The McCain Line

How could John McCain lose to both George Bush (in the 2000 primaries) and Obama? McCain was to the left of Bush and the right of Obama. He lost to both.

Any Republican who gets too close to McCain philosophically enters the No Win Zone. It is the McCain Line. Cross it and lose.

Islamophobia

Whenever an appeaser is losing an argument about the War on Terror, he accuses his opponent of Islamophobia. This is done to end the debate before it is actually over so the appeaser doesn't completely lose. It is merely a name-calling tactic. It is an ironic one though, because the accuser may himself be more Islamophobic than he thinks.

Islamophobia means fear of Islam. The "phobia" is meant to imply it is an irrational fear. Let's see.

Islamic nations have been at war since the beginning of Islam in the 7th Century. When they aren't fighting infidels on the outside, they're fighting apostates on the inside. Muslims have killed more Muslims than all other religious groups combined. Nearly every war in the world today (there are about 80 actually, but that's a blog for another day) involves a Muslim faction on one side or both. Islamic nations are never at peace.

The vision of peace in the Koran is a world ruled by Sharia Law. This is the justice system that just sentenced a middle-aged mother of 5 to death by hanging for the crime of blaspheming the prophet Mohammad. I'm not sure what she said, but it probably wasn't as extreme as placing a crucifix in a jar of urine and calling it art. I think that dude got a big government grant. This poor woman is going to die. This is the peaceful world envisioned in the Koran.

Islam teaches the highest honor on earth is dying for jihad. Holy war. Great riches in heaven await anyone who dies for jihad. This is a bit different than turn the other cheek.

Islam should be feared, in the way people fear going to an ATM after dark. Is it irrational? I suspect most people have invested more time and money in protecting their homes from invasion than they have spent stopping the spread of Islam. However, both are legitimate fears.

A supporter for the aggressive execution of the War on Terror fears Islam in the same way Ronald Reagan feared the Soviet Union. A threat that must be defeated. Reagan said the strategy is simple. We win, they lose.

The appeaser, on the other hand, doesn't want to fight. Does he not see the danger? Or does he see it and is terrified by it? He may not be able to face his fear so he displaces it to something less frightening. He becomes angry with those who want to fight. They aren't as scary as the real cause of the fear. Conservatives aren't nearly as scary as radical Islamists. The appeaser becomes hysterical about the conservative (see: Bush Derangement Syndrome) and indifferent to the radical Islamist. It's almost...irrational.

Islamophobia is an interesting concept. However, I think its actual meaning has not yet become mainstream.

Do Manchurians Vote Rebpublican?

Surprisingly little is known about Obama, despite his having written two autobiographies before ever actually accomplishing anything. His college transcripts have never been released. I used to need those just for an interview. His birth certificate has never been presented. I may not be able to find mine if asked, but I think I could get a copy from whomever keeps these things for less than a million dollars in lawyers fees to suppress its release. He rose from a community organizer to President of the United States in a very short period of time. However, his story of success is never told in the adoring media. Why not?

Obama won his last two elections before the Presidency through the same tactics. It happened in the primary and then in the general election for his Senate seat. His opponents' sealed divorce records were somehow released to the public, and his competitor chose to withdraw rather than face personal embarrassment. It's the Chicago Way.

Obama ran for President on the lie that he would bring the country together. He said there are no red states or blue states, only the United States. Huge applause. After he won the election and Republicans approached him with their ideas on the stimulus bill, he said "I won". He meant they need not speak.

Obama hit the accelerator on every progressive wet dream of the last hundred years. He would have done more, but he was stalled by having to bribe people in his own party to vote for his agenda. The Republicans couldn't stop a thing and other than a few stray RINO votes, voted unanimously to oppose. Obama called them the "Party of No". This is just what the American people wanted.

Americans were so offended by the overreach of statist ideas, that they voted Republican in numbers never seen before. Beyond the 60+ pickup in the House, which is more than since the election of 1946, Republicans picked up Governorships and State Houses at record breaking numbers. This all happened in a census year when Congressional districts will be redrawn. This will affect elections for the next decade.

There is no way John McCain could have helped the Republican party more than Obama has. In fact, I guarantee (in a way not guaranteeable), that if John McCain would have won in 2008, the Democrats would have increased their numbers in both the House and Senate in this weeks' election.

Instead it was the opposite. The Democrats got to take ownership of the Ruling Class. Ooops. Now the spotlight was on the Democrats, and they chose a bad time to overreach for progressive ideology.

Ordinary Americans are no longer in the mood for elites telling us how to live our lives. We certainly aren't in the mood for losing economic opportunities. The blatant anti-business attitude Obama showed in his hour of power completely terrorized the people who create jobs. They showed their fear by not hiring more people and not taking more risk. Perhaps these job creators are in need of some reassurance.

The Tea Party cleansed the Republicans of a few Ruling Class elites in the primaries, but definitely not all of them. The Dems should take a look at themselves. Are all people who vote Democrat really willing to spend their own grandchildren's money for government goodies today? This country needs a civil conversation on its future.

There could be no better first step than electing a Tea Party-inspired Republican government. Mission accomplished for 2010. I cannot think of a scenario that would have lead to this great of a Republican victory other than the one that just unfolded under the regime of the Chosen One, Barrack Hussein Obama. If he is a Manchurian Candidate, he is also a Tea Partier.

Midterm Predictions

My picks haven't been too good the last two cycles. I thought the Republicans would hold on in 2006 and they lost a lot of elections by 1% or 2%. The same thing happened in 2008, although Obama took a majority of the electorate for the first time since 1964 for a Democrat.

Those gains are about to be reversed.

The Dems won by running on a lie (WMDs in Iraq) and an attempt to lose a war. It was truly disgusting, but it would be surpassed in 2008 when the American people elected a socialist as President of the United States. The Republic has never been in graver danger, but the Founders gave us the solution. Elections. Today will be historic.

I predict that success for the Tea Party will be defined by 60 House seats and 9 Senate seats. I predict 101 House seats and 11 Senate seats. Today should be fun.

Why Vote?

The United States has a budget deficit that is unsustainable. It has a national debt that can not realistically be repaid before the entire economy collapses, Zimbabwe-style. Every dollar spent today is either adding to the deficit or not paying off the debt. Every dollar spent today will be paid back, in one way or another, by our progeny. This is truly generational theft.

You have to ask yourself if it is worth enslaving our great-grandchildren, so that Michelle Obama can take extravagant vacations. She just booked every room in the 5-Star Taj Mahal Hotel in India. Over 500 rooms for I don't know how many nights. This is just a speck in the dust storm of government waste, but is she even trying to help?

If you believe it is fair to spend money that must be repaid by someone who isn't even born yet, then you should definitely vote Democrat. Your heirs will curse your name, but you will have accomplished...what exactly is it you hope to accomplish by voting Democrat? Seriously, I'm curious.

The Experiment

Founding Father John Adams said that we study war, so our grandchildren can study music and philosophy. The American experiment has proven that change in leadership is possible without bloodshed. That isn't true for most of history.

America changed in 2008 when it elected a socialist as president. However, the beauty of the system is that we have not become a socialist nation. We are only socialists until 2012. Actually, we are only socialists until January 2011, when the new House and Senate take office. Until then more dastardly things might happen. But the rats will be swept off the ship by an election, not a revolution.

John Adams and his colleagues were right. The American experiment will allow our grandchildren to study music, while only a few of us need to study war.

The Six Day War

In June of 1967, the nation of Israel stood at the brink of annihilation. It was about to face the 3rd threat to its existence since its birth in 1948. Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Iraq stood ready to attack and destroy Israel. It wasn't a territorial dispute. The Arab nations at war with Israel intended to kill every Jew in Israel and end its existence. It was truly a war for survival.

The Israelis sensed the impending attack and launched a pre-emptive strike. It was an aggressive defensive tactic and it produced one of the greatest underdog victories in history.

The Israeli Air Force began the attack with a raid on the airfields of Egypt. They didn't attack aircraft, they attacked airfields, leaving them unworthy of launching air strikes. The few Egyptian planes that became airborne before the airfields were destroyed were blown out of the sky. The Israeli air force dominated the early hours of the Six Day War. After decimating the Egyptian air force, the Israelis did the same to the Syrians. Before the end of Day One, the Israelis owned the skies.

The Israeli army now moved south to attack Egypt. It took the Gaza Strip, it took the Sinai and it eventually took the Egyptians' unconditional surrender, before the Israeli forces took Cairo.

The Israeli army also moved north and took the Golan Heights from Syria. These are highlands which provided a strategic advantage for Syria against Israel for launching artillery attacks. Now it is a buffer zone of Israeli artillery, tanks and infantry. The capital of Damascus is only a long desert march away.

Jordan wanted to remain neutral in the war, but was interested in cashing in on the result. Egypt convinced Jordan that it was winning, needing an ally to offset the pressure of the Israeli attack. Jordan fell for it and declared war. Israel did to Jordans' air force the same as it did to Egypt and Syria. Then Israel attacked Jordan in East Jerusalem. Although the Jordanian army was the best of the Arab armies, they were not sufficient. Israel now owns all of Jerusalem and other parts of the former Jordan known today as the "West Bank".

The Arab armies begged for peace in less than a week. Three of them were on the brink of losing their capitals. The Israelis fought off an attack force which was greater than 5 times their size and defeated them in less than a week. The Six Day War was greatest rout in military history.

