China's Good Will Tour Continues in Cuba

China continues their latin american good will tour bringing with them 4.5 tons of humanitarian aid for victims of three hurricanes that battered Cuba in the past year. The aid totaled 2.5 million dollars. How parsimonious and niggardly of the Chinese. I would have thought that with all the tchotchkes we buy from Walmart et al, you'd think they could spring for a few pennies more. The Castroistas aren't easy, but they are cheap. 

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India Gets It

When it comes to the pirates, India gets it. The INS Tabar sunk the pirate "mother ship" in the Gulf of Aden. Go India. 

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...To the Shores of Tripoli...

The Saudi oil tanker Sirius Star was captured by Somali pirates off the coast of Kenya. It seems the pirates are asking $10,000,000 ransom for the ship that is carrying $100 million in oil. Pirates are nothing new in this world, and I am not talking about black beard or pirates of the Caribbean (or Penzance for that matter). The United States fought two wars, the First Barbary Pirate War or the Tripolitan War, from 1801-1805 and the Second Barbary War in 1815. The countries that promulgated piracy at the time were Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Tripoli (for those not familiar with that name might know it better a Libya). At the time, the Pasha of Tripoli demanded a ransom from Jefferson in the sum of $225,000. This may not seem like much, but considering the total treasury had $10,000,000, it was quite a chunk. Some may ask why? Barbary pirates were nothing new, but they were kept in check by the Knights Of Malta. What happened was that Napoleon seized Malta in 1798 and this created a power vacuum in the mediterranean. Without the Knights Of Malta, the pirates went on a spree. The first Barbary War was the first international engagement of the US Marines. The US Navy and the Marines kicked ass, killing and wounding 2000 pirates, while suffering fewer than 100 casualties, and capturing Tripoli. 

Today we find ourselves in a similar place with Somali pirates. International forces seem to be unwilling to go after them, even in this latest fiasco with the Saudi tanker. The Saudis must want it that way, but paying ransom is never a good thing, or as James Madison put it, peace is preferred to war, and war is preferred to paying tribute. The problem is that with paying tribute to anyone is that the criminals will have you over a saddle like Marcellus Wallace with the orange ball in his mouth. No fun at all. Better to fight than switch, but I digress. The right answer here is a couple seal teams on the tanker and it's all over but the crying. In the long run, naval ships from various countries need to patrol these areas terminate the pirates with extreme prejudice, setting the tone for what is inevitable. We'll have to see what happens. The last time we got involved with Somalia, President Clinton showed a lack of nerve and fortitude, folding like a cheap camera. This sets a bad example for the men. 

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Guess Who is the Unemployed Politician?

Robert gates? Who the hell is Robert Gates?

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Guess Who is the Unemployed CEO?

I guess passing up Microsoft's offer had its consequences. Do you think there will be a deal now?

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China Continues Inroads

China continues inroads into central america with the latest free trade talks with Costa Rica. President Hu met with Costa Rican president Oscar Arias. The price of such a meeting was Costa Rica giving up trade ties to Taiwan. President Hu headed for Cuba, it's communist ally in the region,  after the trip to Costa Rica. 

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Is this Fear Mongering or Just the Facts?

My question to you is this fear mongering to get a bailout or is GM just presenting the facts (because they want a loan)? The answer is both, and of course they are resorting to fear, but they are probably presenting some salient facts. The problem is that GM and other auto manufacturers are not dealing with the drain on them: The unions. The unions are willing to drive the automakers over a cliff, even if they all lost their jobs just because they are bullies and ignoramuses. Unions are just as complicit in this fiasco as the management of automakers are. If unions are not willing to help with this with concessions, GM will have to file chapter 11 and if they survive chapter 11, they will need (read that should) to move manufacturing overseas. No matter what, there will be massive downsizing in the auto industry in the months to come. You have to wonder what could kick start the industry, as people aren't spending money on new cars? Think 1938-39. Even if GM gets bailed out, survival is going to be tough. Tough for Chrysler and Ford too. 

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The Current State of Things: At the crossroads

Right now we stand at a crossroads. We've elected our president, albeit the first black president in our history. It is not because he is black, but rather the perception of his values, political and social beliefs that have given cue to other leaders in the world to advance their positions that may be counter to our positions and benefit. 

Our enemies and competitors see this as an opportunity to test Obama and promulgate their agenda. Look at China and Russia who are making alliances with despots in our own hemisphere. These alliances are being formed to undermine America's position in the world. When you see and read about how happy foreign leaders are that Obama is elected and how good it is that America can restore it's image, I have to ask, what is their real perception of our president? 

