American Exceptionalism must become the foremost Political Ideology of 21st Century America. It must replace Socialism and eclipse Conservatism. AE is an often talked about concept but is difficult for many to grasp. Debates rage between laymen and the educated over what this means, exactly, and both have ample evidence to support their arguments. AE encompasses both sides of the debate for no other nation is born out of the history that is intrinsic to the United States. No other nation tackles the problems of the disenfranchised as the United States, no other nation has created the immense wealth of so many, the freedom to choose our own destiny and the ability to weather the storms of a turbulent world, face down our enemies and still create stability for the average American Family; Stability of the rule of law, safety, plowed streets and a free, public education for our children. That stability is rooted in the day-to-day work of all of us who get up each day, unleash our swords and fight the dragon we call, the "daily grind". It is rooted in the man/woman who works two, three jobs, and still creates something (a better gizmo, art, school project, voting drive, anything). AE is the heart beat that has kept this nation alive during it's worst of times to come out, in the end, stronger and more aware of how sacred this mantle of American Exceptionalism truly is.
True to the nature of American Exceptionalism we are tasked from time to time to alter course and rewrite our future history. We are faced, at times, with Captains who steer our nation Arri and always the people bring the helm back on course. It is in our heritage and in our blood. No other nation, or it's people are so ancestrally linked to a document, forged by blood ink, created at a time when these ideas of Liberty were considered Sedition as these, The United States of America. Here is where American Exceptionalism finds its purpose of being. It was this radical idea of destiny of man, incumbent upon one's own fortitude, that forged the anvil that which the steel of a Superpower would be hammered. Failure was not an option. As hard as this concept may be for today's generation to understand; the creation of Liberty and Destiny are an evolutionary turn for Humanity. Adapt, or die. Freedom, placed squarely into your own hands carries great rewards or terrible consequences.
The 20th Century is heralded as "The American Century". With victory in war and growing economic expansion came enlightenment, affluence, perversity, and eventually, adulteration of the principles of our Constitution. America became 'soft' as we grew comfortable with all we have built. We have depended on the immense power of our arms and State to "take over" the responsibilities we must do for ourselves. More, segmented, enclaves of society have devolved into dependents of that State. Freedom has allowed the growth of what author Alvin Toffler, in "Future Shock" calls, "subcults". All sorts of constituents grasping at the teat of Government largess and demanding that they have as much rights as any one else. They do not. Freedom is a responsibility not a weekly allowance. These groups now tailor our legislation, affect domestic and foreign policy. They are the new 'Captains' steering this ship of State in an altered course. They are funded, powerful and they vote.
Many of these groups are like spoiled children who demand and think nothing of the demands they make on the ability of the parent to provide. The purpose of a parent is to teach self reliance to the young. The parent, who is the State, is not responsible for the dolling out of monies, laws and legislation to provide for these spoiled groups. It is their responsibility alone to promote their own cause. They must learn to do this themselves. For, by doing so, they become more powerful than any Government edict can imagine. Every time that a new law was passed for rights, a cause, equality via the United States Congress there has been a gradual chipping away at American Exceptionalism and dependency on our Government to provide and uphold those ideals. Had any of these groups gone the way of economic demands, strikes, boycotts, sit ins, shut downs and stayed with those ideas alone without legislation; an entirely different history would have unfolded. It may have taken longer but the outcome would still be the same except with no mandated laws suppressing freedom. All, any of these "movements" have done is take away from some to give to another. Instead of changing the perceptions of Americans naturally over time, it was forced upon us by lobbyists.
We cannot change the history we have been handed. All we can do is take a fresh look at how we arrived at this point and take into context the ramifications of those decisions. Hopefully, never make the same mistake again. We must begin to defund many of these programs to allow our children to grow as they must. American Exceptionalism is not granted by a handout but by allowing individuals to compete fairly in the open marketplace of ideas, economics, and justice. Many will fail and will be required to go it alone. There, they will find the truth in their own freedom and self reliance.
We have come full circle in the quest for equality to a point where idiocy reigns over common sense. This is the opposite of what our Founders envisioned for America. This is what American Exceptionalism is; not more mandates, but as few as possible to allow the growth of oneself.
....And That Is The Diatribe....