Korea

Korea is sometimes called "the forgotten war". It isn't forgotten so much as repressed. We don't want to remember Korea. It was a defeat snatched from the jaws of victory.

The North Koreans stormed through South Korea in June 1950. Their Soviet-supplied military overwhelmed the South Korean army and in a matter of weeks the North Koreans were at the brink of victory. The South formed a perimeter around Pusan harbor and held off the attack. The United States, which was heavily fortified in nearby Japan, only 5 years after the end of World War II, sent reinforcements to Pusan harbor. The reinforcements formed an impenetrable barrier and the advance of the North was halted.

Everyone thought the US would burst out of Pusan and roll back the North Korean advance. General Douglas MacArthur had a different idea. MacArthur sent the marines to Inchon, a harbor several hundred miles north on the western side of Korea. Also, a harbor located a short march away from Seoul, the capital of South Korea currently occupied by the North. MacArthur took Inchon and then Seoul. All roads in Korea lead through Seoul. Every North Korean unit south of Seoul was suddenly out of supply. Now MacArthur launched the breakout from Pusan. MacArthur rolled up the North Korean army.

As the US moved to destroy the North Korean army, the Chinese attacked. China sent 20 plus divisions into Korea. The Chinese suddenly outnumbered the NATO forces 20 to 1. The 1st Marine Division was surrounded and thought destroyed. The US Marines fought valiantly. They were outnumbered on all sides and had to fight their way back to safe territory. Marine Commander Chesty Puller said, "We're surrounded. That simplifies things". The 1st Marine Division recorded the highest kill ratio of enemy to friendly that had ever been noted. They fought their way back to friendly territory and continued to fight for a suddenly futile cause.

MacArthur warned President Truman about a Chinese attack and asked to bomb the bridges connecting China and North Korea. Truman refused. After China sent troops, MacArthur asked for atomic bombs to stop the advance. Truman refused. MacArthur made a public statement that Truman would not allow him to win the war. Truman fired MacArthur.

The war dragged on for nearly 3 more years with nothing accomplished except needless slaughter. Almost 40,000 Americans died in Korea and it would have been a tenth that if we had gone into the battle fighting to win. Truman allowed politics to influence military decisions. Once war is declared, the military is in charge. Politics has obviously failed. Truman didn't understand this.

President Eisenhower formed a peace agreement that stopped the killing, but never ended the war. It still goes on. There are still United States soldiers stationed in South Korea. These soldiers are all that is preventing the North from attacking again. North Korea now has an atomic bomb and an insane leader. This war is still unresolved.

The United States was noble in its defense of South Korea. However, it lacked the resolve to actually solve the problem. Once war is declared, the enemy must be defeated.

The lesson of Korea is don't fight a war you don't intend to win.

Vampires 2010

Vampires survive by taking the lives of the living to feed the undead. Vampires exist. Socialists use their dead religion to take from the productive and give to the mooches. The mooches could not survive without the productive. The living are feeding the Living Dead.

The greatest accomplishments for American socialists of the 20th Century were Social Security and Medicare. These are the things that are bankrupting the country today.

The unfunded liability of government promises is more than $100 trillion. This can never be repaid from an economy that generates $14 trillion per year. It is mathematically impossible, despite the most optimistic growth numbers. The United States of America is bankrupt. It is only a matter of time before the repo men show up.

The repo men will first demand higher interest rates on US Treasury Bonds. When the cost of interest, in addition to "entitlements" is added to the legitimate cost of government, the bill cannot be paid. It must be defaulted by either reneging on promises or paying in counterfeit money. Every government chooses counterfeiting. The results are always the same.

The new supply of dollars will cause the price of everything to rise. Inflation. The debt is paid down by deflating the currency. That nest egg you had in a savings account is now worth half. But the debt came down 2%!

The social engineers of society who want to tell people where to smoke, how much to drink, how much to weigh, how much to make, what to do, blah flipping blah... They also want government to control every aspect of life. They are taking it bit by bit. They are vampires.

They want the dependency on government that Social Security and Medicare create. They don't care about the consequences. It is the power to control other people that motivates a socialist. Especially people he does not like. They deserve special punishment.

The "rich" deserve special treatment in the socialists' vision of a tolerant and peaceful world. The people who most of us work for are treated like pariahs, evil opportunists who want to exploit the masses. That is so 19th Century. It is amazing that people still buy it today. They do so because it is a religion, not a science. Reality and logic are forbidden in socialism.

The religion of socialism should have died with the Soviet Union. Its collapse, after a century that saw its creed murder 100 million people, should have ended the matter. It still lives. Socialism is the Living Dead. The True Believers refuse to let facts get in their way.

The American people have always been people of good faith. We know we have the best intentions and we assume that our fellow Americans do too. We are willing to try social experiments that look good in university studies, because the people who support these things are professors, our best and brightest. We always assume good intentions on others.

However, about 100 years ago the socialists infiltrated American society. They do not have other peoples' best interest in mind. They want to control other people. The good natured Americans invited them in. They did not know they invited a vampire into their home.

People who would inflict a known failed religion on their neighbors, regardless of anybodys' good intentions, are still intentionally harming others. Socialism has harmed people for all of its existence. If people choose to harm others to get their own way, aren't they vampires?

The War of 1812

The War of 1812 was remarkable in a number of ways. It began after its primary reason was resolved. It ended before its most famous battle was fought. It gave us our National Anthem and it gave us our favorite First Lady.

James Madison was president in 1812 and compelled Congress to declare war on England over the policy of impressments. The British Navy was hijacking American merchant ships and forcing their crews to serve on British warships. This was an act of war. The British Parliament voted to end the practice. However, news travelled slow in 1812. Before news of the Parliament vote reached America, the United States declared war on England.

The British partially paid for the war by capturing American citizens and demanding ransom. Francis Scott Key was on board a British prison ship, paying for his brothers' release, when the bombardment of Fort McHenry commenced. He listened to and felt the power of the British bombardment and wondered how anyone could survive it. When daylight broke and he saw the American flag still flying, he found a pen and started to write the most important poem in American history...Oh say can you see, by the dawns' early light, what so proudly we hailed, at the twilights' last gleaming...

Thwarted at Fort McHenry, the British attack force sailed toward Baltimore. The Brits took the poorly defended city and marched toward the Capitol, which was also poorly defended. The hero of the battle of Washington was not a great general or even a courageous troop. There really wasn’t even a battle, other than the British army against a few brave militia. The result was never in doubt.

The hero of the battle was Dolly Madison. She remained in the White House and oversaw the removal of important documents and artifacts. The portrait of George Washington that still hangs in the White House today, was saved by Dolly Madison. The Brits burned the White House to the ground.

The United States and England were finally able to put aside their differences and declare peace. Impressments stopped and other grievances were addressed. All was well. Except news travelled slow in 1814 and the British attack force off the coast of New Orleans didn't know the war was over. Neither did American commander Andrew Jackson.

Jacksons' troops were ready for attack. They held entrenched positions on favorable ground. When the Brits marched through the swamps, they were slaughtered. The battle of New Orleans went decisively to the Americans. The outcome of New Orleans would not have affected the peace agreement regardless of who won. However, the Americans beat the crap out of the Brits. That was the last time Americans ever opposed British troops in battle. We have been allies ever since.

The War of 1812 had several historical consequences. It shouldn't be forgotten.

Supply and Demand

Prices are a form of communication. They indicate the judgment of society as to the value of something. Just as the ability to dunk from the free throw line is valued 50 times higher than the ability to educate our children, diamonds cost substantially more than water. Although teachers and water are more important than basketball players or diamonds, their respective values are determined by their supply.

If teachers were as rare as NBA quality athletes, teachers would make a LOT more money. If water were as rare as diamonds, there wouldn't even be time to fight a war over that small supply. Everyone out of supply would die. The supply of water would become the most valuable thing the world has ever known.

Demand also effects price. A man with no children has no demand for someone who can teach them. Conversely, someone with children and a desire to educate them will pay for a teacher. How much depends on a lot of different factors. Combining people in this situation, with all of their various factors which determine how much they are willing to pay, combined with the relative supply to the existing demand...all of that determines prices.

Both supply and demand are constantly changing. The high price of something might cause the supply to go up, which will eventually make the price go back down. The high demand for something will make the price go up, which will eventually make the demand go down. The low supply of something makes the price go up, which makes the supply go up, which eventually makes the price go down and the supply go down.

Price is an ever-changing number, where every change indicates another change in either supply or demand. The price of something is the communication between buyer and seller. Buy more/Make more or less of each? The price answers the question and the market responds.

Free market capitalism could have been called the competitive price system. That is actually a more descriptive name for what it represents. It is a system that summarizes the results of millions of decisions into a number that the next million decisions will be based upon.

Prices are the verdict of decisions made by millions of different people, each acting in their own self interest. Free market capitalism is the purest form of real democracy.

Wealth

Ayn Rand said that one of the greatest indicators that America is an exceptional country, is that it is the first society in the history of civilization to use the phrase "make money". Americans have instinctually understood that wealth is created, it isn't stolen or borrowed. It isn't a finite pie. It's an ever-expanding pie and everyone can have a bigger piece just because the darn economy keeps getting bigger.

