Monday, December 28, 2009
Janet and Janet
Next, Janet Reno will be saying that her Justice Department did everything right in preventing the Oklahoma City bombing, too, because McVeigh was apprehended, tried, convicted, and executed.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
How 747s are Made
I recently finished reading James Perloff's Tornado in a Junkyard: The Relentless Myth of Darwinism.
I found the chapter titled “Dinosaurs, Dragons and Ice” to be a little far-fetched, but this was more than offset by the following chapter, titled “Trial by Hollywood”, on the differences between the movie Inherit the Wind and the actual Scopes “monkey trial”.
All in all, a pretty good book and an effective critique of the myth of Darwinian evolution.
I found the chapter titled “Dinosaurs, Dragons and Ice” to be a little far-fetched, but this was more than offset by the following chapter, titled “Trial by Hollywood”, on the differences between the movie Inherit the Wind and the actual Scopes “monkey trial”.
All in all, a pretty good book and an effective critique of the myth of Darwinian evolution.
Friday, December 25, 2009
PC Google
What’s up with Google? What is it about religious expression, and conservative expression in general, that scares Google?
I first became aware of this upon reading articles about Google ignoring 9/11.
Today, on Christmas, their logo features the sun, a stylized space shuttle, and a big peace sign superimposed over the moon. What’s up with that? Where is the Christmas in that?
Update: Here’s Bing’s image from December 25:
I first became aware of this upon reading articles about Google ignoring 9/11.
Today, on Christmas, their logo features the sun, a stylized space shuttle, and a big peace sign superimposed over the moon. What’s up with that? Where is the Christmas in that?
Update: Here’s Bing’s image from December 25:
Luke 2:1-20
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!”
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child; and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!”
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child; and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Choice and Competition
If you think that all of the current crop of private health insurance companies are “mean” and “evil”, then start your own “nice” private health insurance company.
If you’re right, then customers will flock to your company.
Oh, that’s right, government over-regulation and state mandates raise the barriers to entry too high.
The solution is not to expand government-run healthcare. The solution is to lower the barriers to competition among private health insurance companies.
If you’re right, then customers will flock to your company.
Oh, that’s right, government over-regulation and state mandates raise the barriers to entry too high.
The solution is not to expand government-run healthcare. The solution is to lower the barriers to competition among private health insurance companies.
Monday, December 14, 2009
The Death of Healthcare Innovation
Why do you want to impose single-payer, universal healthcare on the United States?
Do you want to kill healthcare innovation in this country and throughout the world?
From where do you think future healthcare innovation will come if the United States moves to single-payer, universal healthcare?
Do you want to kill healthcare innovation in this country and throughout the world?
From where do you think future healthcare innovation will come if the United States moves to single-payer, universal healthcare?
Monday, December 7, 2009
Plumbing the Depths of Socialism
“I think when we spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody.”
It’s certainly not good for the people whose wealth is being spread around.
And it’s certainly not good for the people to whom the wealth is being spread. Haven’t you ever heard the expression, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”? Give a man $5 and you feed him for a day; teach him how to earn $5 and you feed him for a lifetime.
No, the only people for whom it’s purportedly doing any good are the people who are doing the spreading—and who, by virtue of doing the spreading, are able to accrue more and more power unto themselves. The rest of us are getting screwed coming and going.
It’s certainly not good for the people whose wealth is being spread around.
And it’s certainly not good for the people to whom the wealth is being spread. Haven’t you ever heard the expression, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”? Give a man $5 and you feed him for a day; teach him how to earn $5 and you feed him for a lifetime.
No, the only people for whom it’s purportedly doing any good are the people who are doing the spreading—and who, by virtue of doing the spreading, are able to accrue more and more power unto themselves. The rest of us are getting screwed coming and going.
A Public-Service Announcment
In recognition of the EPA’s declaration that CO2 is a public danger, this blog has been declared a CO2-free zone.
Please hold your breath throughout the duration of your visit to this blog.
NO EXHALING ALLOWED!
Please hold your breath throughout the duration of your visit to this blog.
NO EXHALING ALLOWED!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
The Mything Link
Why should anyone be surprised that the myth of Anthropogenic Global Warming turned out to be a fraud?
I’d like to know what percentage of people who think Anthropogenic Global Warming is settled science also think that the theory of Darwinian Evolution is settled science—and vice versa.
This is what happens when people allow their biases to cloud their judgment. And once people have accepted one lie, it gets progressively easier to get them to accept another and another and another.
I’d like to know what percentage of people who think Anthropogenic Global Warming is settled science also think that the theory of Darwinian Evolution is settled science—and vice versa.
This is what happens when people allow their biases to cloud their judgment. And once people have accepted one lie, it gets progressively easier to get them to accept another and another and another.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Out of Touch
Obama is out of touch with private industry.
The business of business is profit. If a company can be more profitable by hiring people, it will hire people. Employees should add value; otherwise, they should be let go. If a company finds that hiring more people will bring more value to the company in the form of increased profits, it will hire people.
In the world of private industry, if hiring someone does not allow a company to gain more in increased revenues than it loses in increased costs, then a company cannot continue to hire people and stay in business very long. Revenue - cost = profit.
Obama has never run a business. Nearly all his experience has been with non-profits and the government. The man does not understand private industry.
Private industry in this country is in trouble.
The business of business is profit. If a company can be more profitable by hiring people, it will hire people. Employees should add value; otherwise, they should be let go. If a company finds that hiring more people will bring more value to the company in the form of increased profits, it will hire people.
In the world of private industry, if hiring someone does not allow a company to gain more in increased revenues than it loses in increased costs, then a company cannot continue to hire people and stay in business very long. Revenue - cost = profit.
