps money into it controls. This system is no different. I challenge anyone to name one single government program that is run efficiently and effectively. Anyone? Hello? That's what I thought. Now you want them running healthcare?

Anyway, here is a post from Dollars and Sense.
You need to watch the video of Ronald Reagan speaking out against government run socialized healthcare. Really puts it in perspective how long we have been fighting this. The progressives have been trying to socialize healthcare for over 50 years. They know it is the easiest way to control us and ensure a permanent majority. In Britain there are over 1 million people employed in their national health service. The majority of them are bureaucrats. That represents an unbeatable voting block of union goons and statists. That's why the progressives want this here. They want to create another constituency: those dependant on the public healthcare and those employed by it.

Changing the Lexicon

2009-08-19T18:15:00.003-05:00

If you can control the meaning of words you can control the people.

Interesting post from Hawaiian Libertarian.

Another Discussion: Government and the Fed

2009-08-13T13:32:00.001-05:00

I want the government to stop interfering in the economy. The government caused the economic meltdown in the first place and now they think they are going to fix it? Yeah right. Supposedly the economy is all better (at least that's what we are being told by the government). Only 10% of the stimulus has been spent and there is over $70 billion in TARP repayments just sitting there. IF the government wanted the economy to get better they could take the remaining "stimulus" funds that are not yet allocated and the TARP repayments and combine them into a tax credit for every American. If they did that they would be able to give every tax payer $8000. Low taxes + small government = economic prosperity. That formula has worked throughout our history. Our biggest problems economically began early in the 20th century when the government began disregarding Constitutional limitations and creating bloated and inefficient bureaucracies. When government began dictating economic conditions and started social engineering, it caused the normal market forces to short circuit. That's why the value of the US dollar has plummeted ever since the Fed was created in 1913. That's why out national debt continues to snowball. That's why there is so much economic volatility today. Not all government intervention into the economy is bad. Some regulation is desirable. The problem today is politicians use taxes and regulations to reward their friends and political allies and to punish their enemies. Government has too much power and the people inhabiting high office are up to their ears in corruption.
The problem with the Fed is that it is accountable to NO ONE. The Fed had a big hand in causing the economic crisis we are in now. The Fed is directly responsible for causing numerous recessions in the past. Sometimes the Fed has acted reasonably in the past and helped stabilize things, but most of the time it has created chaos. Lag times make anything they do risky. Often they act with no outside authority or any oversight.

Trust Me. I'm From the Government.

2009-08-13T13:14:00.003-05:00

Someone recently said this to me on a discussion board:
"Democrates, along with Republicians have always stood up for America and the Constitution."

To which I replied:
Not always. Not everyone and not all the time.

Abraham Lincoln suspended habeus corpus jailed protestors and news reporters who disagreed with him.

Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson (as well as their progressive advisors) were big fans of eugenics and promoted the concept throughout their careers. (Not exactly sure about the Constitutionality of eugenics, but I do not see how the concept could possibly be consistent with the spirit of our Constitution.)

Woodrow Wilson, America's first leftwing democrat president, was a racist who segregated the Armed Forces.

Woodrow Wilson kept political prisoners and shut down newspapers that criticized him. He imprisoned anti-war protestors and journalists. In fact at least one remained imprisoned until President Warren Harding released him.

Many of FDR's New Deal policies were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. After intimidating and packing the courts with judges who would do his bidding, FDR rammed many of his projects through anyway.

FDR put thousands of Japanese-Americans into concentration camps during WWII.

FDR signed blantantly unconstitutional legislation several times during his four terms.

There were numerous abuses by various presidents and political officials during the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and the War on Drugs. (too numerous to mention here)

Don't forget the Patriot Act and Bush administration policies (which I actually supported at the time, I was wrong). These powers are still being used by the current administration.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig5/gregory1.html

Obama and his administration has been busy violating the Constitution in his brief time in office.

http://lobotero.wordpress.com/2008/11/28/will-obama-violate-the-constitution/

http://hawaiianlibertarian.blogspot.com/2009/01/obamas-first-constitutional-violation.html

Seperation of Powers means nothing to these guys:

http://www.theminorityreportblog.com/blog_entry/ken_taylor/2009/05/13/obama_violates_separation_of_powers

Here is some more:

http://citizen-pamphleteer.blogspot.com/2009/02/obama-violates-his-first-provision-of.html

http://sibbyonline.blogs.com/sibbyonline/2009/07/another-constitutional-violation-by-the-progressives.html

I could go on, but this is already getting tedious. Never trust the government. I did so for a long time. About two or three years ago I began to see the truth. The politicians do not care. They will destroy everything this nation stands for to obtain and maintain their power. Right now the Dems are the biggest offenders, but the Repubs have not been saints either. It is our job to guard the Constitution. The people must be Constitutional watchdogs. We need to raise hell every time these sleezebags go near our liberty. The media is not doing it. The media has gone from watchdog to lapdog. It is up to us.

