Climate Crap & Tax

I'll transcribe the relevant facts (which accounts for virtually the entire speech) as soon as possible...



I'll also post the "guru" of climate change info shortly. This is the same guy that said we were going into an ice age back in the '70s...........

Inhofe, addresses that ice age crap in the speech above...

Victicrat

Found on Michelle Malkin's RSS...

Alfonzo Rachel produces one of the coolest (and far more relevant) rap video's since Run-DMC remade (and revived Aerosmith's fizzling career) Walk This Way!



Tagged "Racism", if you can't figure out why then you did not watch the video...

Video's & Blogs

Don't mix...

Embed a video from YouTube or wherever: Something of relevance. Something important to our culture, our society, history. And then, a few weeks later *poof* the video is gone. Removed by the user or removed by the service. Napolitano's "apology" to veterans? Gone.

Well, save a local copy I guess.

Video-blogging is pointless it seems.

Rep. Michele Bachmann Independence Institute Speech

A wake up call speech deliver August 31^st in Denver presented by The Independence Institute. Yes, it will be worth your time to hear it in it's entirety...

The Independence Institute presents... Michele Bachmann

Jon Stewart Smacks Down Mainstream Media

Wha...? REALLY! I know it's unbelievable. He lets ACORN AND the media have it.

No really. I'm serious! Yes, THAT Jon Stewart. Oh just watch the video...

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
The Audacity of Hos
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Healthcare Protests

North American Union

Just a couple of links on the topic for future reference from the Council on Foreign Relations:

Building a North American Community
English PDF

Creating a North American Community: Chairmen’s Statement
English PDF

America: It Ain't No More Ok

My take on the current political/internet buzz:



I saw this yesterday on HotAir. Pretty sad no matter how you take it...

Honestly, I think the police officer just might have misspoke out of frustration & nervousness in front of the camera. But taking all of his statements together throughout the video like, "I can charge you whatever I want to charge you" didn't do anything to assuage the notion that this was politically motivated. I don't know. I can't read his mind, but I can form an opinion based on what he did and said...

The bigger question, (if the officer wasn't making up his own rules) who in the heck gave orders that folks could not carry signs (with or without pictures) on public property?!?! Every time I go to vote at my polling place, A PUBLIC SCHOOL, there are political signs (and guys telling me who to vote for) all over the place! Outside of course. Not inside...

If the protagonist was inside attending the meeting? I don't know, maybe they might be able to tell him "no signs at all" depending on whether it was a public or private event or whatever--maybe... But outside? Nope. No way... Not on public grounds.

It was freaky when that balding mustachioed guy--some kind of what? School administrator?--said (regarding First Amendment rights): "Actually school grounds have very different First Amendment rights then anywhere else." What the heck was that? What the heck does he mean by that?! Who was that guy? School employee or official? Yes? Then he definitely needs a school district smack-down for certain.

If someone actually gave "marching orders" to this officer to do this, who was it? Did the officer make the rules up himself? If he did, then he definitely should receive some kind of disciplinary action--up to firing. If he didn't and was just doing "as ordered", then whoever ordered him to do this should be held accountable as well.

If this is indicative of "making up the rules as we roll along" for the next three-plus years, it is not a good sign....

A White House Internet

It's back!

I was hoping this had died, but that is not the case.

Today's big tech news is the return of legislative proposals to grant the White House power over the Internet. The "ability" to shut down parts of the net in case of a "cyber-attack". Just how they think they would go about doing that would be interesting, but just the fact that they want that kind of power is telling.

It goes beyond that, they want power to regulate private networks. The EFF is not happy, rightly so. Speaking of, this isn't a left or right issue. This should be concerning to everyone.

CNET: Bill would give president emergency control of Internet
ZDNet: White House not equipped to hold keys to the Internet
FoxNews: Senate Bill Would Give President Emergency Control of Internet

Slashdot Denizens are (unsurprisingly) not pleased...