Obama has never run a business. Nearly all his experience has been with non-profits and the government. The man does not understand private industry.
Private industry in this country is in trouble.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
He’s In Permanent Political Campaign Mode
Dear President Obama,
Please stop trying to please all sides. Please cease your ridiculous efforts to appease conservatives by agreeing to send more troops to Afghanistan while at the same time trying to appease the leftists by giving a deadline for troop withdrawal based on a political timeline rather than on—oh, I don’t know—something like attaining victory.
Oh, wait, I forgot. It’s not about victory for you, is it?
Please stop trying to please all sides. Please cease your ridiculous efforts to appease conservatives by agreeing to send more troops to Afghanistan while at the same time trying to appease the leftists by giving a deadline for troop withdrawal based on a political timeline rather than on—oh, I don’t know—something like attaining victory.
Oh, wait, I forgot. It’s not about victory for you, is it?
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Mr. Obvious
Dear Mr. President,
Since you obviously don’t love this country, why don’t you please just resign and give the job to someone who does?
Since you obviously don’t love this country, why don’t you please just resign and give the job to someone who does?
Friday, November 13, 2009
Questions I Wish Someone from the Mainstream Media Would Ask
Mr. President, you yourself have said that requiring citizens to purchase health insurance is no different from requiring them to purchase car insurance.
How do you respond to critics who say that the mandatory car insurance meme is false—that you’re not required to have car insurance if you don’t have a license or if you don’t have a car, that you’re not required to have insurance that covers repairs for damage to your own car but only insurance that covers repairs for damage to the other guy’s car?
How can you insist on health insurance coverage for pre-existing conditions? Wouldn’t that be like insisting on car insurance coverage for an accident you’d already had?
How do you respond to critics who say that the mandatory car insurance meme is false—that you’re not required to have car insurance if you don’t have a license or if you don’t have a car, that you’re not required to have insurance that covers repairs for damage to your own car but only insurance that covers repairs for damage to the other guy’s car?
How can you insist on health insurance coverage for pre-existing conditions? Wouldn’t that be like insisting on car insurance coverage for an accident you’d already had?
Tone Deaf
The current administration has its finger on the pulse of only a small minority of the American electorate.
The vast majority of the American electorate does not agree that the 9/11 planners should be tried as common criminals but instead feel that the 9/11 planners should be tried as enemy combatants.
The vast majority of the American electorate does not agree that the 9/11 planners should be tried as common criminals but instead feel that the 9/11 planners should be tried as enemy combatants.
The Accidental President
Can you believe this? The man’s been president for 10 months and he’s still not ready to do the job. Why is he still dithering on Afghanistan?
The man is an accident of history; this country will never make the mistake of electing a Leftist ideologue again.
Can we have a recall election? Please?
The man is an accident of history; this country will never make the mistake of electing a Leftist ideologue again.
Can we have a recall election? Please?
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Praying for President Obama to have his own “Road to Damascus” experience
I pray that someday soon President Obama will have a sudden conversion to true Christianity, decide to fire Rahm Emanuel and David Axelrod, and realize that the answer to the question of when life begins is no longer above his pay grade.
Just one question: What will Michelle say?
Just one question: What will Michelle say?
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Levi Johnston: A Walking Argument Against Pre-Marital Sex
Levi Johnston: “Have sex with me so I can go on national TV and make disparaging comments about your mother, too.” What a pickup line. It seems to be working pretty well with the media, though.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Effectivity
I would love to see the Republicans push for an amendment to the House version of the health care reform bill requiring that all aspects, rather than just the tax increases, take effect within six months of passage of the bill, rather than not until 2013.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Transparency
If “health care reform” is such a critical issue, why is it that the proposals being debated in Congress do not take effect (except for the tax increases they include) until 2013? Why is nobody debating the implementation date? Why is there such an urgency to pass a bill (first, one must be passed before the August recess; now, one must be passed before the end of the year) that does not take effect until 2013?
It seems to me to be transparently obvious that the proposed changes will have a negative effect on health care in this country. If it were envisioned that the proposed changes would have a positive effect, wouldn’t our politicians want the positive effects to start sooner rather than later? Shouldn’t our politicians prefer to be able to run for re-election on the basis of the actual, current positive effects of the bill than on the basis of the perceived, future positive effects of the bill?
The fact that our politicians plan to run in both the 2010 mid-term Congressional elections and the 2012 Presidential election on the strength of the perceptions of a bill that will not even be in effect tells me that they know and don’t care that the proposed changes will have a negative effect on health care in this country.
It seems to me to be transparently obvious that the proposed changes will have a negative effect on health care in this country. If it were envisioned that the proposed changes would have a positive effect, wouldn’t our politicians want the positive effects to start sooner rather than later? Shouldn’t our politicians prefer to be able to run for re-election on the basis of the actual, current positive effects of the bill than on the basis of the perceived, future positive effects of the bill?
The fact that our politicians plan to run in both the 2010 mid-term Congressional elections and the 2012 Presidential election on the strength of the perceptions of a bill that will not even be in effect tells me that they know and don’t care that the proposed changes will have a negative effect on health care in this country.
Monday, October 26, 2009
The American Dream
The American Dream is not home ownership for the sake of home ownership; the American Dream is not home ownership at any cost.
The American Dream is home ownership. That is, the American Dream is actual, personal ownership of one’s home. The American Dream is not signing a mortgage with payments one cannot afford for a home one will never be able to pay off.
The American Dream is actual, personal ownership of one’s home; the American Dream is not so that the bank can own the home.
If you can’t afford the loan, don’t sign the mortgage. It is not shameful to rent.