Leftists Bring Obama-Hitler Posters to Townhalls

2009-08-13T11:40:00.004-05:00

From Another Black Conservative:

"When House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that now famous line about there being swastikas at the town halls, you just knew the media was going to find some creative way to make that statement true.
Here are two videos showing exactly who are bringing those Obama Hitler posters to the town hall meetings. They are liberals who support leftwing nut Lyndon LaRouche!"

I'm on a FIRE Right Now!

2009-08-12T17:10:00.002-05:00

Obama and the Dems are showing a real authoritarian streak lately. Frankly, it surprised me. I could not believe that Pelosi, Obama, and the rest would be stupid enough to say and do some of the things they have said and done recently. I think it is a sign of their true intentions. My sources, in this country and others, tell me something bad is on the horizon. It is not going to be good. DO NOT trust the government. DO NOT trust Obama and his cronies. I do not trust the GOP anymore than I trust them. This is a dangerous time in American history. I woke up early and now I am trying to ring the warning bells. The future of our Republic is in peril. If only 10% of what I see coming our way actually happens we are in serious trouble. I really, really want to be wrong here. Unfortunately I have been right so far. All I can say right now is that in the next two years the economy (and housing market) will collapse again, something nasty is coming our way from the southern border, watch Russia carefully, China too, Iran + nuke = BOOM! and get ready for hyperinflation. Don't panic or freak out. Don't worry yourself into a depression. Just prepare for the worst. We have survived tough times before, and so we will again. However, we have never faced a multitude of threats like this all at once before. War is coming. Chaos is brewing. The storm clouds are on the horizon. I have been studying history intensely in the last several years. This has, to a lesser extent, happened before. I saw the storm clouds about 3 years ago and said nothing. I tried to "check out" and focus on my life. I can't do that anymore. I am carrying a burden that I can no longer shoulder. I have to try to warn people. Like I said, I want to be wrong. I want to stop worrying. What we are about to face will mirror the Age of Anxiety and rise of totalitarianism to some degree. I am hoping that it will not be as intense and devastating. Just be prepared and demand the truth. Put aside petty differences. Stick together because we will need each other to get through these trials.

Obama's Brownshirts

2009-08-07T12:57:00.002-05:00

In addition to his union brownshirts mentioned in the previous post, we now know when Obama will once again bring up his concept of a "civilian national security force". During the campaign, an at one event earlier this year, Obama mentioned this grand vision of his.

"We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded." -Barrack Obama

Since then Obama has been silent on the issue. Of course, the media has ignored this plan for the most part. Partly because he will not elaborate on this. Apparently he intends to unveil his plans on 9-11 of this year.

Obama knows that the US military will support the US Constitution first. We will not obey any illegal orders given by the president (see www.oathkeepers.org). Therefore, Obama wants to create an army that will do his bidding. He has drastically underestimated the American people. Obama does not understand our love of freedom. Obama is not an American. He may have been born in Hawaii, but he spent his formative years overseas in places like Indonesia. He surrounded himself with marxists and other radical leftists. He is not American. He does not understand freedom. He does not appreciate liberty. I do not know what he intends to do with a "civilian national security force". I do know that we should all be very concerned. Our Republic is in peril. Wake up and demand some answers from your government. Something is very wrong here. I cannot pinpoint it, but I do not trust Obama or anyone in the government for that matter. I have never been a "conspiracy theorist". I do not like having this opinion. I do not want to be "this guy". I have been around. I have seen enough. I am well informed. I know a lie when I see one. I have a gut feeling that something very bad is on the horizon. Maybe Obama isn't the bad guy I think he is, but he is expanding the government and its power to a scope where it may become very easy one day for a dictator to seize power. Do your own homework on this one. History repeats itself if you don't learn from it. The parallels between now and the 1930s cannot be denied. Hitler was a community organizer too. I hope I am wrong, but Obama did promise to "fundamentally transform" the United States.