Excuse Me While I Take This Call

Totally unbelievable. "Shelia Jackson Lee answers her cell phone while a person in the audience is addressing her @ a townhall meeting here in Houston Texas on August 11th 2009"

Respect for the voice of the people... at least those on the phone anyway!

Informants & Thuggery

Old news by today's standards, but I will document it nevertheless:

The White House initiates a program for neighbors to rat out their friends, bloggers, e-mailers, etc. who are spreading "fishy" information about Obamacare:

There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov

Whatever! Can you say "illegal?" Can you say "enemies list?" The gall of this administration is amazing and appalling at the same time. Aww, what the heck "go flag yourself!"



In other news, a man outside a "health care town hall meeting" in St Louis is beaten by SEIU union members for handing out Don't Tread On Me materials...

It goes on and on, and it's getting ugly out there...

Gates / Crowley, Another Perspective

It is my opinion that President Obama is a narcissistic megalomaniac, as demonstrated by many documented actions & statements he has made—so I see this picture as symbolic of that.

Never mind all that though. Let's look at the positive side this picture captures: Crowley, the officer charged with being a racist, is assisting the very man who makes this accusation against him (and has made against Police Officers in general).

"Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you..."

People Are People

I think most sane people in the world want the same things in life, especially for their kids: freedom, hope, happiness, success, a future...

Damn Ahmadinejad & the "ruling" mullahs of Iran. They hate us. They hate Israel. They hate & kill their own people...

They can't hide the truth. The question is, does the rest of the world care?

Iranian Election Crisis Videos

We should... We better...

I don't want to take anything away from the courage of the Iranian election protestors in the face of the terrible oppression they are suffering, but we should take heed: Our own Department of Defense is being trained to consider those here in the US who participate in political protest as "low-level" terrorists. You tell me what that means... I guess you'd better keep away from those anti-tax "Tea Parties" if you know what's good for you. You do not want to end up on THE LIST.

On Climate Change

A really interesting post on cincinnatusblog.com entitled Climate Change – An Explosive Mixture of Science, Politics and Economics. It's really very good, in my opinion. The author reflects upon the scientific method as it applies to climatology, CO₂ & water vapor as greenhouse gases, Global Warming & Politics/Economics, etc.

His concluding paragraph is very much in line with my thinking. There he lists an immediate need that we could actually remedy—all that TARP money could solve that problem now!

Your Part To Play

President Obama has called upon all Americans to sacrifice, to do their part (in just what ways we have to wonder). So congratulations you've done a lot already but probably haven't felt the effects just yet.

The average national debt burden has risen an additional $55,000 per household in the US this year alone. Your household share now comes in at $546,668—so reports USA Today.

For what it's worth, The U.S National Debt Clock reports (as of today) that the national debt burden for each and every American (based upon the estimated population) is $36,970.86.

I'd start saving now I guess, but it goes up every single day. I'll need to get a couple of extra jobs to do my part I guess. You too... All of us...

Moral Tyranny

So fitting for the direction our so-called leaders are heading the country. From an essay by the brilliant C. S. Lewis¹:

Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of it victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.

At least, they claim what they are doing is for our own good. That they are just looking out for us. You have to wonder though: Moral tyrants, robber baron's or both?

¹ Lewis, C. S. "The Humanitarian Theory of Punishment." God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics. Ed. Walter Hooper. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1994. 292

33 Minutes or Less

In the face of North Korea's brazen nuclear and missile tests, is there any sane argument against continuing to ramp up our missile defense system—instead of decimating them with budget cuts. Do the right thing Congress & President Obama—Provide For The Common Defense!

If you haven't seen it, check out the trailer to 33 Minutes at Heritage.

MAD (Mutual Armed Destruction) worked when it was just us & the USSR facing each other down. These days nuclear proliferation isn't going to stop just because we speak kindly to other nations or want to wish it away. A rogue state with a single nuclear warhead, just one, would be enough (as they say) to hold the world hostage.