The American Dream is home ownership. That is, the American Dream is actual, personal ownership of one’s home. The American Dream is not signing a mortgage with payments one cannot afford for a home one will never be able to pay off.
The American Dream is actual, personal ownership of one’s home; the American Dream is not so that the bank can own the home.
If you can’t afford the loan, don’t sign the mortgage. It is not shameful to rent.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Oops.
Might the mainstream media now be defending one of their own—that is, Fox News—against attacks from BHO? (See here and here.)
What’s that quote?
What’s that quote?
First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out
—because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out
—because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out
—because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out
—because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me
—and there was no one left to speak out for me.
Anyone Can Be President
Barack Obama—proof that anyone, even radical Leftists bent on destroying the country, can be President.
We need to get a President back in the White House who actually respects the Constitution.
2012 can’t come fast enough.
We need to get a President back in the White House who actually respects the Constitution.
2012 can’t come fast enough.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
What happens when Atlas shrugs?
What will happen if the liberal, Leftist Democrats currently in charge in Washington succeed in their quest to surrender American sovereignty to a United Nations-led one-world government?
What will happen if the liberal, Leftist Democrats currently in charge in Washington succeed in completely subverting the American experiment through the implementation of their Socialist agenda?
America leads the world in the development of both medical devices and prescription drugs.
America leads the world in the development of computer technology.
Where would the world be without companies like Apple, Microsoft, Oracle, HP, and IBM?
Why did these world powerhouses grow and flourish in the United States?
What motivation would there be, under Socialism, for American innovation to continue?
What will happen if Atlas shrugs?
What will happen if the liberal, Leftist Democrats currently in charge in Washington succeed in completely subverting the American experiment through the implementation of their Socialist agenda?
America leads the world in the development of both medical devices and prescription drugs.
America leads the world in the development of computer technology.
Where would the world be without companies like Apple, Microsoft, Oracle, HP, and IBM?
Why did these world powerhouses grow and flourish in the United States?
What motivation would there be, under Socialism, for American innovation to continue?
What will happen if Atlas shrugs?
Freedoms
The notion of health care as a right has led me to think about rights and freedoms.
Franklin Roosevelt once gave a speech where he enumerated what he said were four basic freedoms—freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.
These last two were additions to the freedoms, or rights, enumerated in the first ten amendments to the Constitution, commonly called the Bill of Rights.
Rights are actions you are free to take, not things you are free to take; thus, free health care, which necessitates taking products and services from others without payment, is patently not a right.
It has been said that fear is a great motivator. Fear of losing one’s job can serve as motivation to go to work; without the fear of losing one’s job, there would be much less motivation to go to work. Freedom from fear, then, is not necessarily something to be desired. The freedom to fear is something to be cherished.
Similarly, the freedom to want is something to be cherished. Imagine a world where it was illegal to want—that is, to want more than what is possessed by the person next to you; imagine a world where there was enforced equality of outcomes so that no one had more of anything than anyone else.
This is not the kind of world I want for myself. I want a world where I can want. I want freedom to want rather than freedom from want.
Franklin Roosevelt was intellectually lazy; liberals who want to force freedom from fear and want onto an unwilling populace are just plain dangerous.
Franklin Roosevelt once gave a speech where he enumerated what he said were four basic freedoms—freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.
These last two were additions to the freedoms, or rights, enumerated in the first ten amendments to the Constitution, commonly called the Bill of Rights.
Rights are actions you are free to take, not things you are free to take; thus, free health care, which necessitates taking products and services from others without payment, is patently not a right.
It has been said that fear is a great motivator. Fear of losing one’s job can serve as motivation to go to work; without the fear of losing one’s job, there would be much less motivation to go to work. Freedom from fear, then, is not necessarily something to be desired. The freedom to fear is something to be cherished.
Similarly, the freedom to want is something to be cherished. Imagine a world where it was illegal to want—that is, to want more than what is possessed by the person next to you; imagine a world where there was enforced equality of outcomes so that no one had more of anything than anyone else.
This is not the kind of world I want for myself. I want a world where I can want. I want freedom to want rather than freedom from want.
Franklin Roosevelt was intellectually lazy; liberals who want to force freedom from fear and want onto an unwilling populace are just plain dangerous.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Just Curious
Has anyone asked Dear Leader for his take on the whole Rush Limbaugh brouhaha?
It’d be the perfect opportunity for the iWon to stick his foot in his mouth again. Maybe Rush would even get invited to the White House for a beer.
It’d be the perfect opportunity for the iWon to stick his foot in his mouth again. Maybe Rush would even get invited to the White House for a beer.
Reconciliation
The reconciliation process, informally called the Nuclear Option, is a strategy generally used by the Senate only to pass contentious budget bills; the reconciliation process allows a bill to be passed with a 51-vote simple majority rather than the typical 60-vote supermajority.
One would think that, with a 60-vote majority in the Senate, the Democrats could pass any bill that satisfied their constituents without having to resort to using the Nuclear Option.
The fact that the Democrats are contemplating using the Nuclear Option to gain passage of Obamacare in the Senate should communicate to anyone who is paying attention that the Democrats’ health care plan is not something the country wants.
Obamacare is Socialism, pure and simple. The country does not want it. Mainstream media outlets are betraying this country by not giving this issue more press.
One would think that, with a 60-vote majority in the Senate, the Democrats could pass any bill that satisfied their constituents without having to resort to using the Nuclear Option.
The fact that the Democrats are contemplating using the Nuclear Option to gain passage of Obamacare in the Senate should communicate to anyone who is paying attention that the Democrats’ health care plan is not something the country wants.
Obamacare is Socialism, pure and simple. The country does not want it. Mainstream media outlets are betraying this country by not giving this issue more press.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Congratulations, Mr. President
Congratulations, Mr. President, on being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Can we just promote Barack Obama to President of the World?
