Monday, April 30, 2012

I am the "One Percent"!

I am the “One Percent”
Robert A. Hall

There is a lot of talk about how the “One Percent” is different from the “99 Percent.” I think that’s true, but I also think almost everyone is in the “One Percent,” depending on criteria. There are a lot of ways to get in the One Percent besides income.

Here’s what puts me in the One Percent:

  • I volunteered for the Marines while still in High School, and went to Parris Island boot camp in August of 1964. I still recall vividly the names of my DIs, and appreciate the great life I’ve had because of the discipline they gave me. I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.
  • I’m bowlegged, which attracted unfavorable comment from my Senior DI more than once.
  • The Marines sent me to electronics school in San Diego in 1965, which doubtless saved my life, because I wanted infantry. I finished second in my class, and was a pretty good radio relay operator. But though I was smart enough, I wasn’t a great tech—detailed hand work is not my thing. Buddies I beat on tests were far better in the shop than I was.
  • In 1966, my arty outfit was slated for a six-month cruise in the Caribbean. We weren’t fighting Communists there, so I volunteered for Vietnam. And I was very lucky to have a fairly easy tour. But I don’t play video games like Call to Duty. Most of the players would wet their panties if they heard real metal buzzing overhead.
  • The Marines sent me to NCO school on Okinawa, and I finished first in a class of 57. Army soldiers finished second and third, so the Marines were pretty happy with me. At least until the next time I opened my mouth at the wrong time.
  • I served for four years with honor, if not distinction, earning no Purple Hearts or medals beyond a Good Conduct, and was discharged with the rank of Corporal.
  • When people thank me for my service, I say, “It was the privilege of a lifetime to wear the uniform of the Republic.” And I mean every word.
  • I attended college on the GI Bill (which I think I earned as part of my compensation for my USMC service). I also worked all but one semester 20-36 hours a week, usually carrying more than a full load, and getting mostly As or Bs. I finished college with no debt. I served in student government for three of the four years, though this was during the Vietnam protest days.
  • My dad was a school teacher with three kids and a part time job as well. His total contribution to my college education was a roof, a bed and dinner—if I was home at dinner time. That was fine with me, I understood.
  • I graduated from U-Mass with a BA in political science in June of 1972, but missed my graduation as I was out knocking on doors, running for the Massachusetts Senate.
  • In November of 1972, at age 26, I was elected to the State Senate, defeating a Democrat incumbent by nine votes out of 60,000+ votes cast, in a 4-1 Democrat district that had last elected a Republican in 1938. There are about 5 million folks in Massachusetts, and I was told that under 6,000 have served in the State Senate since it was founded. I tried to make my constituents proud.
  • I’ve never been in a protest march, but I did sleep two nights in front of the Senate chamber door, to prevent the Senate President from passing a bond issue at 2:00 am with no other senators present. Still, we were friends—I went to his funeral a few years ago.
  • I met George H. W. Bush before he was president and Jerry Ford while he was. And I debated the death penalty on John Kerry’s TV show. I was for two chairs, no waiting, like a barber shop.
  • I was re-elected four times, by large margins, carrying every city and town in the district. In 1976, I ran as a write-in candidate in the Democrat primary and defeated a Democrat write-in candidate by 150 votes, so I was the nominee of both parties.
  • I’m far prouder of being a Marine than of being a Senator.
  • While in the Senate, when my colleagues were going to Law School so they could be lobbyists, I rejoined the Marine Reserves, where you could see old Cpl. Hall sweeping the deck or manning a radio one weekend a month. It kept me sane. Somewhat.
  • I also took history courses at night for my own amazement, and in 1980, Fitchburg State University handed me a MEd in History. I think it has helped me get a job or two, but I don’t know why it should have.
  • Frustrated with politics, I retired undefeated in 1982 to become an association executive.
  • Since then, I’ve managed seven associations. All have been financially successful and grown in paying membership during my watch. A couple were tough turn-around situations. I’m very conservative with other people’s money.
  • I married for the first time in 1992, at age 46. I’m still married to my first wife, and have been a faithful husband. (I know—who else would want me?)
  • I love my wife, Bonnie, and my granddaughter-by-marriage, Britnye, dearly.
  • I can still shoot pretty well. So can my wife. Knock before entering.
  • Though I’m on oxygen for Pulmonary Fibrosis, an eventually-terminal illness that kills as many people as breast cancer, at 66 I still work full time. I miss 3-5 days a year for doctors’ appointments or tests, but don’t think I’ve missed a day in ten years because I was too sick to work. I don’t take sick days to go to the beach.
  • I’ve trying to lose 30 lbs. to qualify for the lung transplant evaluation process, but am not sure I’ll accept if offered.
  • I’m conservative with my own money too. I’ve never bounced a check. I pay my bills on time, often in advance. I’ve always bought less house and less car than my salary would have qualified me for. Currently, our only debt is $95k on a 1,300 SF 2-bed/2-bath Chicago area condo we bought in 2009 for $160k. It’s now worth under $120k, but we are not underwater, so you won’t have to pay more taxes to bail us out.
  • I pay off my credit cards every month. Often I pay ahead on the credit card, then charge the balance down.
  • I’ve never sued anyone and never been sued, a record I hope to keep intact.
  • I’ve never been fired. But I probably would have been a couple of times if I hadn’t moved on to better things. I’m not real good at keeping my mouth shut when I don’t approve of how things are being done.
  • If the president raises taxes on folks making over $250k a year, I won’t have to pay a penny more. Unless the women who pulls the lotto numbers gets her act together.
  • I like to write and am a frequently published writer, with opinion columns, management articles, short fiction and poetry appearing in over 75 national or regional publications. I also have published seven books, but I haven’t made a penny on them, because mostly the royalties go to charity. http://tartanmarine.blogspot.com/2010/07/new-book-published.html
  • I’m a former Scottish Country Dancer (before PF), love Scotland, and met my wife when she came to a dance class I was teaching. And before you ask, I always wear something under my kilt: shoes, socks and a little talcum powder.
  • Balquhidder is about my favorite place in the world, though I’m pretty fond of the Blue  Ridge too.
  • If I could have created it, it ain’t art. Maybe excepting poetry, if you consider that art.
  • I much regret that I have no singing or musical talent, not counting beating on a bodhran in a pick-up Irish folk group a few times.
  • I can recite poetry for probably an hour without repeating myself. I’ve made people laugh and weep doing so at ceilidhs.
  • I love Single Malt Scotch, especially from Islay, but I tend to drink cheap wine. Not that I drink much anymore—too many calories.
  • I prefer local family-style cafes to fancy, expensive bistros or chain restaurants.
  • I’d rather have a beer with an old vet at the VFW than with the president at the White House. Any president. But especially this one.
  • I make my own Haggis—in the microwave. Really. Yes, it’s bad for you. And I often make soup without a recipe.
  • I watch very little TV. Even if a football game is on, I have a book in my hand. I read a couple of non-fiction books every month in history, economics and politics. I get my news mostly reading articles on-line. But I like novels as well. I’m currently reading a novel, Brave New World by Huxley and a history of the roots of violence in the 20th century, The War of the World by Ferguson.
  • I provide staffing service for three cats.
  • I've never used illegal drugs, never even tried marijuana. I unfortunately revealed that to a former boss, creating incredulity, hilarity and some harassment.
  • Golf bores me—I gave it up when I kept hitting the little windmill.
  • I used to love to hike in the hills of Scotland and the White Mountains of New Hampshire. But needing an oxygen tank has put paid to that.
  • My big wish is to have an American Bulldog named “Brute,” with a patch over one eye, named for LtGen Victor “Brute” Krulak, who was the senior Far East Marine commander when I was in Vietnam. I know it’s not going to happen.
Some of this is very common. Some is fairly unusual, if not unique. But there are certainly not over One Percent of Americans with very similar experiences, character and life choices, as each of these points puts me in a smaller subset of Americans, eventually in a group no larger than 1%, and probably much smaller. My point is, the same goes for you. We are all in the One Percent, if we define it broadly to fit our circumstances. Envy of folks with more money than you, or begging the government to get you some of their money, won’t make you happy.

Only caring about something larger than yourself will bring happiness.