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
The Importance of Constant Pressure, Part V; Wisdom of the Second Amendment
How fortuitous, that we have this short statement in one of history's most valuable documents. It is included to remind the politicians of the rest of the document and the people also. The Second Amendment is more than just a clause that allows us to hunt and defend the nation in the streets from invaders. It is a built in "reset" button for a Republic and provides hardware for the people to take back the nation and defend the very Constitution itself. No other Constitution written for other Parliamentary States includes this decree. The Second Amendement is one case in point to American Exceptionalism.
Many States within the Union have created obstacles for ownership, transportation and use of firearms. I am not in total disagreement with these ideas. But, as usual, many laws are perverted when it comes to defense of one's home, carrying a concealed weapon in public places, trigger locks, banning certain firearms, even shooting an assailant. A 1982 survey of prison inmates has found that 34% of inmates were scared off by, shot at by, wounded and/or caprured by a civilian who was armed legally. (justfacts.com/guncontrol, James Agresti, Reid Smith, 2010).
Statistics are always used on both sides of the Second Amendment argument to butress a 'for' or 'against' debate. Agresti and Smith point out; "..when statistics are involved, the determination of what constitutes a credible fact (and what does not) can contain elements of personal subjectivity". Every one with a personal story to tell cannot separate themselves from the emotional trauma of a particular event in their lives where a firearm was used. Whether that story be from a victim or a defendant, it is a responsibility not to be taken lightly.
Out of a 2009 US population of roughly 307 million, roughly 45% of households contain firearms (Agresti, Smith). We are an armed nation. It would be wise for our elected to remember this and to act accordingly. In reality they do realize this and have spent many sessions of Congress to disarm the American Citizens. Recent Supreme Court appointees Sotomayer and Kagan have both been involved in handgun cases and are both unsympathetic to Second Amendment Rights. Each have voted in past occasions ,while presiding in lower courts, to deny appeals to legal gun owners who challenged D.C.'s ban on handguns within city limits. One defendant used a handgun in self defense and was sentenced to prison anyway.
While serving as a 'part-time' Senator, then Senator Obama voted against any Judicial Nominee who was a supporter of private gun ownership. One Federal Appeals court in 2002 stated that private citizens can only own guns while in the service of the State (National Guard, Police). James Madison wrote in The Federalist Papers of his concern for having only an armed militia and the possiblility of a military coup. He countered that concern by defending the need for citizens to be armed in challenging such a coup and protecting Liberty. Madison states..
"To these would be opposed a militia amounting to near half a million of citizens with arms in their hands, officered by men chosen from among themselves, fighting for their common liberties, and united and conducted by governments possessing their affections and confidence.
Besides the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation, the existence of subordinate governments, to which the people are attached, and by which the militia officers are appointed, forms a barrier against the enterprises of ambition, more insurmountable than any which a simple government of any form can admit of. Notwithstanding the military establishments in the several kingdoms of Europe, which are carried as far as the public resources will bear, the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms."
The last part of that statement is key. European Governments do not trust the citizenry to bear arms. In light of the Austerity Measures in place today through out Europe, and the riots we see on TV, I am inclined to agree. Defending a collapsed Socialist system with an armed population scares the shit out of me. Defending a Republic with an armed population from Socialist take over comforts me.
Historically, 18th and 19th Century Europe was quite voilent. Countless times armies invaded neighboring
countries. Revolution in France swept up into an aggressive Empire under Napolean. It was not uncommon for the wealthy to be armed at all times as they travelled and not fear using those arms. Seldom any legal repercussions would ensue. That is not the case today in both Europe and The U.S. Use of a handgun in self defense is a tricky endeavour. A wounded assailant may seek monetary compensation regardless of his/her crime. So be sure to shoot to kill.
In the book Firearms and Violence, A Critical Review editted by Charles Wellford, John V. Pepper, and Carol V. Petrie from the National Academies Press, 2005; people are reluctant to answer questions about use of their firearms, whether they own a firearm legally or illegally. The controversy surrounding the issue is first and foremost in the owner's mind. This should not be the case if you are a lawful gun owner.