When policy & diplomacy fails and a nuclear ballistic missile is suddenly headed our way, either we stop it or life in America will never be the same again.

Why in the world would we throw out this important technology, that has cost billions to develop even as the world gets more dangerous every day. Kim Jong Il, Ahmadinejad, Chavez, Putin and all the rest of them are just dying to see what Obama is NOT going to do about these threats...

Relevant Links:
North Korea’s Nuclear Challenge
A Fast Way to Lose the Arms Race

Supreme Court Nominee: Sonia Sotomayor

Duke Law School 2005:

"All of the legal defense funds out there, they are looking for people with court of appeals experience because the court of appeals is where policy is made. And I know this is on tape and I should never say that because we don't make law. I know. Okay, I know. I'm not promoting it. I'm not advocating it. I know."

Well, at least she's being honest about legislating from the bench...

European Socialist Utopias

If they only knew how they manage to survive... they would surely keel over if they realized it was America's "fault."

The great unspoken truth? Somewhere right now, a US ship, an American soldier, a circling F-16 keep the Russians honest, the fear in al Qaeda, the Straits of Hormuz open, the commerce of the Mediterranean safe–unknown, unappreciated to the mass of European utopian citizenry—whose cultural ancestry made us Americans what we are.

—Victor Davis Hanson, Euroamericans? Is That What We Aspire To?

Irony

Everything You Read On The Internet Is True!

Irish student hoaxes world's media with fake quote

When Dublin university student Shane Fitzgerald posted a poetic but phony quote on Wikipedia, he said he was testing how our globalized, increasingly Internet-dependent media was upholding accuracy and accountability in an age of instant news.

His report card: Wikipedia passed. Journalism flunked.

The sociology major's made-up quote — which he added to the Wikipedia page of Maurice Jarre hours after the French composer's death March 28 — flew straight on to dozens of U.S. blogs and newspaper Web sites in Britain, Australia and India.

Surprised? Why? How many thousands of e-mails have you gotten with misattributed or just plain fake quotations in them?

Faces of Governmental Healthcare

Check it out:

Faces of Governmental Heatlthcare

Before Congress considers any form of government-run health care, they should hear the voices of patients denied care because the government deemed it too costly or delayed care because of long waiting lists for surgery or diagnostic tests.

Any serious discussion of health care reform that does not include choice, competition, accountability and responsibility — the four "pillars" of patients' rights — will result in our government truly becoming a "nanny-state," making decisions based on what is best for society and government rather than individuals deciding what is best for each of us.

Bank Stress Test

The Washington Post writes:

The government signaled yesterday that its financial rescue efforts may have reached their high-water mark, announcing that the much-anticipated "stress tests" of 19 large banks showed that only one, GMAC, was likely to need additional taxpayer aid and that it would begin to unwind assistance for the healthiest firms.

That is welcome news, but the threat of nationalization still hang over our biggest financial institutions:

The government's demand that 10 of the banks raise billions in common equity creates a virtual referendum on nationalization. The banks have six months to persuade private investors to buy new shares of their common stock, or else the firms could be forced to grant the Treasury a voting ownership stake.

Mixed news is better then bad news.

No Time Like The Present

Time to socialize, and I'm not talking about throwing a party.

Dick Morris wrote an excellent article on something that is probably not getting very much attention: A final step in our mad dash to radically and fundamentally change American government & economics forever.

The Obama administration is "considering" converting the preferred stock the government holds in nearly every major bank & financial institution into common stock. Stock they "bought" with TARP money.

What does this mean?

"Preferred" [stock] means that these stockholders get the first crack at dividends, but only common stockholders can actually vote on company management or policy. Now, by changing this fundamental element of the TARP plan, Obama will give Washington a voting majority among the common stockholders of these banks and other financial institutions. The almost 500 companies receiving TARP money will be, in effect, run by Washington.

And whoever controls the banks controls the credit and, therefore, the economy. That’s called socialism.

Read the article, watch it happen.