*****

Robert A. Hall is the author of The Coming Collapse of the American Republic.
For a free PDF of the book, e-mail him at tartanmarine(at)gmail.com

Political Digest for April 30, 2012


The Old Jarhead Blog: Bringing you news and information the MSM is too busy covering American Idol, celebrity affairs and sensational missing person cases to cover. Please forward to friends who need to be informed.

I post articles because I think they are of interest. Doing so doesn’t mean that I necessarily agree (or disagree) with every—or any—opinion in the posted article. Help your friends and relatives stay informed by passing the digest on. In some cases I post things sent to me by readers I might not have posted on my own, to get ideas circulating.

Safely back from my travels & trying to catch up. ~Bob.

Marine Corps Heritage Foundation 2012 Awards Dinner
On Saturday, April 21, 2012, Bonnie and I attended the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation 2012 Awards Dinner at the Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico. I was one of about 16 individuals receiving awards for various types of media depictions of the Corps, from photos, to books, to articles to movies. I was honored to receive the Robert A. Gannon writing award for poetry for my book, Old Jarhead Poems: The Heart of a Marine. Posted here are photos and information about the evening. To give you an idea of how great an evening it was, at our table was Col. Barney Barnum, USMC Ret. who received the Medal of Honor in Vietnam.

Blog comment on "You Might Be a Progressive if..."
"This is dumb and bad and you should feel dumb and bad. Then kill yourself."
(I swear this came in--I didn't make it up to show what idiots they are. ~Bob)

Nairobi church struck in grenade attack
Excerpt: At least one person has been killed and 10 wounded in a suspected grenade attack on a church in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, police have said. The attack targeted the God House of Miracle Church, in Ngara neighbourhood. There has been a string of small arms attacks and explosions in Kenya since Kenyan troops crossed the Somali border.

California’s slow-motion tragedy could end up as a national one, warns Joel Kotkin
Excerpt: Barack Obama learned the rough sport of politics in Chicago, but his domestic policies have been shaped by California’s progressive creed. As the Golden State crumbles, its troubles point to those America may confront in a second Obama term. From his first days in office, the president has held up California as a model state.

Bush leads ride for wounded warriors
Excerpt: Presidential wheels rolling through Palo Duro Canyon could create some positive spin for the state park’s rugged mountain-biking trails and other features, according to those involved in events related to The Bush Center Warrior 100K Ride. Former President George W. Bush brought the three-day, 100-kilometer ride to Palo Duro Canyon State Park Thursday through Saturday.

German jihadist killed by US in March drone strike
Excerpt: A German jihadist is thought to have been killed in the March 9 airstrike that was carried out by US drones in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of South Waziristan. The German, who is a known "Islamist" from Aachen, has been identified at Samir H., according to a report in Der Spiegel. Samir was one of 13 Taliban and "foreign fighters" who were killed in the March 9 strike in Makeen, South Waziristan. In that strike, the remotely-piloted US strike aircraft fired missiles at a pickup truck transporting Taliban fighters.

Issa expands Fast and Furious probe to include alleged money laundering
Excerpt: Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) has requested a briefing with the Justice Department over a news report that U.S. law enforcement officials helped Mexican drug cartels launder millions of dollars into the country. The chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee made the request in a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, in which he questioned DOJ head’s ability to lead the agency. Issa has been investigating the DOJ’s authorization of a botched gun-tracking operation for most of the year and has increasingly criticized Holder, who is set to appear before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday.

ATF Arrests Border Agent for Attempting to Arm Drug Cartels
Excerpt: In El Paso, Texas, U.S. Border Patrol Agent Ricardo Montalvo has been arrested and charged with attempting to smuggle guns and ammunition into Mexico. More specifically, he’s been accused of trying to smuggle the weapons to the Mexican cartel. His girlfriend, Carla Gonzales-Ortiz, has been charged in the matter as well.

Red Cross doctor found beheaded in Pakistan
Didn't get the memo. ~Bob. Excerpt: The beheaded body of a kidnapped British doctor working for the International Committee of the Red Cross was found by the roadside on Sunday in the southwestern Pakistan city of Quetta, police and Red Cross officials said. Khalil Rasjed Dale, 60, was abducted by suspected militants on Jan 5 while on his way home from work.

The Utterly Horrifying English Welfare State
Excerpt: I’ve occasionally commented on foolish public policy in the United Kingdom, including analysis on how the welfare state destroys lives and turns people into despicable moochers. But if you really want to understand the horrifying absurdity of the welfare state, check out these passages from a report in the Daily Mail.

Young Voters: Obama’s a Cool President, and You’re a Broke Clod Living with Mommy
Excerpt: Obama appeared on Jimmy Fallon’s show this past week and did a slow jam with Fallon and his house band—a brilliant move by the Entertainer-in-Chief. I thought it was both funny and smart. From a comedy perspective, it was well-written and well-performed by Obama, Fallon and The Roots. In terms of cleverness, it was shrewd in that the young people who watch Jimmy’s show probably don’t—or won’t—follow the manifold ways BHO has hammered the U.S. through his policies, and the majority of them love to laugh.

Communist Party calls allies to unite behind Obama
Excerpt: The Communist Party USA isn’t always happy with the Democrats, but in the 2012 election, its chairman says, the best bet for advancing the Party’s goals is to back Barack Obama. In a report called “Defeating the Rightwing on the Road to Socialism” delivered to the CPUSA annual conference, Party Chairman Sam Webb moved to squash sentiments that disgruntled communists should jump off the Democrat ship and back a third-party candidate for president.

Joe Arpaio Supporters Rally For Sheriff Amid Federal Racial Profiling Probe
Excerpt: "Every constitution and country that has ever existed has had to have sovereign borders," he said to cheers from the crowd, some clutching placards reading "Sheriff Joe keeps us safe" and "illegal is illegal."

When you've lost the entrepreneurs, free-spirits, and dreamers, you've lost the Golden State.
Excerpt: That’s an absurdly optimistic spin. California’s elected officials have been doing as little planning as possible, unless one counts planning to spend tens of billions of dollars the state doesn’t have on a high-speed rail line that will partially replicate what the airlines already do now. Our leaders are battling new water-storage facilities and punishing farmers with absurd water restrictions.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Marine Corps Heritage Foundation 2012 Awards Dinner


On Saturday, April 21, 2012, Bonnie and I attended the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation 2012 Awards Dinner at the Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico. I was one of about 16 individuals receiving awards for various types of media depictions of the Corps, from photos, to books, to articles to movies. (The fellow sitting next to me at the award ceremony was the screenplay writer for Flags of our Fathers, and many other films and TV shows.) I was honored to receive the Robert A. Gannon writing award for poetry for my book, Old Jarhead Poems: The Heart of a Marine.



My award was presented by LtGen Walter Boomer, USMC Ret. (left) and LtGen Robert Blackman, USMC Ret.

I imagined my Senior Drill Instructor, Sgt. William H. Harris, saying, "Well, it took 48 years, maggot, but we finally found something you could do right. Now don't say something stupid when you meet the Commandant!"


In addition to the CMC, Gen. Jim Amos, who was one of two main speakers, there were 14 other active duty generals present. We were in the drink line and I turn to see two LtGens in mess dress next to us. Never saw so many stars before. Bonnie was embarrassed when I said, "My God--The Milky Way!" They laughed, but if my DI had heard I'd be doing bends and thrusts forever. The CMC thanked me for sending him a copy of my poetry book--nice of him to remember.

In his speech, Gen. Amos said that we should look him in the eye and trust him on the budget and force levels, that the Corps will be okay, so stop bothering our Congressman about it. He also said that a retired commandant, Gen Carl Mundy, had told him, "General, you are now solely responsible for the spiritual health of the United States Marine Corps--if you fail at that, you will have failed as Commandant." He wasn't talking about religion, but what makes Marines different. The CMC commented that when he travels the country, he sometimes visits businessmen or political leaders who are Marine vets. "It doesn't matter if the guy served two years, 68--70, when you walk into his office it's like walking into the Commandant's office; the walls are covered with Marine memorabilia." I was very impressed--there's a reason this guy is CMC. Even if he did pass on the opportunity to consult with me about strategic issues! (LOL)

The other speaker was Tim Day, Chairman and Founder of Bar-S Foods Company, a former Marine officer who has done rather well in business. He received the Gen. John A. Lejeune Award for Leadership. Mr. Day and his wife have a foundation that previously donated $5 million towards construction of the museum. During his talk, he announced an additional gift of $12 million towards the planned $60 million expansion. VERY motivating. Between his generosity, the CMC's inspirational talk, and four glasses of wine, I got gung ho and gave them back the $1,000 check that went with my award. I told General Blackman that I didn't have $12 million, but if Tim Day could lead, I could at least follow.


