POLITICAL: OBH44 skips Arlington on Memorial Day

Monday, May 31, 2010

http://www.ksla.com/Global/story.asp?S=12544685

Obama to skip Memorial day tradition
Posted: May 26, 2010 8:28 AM Updated: May 26, 2010 8:28 AM

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WASHINGTON, DC (KSLA) – U.S. President Barack Obama, plans to skip a presidential tradition this Memorial day weekend for a trip back to Chicago.

Traditionally on Memorial day,the current President will lay a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.

*** and ***

What do you think of the President’s plan to return home for Memorial day instead of partaking in the traditional Presidential appearance at Arlington Cemetery?

*** end quote ***

I think that is the ULTIMATE insult to the brave men and women who have paid the ultimate price.

With troops in harm’s way, he’s got chutzpah to claim to be “president”. A President leads. He shows up at Arlington and acknowledges that these honored dead gave full measure of what was asked of them. And, maybe he add that he understands what he, and the nation, are asking from the boys and girls in the foreign fields. Argh!

It communicates a disrespect that is hard to explain away.

Sorry, but he’s … … … a politician!

As a vet, who had it “easy”, I’m disgusted!

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POLITICAL: We don’t have “private industry”; we have witch’s brew of a mix

Friday, May 28, 2010

ORIGINAL POST

FJohn Reinke

“With the Gulf oil leak: the state was revealed, once again, as utterly incompetent at anything but taxing and making war, that is, stealing and murdering. It was funny to hear Progs urging Obama to seize personal control and fix everything. He doesn’t want the political responsibility, of course, but in any event, the… state employs no one with any such ability, and if it did, he would soon be useless, thanks to the environment of public property. All the state can do is grab other people’s money and use some of it to hire favored private contractors. Virtually all its millions of uncivil servants are good only at being busybodies, and armed ones at that.”

Sadly all too true!

>One Lesson of the Gulf « LewRockwell.com Blog http://www.lewrockwell.com
>With the Gulf oil leak: the state was revealed, once again, as utterly incompetent at anything but taxing and
>making war, that is, stealing and murdering. It was funny to hear Progs urging Obama to seize personal
>control and fix everything. …

RELOCATING A COMMENT

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I am offended!! Some of us are highly skilled workers (not me of course, but there are some) who are not only competent, but very, very smart (again clearly not me). Policy makers and political appointees are typically the poor performers because they have no subject matter expertise and if they do it is outdated since … See Morethey probably haven’t had … See Morereal world, boots on the ground experience in a long time. This is a very clear failure on the part of private industry, which as a dedicated libertarian (unlike Rand Paul who was a poster child until he stepped on his you know what) is who you want running the world. BP wanted the lead and they dropped the ball- now everyone wants the gov’t to clean it up. Can’t have it both ways- either private industry is capable or they need oversight.

*** end quote ***

>I am offended!!

GOOD! If we can get folks’ Irish up, maybe, just maybe, we can change the “barbara streisand”!

>Some of us are highly skilled workers

I think we have “workers” that highly skilled. Even for the Gooferment!

The workers, (even you), are NOT bad people.

It’s just that “the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall”. Like the drunk looking for lost keys under the street light as opposed to looking by the storied “dark by the front door where those keys were lost”. It’s that 100,000 foot plan that is wrong.

You can put the best workers on the job, but the problem is that the “job” is completely wrong!

Argh!

>Policy makers and political appointees are typically the poor
>performers because they have no subject matter expertise

I disagree. They get poor results because they are working but have started with a poor meme (i.e., gooferment force) and have poor paradigms (i.e., centralized command and control systems don’t have the price and market mechanisms to guide them in decisions).

Reference: http://mises.org/etexts/mises/bureaucracy/section2.asp

Bureaucracy by Ludwig von Mises (1944): Section 2 Bureaucracy

“Bureaucratic management is the method applied in the conduct of administrative affairs the result of which has no cash value on the market. Remember: we do not say that a successful handling of public affairs has no value, but that it has no price on the market, that its value cannot be realized in a market transaction and consequently cannot be expressed in terms of money.”

An entrepreneur has profit and loss to guide decision making. A bureaucrat doesn’t have that. So decisions are “political”; not profit seeking. The cost of capital, the business risks, and the size of reward are all available for the entrepreneur to guide, measure, revise, and quit.

>This is a very clear failure on the part of private industry

Unfortunately, the “private industry” had willing unindicted co-conspirators in: both political parties, Congress, States, various Administrations, and the main stream media. Campaign contributions, regulatory capture, and incompetent gooferment all loom large in this disaster. I read that the gooferment had a plan for a spill, but never bothered to buy the booms needed for the plans. SINCE 1968! ROFL!

