retired teacher's opinions

Going to hate this year!

2012-01-25T16:22:00.006-07:00

I am going to hate this year. Election years are always filled to overflowing with political rhetoric, accusations, information spinning, misleading and downright false statements. It frightens me that there are vast numbers of people who believe the sound bites and empty promises.

There was an article that stated that if some tax policy was changed, a family making $20,000 a year would see their taxes go up by 60%. But, in reality, a family like that is paying no income tax. They are likely getting the earned income credit--a "refund" of money paid by someone else. 60% of nothing is still nothing. The article was purposely misleading to promote an agenda.

The vocabulary of the political left is fascinating. I believe Thomas Sowell pointed out that the left considers it to be "materialistic" and "greedy" to want to keep what you have earned. But it is "idealistic" to want to take away what someone else has earned and spend it for your own political benefit or to feel good about yourself.

If someone benefits from a hamburger, clothes, an education, a house, who should be forced to pay for it? I agree with Mr. Sowell that the only morally correct answer is that the person who receives the benefit should pay for it. Unless we are thieves who only care only about our immediate enjoyment, and who pays is irrelevant. One of our country's problems is too many Americans want to benefit from things for which they expect other Americans to be taxed.

The French economist Frederic Bastiat (1801-1850) said, "Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else." He is as correct today as he was 150 years ago.

Tired of the Occupiers.

2011-11-06T18:02:00.006-07:00

I am tired--no I am very tired--of the media's coverage of the silly antics of young people with nothing more productive to do than camp out in a public place and complain about their lot in life.

These "99 percenters" have tents, sleeping bags, money for food, cell phones, cameras, and nearby sanitation facilities. How do they think all that came about? I took this quote from an article, sadly I don't remember just where. It does make some good points about the silliness of the occupiers.

Protesters don't really have a coherent message except they seem to want what someone else has earned. They feel entitled to more somehow. Why? Yes, some of them took out loans to attend college. So what? No one required them to. They could have worked their way through like lots of us did. But loans were easier. Oh, I'm beginning to see a pattern here.

The media tries to compare the "occupy" movement with what they called the Tea Party. There is little in common. The occupy protesters are just entitled young people who feel like they should have more possessions and less debt, but don't know what to do about it. I have a few ideas, but they wouldn't want to hear them. These ideas would involve responsibility, sacrifice, and work (perhaps for less money than they "deserve" for a while). Maybe they could earn enough to pay a few income taxes. ICK.
The Tea Party had well-specified goals: small government, less intrusion into private lives, lower taxes. But the media tried very hard to diminish coverage and vilify citizens attending meetings supporting those goals.

I'm wondering how long this self-indulgent foolishness will continue when the weather gets seriously wet and cold. Maybe all these "dedicated" campers will find it uncomfortable enough to go back to their dry and heated homes.

With the exception of some "reality show celebrities," and I use the word celebrities very loosely, and the rare people who are born into wealthy families, those with a lot of money worked very long and hard for it. I guess that idea doesn't appeal to everyone.

Hating the coming year

2011-10-17T18:19:00.003-06:00

In a way, I wish the elections were tomorrow. I think another year is going to be torturous! The Republican candidates will be trying to be conservative enough, while explaining that they can be moderate and work with Democrats. Democrats seem to want to seed fear, envy, and name-calling without giving any indication they are willing to work with anyone for a solution to the impending melt-down.

Charles Krauthammer describes President Obama's strategy:

"What do you do if you can't run on your record--on 9 percent unemployment, stagnant growth and ruinous deficits as far as the eye can see? How to run when you are asked whether Americans are better off than they were four years ago and you are compelled to answer no?

Play the outsider. Declare yourself the underdog. Denounce Washington as if the electorate hasn't noticed that you've been in charge of it for nearly three years.

But above all: Find villains."

A couple of months ago Obama tried excuses: blaming Japanese supply-chain interruptions, the Arab Spring, European debt, and various acts of God. Those didn't work. So the new strategy, as stated by Mr. Krauthammer is: "Don't whine, blame. Attack. Indict. Accuse. Who? The rich--and their Republican protectors--for wrecking America."

"In Obama's telling, it's the refusal of the rich to 'pay their fair share' that jeopardizes Medicare. If millionaires don't pony up, schools will crumble. Oil-drilling tax breaks are costing teachers their jobs. Corporate loopholes will gut medical research.

