Broke

My Mom left her copy of Glenn Beck's Broke with me. It just reconfirmed what I've already known, although I don't think I was clear on the magnitude of just how broke we really are as a nation. No holds barred, this book. It doesn't matter if you have an R or a D after your name. If a President had part in the financial crisis (that's too tame a word for it, but it will have to do) that we find ourselves in; well he doesn't give them (or us for letting it happen) a pass regardless of affiliation. Rightfully so. I've always said the Reps & Dems were just two sides of the same coin. And thus it is.

I really had a lot of disdain for George W. Bush's policies. He was definitely not a fiscal conservative. I was furious at the end of his term when he bailed out the financial industry from the disasters they had heaped upon themselves--private gains & public losses, a win either way for them, what a sweet deal, huh? Abandoning free market principles to save the free market. What drivel. Obama took that ball and ran with it, and were I in his shoes and held his worldview, I would have done the same--it was a free pass, and he is riding that wave to extreme. Maybe the shift in congressional power can slow him down.

Well, as I say, Beck doesn't hold back and it turns out that GW spent more, ran up more deficits, expanded more entitlements, and enacted more regulations then Clinton (and modern predecessors) ever dreamed of doing! That was an eye opener. I new it was bad, but that bad? TARP was his capstone.

I think only Obama has outdone him in fiscal recklessness in modern times. You will hear no defense of W from me.

I could go on & on regarding suspicions & statements I have made in conversations over the years that square with the research Beck demonstrates in his book. I told my mother, "It's just so sad." And worse, they all know know it. All of them--Presidents, Congress, even some of us who follow these things. They know what's been done in the past. They know what they have done. They know what it means. They cover it up. They have no will to fix any of it. They change their tunes with the change in public mood. Democrat. Republican. From Woodrow Wilson on, there have been precious few who have been willing to take a stand against doomed "progressive" policies and exorbitant, unconstitutional spending we could not afford. I can't believe the U.S. still has a AAA credit rating per S&P. I have the sneaking suspicion that this is mostly artificial. A ratings drop would precipitate market panic world-wide. These artificial props, like the "hidden tax" QE2 recently rammed through the day after election day; they can't last. The music has to be faced at some point. It's going to hurt, really REALLY bad but we need Statesman / Leaders willing to make the tough choices now or we will suffer worse & longer we procrastinate...

What's the answer? Well, as I said with the Bush bailout, (and again) take the pain in the short-term to avoid the worse and longer term economic suffering in the future... but no one has the stomach for it. From politicians on down to the individual--we don't have the national will to take on the challenge. At least I don't see any indicators that we will. The longer we wait to make the very hard decisions to right the ship, the more it will hurt us all in this generation and beyond. Enforce a real cap on the debt ceiling. Force the government to live within it's means--no loopholes for any programs. We have to start somewhere. Stop monetizing the debt. That is a cycle without end, it will amass the ire of the rest of the world and lead to currency / trade wars or worse if it continues. I fear that as with other "empires" in the past we are just this side of moving from hubris excesses into the assured self-destructive implosion of Ate...

Cloward's & Piven's strategy has already panned out. They won. The government entitlement programs have ALREADY overwhelmed it. It hasn't collapsed yet because a) we are artificially propping it up and b) the rest of the world markets are scared to death of an American bankruptcy...

Cloward-Piven Strategy Article Found!

A while back, I wrote about the so-called Cloward-Piven Strategy. The concept is outlined in an article entitled "The Weight of the Poor: A Strategy to End Poverty" published in The Nation magazine, May 2^nd 1966.

Basically the idea is to overwhelm welfare & entitlement programs by getting as many people as possible enrolled in them. When the government cannot meet the entitlement demands of the masses, the system collapses. As the "political crisis" deepens, the theory is that the federal government will be forced to implement a socialist agenda which includes a "guaranteed income" for all through the redistribution of wealth:

"A federal program of income redistribution has become necessary to elevate the poor en masse from poverty... The ultimate aim of this strategy is a new program for direct income [re]distribution."

Apparently, it was the best-selling issue of the magazine ever.

I initially wrote that I could not find the article, but later I found a link where you could buy a reprint. Actually, The Nation magazine has the article in it's entirety posted on their website¹:

The Weight of the Poor: A Strategy to End Poverty

Or if you prefer, it is also available formatted for printing.

If you would like to view the article in it's original format, Google clowardpiven.pdf. Links I found: here & here.

Articles abound linking this agenda to President Obama & his willing cohorts in the legislative branch.

Increases in entitlement programs & governmental spending across the board—stressing already long-eroded governmental resources—will certainly keeps us on the path to bring about the Cloward-Piven "political crisis". A crisis of such magnitude that even they could not have imagined.

¹ How it is possible that I could not find the article link previously is a mystery to me. Did Google let me down, or did The Nation website become more amenable to searching? The really funny thing is, I can't find a link to order the reprint anymore!

American Thinker: It's the Constitution that's Radicalizing Our Politicians

American Thinker: It's the Constitution that's Radicalizing Our Politicians

This is a very interesting take on the state of the legislature of the United States. Repeal the 17th Amendment (good luck) and return to Article I Section 3. Get real representation for the interests of each State instead of having BOTH Houses pandering to the masses. Bring balance back.

He's right. If we don't, it's going to be a ping-pong match of ruling parties. Your out, I'm in. I'm in, now you're out. Over & over again...

See www.restorefederalism.org

It makes sense that this should be a non-partisan organization. If the goal were achieved it would be beneficial to the country and keep the radicals of all stripes at bay.

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...

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

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!

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

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.