Wealth is created every time someone voluntarily trades something for something else. Working for a paycheck is worth the time I spent. Buying a car is worth the money I spent, which I earned by spending my time. Buying gas for the car, earned from the time I spent at work, is worth the price. The gas station thinks so too. We're both better off every time I fill my tank. I have a full tank of gas and they have another sale. Win, win. Wealth was created.

The more rapidly wealth is created, the more rapidly the economy grows. Conversely, when wealth creation is inhibited, the economy stalls.

The free market is inhibited with things such as taxes and regulations. Although some are necessary, all are inhibitors. There is a price in reduced wealth that must be paid for every tax or regulation. When taxes and/or regulations become overwhelming, the economy collapses. See Greece or California for details.

An uninhibited free market can do remarkable things. The Colonies of the 18th Century became the worlds' only sole superpower since the Roman Empire in the 21st Century. And it would have happened sooner if capitalism wasn't hijacked in the early 20th Century. The march toward socialism has slowed Americas' growth, but the momentum from the burst of the 1800's through the Roaring Twenties has propelled this country to its elite status. Just imagine if it wasn't sabotaged.

America is in decline, but it is completely voluntarily. The voters have chosen socialism over capitalism. The politicians are only responding to their voters wishes. This is actually the way America is supposed to work. We are voting ourselves into serfdom.

If it's really "The Economy, Stupid", then voters should look for candidates that want to help businessmen. Not crony capitalists! I'm with the socialists on that side of hatred for businessmen. Crony Capitalists are every bit fit for prosecution as their political enablers. Politicians who champion less regulation and lower taxes are championing the positions that will most quickly lead this economy to recovery. It will not be soon, but it will be the right direction. The Tea Party candidates are taking this country back in the right direction.

Socialism has failed every place it's been tried. Capitalism succeeds everywhere. Even China. If people value their ideology over wealth, I actually respect that. Just don't make the rest of us pay for your ideology.

Terrorism Works

It occurred to me recently that terrorism actually works. It terrorizes people. While everyone is aghast at something like September 11th and no one likes hearing news about incidents such as Fort Hood or the Underwear Bomber, some people are truly terrified by these events. Ironically, the ones most terrified are the ones who want to appease our enemies at nearly any cost. Liberals.

The rest of us are somewhere between concerned about the future and pissed off about the present, but we aren't terrified. Some of us are advocating an uptick or three in the military aggressiveness category, but there isn't a huge popular outcry for more war. Most of this country wants to end this war and is willing to listen to all sides. Some of this country thinks the debate is over and it's time to get serious about winning. Some of this country wants to surrender. Liberals.

Psychologists say "displacement" is shifting the source of emotional pain from its real source to a safer one. Liberals displayed this characteristic in abundance during the Bush years. Bush was portrayed as the real terrorist. Bush was the cause of all the worlds' problems. The buzz-kill in the Liberal fantasy world was that there actually were terrorists, and still are, who want to kill Americans. They have wanted to do it since at least the Carter administration and it hasn't made a difference if we liberated Muslim Kuwait or protected Muslim Bosnia. The Muslim terrorists still want to kill Americans. Not all Muslims, but enough. It is so much more comforting to blame Islamic terrorism on Bush than it is to blame it on Islamic terrorists. Denial is another way to mask emotional pain, such as terror.

Liberals will argue that America has it coming. We need to change, or expect the world to hate us. They argue the same thing about Israel. They say the Palestinian situation is the cause of all the problems in the Middle East. They ignore the fact that Israel was attacked at its birth in 1948 by 5 Muslim countries. Not one of them the Palestinians. They didn't exist yet. It is much more comforting to blame Israel instead of Islamic terrorists, because the Israelis are rational and moral. Islamic terrorists are murderers.

Liberals feel an irrational need for suicide that I don't wish to share. I have no idea how the concept of reality abuses the Liberal mind. I feel sorry for them. They ignore the history that proves their ideas lead to murder and accuse people who disagree with them of being despicable human beings. It is no wonder that terrorists terrify their minds. They have no belief system that can guide them out of the mess.

Liberals believe that if we all live off of each others' neighbors, it will be a wonderful world. If only the evil conservatives who ridicule Liberal ideas would just F*Off and die, then the world would be an utopian heaven. Finally we could all live in peace and harmony with each other.

Sadly, Islamic terrorists F*Up the liberal mythology that conservatives are the root of all evil. Islamic terrorists are definitely not conservatives. They aren't out advocating limited government, individual freedom and lower taxes. These guys want Armageddon.

Through the displacement of their fear, Liberals are doing the terrorists' bidding. They apologize for this country and admit we've had terrible Presidents and have done horrible things. They erode Americas' morale and will to fight back. This is exactly what the terrorists hope to accomplish through their terrorism. Apparently, it works.

The Joke

The late night comedians on TV wouldn't make jokes about Obama shortly after he was elected. Despite a few minor gaffes like walking into a glass door or just making fun of his ears, no comedian would touch him. One even said there is nothing funny about Obama. In a way, he was right. It really isn't funny watching the President of the United States stumble from one crisis to another, either foreign or domestic. It really isn't funny watching a man attempt to maintain a Messiah-image, while bumbling like a fool. The man who would stop the seas from rising can't plug the damn hole.

When Obama was campaigning, he was met with swooning crowds, fainting women and leg-tingling journalists. His teleprompter-inspired speeches, with reverberating bass audio, against giant Styrofoam Greek pillars gave the impression that he was the Second Coming. The Second Coming of what, I'm not sure. Obama was compared to Jesus, Lincoln, FDR, JFK and Reagan. Yeah really...Reagan.

The swooning masses voted him President. They elected the most unqualified, in terms of executive experience, and most (if not only) anti-American President this country has ever had. Obama isn't funny at all. The people who voted for him are.

Civil War

How many causes are worth killing your fellow countrymen over? It has only happened once in this country, but it did happen. More Americans were killed in the Civil War than the combined total of World Wars I & II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The South wanted to secede from the Union, because the Union was about to change rules that were agreed upon when the South joined the Union. Slavery existed in the United States before it was the United States. The colonies had slavery while still under British rule.

Lincoln ran for President as an Abolitionist. After his election, a few Southern states decided that the Federal Government no longer represented their interests, and withdrew from the agreement. Lincoln proclaimed that the States have no right to withdraw from the agreement, under any circumstances. Lincoln declared war. Fort Sumter was attacked, the Union sent an army into the South and several more Southern states joined the Confederate cause. The Civil War was on. The primary reason was not slavery, it was States' rights. Slavery only caused the passion that allowed Americans to kill each other.

Do the States have a right to secede from the Union? The Constitution is mute on this. Lincoln was not.

There were only a few States that wanted to secede. Lincoln should have let them go. They weren't needed anymore to fight the British. They weren't needed for the original reasons of founding the country. If the Southern states wanted to secede from the Union, the Founding Fathers would have been fine with it. They would have believed that a competing system of democracy would produce better results, for one side or the other and probably both.

Lincoln said that if he couldn't free one slave, but could save the Union, he would do it. The Emancipation Proclamation freed every slave in Confederate territory, but not one slave in Union territory. Every slave owner in Maryland knew that his livelihood was still protected. The Civil War was about government power, not about liberty. Government power won.

The United States today may be as divided as it has ever been since the years leading up to the Civil War. There are two distinct and irreconcilable belief systems dominating American politics: Statism vs. Capitalism. Supremacy of the government vs. supremacy of the individual.

Why should Capitalists have to worry about the voting population and its current opinion of Business, or risk having their assets seized? Shouldn't the Capitalists' assets be protected in a fair society? Why should Statists have to lie about their agenda, to convince more than 50% of their countrymen that their ideas are great? Why can't they just spell out their intentions and win elections with overwhelming majorities?

This could happen if the United States parted ways and became the Coastal and Heartland States of America. The Coastal states could form their welfare-state utopia, and the Heartland states could live in peace. Who could object to this idea?

The Heartland States of America would restore the Federal Government to its Constitutional limits. There would be no more Social Security, Medicare, federal funding for schools, highways, meals on wheels, arts and crafts, rattlesnake crossings, wolf relocating, snail preserving, or many other questionable programs. There would be a kick-ass military that could take on anyone, anywhere. There would be freedom to make money. Taxes would be low. The Government would only take as much money as needed to have a kick-ass military and provide basic services to its wonderful entrepreneurs. The engines of the Republic! Freedom would drive excellence.

The Coastal States of America would form their utopia. Everyone would live at the expense of someone else. However, no one would be working. There would be no one left to live off of. There would be death. It would be ugly.

Who would object to a civil segregation of the United States? The Coastal States of America would declare war to keep its slaves in the Heartland states.

There is no way the Statists would agree to a divorce for irreconcilable differences. Statists need a gravy train. Capitalists don't need Statists. Statists couldn't survive without Capitalists. Statists are leeches.

The Heartland States of America would be delighted to see the Coastal States succeed. "We didn't think you could do it. It has never worked anywhere in history and has typically led to countless deaths. But Congratulations! You made it work for the first time in history! Now let's trade some stuff and make some money"...

The Coastal States probably wouldn't be so congenial. I suppose that if utopia actually occurred, all would be well and there would be two close partners coexisting together forever. But since it's never worked, it is far more likely that the Coastal States would want subsidies and payments and threaten to throw really bad tantrums if they didn't get them. The Coastal States would never leave the Heartland States alone. It would be like the Palestinians and the Israelis. Good god!