Cap and Trade Revealed

A democrat reveals the truth about Cap and Trade:

"Nobody in this country realizes that cap-and-trade is a tax—and it's a great big one," Rep. John Dingell (D-Michigan), Friday April 24, 2009.

Little By Little

No worries?

Circa. 1960's Nikita Khrushchev, leader of the USSR¹ predicted the overthrow of America without the need to fire a single shot. We would be fed socialism little by little until it was too late.



I don't think it's too late, but I think it's no time for apathy...

¹ For those too young to remember the Cold War: The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or USSR was the communist nation bent on the destruction of America and it's way of life until it's collapse in 1991. For my money, Vladimir Putin (Russian Prime Minister and former member of the KGB) is more then ready for the resurgence of communism and Russian world dominance, but what do I know?

"November Revolution"

Here another article by John Griffing, America's 'November Revolution' (April 19, 2009). It is so succinct I hesitate to even bother commenting—you should just read his piece.

He outlines most of the major power grabs and gyrations towards socialism perpetrated by the BHO administration within the last few months. BHO's intentions were always clear, and he defined them himself all along the campaign trail, but I guess not enough paid attention to what he was saying—or worse, they didn't care.

We should not be surprised by any of this. What is surprising however (as the article mentions) is just how fast they are moving!! I would not be shocked to see all of his major leftist-socialist agenda 'reforms' in place by the end of the year.

Salient points from the article:

• BHO capitalizes on the executive powers expanded during the Bush administration
• BHO "[manipulates] domestic events... creating artificial crises to enhance his own power"
• BHO seeks to "cement" American's dependence upon Government economically (which touches just about every other aspect of your life)
• BHO intends to establish "...a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded [as the military]."
• BHO intends to virtually repeal the 2nd Amendment and reinstate the so-called "Clinton Assault Weapons Ban"
• BHO intends to gain the power to "shut off" the internet at will in the interest of national safety. S.733 Cybersecurity Act of 2009
  
• Now there is control! Goods & services would grind to a halt instantly! We rely upon computers and networks so much it truly is frightening what would happen if they couldn't "talk" to each other all of a sudden. There is also a measure under consideration [it may be in the same bill] to give the Government power over private networks in the name of security. This is a very bad thing...
  
• On and on and on... read the article
• The Orwellian section on "education" towards the end is especially disturbing to me. It could be considered over the top except for this creepy video, and other incidents...
  

Comparative Effectivenes: How much are you worth?

Nationalizing Life and Death, March 8,2009, John Griffing points out that:

Hidden deep in the stimulus bill is a Trojan horse like no other. I am not speaking of pork. A scheme more dastardly would have been hard to concoct. With the passage of this bill, the US government is now empowered to "ration" healthcare. That means, to treat or not to treat is now a government question.

Within the bill is a line that would sentence millions of people to death:

In addition, $400,000,000 shall be available...to accelerate the development and dissemination of research assessing the comparative effectiveness of health care treatments and strategies, including through efforts that: (1) conduct, support, or synthesize research that compares the clinical outcomes, effectiveness, and appropriateness of items, services, and procedures that are used to prevent, diagnose, or treat diseases, disorders, and other health conditions

For those that don't speak draconian, "comparative effectiveness" means that the cost of an individual's treatment will be divided by the number of years they are likely to benefit. If your treatment is too "costly" you will be thrown out with the bathwater. No country for old men. The bill also created the "Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research" to make comparative effectiveness decisions. Only 20 years after winning the Cold War we are adopting central planning as our preferred model. Only, instead of determining the number of toothbrushes, this committee will determine the value of someone's life. How ironic.

"Trust but verify," as Reagan has been quoted saying during the Cold War. So I followed his advice and checked it out...

Sure enough, it's up for plain sight on the Health & Human Services website:

Comparative Effectiveness Research Funding

Well, I know at least one person that might be intrigued to know that we will have a board meeting to make cost effectiveness analysis on providing health care for us. I can tell you though, it isn't me.