It's crude. It's Manichaean. And the left loves it. As a matter of math and logic, however, it's ridiculous."

I've blogged before about the weakness of that argument. Charles Krauthammer raises several more examples of Obama's taking the low road. "...this kind of populist demagoguery is more than intellectually dishonest. It's dangerous. Popular resentment, easily stoked, is less easily controlled, especially when the basest of instincts are granted legitimacy by the nation's leader."

Oh I'm going to dislike the games being played before November 2012.

Obama failures just keep coming.

2011-09-21T14:33:00.007-06:00

President Obama continues to pander to his radically liberal base while showing little concern about the welfare of the people of the United States. His focus is solidly in promoting sound bites of policies with no real substance and trying mightily to incite the class envy the believes will get him reelected. A couple of recent articles in the Morning Bell highlight some very real concerns.

But, as with so many other ideas, the song changed once he was elected.

David Brooks, a columnist for the notoriously liberal New York Times, wrote a piece calling himself an "Obama Sap." He mentioned the many times he had high hopes for something President Obama said or did, only to be disappointed in the truth of the man's actions. I wonder if there are other Obama saps out there. I'll bet there are.

Borrowing a good comic strip

2011-09-01T14:51:00.009-06:00

This Non Sequitur comic appealed to me because of the liberals in government and their continued belief that increasing taxes will provide them with money to solve problems.

An op ed piece in the newspaper today made this even clearer:

Government intervention may look good to the media but its actual track record-- both today and in the 1930s--is far worse than the track record of letting the economy recover on its own.

Americans today are alarmed that unemployment has stayed around 9 percent for so long. But such unemployment rates have been common for years in Western European welfare states that have followed policies similar to policies being followed currently by the Obama Administration.

These European welfare states have not only used the taxpayers' money to hand out "free" benefits to particular groups, they have mandated that employers do the same. Faced with higher labor costs, employers have hired less labor.

Thomas Sowell, Hoover Institute, Stanford University

Taking money from people who earned it, filtered through the government, to give to those who have done nothing to earn it does not work. Never has, never will. But apparently it is a theory that liberals are not willing to give up on.

Wisdom from Abraham Lincoln

2011-08-06T13:24:00.003-06:00

I found a paper with quotes from Abraham Lincoln, and I think they are very applicable today. I also believe that President Obama and the liberals in power are trying to do exactly what Lincoln warned against.

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.

You cannot further the brotherhood of man by encouraging class hatred.

You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.

You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.

You cannot build character and courage by taking away initiative and independence.

You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.

Abraham Lincoln

Disregard reality

2011-07-11T15:45:00.008-06:00

The main stream media's reporting about the on-going budget "talks" in Washington is canted toward the left, so it is important to find articles that lean the other direction. Thomas Sowell makes some valuable points:

So much of the political candidates are about the quick and easy slogans, whether or not the candidate even means or believes them. President Obama himself was a master in 2008. Let's try and find some truth.

Wait, the government got less tax money when the top income tax bracket was 73 percent? Why confuse the voters with truth? Talking points are used in discussions of government-controlled health care, gun control, rent control, welfare, and many other programs while reality is ignored.

Budgets, Presidents, and big debt.

2011-06-13T20:34:00.025-06:00

Budgets have been in the news for months, and while regular folks continue to wrestle with their own finances, our President just pretends he understands the concepts. He and the liberal progressives seem to believe that everything will be fixed by more money--other people's money.

There was an excellent op-ed piece written nearly two months ago by Jay Ambrose. President Obama had just given a speech. I may have to copy nearly all of it, since I can't decide what to leave out. The title is "Obama's speech was Hyperbolic, Irresponsible." In his words, the speech "...was nastily, absurdly partisan..." He said it was "...irresponsible, dishonest, ideologically nutty..." Wasn't Obama supposed to be better than this?

It is an old trick. There aren't enough of the very well-off to make a difference in the polls or voting, and since many other voters resent their wealth it's easy to pick on them. But beware, when enough has been taken from those who invest and operate businesses that their growth stops, the middle class is next.

That is not the county I grew up in. I miss it.

So much to say!

2011-04-28T18:02:00.006-06:00

One reason I've been so slow getting up a new post is there is so much to talk about--where do I begin? Maybe since we just paid our tax bill, and our first quarterly payment for this year, I'll rant a bit about the liberal notion that they should be able to spend even more of the money we earn.