I’ll settle for Joe Biden as President of the United States.
(Anything to get BHO out of the country.)
God help us all.
Can we just promote Barack Obama to President of the World?
I’ll settle for Joe Biden as President of the United States.
(Anything to get BHO out of the country.)
God help us all.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Idealists
Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot, anecdotally, about how the flaws of the country’s Founding Fathers make the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution flawed documents—that the statement “that all men are created equal” is the height of hypocrisy given that some of the Founding Fathers were slave owners.
The Founding Fathers were, in some ways, idealists; the Declaration of Independence and, to an extent, the Constitution were and are statements of ideals.
The ideals are valid. The fact that the Founding Fathers were imperfect individuals should in no way invalidate the perfection of the ideals contained in a document stating “that all men are created equal”.
Rather than discard it, we should seek to strive for the ideal.
The Founding Fathers were, in some ways, idealists; the Declaration of Independence and, to an extent, the Constitution were and are statements of ideals.
The ideals are valid. The fact that the Founding Fathers were imperfect individuals should in no way invalidate the perfection of the ideals contained in a document stating “that all men are created equal”.
Rather than discard it, we should seek to strive for the ideal.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Irony
While thumbing through a copy of Celebutards from the library, I came across this sentence from the foreword where the author, Andrea Peyser, describes herself as “right of center”:
How, exactly, is one “live-and-let-live” on abortion? Does Andrea Peyser not see the irony in this statement? Wouldn’t the “live-and-let-live” position require one to be pro-life?
I support classic conservative causes, such as crime-fighting, tax-cutting, welfare reform, and the death penalty, but I'm live-and-let-live on a variety of social issues, including abortion and gay rights.Hmm. Live-and-let-live on abortion. More like live-and-let-die. Or live-and-let-actively-kill.
How, exactly, is one “live-and-let-live” on abortion? Does Andrea Peyser not see the irony in this statement? Wouldn’t the “live-and-let-live” position require one to be pro-life?
Sunday, September 27, 2009
FDR and Obama
Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion has a post today basically contrasting FDR’s prosecution of the fight against Japan and Germany in World War II with Obama’s approach to the Iran situation.
While I agree with the basic premise, I do not necessarily agree that “FDR was a friend of ours[.]”
FDR did plenty of damage himself with similar domestic policies, extending and deepening a recession into a depression. What’s more, by following the approach that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” he caused the Cold War that followed World War II.
We should have just let Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union go at each other until we’d gotten strong enough to enter the war ourselves. Instead, we gave no end of material support to the Soviet Union even while they held Doolittle raiders as virtual prisoners of war for fear of opening a second front with the Japanese.
While I agree with the basic premise, I do not necessarily agree that “FDR was a friend of ours[.]”
FDR did plenty of damage himself with similar domestic policies, extending and deepening a recession into a depression. What’s more, by following the approach that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” he caused the Cold War that followed World War II.
We should have just let Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union go at each other until we’d gotten strong enough to enter the war ourselves. Instead, we gave no end of material support to the Soviet Union even while they held Doolittle raiders as virtual prisoners of war for fear of opening a second front with the Japanese.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Go, Sarah, Go
I think I finally understand what Sarah Palin is doing.
Instead of campaigning, which is what Obama would be doing and (since he doesn’t know how to do anything else) in fact is doing, she’s actually out there acting presidential. Witness the statements on her Facebook page and her speech in Hong Kong.
Sarah Palin. She’s more presidential than Obama already. Who was it who won the election, exactly?
Instead of campaigning, which is what Obama would be doing and (since he doesn’t know how to do anything else) in fact is doing, she’s actually out there acting presidential. Witness the statements on her Facebook page and her speech in Hong Kong.
Sarah Palin. She’s more presidential than Obama already. Who was it who won the election, exactly?
One Man's Opinion
If you want to teach your children songs praising Obama, go right ahead. Hell, if you want to teach your children songs praising Hitler, go right ahead.
Just don’t go teaching songs praising Obama to other people’s children on the taxpayer’s dime. Oh, that’s right—it's no different from all the songs children were taught to sing in praise of George W. Bush. Right.
Update:
I have new lyrics for this song:
Mmm…mmm…mmm…Impeach Barack Obama.
He’s said so many treasonous things, he acts as if he is the king.
Mmm…mmm…mmm…Impeach Barack Obama.
Etc., etc., etc.
Just don’t go teaching songs praising Obama to other people’s children on the taxpayer’s dime. Oh, that’s right—it's no different from all the songs children were taught to sing in praise of George W. Bush. Right.
Update:
I have new lyrics for this song:
Mmm…mmm…mmm…Impeach Barack Obama.
He’s said so many treasonous things, he acts as if he is the king.
Mmm…mmm…mmm…Impeach Barack Obama.
Etc., etc., etc.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Stop the Straw Man Arguments
Memo to BHO:
I'm not “anti-government”; I'm just anti-LEFTIST-government.
I'm not against “big changes”; I'm just against big SOCIALIST, COMMUNIST, FASCIST, LEFTIST changes.
I'm not “anti-government”; I'm just anti-LEFTIST-government.
I'm not against “big changes”; I'm just against big SOCIALIST, COMMUNIST, FASCIST, LEFTIST changes.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
The Lunatic Fringe
Sure, there are going to be a few representatives of the lunatic fringe at conservative rallies; there are going to be a few representatives of the lunatic fringe in any large gathering—conservative or liberal.
But to paint everyone who attends a conservative rally with the broad brush of racism simply because there may be a few racists in the crowd is intellectually dishonest and disingenuous. It convinces only the weak-minded.
