Random Thoughts for October, 2015. By Robert A. Hall
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Those who benefit financially or politically by preaching violence against the police, or tacitly condoning it, have sown the wind--and will reap the whirlwind.
Planned Parenthood was selling "fresh" body parts of aborted babies, but they missed another prophet center from their spiritual forbearers--selling the babies' skin for lampshades.
The people who are delighted with Speaker Boehner's resignation may not be so happy in a few months. Just saying.
Trumps pandering to conservatives by taking positions opposed to things he said in the past doesn't make him a conservative.
People who like Trump because he "speaks his mind" don't seem to mind how often he has changed his mind. And they lose their minds if you speak your mind about Trump and it doesn't agree with their minds.
People are complaining the Pope is too political, but the Papacy has always been political. In 1215, Pope Innocent III effectively annulled the Magna Carta, the great charter of English liberty that western limited government is based upon, saying it was shameful, abridged the rights of the King and King John and the Barons should not observe it. They barons ignored him, just as progressives will ignore this Pope on gay marriage and abortion, and conservatives will ignore him on global warming and immigration.
According to the polls, Clinton is running well ahead of her Democrat challenger, and thus is likely to be the nominee. Oh, not Bernie Sanders--I'm talking about Barack Obama at this point in the 2008 election cycle: Gallup Election Review: October 2007
Excerpt: Clinton has led the Democratic pack in every Gallup Poll conducted between November 2006 and October 2007. For most of this time, Clinton has led Obama by a double-digit margin. Clinton ’s lead over Obama has expanded to nearly 30 points in Gallup ’s latest poll, conducted Oct. 12-14: 50% vs. 21%.
I saw Reggie Love, friend and advisor to Obama on TV touting his new book. He said at this point in the 2008 election they were way behind, but saw that Hillary had "some chinks in the armor." Say, isn't that now a racial microaggression against Asians? Or is it okay because he's black?
I understand that the FBI, in checking Hillary's server, found more records from the Rose Law Firm and the Whitewater Development.
New candidate for Congress: "If elected, I will eliminate all the waste in government." Congressman two years in: "Waste is hard to define." Congressman running for reelection: "Look at the wonderful bike paths I brought to our district."
Actually, Waste and Fraud serve a very useful purpose in government. Over the years, countless government programs have been funded by promising to eliminate them. Obamacare is one of the latest.
People who want the government to spend more money on things they want--conservatives on the military, law enforcement and a border fence, liberals on practically everything else--seldom have any idea or concern about how the government will get the money to do so.
I never had a constituent say to me, "Senator, I think the state should be spending more in this area, but I realize we can't afford it unless other programs are cut and the economy improves."
You'll notice that none of the Muslim refugees or illegal immigrants the progressive elites want to take in are going to be domiciled in walking distance of the elites' estates.
Carly Fiorina must be doing well. The left is starting to smear her just in case.
I notice that the folks praising the pope's knowledge of science for his position on global warming don't think much of his knowledge of science about when human life begins. And vice versa.
Before the Civil War (and long after it) Slave Owners said that it should be illegal to educate blacks, as they were not fit for it, nor were they fit to live in freedom and assume the responsibility of citizenship. After the war, through years of backbreaking labor, blacks proved them wrong, and steadily rose in employment, respectability and civic involvement. But today black ghetto culture is working to undo all the effort by these hard-working, descent blacks, undermine the black middle class and dismisses black education as "acting white." But their behavior seem determined to prove the Slave Owners right. It is sad that their feelings of victimhood and incompetence to live without being dependent on the government are fed by unscrupulous politicians to gain power.
I notice that those who roundly condemn that Kentucky clerk for not carrying out the law, as established by the SCOTUS, and issuing marriage licenses to gay couples are roundly cheering Obama and the officials of sanctuary cities for not caring out immigration law as established by congress. Apparently it's okay to not carry out the law if it's a law you don't like. And you are a liberal.
I believe in voting for the lesser of two evils, when that's all there is. Not to do so condemns one to be governed by the greater of two evils. But I cannot vote for Trump. I see nothing to choose between the disaster he will bring on the country and the one that Clinton, Biden, Sanders, Chafee or O'Malley will bring on it. They will be different types of disasters, to be sure.
Liberals think that their opinions of the moment and cause-de-jure are natural laws; only the stupid or willfully ignorant can't see that. And when they change their opinion or adopt a new cause, they think the same about that.
I heard Obama intends to issue an Executive Order making pi exactly 3.0 instead of 3.1416 to make it easier for disadvantaged students to understand.
Guy on Facebook wrote: "Charracter Matters!" I answered, "So does spelling..."
Free speech is often offensive, but lack of free speech is always disastrous.
Pro tip: If you are in a medical waiting room, try to find an interesting article to read. They are sure to call you by the time you are half way through.
There is a tipping point in the ratio between sheep and sheepdogs in a nation. Once it is reached, the wolves and jackals are going to bring you down and devour you. I fear that we are past the tipping point, and the predators are circling.