We had two other great honors that night. At our dinner table was Col. H. G. "Barney" Barnum, USMC Ret. who earned the Medal of Honor in Vietnam. He's a terrific guy, very modest as are most guys with the MOH. He didn't seem terribly impressed with my Good Conduct Medal, though. (LOL)


Also at our table was Norm Hatch, who was on the staff of Leatherneck Magazine in 1938. He made an award-winning movie documentary on the beech at Tarawa, and was there with a camera in the thick of it in several other battles. wearing a bronze star with V plus other medals. We figured he was about 94, but sharp as anyone you could meet. In fact, sharper than most. We really enjoyed talking to him. One of the other award winners had written a book about Norm, which is on my list.

I also got to meet Col. Walt Ford, USMC Ret. the editor of Leatherneck, who has published many of my poems, articles and book reviews over the years. He and Mary Karcher, formerly of their staff, encouraged me to put my Marine poems in a book, so I owe them for the great honor of the evening. We met so many great Marines, including the SgtMaj of the Marine Corps, I can't list them all.

We spent Saturday before the dinner touring the museum, though seeing everything would take two days at least. It is not to be missed.

The MCHF has posted their pictures of the dinner here:


I can't recall a better evening. It was very motivating for an old Marine. ~Bob


Old Jarhead Poems: The Heart of a Marine
CreateSpace, 2011.
https://www.createspace.com/3660735
http://tiny.cc/cyp0i
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/old-jarhead-poems-robert-hall/1032775128
All royalties go to The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund to help wounded veterans


Saturday, April 28, 2012

Political Digest for April 29, 2012

Just under 400 e-mails Saturday, on a slow travel card. Painfully slow for pulling and formatting unformatted items. Some of the below took ten minutes to get in the blog. Sorry for all those “must sees” with no other info I didn’t have time to open. ~Bob

U.S. economic growth slows to a rate of 2.2 percent in first quarter
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/growth-likely-dipped-in-january-march-quarter-but-outlook-for-all-of-2012-appears-brighter/2012/04/27/gIQAhrEekT_story.html
Excerpt: The Commerce Department says the economy expanded at an annual rate of 2.2 percent in the January-March quarter, compared with a 3 percent gain in the final quarter of 2011. (Time to blame Bush. ~Bob.)

The List Could Be Longer: Fifty ways the Obama Administration has hurt the economy and job creation. By Gary Shapiro
http://spectator.org/archives/2012/04/27/the-list-could-be-longer
Excerpt: President Obama has been the worst president for business in my lifetime. The result: a stagnant economy where some half of American adults do not pay federal income taxes and almost half live in a household that received benefits from the U.S. government. The President's rhetoric demonizing business and dividing the country, and the Administration's actions hurting the business environment or specific industries have dampened business hiring.

Chen Guangcheng, blind Chinese lawyer-activist, escapes house arrest
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/blind-chinese-lawyer-activist-escapes-house-arrest/2012/04/27/gIQAdzTAlT_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines
Excerpt: Chen Guangcheng, the blind lawyer known for his outspoken opposition to China’s forced abortion and sterilization policies, has escaped from house arrest and has reportedly sought U.S. diplomatic protection, potentially casting the United States in an awkward position on the eve of high-level talks between the nations.

The "Equal Pay Day" Myth
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=21864&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DPD
Excerpt: The Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in the fourth quarter of 2011 that the median full-time working woman made 81.6 percent of the wages of the median fulltime working man. Since then, big government, feminist organizations and liberal politicians repeat this "wage gap" statistic, implying that discrimination is its cause, says Carrie Lukas, managing director of the Independent Women's Forum. This, however, is simply not the case. Rather, the publication and intense focus on this presented wage gap is an exercise in statistical manipulation, espousing a conclusion that is unreal. Aggregately comparing full-time working men and women without holding other factors constant is disingenuous -- an analysis that accounts for hours worked, education and industry type would be more enlightening. Incorporating the number of hours worked variable, it can be found that while both men and women in the original analysis were vaguely labeled "fulltime," this fails to capture hours put in.

Protesters at party conventions could be armed
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_POLITICAL_CONVENTIONS_GUNS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-04-27-03-51-06
Excerpt: The thousands of protesters expected at the Democratic and Republican national conventions can come armed with a lot more than signs and slogans: State law in Florida and North Carolina allows concealed weapons, including guns.

Another Excuse from Both Ways Barack
http://finance.townhall.com/columnists/johnransom/2012/04/27/another_excuse_from_both_ways_barack/page/full/
Excerpt: “Although the economy continued to expand in the first quarter, the GDP data at face value are disappointing but also puzzling,” said John Ryding and Conrad DeQuadros of RDQ Economics reports CBSMarketWatch. “Private sector hours worked rose 3.7% in the first quarter — what were these workers producing? The unemployment rate fell from 8.5% in December to 8.2% in March — how can this be if the economy was only growing at around its potential rate?” Obviously the Commerce Department doesn’t talk to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the government brain trust responsible for the magical- and only mathematical- drop in unemployment over the last several months. (A large part of this problem is that, way back when, a Democrat-controlled Congress knew unemployment numbers were politically important and therefore dangerous. So, they set up the rules the BLS uses to calculate those numbers. Purely by accident, the required calculations benefitted Reagan in 1984. We need to devise a more equitable way to count the unemployed. It will still be politically charged, but not in such an obviously skewed way. Ron P.)

What We Should Have Learned
http://www.city-journal.org/2012/cjc0427hm.html
Excerpt: Could it happen again? That is the taboo question on the 20th anniversary of Los Angeles’s murderous Rodney King riots, just as another racially charged prosecution—this time in Florida—captures headlines across the nation. Sadly, the answer is yes.

Seven Of The Most Disturbing Quotes From Members Of The Obama Administration
http://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2012/04/27/seven_of_the_most_disturbing_quotes_from_members_of_the_obama_administration/page/full/
Excerpt: Birds of a feather flock together and so when we see Barack Obama stacking his cabinet with radicals, it tells us a lot about his mentality. Of course, the fact that his entire term in office has been nothing but a slow motion evisceration of the American dream should tell you a lot about how he thinks, too -- but a little more evidence is always welcome. Take a look at these quotes from members of Barack Obama's administration and then ask yourself what sort of man WANTS people like this to help him govern the American people?

Lessons of Sa-i-gu: How Koreans still wrestle with the aftermath of the L.A. riots.
http://www.city-journal.org/2012/cjc0427cj.html
Excerpt: What you call the events in Los Angeles that began 20 years ago Sunday says something about your view of the world. To Leftists and black activists, it was an “uprising”; white liberals prefer to call it “civil unrest”; many others call them the L.A. Riots. But Koreans simply call it Sa-i-gu, or April 29. The date lives in infamy in the hearts of Southern California’s Korean-American population, which bore the brunt of rioters’ rage and paid a lasting price.

Fishermen tangled up by new fed rules
http://bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20220428fishermen_tangled_up_by_new_fed_rules/
Excerpt: U.S. Sen. Scott Brown is vowing a “full-court press” on federal fishing regulators to seek relief for New England groundfishing fleets facing an 80 percent cut in the amount of yellowtail flounder they’re allowed to catch. The flounder regulation, set to take effect Tuesday, is among several measures that advocates said threaten the already failing industry — including a 22 percent cut in cod catches in the Gulf of Maine and the continued enforcement of a catch-measuring system fishermen said has cost them millions.

‘Crucify them’: O’s real energy policy by Michelle Malkin
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/crucify_them_real_energy_policy_MWfHSSJR42ar9kjh5WHXxL#
Excerpt: One of President Obama’s radical eco-bureaucrats has apologized for confirming an indelible truth: This White House treats politically incorrect private industries as public enemies who deserve regulatory death sentences. Al Armendariz, an Environmental Protection Agency administrator, gave a little-noticed speech in 2010 outlining his sadistic philosophy: “I was in a meeting once, and I gave an analogy to my staff about my philosophy of enforcement, and I think it was probably a little crude and maybe not appropriate for the meeting, but I’ll go ahead and tell you what I said,” he began.