Welcome to socialized medicine. Do yourself a favor, stop growing older...

It's Official, Cap and Trade On It's Way

The EPA has reversed it's position on CO₂.

After all these years of simply being an innocuous part of the atmosphere, the EPA has decided that carbon dioxide has suddenly somehow become a pollutant and therefore the EPA has the POWER to regulate it. (You should now cease all breathing until you obtain a government permit).

The US government is to regulate carbon dioxide emissions, having decided that it and five other greenhouse gases may endanger human health and well-being.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the move following a review of the scientific evidence.

The decision marks a major change from the Bush presidency, when the EPA argued it could not regulate CO2 because the gas was not a pollutant.

The BBC article goes on to enumerate the dangers of this dreaded gas. EPA CO₂ endangerment findings:

• an increased risk of droughts and floods
• sea level rise
• more intense storms and heatwaves
• harm to water supplies, agriculture and wildlife

Ms Jackson concluded that these impacts would fall disproportionately on people who were poor or in ill health, and on indigenous groups.

By determining CO₂ to be hazardous (indirectly?) the EPA has granted itself POWER to regulate this national security threat¹:

"Carbon-cutting legislation is being proposed in Congress, but the EPA decision - known as an "endangerment finding" - will allow the agency to mandate some cuts without waiting for the draft bills to become law." [emphasis mine]

Let's cut to the chase. This is simply an Obama administration power grab.

They can proceed to implement their agressive "climate change" agenda without waiting for legislation. BHO's promise to bankrupt coal companies with "cap & trade" limits is now well on it's way to fulfillment.

What is "cap & trade" and why should you care?

These measures... set a limit, or cap, on carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel use. The effect of such a cap would be to impose rationing of coal, oil, and natural gas on the American economy. Each covered utility, oil company, and manufacturing facility would be given allowances based on past emissions or some other formula. Those companies that emit less carbon dioxide than permitted by their allowances could sell the excess to those that do not; this is the trade part of cap and trade. Over time, the cap would be ratcheted down, requiring greater cuts in emissions...

...limiting the supply of fossil fuels... would raise the cost of energy. For consumers, cap and trade means more expensive gasoline and electricity as well as net job losses in energy-dependent sectors.... the Congressional Budget Office has noted, such energy cost increases act as a regressive tax on the poor...

...Cap and trade bills are nothing short of a government re-engineering of the American economy... [and] would put the nation on a path of serious economic harm not justified by any benefits. --Beware of Cap and Trade Climate Bills [emphasis mine]

Cap & Trade is an indirect form of taxation and will harm not only industry but individuals economically. The BBC article cited above mentions that, "The EPA's decision now goes out to public consultation. The agency says it will 'conduct an appropriate process and consider stakeholder input' before imposing restrictions on any part of the economy."

Don't count on public scrutiny slowing down the BHO climate change juggernaut, it's probably just a smoke screen.

And don't forget, stop breathing until told to do so. You might have already reached your exhale quota for the day.

¹ The EPA quoted a 2007 report by a group of retired generals and admirals who said that climate change presented "national security challenges" for the US.

DHS: Rightwing Extremist Threat

First Missouri began watching out for you psychos with your Ron Paul for President bumper stickers with their report The Modern Militia Movement. Now the Federal Government has gotten into the act.

You're probably on a Department of Homeland Security list somewhere if you meet the following criteria:

• Armed Forces Veteran returning home from Iraq & Afghanistan = Possible terrorist.
• Against new firearms restriction laws = Possible terrorist.
• Purchasing guns or stocking up on ammo (because it is so dang hard to find these days) = Possible terrorist.
• Expressing dissent against turning America into a socialist regime = Possible terrorist.
• (I'll add this due to the timing of the report) Attend one of the Tax Day Tea Parties = Possible terrorist.
• Conservative = Possible terrorist.
  