This is Profound, The REAL Mob Has Been Deployed

2009-08-07T11:33:00.004-05:00

I found this comment posted by Matt Helm on Gateway Pundit talking about this post. Union thugs, including SEIU members, attacked TEA Party Patriots who were trying to attend a townhall meeting with their representative in St. Louis. A black conservative activist was assaulted by union members. Several of the union members, including at least one SEIU member was arrested. All of this occurred after the actual townhall meeting after the representative had left. Union members were given special access to the event and were let in the side door after regular people were stopped from entering the townhall event. This is a dangerous time in American history and I don't think people are even awake yet. Millions of people are waking up, but I fear it might be too late. The comment below was profound:

"An important line was crossed last night. Violence in American politics isn't anything new. Union violence isn't anything new. Union violence in American politics isn't anything new. What IS new is violence against ordinary protesting citizens carried out by union stormtroopers EXPLICITLY CALLED OUT BY and CONDONED by the governing political party and the President of the United States.The next four weeks will be crucial. By the end of September, we will know if we exist in a free republic or in an authoritarian state." -Matt Helm

He is right. Soon we will know if we are too late.

Lanny Davis, Obama Whitehouse Attacking Dissenters

2009-08-06T11:02:00.002-05:00

Lanny Davis has THIS to say about the people showing up at townhall meetings across the country. While I find it laughable that he accuses Republicans of using "Fascist" tactics while the "Community Organizer-in-Chief" sits in the Oval Office, his comments are indicative of the left's attitude towards regular Americans trying to get their voices heard. We are at a dangerous time in our nation's history. Never before in my lifetime has our government been so active in trying to silence dissent by riddiculing and marginalizing regular Americans who are simply concerned about their liberty and their country. They are angry at these elitist politicians who would rather lecture them than listen to them. Lanny Davis was forced to back off his statements after he was barraged by emails from Malkin's readers. Here is his "apology". I do not think Lanny is being sincere, but clearly he was affected by the volume of people speaking out against his ignorant and spiteful comments. In his remarks from Politico Lanny Davis said that the media should photograph and name the people speaking out at these townhall meetings. Supposedly so that they could be exposed as frauds. This is sad. Now the left is trying to enlist the media to go after regular Americans, many of them elderly and/or veterans, who are trying to have their voices heard on the issue of government run "hellthcare". On that note the White House is asking people to snitch on their friends and neighbors. The "thought police" are coming.

F#*@! 'em if they can't take a joke.

2009-08-06T01:02:00.003-05:00

Wow has the left lost its mind over the Obama-Joker poster. Naturally their first reaction is to cry "racism!" You see the race card is often played when the leftists are desperate and completely incapable of making intellectual arguments. Obama has the built in excuse of racism. I can see it now: when Obama fails to win reelection in 2012 the excuse from the media will be "America is a racist country". Nevermind America already elected him once. Oh no, it couldn't be that his policies were unpopular and ineffective. It must be racism. The protestors and TEA Party participants are called racists or Republican hacks (even though most I know are not even Republicans). It can't be that they are concerned Americans who disagree with Obama's statist agenda, of course it must be racism. Nevermind the black people in the crowd. As a matter of fact I seem to recall a black guy being the featured speaker at the Independence Day TEA Party in Omaha last month (he was a Constitutional scholar named Glenn Freeman) Must have been a self-hating black guy right? Or a sell out? The left and Obama have always had thin skin. They cannot stand being attacked or opposed (especially when they have power). I cannot believe the tactics the Dems are using against the American people. They are isolating the protestors and riddiculing them. They are trying to marginalize them. The left supposedly loves dissent. It's so "American". Unless you are dissenting against progressive-socialist-marxist-democrat policies. Then the dissenters are labeled as bigoted-racist-hateful-stupid-political hacks. Well I have one thing to say to Obama and his cronies: Shut up. Sit down. And listen to the American people. I guess that's three things. I could have actually said more, but I am trying to remain civil. For now.

The Long Term Plan is Single Payer Healthcare

2009-08-04T17:50:00.002-05:00

The president and Congress are continuing their "Hellthcare" debate. They are arguing about how best to scam the American people and subjugate them under an inefficient and poor quality government run healthcare plan. Of course the current "reform" bill is not single payer all at once. It is an incremental process towards the tyranny of socialized healthcare. They know that Americans are not stupid enough to fall for it all at once so they are sneaking the groundwork in and will let other administrations build on it in the future. We cannot keep giving government more and more power. The government will destroy us with their tyranny and incompetence. Listen to what Obama says in this post from Nadmenny Millicent.