Democrats Light Themselves Pair Of Exploding Cigars By Mark Steyn
http://news.investors.com/article/609596/201204271920/democrats-waste-energy-on-dogs-and-polygamists.htm
Excerpt: A couple of days ago, Obama campaign top dog David Axelrod threw in the towel on the dog war. "I thought it was a little absurd to talk about what the president had done as a 10-year-old boy," he sniffed to MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell, which is as near as the suddenly sheepish attack dog will ever get to conceding that Barack Obama is the first dog-eating president in the history of the republic.

Romney would not have killed Bin Laden, implies new Obama campaign ad
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/romney-killed-bin-laden-implies-obama-campaign-ad/story?id=16227942#.T5rpIrNSS68
Excerpt: Would Mitt Romney have ordered the raid that killed Osama bin Laden? President Barack Obama's reelection campaign released a new video on Friday that strongly implies that he would not have, using the presumptive Republican nominee's own words against him. (…) The video, taken from footage shot for Obama's 17-minute campaign commercial "The Road We've Traveled," opens with the message "the Commander-in-Chief gets one chance to make the right decision" and turns to former president Bill Clinton for validation. (It seems ironic to me that Clinton should be delivering this message after famously having, himself, refused to have bin Laden killed when Special Ops forces had a clear, clean shot at him. Ron P.)

The President Has a List ---Barack Obama attempts to intimidate contributors to Mitt Romney's campaign.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304723304577368280604524916.html?mod=djemITP_h
Excerpt: Try this thought experiment: You decide to donate money to Mitt Romney. You want change in the Oval Office, so you engage in your democratic right to send a check. Several days later, President Barack Obama, the most powerful man on the planet, singles you out by name. His campaign brands you a Romney donor, shames you for "betting against America," and accuses you of having a "less-than-reputable" record.

Pollster: Economy’s next 30 days crucial to Obama re-election campaign By Alex Pappas
http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/26/pollster-economys-next-30-days-crucial-to-obama-re-election-campaign/
Excerpt: Republican pollster Ed Goeas says the next thirty days are “going to be the most important thirty days of the framing” of President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign. “It takes six months of solid economic information for voters to come to the conclusion that we are in a positive growing economy,” Goeas said Thursday. “We are now at that precipice.”

Second Producer Fired in Zimmerman 911 Call Edit
http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2012/04/26/second-producer-fired-in-zimmerman-911-call-edit/
Excerpt: Breitbart reports on the quiet firing of a second producer in its accidental, incidental, nothing to see here dishonest edit of George Zimmerman’s 911 call….Actually, it’s pretty clear how this happened, creating the same bad edit that aired multiple times and ended up on the web, all within the same network.

Dems, unions pushing new local government bankruptcy bill http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/04/dems-unions-pushing-new-local-government-bankruptcy-bill.html
Excerpt: Although a new law to govern bankruptcy filings by local governments is just four months old, Democratic legislators and labor unions are lining up behind a major revision that local officials say would tilt the playing field. In the aftermath of Vallejo's bankruptcy, unions had pushed legislation that would require local governments to get permission from a union-friendly state commission before filing bankruptcy.

Labor Dept. withdraws farm child labor rule after Daily Caller report goes viral By Paul Conner - The Daily Caller
http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/26/amid-nationwide-outcry-labor-dept-withdraws-farm-child-labor-rule/#ixzz1tGIstzrx
Excerpt: Under pressure from farming advocates in rural communities, and following a report by The Daily Caller, the Obama administration withdrew a proposed rule Thursday that would have applied child labor laws to family farms. Critics complained that the regulation would have drastically changed the extent to which children could work on farms owned by family members. The U.S. Department of Labor cited public outcry as the reason for withdrawing the rule.

Who Is 'Racist'?: Part II By Thomas Sowell
http://patriotpost.us/opinion/thomas-sowell/2012/04/28/who-is-racist-part-ii/
Excerpt: Around this time of year, I sometimes hear from parents who have been appalled to learn that the child they sent away to college to become educated has instead been indoctrinated with the creed of the left. They often ask if I can suggest something to have their offspring read over the summer, in order to counteract this indoctrination. This year the answer is a no-brainer. It is a book with the unwieldy title, "No matter what ... they'll call this book Racist" by Harry Stein, a writer for what is arguably America's best magazine, "City Journal."

A Choice, Not an Echo
http://www.nationaljournal.com/magazine/a-choice-not-an-echo-20120426
Excerpt: Yet for all their twists and turns, Romney and Obama have always disagreed on the proper role of government in the economy. Romney’s view, forged in his years running Bain Capital, is that smaller government frees private industry to create more productivity, more profits, and more jobs; that high levels of government spending and debt crowd out private investment; and that overregulation stifles economic growth. Obama’s view is that government plays a critical role in correcting market failures; in investing in public goods such as roads and schools; and in regulating industries—most notably Wall Street—that could drag the national economy down if left to their own excesses. (Notice the final six words of the excerpt, “if left to their own excesses.” I doubt anyone really favors scrapping ALL regulation, but these words are the device used to justify all sorts of mischief. Not even the leftyist of leftists claims EVERY act of business is an “excess.” But, since the real goal isn’t simply to “protect the public,” but rather to exert control over businesses, the sentence couldn’t be finished as it should have been with “if left on their own.” Economic governance is like adding salt to food: the right amount brings out the flavor, but too much ruins it. The problem is to find that right amount, and clearly, we have too much right now. Ron P.)

One-Track Minds
http://www.nationaljournal.com//columns/cook-report/the-cook-report-one-track-minds-20120426
Excerpt: The latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, conducted among 1,000 adults from April 13-17, supports that view. Overall, 49 percent said they approve of the job that President Obama is doing, and 46 percent said they disapprove. The poll, conducted by Democrat Peter Hart and Republican Bill McInturff, pegs Obama’s approval rating just 1 point higher than the current averages by RealClearPolitics and Huffpost’s Pollster.com, as well as the Gallup tracking average, for the week of April 16-22. Not much disparity there.

Important: Spain crisis deepens with jobless rise, downgrade
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hyJdb-8EEhBjETpyrnKh92lMQU0w?docId=af84f7d4f42d4b8e9b5b90605ce95267
Excerpt: The hole in Spain's economy is getting deeper. The government reported Friday that unemployment rose to 24.4 percent in the first quarter — compared with 22.9 percent in the fourth quarter — and that more than half of Spaniards under 25 are now without jobs. The bleak employment came one day after ratings agency Standard & Poor's downgraded the country's debt. (You might think this doesn’t concern you. You’d be wrong. ~Bob.)

The 10 Most Polluted Cities in America
http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/americas-10-most-polluted-cities-2012.html
California has 5 ( more than any other state) and Texas none. So how is it that California has obliterated its economy in the quest for a pollution free environment and has the most polluted cities whereas Texas has been completely indifferent to pollution ( according to the Democrats in Sacramento) and yet has no cities on this list? –DH

Vacation backlash: Blue collar Dems jealous, angry at Obamas
http://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/washington-secrets/2012/04/vacation-backlash-blue-collar-dems-jealous-angry-obamas/538141
Excerpt: Blue collar Democratic voters, stuck taking depressing “staycations” because they can’t afford gas and hotels, are resentful of the first family’s 17 lavish vacations around the world and don’t want their tax dollars paying for the Obamas’ holidays, according to a new analysis of swing voters. “They view everything through their own personal situation and if they can’t afford to do it, they can’t enjoy it, they don’t like Obama using their tax dollars to benefit himself,” said pollster John McLaughlin.

Gamechanger: Romney once saved a dog’s life
http://hotair.com/archives/2012/04/26/gamechanger-romney-once-saved-a-dogs-life/
Excerpt: You can thank BuzzFeed’s Andrew Kaczynski for the front-page thumbnail. In all seriousness, this is a “gamechanger” in the literal sense of that term. Axelrod and his pals are playing a breathtakingly stupid game with the “dog wars” and this anecdote will in fact change voters’ perceptions if/when it enters wider media circulation. Romney 2012: Because “dog” plus “water” does not equal “stew.” Oh, almost forgot. He and his sons saved a bunch of people too during this same incident.