Read it for yourself: Rightwing Extremism Report

Frankly, these reports are a travesty and show just how quickly we are slipping down a dark road. The Missouri report smacks of profiling, intimidation and censorship. The DHS memo is more of the same and a complete slap in the face to anyone who has served our country in the Armed Forces.

Here DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano DOES NOT apologize:



And, to add insult to injury: according to the Wall Street Journal, the FBI has been actively focusing on veterans as possible domestic terrorist threats as far back as the last weeks of the Bush administration.

The FBI documents show the bureau was working with investigators inside the nation's uniformed services "in an effort to identify those current or former soldiers who pose a domestic terrorism threat." The other agencies working with the FBI are the U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

Tax Protest, San Antonio Style

I didn't get to go (as I mentioned that I wouldn't previously), but by all accounts it looks like the message got out loud, clear, peacefully, and successfully. I don't care what political party you advocate, I think the fact is clear that folks in San Antonio and across the nation are demanding that taxation come with proper and responsible representation.

The government works for us, we do not work for them. Apparently they forgot that fact somewhere along the way. Hopefully here's a wake up call...

San Antonio Tea Party: Don't Tread On Me

The San Antonio Tax Day Tea Party

Too bad I won't be able to attend. :-(




When: April 15, 2009
What Time: 6:00 PM
Where: The Alamo of course! You knew that didn't you?

Ted Nugent will open with the National Anthem and Glen Beck will provide the opening address.

Real Texans are NOT just going to roll over and finance Obama's socialism programs without a fight.

"Cloward-Piven Strategy" & Obama

A friend showed me the article "Barack Obama and the Strategy of Manufactured Crisis" posted on American Thinker.

I found out that this is actually part two of a three part series. The author, Jim Simpson has put forth quite an effort to make his case.

Take a moment and ask yourself (as the author puts it): "Why does virtually every liberal scheme result in ever-increasing public spending while conditions seem to get continually worse?"

Mr. Simpson answers, "I submit to you that it is not a mistake, the failure is deliberate!"

But why?

I am giving away the "punchline" in Part I, but here it is anyway:

There is a method to the madness, and the method even has a name: the Cloward-Piven Strategy. It was first elucidated in the 1960s by a pair of radical leftist Columbia University professors, Richard Andrew Cloward and Frances Fox Piven:

The strategy of forcing political change through orchestrated crisis… …the "Cloward-Piven Strategy" seeks to hasten the fall of capitalism by overloading the government bureaucracy with a flood of impossible demands, thus pushing society into crisis and economic collapse. [emphasis mine]

It's a totally perverse concept, but apparently it became quite popular when it was published in The Nation magazine in 1966 under the title A Strategy to End Poverty, selling "an unprecedented 30,000 reprints." I have tried to find a copy of the article on the internet but haven't been able to yet. The article¹ is available for purchase at The Nation magazine website, or you can simply view it online.

DISCOVERTHENETWORKS.ORG provides the following summary:

...Poor people can advance only when "the rest of society is afraid of them," Cloward told The New York Times on September 27, 1970. Rather than placating the poor with government hand-outs, wrote Cloward and Piven, activists should work to sabotage and destroy the welfare system; the collapse of the welfare state would ignite a political and financial crisis that would rock the nation; poor people would rise in revolt; only then would "the rest of society" accept their demands.

The key to sparking this rebellion would be to expose the inadequacy of the welfare state. Cloward-Piven's early promoters cited radical organizer Saul Alinsky as their inspiration. "Make the enemy live up to their (sic) own book of rules," Alinsky wrote in his 1972 book Rules for Radicals. When pressed to honor every word of every law and statute, every Judaeo-Christian moral tenet, and every implicit promise of the liberal social contract, human agencies inevitably fall short. The system's failure to "live up" to its rule book can then be used to discredit it altogether, and to replace the capitalist "rule book" with a socialist one. [emphasis mine]

Sabotage the very entitlement programs you have put in place to "help" the poor so that they will rise up against the rest of society in riot & rebellion?!