Grow up and face the truth. Most Americans do not like where the country is headed.
If you want socialism, move to Europe.
But to paint everyone who attends a conservative rally with the broad brush of racism simply because there may be a few racists in the crowd is intellectually dishonest and disingenuous. It convinces only the weak-minded.
Grow up and face the truth. Most Americans do not like where the country is headed.
If you want socialism, move to Europe.
Who's Racist?
I'll tell you who’s racist—all the people who voted for Obama based solely on the color of his skin.
Well, congratulations. You elected the most petty, the most divisive, the most Leftist president this nation has ever seen.
Are you happy now? Actions have consequences. The damage Obama and his minions are causing will take decades to repair.
Just because I believe in American exceptionalism does not mean that I believe in the exceptionalism of all Americans. Some Americans are just losers. And sometimes the biggest losers get the biggest prize of all handed to them on a silver platter.
Thanks a lot.
Well, congratulations. You elected the most petty, the most divisive, the most Leftist president this nation has ever seen.
Are you happy now? Actions have consequences. The damage Obama and his minions are causing will take decades to repair.
Just because I believe in American exceptionalism does not mean that I believe in the exceptionalism of all Americans. Some Americans are just losers. And sometimes the biggest losers get the biggest prize of all handed to them on a silver platter.
Thanks a lot.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
In Memoriam to the 2998
This post is in memory of the 2974 Americans killed and the additional 24 Americans still listed as missing in the attacks of 9/11.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
A Further Illustration of the Political Spectrum
I wrote a post previously using the normal distribution to illustrate the political spectrum.
What I did not mention is that the distribution is generally seen as being centered on zero, where negative numbers correspond to the left wing while positive numbers correspond to the right wing.
In Jonah Goldberg’s book, Liberal Fascism, one reads how the myth of Fascism as a feature of the right was an attempt by Stalin to discredit Fascism as a competitor to Communism. If Fascism can be accurately characterized as right wing it is only in the sense that, once the political center has shifted far enough to the left, the right wing is still negative territory—it’s like saying that -40 is right of -50: it’s true enough, but they’re both left of zero.
Once that happens, the far right is anything in positive territory.
What I did not mention is that the distribution is generally seen as being centered on zero, where negative numbers correspond to the left wing while positive numbers correspond to the right wing.
In Jonah Goldberg’s book, Liberal Fascism, one reads how the myth of Fascism as a feature of the right was an attempt by Stalin to discredit Fascism as a competitor to Communism. If Fascism can be accurately characterized as right wing it is only in the sense that, once the political center has shifted far enough to the left, the right wing is still negative territory—it’s like saying that -40 is right of -50: it’s true enough, but they’re both left of zero.
Once that happens, the far right is anything in positive territory.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Culture Wars
I’m only about 2/3 of the way through the book so far, but I already know that I’ll be recommending America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It, by Mark Steyn, to anyone who does not yet realize that radical Islam is at war with the West.
I would like to highlight just the episode from the book where Mark Steyn tells how a Christian army in France defeated a Muslim army 200 miles south of Paris in October 732. Another book, The Great Heresies, by Hilaire Belloc, describes how “[t]he last effort [the Mohammedan world] made to destroy Christendom … failed during the last years of the seventeenth century, only just over [three] hundred years ago. Vienna … was almost taken and only saved by the Christian army under the command of the King of Poland on a date that ought to be among the most famous in history—September 11, 1683.” Hmmm. “[A] date that ought to be among the most famous in history,” but one that was unremarkable until eight years ago and still has not been given the historical significance that is its due, leastwise not by the West. And yet Hilaire Belloc’s book was first published in 1938.
The Great Heresies reads like a history of Europe on the eve of World War II; America Alone is a characterization of the West on the eve of World War IV. I recommend both of them—and when you’re finished with those, you can read the rest of the books on my bookshelf.
World War IV is coming. Radical Islam’s idea of peace in the Middle East is when Israel has ceased to exist and every Jew has been eliminated from the Islamic world. Meanwhile, radical Islam’s stealth conquest of Western Europe proceeds apace. And does anyone truly believe that the mullahs in Iran will stop thinking of America as the Great Satan if only we are nice enough?
I for one do not intend to convert to Islam or to live like a second-class citizen in an Islamic world.
I would like to highlight just the episode from the book where Mark Steyn tells how a Christian army in France defeated a Muslim army 200 miles south of Paris in October 732. Another book, The Great Heresies, by Hilaire Belloc, describes how “[t]he last effort [the Mohammedan world] made to destroy Christendom … failed during the last years of the seventeenth century, only just over [three] hundred years ago. Vienna … was almost taken and only saved by the Christian army under the command of the King of Poland on a date that ought to be among the most famous in history—September 11, 1683.” Hmmm. “[A] date that ought to be among the most famous in history,” but one that was unremarkable until eight years ago and still has not been given the historical significance that is its due, leastwise not by the West. And yet Hilaire Belloc’s book was first published in 1938.
The Great Heresies reads like a history of Europe on the eve of World War II; America Alone is a characterization of the West on the eve of World War IV. I recommend both of them—and when you’re finished with those, you can read the rest of the books on my bookshelf.
World War IV is coming. Radical Islam’s idea of peace in the Middle East is when Israel has ceased to exist and every Jew has been eliminated from the Islamic world. Meanwhile, radical Islam’s stealth conquest of Western Europe proceeds apace. And does anyone truly believe that the mullahs in Iran will stop thinking of America as the Great Satan if only we are nice enough?
I for one do not intend to convert to Islam or to live like a second-class citizen in an Islamic world.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Patently Stupid, Patently Dangerous
Barack Obama on July 2, 2008 said that he wanted to institute a “civilian national security force” with power equivalent to that of the military. May I just say that I find the idea of a “civilian national security force” with power equivalent to that of the military to be patently stupid?