We don’t have “private industry”. We have a gooferment – big company – big labor paradox.

>which as a dedicated libertarian

Will reject your assumption that we have “private industry”!

>(unlike Rand Paul who was a poster child until he
>stepped on his you know what)

I think he was attempting to make a very valid point. The reason we needed a “Civil Rights Act” at all was that governments were forcing segregation.

Take look into the famous Rosa Parks and bus story. You’ll find that there was no segregation on the buses run by greedy businessmen who wanted all fares regardless of color. The Legislatures voted in a law about “back of the bus”. And the bus owners lobbied AGAINST it. (ROFL, yes those evil capitalists!)

What he was trying to say was that the law should not have applied to private property. Gooferment property, access, and such is a fine target.

I think what everyone needs to understand that the marketplace is a real-time ongoing election. You vote with your dollars. If there’s a racist business, then they will be at a competitive disadvantage. There competitors will eat their lunch. So the marketplace will “fix” the problem.

>Can’t have it both ways- either private industry is capable
>or they need oversight.

But we don’t have that either or. We have a muddle. With payoffs and a wink’n’nod!

>

Don’t forget that the “limited liability corporation” is a creation of the Gooferment!

For other examples, look at the FDA / Big Pharma. Look at Big Education and all levels of gooferment, politicians, and bureaucracy.

>

Don’t poke sticks in the little L libertarian’s cage! It’s not productive, doesn’t change anything, and annoys the Libertarian.

:)

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POLITICAL: O’Reilly vs. Weiner Over Gold Controversy

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

http://video.foxnews.com/v/4210901/oreilly-vs-weiner-over-gold-controversy/?playlist_id=87937

O’Reilly vs. Weiner Over Gold Controversy

I listened to O’Reilly interview Wiener about Beck and Goldline. Now there is no doubt that Goldline is not my choice for a gold coin vendor. I recommend KITCO. And there is no doubt that they and Beck are tight. Like the View (i.e., where the hosts do a live in program ad read that appears like content), the ads are becoming part of the show. And, there is no doubt that Wiener has an agenda. Wiener has a whole industry to target; they have a lot of ripoffs, but he picks out Beck’s sponsor. There is no doubt that the liberals and their willing dupes in the media are out to silence Beck. Either by criticizing him, by their boycott, or now by their smear. It’s a sad day when a sitting member of Congress from the House of Reps takes such visibly partisan swipe at a media comentator. You never see that from the other side. The liberal Press wouldn’t tolerate it. We shouldn’t empower these criminals in the District of Corruption to attack law abiding members of the media and their sponsors with impunity.

Bottom line: (1) The citizens, who can vote, should be ashamed of this man’s attempted use of force in their name. (2) Everyone one should be upset about this backdoor attack on the First Amendment.

imho!

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POLITICAL: Isn’t this supposed to be the “home of the brave”

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

http://original.antiwar.com/pitts/2010/05/07/living-with-risk-is-the-cost-of-freedom

Living with Risk is the Cost of Freedom
by Leonard Pitts Jr., May 08, 2010

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We always seem surprised.

Even after Oct. 1, 1910, when a bomb destroyed the Los Angeles Times building and killed 20 men.

*** and ***

There’s a saying: I’d rather be lucky than good. Last week, we were both. But at some point, we will be neither.

So what can you do? The answer is that you do the best you can, take what precautions you can, and then you get on with it, learn to live with the risk freedom entails. You accept that risk because freedom is worth it.

And because living in fear is a contradiction in terms.

*** end quote ***

The Gooferment, while its raison d’Eter is protection of our rights, is incapable of keeping us completely safe. We see that result in the movies — “The Matrix”, “V”, and “I, Robot” — and in countless Sci Fi texts. We couldn’t breathe with a complete cloak of protection around us. And, mistake would still happen.

So let’s recognize there will always be risk. Someone always wins the lottery. Reasonable mitigation, Mutual Cooperation as needed, strict restriction of unjustified Gooferment intrusions should be the “order of the day”.

After all this is supposed to be the “Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave”.

We all don’t need “no stinkin’ badges” to keep ourselves safe.

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POLITICAL: Avoiding a long period of economic stagnation

Saturday, May 22, 2010

http://channel-surfing.blogspot.com/2010/05/stagnation-ahead.html

Thursday, May 20, 2010
Stagnation ahead?