Talk about audacity!! This "strategy" is utterly outrageous in it's total contempt not only for the American way of life but for the entire citizenry of the nation as well! Creating a false sense of hope for the poorest among us with programs designed to fail in order to goad them into insurrection?! All to achieve the socialist dreams of a select oligarchy?! I can only say that this concept is utterly despicable and entirely treasonous in it's very nature. Where do these elitist so-called intellectuals come up with this stuff? Unbelievable...

Read the Cloward-Piven Series articles linked below...

Is Mr. Simpson correct in his assertions? Can President Obama really be involved in the process of implementing such a radical agenda or is this conspiracy theory run amok?

One thing is certain, whether or not Simpson's allegations regarding Obama are correct, the nation is certainly facing a number of simultaneous (real or perceived) "crisis" situations.

Whether occurring by design or unhappy chance, the potential for the abuse of political power in responding to these situations remains ever present. These crises present opportunities to advance political agendas that might otherwise never have seen the light of day².

The manner in which these issues have been met thus far has (and will) cost trillions of dollars. These moves have concentrated unprecedented powers over the private sector into the hands of the Federal government. The astronomical costs incurred by these responses will almost certainly strain our governmental resources beyond the breaking point. Cloward/Piven may get what they wanted after all...

A very short list of current (real or perceived) challenges and corresponding systemic strain:

• Deficit Spending / National Debt
• Massive Increases in Budget Deficits & the National Debt in very short order
  
• Funding Crisis
• Monetizing Debt (printing money) to pay for new programs & bailouts which will ultimately lead to hyperinflation
  
• Lack of confidence in the dollar as the currency standard globally
• Increased wariness of foreign countries to continue financing US debt
  
• Lending Industry Crisis
• Bailout Spending
• Socializing banking industry
  
• Auto Industry Crisis
• Bailout Spending
• Socializing Auto Industry
  
• Health Care Crisis
• Universal Coverage Spending
• Socializing Health Care Industry
  
• Global Warming / Climate Change Crisis
• "Cap & Trade" and/or CO₂ Tax
• Immigration Crisis
• Various possible (positive or negative) ramifications ahead
  
• Foreign Policy Crisis
• Increased Geopolitical Instability
• Increased danger to America & allies
• Loss of credibility that we will respond to national security threats encourages rogue nations to proceed with their nuclear ambitions without fear of reprisal, etc.
  

The Complete Cloward-Piven Series

The Cloward-Piven Strategy, Part I: Manufactured Crisis

The Cloward-Piven Strategy, Part II: Barack Obama and the Strategy of Manufactured Crisis

The Cloward-Piven Strategy, Part III: Conspiracy of the Lemmings


¹ The Nation, May 2,1966, A Strategy to End Poverty

Abstract:
The article focuses on a strategy which affords the basis for a convergence of civil rights organizations, militant anti-poverty groups and the poor. If this strategy were implemented, a political crisis would result that could lead to legislation for a guaranteed annual income and thus an end to poverty. The distribution of public assistance has been a local and state responsibility, and that accounts in large part for the abysmal character of welfare practices. Despite the growing involvement of federal agencies in supervisory and reimbursement arrangements, state and local community forces are still decisive.

² "Never let a serious crisis go to waste. What I mean by that is it's an opportunity to do things you couldn't do before."—Rahm Emanuel, White House Chief of Staff, November 2008

Updated 28-Oct-2010: Article reprint link is broken, but it can be viewed on-line (which is much better!). See: The Weight of the Poor: A Strategy to End Poverty

Mr. Jefferson

Seen on Michelle Malkin's blog. Too good to pass up...

Repealing The Stimulus

Good news! Really good news! If only it had a chance of becoming a reality...

House Republicans are calling for a repeal of the economic stimulus debacle beginning 2010. They are also advocating the option for citizens to pay a flat tax!!! Yes!

"Individuals earning $50,000 or less, and couples earning $100,000 or less, would be taxed at 10 percent. The rate for income above $100,000 would be 25 percent."

Sign me up!