"While surveys of firearms acquisitions, possession, and use are of varying quality and scope, they all share common methodological and survey sampling-related problems. The most fundamental of these is the potential for response errors to survey questionnaires. Critics argue that asking people whether they own a firearm, what kind it is, and how it is used may lead to invalid responses because ownership is a controversial matter for one or more reasons: some people may own a firearm illegally, some may own it legally but worry that they may use it illegally, and some may react to the intense public controversy about firearm ownership by becoming less (or even more) likely to admit to ownership (Blackman, 2003).
While in most surveys respondents are provided confidentiality, the concern is still expressed that violations of confidentiality directly or through data mining could lead to the identification of specific respondents in a way that might allow the identification of firearms owners."
For every story of an accidental shooting, there are ten fold examples of safety training, responsible storage and locking of firearms. For every tragic tale of a criminal shooting there are less than 1/10 of 1% examples of a lawful gun owner using said gun in the commission of a crime. Every time there is a sensational news story of a mass shooting spree the perpetrator is almost always in possession of a firearm illegally. Where the real tragedy comes from is that the victims are resricted form carrying their own, legal firearms at the places they are murdered in..
The wisdom of the Second Amendment is that it protects and defends everything held within the Constitution of the United States..
....And That Is The Diatribe....
Many States within the Union have created obstacles for ownership, transportation and use of firearms. I am not in total disagreement with these ideas. But, as usual, many laws are perverted when it comes to defense of one's home, carrying a concealed weapon in public places, trigger locks, banning certain firearms, even shooting an assailant. A 1982 survey of prison inmates has found that 34% of inmates were scared off by, shot at by, wounded and/or caprured by a civilian who was armed legally. (justfacts.com/guncontrol, James Agresti, Reid Smith, 2010).
Statistics are always used on both sides of the Second Amendment argument to butress a 'for' or 'against' debate. Agresti and Smith point out; "..when statistics are involved, the determination of what constitutes a credible fact (and what does not) can contain elements of personal subjectivity". Every one with a personal story to tell cannot separate themselves from the emotional trauma of a particular event in their lives where a firearm was used. Whether that story be from a victim or a defendant, it is a responsibility not to be taken lightly.
Out of a 2009 US population of roughly 307 million, roughly 45% of households contain firearms (Agresti, Smith). We are an armed nation. It would be wise for our elected to remember this and to act accordingly. In reality they do realize this and have spent many sessions of Congress to disarm the American Citizens. Recent Supreme Court appointees Sotomayer and Kagan have both been involved in handgun cases and are both unsympathetic to Second Amendment Rights. Each have voted in past occasions ,while presiding in lower courts, to deny appeals to legal gun owners who challenged D.C.'s ban on handguns within city limits. One defendant used a handgun in self defense and was sentenced to prison anyway.
While serving as a 'part-time' Senator, then Senator Obama voted against any Judicial Nominee who was a supporter of private gun ownership. One Federal Appeals court in 2002 stated that private citizens can only own guns while in the service of the State (National Guard, Police). James Madison wrote in The Federalist Papers of his concern for having only an armed militia and the possiblility of a military coup. He countered that concern by defending the need for citizens to be armed in challenging such a coup and protecting Liberty. Madison states..
"To these would be opposed a militia amounting to near half a million of citizens with arms in their hands, officered by men chosen from among themselves, fighting for their common liberties, and united and conducted by governments possessing their affections and confidence.
Besides the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation, the existence of subordinate governments, to which the people are attached, and by which the militia officers are appointed, forms a barrier against the enterprises of ambition, more insurmountable than any which a simple government of any form can admit of. Notwithstanding the military establishments in the several kingdoms of Europe, which are carried as far as the public resources will bear, the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms."
The last part of that statement is key. European Governments do not trust the citizenry to bear arms. In light of the Austerity Measures in place today through out Europe, and the riots we see on TV, I am inclined to agree. Defending a collapsed Socialist system with an armed population scares the shit out of me. Defending a Republic with an armed population from Socialist take over comforts me.
Historically, 18th and 19th Century Europe was quite voilent. Countless times armies invaded neighboring
countries. Revolution in France swept up into an aggressive Empire under Napolean. It was not uncommon for the wealthy to be armed at all times as they travelled and not fear using those arms. Seldom any legal repercussions would ensue. That is not the case today in both Europe and The U.S. Use of a handgun in self defense is a tricky endeavour. A wounded assailant may seek monetary compensation regardless of his/her crime. So be sure to shoot to kill.