May Day Mayhem on Its Way by Matthew Vadum
http://frontpagemag.com/2012/04/27/may-day-mayhem-on-its-way/?utm_source=FrontPage+Magazine&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=5140579ce8-Mailchimp_FrontPageMag
Excerpt: Occupy Wall Street supporters, labor activists, and other radicals calling for a general strike against capitalism across America on May 1 insist their activities will be peaceful. As usual, they’re lying.

Yet Another Reason Why Today’s Unions Suck: Dues Devour Wage Increases
http://www.redstate.com/laborunionreport/2012/04/26/yet-another-reason-why-todays-unions-suck-dues-devour-wage-increases/
Excerpt: On the eve of Obama’s NLRB unleashing its new rules giving unions the ability to hold ambush elections—that is, the evisceration of employers’ ability to question or challenge unions in their quest to cherry-pick voting units—more data was just released by the Bureau of National Affairs that calls into question why anyone in their right mind would pay dues to a union today. In addition to the $369 billion in underfunded union (private-sector) pension plans, the abundant evidence that unions kill companies and destroy jobs, today’s unions are doing such a miserable job at the one thing they’re supposed to do—negotiate contracts—that union members should demand refunds from their union bosses.

New Polls: Romney Surging With Independents
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/romney-surging-independents-fox/2012/04/26/id/437177?s=al&promo_code=EC0C-1Excerpt: Mitt Romney is building a huge lead over President Barack Obama among the vital independent voters who are likely to decide November’s election, a new Fox News poll shows. The two men are tied in the survey, each receiving 46 percent support, but Romney now holds a 13-percentage point lead over the president among voters who say they are not tied to either party. (Good news for America from independent Americans. –Mac)

‘The Five’ co-host Eric Bolling to Obama: ‘Quit using our military as a photo-op’
http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/27/the-five-co-host-eric-bolling-to-obama-quit-using-ou-military-the-as-a-photo-op/
Excerpt: “And by the way, how about you stop insulting Americans who see right through you while you deliver a left-wing campaign speech while pretending to give a damn about their service?” he continued.

United States Budget Dilemma -- Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW5IdwltaAc&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Excerpt: Alarming! Washington's dilemma. Soaring debt and a budget congress can't balance! This video will explain WHY. Every person in AMERICA should watch this video!

DA: Deaths were justified
http://www.jdnews.com/articles/killed-103251-residents-attorney.html
Excerpt: Prosecutors announced Friday they will not press charges against two Camp Lejeune Marines and a civilian who fought for their lives and killed two local men who were burglarizing their Jacksonville home earlier this month. Maurice Skinner, 33, of Banks Street, and Diego M. Everette, 33, of Graytown Road, were shot and killed by residents of 107 Country Club Drive around 2 a.m. on April 15.

Welcome to Luton: Birthplace of the English Defence League - Further Details of May 5th Demonstration
http://englishdefenceleague.org/further-details-for-the-luton-demonstration/
Excerpt: We’ve already made clear why we’re returning to Luton to celebrate three years of the English Defence League on May 5th. We’ve also heard from EDL Joint-Leader Kevin Carroll and Labour Council Leader Hazel Simmons. But the recent news that five more Luton men have been arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences proves beyond any shadow of a doubt what we have been saying for years: Islamic extremism has found a home in Luton.

Louie Gohmert: 'Dumb, dependent and Democrat is no way to go through life!
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/224307-rep-gohmert-dumb-dependent-and-democrat-is-no-way-to-go-through-life
Excerpt: Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) on Friday went "Animal House" on Democrats by saying on the House floor: "Dumb, dependent and Democrat is no way to go through life."

VIDEO: Rep. Gowdy’s Religious Liberty Lesson for Secretary Sebelius
http://blog.heritage.org/2012/04/27/video-rep-gowdys-religious-liberty-lesson-for-secretary-sebelius/
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius made yet another embarrassing admission about the lack of constitutional analysis that went into the HHS anti-conscience mandate on Thursday. At a full committee hearing of the House Education and Workforce Committee Secretary Sebelius was repeatedly questioned by Representative Trey Gowdy (R-SC) on whether she had consulted Supreme Court precedent or any official legal memo before publishing a rule that burdens religious liberty of employers. Under the mandate, almost all employers are forced to provide and pay for coverage of abortion-inducing drugs and contraception — regardless of any moral or religious objections to such services…. (Reelect this man! He defends the constitution, illuminates illegal rule making by regime appointees. –Barb)

Muslim Persecution of Christians in March 1012 Alone - by Raymond Ibrahim, Pundacity
http://www.raymondibrahim.com/11604/muslim-persecution-of-christians-march-2012
Excerpt: The war on Christianity and its adherents rages on in the Muslim world. In March alone, Saudi Arabia's highest Islamic law authority decreed that churches in the region must be destroyed; jihadis in Nigeria said they "are going to put into action new efforts to strike fear into the Christians of the power of Islam by kidnapping their women"; American teachers in the Middle East were murdered for talking about Christianity; churches were banned or bombed, and nuns terrorized by knife-wielding Muslim mobs. (Hat Tip: English Defence League)

Rosenbaum Rep: ‘Why Does MSNBC Compensate a Racist Like Al Sharpton?’ by Joel B. Pollak
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2012/04/27/Crown-Heights-on-Sharpton-Why-Does-MSNBC-Compensate-a-Racist-Like-That
Excerpt: Isaac Abraham, spokesperson for the family of Yankel Rosenbaum--the Jewish student murdered by a mob during the Crown Heights riot in 1991--contacted Breitbart News today to express his outrage that Al Sharpton would claim not to have incited the violence. "That's Al Sharpton, distorting the facts….. He was there inciting the riots," Abraham says. …"He's a fraud, he's a race hustler. To walk the streets and incite prior to judgment--if he can be so sure about that neighborhood watch man [George Zimmerman], why didn't he say that about the man who stabbed Yankel Rosenbaum--an innocent person that was killed by a mob that yelled 'Let's kill the Jew'?"

Romney pounces on Obama's economic policies
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-romney-general-election-20120428,0,7233112.story
Excerpt: The Republican presidential hopeful criticizes the president's stimulus package and tackles the student loan issue while addressing young voters at Otterbein University in Ohio.

The Genocide Chart
http://jpfo.org/pdf02/genocide-chart.pdf

A Reset in Jewish Thinking By Stephen Robert
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/25/opinion/a-reset-in-jewish-thinking.html
Excerpt: As an American Jew born in 1940, I’ve made or repeated many of the following arguments for over 60 years: “Arabs never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity[LG1] .” “Other Arab nations should absorb the Palestinians.” “Israel withdrew from Gaza and look what happened.” “The Palestinian people don’t exist.” “Israel needs the West Bank for security.” “Critics of Israel are usually anti-Semites or self-hating Jews.” “Biblically, the eastern border of Israel should be the Jordan River.” “Blame the Arabs for not accepting the U.N. partition plan of 1947.” (In a short op-ed, Stephen Robert manifests manages to squeeze in an amazing number of liberal catechisms in his one-sided and naively fairyland critique of Israel. At this point in time, one should not be surprised that a former chancellor of an Ivy League college would be so biased being immersed in a sea of elite politically correct academic nincompoops. Below, I offer comments to the most egregious errors of fact and judgment. Since the websites he is on do not offer an contact address, if anyone can forward this response to him through LinkedIn, here is this public site: http://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenrobertny). Cordially, Larry Greenberg)

Tax returns show Scott Brown, Elizabeth Warren among nation’s top income group
http://www.boston.com/Boston/politicalintelligence/2012/04/scott-brown-tax-returns-show-big-income-jump-since-winning-senate-seat/LobXbcX2TTkCyAg8Cfvk3I/index.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=cheatsheet_morning&cid=newsletter%3Bemail%3Bcheatsheet_morning&utm_term=Cheat%20Sheet
Excerpt: Tax returns released today show that Republican Scott Brown’s family income more than doubled to nearly $840,000 after he was elected in 2010, while his likely Democratic challenger, Elizabeth Warren, has had nearly $1 million in joint earnings two of the past four years. During the most recent filing year, she was in the top 1 percent of earners while he was in the top 2 percent. Brown joined Warren in the uppermost echelon in 2010. (It appears being an unelected bureaucrat/consumer advocate pays well, even better than being a lawyer, senior Army Reserve officer and elected state Senator combined. But, of course, her wealth doesn’t count since she is a pious liberal formerly employed by the government, while his wealth is obviously the product of evil capitalism. And, curse him, he doesn’t condemn others for EARNING money in the private sector, while she does. Ron P.)