Thomas Sowell discussed the "no tax cuts for the rich" idea back in early December.

Another problem is the definition of "the rich." The term is used by the left as a way to encourage envy by the voters who wish they were. Who is "rich?" According to President Obama, any couple earning more than $250,000 a year. The problem is that includes most of the small business owners, who are the economic backbone of our country.

Walter Williams explains the problem with this notion:

Compounding this fuzzy thinking is the fact that nearly 50% of Americans pay NO income taxes. Who is left? Regular, hard-working people who have spent the time, energy, and thought to building their financial houses.

I heard a radical idea once and I'm sorry I don't remember where. What if everyone got one vote, then people who pay income taxes got an additional vote for each certain amount they paid in? Seems very fair to me.

No progress

2011-01-28T16:21:00.009-07:00

I want to carry on today about the liberal Democrats and their pursuit of a "progressive" society. The election results seemed to show that most Americans were not pleased with the direction President Obama (and Pelosi, Reid, etc.) was taking us. Funny, but the liberal leaders could not accept that premise. George Will made some extremely interesting observations:

Speaking specifically about President Obama, Mr. Will continues:

Progressives believe that people must be pulled toward correct knowledge by a government run by the enlightened. Moving "up" from the rigid constraints of the Constitution is their very definition of progress. George Mason University economist Don Boudreaux stated that such liberal ideas "are almost exclusively about how other people should live their lives."

George Will continues:

What happened at the November election was an alarmed and rational American majority disagreed.

Sometimes I just have to

2011-01-12T14:32:00.006-07:00

Occasionally I just need to pass along a very good article, so those who don't take the paper, or don't get the chance to read it, can appreciate the wisdom or humor presented. I may comment and I may just hit the main points, but there are some very articulate and thoughtful writers out there. This particular article is written by Thomas Sowell and talks about "social justice."

The idea of social justice is a favorite of the liberals. After all, it sounds right--we all believe in justice. Right?

Some would argue that it is not the fault of those that were born into families that didn't value education or hard work, or to dysfunctional parents who didn't prevent self-destructive choices. But now it's not a "social" problem any more, unless one believes that it is society's fault that different families and communities have differing habits and values.

I have had numerous experiences and encounters, made multiple small decisions that have determined the course of my life. I don't blame, nor give credit to, "society" for any of them. For better or worse, they were my own.

Sorry, my teacher side is coming out now. If you want a peek at a different kind of society, read The Giver, by Lois Lowry. Many of my sixth grade classes have discussed it.

only acceptable tolerance

2010-11-17T06:58:00.007-07:00

I have posted before about how the side that constantly preaches that we should all be more tolerant (the left) is, in fact, extremely intolerant of differing viewpoints. Their version of tolerance is only acceptable as long as everyone agrees with their opinions.

This became very obvious when the "leadership" started discussing instituting the "fair doctrine" rules. What bothered them is that liberal talk shows mostly failed, while conservative talk shows flourished.

Then there was the case of the commentator (Juan Williams) who was on both NPR (public funding involved) and Fox. He stated an opinion on a Fox show and was fired from NPR. He has given opinions on his NPR show that some executives at Fox Network likely didn't agree with, but, unlike the liberal left, Fox must have felt he actually had a right to say what he thought. Imagine that.

I am only familiar with the Mallard Fillmore comic strip. I don't think I have ever seen or heard its author, but apparently he too ran afowl (pun intended) of a left-leaning boss. I sincerely hope he can continue the strip. After all, Doonesbury has been running for years, but I guess it's okay since it leans in the correct direction.

Election Day!

2010-11-02T12:11:00.006-06:00

With increasing concern about the upcoming election results, the liberal Democrats have tried some of the very tactics they have for years accused the Right of using: paranoia, conspiracies, big corporation influence, etc. When these ideas haven't worked, Charles Krauthammer has noticed a new theory.

Faced with the fact that the electorate has not been excited about his more regulated, socially engineered, humane society, President Obama is befuddled.

President Obama does not want to understand that this country does not skew to the far left--it never has. Many of the European countries that Obama would like to emulate are in danger of collapse. What makes him think that the very same thing could not happen here?

Beyond the President's obvious lack of understanding, is his blatant (and frequent) disregard for honesty or integrity. In a more recent piece, Mr. Krauthammer exposes the President's true nature.

Mr. Krauthammer, I'm with you.