Obama has stated as much that he wants to improve our image. A little of this is good, most of it seems politically motivated as if we need the approval of other nations to exist. The problem with politicians is that they are too concerned with what others think of them, and they wish to have everyone like them. This is faulty thinking that will get an executive in trouble quickly. Congressmen and senators are particularly at fault here as they do not have to make decisions for a country, organization, or state. Their positions involves wheeling, dealing and behind the scenes arm twisting and glad handing. While presidents can be involved in this, ultimately, they make or execute decisions they are responsible for that will make someone unhappy.

So if Hamas, Iran, Russia and China seem happy that Obama is elected and look forward to dealing with him, I have to say I look at it with a bit of skepticism. Even Chavez and Castro seem to be ebullient at his winning the election. I have to be suspicious when traditional enemies are happy with certain electoral results. They obviously see it as a weakness they can exploit. 

As someone that did not support Obama in the election, one might say I want him to fail, particularly in regards to this. I would tell them absolutely not. This mentality has been the mantra of the democrat party for the last six plus years. They have shown that they would want us to lose the war in Iraq in order to gain political advantage. They are hardly the loyal opposition and as far as I am concerned, frauds because of it, and un-American. To that extent, where I believe America's interests in the world should be protected, and promoted, I will be behind a President Obama. If I disagree with him or his policies, there will be no mistaking it, but I will not cheer a position on that is against the United States which would cause us to lose in some way. 

So which way do we go? My hope is that Obama, seeing the same challenges President Bush did, will stay the course where things are working and not try to reinvent the wheel. Where new territory is crossed, particularly with those that want to see us fail, and/or be less than number one, I hope President Obama make the right choices that keep us safe, secure, and still number one. I hope he does not take on the role of Neville Chamberlain or a Jimmy Carter, who are both losers in my opinion. It would be a nice feeling if everybody likes you, but it's naive and unattainable. I hope Obama follows Bill Cosby's advice in life: "I don't know how to succeed, but I do know how to fail; by trying to please everyone". Amen Bill, Amen, and whatever happens next, this will set the tone for the next 100 years. I hope Obama leads well, and makes the right decisions, rather than trying to make decisions right. 

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Religious Harmony? Don't quit your day job

The high priests of the technorati have started a movement called The Charter for Compassion project at www.charterforcompassion.org. Karen Armstrong, a religious scholar, was granted a "Wish" this year at the Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) conference in California. TEDizens such as Sergey Brin and Larry Page (along with Forest Whittaker, Cameron Diaz, other celebs and technorati) wish to unite religions whose common theme is the golden rule, or "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". What makes this interesting is that Armstrong, an apologist for Islam, is behind this. "The chief task of our time is to build a global society where people of all persuasions can live together in peace and harmony," Armstrong said. So far, I do not see evidence that Islam promulgates the golden rule. They do promulgate jizya, dhimmi, and pahlavi. In fact, in some Muslim countries, non-believers have inferior rights and have to pay tribute in greater proportion than believers. In some places like Afghanistan, muslims that convert to christianity are sentenced to death. Creating this project does nothing positive as one, it dilutes the message and meaning that is unique to each religion, and two, islam has to come out of the 12th century at best mindset it finds itself. This project will not change that. Armstrong should go to the House of Saud and the Ayatollahs of Iran if she wants change, but even she knows she would be stoned to death if she spoke the truth there. 

The problem I have is the arrogance of these multi-million and billionaires who seem to think that because they have money and influence, that somehow their vision must be promulgated so as to change the world. Brin and Page, by the grace of god, might be working in Burger King today if it were not for the search engine that is ubiquitous today. Like actors and other celebrities, keep your kumbaya socialist dogma to yourselves and concentrate on what you do well, and leave the rest of us alone. Of course they cannot, as evidences with Lord Philips and the other idiots in Britain giving the OK for Sharia law in British society. God bless Pat Condell. I don't agree with everything he stands for, but he has a classical liberal streak not seen since Thomas Paine, another great brit. 

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Airforce One

From the crew that brought you "The Day After Obama Gets Elected", now presents Air Force One.  Props to Snoop Dog and Howard Stern as usual.  This is totally outrageous, and sometimes it's better to laugh than cry. If you look close enough, I bet you'd see Bush, Rove and Cheney on Texas Air. 

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Guess Who is the Unemployed Politician?

May be Michael will join forces with that other vampire, Bella Pelosi? Highly unlikely, but I am sure he'll find a night job somewhere, may be at a hedge fund or some law firm as a sinecurist. 

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Obama Questionaire

Here is a link to the Obama Questionaire. It would take me a week to fill it out, only to find out I am unacceptable to The One. You'll find some of the questions interesting and revealing, particularly about guns. Besides, he couldn't pay me enough. 