By Executive Order...

A quick take on the socialized medicine agenda that President Obama continues to push. You know the old cliche, "Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it." Just look at GM for example. They got their government bailout cash, and then President Obama fires their CEO!!

Since when does the government, the US President get to fire private citizens in publicly traded or privately owned companies?!

When those companies beg for, and get government cheese I guess...

So you want free health care coverage for all? How are you going to feel when you get it? Elated? Relieved? Dismayed? I think maybe dismayed.

Why? Well, it's obvious isn't it? Just as in GM, once you've accepted the government cheese, the government owns you.

Under the direction of the executive branch of our great federal government, the Dept. of Health & Human Services will now have power over just about everything you do in your life: You will be told what you can & cannot eat. How much you will have to sleep. How much you can or cannot weigh. How much exercise you will be required to enjoy. What medicines you can and cannot receive. What treatments you will or will not be provided. When you can receive said treatments (if at all). On and on...

Say good bye to fried foods fatty!

Time To Put A Ban On Bans!

Enough is enough is enough!

See the following, an e-mail from my sister:

You might want to start stocking up on dishwasher detergent.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090328/ap_on_re_us/bootleg_detergent

Right now this is just in Spokane, but the article says: "A bill on Capitol Hill would impose a nationwide ban." First light bulbs that don't light up and now dishwasher soap that doesn't clean- all to save the environment.

You know it is interesting... I've been listening to Atlas Shrugged on CD. In this book (which was written in the 1950's I think), the government makes all kinds of outrageous laws which end up destroying the economy all in the name of "fairness." Our government today is making all kinds of outrageous laws all in the name of the environment. They think they are protecting the environment by banning dishwasher detergents with phosphates, but think of all the pollution caused by people traveling out of state to get detergents that actually work? Same with the light bulbs- sure they use less electricity, but they are also leaking mercury into our landfills. We are so in need of some common sense!

EMP: "Weapon of Mass Disruption"

Electromagnetic Pulse...

A very real and credible threat to our national security. No, let me rephrase that, a very real and credible threat to our entire way of life. Hyperbole? Research it and judge for yourself! See the links below and/or simply Google Electromagnetic Pulse.

Electromagnetic Pulse destroys electronics. Detonate a device that disperses an EMP across a large enough section of the country and *poof* we are in serious trouble. The car won't start. The lights are off. The TV won't work. And (dare I say it) cell phones & computers are fried. You can see that this would make for a very bad day...

If a nation (Iran or North Korea for instance) can lauch a satellite into space, they can potentially launch an EMP strike against us: "A nuclear weapon with a burst height of approximately 100 kilometers could expose objects located within an area 725 miles in diameter to the [devastating] effects of EMP." [Heritage]

"...it would take only one to three weapons exploding above the continental United States to wipe out our entire grid and transportation network. It might take years to recover from, if ever." [Newsmax]

For all the really fun details check out the government's EMP threat assessment at the Internet Archive.

The relevant links:

Newsmax: Newt Gingrich: A Single Nuke Could Destroy America

Heritage Foundation: Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack: A Preventable Homeland Security Catastrophe

Internet Archive: The report of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States From Electromagnetic Pulse Attack

This is a threat that we should not ignore, particularly as rouge nations become more adept in developing their missile technologies. Maybe we aren't so afraid if they get hold of one or two little nukes, but then maybe we should be. I for one would rather not be thrown back into the 1800's. How many of us would last a week in that environment?

Can anyone say "missile defense?"

Rethinking rcodex

I'm changing the name. Reflexive isn't right. The blog may be self-referential at times, but it's obvious that blogs (web logs) have always been used to reflect life outside of itself.

Reflexive sounds cooler then Reflective, but it just doesn't fit. Besides, I am only replacing one letter with two in the word! Ha!

I annoy my family and friends with many of my opinions on world affairs via e-mail, now I'll just start using this blog to annoy everyone else with the same. As our current President would advise, I'm sharing the wealth.