Presidential payback-- Obama’s ‘fairness’ is actually the opposite by Ward Connerly
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/apr/27/presidential-payback/
Excerpt: The principle of fairness is a powerful one in American culture. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Obviously, the president realizes this fact. Unfortunately, the president has been less than consistent in distributing his passion for fairness to other public policy areas, especially to the issue of affirmative-action preferences in college admissions.

Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood MP Seeks to Abolish Female Rights and Enforce Female Genital Mutilation
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2012/04/egypt-female-muslim-brotherhood-mp-seeks-to-abolish-female-rights-and-enforce-female-genital-mutilat.html
Excerpt: According to the Egyptian website Youm 7, Azza al-Jarf, a female Member of Parliament representing the Muslim Brotherhood’s “Freedom and Justice Party,” is trying to abolish several laws currently enjoyed by Egyptian women—including preventing them from divorcing or even separating from their husbands, because “the man has the authority and stewardship” (see Koran 4:34); mandating that fathers must circumcise their daughters; and trying to get the Egyptian educational system to ban the teaching of the English language—on the grounds that it is an “infidel” tongue—while separating boys and girls in classrooms and mandating that girls wear the hijab.

Friday, April 27, 2012

You Might be a Progressive If….

You propose a 15% increase in a program’s budget, and when the legislature scales it back to 12%, you riot over “draconian cuts” to “vital services.”

You’re more worried about a possible one degree rise in the Earth’s temperature next century than about Iran giving terrorists an A-bomb to produce a 10,000 degree rise in New York’s temperature next year.

You think racial discrimination is the worst evil there is, unless it’s discriminating against Asians and whites to satisfy your desire for diversity at your university.

You think getting Rush off the air is more important to women than ending FGM.

You don’t know what FGM is.

You think not giving free birth control to middle class college students is a “war on women,” but have nothing to say about Honor Killings, the stoning of rape victims, forced child marriages for nine-year-old girls, throwing acid in the faces of school girls for trying to get educated and female genital mutilation in Muslim countries, because “all cultures are equally valid.” Except, of course, the Western culture that nurtured you and made you prosperous.

You’re a big fan of the First Amendment, as long as you can ban anything you disagree with as “hate speech.”

You think Hitler who killed 20+ million people is the embodiment of evil, but Mao, who killed 60+ million people, is one of your favorite philosophers.

You think Sarah Palin is a dangerous radical who promotes violence, but dress your kid in a Ché Guevara tee shirt, because when Ché said, “Crazy with fury I will stain my rifle red while slaughtering any enemy that falls in my hands! My nostrils dilate while savoring the acrid odor of gunpowder and blood,” it was just so cute.

You think Andrew Breitbart deserved to die, but believe that it's barbaric to execute someone who rapes and murders a child.

You thought “Piss Christ” was wonderful art and deserved taxpayer funding, but that any newspaper publishing the Danish cartoons should be punished for insulting Islam and inciting riots.

You’re sorry that Dick Chaney survived his heart transplant, but are too timid to say so.

You think it’s racist to demand an ID to vote, but not to buy booze and tobacco or to cash checks, fly or drive, because minorities don’t need to do those things.

You look forward to the day when everyone either works for the government or lives on government assistance, and have no concerns as to where the money will come from to pay for that, because then the rich will be "paying their fair share."

You think requiring government employees to contribute to their health care insurance and pension costs at anything close to the rate of employees in the private sector is "union busting."

You think people oppose Barack Obama's policies out of pure racism, while you oppose the views of Clarence Thomas, Condi Rice, Thomas Sowell, Alan West and Michelle Malkin out of pure principle.

You are ready to save the planet...short of personal sacrifice. But you are always okay with making others sacrifice for your goals.

You believe the general run of people--though not of course you--need government to make decisions for them, for their own good.

You are convinced that anyone who doesn't think like you about the world is evil, stupid or both.

You believe that a central planning board can make better economic decisions for everyone than millions of people making billions of decisions daily can do for themselves.

You believe that a little vote fraud from time to time isn't really a bad thing, if it advances the enlightened candidates and progressive programs you support.

You are still sure that majority black rule replacing evil minority white rule was good for the black people of Zimbabwe, despite hyper-inflation destroying their economy, a shift from exporting food to starvation as farms—but not the work ethic or farming knowledge—were taken from white farmers and given to blacks, and a drop in black life expectancy from 63 to about 36. After all, one can't make an omelet without breaking eggs. Just not your eggs.

You believe that people are basically good, it's just circumstances and institutions that make them do bad things, so a heroin-addicted gang-banger who has committed rape and murder can be reformed. (Republicans not so much.) As long as the half-way house isn't in your gated community.

You believe the 47% of the population who pay no federal income tax are paying more than their fair share, while the 5% of the population who pay 60% of the federal income tax aren't paying near their fair share.

You believe all people have equal potential--except for black people who need special help and rules like affirmative action if they are to be able to compete with white people.

You think the way to bring down gas prices is to raise taxes on oil companies.

You think higher taxes on big business will make them move jobs to the US.

You believe that a country can borrow its way to prosperity, though you know that doesn't work for families or organizations very well.

You think that capitalism is an evil system, but would never consider relocation to a non-capitalist country as you couldn't do without all the comforts and the living standard capitalism provides.

You believe in separation of church and state, but that public government-funded universities should pay for foot baths to aid Muslims to worship.

You believe that both white and black-owned banks giving loans at high rates to whites than blacks, and at higher rates to Asians than to whites, based on credit histories, is evidence of racial discrimination and required government intervention in the housing market. And that had nothing to do with the collapse in housing prices when the bubble created by speculation burst.

You believe that people who speculated in houses, buying more house than they could afford or several houses to flip,  betting that the price would always go up, must be bailed out by the taxpayers because the price went down “to keep them in their homes.” You don’t feel the same way about people who speculated in stocks.

You believe that water-boarding three or four terrorists to get information to save lives was far more evil than using drones to make a red smear of scores of terrorists and everyone who happened to be around them when the rockets struck.

You believe that Democracy is the highest goal and always support fulfilling the will of the people, unless, of course, the people are so stupid as to want Obamacare repealed, voter ID laws, the enforcement of immigration laws, concealed carry laws or other things you are opposed to.

You believe that wealthy liberals like the Obamas deserves to send their kids to the best possible private schools, but that doesn't apply to poor black kids, who must go to whatever school is best for the teachers’ union.

You get annoyed at those old guys who stand and salute when the flag goes by, blocking your view of the parade for a moment

You believe that the US taxpayers should finance both countries that want to destroy us and the UN, which they use to undermine our freedom.

You think the US should be more like Europe, and can’t understand why Europe, with shorter working hours, higher taxes, fewer people in the work force, longer mandated vacations, earlier retirement, and better government-funded benefits should be in such economic trouble.

You think everyone should be forced or intimidated into joining a union and thus be compelled to make political contributions to progressive candidates in the pursuit of Social Justice.

You believe that international opinion and the UN should trump US opinion and the Congress.

You tend to think of Communists as just fellow progressives with guns and guts.

You think the only problem with the USSR, Cuba, China and other socialist regimes is that the wrong people got in charge and you and your friends will do it right next time.

You think attacking Iraq with the okay of Congress was a war crime, but attacking Libya without congressional approval was no big deal.

You think we had to take out Gaddafi for “killing his own people,” but should have left Saddam alone, though he killed far more of his own people.

You wear a hoddie to remember Trayvon Martin, but never heard of Christopher Cervini. And aren’t interested, since Christopher was an unarmed white teen, shot dead by a black man who was acquitted.

You hate fascism, but have no idea what the fascist economic system was or how much their state corporatism resembles today’s US government rewarding companies that do the government’s bidding.