If the Federal Government isn't soon restored to its original Constitutional limits, the only recourse will be secession. Those who believe in individual freedom will have no choice but to leave their home country or at least fight to rename it, because it is no longer recognizable. Slavery was the only cause in American history that led to killing ones' fellow countrymen. Free the Capitalist Slaves! Ballots over bullets would be preferable. November beckons...

A Declaration of War

For decades the liberal Left of this country has been in a state of war. The Left hates America as it is and wishes to change it. The motivations vary, but the Leftist activists of today disown their allegiance to America. The Left has patiently launched a culture war to infiltrate the media, the school system and the public sector. They have succeeded and pressed the battle into the political system. The Left has used its influence in the media and school system to indoctrinate. It has used its power in the public sector unions to buy politicians. The Left now owns the Democrat Party. The Left just declared war against America.

The health care proposal that just recently passed the House; the same bill that passed the Senate on Christmas Eve, with no one in the Senate having actually read it, after the bribes of the last recalcitrant Senators, after the backroom deals to gain a bare 60 vote filibuster-proof majority, after the election of a Republican who swore allegiance to the filibuster despite holding Ted Kennedy's former Senate seat; this bill just passed the House.

The House of Representatives just told the American people that their opinion doesn't matter.

There isn't an opinion poll anywhere that shows any broad segment of America supporting this. Nearly 70% support either scrapping the bill or starting over. Every poll points to a devastating loss for the Democrats in November. Probably loss of the House, maybe the Senate. Why would any politician who was interested in keeping his job vote for something so unpopular?

The only possible reasons are the politician is either a True Believer or Kool-Aid drinker. He either believes that the cause is better that his personal career, or believes the spin that passing the bill will be popular after it is implemented. In neither case should this person be entrusted in public office. He is demonstrably either an enemy of America (the True Believer) or an idiot.

I believe that most of today's Democrat Party are True Believers. These are people, who for various reasons, side with the Left that wants to destroy America. They have revealed themselves in this vote. They can no longer hide the fact that they are your rulers. At least, in their opinion of themselves. Knaves...

The Left has succeeded in dividing the country. There is a divide between people who think each individual is responsible for his own life, and those who think otherwise.

The Left has just won a huge battle in the war for man's soul. The Left has just declared that the body belongs to the State. The war over man's mind wages on, but the State has declared the body as it's own property. Just wait for the government fiats against smoking, eating, drinking, sleeping, watching TV, having sex... Once the government controls health care, it controls behavior. Were you a smoker? Sorry, we have others that take priority. Did you exercise regularly? So sorry, we have others before you who did...

The government has no business in this business. The Founding Fathers spoke of the General Welfare. This meant welfare that generally benefited everyone, such as road improvements or a navy. It didn't mean welfare for people in general.

It especially didn't mean welfare for the unproductive at the expense of the productive. However, this is what it means today. This is war.

Anyone who says health care is a right, is saying that it is an obligation against someone else. Freedom of Speech is a right. It doesn't call for an obligation on anyone else. Freedom of Religion also calls for no corresponding obligation. Nor does the right to bear arms. Any natural right has no obligation on his fellow citizen. However, the "right" to a good or service, such as food, housing or health care, requires that someone else pay the bill. This is organized theft, not natural rights.

Organized theft is the very nature of the beast that our Founding Fathers warned us against. Franklin said it's a Republic, if you can keep it. Jefferson said that the blood of tyrants must occasionally refresh the tree of liberty.

The government is coming for your body and your soul. They are taking your liberty through taxation and your soul through political correctness. The government has introduced new sin. There are now more things for you to feel guilty about.

Feeling guilty about so many uninsured, feeling guilty about so many undocumented Democrats...I mean illegal aliens...feeling guilty about global warming? It never ends. Guilt is the weapon of those who wish to control you.

Guilt over having anything more than anyone else has caused this entire "crisis". This is pure class warfare.

This is the war that the Democrat Congress just declared on the United States. This is an actual, real, class war. This is the sponges of society against the producers. If you are a producer, such as anyone who earns a paycheck, you had better engage in this war. If the Democrats win this war, those of us stupid enough to continue working, when welfare would pay nearly as much, will pay for everyone else's benefits. At some point, we're all paying for each others' benefits from the taxes on our welfare dollars.

This is the insane system the Democrats are beginning to impose on us. It's really so simple. Americans either believe in freedom or government. The "Hope and Change" campaign of 2008 didn't really ask for a specific referendum on this topic. The 2010 election will have to do. It is either a vote for more of the nanny state or a vote for the adults in the room.

The Democrats have just proven that they are more than willing to be your public masters. Are you willing to re-elect them? If you do, will you tell my kid's kids why you voted to make them slaves?

What Can We Do?

For anyone paying attention, the United States is changing right before our eyes. The change is more than business as usual. The federal government is taking the socialist-lite programs and ideas of the last several decades and ratcheting them up to the level of irreversible socialist takeover. When the government has 50.1% of the voting population in its pocket, it’s Game Over. The number probably stands in the mid-40’s right now. How does someone who likes the idea of America as a free, capitalist society respond?

If you think you can vote and encourage your friends to vote, I technically agree, but it isn’t nearly enough. Each of us represents about 1/100 millionth of the voting population. It’s probably a bit less than that after you factor in the phantom “community organizer” votes. Even if you have a lot of friends, that still isn’t much of a voting bloc.

We can take up arms, which may be the only alternative some day, but it just doesn’t seem right at this point. Plus, I wouldn’t know who to shoot. Almost everyone I know is a good person, and without doubt many of them are Democrats. I’m certain that my Democrat friends don’t hate America, they just vote for people who do. The statist philosophy that guides modern Democrats infects nearly every element of the culture. People are brainwashed in small doses, every day, to believe it is morally superior to support government force over free will. This mind virus is not limited to Democrats, it’s just in a more advanced stage.

The Tax Day Tea Parties were great, but in the short-term had as much impact on stopping out-of-control spending as the anti-war protests had on ending the Iraq War. However, watching the liberal meltdown reaction proves they were effective. Liberals only go ballistic on people or ideas that are effective. There’s a reason that Arlen Specter can sit in virtual anonymity for 30 years while Sarah Palin or Joe the Plumber are viciously attacked as soon as they enter the public stage.

The Tea Parties demonstrated that people are ready to do something to stop the madness of changing America.

The original Boston Tea Party was not a stand-alone event. It was a reaction to a reaction to an action. The action that started it all was a boycott of British tea, which nearly bankrupted the British East India Company. The Brits addressed the boycott through the Tea Act, which put a higher price on non-British tea. The Boston Tea Party was the Patriots’ response to the Tea Act.

Boycotts are the original American Way of doing something about intrusive government.

Selecting a target isn’t easy, especially when the intrusive government is our own. There are good people and fellow Americans who will be impacted by an effective boycott. However, there isn’t a stronger, non-violent, way to send a message.

Personally, I’m boycotting companies that accept government bailout money. As a defender of free market capitalism, I strongly believe it is wrong for the government to interfere in the free market. The governments’ role is to protect its citizens from force and fraud. Anything more leads down a road few of us would want to go, if we looked closely at the long term consequences. Government is force and politicians who say otherwise are frauds.

I’m in the market for a new car and I know it won’t be a GM or Chrysler. I won’t even look. As much as I support American manufacturing, I want to see both companies go bankrupt and out of business. The Bush/Obama bailout plan is a big step in the wrong direction. The government should not have a shareholder stake in a private company, nor run an agency that competes against private companies. (Government Health Care is coming soon…). This needs to end right now. I have no illusions that GM going bankrupt will stop the tidal wave of big government intruding further into our private lives, but there will be a certain schadenfreude satisfaction to see willing partners in a business/government relationship wind up on the rocks.

You might say that boycotting a business funded with taxpayer money is just shooting yourself in the foot. Ask yourself what John Galt would do? Oh yeah…who is John Galt?

Flying Pigs

The day Americans elect a socialist as President of the United States will be the day pigs fly.

100 days into Obamas' term...swine flu.

Stimulating Gifts

There’s a story about an old woman who sends a letter to God, asking for $100 to help her out of a dire situation. The postal workers are so touched after reading the undeliverable letter, that they take up a collection totaling $95 and deliver it the next day. The following day, the old woman sends another letter to God and the workers excitedly gather around to read it. She says, “Dear God. Thank you so much for the money I asked you for. I was able to buy some food and pay off my utilities before getting shut off. I am so grateful for your help. You should know though, the envelope was $5 short. I think one of those bastards at the post office stole it”.

There is nothing quite like the feeling of giving a gift that is unappreciated. It’s worse when the gift is expected, yet doesn’t live up to the recipients’ expectations. Instead of feeling the joy of giving, the giver feels shame, inadequacy and eventually, anger. This is similar to the joy of paying taxes in a welfare state.

None of us likes to pay taxes. However, responsible citizens realize there is a cost associated with the benefits of government. There is a value to having protection from foreign armies, recourse against broken contracts and defense against those who wish to steal or damage private property. These are the basic services of government. Anything beyond is simply a gift from the taxpayer.