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Paul Krugman’s column, which is on the Times site tonight, but will be in print tomorrow, reminds us that the danger is not the deficit — not in the short term, anyway — but the likelihood that we are entering a long period of economic stagnation, a “lost decade,” and that we are not doing enough to prevent it.

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Remember the Great Depression was caused by the Gooferment and it’s Smoot Hawley tariff.

This one was caused by CRA, Freddie + Fannie, repeal of Glass Stegal, the FED, the SEC, the FDIC, and the FTC. (imho in that order) (p.s., blaming Wall Street is like blaming the insane in the asylum. Corrupt gooferment makes this all possible.)

The answer is freedom; not gooferment. How’s all that deficit spending worked out for Japan? How did socialism work out for the old Soviet Union. Remember Thatcher’s quote on “other people’s money”?

No, we pull ourselves back from the brink by tough love. Sure it’s going to hurt. But, do we have the right to endebt future generations?

imho, we need a national CPR, fast comprehensive and violent:

(1) End the various “wars”. Bring all the boys and girls home.

(2) End the psuedo War on (some) drugs. Pardon ALL non-violent drug offenders.

(3) End all restrictions on small businesses. (License to braid or cut hair’ please don’t make me barf!) (Dollar van prohibitions.)

(4) Zero corporate, estate, and income tax. Return to constitutional tariffs and excise taxes.

(5) Start selling off the “national assets”.

(6) Return — with a forty year plan — education costs to the parents.

(7) End welfare — corporate and personal — with an appropriate transition period.

(8) End the Social Security ponzi scheme [Really a misnomer. It’s Ponzi like. Those defrauded really had no choice about participating.] with a Chile-like solution to give folks time to adapt.

(9) Open the borders with an expedited identification scheme. (i.e., here illegally? come down and get your picture taken and finger prints checked and dna sample! Here’s your new green card.) (i.e., want to come here. post a bond for your return trip. no communicable diseases. pic, finger, dna. welcome to the land of opportunity.)

(10) Re-institute Constitutional money in gold and silver. Figure out a transition plan from FED to gold.

Then stand back and watch this economy take off. You’ll have growth and civility that is unprecedented.

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POLITICAL: More bailouts until the pig-gy bank is busted

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=155205

Will the PIGS blow up Europe?
Posted: May 18, 2010
Pat Buchanan

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The ECB seems to be substituting itself for the banks as the chump to be left holding the bag when the defaults begin.

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Whatever you think of Pat as a Presidential candidate, he has a knack for identifying global trends.

Transnationalism, ethno-nationalism, and economic nationalism I think I understand. What he misses in this short piece are the formation of religious nationalism (i.e., Muslims carve out part of countries and align them…selves with their religion as opposed to the country) AND the liberal politically correct non-nationalism. Maybe he covers these in his book.

In any event, a thought provoking one pager.

Clearly, the US Taxpayer is on the hook for this bailout. All to benefit the banks that are stuck with the deadbeat’s bonds!

When this all fails, what happens?

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POLITICAL: Filling out my list of the “worst” Presidents

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

A fellow alum posited that:

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“If you were to be trapped in a cave for 30 days and had the choice of ANY dead president to chill with…who would it be and why.”

Probably George Washington or Lyndon B. Johnson.

Washington so I could fill him in the shit state of the US today.

Johnson because he was an incredibly important figure during the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement. I guess I’m not over my thesis. Still emotionally attached. Sigh. I would just like to talk to him about his true feelings about the war as well as the civil rights and black power movements.

*** end quote ***

Washington was unarguably the “best” President.

But I’d assert that LBJ is pretty well down there for worst. “Civil Rights” was forced on him by the “evil” republicans to get more funding for Vietnam. (I remember reading about it in the papers.)

My “worst” list:

(1) Lincoln (Civil War over secession ending the “America Experiment” on liberty, corrupt railroad lawyer figuratively in bed with Northeastern power brokers and literally in bed with some “interesting” people whole presenting a different image to the folks, First Amendment violations, Income Tax, )

(2) Wilson (duped us into WW2 after running on a “peace platform”, racist, Progressive, Federal Reserve, Income Tax)

(3) Truman (ABombed defenseless civilians)

(4) FDR (Progressive, the “social security” scam, End the Gold Standard, may have lied us into war, Harrison Narcotics Tax Act of 1914.)