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IotW

It's been a long time since I had Idiot of the Week, and I had nominated Gordon Brown last week for his stunning proposal of a global society. He is of course, an idiot. Now on to another idiot, or should I say idiots. Mexico City is giving out Viagra to men over 70 years of age in an effort to improve quality of life? Really? Who are these men going to enjoy their better quality of life with? Most women lose interest at that advanced age, and giving a 70+ year old man Viagra is like putting a supercharger on a high mileage engine with low oil pressure. Something's going to blow and it's not the hooker going down on the old man! May be they want to lower their healthcare costs by promulgating heart attacks or may be they like Hombres Verdes running around saying estoy falto! I'll pass on that visual. 

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Forgive Me Father, For I have Sinned...

The Rev. Jay Scott Newman, a South Carolina Roman Catholic priest has told his parishioners that they should refrain from receiving Holy Communion if they voted for Barack Obama because the Democratic president-elect supports abortion, and supporting him "constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil." He sent out a letter to parishioners that they need to do penance for the vote before they can receive communion.

Being RC, I can say the Reverend is within his right to say what he did and while any church is not supposed to endorse a particular candidate, it is perfectly fine to stress the importance of voting for someone whose beliefs and action reflect church teachings and values. On the other hand, I will advise the dear Father with the words of George Carlin: I have as much authority as the Pope, I just don't have as many people who believe it. And so it goes Reverend Newman.

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Guess Who is the Unemployed Politician?

This progenitor of TARP and an all around machiavellian sfacime will find himself unemployed soon enough. I am sure his tin cup wall street cronies will find him a cushy job at some hedge fund sure enough, but to see him go is a reward enough. 

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Something is Happening; A take on current events by Pamela Geller

Pam said it better than I could:

From Pam Geller, Atlas Shrugs

"Something of Historic Proportion is Happening"

I am a student of history. Professionally. I have written 15 books in six languages, and have studied it all my life. I think there is something monumentally large afoot, and I do not believe it is just a banking crisis, or a mortgage crisis, or a credit crisis. Yes these exist, but they are merely single facets on a very large gemstone that is only now coming into a sharper focus.

Something of historic proportions is happening. I can sense it because I know how it feels, smells, what it looks like, and how people react to it. Yes, a perfect storm may be brewing, but there is something happening within our country that has been evolving for about ten - fifteen years. The pace has dramatically quickened in the past two.

We demand and then codify into law the requirement that our banks make massive loans to people we know they can never pay back? Why?

We learn just days ago that the Federal Reserve, which has little or no real oversight by anyone, has “loaned” two trillion dollars (that is $2,000,000,000,000) over the past few months, but will not tell us to whom or why or disclose the terms. That is our money. Yours and mine. And that is three times the 700B we all argued about so strenuously just this past September. Who has this money? Why do they have it? Why are the terms unavailable to us? Who asked for it? Who authorized it? I thought this was a government of “we the people,” who loaned our powers to our elected leaders. Apparently not.

We have spent two or more decades intentionally de-industrializing our economy. Why?

We have intentionally dumbed down our schools, ignored our history, and no longer teach our founding documents, why we are exceptional, and why we are worth preserving. Students by and large cannot write, think critically, read, or articulate. Parents are not revolting, teachers are not picketing, school boards continue to back mediocrity. Why?

We have now established the precedent of protesting every close election (now violently in California over a proposition that is so controversial that it wants marriage to remain between one man and one woman. Did you ever think such a thing possible just a decade ago?). We have corrupted our sacred political process by allowing unelected judges to write laws that radically change our way of life, and then mainstream Marxist groups like ACORN and others to turn our voting system into a banana republic. To what purpose?

Now our mortgage industry is collapsing, housing prices are in free fall, major industries are failing, our banking system is on the verge of collapse, social security is nearly bankrupt, as is medicare and our entire government, our education system is worse than a joke (I teach college and know precisely what I am talking about)–the list is staggering in its length, breadth, and depth. It is potentially 1929 x ten. And we are at war with an enemy we cannot name for fear of offending people of the same religion, who cannot wait to slit the throats of your children if they have the opportunity to do so.

And now we have elected a man no one knows anything about, who has never run so much as a Dairy Queen, let alone a town as big as Wasilla, Alaska. All of his associations and alliances are with real radicals in their chosen fields of employment, and everything we learn about him, drip by drip, is unsettling if not downright scary (Surely you have heard him speak about his idea to create and fund a mandatory civilian defense force stronger than our military for use inside our borders? No? Oh of course. The media would never play that for you over and over and then demand he answer it. Sarah Palin’s pregnant daughter and $150,000 wardrobe is more imporant.)

Mr. Obama’s winning platform can be boiled down to one word: change.

Why?

I have never been so afraid for my country and for my children as I am now.

This man campaigned on bringing people together, something he has never, ever done in his professional life. In my assessment, Obama will divide us along philosophical lines, push us apart, and then try to realign the pieces into a new and different power structure. Change is indeed coming. And when it comes, you will never see the same nation again.

And that is only the beginning.