You think a Muslim screaming "Allah Akbar" as he murdered 13 Americans was "workplace violence," nothing to do with Islam or terrorism.

Every attack on Americans by Muslims increases your conviction that Homeland Security needs to keep a better eye on veterans and evangelical Christians.

Your commitment to multiculturalism has produced a growing fondness for Islamists which makes you wonder if Hitler didn't have a point about Jews, those Apes and Pigs of the Qur'an.

You aren’t crazy about Hugo Chavez, but admire how he doesn’t tolerate criticism of progressive policies in the media or from opponents. Sometimes an iron fist is required.

When Muslims murder infidels, including children, you think the Muslims are the victims because there could be a “backlash.” That there are daily murders in the name of Allah, with few signs of any backlash, doesn’t stop your handwringing over the possibility.

You are continually surprised when Communists act like Communists, tribal groups act like tribal groups, theocratic barbarians act like theocratic barbarians, and the lower classes are too stupid to understand that your policies are for their own good.

You think that it only takes one side to make a peace, no matter how violent, warlike and determined to dominate the other side is. And you know that bowing helps make them respect us.

You think if the Jews in Germany in 1935 had just had “Coexist” bumper stickers on their cars, everything would have been fine.

You still think the Rosenbergs got a raw deal just for helping equalize the arms race.

You’re not sure about God, but think everyone should accept Global Warming on faith. Even though the pro-global warming scientists say there has been none since 1995.

You have not studied economics, political theory, foreign policy or history at all, but instantly know the right solution for any public policy question. Why study when you know all the answers?

You feel terrible for the OWS folks who took out large loans from the taxpayers to pay liberal university professors to educate them in Peace Studies or Sociology, who can’t find a six-figure job working 20 hours a week.

You thought high gas prices under Bush were his fault, but that higher gas prices under Obama are the market’s fault. But if gas prices drop, you’ll credit Obama.

You think the Law of Supply and Demand should be declared unconstitutional, because it is so clearly anti-progressive and hurts your quest for “Social Justice.” Maybe gravity, too.

You are willing to overlook any number of murders, oppression and terror by foreign despots as long as they hate America and freedom sufficiently.

You can’t recall a time in your adult life when you weren’t lobbying to free some downtrodden murderer who, if you met him in a dark alley, would cause you to wet your pants.

You no longer debate opposing points of view, because it’s easier and more fun to dismiss them as “racist,” “Islamophobic,” “flat Earth thinking,” or part of a “War on Women.” Or whatever the smear of the day.

You are sure that all of your opinions are enshrined in the Constitution.

Your first instinct is always to punish the productive and reward the unproductive. Thus ensuring less production.

You think raising taxes on companies that produce goods will cause them to lower the price of the goods.

You think Obama ignoring Congress with Czars, executive orders and recess appointments is great, and can’t wait for his second term when he can ignore the voters as well.

*****

Robert A. Hall is the author of The Coming Collapse of the American Republic.
For a free PDF of the book, e-mail him at tartanmarine(at)gmail.com

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Political Digest for April 27, 2012

Entitlement Reform
While in DC on business, I met with Congressman Bob Dold, whose district I’m now in. Talking about entitlements, he pointed out that when Social Security was started, life expectancy was 62, benefits started at 65, and the average recipient collected for 11 months. Now the average recipient collects for 22 years. That cannot be sustained.

Important: Here We Go Again: The eurozone crisis is alive and well and living in Spain. By Andrew Stuttaford
http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/here-we-go-again_640528.html
Excerpt: The bust that followed that boom took down a large chunk of the Spanish economy (unemployment stands at 23 percent, over 50 percent among the under-25s, a disaster exacerbated both by Spain’s sclerotic labor market and the malign impact of apothecary economics). There will be more misery to come. The IMF is forecasting that Spanish GDP will shrink by 1.8 percent in 2012. If Ireland is any precedent, and if the apothecaries have their way (the proposed deficit reduction amounts to a daunting 5.5 percent of GDP over this year and next), Spanish real estate prices could fall by another third. Should that happen, the country’s battered banks are (according to Open Europe, a mildly Euroskeptic think tank) likely to take a hit too large for cash-strapped Spain to cover by itself.

The Great California Exodus
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=21859&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DPD
Excerpt: For decades, California was regarded as the domestic paradise of the United States, lush with beautiful views and ample resources. This no longer seems to be the case. While many insist that those who reside in California are among the happiest in the country, studies show that Californians are increasingly pursuing happiness elsewhere. In an interview with demographer Joel Kotkin, the Wall Street Journal found that this exodus of California residents is enormous in scale -- with potentially profound impacts. Nearly 4 million more people have left the Golden State in the last two decades than have come from other states.

Victim’s sister: Mobile, Ala. black-on-white beating sparked by theft, not basketball
http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/26/victims-sister-mobile-ala-black-on-white-beating-sparked-by-theft-not-basketball/#ixzz1t9IWvRUb
Excerpt: The sister of a white Mobile, Alabama man who suffered severe head trauma during a beating by approximately 20 black neighbors on Saturday spoke exclusively to The Daily Caller, saying that the incident started after one of her children witnessed some of the eventual assailants stealing an item from a neighbor’s porch — not, as some media outlets have reported, following a disagreement about a pick-up basketball game in the street. … It was Parker who told police she heard someone in the group of her brothers’ assailants say after the attack, “Now that’s justice for Trayvon.” (Wonder which participants look like Obama’s mythical son. Can they sue the race baiters? ~Bob.)

Behind Obama’s Definition of Wealth and Paying Off Student Loans
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/04/behind-obamas-definition-of-wealth-and-paying-off-student-loans-2/
Excerpt: President Obama told students at the University of North Carolina Tuesday that he knows what it is like to struggle with student loan debt because he and his wife didn’t pay off their student loans until eight years ago. That may be true, but a quick look at the Obamas’ tax returns shows they were making enough to be considered “wealthy” by the president’s own definition in the years before his loans were paid off. (For a liberal, having trouble paying your debts means that you can’t find someone else to pick up the tab. ~Bob.)

Decline or Decadence? By Victor Davis Hanson
http://townhall.com/columnists/victordavishanson/2012/04/26/decline_or_decadence
Excerpt: So much of our sagging profile abroad is simply a growing realization that the Middle East is, well, the Middle East: You can change the faces, but the regimes end up mostly the same -- as innate reflections of the volatile mix of tribalism, vast infusions of oil money, radical Islam, and generations of dependency.

Egypt’s women urge MPs not to pass early marriage, sex-after-death laws: report
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/04/25/210198.html
Excerpt: She was referring to two laws: one that would legalize the marriage of girls starting from the age of 14 and the other that permits a husband to have sex with his dead wife within the six hours following her death. According to Egyptian columnist Amro Abdul Samea in al-Ahram, Talawi’s message included an appeal to parliament to avoid the controversial legislations that rid women of their rights of getting education and employment, under alleged religious interpretations. (Well, the federal courts and the New York Times feel Shari’a Law is compatible with US Law, so this kind of stuff is to be expected here. Ain’t multiculturalism lovely? ~Bob.)

Quote
The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea. --Isak Dinesen

High-ranking DOJ official to resign amid Fast and Furious, Virgin Islands bribery scandals By Matthew Boyle
http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/25/high-ranking-doj-official-to-resign-amid-fast-and-furious-virgin-islands-bribery-scandals/
Excerpt: U.S. Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich plans to resign his position soon, as two different scandals rage on in which he has provided allegedly misleading information to Congress. Weich, who has served as Attorney General Eric Holder’s emissary in congressional communications, will become the next dean of the University of Baltimore School of Law in July, according to the National Law Journal. (Nice, cushy job versus jail cell. Corruption reigns. –Barb.)

RNC chief accuses Obama of campaigning on taxpayer's dime
http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/223789-rnc-chief-accuses-obama-of-campaigning-on-taxpayers-dime
Excerpt: The Republican National Committee is asking the Government Accountability Office to examine President Obama's "misuse" of government funds to benefit his reelection campaign. In an official complaint filed with the GAO, a watchdog agency, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus accuses Obama of "passing off campaign travel as official events," using taxpayer money to fund his reelection efforts. (Everyone knows he’s doing it, no one on the left will admit it, and it’s hard to prove. Like Rahm getting elected to Congress with the illegal help of thousands of city union workers on the government’s time, thanks to the Daley machine. He said he didn’t know about it, and, it being Chicago where they control everything, it went away. ~Bob.)