In the book Firearms and Violence, A Critical Review editted by Charles Wellford, John V. Pepper, and Carol V. Petrie from the National Academies Press, 2005; people are reluctant to answer questions about use of their firearms, whether they own a firearm legally or illegally. The controversy surrounding the issue is first and foremost in the owner's mind. This should not be the case if you are a lawful gun owner.
"While surveys of firearms acquisitions, possession, and use are of varying quality and scope, they all share common methodological and survey sampling-related problems. The most fundamental of these is the potential for response errors to survey questionnaires. Critics argue that asking people whether they own a firearm, what kind it is, and how it is used may lead to invalid responses because ownership is a controversial matter for one or more reasons: some people may own a firearm illegally, some may own it legally but worry that they may use it illegally, and some may react to the intense public controversy about firearm ownership by becoming less (or even more) likely to admit to ownership (Blackman, 2003).
While in most surveys respondents are provided confidentiality, the concern is still expressed that violations of confidentiality directly or through data mining could lead to the identification of specific respondents in a way that might allow the identification of firearms owners."
For every story of an accidental shooting, there are ten fold examples of safety training, responsible storage and locking of firearms. For every tragic tale of a criminal shooting there are less than 1/10 of 1% examples of a lawful gun owner using said gun in the commission of a crime. Every time there is a sensational news story of a mass shooting spree the perpetrator is almost always in possession of a firearm illegally. Where the real tragedy comes from is that the victims are resricted form carrying their own, legal firearms at the places they are murdered in..
The wisdom of the Second Amendment is that it protects and defends everything held within the Constitution of the United States..
....And That Is The Diatribe....
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
The Importance of Constant Pressure, Part III; Eliminating Instituted Stupidity
I am always amazed at the level of pettiness and stupidity that reigns in our society. The inability to think something through in a common sense manner is over ruled by policy and "guidelines". Innovators in the workplace are always telling their staff to "think outside the box", then reject half of what is developed because it means some one's world has to change.
The Deficit Reduction meetings these past weeks is a prime example of pettiness and stupidity. The recomendations weren't fifteen minutes old before every targetted group postured against any cuts to their specific departments. The stupidity continued when the recomendations, we learned, don't take affect until 2050. and are the usual bureaucratic nibbles we have seen forever. No real change at all.
Being prepared to make the sacrifices is a monumental step for some people. Comfort and familiarity equals a sense of psychological security. Anytime we are taken out of that zone confusion and insecurity set in. It takes time to adjust to a new paradigm. But, adjust we do, and, with determination, excell where we thought we would fail. Confidence grows and fear slips away.
The new Congress must be willing to stop all new "programs", repeal completely those directly affecting prosperity. Waste in all agencies must be halted and those dollars recovered. With over 10 trillion in unfunded liabilities about to hit our Federal Budget, some radical ideas must be employed. How about this idea for Social Security?
Opt Out. Allow Americans to not be part of Social Security altogether. Those currently paying into the system can take a one lump payment equal to the total they have paid to date. But, here is the catch. You do not get that money in your hand. It is put into a high yield savings account, cd, or 401k of your choosing and cannot be accessed until the age of sixty five. Unlike Social Security allows; in the event of your death before age sixty-five, your spouse, or your children become the beneficiaries of that savings account. Again, they cannot access the money until retirement age. This money grows in a secure bank account, puts money into the private sector, hell you could even borrow against it if you had to.
There is only one problem with this idea..It makes too much sense and never will be considered.
This is what I mean by radical ideas. We must look at the situation we find ourselves in and admit that the policies of generations of Presidents, Congress' State and Local Administrations have mostly failed and rarely succeeded. As Frederic Bastiat has said in his pamphlet "The Law"; "...law, by no means confines itself to its proper function". Bastiat goes on to say that, "Self preservation and self development are common aspirations among all people". There are few who will argue that allowing Liberty to be the benchmark in consideration of a new law should be first and foremost. This is never the case. Each law passed is restrictive and counter intuitive to Liberty.