What would a “civilian national security force” need to do that the military couldn’t do? Or is it that Obama wants the “civilian national security force” to do things that the military wouldn’t do? How could any force with as much power as the military be a “civilian” security force?
And how would a civilian security force in service to Obama be any different than the Nazis’ Sturmabteilung [SA], also known as brownshirts, that helped bring Hitler to power? What would be the purpose of a “civilian national security force” in the United States of America other than to allow Obama to become dictator of the Socialist States of America?
May I also just say that I find the idea of a “civilian national security force” with power equivalent to that of the military to be patently dangerous?
What would a “civilian national security force” need to do that the military couldn’t do? Or is it that Obama wants the “civilian national security force” to do things that the military wouldn’t do? How could any force with as much power as the military be a “civilian” security force?
And how would a civilian security force in service to Obama be any different than the Nazis’ Sturmabteilung [SA], also known as brownshirts, that helped bring Hitler to power? What would be the purpose of a “civilian national security force” in the United States of America other than to allow Obama to become dictator of the Socialist States of America?
May I also just say that I find the idea of a “civilian national security force” with power equivalent to that of the military to be patently dangerous?
Friday, August 21, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Impeach Hillary
Has there ever, in the history of our nation, been another sitting Secretary of State who has accused heir own country of election fraud?
Monday, August 17, 2009
Epic Fail
Let me see if understand this.
Because Medicare and Medicaid, under current conditions, are unsustainable we have to institute universal, government-run medical care?
How can any system of universal, government-run medical care be sustainable without rationing of care?
When the President of the United States has to assemble a faux forum to tell people that he’s not going to “set up death panels to pull the plug on Grandma,” he’s lost control of the message—watch this video, starting at about 4:30.
Epic. Fail.
Because Medicare and Medicaid, under current conditions, are unsustainable we have to institute universal, government-run medical care?
How can any system of universal, government-run medical care be sustainable without rationing of care?
When the President of the United States has to assemble a faux forum to tell people that he’s not going to “set up death panels to pull the plug on Grandma,” he’s lost control of the message—watch this video, starting at about 4:30.
Epic. Fail.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Imagine World Peace
World peace is all well and good, but not at the expense of national sovereignty.
Progressives
You call yourself Progressive, but all you want to do is to follow the same approach that has failed every other time it has been tried, including places where it has been a spectacular failure—Italy, 1922–1943; Germany, 1933–1945; the Soviet Union, 1922–1991.
How, exactly, is trying the same failed approach “progress”? What’s wrong with conserving what’s worked for 221 years?
We rescued the world from tyranny by defeating Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany in World War II; we rescued the world from tyranny by defeating the Soviet Union during the Cold War. If the United States were to devolve into socialism, who in the world would rescue us?
How, exactly, is trying the same failed approach “progress”? What’s wrong with conserving what’s worked for 221 years?
We rescued the world from tyranny by defeating Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany in World War II; we rescued the world from tyranny by defeating the Soviet Union during the Cold War. If the United States were to devolve into socialism, who in the world would rescue us?
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Racists
How many people refused to vote for BHO because he has darker skin? How many people refused to vote against BHO because he has darker skin?
Both groups are racists, but I'd be willing to bet a month's pay that there were significantly more in the second group than in the first. I didn't vote against him because he has darker skin. I voted against him because he's a flaming Leftist. His skin color is superficial but his Leftism goes all the way to the marrow.
Both groups are racists, but I'd be willing to bet a month's pay that there were significantly more in the second group than in the first. I didn't vote against him because he has darker skin. I voted against him because he's a flaming Leftist. His skin color is superficial but his Leftism goes all the way to the marrow.
No Taxation Without Representation
Those who disparage the TEA [Taxed Enough Already] Party movement do themselves and the rest of us a disservice. [There are 10 kinds of people in this world—those who understand the TEA party movement and those who don’t.]
While the stimulus bill may have included a little temporary tax relief (a one-year payroll tax credit of $400 for individuals and $800 for couples, spread throughout 2009 in the form of reduced withholding), higher taxes are surely coming. When George W. Bush took office in 2001, “the National Debt stood at $5.7-trillion”; when Barack H. Obama took office earlier this year, “[t]he National Debt stood at $10.6-trillion”—an increase of just under $4.9 trillion in eight years. Obama’s 2009 budget alone, however, increases the budget another $1.85 trillion. By the end of Obama’s four-year term as president, the deficit will have increased nearly as much as it did under eight years of George W. Bush; by 2019, the deficit under Obama’s plan is projected to be $22.5 trillion.
Obama is the polar opposite of a tax-and-spend liberal only in the sense that he is a spend-and-tax liberal—he’s already doing the spending; the taxing is coming. Anyone who believes otherwise is deluding hemself [gender-neutral pronoun—it’s my blog; I can make up words if I want]. The Democrats have a 60-vote supermajority in Congress and yet may not have the votes necessary, under normal rules, to pass Obama’s health-care plan; for that reason, he is threatening to use the reconciliation process—a rule that allows a simple 51-vote majority and is generally used only for budget bills—to force it through. In other words, Obama is willing to circumvent not only Republicans but moderate Democrats, as well, in order to get his health-care plan pushed through Congress.
To me, that smacks of taxation without representation. Forcing through a health-care plan that will obligate us, as a nation, to spend money we don’t have without allowing my representative a voice in the matter is synonymous with forcing through a tax increase, since we will have to increase taxes to pay for the spending. And don’t try to tell me that the health-care plan is revenue-neutral—Medicare is already on the verge of bankruptcy; what makes you think that ObamaCare will be managed any better? Forcing through a tax increase without allowing my representative a voice in the matter is taxation without representation.