Worth Watching: "If I wanted America to fail"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CZ-4gnNz0vc
And sharing. ~Bob.

McCain: Military now tasked with ‘alternative energy research’ [VIDEO] By Michelle Fields
http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/18/mccain-military-now-tasked-with-alternative-energy-research-video/#ixzz1tAQK9zsr
Excerpt: “During a event to celebrate the release of Citizen’s Against Government Waste’s annual Congressional Pig Book on Wednesday, Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain criticized earmarks for “alternative energy research” in defense appropriations bills, which he said cost taxpayers $120 million. “We’re talking about cutting the Army by 100,000 people, the Marines by 80,000 people, and yet we’re now having our armed services in the business of advanced alternative energy research?” said McCain.

The Election Should Be All About Barack Obama’s Record
http://pjmedia.com/blog/the-election-should-be-all-about-barack-obamas-record/?singlepage=true
Excerpt: In 1980, Jimmy Carter was seeking reelection against challenger Ronald Reagan. Carter’s administration was busily producing inflation, unemployment, and high interest rates all at once, a trifecta once thought impossible. It wasn’t the “killer rabbit” that did Carter in, just as it won’t be Obama’s youthful penchant for eating dog meat; it was the brutal economy.

Obama returning cash from one accused Ponzi schemer, keeping money from bundler who helped another By Matthew Boyle
http://dailycaller.com/2012/04/26/obama-returning-cash-from-one-accused-ponzi-schemer-keeping-money-from-bundler-who-helped-another/#ixzz1tARZDSyc
Excerpt: “President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign plans to return campaign donations to alleged Ponzi-schemer Shervin Neman, but is keeping money from a bundler who helped convicted Ponzi-schemer R. Allen Stanford and other alleged financial criminals get tax breaks…”

Analyst predicts state budget gap "a few billion dollars" worse
http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/04/state-fiscal-analyst-revenues-may-be-few-billion-dollars-short.html
Excerpt: With state revenues slowing to a trickle as the end of April draws near, the state's top fiscal analyst said late Wednesday that California could be "a few billion dollars" shy of Gov. Jerry Brown's budget projections through June 2013.

If Mormonism Is Fair Game, so Is Jeremiah Wright. By Larry Elder
http://townhall.com/columnists/larryelder/2012/04/26/if_mormonism_is_fair_game_so_is_jeremiah_wright/page/full/
Excerpt: A well-regarded Republican strategist at a private gathering recently warned, "And just wait until they play that Mormon card." By "they," he meant the Obama campaign and its complicit media cheerleaders. Lawrence O'Donnell, only days later, gave his viewers a historical tutorial on the Mormon religion, darkly suggesting that we all should be afraid, very afraid. The Democratic governor of Montana, Brian Schweitzer, called Mitt Romney's grandfather a "polygamist."

Meteor Explosion In Nevada Was One Third The Size Of Hiroshima Bomb, Expert Says
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/25/meteor-explosion-in-nevada_n_1453333.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl22%7Csec3_lnk2%26pLid%3D155362
Excerpt: Experts say the flaming meteor, dating to the early formation of the solar system 4 to 5 billion years ago, was probably about the size of a minivan when it entered the Earth's atmosphere with a loud boom early Sunday. It was seen from Sacramento, Calif., to Las Vegas and parts of northern Nevada. An event of that size might happen once a year around the world, said Don Yeomans of NASA's Near-Earth Object Program Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. (Remember the quotation marks I put around the word harmlessly in our first coverage of this on 23 April 2012? The only good news is there would be no radioactivity. The exact amount of explosive power depends on the angle and speed it had coming in. A more vertical approach would have meant a higher speed at impact with the ground and therefore a “larger” explosion. Fortunately, this one overheated before impacting the ground and away from any habitations. Had it impacted in a crowded city, we’d still be picking up the pieces. Ron P.)

Car Dealers Press Case Against U.S. Over Bailout, Citing Constitution
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304811304577366292306078480.html?mod=djemITP_h
Excerpt: U.S. government bailouts of General Motors and Chrysler became a constitutional battleground when they were pushed through bankruptcy court in 2009. Turns out the battle isn't over just yet. More than 220 former car dealers are pressing their case that the Obama administration violated the U.S. Constitution when the car makers terminated franchise agreements while in bankruptcy restructuring.

Obama Ban on Youth Farm Chores Part of Larger Power Grab by Kurt Nimmo
http://www.prisonplanet.com/obama-ban-on-youth-farm-chores-part-of-larger-power-grab.html
Excerpt: The ongoing attacks on family farming are not merely misguided efforts by control freak bureaucrats. They are part of a larger “comprehensive plan of action” to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organizations of the United Nations to institute “sustainable development,” a philosophy designed to bring humanity under tight control of the global elite. (Just part of the forthcoming “flexibility…” –Barb)

CAIR Confronts Allen West (with subtitles)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CVK4c2qu3M&feature=youtu.be
Don't know if you have seen this short video or not. If so, my apologies. The two players are Nezar Hamze, the Executive Director of CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) and Allen West, who needs no introduction. Mr. Hamze waded into this discussion with Congressman West in attack mode with typical Muslim misinformed bravado. There aren't too many politicians today with the background and the guts who could have handled Hamze better. It's readily apparent that Hamze thought he would be dealing with another typical American pantywaist politician who panders to anyone and any cause to get votes. He made one little mistake - He kicked the baby in the thicket while walking into the perfect ambush and was unable to withdraw. –MasterGuns

Scotland Yard Terror Arrests In English Defence League's Home Town of Luton, England - Huffington Post UK
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/04/24/luton-terrorism-five-men-terrorist-attack_n_1448084.html?ref=uk
Excerpt: Others living on the same street spoke of their shock and described their neighbours as "friendly" people. Self-employed Mohammed Iqbal, who did not give his age, said he believed the man arrested on Bishopscote Road lived with his family. "I see him passing by sometimes," he said. "I don't know him but he seems friendly'.

Obama the Tragedy by William L. Gensert
http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/04/obama_the_tragedy.html
Excerpt: A second term for Barack Obama will be a tragedy. His farcical first term barely hinted at the disaster awaiting America in Barack II. Hobbled by a staggering lack of judgment and competence, and his ever-present reticence to make decisions that might impede his re-election, his first despicable term was a joke, despite a dearth of mirth. If given four more years without worry of electoral reprisal, he will wreak havoc upon the nation in ways that Barack, back in Barack I, only dreamed of.

The Worst Places to Be a Woman - By Valerie M. Hudson
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/04/24/the_worst_places_to_be_a_woman
The map is interesting. ~Bob

The Real War on Women: Honor killing, forced marriage, genital mutilation — that is a war on women. By Lee Habeeb
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/296958/real-war-women-lee-habeeb
Excerpt: Her name was Derya. She lived in Batman, Turkey, she was 17 years old, and she had a problem that few American women know about, let alone have ever experienced: The men in her family were doing everything they could to get her to kill herself. It started with text messages like this one from her uncle: “You have blackened our name. Kill yourself and clean our shame, or we will kill you first.”

Even Mortician Member Finds D.C. Humorless
http://www.nationaljournal.com/daily/even-mortician-member-finds-d-c-humorless-20120425
Excerpt: One thing Rep. Steve Southerland has noticed since coming to Washington last year is that people in the halls of Congress don’t laugh nearly as much as those who visit his family business. Which is odd, given that his family owns a funeral home. “Everyone here is so serious,” the Florida Republican said. “Sure it’s a serious subject matter, but no more serious than the subject matter we deal with at the funeral home.

The Bailout Of The US Postal Service Begins: Cost To Taxpayers - $110,000 Per Union Vote "Saved Or Gained"
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/bailout-postal-service-begins-cost-taxpayers-110000-vote-saved-or-gained
Excerpt: The other option, it turns out courtesy of news from AP, is the first of many incremental bail outs of the US Postal Office, better known in pre-election circles as hundreds of thousands of unionized votes up for the taking, and which could be bought for the low low price of $11 billion in taxpayer money, or $110,000 per vote! And so the latest bailout of yet another terminally inefficient and outdated government entity begins.