What can I say?

2010-10-31T08:36:00.002-06:00

Elections are important!

2010-10-23T13:28:00.006-06:00

I think the upcoming election is vitally important. I doubt that our founding fathers ever envisioned career politicians. The author of a novel I read explained it so well and I thought I had marked and saved the place. Unfortunately, I'm not very proficient with my newest Kindle yet. As I remember, his premise was that the country's ideal leaders were statesmen, temporary volunteers doing their duty as needed by the public--and only as needed.

I have also noticed lately the truth of this comic. Many of the liberal candidates are avoiding that title, as well as the credit for the extremely unpopular bills they have helped pass. What is truly frightening is that so many will say whatever they need to in order to get elected, then disregard their campaign promises. I guess if the President can get away with it.....

Unjust laws affect us all?

2010-10-06T09:08:00.001-06:00

One of those causes that doesn't have a political "side." Groups which are normally on opposite sides of the table are working together. Their battle is a bit frightening to read about.

Morning Bell: Fighting Back Against Arbitrary Government Rule | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.

The Curious Logic of Our Governing Elites

2010-09-20T12:46:00.000-06:00

The Curious Logic of Our Governing Elites

9-11

2010-09-11T07:33:00.003-06:00

Charles Krauthammer:

Morning Bell: Liberalism is Failing | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.

2010-08-26T16:28:00.000-06:00

Morning Bell: Liberalism is Failing | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.

Church and State

2010-08-25T11:44:00.004-06:00

An odd connection just came to me. The Constitution of the United States states that the government should stay out of religion: the separation of church and state. It actually was written to keep government from forcing its citizens into any certain belief--one of the reasons the pilgrims left their homes to come here.

The intent of this amendment has been warped by government--mostly liberal and the ACLU--to oppose any and all religion. We have heard about the lawsuits to prevent nativity scenes on public property, the Ten Commandments posted in government buildings, and even the term, Merry Christmas. Locally, a district court just ruled on a lawsuit brought by a group of atheists from Texas. Apparently, the white crosses along side Utah roads showing where Highway Patrol troopers died, show a preference for Christianity. It is ludicrous enough to be almost funny. What other kind of a monument would signify that someone had died? Some atheist speeding along the highway would be worried that he wouldn't be treated fairly because troopers' families paid for memorial reminders?

Then, there is the media brouhaha about the building of a mosque close to ground zero. Much of the liberal left have been calling for tolerance, fairness, religious freedom. Don't they get the hypocrisy? Where are the atheists now? What if a place built for the religion that led to the deaths on 9-11 offends the people who pass it? Not the same thing? Why not? Does it depend on who is offended?

Finally, Islam has NO separation of church and state. It seems strange that the same leaders who make such a huge deal out of ours, don't seem to be concerned about that.

Apologies all around

2010-08-11T11:54:00.005-06:00

I just saw a news blurb that Tiger Woods had his worst round of golf....in a long time. It made me remember his odd news conference where he apologized for his past poor behavior. Thomas Sowell put it in better words than I can:

He calls the tendency for public apologies "mushy thinking," and I think he has a very valid point. I agree that it comes with the loss of personal responsibility. What Tiger did was the fault of his fame, his money, his popularity, the conditions surrounding him, blah blah. If that were true, then wouldn't everyone who watches golf or spent money on anything that added to his wallet be responsible? Golf lovers everywhere were the cause of his demise? Hardly.

I contend that it was Tiger's own arrogance and narcissism that led to his troubles. I certainly didn't suffer anything and did not need to be apologized to.

The problem is bigger than Tiger Woods or the governor of South Carolina or whoever. The idea that society or our surroundings cause our misbehavior, or is responsible for our crimes, tries to diminish the notions of self-control and responsibility. Again, I defer to the words of Thomas Sowell:

Until next time, I'm sorry that my political attitude is one of choices and consequences, and it might not fit with your ideas about the evils of a "society." Wait, no I'm not sorry at all.

The Mallard Fillmore comic had another take on the same idea:

Morning Bell: Surviving the Obama Assault on the Rule of Law | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.

2010-07-29T10:38:00.000-06:00

Morning Bell: Surviving the Obama Assault on the Rule of Law | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.

Go Arizona!

2010-07-19T15:37:00.009-06:00

Are you as tired of the Arizona bashing as I am? The state is having some real problems caused by people willfully breaking the laws, and being vilified for trying to find a solution.