Recently I saw a sign: "100 years ago, we taught Latin and Greek in high school. Now we teach remedial English in college. What happened?" Teachers' unions and progressive educational theories happened.
A real "unbiased observer" is a very rare thing, though "journalists" claiming to be such are as common as preachers who know the "one true faith."
Progressives always rename things to try to force politically correct thinking on the masses: Leningrad , Stalingrad, Ho Chi Minh City , Mount Denali Leningrad and Stalingrad are gone, and Vietnamese still call it Saigon . We shall see about the mountain.
If you are planning to send your kids to one of the modern American universities or colleges (with a few exceptions), and they don't have firm convictions and principles, they will send you back progressive Marxists. Most universities today teach kids what to think, not how to think.
Increasing the minimum wage helps unions--contracts are tied to it. It was racist unions that pushed it in the first place to keep poor blacks from competing with white union members on wages. So if it helps unions, and they contribute to Democrats, who cares if an increase in the minimum wage also increases unemployment among minorities by pricing them out of the workforce, where they might learn basic job skills. There's always welfare and they will have to vote right to keep it flowing.
Waitresses often ask if I want them to take the bill and my credit card up. I want to say, "No, I want you to say, "It's on the house today!'"
My next selfie will be my first.
Good intentions are nice. But without the economic knowledge and skills to get good results they are worthless--and often harmful.
Of some people you can say, "Two of him would be three too many!"
It was higher tariffs that started the trade war that locked in the great depression. Those who don't know economics are condemned to repeat the disasters of the past.
If people have to preface a jokes with, "Now this is funny, I don't care who you are," it's probably not very funny.
Self respect is fine. But it's more important that your character and actions lead other folks to respect you.
Everyone is above average in his or her own mind.
Just because you call someone a reformer or something a reform doesn't make it good. See: Hillary Clinton’s uncredible statement on Syria
Power hidden is power multiplied.
In my long experience, you can usually get better results dealing with people--even bureaucrats--in person than by phone, letter or email.
When someone tells you that you have a "moral duty" to do something, it is always something they want done. Often it is to your disadvantage, and often they are not doing it themselves.
Ike warned of the Military-Industrial Complex. Today the threat to our vales and freedom is the Progressive-Media-Government Complex.
There is a big push in Wisconsin by progressives and the media for redistricting to be reformed to make it non-partisan. I'd be for it if it was nationwide. But I notice they are making no effort to reform redistricting in solid blue states like IL, NY or CA.
The good news is that they are putting prayer back in the public schools. The bad news is that it is prayer to Allah.
It's little wonder that Obama would want to take McKinley's name off a mountain. McKinley was a successful war president. Mt. Washington
If the press was neutral, compared to Obama, Nixon would be a poster boy for following the laws and the constitution.
Advocacy Journalism is propaganda, not journalism.
Progressivism, having seized the media and academia, is slowly instituting it's fantasies. The low-info public believes in pie in the sky and free stuff from the government. I now think the pendulum will only swing when they bring on the inevitable fiscal collapse and very hard times. Violence, death, privation and chaos will thin out the believers and harden the survivors to reality. But it is going to be very painful, especially for the young and old who cannot earn their way or fight.
My friend Bill says he wishes everyone realized that Attila the Hun was an immigrant.
My friend Tom says I can see no benefit to taking in refugees who abjure one of our basic tenets, the rule of law.
On the Net: “Bill tried to cheer up Hillary this morning by reminding her that Nelson Mandela wasn't elected president until after he had served 27 years in prison.” --Frank
Of the nominating process, someone said, "Cream rises to the top." But my dad used to say, "So do the big chunks in a cesspool."
We are developing a feudal system in this country. The progressive elites are the small nobility, who live in splendor, supported in their noble offices by thousands of welfare surfs and government retainers.
Thy are making a movie satirizing the Iran Surrender. I expect Michael Moore will make a counter movie about how wonderful Obama, Kerry and the deal are. Working title: "Triumph of the Will."
Conservatives are fond of saying that Obama is a Socialist. But really, his economic system is much closer to Fascism. "An inherent aspect of fascist economies was economic dirigisme, meaning an economy where the government exerts strong directive influence over investment, as opposed to having a merely regulatory role. In general, apart from the nationalizations of some industries, fascist economies were based on private individuals being allowed property and private initiative, but these were contingent upon service to the state." --James A Gregor, The Search for Neo Fascism: The uses and abuses of social science, Page 7, Cambridge University Press, 2006. This explains all the government subsidies to green energy, even failing ones like Solyndra, as long as they do what the government wants and contribute to the political campaigns of the fascist leaders.
1936: "Everything will be fine--only a tiny minority of Germans are Nazis."
Do you know why we don’t get conservative policies enacted? Because a good chunk of self-identified conservatives don’t actually want them, and fight them when they’re proposed. --Jim Geraghty, Morning Jolt.