(5) LBJ (Gulf of Tonkin to expand the VietNam war, expanded the draft, put the Welfare / Warfare state on steroids)

(6) BHO (Healthcare, Porkulous, GM, Wall Street Bailout, started us on the road to socialism)

Also rans (Not even close to the “big” time):

(*) Nixon (Expanded Drug War on the inner cities, ended the international Gold Standard)

(*) Bush41 (“No new taxes”)

(*) Kennedy (Expanded the VietNam war, Bay of Pigs, permitted a trip to Dallas)

(*) Regan (Deficits, ran with Bush41)

(*) Jefferson (Demonstrated that absolute power corrupts even the best men)

(*) Bush43 (Started the Iraq war)

(*) Clinton (Whitewater, “Slick-ness”, Monica IN the Oval Office, lot of “little wars”)

Comment?

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Like anyone cares about my opinions!

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2011-Dec-14

Adding Teddy to #7 ahead of the “also-rans”!

(7) Teddy (Crazy, “world’s policeman”, “master race”, “trust buster” of the unfavored business, “food safety crisis”, “conservation”, and worst reviving the income tax.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/dilorenzo/dilorenzo106.html

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POLITICAL: Kagan is anti Second Amendment

Friday, May 14, 2010

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aPI35t8uR6Gs

Kagan Was ‘Not Sympathetic’ as Law Clerk to Gun-Rights Argument
By Greg Stohr and Kristin Jensen

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May 13 (Bloomberg) — Elena Kagan said as a U.S. Supreme Court law clerk in 1987 that she was “not sympathetic” toward a man who contended that his constitutional rights were violated when he was convicted for carrying an unlicensed pistol.

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This is really all we have to know about Obama’s nominee Kagan.

The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is the Palladium of Liberty.

The “litmus test” for who is sovereign — the People or the “King” aka the Gooferment.

Sad, but she needs to be defeated.

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POLITICAL: Obamacare will go broke; only question how fast

Friday, May 14, 2010

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2010/05/early_harbingers_of_the_health.html

May 04, 2010
Early harbingers of the health care fiasco
Walt Elgin

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Speaking of which, nobody knows what it will cost or who covers overruns. Well, that will ultimately be us whether state or federal shortfalls, or both. Last month, dozens of states asked who pays when federal funding runs dry . “You could have a handful of people that could literally bankrupt the high-risk pool,” said Sumi Sousa, special assistant to Democratic California Assembly Speaker John Perez. “What do we do then? The state’s broke.”

*** and ***

And the feds have finally owned up to the real state of affairs; HHS spokeswoman Jenny Backus declined to say who pays when the program runs out of money. “I think we need to get the programs up and running before we start speculating,” she said.

*** end quote ***

All I can do it quote Margaret Thatcher.

“The trouble with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.”

Some programs run out faster. Like Indian Health Care. Like Obamacare.

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POLITICAL: I’ll defend the country; not the regime, administration, or the gooferment

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/56783.html

April 29, 2010
The Quintessential Defender of the Military
Posted by Laurence Vance on April 29, 2010 07:40 PM

*** begin quote ***

<<Quoting a student who was upset with his blog post>>

“It comes down to patriotism and the saying the [sic] many people live by is Love It, Or Leave It. If you don’t love the country or those who defend it then there is no room for you here. The people who put their lives on the line everyday no matter what the politics are in a conflict, they are Hero’s. [sic] If you enjoyed the freedom of typing out this article, than you can thank the military. People join the military to do their duty to protect our freedoms for not only us but our future generations.”

*** end quote ***

My “humble” observations:

  1. “Luv it or leave it” — Why? I paid my dues. Taxes were stolen from me. Loving the country is not necessarily “loving” the regime, government, or its military.
  2. “Defend it” — As soon as the “enemy” comes across the border or lands on the beaches, I’ll be on the line. And, I’ll even bring my own gun.
  3. “Lives on the line every day” — If the government was observing its own Constitution, then we would not have several undeclared wars going on while having troops in about (I’m told) 170 countries. (When did WW2 end? “We” still have troops in Germany!)
  4. “Hero’s” — No, they are mercenaries. And, the word implies a value judgement. Values we clearly don’t share.
      
  5. “Enjoy freedom” — The Dead Old White Guys told me in their writings that my “rights” come from my Creator. And, that Gooferments were instituted among Men to secure these rights. Were they wrong?
  6. “Thank the military” — If they were defending the borders within their Constitutional bounds, maybe I’d agree. remember the Constitution only authorize the Army to be called up for two years. What ever did happen to that restriction?
  7. “Join the military” — Sorry, folks join the military for numerous reasons that has nothing to do with posterity’s freedom. Tuition, pay the bills, and shoot big guns leaps to mind.

I think we need patriots who will stay out of the military and fight the expansion of the gooferment. That’s heroic. And dangerous.

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