And I thought I would never be able to experience what the ordinary, moral German felt in the mid-1930s. In those times, the savior was a former smooth-talking rabble-rouser from the streets, about whom the average German knew next to nothing. What they did know was that he was associated with groups that shouted, shoved, and pushed around people with whom they disagreed; he edged his way onto the political stage through great oratory and promises. Economic times were tough, people were losing jobs, and he was a great speaker. And he smiled and waved a lot. And people, even newspapers, were afraid to speak out for fear that his “brown shirts” would bully them into submission. And then, he was duly elected to office, a full-throttled economic crisis at hand [the Great Depression]. Slowly but surely he seized the controls of government power, department by department, person by person, bureaucracy by bureaucracy. The kids joined a Youth Movement in his name, where they were taught what to think. How did he get the people on his side? He did it promising jobs to the jobless, money to the moneyless, and goodies for the military-industrial complex. He did it by indoctrinating the children, advocating gun control, health care for all, better wages, better jobs, and promising to re-instill pride once again in the country, across Europe, and across the world.

He did it with a compliant media–did you know that? And he did this all in the name of justice and . . . change. And the people surely got what they voted for.

(Look it up if you think I am exaggerating.)

Read your history books. Many people objected in 1933 and were shouted down, called names, laughed at, and made fun of. When Winston Churchill pointed out the obvious in the late 1930s while seated in the House of Lords in England (he was not yet Prime Minister), he was booed into his seat and called a crazy troublemaker. He was right, though.

Don’t forget that Germany was the most educated, cultured country in Europe. It was full of music, art, museums, hospitals, laboratories, and universities. And in less than six years–a shorter time span than just two terms of the U. S. presidency–it was rounding up its own citizens, killing others, abrogating its laws, turning children against parents, and neighbors against neighbors. All with the best of intentions, of course. The road to Hell is paved with them.

As a practical thinker, one not overly prone to emotional decisions, I have a choice: I can either believe what the objective pieces of evidence tell me (even if they make me cringe with disgust); I can believe what history is shouting to me from across the chasm of seven decades; or I can hope I am wrong by closing my eyes, having another latte, and ignoring what is transpiring around me.

Some people scoff at me, others laugh, or think I am foolish, naive, or both. Perhaps I am. But I have never been afraid to look people in the eye and tell them exactly what I believe–and why I believe it.

I pray I am wrong. I do not think I am.

Pamela Geller

Thanks and props to Pam for such cogent words. 

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Palin is hated because...

Dennis is in rare form on The O'Reilly Factor, a must see. I couldn't agree with him more on just about everything, and he is certainly more gracious about Obama than most on the right. Can you imagine Miller unplugged? As far as Barney Frank goes, O'Reilly should watch himself.

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Apostasy?

Obama must have looked through Broun's underwear drawer as we now have apostasy from the Georgia republican. Is free speech dead?

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Guess Who is the Unemployed Politician?

Condi joins her boss as an unemployed politician. What will she do? Teach Russian? Teach Piano? I am sure Obama will have a job for her at the white house as a cleaning lady or may be the ladies room attendant. Things are looking rosy already. 

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Your honor or your life

I was thinking about one of my favorite movies today, Braveheart, and for whatever reason I recalled a line by Ian Bannen playing the character of Robert the Bruce Sr. The quote was, "All men betray. All lose heart." Nothing is as sad as when as a child, your best friend chooses someone else over you and that betrayal is a foreshadowing of what life is about. What Robert the Bruce Sr was telling his son was that ultimately, it's every man for himself in this life, no matter the political system, religion, national identity, or race. It's a hard pill to swallow as in our hearts, we would like to believe otherwise.

Who are the true believers? Ingrained in most men is a sense of honor. I think most of us feel bad when we betray, and at times it can cut the perpetrator almost as deep as the victim. Yet, in politics in life as well as in government, many will trade such temporal notions such as honor for the short way around the barn. Niccolò would have been proud. Where is the disconnect? There is none for many of us. Just an inconsistent application of principles due to competitive forces in our lives. There are those that have no honor, no sense of shame, of propriety or self perception. They ride high on a mixture of conceit, and arrogance that is fueled by their incompetence, insecurities, and desire to succeed. They have been chosen, but do not wish to be found out for what they are. Deace would call them groupies, or possibly gangsters in training.

Still, those words haunt me like when I was told there is no Santa Claus. Part of being a crusader is that it requires a belief and a consistency in principles that is above and beyond what most would call normal. I think at least some of us want to believe that others believe as we do, but in the end, looking at it rationally, we are all independent operators. So does this mean we should let go of the concept of honor? To grab our socks because others with small minds demand it? Not many years ago, I learned you cannot eat principles. By the same token, it is impossible to live with yourself if you violate or allow the violation of your own sense of dignity, honor and pride. While as men we may betray each other, never betray yourself, never lose heart.

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Guess Who is the Unemployed Politician?