When any group of citizens lobbies for a government benefit, it is asking for a gift at someone else’s expense. Government power to provide any benefits comes from its ability to exert a tremendous amount of violence on behalf of its citizens. Whether it’s arresting criminals or collecting taxes, government authority is ultimately enforced at the point of a gun.

When a good intention such as helping a neighbor through a tough time, or a neat-o idea like saving the world from global warming becomes law, it changes the relationship of government and citizen into master and slave. The group asked to pay for the new benefit doesn’t really have a choice, other than dying or running away. Just like a slave. America has reached a point where one tribe of citizens can lobby the government to enslave another.

The ironic thing about using government power to enslave others is that eventually, everyone becomes a slave. About 100 years ago, the middle class thought it would be a good idea to stick it to the rich. Enough people liked the idea that they passed an amendment to the Constitution allowing a federal income tax. Now the middle class is getting stuck by the poor.

America is running out of groups to stick it to. The rich and middle class are about tapped out and the poor don’t have enough money to take, so the next set of victims will be future Americans. The spending bill that just passed is 100% deficit spending. By definition this means it will be paid back in the future. If it isn’t paid by direct taxes, it will be paid by inflated currency (which is a tax on everyone with currency), but one way or the other the bill will come due.

Never in history has a government spent its way out of a recession. If that worked, why would a government ever stop spending? If it will work for some unknown reason today, then why are we even in a recession since the government has been running a deficit for years? However, asking whether the new law will work to stimulate the economy is entirely the wrong question. The real question is does the government have a moral right to step beyond the bounds of protecting its citizens from force and fraud? There is no doubt that the government has a legal right, but does legal always equal moral?

A gift coerced from taxpayers is only moral in a universe where one tribe may righteously enslave the services of another. If a government gift were truly a gift, it would be voluntarily given and there would be no reason for government involvement. Anything else is simply using government power to spend someone else’s money.

People are becoming angry over the endless bailouts and reckless spending. Anger is the right emotion. Whether or not one personally benefits or suffers from the specifics, most of us feel anger at injustice. Those who support the use of government coercion always claim that their need outweighs the injustice of taking from someone else. The criminal courts don’t recognize need as a justification for stealing and the court of public opinion shouldn’t either.

There will never be a shortage of people who want something for nothing. Con men couldn’t make a living if there were. However, people who expect something for nothing are always disappointed in the end. The “gifts” from the taxpayers are never sufficient. People always want more and the realization usually comes too late that the best way for everyone to get more is for the government to get out of the way. By the time the majority has finally figured this out, the master is already in complete control and the next election is cancelled until further notice.

Gaza

At some point the War on Terror may properly be renamed the War on Islam. This is a war of barbarism against civilization that has been going on for centuries. Barbarians have been waging war in the name of Islam since Islam has been a religion. The attacks of September 11th were a flare-up that caught the attention of the civilized world, but were in no way the beginning of something new. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were only the latest chapters, and thankfully, were chapters of the war fought on the barbarians’ home turf. The war in Gaza is the current front-line.

The immediate cause of the fighting was an end to a truce agreement, highlighted by rockets fired from Gaza into Israel. Although the rocket attacks never completely ceased at any point during the truce, the intensity of the attacks increased in mid-December. The Israeli goal of its military operation is to dismantle the capability of Gazan militants and disrupt the ability of Gaza to resupply for the next round. The goal of the Gazan militants is to survive the attack and weaken Israel’s political alliances.

As Karl von Clausewitz wrote in his classic book on military strategy On War, “War is the continuation of politics by other means”. On the surface it seems ridiculous that the political leadership in Gaza, Hamas, would provoke a military confrontation against a vastly superior force. However, if the goal is political and serves a broader strategy, it then makes sense.

Gaza is a small strip of territory along the Mediterranean Sea that Israel captured from Egypt in the Six Day War. Its economic value is insignificant. After peaceful relations were established between Israel and Egypt, Israel offered it back and was told No Thanks. In 2005 Israel withdrew its security forces and its settlers, giving the Palestinians their long-sought own state. However, the Palestinians of Gaza responded by becoming the only people in the history of civilization to democratically elect a terrorist organization to power. Hamas responded to its new leadership role by attacking the country that gave it its freedom.

Hamas is a terrorist organization whose explicit reason for existence is the destruction of Israel. This statement is not a slander; it is a written part of the Hamas Charter. Hamas receives its support from anti-Israeli groups both in the Arab world and the West. Its primary sponsor is also the worlds’ primary sponsor of Islamic terrorism, Iran. While Hamas by itself has no chance of achieving its stated goal, it serves as part of a larger movement. Hamas is a proxy army of Iran, whose stated purpose is not only the destruction of Israel, but Islamic domination of the world.

Hamas serves Iran’s purpose in two ways. As a puppet government in a state that borders Israel, it provides a potential launching point for a nuclear suicide attack. However, Hamas also has the ability to provoke a military reaction by Israel, which shifts the spotlight of world attention away from Iran when it is advantageous to do so. Another proxy army of Iran, Hezbollah, did exactly that in 2006 when it appeared the world was finally getting serious about sanctions against Iran for its nuclear program. The war in Lebanon in the summer of 2006 distracted attention away from Iran, and the drive to prevent a nuclear Iran has never really since regained the momentum that had been building up until that point.

Although most of the world has come to accept that a nuclear Iran is preferable compared to the unpleasant alternatives required to prevent it, one country is more likely than any other to draw a different conclusion. That country is the most-likely first target of an Iranian nuke: Israel. Many analysts expected an Israeli raid against Iranian nuclear facilities in the time before a change in U.S. leadership to a less-friendly administration. The provocation in Gaza may have blocked that move.

If Israel expends its political capital in Gaza, it will not likely have the resolve to launch an attack against Iran before Hope and Change take over U.S. foreign policy. At that point, Iran can easily run out the clock before it goes nuclear by feigning an interest in negotiations.

What at first appears ridiculous, Hamas starting a war against Israel that it cannot possibly hope to win militarily, it may have already won politically.

Victory in Iraq

As there will be no formal declaration of Victory in Iraq; today, November 22, 2008 is as good as any to mark the unofficial formal declaration of Victory in Iraq.

I disclose, this isn’t my idea. It was suggested on one of the blogs I read and I concur with the message. There will be no official pronouncement from the White House. There will definitely be no official pronouncement from Congress. There will absolutely never be any official pronouncement from the enemy. So why not pronounce it unofficially and make it as real as it will ever be? By any measure of victory, this war is over.

The casualty rate of American soldiers in Iraq has fallen far below the murder rate of ordinary American citizens in several American cities. It is safer to be a US soldier in Iraq than it is to be a US citizen in Detroit, Miami or Washington DC.

The Iraqis themselves have held multiple democratic elections and have a functioning, democratically elected, government. There are still major disagreements, but in general the Iraqi government is more united than Republicans and Democrats in the United States. They may not be perfect, but they are closer to reconciliation than our own government. I think you have to call that one a win.

The Iraqi army has stood up to and defeated militias that attempted to foment civil war. The Iraqi army has actually never lost a battle. There are still improvements to be made before the Iraqis can confidently go to battle without American fire-power waiting in reserve, but the Iraqis have proven that they don’t always need American support. The enemies of Iraq have proven that they can either flee the battlefield or get captured or killed. I think that’s another win.

The Iraqi army is not yet able to defend the country from foreign invasion. However, this was never a criterion for victory. Who would want to invade Iraq anyway? Post-Sadaam, that is. There is only one Iraqi neighbor I can think of, and if Iran chose to invade I would hope that allies of Iraq, including the United States, would come to her rescue. At some point, Iraq will be a fully self-sufficient entity, but the fact that the US destroyed its military in the initial invasion shouldn’t be a detriment to measuring success in the reconstruction. Besides, how much military power do we really want for Muslim governments in the Middle East?

American troops still remain in Iraq, and as John McCain once said, they may remain there for another 100 years. However, American troops still remain in Germany, Japan, South Korea and several other former hot-spots. Troop presence is more a matter of foreign policy than a measurement of victory. If the anti-American left, whom Obama courted in the primaries, really want the troops to come home, it can be done now without having an aura of surrender. I expect the anti-American left will be quite disappointed when Obama the politician rethinks his campaign rhetoric now that he has actual responsibility.

Congratulations are due to all of the military for its success under very difficult conditions. Also thanks are owed to the military families for the sacrifices and hardships they endured, especially when so much of their own country did not appear to be on their own side. President Bush deserves enormous credit, which history will grant him, for his unwavering vision under an unprecedented political assault during a time of war. Finally, General Petraeus deserves the nations’ gratitude for making the critical change in tactics that led to the successful prosecution of the war. As history will look favorably upon President Bush, General Petraeus will also be seen one day as the Grant, Pershing or Patton of this generation.

Congratulations America on winning another war.

Election Prediction

It’s that time again and I intend to do better than in 2006. I don’t know if I will though, because I still believe the same thing now as I did then. I believe the polls are wrong. All of the warning signs were there 2 years ago that the Republicans would lose the House and Senate. The same signs exist today that Obama will be the next President of the United States.

I actually do believe that Republicans will lose more seats in the House and Senate this year. I don’t really have a feel for how many, because I don’t keep up on micro-politics. However, there is a feeling of exhaustion with George Bush (I actually feel it too) and I think that will carry some Democrat challengers to victory. The fact that there are more Republican Senators defending their seats this year than Democrats makes that almost a foregone conclusion. Right or wrong…it is what it is.