In an article written by George Will of the Washington Post Writer's Group:

I admit to having been pulled over by police. Was I required to show my identification? Yes, I was. Did I think it was fascist or--gulp--racist? No.

I am very, very tired of the liberal left trying to find hate, intolerance, hostility, and--sigh--racism everywhere. Their entire agenda seems to be to find fault with this country and inflame discontent. They seem happy only if they can find problems under every rock.

Arizona's troubles with illegal immigration is seen as unimportant in the hallowed halls of DC. After all, Washington doesn't have scores of people sneaking across their borders in the dead of night, leaving trails of trash and destruction. If they did, you can bet something would be done.

Part of the desert between Mexico and Tucson, Arizona. Nice huh?

Value Added Tax?

2010-05-24T16:28:00.006-06:00

Nearly two months ago, Charles Krauthammer wrote an editorial predicting that President Obama's administration would try to enact a Value Added Tax as a way of getting more money to fund expanded government.
What to do, what to do?

President Ronald Reagan's philosophy was to starve the government, thereby forcing it to shrink. President Obama's is the exact opposite. Enlarge government, then find ways to feed it through taxes. The VAT is the desired revenue stream. As a replacement for income tax, it's not a bad idea. However, to feed the liberals policies, it would be on top of income tax.

He suggests that we get ready to pay it, or start fighting against it. I vote for the latter!

More Inconvenient Obamacare Truths | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.

2010-05-03T20:31:00.000-06:00

More Inconvenient Obamacare Truths | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.

Not so funny funnies.

2010-04-25T14:32:00.004-06:00

Isn't it interesting how the perspective from the highest levels of government (with help from most of the media) seems so skewed? This comic writer feels it just as I do....but he is much more artistically talented.
All you have to do is listen to Nancy Pelosi from time to time. I've heard her say we needed to pass the "health care bill" in order to know what it said. Obviously, she knows best; who are we to question?

Morning Bell: The Crony Capitalist Threat to Our Economic Freedom | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.

2010-04-21T18:03:00.000-06:00

Morning Bell: The Crony Capitalist Threat to Our Economic Freedom | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.

Media Bias, oh yeah.

2010-04-12T14:48:00.006-06:00

It is illuminating to pay attention to the differences in the way the general, mainstream media treats President Obama compared to its treatment of President Bush. Every time President Bush made a verbal slip (like everyone does) the major newspapers and television networks made fun, derided, and generally fileted him. Not so President Obama.

The differences, naturally, apply to the rest of us. Those who seem to be in agreement with this administration and supportive of its fiscal policies--or lack thereof--are off limits for taunting or deprecation. On the other hand, those who raise questions, voice concerns or displeasure, or seem to lack the appropriate awe at the liberals' greatness have targets on their foreheads.

One more for today. See if you don't find the truth in this too.

Morning Bell: How the Left Really Plans to Pay for Obamacare | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.

2010-04-07T08:31:00.000-06:00

Morning Bell: How the Left Really Plans to Pay for Obamacare | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.

You Tube Video

2010-04-01T19:11:00.001-06:00

Constitution at risk.

2010-03-25T08:34:00.002-06:00

This is so in line with what George Will said about President Obama and the liberal leadership. I had to post it. Not that anyone is actually reading this blog, but I feel that I'm passing along conservative messages anyway. Who knows?

By Hook or by Crook...

2010-03-22T18:17:00.004-06:00

I continue to be astonished by the arrogance and deception of President Obama and the liberal leadership. The "health care" bill (and I used the description only to make a point, because that is not really what it is), would have failed in the Senate except for a few legislators who allowed themselves to be bribed--bought.

The House bill could not pass so Speaker Pelosi fell back on tricks, sleight-of-hand, and parliamentary chicanery to "deem" the Senate bill passed, and used a reconciliation tactic that has never been used for such an enormous government program. At the heart of this under-handed dealing is, as George F. Will puts it, a liberal desperation.

"Liberals are deeply disappointed with the public, which fails to fathom the excellence of their agenda. But their real complaint is with the government's structure. Liberals have met their enemy, and he is the diminutive 'father of the Constitution,' James Madison."

President Obama would very much like to change the Constitution, giving government far more power and control.