Much to many people's joy, this politician will be out of a job none too soon. I haven't been a Cheney supporter, but I can't understand the vitriol. Clinton has far more dead bodies in his wake than Cheney. Then again, politics is what it is. 

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Quid Pro Quo

Pelosi and Company are going out on a spending spree, bailing out banks and now the automakers. I have one question: What will the price of this be? Obeisance, complicity, or indifference? What will Ostalin and his cohorts want in return? A good question. Anyone want to take a stab at it before I do?

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Armistice Day

There are three British WW I veterans left out of millions. Today marks the 90th anniversary of the signing of the treaty that ended WW I at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918. 

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Obama a Marxist? Really?

From Representative Broun of Georgia:

"It may sound a bit crazy and off base, but the thing is, he's the one who proposed this national security force," Rep. Paul Broun said of Obama in an interview Monday with The Associated Press. "I'm just trying to bring attention to the fact that we may — may not, I hope not — but we may have a problem with that type of philosophy of radical socialism or Marxism...Broun cited a July speech by Obama that has circulated on the Internet in which the then-Democratic presidential candidate called for a civilian force to take some of the national security burden off the military...That's exactly what Hitler did in Nazi Germany and it's exactly what the Soviet Union did...When he's proposing to have a national security force that's answering to him, that is as strong as the U.S. military, he's showing me signs of being Marxist...Broun said he also believes Obama likely will move to ban gun ownership if he does build a national police force...We can't be lulled into complacency...You have to remember that Adolf Hitler was elected in a democratic Germany. I'm not comparing him to Adolf Hitler. What I'm saying is there is the potential."

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Reagan On Individualism

How different and antithetical from the president elect. It also shows how the republican party has had only pretenders since. 

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Obama and Brown: Globalism on the rise?

It has been reported that Gordon Brown suggests that it is time for a global society. This is not far out of line with what Obama believes and coupled with what has been projected in Obama using executive powers coupled with a democrat congress, could a lesser United States be in the making amongst a global context? Obama's beliefs are antithetical to the traditional definition of American Exceptionalism. Is this the beginning of something good or bad? You tell me.

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Palin Denounces Critics

I almost forgot she existed. It must be nice to be home, eh Sarah? I think we'll be hearing more from here in the next 4 years. Don't you?

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Obama and the Second Amendment: No you can't

The NRA has posted the proposed changes in government's position on guns and gun rights. During the campaign, Obama facilely agreed that people have a right to bear arms. I guess it changed after he got elected. 

"Yes We Can . . . Ban Guns"--Obama Announces Gun Ban Agenda Before The Final Vote Count Is In

Friday, November 07, 2008

Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign slogan, "the audacity of hope," should have instead been "the audacity of deceit." After months of telling the American people that he supports the Second Amendment, and only hours after being declared the president-elect, the Obama transition team website announced an agenda taken straight from the anti-gun lobby--four initiatives designed to ban guns and drive law-abiding firearm manufacturers and dealers out of business:  "Making the expired federal assault weapons ban permanent." Perhaps no other firearm issue has been more dishonestly portrayed by gun prohibitionists. Notwithstanding their predictions that the ban's expiration in 2004 would bring about the end of civilization, for the last four years the nation's murder rate has been lower than anytime since the mid-1960s. Studies for Congress, the Congressional Research Service, the National Institute of Justice, the National Academy of Sciences, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found no evidence that gun prohibition or gun control reduces crime. Guns that were affected by the ban are used in only a tiny fraction of violent crime-about 35 times as many people are murdered without any sort of firearm (knives, bare hands, etc.), as with "assault weapons." Obama says that "assault weapons" are machine guns that "belong on foreign battlefields," but that is a lie; the guns are only semi-automatic, and they are not used by a military force anywhere on the planet.  "Repeal the Tiahrt Amendment." The amendment--endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police--prohibits the release of federal firearm tracing information to anyone other than a law enforcement agency conducting a bona fide criminal investigation. Anti-gun activists oppose the restriction, because it prevents them from obtaining tracing information and using it in frivolous lawsuits against law-abiding firearm manufacturers. Their lawsuits seek to obtain huge financial judgments against firearm manufacturers when a criminal uses a gun to inflict harm, even though the manufacturers have complied with all applicable laws.  "Closing the gun show loophole." There is no "loophole." Under federal law, a firearm dealer must conduct a background check on anyone to whom he sells a gun, regardless of where the sale takes place. A person who is not a dealer may sell a gun from his personal collection without conducting a check. Gun prohibitionists claim that many criminals obtain guns from gun shows, though the most recent federal survey of convicted felons put the figure at only 0.7 percent. They also claim that non-dealers should be required to conduct checks when selling guns at shows, but the legislation they support goes far beyond imposing that lone requirement. In fact, anti-gun members of Congress voted against that limited measure, holding out for a broader bill intended to drive shows out of business.  "Making guns in this country childproof." "Childproof" is a codeword for a variety of schemes designed to prevent the sale of firearms by imposing impossible or highly expensive design requirements, such as biometric shooter-identification systems. While no one opposes keeping children safe, the fact is thataccidental firearm-related deaths among children have decreased 86 percent since 1975, even as the numbers of children and guns have risen dramatically. Today, the chances of a child being killed in a firearm accident are less than one in a million.