The Presidency is another story.

There are certainly a great number of brain-washed Obamanites this year who have found their messiah. However, these people aren’t a huge percent of the voting population. There are definitely a great number of BDSers who want to punish Republicans and gloat about it later, but did any of these people NOT vote for John Kerry in the last election? Finally, there are those who have listened too much to the MSM and believe we need a Change. However, I don’t know how these people will actually vote, if they vote at all.

On the other hand…there are Bush supporters from 2004 who will turn out for the same reason as the last Presidential election. Win the War! There is a pretty clear distinction between the candidates this year on that issue. There are others who don’t want a nigger for President. (Sorry). I don’t think this is a big percent, but it is a factor. Finally, there are many who don’t want a Socialist for President. This isn’t getting the media attention it deserves (surprise!), but it really is a factor. Joe the Plumber struck a nerve when he got Obama to admit his plan to “spread the wealth around”.

The turnout for this election will be huge. Voters from both sides have reasons to actually vote. It comes down to simple math. The Black vote will heavily favor Obama, but so what? Blacks vote Democrat 9-1 as it is. How much does 9.5-.5 change anything? Women vote Democrat almost 60-40. How will they vote this year? There are some seriously pissed-off Hillary supporters (thank you PUMAs) who are actively campaigning for McCain. If women go 55-45 Democrat, that makes a HUGE difference. Plus, there are blue-collar men who normally vote Democrat, but see a difference between the effete and elite Obama, and the down-to-earth real American John McCain. (Not to mention the true all-American Sarah Palin). At least some of these voters will go McCain. (Reagan Democrats?).

I can see Obama winning a couple of states that Bush carried in 2004. However, I believe Obama will lose Pennsylvania (bitter gun-clinging, bible-thumpers) which more than off-sets a couple of fly-over country states. Ohio will be the decider. Although Obama’s campaign has been strenuously defrauding democracy through its thugs and ACORN operatives, I don’t think it will be enough.

McCain/Palin will win a close one. Pop some corn for a long Tuesday night.

Sarah Baracuda

I like the nickname "Sarah Baracuda". I even renamed my cat in her honor. However, I believe with her new esteem, she deserves a new nickname. Watch out liberals and RINOs...for the Wassilla Godzilla.

The Texas Tea Party

In 1773, a group of colonists in Boston sent a message to the King of England: Stop. Screwing. With. Us!. The event became known as the Boston Tea Party, and it eventually led to a revolution. In 2008, a group of House Representatives are sending a message to the Speaker: Stop screwing with the American people. Allow a vote on the American Energy Act. The tone isn’t quite as hostile as it was just before the American Revolution, but it’s becoming important for people to wake up to what’s happening. The outcome of this event is still undecided.

History first. England imposed the Tea Act on the Colonies, which lifted all tariffs on British-owned tea suppliers importing from other British colonies. This allowed the British East India Company to sell its tea for half the price of colonial importers, who still had to pay the British taxes. The Tea Act was a response by England to a boycott called by John Hancock on tea sold by the British East India Company. The boycott reduced British East Indian tea sales by 98% in the colonies.

In response to the Tea Act, a group of defiant protestors, thought to be members of the Sons of Liberty, disguised themselves as Indians and were equipped with hatchets. They boarded three ships in Boston Harbor carrying East Indian tea and dumped the equivalent of $2 million dollars of today’s money worth of tea into the water. The Tea Act was shortly thereafter repealed. Many say this event sparked the spirit of the American Revolution.

On Friday August 1, 2008, the House of Representatives voted to adjourn for a 5 week recess. The vote was not unanimous, in fact it only passed by 1 vote. Every House Republican and a few Democrats voted to have a vote on the American Energy Act before the session closed. The Speaker did not even want debate on the topic, let alone an up or down vote. The Speaker called for the House to adjourn.

A few Reps remained in the Chamber and started giving impromptu speeches. While one spoke, others went to the halls and found tourists and asked if they would like to sit in the House of Representatives? The seats filled quickly. Some Congressmen, after getting phone calls while still at the airport, cancelled and went back to the Hill. Some went home, filled some obligations and went back. More are coming back next week. There are nearly a hundred back already and the seats are packed standing-room-only every day with tourists who are witnessing history.

Never has the House continued floor debates this long into a recess. There is no end in sight. The debates may continue until the House reconvenes in September.

The debate isn’t about grandstanding on an issue that was voted down. The debate is about not being allowed to vote. These are House Representatives. These people vote for us and they are not being allowed to vote on an issue that 70% of the country supports them on. There hasn’t been this much agreement on anything since September 12, 2001.

This is an historical moment in our Democracy. The Speaker of the House is not being very democratic.

The Brits went too far with the colonists, who were not necessarily hostile to British rule, until British rule undermined their individual freedoms. Has the Speaker gone too far with her power, to deny a vote on an issue that she personally doesn’t want to lose? When is it tea time in America?

Mega Dittos

August 1st 2008 marks the 20th anniversary of Rush Limbaugh as an American hero. Rush has provided the adrenaline to Buckley’s philosophy. Rush has provided the moral vindication for those of us who supported Reagan. Rush represents what the real American people think.

I first met Rush in 1993, 5 years after his syndicated radio show hit the road.

I watched TV shows like Crossfire and McNeil/Lehr. It was the only thing on. There was no internet (to speak of….huge congrats to Al Gore for inventing it). There was no Fox News. It was public television, local television, and network news.

I was watching something, but I don’t remember what. The guest was a conservative who was about to get a TV show. He said that there wouldn’t be any guests on his show, because the show was about what he thought. I thought, “who is this guy”? The conversation turned political and I found myself agreeing with everything this guy said. Again, I asked, like Marty McFly’s teenage mom in Back To The Future, “Who is that guy”? “I don’t know, but I’m gonna find out”.

I set the tape of my VCR for 2:30 in the morning, so I could tape Rush Limbaugh.

It’s crazy that the Rush phenomena occurred just before cable TV exploded. Rush was relegated to the worst time slots, often pre-empted for an out-of-service Indian in a compass picture. Rush got screwed on TV. Television program directors showed their true colors. Rush was undeniably popular. However, he was spurned to the worst time-slots so that people didn’t hear what he had to say. Ideology trumped truth, and ratings.

Rush said screw TV and went on with his radio show, which was always his passion. 20 million listeners a day have given Rush not only a loyal audience, but most recently a $400 million contract extension. Rush is the King of talk radio. Even Howard Stern needs to bow down.

Rush is right 99.7% of the time. The times he is wrong, are about as frequent as the times we change our own minds. Rush speaks for people who believe in human rights. Rush believes in the ability of anyone to achieve whatever he wants to achieve. Rush certainly did.

Rush Limbaugh is a great American and deserves our respect. Who doesn’t respect Rush Limbaugh? There are several, but are they better than him? How many people are better than Rush Limbaugh?

Mega Dittos. Long Live The King!

Can we use the "T" word yet?

The depths to which the Democrat party will sell out the American people in exchange for political power are unknown. They approach ever-greater depravities, yet there is no relief in sight. The Iraq War was expendable to the Democrats in 2006 and continues to be until this day, because losing there won elections here. The oil crisis is hurting the economy, which hurts President Bush, so it should lead to more election victories. Some day, Americans will say we’ve had enough.

The Democrats are wrong on the oil issue yet refuse to allow a vote. The leadership is beholden to environmental-cause money and stands by its sponsors, not its constituents. There is not one good cost/benefit analysis that justifies obstructing exploration.

The argument that it won’t help today is childish. Lots of things won’t help today but are good to do anyway. No one makes the argument that it won’t help eventually. If Congressional restrictions were lifted 10 years ago, this discussion wouldn’t be happening. Congressional restrictions have been in place for over 20 years.

Prices of oil dropped $16 per barrel in 3 days after President Bush rescinded the Executive Orders against oil exploration. This didn’t produce one acre of land for exploration, let alone one drop of oil. This was purely symbolic. However, the symbolism told the speculators that higher prices 5 years from now might not be a good bet. The drop in the futures price lowered the current price. How much would the futures price drop if Congress dropped its restrictions on exploration, thereby actually allowing actual oil companies to actually drill for real oil?

What is the downside to exploration? It might hurt the caribou, which will have to hop over a pipeline. Or it might hurt the polar bears, who snack on thrown-away Big Macs or fries instead of food they had to hunt. It might cause an Exxon-Valdez, which cost hundreds of millions. However, how much does additional exploration increase the chance of a major catastrophe? Maybe triple? If so, what are the odds of a catastrophe? Every off-shore oil rig survived Hurricane Katrina without a spill. There has only been one Exxon-Valdez. If the cost is a billion dollars, what is the benefit of $3 gas? The price of everything drops. Consumers save hundreds per household, which translates into a bit more than a billion dollars, looking at the nation as a whole.

Obstructing exploration is obstructing America.

The Iraq War has become a history lesson in slander. Politicians who supported certain positions radically reversed them and said it was lies that caused them to form their first opinion. However, in many cases these same politicians voiced similar beliefs in previous administrations and used the same source of “lies” that were used in this administration. The repetition of the real lies became a belief, and that belief eroded the cohesion of a nation.