As Thomas Sowell stated:

Fraud has been at the heart of this medical care takeover plan from day one. The succession of wholly arbitrary deadlines for rushing this massive legislation through, before anyone has time to read it all, serves no other purpose than to keep its specifics from being scrutinized--or even recognized--before it becomes a fait accompli and the "law of the land."

Nancy Pelosi

2010-03-17T15:00:00.006-06:00

I was amazed to actually hear Nancy Pelosi say how wonderful it would be to have an economy in which someone could write or paint or take pictures without worrying about a day job to have health insurance.

Okay, let's all quit working and indulge in our hobbies of choice. When we need some medical assistance then......ah......opps, who will cover the cost?

Doctors attend school for at least 8 years, are basically slave labor at hospitals (way over-worked and under-paid) for residencies of an additional 2 to 6 years, and after this 10 to 15 year time-span and thousands of dollars of debt, they will be happy to take care of us for free? Hospitals do not need to charge for their services? Nurses, assistants, technicians, record keepers, pharmacies, clerks all exist so you can write your novel? It is ludicrous, yet I heard the words come out of Nancy Pelosi's mouth.

Dose of Reality from Sonja Schmidt

2010-03-13T14:48:00.004-07:00

Politicians no longer serve the people.

2010-03-03T08:08:00.009-07:00

Another excellent piece in the paper today by Walter Williams. Rather than just copy the entire thing, I'll give the url so you can read it yourself: Deseret News article

Mysteries of Liberal Thought

2010-03-02T16:28:00.009-07:00

I am often in awe of people who know just the right words to effectively state their beliefs. It is so frustrating to try to explain something and not have the words you want on your tongue. I suppose that is the benefit of writing; one can spend a little time trying to get the explanations clear and understandable.

When I try to comprehend the liberal mind set, I am befuddled by their reasoning. Why do they have such little respect for individual responsibility? Why do they want people depending on government for so much? Why do they think they are entitled to take money from those of us who worked for it and give it to those who didn't (taking a percentage for government along the way)?

Fortunately, there are very articulate writers who say things so well. Writers who understand the strange thought processes of Obama, Pelosi, Reid, Dodds, Rangel (who didn't even know who paid for his trips to the Caribbean--he claims).

Thomas Sowell explains:

A couple of good examples he explores:

Liberal intelligensia would also like us to believe that wealthy people somehow got that way accidentally, while also preventing others from doing the same. That is ridiculous.

Taxes are always good, according to the far left, and there is never enough (not that they are dedicated about paying their own). But what companies pay employees, by mutual agreement, should be of no concern to the government. As soon as government sets rules for how much money we are allowed to earn, we are doomed. Our so-called public servants become our masters.

We're just too darn dumb to understand.

2010-02-26T12:03:00.006-07:00

I find it truly frightening that people who are in positions of "public service" actually don't care much about serving constituents. This last year has been astonishing because of the persistence of the few to force debt, restrictions, and control onto people they are purporting to represent.

It is all because they are so much better and smarter than the rest of us.

Charles Krauthaammer puts it:

Everyone except the elite, all-knowing, ever-wise liberal leaders is dim and emotionally immature, and those leaders just don't understand why we're not thrilled about their enlightened view of how our lives can be. Guess what, we want some control over our lives, our choices, and--heaven forbid--the money we rightfully earn.

Global Warming??

2010-02-09T13:17:00.007-07:00

I saw an article in the newspaper a day or so ago about our little disowned planet, Pluto. The article was about how its climate was changing. Whoa! There aren't any people there to drive SUVs or heat houses. How can that be? Surely humans are the universal planet destroyers. What did we do to poor Pluto? What atmosphere it had seems to be drifting away. Was that our use of spray deodorant, our pastures of dairy cows, or our careless disposal of plastic?

I think we need to be careful and thoughtful, recognizing that we want humankind to have a home in years to come. However, the furor over global warming has resulted in vested interests that groups are not going to give up easily--regardless of their true merit. That belief made Al Gore a billionaire. Why would he want that to change? Automobile companies have invested huge amounts in development of "greener" cars. They would be foolish to backtrack now, even if they recognize the science is flawed.

Walter E. Williams, Economics Professor at George Mason University, shared the following:

People are becoming disillusioned..

2010-01-20T14:53:00.003-07:00

I think people are beginning to see that most (perhaps all) politicians are greatly affected by their induction into the halls of power. President Obama, more than anyone I can think of, has ignored the very promises he made during the campaign. He talked of transparency in congressional discussions, of putting an end to earmarks, of fiscal responsibility, of removing the influence of political lobbyists, and of keeping the unemployment rate below 8%. On these issues, he's batting zero.