Tin Cup America

I think some may have entirely missed the point of this election. The reasons for Obama's win, other than the repudiation of the Bush administration, what could have changed? I will speculate that enough of the young people in this country that have come of age since 2004 have been enculturated in the tin cup co-dependent socialist democracy and they now represent a larger constituency on the left. As much as young people are hip, internet and tech savvy, they are also pretty ignorant of history, philosophy, and lack the moral compass of generations before them. 

In the big picture, look at it like this: In my parents generation, if you weren't out of the house by the time you were 18, and married, you were looked at as somewhat defective. People got on with their lives early, were responsible, and expected that of themselves and others. Their education, while basic by today's standards, was thorough, and they could read, write, and do arithmetic when they graduated high school. Todays youth, whether they need to or not, got to college to somehow get the education they did not get in high school and delay the onset of responsibility. 

Is it so odd anymore to see people living at with their parents even until 30? The result of this is that there is a delay in becoming an adult and when this immaturity is coupled with a poor and/or lopsided education, you have a recipe that produces people that believe they are entitled to a lifestyle that is inconsistent with being a responsible adult. In the old days they would call this codling by an over protective mother. The end result is a society that believes the world owes them something. 

Vince Cohen, an expert on social issues, say that all of this is the result of the feminization of society. When people are over-nurtured, it delays the onset of responsibility. When you consider socialism, the very idea of Nanny-Statism, at least to me, is puerile in nature. Who as an adult wants to be treated as child? Children are taken care of by Nannies, or Parents. Adults are not. 

For some reason, that infantile mentality that the government should take care of every need and even some wants has drifted over from Europe to the United States. The trade off is that when you agree to be "taken care of", the locus of control shifts, you have abdicated your responsibilities and now there are strings attached. You have traded independence for security and made yourself a slave to the wishes, desires and demands of others. When you were a child, right or wrong, irrespective of the consequences, could you do and go as you please? No, of course not, you lived under your parent's roof and you had to obey their rules. 

Part of the American experience is that at one time, we were the embodiment of the rugged individual. Forged by personal responsibility and the freedom that is its reward, respect for the rights of others, and the learning from our mistakes. Somewhere, sometime, in the last 40 years, we have become enculturated and educated in such a way that we are not the same people anymore, not as a whole. It seems that with every election, the rugged individuals are pushed back, smaller in numbers, in defeat. In the current election cycle, Obama has shown that he is the conduit for the socialist programming started by the 60's radicals, and it is their last chance to poison the punch. The consequences of this are that socialism will overtake capitalism as the form of government in this country and probably everywhere else, eventually. 

You may say, what is so bad with that? I can tell you that philosophically, socialism exists as a way to bring the very lowest in society up at the expense of those further up the economic chain. It's always been about the guaranteed outcomes for the lowest common denominator. You aim low and you hit low. True free market capitalism is about a playing field were everyone gets to play, but outcomes are not guaranteed. There will be a pile of bodies sometimes, but overall, everyone not only gets to play, but most get better at it and the rewards are very high. While not always fair, you are not penalized for being responsible, successful and daring. The reward is that at the end of the day, there are no regrets, as you can call your shots. Are you up for the game? It seems many people today are not. It is a road less traveled anymore. 

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Peonage, Indentured Servitude, or Slavery?

Obama is calling on people of all ages to serve, against their will, for socialist purposes. I guess this is what Michelle Obama meant in February 2008 when she said "Barack Obama will require you to workHe is going to demand that you shed your cynicism, that you put down your division, that you come out of your isolation, that you move out of your comfort zones, that you push yourselves to be better, and that you engage. Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual - uninvolved, uninformed".  This arrogant, elitist, racist is going to implement slavery again. You cannot require people to work without recompense and I would even say you can even make people work against their wills. I will swear an oath, if this comes to pass, I will home school my children before my children have to submit to this socialist sfacime's ideology. This is utterly un-American. It's just an around the barn attempt at re-education camps. I hate to say it, but I told you so. This mountebank will make FDR look like Thomas Paine. It didn't take long for him to show is true colors. 

For those tin cup ameritards that don't know what the constitution says in regards to slavery:

Amendment XIII
Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

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Guess Who is the Unemployed Politician?

This blue blood Texan born from the loins of Republican royalty has been found redundant. Good riddance for some, hasta la vista from others. The king is dead, long live the king. 

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Israel: Unleashed or Under Foot?