Even the measures taken to ensure a minimal safety net for society demand something from society. Social Security is a noble idea but is still antithetical to individual responsibility. As Milton Freidman points out, it is not Government's responsibility to help the poor, it is our (society's) responsibility to each other as human beings. Social Security is akin to Bastiat's "...francs to keep us quiet, like throwing us a bone to gnaw". The issue of the poor and the elderly cannot be solved in one dossiere, nor do I attempt to solve it here. I am just creating a thought to be considered.
By allowing a society to flourish unfettered by Governmental restraint truly is Ronald Reagan's theory; a rising tide lifts all boats. Taxation is nothing more than legal plunder. Legal plunder is taking from some one who earns to be given to some one who does not. The persons who benefit from this plunder will be the first to argue in it's defense. (This is the contigent I spoke of in Part I backing up the Government).
Socialism is legal plunder and as the laws are written to uphold the concept of Social Justice Government will use the legal system and it's armies to protect it. They may even circumvent the legal system under the mantle of "averting a crisis". Socialists could care less about the disenfranchised they claim to be looking out for. They are a monopoly and act wholly for their own ends.
Civil war is easy, electing Conservative Legislators is easy, educating people is easy. Creating an environment where we accept the hard facts that sacrifice and a 180 degree turn back to Constitutionsal values is very, very difficult. We are several generations separated from those early days of rugged individualism. Where do we start? Many of us don't realize we are most likely closet Marxist Socialists. We like our comfort, we like our Social Security and the knowledge of an Unemployment Check or our Tax returns. We like our public funded schools, we don't have to think about it yet complain when they get into our private lives (and we should, it's none of their business).
I will close this piece with another reminder from Frederic Bastiat; " ..if the purpose of law is to cause justice to reign, it is not a rigorously accurate statement...the purpose of law is to prevent injustice from reigning.. Justice is acheived when injustice is absent.."
....And That Is The Diatribe....
The Deficit Reduction meetings these past weeks is a prime example of pettiness and stupidity. The recomendations weren't fifteen minutes old before every targetted group postured against any cuts to their specific departments. The stupidity continued when the recomendations, we learned, don't take affect until 2050. and are the usual bureaucratic nibbles we have seen forever. No real change at all.
Being prepared to make the sacrifices is a monumental step for some people. Comfort and familiarity equals a sense of psychological security. Anytime we are taken out of that zone confusion and insecurity set in. It takes time to adjust to a new paradigm. But, adjust we do, and, with determination, excell where we thought we would fail. Confidence grows and fear slips away.
The new Congress must be willing to stop all new "programs", repeal completely those directly affecting prosperity. Waste in all agencies must be halted and those dollars recovered. With over 10 trillion in unfunded liabilities about to hit our Federal Budget, some radical ideas must be employed. How about this idea for Social Security?
Opt Out. Allow Americans to not be part of Social Security altogether. Those currently paying into the system can take a one lump payment equal to the total they have paid to date. But, here is the catch. You do not get that money in your hand. It is put into a high yield savings account, cd, or 401k of your choosing and cannot be accessed until the age of sixty five. Unlike Social Security allows; in the event of your death before age sixty-five, your spouse, or your children become the beneficiaries of that savings account. Again, they cannot access the money until retirement age. This money grows in a secure bank account, puts money into the private sector, hell you could even borrow against it if you had to.
There is only one problem with this idea..It makes too much sense and never will be considered.
This is what I mean by radical ideas. We must look at the situation we find ourselves in and admit that the policies of generations of Presidents, Congress' State and Local Administrations have mostly failed and rarely succeeded. As Frederic Bastiat has said in his pamphlet "The Law"; "...law, by no means confines itself to its proper function". Bastiat goes on to say that, "Self preservation and self development are common aspirations among all people". There are few who will argue that allowing Liberty to be the benchmark in consideration of a new law should be first and foremost. This is never the case. Each law passed is restrictive and counter intuitive to Liberty.
Even the measures taken to ensure a minimal safety net for society demand something from society. Social Security is a noble idea but is still antithetical to individual responsibility. As Milton Freidman points out, it is not Government's responsibility to help the poor, it is our (society's) responsibility to each other as human beings. Social Security is akin to Bastiat's "...francs to keep us quiet, like throwing us a bone to gnaw". The issue of the poor and the elderly cannot be solved in one dossiere, nor do I attempt to solve it here. I am just creating a thought to be considered.