I've decided tests are bad for you. Every time I have one, next thing I know something else is wrong with me. Had a bone density test and sure enough, now I have osteoporosis.
As I get older, I've started to find holidays and special occasions disruptive instead of energizing. Bah, humbug!
It looks like Obama's victory speech on election night 2008 was the high point of his presidency.
Druggies say, "It wasn't my fault, it was the drugs." Like taking recreational drugs wasn't voluntary, so it's a get-out-of-jail-free card. Refusal to take responsibility for one's actions is the hallmark of modern life.
If only Iran had given their terror armies an Indian name, like "Redskins," Obama would have refused to deal with them.
A book I just read referred to lobbyists as "Professional Parasites." Wish I'd said that.
I was telling my brother about getting cold sales calls that pretended to be returning a call from you, like a call saying we are responding to your request for information on back braces. Within hours my wife received such a call--selling back braces!
We used to say that people who were naive and vulnerable, "Wore their hearts on their sleeve." Now you can say they, "Wore their hearts on Facebook."
Notice how the liberal press overreacts to anyone suggesting Obama is a Muslim? Must be they think it's an insult to be a Muslim.
I'm surprised Sanders doesn't send young brunettes with "Bernie" signs to Hillary rallies, wearing blue dresses.
I don't ask God to smite my enemies....but if he wanted to give me a clear field of fire, I would not take it amiss.
From my friend Tom: Got a dose of "white privilege" the other day. Had an attack of vertigo in a store and grabbed wildly for the nearest support. Which proved to be a large, and rather surprised black man in full outlaw biker regalia. He went from a menacing "What the fu--" to a concerned "Are you OK, man?" in one breath, while holding me up like I was a doll. World needs more people like him.
People who despise lying in others often seem able to justify it in themselves with no trouble to their conscience.
Recently read: Google Motto 2004: "Don't be evil." Google Motto 2010: "Evil is tricky to define." Google Motto 2013: "We build military robots."
If Bernie Sanders had an eye on history, his slogan would be, "Every man a king!"
When I saw on TV that the Pope was flying in Marine One, I figure he was going golfing.
Discount stores aren't always. Recently I bought bananas for $.38 a pound at a convenience store when they were $.49 a pound at Walmart. Sugar free candy was cheaper at the VA gift shop than Walmart as well. Let the buyer beware.
The inability to delay gratification for something better in the future is, in my view, highly correlated with poverty and dismal lives.
No matter how brave you are, if you love, you fear.
They say that first-rate people choose first-rate subordinates and that second-rate people choose third-rate subordinates. My corollary: And assholes choose asshole subordinates. Sorry for the language, but no other word fits so exactly.
Women on average live about seven years longer than men. This blatant inequality must be the result of discrimination. We need a massive government effort to end the Death Gap!
Assad saw what happened to Gadhafi when he gave in to US/European pressure in Libya . Why should he want that? In fact, considering that post-Obama Libya is a terror hellhole, why should we?
Much of the comment, left and right, on sites like Facebook and Twitter, calls for other folks to take actions that the poster is too busy, lazy, poor, or frightened to take.
Churchill said, "Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities... because it is the quality which guarantees all others." I suspect that courage is strong self-discipline, controlling your natural fear to do what needs to be done.
People often console themselves at a death by saying the person died "doing what he loved." Heard that locally about a teen girl killed in a car wreck bombing around drunk after a party. Next it will be drivers killed while texting who died "doing what they loved"!
Dennis Miller: You say you're a creationist, liberals cite Darwin . You then cite survival of the fittest, liberals tell you to be more Christ-like.
Read on line: "Don't anyone call Obama a ‘world class strategist’; he truly is almost as talented as he appears – almost."
Get the collection! My “Random Thoughts” from 2008 through July, 2013 are collected in this book: The Old Jarhead's Journal: Random Thoughts on Life, Liberty
The Old Jarhead’s Journal is a collection of Random Thoughts on politics and life and Conservative Political Essays, mostly published on the author’s blog, including the essay “I’m Tired” which went viral on the Internet in 2009, “The Hall Platform,” “This I Believe,” and “Why I’m a Republican.” While they will be of interest to conservative thinkers, they are collected here in book form as a service to readers who wish to give a copy to favorite liberals and watch their heads explode. All royalties are donated to the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund.
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Robert A. Hall is a Marine Vietnam Veteran who served five terms in the Massachusetts State Senate. He is the author of The Coming Collapse of the American Republic. http://www.amazon.com/Coming-Collapse-American-Republic-prevent/dp/1461122538/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1304815980&sr=1-5 For a free PDF of Collapse, e-mail him at tartanmarine(at)gmail.com. Hall’s eleven books are listed here: http://tartanmarine.blogspot.com/2010/07/new-book-published.html. His blog of political news and conservative comment is www.tartanmarine.blogspot.com.