With the perception of a weak President-elect, and Iran's continuing threat to peace in the Middle East with its development of nuclear weapons, look for Israel to assume a more hawkish position with regards to her enemies and her friends. Obama is not a strong supporter of Israel and dare I say he really isn't a supporter of the Jewish state at all. If Israel senses that they are going it alone, they will more likely take an aggressive posture. For the past several years, Israel has been somewhat restrained by policy in Washington and a liberal named Olmert as Caretaker Prime Minister of Israel and in all honesty, with regards to the Iran question, Israel has been suspiciously silent as well. With elections coming up in February, and depending on who gets elected, look for this acquiescence to end. 

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The Parsimonious Pied Piper of Hyde Park

It looks like people are already getting screwed by Obama, and he hasn't even taken the oath of office yet. Campaign staff workers not only allege they have not been paid, but those that did get paid eventually we shortchanged hours worked. Is this Obama's idea of Hope and Change? There is an old saying that judge a man not by how he treats people that can do something for hi, but judge him by how he treats people that an do nothing for him. Well, these people gave of themselves to put him in office, and it seems he didn't do right by them. This is not a good start, and probably an indicator of what he think of people under him. 

Thank you for reading this blog. 

Putin wants back in: Is Vlad the Impaler thirsty for blood?

Putin is looking to get back in the game. Having sen the weakness in electing Obama, this will be a test for the next administration. Putin has already shown his willingness to flex what power he has irrespective of world opinion. He is much worse than Bush as he has no moral base. It will be interesting to see what happens. Juxtapose this with he alliance with Iran and China and Iran's coming of age as a nuclear country. 

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev could resign from his post in 2009 to pave the way for Vladimir Putin to return to the Kremlin, Vedomosti newspaper reported on Thursday, citing an unidentified source close to the Kremlin.
Medvedev Wednesday proposed increasing the presidential term to six years from four years, a step the newspaper said was part of a plan drawn up by Vladislav Surkov, who serves as Medvedev's first deputy chief of staff.
Under the plan, Medvedev could implement changes to the constitution and unpopular social reforms "so that Putin could return to the Kremlin for a longer period," the newspaper said.
"Under this scenario Medvedev could resign early citing changes to the constitution and then presidential elections could take place in 2009," the newspaper said, citing the unidentified source close to the Kremlinl.
The paper said Putin, who is currently prime minister, could then rule for two six year terms, so from 2009 to 2021. The paper cited Putin's spokesman as saying he saw no reason for Putin to return to power in 2009.
Investors, already jittery over the impact of the financial crisis on Russia's economic boom, are trying to work out who is really in charge of Russia, the biggest question for those seeking to ascertain political risk.
They are seeking any details on how the current set up -- with Medvedev as president and Putin as prime minister -- could change. During Medvedev's speech Wednesday the Russian stock market erased most of the gains it made earlier in the day.
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge, editing by Alison Williams)

Happy Guy Fawkes Day

The only man to enter Parliament with honest intentions. Where is our Guy Fawkes?

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Pat Condell: Revolutionary or Crackpot?

Pat has a few good points, but the one religion he doesn't mention is statism. Socialism, Communism and Fascism are just as corrupt, controlling, and debilitating as any other religion. So Pat, now that we have the Obamessiah, how broken will we be? What will be our salvation? Tin Cup, Co-dependent, new world order socialism and the "Yes We Can" Prayer? So much for my day of silence, but I'll be quiet now. 

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A Moment of Silence

Wednesday will be a day of silence as we mourn the death of the republican party and it's principles. Socialism's star is on the rise and it's time to take stock and consider what is next. Thanks for everyone's support during this election cycle and continue to check in, as I hope to start anew in the coming days and weeks. 

Thank you for reading this blog. 

PS, You have to feel a little sorry for McCain: His country has let him down twice. 

Did you vote?

I did. If it's any indication, for the relatively small town I live in, the turnout was very high. Of course I was the first in line, and I arrived 50 minutes before the polls opened. Intuition, if that is possible for me, says this is bad for McCain, but I could be wrong. My synopsis is that McCain made the mistake of being republican. If he loses, it is a refutation of Bush, and he would have been better off if the republicans didn't have a candidate and McCain ran under a different party. BTW, I voted for Palin.

Thank you for reading this blog. 

Guess who is the republican?

This republican is not a celebrity, not famous, and definitely not wealthy. Why is he on this page? You figure it out. 

Thank you for reading this blog. 

Guess who is the republican?

This native Minnesotan, one time Jennifer Aniston love interest and comedic actor is a republican. 

Will It Be John McCain or Barack Obama? Clarity at twilights last gleaming

Whoever is elected, they will have to deal with a horrible economy and a populace that will demand results. The problem is, the populace is by and large idiotic. Let me clarify. We have a democrat majority in both houses and have since 2006. Since then the congress has a 9% approval rating. For some reason, the american public wants to increase the percentage, that is what the polls show, and this could give the democrats both a veto and filibuster proof majority. How this is a good thing makes no sense other than Americans are willing to cut off their nose to spite their face. 