The first tea party, in Boston in 1773, was a protest against taxation without representation. This year’s TEA Party protests are likewise protests against taxation without representation.
While the stimulus bill may have included a little temporary tax relief (a one-year payroll tax credit of $400 for individuals and $800 for couples, spread throughout 2009 in the form of reduced withholding), higher taxes are surely coming. When George W. Bush took office in 2001, “the National Debt stood at $5.7-trillion”; when Barack H. Obama took office earlier this year, “[t]he National Debt stood at $10.6-trillion”—an increase of just under $4.9 trillion in eight years. Obama’s 2009 budget alone, however, increases the budget another $1.85 trillion. By the end of Obama’s four-year term as president, the deficit will have increased nearly as much as it did under eight years of George W. Bush; by 2019, the deficit under Obama’s plan is projected to be $22.5 trillion.
Obama is the polar opposite of a tax-and-spend liberal only in the sense that he is a spend-and-tax liberal—he’s already doing the spending; the taxing is coming. Anyone who believes otherwise is deluding hemself [gender-neutral pronoun—it’s my blog; I can make up words if I want]. The Democrats have a 60-vote supermajority in Congress and yet may not have the votes necessary, under normal rules, to pass Obama’s health-care plan; for that reason, he is threatening to use the reconciliation process—a rule that allows a simple 51-vote majority and is generally used only for budget bills—to force it through. In other words, Obama is willing to circumvent not only Republicans but moderate Democrats, as well, in order to get his health-care plan pushed through Congress.
To me, that smacks of taxation without representation. Forcing through a health-care plan that will obligate us, as a nation, to spend money we don’t have without allowing my representative a voice in the matter is synonymous with forcing through a tax increase, since we will have to increase taxes to pay for the spending. And don’t try to tell me that the health-care plan is revenue-neutral—Medicare is already on the verge of bankruptcy; what makes you think that ObamaCare will be managed any better? Forcing through a tax increase without allowing my representative a voice in the matter is taxation without representation.
The first tea party, in Boston in 1773, was a protest against taxation without representation. This year’s TEA Party protests are likewise protests against taxation without representation.
Backwards
Harry Reid has it exactly backwards. Americans exercising their First Amendment rights of free speech and freedom of assembly are not “trying to sabotage the democratic process.” Americans exercising their First Amendment rights exemplify the democratic process.
Passing bills without discussing them, let alone without reading them, is sabotage of the democratic process. Our elected officials are representatives of the people. One cannot claim to represent people while at the same time refusing to listen to them.
As Senate Majority Leader, the leader of the Democrats in the Senate, Harry Reid represents more than just the residents of Nevada; in a sense, Harry Reid represents every American. If Harry Reid no longer wishes to represent the people—all the people, not just those with whom he agrees—then he should step down.
(I had promised the White House that I would write about all three members of the Obama/Pelosi/Reid triumvirate; I wouldn’t want Harry Reid to feel left out.)
Passing bills without discussing them, let alone without reading them, is sabotage of the democratic process. Our elected officials are representatives of the people. One cannot claim to represent people while at the same time refusing to listen to them.
As Senate Majority Leader, the leader of the Democrats in the Senate, Harry Reid represents more than just the residents of Nevada; in a sense, Harry Reid represents every American. If Harry Reid no longer wishes to represent the people—all the people, not just those with whom he agrees—then he should step down.
(I had promised the White House that I would write about all three members of the Obama/Pelosi/Reid triumvirate; I wouldn’t want Harry Reid to feel left out.)
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Just asking.
Note to the White House, union thugs, and internet trolls everywhere:
Whatever happened to “I may not agree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it”?
Whatever happened to “I may not agree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it”?
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Clueless
Note to the clueless Nancy Pelosi:
This is not a swastika—this is an anti-swastika, as in “We don’t want any of your stinkin’ fascism.” (Never mind that the slash goes the wrong way, it's still an anti-swastika.) Image credit to this HuffPo article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/06/anti-obama-protester-comp_n_252815.html
This is not a swastika—this is an anti-swastika, as in “We don’t want any of your stinkin’ fascism.” (Never mind that the slash goes the wrong way, it's still an anti-swastika.) Image credit to this HuffPo article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/06/anti-obama-protester-comp_n_252815.html
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Silent No More
On April 15, 2009, I attended a Tax Day TEA Party rally in our small, Midwestern city of 20,000 people. My personal estimate is that there were roughly 100 people in attendance—not bad for a Wednesday evening. Unfortunately, I did not take any photos—I’m still new at this whole protest “thing”.
In fact, this was my first protest. And I resent strongly any implication that the TEA Party movement is anything other than a grass-roots movement.
My whole life, I have been part of the “silent majority”. Well, I will be silent no more.
I am afraid that the time is fast approaching when we will all need to choose a side. As for myself, I choose liberty and freedom over the soft tyranny of false choices.
In fact, this was my first protest. And I resent strongly any implication that the TEA Party movement is anything other than a grass-roots movement.
My whole life, I have been part of the “silent majority”. Well, I will be silent no more.
I am afraid that the time is fast approaching when we will all need to choose a side. As for myself, I choose liberty and freedom over the soft tyranny of false choices.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Monopoly
I heard an audio clip late last week of Pelosi calling the insurance companies a monopoly—unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find any references to it anywhere, so you’ll just have to take my word for it.
In any case, to remedy the insurance companies’ monopoly on medical care, she wants to eliminate all of them and consolidate everything into a single-payer government system.