The Iraq war went the way nobody predicted and nobody wanted. The beginning was beautiful. The Iraqi army was defeated in 3 weeks. However, the difficulty of the following mission was too much for some and the politicians jumped on it. When it became an obvious political winner, everybody jumped on it. Almost everybody that is. It was mainly Democrats that jumped on the bandwagon for defeat in Iraq. Some like Senator Lieberman held a firm line with his country, but most revolted to claim their political prize. Lieberman was voted out of the Democrat party.

The successes that occurred before the Surge were completely ignored. The successes afterward were suppressed as much as possible. Iraq is a safer place today for our soldiers than Afghanistan, which is supposed to be the war we all agree on fighting. Declaring a chance for victory is apparently not an option to some. Why? I understand that a Congressman wants to keep his job. We all do. However, even McCain risked his political future on supporting the US in Iraq. He would have rather lost an election (or unfortunately, a primary) than lose the war. Where do the Dems stand on that issue?

The Dems stand on gaining power. Whether it means losing a war or causing a recession, the Dems are in favor of misery if it gets them votes. Am I wrong? Why don’t the Dems allow a vote on drilling and why don’t the Dems recognize the success in Iraq?

Who isn’t expendable to a politician with ambition?

Is it Worth a War?

It really isn’t a question of whether the United States is going to fight a war against Iran. It’s a question of when. Should Iran be confronted before or after it gets nuclear weapons? The only reason to think the answer is after, is if you believe Iran won’t use its nuclear weapons offensively. That’s a big risk to take.

Iran has been at war with the United States for almost 30 years. Terrorist groups sponsored by Iran killed more Americans than any other set of groups until September 11th. Iranian weapons have killed more than 10% of our troops in Iraq. Iranian intervention in Iraq has killed an incalculable percentage of US soldiers. Iran is at war with the US.

The Iranians and most of their Muslim allies, have a seemingly unending supply of suicide bombers. There are countless people willing to strap TNT across their chests for the chance to kill a dozen or so infidels. How long is the line to kill a million people in Tel Aviv, London or New York?

The current regime of Iran, led by Ayatollah Khamenei and his mouthpiece President Ahmadinejad, openly profess their desire to destroy Israel. They believe in a religion that teaches Islamic Justice will be served upon the world only after a time of crisis for Islam. These guys want to start World War III.

The Iranian regime is not popular. The mullahs have killed and imprisoned tens of thousands of people. Some people think George Bush is overboard.

The resistance in Iran is about 90% of the population. There are divergent groups, but they all hate the mullahs. Post-Islamic Revolution Iran will be a much friendlier place than the current Iran. It will resemble the freed people of Eastern Europe after the Cold War more than the insurgency in Iraq. When the Revolutionary Guard loses control of security, the Islamic Revolution in Iran will be over.

This can happen before or after a million people die.

World War II, which killed 100 million people, could have been stopped with minimal casualties. The turning point was the occupation of the Rhineland. Hitler sent 3 brigades, less than a Division, into an area declared off-limits by the Versailles Treaty that ended World War I. The French had 40 Divisions in the general area and could have sent Hitlers’ forces running. Hitler gave his generals orders to retreat if the French army crossed the Rhine. The German High Command had plans to replace Hitler after his embarrassment in the Rhineland. Hitler said in his diary, “we would have run back to Germany with our tails between our legs”, referring to the German response if France had engaged the battle.

However, the French didn’t engage the battle and Hitler was emboldened. He referred to his enemies later in his diary as “little worms”. Hitler now knew his enemies wouldn’t stop him and proceeded to launch the war he predicted he would launch in his book. The rest is unfortunate history.

Iran has sent its signals. It supports the militias of Iraq, it harbors al-Qaeda leaders, it owns Hezbollah and it’s buying off Hamas. Iran controls Syrian politics and is increasingly influential in Lebanon. Iran wants to destroy Israel. It now surrounds Israel. If Iran gets a nuclear bomb, it will be detonated in Israel. Why should we wait for this to happen?

If your enemy says he want to kill you, you should probably believe him. Just to be safe. Iran has not hidden its intentions. Iran only lacks the capability to kill everyone on its list. Iran is getting very close to building nuclear weapons. Every country that went nuclear did so earlier than the “intelligence” industry thought it possible. The Intelligence estimates at this time are around 2-3 years. That may mean tomorrow.

If we don’t confront Iran now, why would we confront them after they successfully test a nuke? Iran would then own half of the Middle East. Iran would be in a position to own it all.

We’re at war whether we want to believe it or not. Iran is enemy number one. Iran can be defeated right now in a Gulf War type of battle, or it can be defeated later in a Dr. Strangelove type of battle.

Let’s just roll.

What War?

If it weren’t for the anti-war protesters occasionally making the news, I would probably forget there’s a war going on in Iraq. Reports from the mainstream media about the war have entirely disappeared off the radar. Since many of those who oppose the war insist on comparing Bush to Hitler, I can’t help but check out the news for myself. I’m a history buff and Hitler was an interesting guy. If Bush is his equivalent and I am witnessing history, I want to keep up to date.

Surprisingly, the US and its allies are kicking the crap out of the enemy. Every Sunni tribe has now sided with the Iraqi government. al-Qaeda In Iraq is now completely on the run. The Shiite militias have been confronted and have mostly either surrendered, fled, or died. The Surge worked.

The Sunni tribes of Anbar supported the Baath Party resistance early in the war. Plus, the tribes hosted al-Qaeda. Anbar appeared lost before the Surge. However, this time through the desert the Iraqis had enough soldiers to stay and maintain security. The US forces knocked the bad guys out and the Iraqi forces held the area. Now the US is building infrastructure in some areas that never had electricity. Plus, the US is recruiting locals for security duty. This provides jobs to military-aged men who are now keeping the bad guys out instead of joining them.

al-Qaeda In Iraq lost its luster long before the Surge, however there was little the Sunnis could do about it. The Sunnis invited al-Qaeda in as an ally against the occupation. However, al-Qaeda had more military power than the Baathist resistance and soon took over every area they were invited into. It wasn’t until the Surge that kicked them out until the Sunni sheiks could reclaim control of their tribes. The sheiks readily sided with the Iraqi government to maintain security in their region. al-Qaeda is no longer welcome anywhere in Iraq. Their last stronghold is in Mosul and when they flee from there, it is only villages and desert until the Iranian border. The battle for Mosul is currently in operation. I don’t recall hearing or seeing anything recently from the MSM.

The battle against the Shiite militias is important both militarily and politically. Unlike the Anbar operation, the Iraqis are leading the attack against the militias. The US serves only in a supporting role. This is meaningful to the Sunnis of Iraq who didn’t trust the Shiite-dominated government to crack down against the militias. The Shia death squads accounted for much of the violence over the last 5 years. There was a lot of payback due to the Sunni Baathists after 20 plus years of Sadaam Hussein.

The MSM drooled all over itself at the beginning of this operation in late March. The Iraqis sent in 15,000 troops to Basra and about 900 defected. The MSM immediately announced this battle a disaster. However, the defectors were infiltrators from the militias and of course went back to their own side. The 14,000 remaining Iraqi troops destroyed the militias in Basra. The militias surrendered and the Iraqis are now in control.

A similar battle is going on right now in Sadr City. This is the home base of the Mahdi Army, the largest Shiite militia and fully owned and paid for by Iran. The Mahdis may never be wholly destroyed, because their sponsor is out of reach. However, the elements that choose to remain and fight are getting killed. Where is the MSM?

There are other non-stories that get ignored in the larger War on Terror. Admiral Fallon stepped down recently as commander of Centcom. The reasons are hazy, but the rumor is that he disagreed with President Bush on Iran. Bush recommended General Petraeus, the architect of the Surge, as the next commander of Centcom. It’s good to have a leader that believes in the cause if you’re about to go to war.

An attack on Iran would not be reckless. It would be like hitting the hornet’s nest instead of swatting individual hornets. Iran is the leading sponsor of rebellion in Iraq and terrorism in the world. Iran wants nukes. Iran wants to destroy Israel first, then Europe, then the United States. This plan is not a secret.

The Iranian leadership is not like Hitler. Hitler was a man with a vision leading a cause. The mullahs of Iran are following an ideology. If Ahmadenijad were killed tomorrow, there would be an equally insane replacement readily available. It’s not about a specific man, it’s about a religion. The only way to change direction in Iran is to change its leadership. And there is only one way to do that.

There is a lot going on in the world today that will make history books, but doesn’t make the 6:00 news. Too bad. Maybe if something horrible happens to the US, the MSM will start reporting on the war again. If not, whatever. America is winning despite the hostile home crowd.

By the way, Bush isn’t like Hitler either.

Procrastination

“Get up on that hill and kill those Germans first! Then you can have some tea”. - British commander to his troops on the first wave of Normandy.

The Brits were tired after a long sea voyage and wanted to brew some tea on the beach before kicking the Germans off the beach. It’s a natural reaction. We all want to procrastinate.

It’s good to put off something unpleasant for as long as possible, or at least, reasonably affordable. Perhaps a cup of tea isn’t worth one’s life, even if preserving one’s life depends on the unpleasant task of killing others.

Maybe some of the Brits wanted to get killed on the beach. Or at least wounded. Some wanted to say F-YOU to the world, before going off to their possible demise. Some just may have thought that a cup of tea before a few hours of killing people would be a nice transition from the long trip. Regardless, everybody in that particular unit wanted to procrastinate for just a bit.