Faced with the probability of a clear and controlling democrat majority, will Americans put a democrat in the white house? As much as my pages has been filled with quasi-paranoid posts propagandizing Obama as a far left socialist (I believe he is), reality will be somewhat different. I don't believe there will be any secession movement and I do not believe that we will have a socialist nation immediately. Congress has to worry about 2010 and there are limits to what he could do, particularly without social upheaval. Still we will see changes. 

If Obama gets in we will see two supreme court justices retire. My guess is Stevens and Ginsberg would step down. This will leave two openings that would surely be filled with activist justices. We would also see a difference in the justice departments interpretation of the second amendment and how it deals with gun rights. I also wouldn't be surprised if the congress tried to pass a freedom of choice act in regards to abortion. I also think we will see some sort of nationalized healthcare. On the issues of taxes, No matter what Obama says, overall taxes will be much higher under his tenure. We will see increases in fuel taxes, estate taxes, capital gains taxes, and other areas that the congress will look to pull money out of the economy to pay for the social programs they promulgate. So while the income tax for most people will be the same or less, the effective taxation will increase considerably. 

If McCain gets in by some miracle, he won't be like Bush or Obama, but somewhere in the middle. Think old school democrat like Harry Truman or even JFK. I think we will be more moderate than Bush on some issues and he will probably try to work across the isle. Will all be good? He still has to deal with the bad economy, and while I eschew Obama's Keynesianesque approach, I am not sure McCain would be different enough to be helpful. His policies do not follow Friedman, or even Von Mises on an economic philosophy, and I think the direction will be social-populist light. Certain supreme court justices may or may not hang on, but the government will surely grow, albeit much slower and not to the extent they would with Obama. Will taxes go up? Yes, probably. As much as it would under Obama, no. But the real problem is that neither candidate is willing to cut down on the overall size of the government. Supply side doesn't work. You have to cut the liabilities. 

So where does that leave us Wednesday morning? Well, we all still have to go to work, and we still will have the economic sword of damocles hanging over our heads. The question you should ask yourself is, "where will I be in 4 years depending on whom I vote for".  John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, said that "the power to tax involves the power to destroy". The question then is, how much destruction can you live with?

Thank you for reading this blog. 

PS, I will be happier once the latest electoral contest is over.  Up to now, I have not endorsed a candidate. My feeling is that it does not matter now. For what it is worth, I supported Fred Thompson in the primaries. I don't dislike McCain so much as I do not think he is the right man for the job now. At this point I am faced with a decision: Should I be pragmatic and vote for McCain, or ideologically consistent and vote for Barr (who is closer to where I am ideologically)? Looking back, there were some candidates that not only would have been better choices politically, but better people for the job, and that goes for both sides. For instance, if the race was between HRC and Obama, I would have to vote for HRC. That being said, Rudy should have been the man on the GOP side. He's the only one with the proper experience on either side to deal with what is coming. 

Thank you again for reading this blog. 

Guess Who is the Republican?

I will be taking tomorrow off, so here is Sunday's Guess Who is the Republican. Chicago native and my alter ego, this actor played Andy Sipowitz on the long running NYPD Blue and yes, he is a republican. 

Thank you for reading this blog. 

The Brownshirts are Coming: Obama wants to create a national security force.

Obama wants to create a national security force because he thinks that we can't count on the military. Could this be the start of his version of Brownshirts? The last thing we need is a socialist militia answerable to a socialist president. Is this just another socialist program or something more, something to be worried about?

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Anti-Obama Ad

This ad has been banned on some stations due to complains. Do you think this is justified or should the ad run?

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Obama and his Swipe at the "Virtue of Selfishness"

Only a loser like Obama would take a swipe at a dead woman, and one that I may add is probably the greatest philosopher of the twentieth century (warts and all), but I digress. Ayn Rand was born in Russia and left there when communism was in full swing. If anyone could make a case against Marxism, it would have been Ayn Rand and I would have loved to see her cut Obama down in a head to head debate. Obama seems to think that categorizing people that disagree with him as Objectivists in a pejorative way boosts his position as a socialist. This clearly shows his facile understanding of Ayn Rand and Objectivism. Ayn Rand believed in using reason, and to that extent that rational self-interest was a virtue. It doesn't proscribe that you would never help others outside of your family, but never as a sacrifice of yourself or anyone else. She didn't believe in altruism as it isn't rational. She was right of course. I do have issues with some of the results of her philosophy, but she brings more to the table in a positive way than negative. 

Article

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Guess Who is the Republican?

This actor starred in The Passion of the Christ and he is a republican. It looks like McCain could use some help from the protagonist in that film. 

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