The "we know better than anyone else" attitude seems to be catching, particularly in this administration. We might feel better about some of the decisions regarding Social Security, health care, or taxes and IRAs, if we were all in the same boat. However, the leaders of these "reforms" don't pay into Social Security (salaries forever), have their own life-time cadillac health insurance, and use their positions to accumulate wealth (and, apparently, avoid paying taxes).

Unbelievable Arrogance

2010-01-09T13:16:00.006-07:00

The arrogance of the Washington leadership is astonishing. That they would push forward with an enormous bill--that most congressmen have not had a chance to read--in spite of the concerns of the American people, shows an utter contempt for constituents.

Thomas Sowell, from the Hoover Institute at Stanford University, is also amazed.

"In short, this is not about improving the health of the American people. It is about passing something--anything--to keep the Obama administration from ending up with egg on its face by being unable to pass a bill, after so much hype and hoopla."

As he continues: "The only rational explanation for such haste to pass a bill that will be slow to go into effect is to prevent the public from knowing what is in this massive legislation..."

This is not about health. It is about ego. The appointment of so "czars" to get around the system for approving cabinet members is another indication that this president, and his cronies, totally disregard the basic rules and values of this society--all to impose the will of a few arrogant elitists.

Just what I was talking about

2010-01-08T08:26:00.003-07:00

This was in my paper, just the day after my post. I guess others have noticed the deception too.

Tired of being lied to?

2010-01-07T11:45:00.004-07:00

I wonder how many who voted for President Obama are getting tired of the lies. I'm hopeful that there are reasonable people out there who have figured out that they fell for a line, just as they were supposed to.

The health care debate is an excellent example. During the campaign, Barack Obama said on multiple occasions that all discussions of health care (among other things) would be held in the open. I heard him say that debates would be broadcast on C-Span and/or streamed on the Net.

Transparency was an important part of his belief about how government should work.

Well, it was all pretend. Speaker Pelosi even chuckled when asked about it: Oh that was the campaign. Now all health care bill discussions are conducted in very private rooms, by only the most liberal members of the Democrat party. It is about power, control, and taxes, and they don't want people to realize what's going on.

I guess this ties in with my other blog; people are pretty gullible. It is a bit frightening.

Sick of political correctness!

2010-01-05T16:35:00.007-07:00

I just hate to think what I'm going to have to go through the next time I want to fly to visit the grandkids. Can someone please forget this politically correct nonsense and do some decent profiling? How many elderly couples or young families have to pay because some man was permitted to buy a plane ticket with cash, pass through security, and get on an airplane to fly to the US without luggage? Nobody thought that was the least bit odd? Or, did no one dare say anything for fear of being.....impolite? intolerant? racist?

Even worse is the fact that he was on a watch list, his father had tried--more than once--to alert authorities, and it was known that he had been speaking with a radical cleric. Yoo Hoo!

Charles Krauthammer, from the Washington Post Writer's Group, identifies a real problem within the current United States administration:

The reason the country is uneasy about the Obama administration’s response to this attack is a distinct sense of not just incompetence but incomprehension. From the very beginning, President Barack Obama has relentlessly tried to downplay and deny the nature of the terrorist threat we continue to face. Napolitano renames terrorism “man-caused disasters.” Obama goes abroad and pledges to cleanse America of its post-9/11 counterterrorist sins. Hence, Guantanamo will close, CIA interrogators will face a special prosecutor, and Khalid Sheik Mohammed will bask in a civilian trial in New York — a trifecta of political correctness and image management.

And just to make sure even the dimmest understand, Obama banishes the term “war on terror.” It’s over — that is, if it ever existed.

If it weren't for a faulty detonator and some passengers, more than 300 people would likely be dead. And Obama's administration is calling this man a "suspect" and sent him to a jail where he quickly lawyered up and stopped talking.

Mr. Krauthammer goes on to say:

This absurdity renders hollow Obama’s declaration that “we will not rest until we find all who were involved.” Once we’ve given Abdulmutallab the right to remain silent, we have gratuitously forfeited our right to find out from him precisely who else was involved, namely those who trained, instructed, armed and sent him.

This is just nuts. I'm going to carry on some more tomorrow.