If a single-payer government system isn’t a monopoly then nothing is. Rather than replace the insurance companies with a single-payer government healthcare system, we should lower barriers to entry for new insurance companies, remove regulations that force insurance companies to provide plans that include coverage for esoteric procedures, allow insurance companies to compete across state lines, allow small businesses to buy insurance at group rates, etc.; any of these would be more effective in making healthcare more accessible and more affordable than Obamacare.
In any case, to remedy the insurance companies’ monopoly on medical care, she wants to eliminate all of them and consolidate everything into a single-payer government system.
If a single-payer government system isn’t a monopoly then nothing is. Rather than replace the insurance companies with a single-payer government healthcare system, we should lower barriers to entry for new insurance companies, remove regulations that force insurance companies to provide plans that include coverage for esoteric procedures, allow insurance companies to compete across state lines, allow small businesses to buy insurance at group rates, etc.; any of these would be more effective in making healthcare more accessible and more affordable than Obamacare.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Stupidity
OK, I know this has been all over the blogosphere the last several days, so I'll keep this brief.
If, by your own admission, you don't know all the facts, then don't go accusing one of the parties of acting stupidly—especially if you might be a little biased toward the other party.
If, by your own admission, you don't know all the facts, then don't go accusing one of the parties of acting stupidly—especially if you might be a little biased toward the other party.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
We’re Skewed
I used to characterize my political views as “conservative centrist”. I saw myself as having political views that, while right of center, were for the most part moderate; I tend to use the terms “moderate” and “centrist” synonymously.
Recently, however, I decided that I could no longer call myself a centrist. It seemed to me from media reports that, to paraphrase Ronald Reagan, centrism had left me—that is, that the normal distribution, rather than being a bell-shaped curve, had become skewed to the left, with nothing to the right anymore except a long tail.
Of course, everyone knows about the liberal bias of the mainstream media—as Bernard Goldberg says in his book, Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News, it’s not that the mainstream media outlets are biased toward liberalism intentionally, it’s just that mainstream journalists are never exposed to anything else. Thus, I’d been able to take comfort from a recent poll showing that, “[d]espite the results of the 2008 presidential election, Americans, by a 2-to-1 margin, say their political views in recent years have become more conservative rather than more liberal.”
Now, courtesy of Andrew Thomas, comes word that Obama wants to claim the mantle of “moderate” for himself to avoid being “branded as a liberal by his own party.” As Mr. Thomas says, “If Mr. Obama is a ‘moderate’, then what is a ‘liberal’ in this brave new world?” For that matter, what is a “leftist”, a “statist”, a “socialist”, a “fascist” in this brave new world?
This from the man who claims that words matter.
Recently, however, I decided that I could no longer call myself a centrist. It seemed to me from media reports that, to paraphrase Ronald Reagan, centrism had left me—that is, that the normal distribution, rather than being a bell-shaped curve, had become skewed to the left, with nothing to the right anymore except a long tail.
Of course, everyone knows about the liberal bias of the mainstream media—as Bernard Goldberg says in his book, Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News, it’s not that the mainstream media outlets are biased toward liberalism intentionally, it’s just that mainstream journalists are never exposed to anything else. Thus, I’d been able to take comfort from a recent poll showing that, “[d]espite the results of the 2008 presidential election, Americans, by a 2-to-1 margin, say their political views in recent years have become more conservative rather than more liberal.”
Now, courtesy of Andrew Thomas, comes word that Obama wants to claim the mantle of “moderate” for himself to avoid being “branded as a liberal by his own party.” As Mr. Thomas says, “If Mr. Obama is a ‘moderate’, then what is a ‘liberal’ in this brave new world?” For that matter, what is a “leftist”, a “statist”, a “socialist”, a “fascist” in this brave new world?
This from the man who claims that words matter.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Princess Barry
I’m bummed. Here I was, all ready to write a blog post about the reasons behind why the One’s personal popularity has remained high while the respective popularity of each of his proposals is in the toilet and Quinnipiac had to go and ruin it by releasing a new poll showing that his popularity in the bellwether state of Ohio has fallen below fifty percent [insert (sad face?) (happy face?) (ironic face?) here].
Ah, well. Even though it’s lost some of its immediacy, here is the germ of my theory:
McCain was even more right than he knew in calling BHO a celebrity candidate. Obama was elected not on the strength of the popularity of his proposals but solely on the strength of his personal popularity—not so much to be the country’s first Black president as to be its first celebrity president. (And before y’all go callin’ Reagan the first celebrity president, recall that he’d actually been elected to two terms as Governor of California before seeking the nomination for President. [Note to those who know me: You know I must think pretty lowly of the current President if I compare Reagan favorably to him—I harbored a personal grudge against Reagan for a long time; the current Administration’s micro-management of the AIG bonuses cured me of that, though.])
The electorate didn’t expect him to actually do any of the things he promised (or threatened)—they just expected him to sit there and smile prettily for the camera while reading from a teleprompter. But they got more than they expected—they forgot that, unlike Princess Diana, he’s actually in charge of setting policy; they forgot, too, that with a Democrat in the White House, there would be no restraint on the Democrat-led Congress. Let’s just hope we’re still able to vote by the time 2012 rolls around.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Independence Day
I read an article lately describing how some Blacks in America do not feel any particular affinity for the Independence Day holiday, the celebration of a document asserting the rights of all men to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that was written by Thomas Jefferson, a slave owner and the first President from what would become the modern Democratic Party.
I suppose that, for Blacks, another choice for Independence Day could be Juneteeth, the commemoration of the date when slaves in Texas learned that, as a result of a second internecine conflict, they had been freed by Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president.
LBJ may have signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but it took a Republican-controlled Congress to pass it.
How is it, then, that the Democratic Party can claim to be the party of Blacks in America?
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