There is an unpleasant task ahead with Iran. We have been procrastinating for 30 years. Tea time is over. It’s time to get up on the hill.

Racist America

Is America a racist country? The only thing I find more ludicrous than this question, is an answer in the affirmative.

It could be argued that America was never a racist country, including the slavery days. It was about slaves, not blacks. Other than African slaves (mostly captured and sold by Muslims…for what it’s worth) there were indentured servants from Europe, who were mostly white. It was about money, not attitude. Regardless, the country changed a lot from the Civil War to the 1950’s. Many consider the pre-civil rights era of the 50’s a racist America. Probably not, at least not the country as a whole, but maybe so; regardless again, the country has changed a lot since the 50’s.

It is a big stretch to call the America of today a racist country. Maybe not everybody in America really, really loves everybody else, but anyone can make it in America easier than they can make it anywhere else.

As I prepare for the screech-fest that will soon become the campaign of Barrack Hussein Obama, I fully expect the Racist America card to come up again and again in an attempt to ignite White Guilt and bring people running to the salvation of the Obamessiah.

Professor Walter Williams wrote an excellent article recently on the importance of Jackie Robinson to the future of black athletes. Robinson was the first black player in the major leagues. A large amount of the country was rooting for him to fail. He received ridicule and torment from not only opposing fans and players, but fans and players from his own team. Had Jackie Robinson failed, he would have been known as the first black baseball player and it would have taken decades before he was no longer known as the last.

However, Jackie Robinson is in the Hall of Fame and the rest is history. (Go Dodgers!)

Barrack Hussein Obama is no Jackie Robinson. If he actually wins, he will be the last black candidate for most of our lifetimes. He is not ready for today’s world.

Obama’s problem is his ideas. Obama believes in things that are bad for America.

Obama wants to begin a pull-out of troops in Iraq on a timetable, regardless of results on the ground. The US has only conducted this strategy one other time, and it was the only time in the history of America that I can say I was not proud. (Regards to Michelle Obama for the metaphor). The United States abandoned its Vietnamese allies and allowed the Communists to win a huge victory, not to mention 2-3 million deaths of American allies. (As Joseph Stalin said, “One death is a tragedy. A million deaths is a statistic”.) Obama must have seen some light in that move, but I don’t.

Obama wants to raise taxes at the beginning of a recession. Has this ever worked? Does anyone remember the word “stagflation”? Reagan eventually allowed us to laugh at it, after cutting taxes, but it wasn’t funny at the time. Supply-side economics actually work.

Obama wants to nationalize health care. Just remember back to the last time you visited the doctor as the Good Old Days, as far as customer service goes. Also remember back to the days when you only paid 40% of your income on taxes. Free Health Care isn’t exactly free.

Obama doesn’t believe in one thing that has proven good for America. But he’s running to change America. He belittled rural conservative voters as bible-thumping, gun nuts who are embittered with the government. He may be partially right. If he brought his metro-sexual elitist friends around to take away somebody’s guns and bibles, they may just go home with more bullets than guns.

When America rejects Obama in the upcoming November general election, it won’t be because of race. Obama is a lightweight socialist, playing on a stage too big for him. America is looking for another Jackie Robinson. America needs a leader who can navigate through the messy leftovers of Communism and through the toxic waste of Islamo-Fascism. America needs another Willie Mays, not another Willie Horton.

Identity Politics

The Democrat primaries are both a little interesting and a little scary.

It’s interesting to watch the Democrats destroying each other over issues that don’t matter as far as qualifications for nominating a potential President of the United States. It’s scary watching Democrats destroying each other over issues that don’t matter as far as qualifications for nominating a potential President of the United States.

Hillary and Obama are ideological twins. They are both socialists that believe in government solutions to all problems. Both favor taxing the “wealthy”. Both favor government intervention into free markets. Both favor more spending, more regulations and more taxes. Neither differs from the other in any substantive way except for one: Identity. People who want to see a female President support Hillary. People who want to see a black President support Obama. That is the only substantive difference between them.

This would be cute except for the fact that both have bases that are fanatically supportive of their candidate. Each base is fanatical to the point that personal attacks are completely on-limits if it helps their candidate.

If you watch the news you will have noticed that the biggest issues over the last few weeks are Obama’s pastor and Hillary’s lies. Although these actually are important factors in determining a President, there is nothing further discussed. The degree to which Obama hates America is important, but his actual ideas should be brought up in every discussion. They are not. The fact that Hillary lies has been established long ago; dog bites man. Where are the issues of substance?

To any self-respecting socialist, either candidate is wonderful. However, the two bases are fighting to the death. Liberal hate-sites such as the Daily Kos or Huffington Post are full of venom from each side denouncing the other. Why? What would happen if conservative candidates were in the same position?

Let’s say the country was fortunate enough to have a female vs. black from the conservative side of the ideological spectrum. Suppose Ann Coulter was running for President against Thomas Sowell. Both are intellectual giants. Either would be fine for any real conservative. There would be nit-picking over minor differences, but no one who believes in capitalism, the Constitution or liberty would object to either. There would be very little venom. Almost none.

The Democrats are reaching the sad, inevitable, ending to the failed ideology they have come to embrace. Victimology, entitlement, and envy do not lead down the road to freedom and prosperity. It comes down to who is more black, who is more female, or who is more entitled to a position of power. Ideas are damned in the socialistic philosophy of the current Democrat party. It’s all about identity.

I hope for the best for my Democrat friends who have lost their way because American Idol is more interesting than Fox News. However, I hope for the worst for the socialists who created this situation.

I love watching a party that has come to hate its own country implode. But it scares me to see my fellow countrymen in such disarray.

It’s similar to watching Muslims, the ultimate occupant of the intellectual sewer, destroying each other over minor differences. Muslims kill more Muslims than all other religious groups combined. It is indeed interesting to watch Democrats kill Democrats.

PULL THE TROOPS OUT NOW!!!

Isn’t that what everyone should be screaming? Isn’t Iraq a disaster? Aren’t our troops being slaughtered?

Iraq is in better shape today than at any point under the rule of Sadaam Hussein. There is indeed violence, but it wasn’t exactly Mayberry when Sadaam was in charge.

al-Qaeda sent soldiers into Iraq to fight the Americans. General Petreaus was asked if Iraq was a breeding ground for terrorists. He replied, “Iraq is a burial ground for terrorists”.

The Surge worked. General Petreaus was the architect.

The defeatists at home still nit-pick about benchmarks and other bullshit, but the fact is that violence in Iraq is at a lower level than ever under the rule of Sadaam Hussein.

Sadaam murdered hundreds of thousands of his own people. He is gone and the world is a better place because he is gone. It was a correct decision to invade Iraq and remove Sadaam from power.

The remaining question is how many troops should remain in Iraq? The Green Zone is the safest place in the world. The soldiers defending Baghdad International Airport to the northern suburbs of Baghdad are the best in the world. The Green Zone is invincible. Do we bring these troops home?

The US soldiers in the forward operating bases of Iraq are now serving in support roles, instead of lead roles, for the Iraqi army. The Iraqi army has proven itself capable to take on any direct mission. The Iraqis have never lost a battle. Neither have their teachers.

The troop level in Iraq may be high, but it is working. It seems very likely that less will be required soon. al-Qaeda has gotten its ass kicked and the Iraqis will be able to control them. The Iraq war is won, but as John McCain said, we might still be there for 100 years.

We need a presence in the Middle East. Iraq has turned from an enemy into a friend. The United Nations might be pissed, but this was in the United States best interest.

Check the patriotism of your local war protester at the door.

Republican D-Day

A collection of my many random thoughts on the day Romney dropped out of the race, leaving the Republican nomination to McCain:


I don’t want to vote for him.

I might have to.

I absolutely want Obama to beat Hillary.

I would rather have Obama than McCain. Their only major difference is the war, which is huge, but Iraq is already won and Obama himself has committed to more troops in Afghanistan. (He even hinted that he might invade Pakistan).

Hillary must lose.

White men will determine whether or not Hillary wins. Hillary owns the female vote. Hussein, no I mean Osama, no I mean Obama owns the black vote. Obama gets the young vote, which includes young white females. Hillary doesn’t own all of the female vote nor all of the white vote. White males need to decide between the nigger or the bitch. (Excuse the political incorrectness, but rednecks and union workers actually think this way.)

Conservatives have been screwed.

The Republicans have left the conservatives.

Conservatives want Obama to win. It’s a big Eff-U! to the RINOs who betrayed us. Plus, it shows that the Dem’s vision of government may not be appropriate for today’s world.

White men really do need to decide who is the next president.

Hillary or Obama will beat McCain.

The Conservatives may need to form a new party.

What are the Republicans without the conservative base? Slugs.

Patriots, economists, businessmen, people who respect individual lives, love freedom, oppose tyranny…lots of etc…Who do these people vote for?

Who wants the Conservatives on their side?

Both parties may be realigning over the next few years. There are major splits in both parties. The Dems and Reps may be both headed for extinction. I think it will be the Republicans first.

Conservatives will not cave to party loyalty. The party has been fortunate to attract conservatives, up until this point.

The Democrat candidate will win the election.

Newt should run as a 3rd party candidate.

I hope the country survives the next 4 years. I know it will, but it will be in less capable hands than President Bush.