Clever Bumper Stickers

2009-12-08T11:30:00.007-07:00

With so many in this country finding out that the "change" they thought they wanted isn't turning out to be wonderful, there are some very creative folks who have synthesized their frustrations into possible bumper stickers. This is the second bunch I've seen, but a few of these really express my concerns.

My favorite. I would definitely display this one.

Power Grab like no other

2009-11-12T16:51:00.006-07:00

The "health care" legislation shoved through the House by the Democratic leaders is an enormous power grab like nothing else in history. Ms. Pelosi is not interested in seeing that the uninsured get health care. She cares about the accumulation of power and control. The Wall Street Journal has published two recent editorials about the disaster of this bill. The title of one is, "The Worst Bill Ever." To quote a couple of paragraphs:

In a rational political world, this 1,990-page runaway train would have been derailed months ago. With spending and debt already at record peacetime levels, the bill creates a new and probably unrepealable middle-class entitlement that is designed to expand over time. Taxes will need to rise precipitously, even as ObamaCare so dramatically expands government control of health care that eventually all medicine will be rationed via politics.

Yet at this point, Democrats have dumped any pretense of genuine bipartisan "reform" and moved into the realm of pure power politics as they race against the unpopularity of their own agenda. The goal is to ram through whatever income-redistribution scheme they can claim to be "universal coverage." The result will be destructive on every level—for the health-care system, for the country's fiscal condition, and ultimately for American freedom and prosperity.

One of the House's bill claims to be able to trim hundreds of billions of dollars in waste and fraud from Medicare's budget to help pay for the new plan. But if Medicare is truly this mismanaged, then government-dominated health care is not a model to follow.

An article written by Deroy Murdock, a media fellow with the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace at Stanford University, highlights some interesting comparisons. He points out that a year ago, candidate Barack Obama warned that Republican rule meant cuts in Medicare, lower-quality care, and paying more for drugs. "But wait....These massive Medicare cuts bear no Republican fingerprints. They are--gasp--handcrafted by Democrats."

He goes on to say, "Had the GOP mulled even a fraction of these cuts, Republican National Headquarters would be a smoking ruin. GOP members of Congress would be clad in Kevlar." He includes quotes about dire consequences for Medicare and Medicade (if Republicans had their way) from the late Ted Kennedy, Sen. Chris Dodd, and then Rep. Sherrod Brown (D. Ohio).

He ends with the note that Democrats are in charge now and "...they practically can taste the government medicine they covet." The mainstream media would have lambasted the Republicans as they did in 1995 when a GOP Congress considered a 6% Medicare growth, rather than the 10% that was projected. Now, however, they are an active part of the power grab.

Can't stand other opinions?

2009-10-27T14:23:00.006-06:00

Is it just me, or do the very liberal believe that no one has the right to a differing opinion? Am I looking at it from a skewed position in thinking that while conservative people have fundamental beliefs, they accept the fact that not everyone agrees, but very liberal people have no such thinking?

I am beginning to think that being a lefty means believing that anyone who doesn't sing along with your exact tune, is just stupid. Liberal thinkers seem convinced that they have all the correct answers (they are the only ones who even know the questions), so all others are just irrelevant nincompoops.

Read some of the posters on newspapers' online message boards. See which people try to get their point across with facts and which are content to demean and insult. Listen to people when they speak. Which use historical data to support ideas, and which use the "we know what's best for you because you don't understand"?

Oh, I understand.

I'm probably crazy, but...

2009-10-21T16:47:00.000-06:00

I realize that I don't handle one blog exceptionally well. I'm infrequent and a bit scattered, so what is going one with starting another one?

It occurred to me that sometimes I want to expound on important issues of the day, yet I don't want to scare away some of the blogging friends I've made over the past year and a half. Most of them don't get too political and aren't looking for a debate. I guess they are more comfortable with light-hearted, quirky, personal daily life posts. That's okay. I like those too.

So, this is where I'm planning to get political, or angry, or stand on my soap box. I'll let people know who are like-minded, and if anyone else bumbles on to it, it's here. I did notice that when I got a bit political on the other blog, a person from the opposite corner noticed and accused me of hating the government. If one were to go back and read the post and the comment, it seems to me that she reacted to what she thought I was thinking, not to what I said.

Anyway, I've got a few ideas saved up. Now all I need is the time and ambition to get them down. Soon. Stay tuned if you want.