By allowing a society to flourish unfettered by Governmental restraint truly is Ronald Reagan's theory; a rising tide lifts all boats. Taxation is nothing more than legal plunder. Legal plunder is taking from some one who earns to be given to some one who does not. The persons who benefit from this plunder will be the first to argue in it's defense. (This is the contigent I spoke of in Part I backing up the Government).
Socialism is legal plunder and as the laws are written to uphold the concept of Social Justice Government will use the legal system and it's armies to protect it. They may even circumvent the legal system under the mantle of "averting a crisis". Socialists could care less about the disenfranchised they claim to be looking out for. They are a monopoly and act wholly for their own ends.
Civil war is easy, electing Conservative Legislators is easy, educating people is easy. Creating an environment where we accept the hard facts that sacrifice and a 180 degree turn back to Constitutionsal values is very, very difficult. We are several generations separated from those early days of rugged individualism. Where do we start? Many of us don't realize we are most likely closet Marxist Socialists. We like our comfort, we like our Social Security and the knowledge of an Unemployment Check or our Tax returns. We like our public funded schools, we don't have to think about it yet complain when they get into our private lives (and we should, it's none of their business).
I will close this piece with another reminder from Frederic Bastiat; " ..if the purpose of law is to cause justice to reign, it is not a rigorously accurate statement...the purpose of law is to prevent injustice from reigning.. Justice is acheived when injustice is absent.."
....And That Is The Diatribe....
Sunday, November 21, 2010
The Importance of Constant Pressure
It has become obvious to me that there may be no other redress of the grievences inflicted upon the people of the United States aside from insurrection, usurpation of the established Federal Government and an immediate return to the core values of The United States Constitution. The only problem we face is that any armed conflict will not be contained with the enemy being the Government itself. Many of the citizens are perfectly happy living as serfs and beneficiaries of govermental largesse and it's welfare system. Any conflict can easily become a wider civil war drawing out the length of such an event and the casualty rate of such an event. In short, It won't be just law enforcement, National Guard and Government Institutions as our main obstacle, but a large back up contingent of welfare recipients and Socialist ideologs.
The importance of keeping the pressure on all our elected officials cannot be stressed enough. If they continue to act as if everything is business as usual, Future Tea Party events could become recruitment stations for an upcoming war.
In his piece written for Renew America, Henry Lamb tells of the pivotal time the Tea Party has brought us too and how consistency must be the watchword for the next decade at least.
"...The rise of the Tea Parties is evidence of a growing rebellion
among the people unwilling to accept this current reality. This is
a time of great opportunity or great danger..The future cannot be
left to any political party, but guided by solid, proven principles.."
The insults upon the intelligence of citizens are rapidly gaining in strength and rates of occurance. Lamb points to the transgressions of the recent TSA violations of personal space and dignity while the Government, at large, leaves gaping holes in our border due to environmental regulations and ignores and impunes upon State's Rights to enact laws defending their territorial borders.
Further insults are disguised under the banner of Hate Speech. Free speech and Hate Speech are dictated under the guidelines of Political Correctness and fear of Ethnic backlash, especially any critical analysis of Islam. The International Free Press Society has listed many double standards in regards to critiques of Islam on Western European Nations. A meeting of fifty-six nations comprising the Organization of Islamic Conference. In 2008 this conference gathered to discuss a ten year plan to eliminate any critical views of Islam by any one, any press agency, any government. Under the universal threat of being labelled a racist, the OIC has enacted laws that has put some journalists under arrest and awaiting trial simply for pointing out violence committed by Islamic Terrorist Groups. The push in the United States to allow Shar'iah Law to exist within (and imune from) State and Federal laws grows at a rapid rate. No similiar Christian protections exist, Later Day Saints Fundamentalists are routinely arrested for their practice of Bigamy. Muslim husbands and Fathers can beat, rape, sell, kill their wives and daughters with no fear of justice. A secular couple can have a simple argument and the wife has Domestic Violence laws at her whim and disposal.
We constantly garnish every new law with nice sounding names. They are anything but nice. Virtually every law, regulation passed since Wilson has done two things and two things only; 1;To suppress individuality, personal responsibility and Liberty. 2; To find a way to tax us to pay for it's enacting and perpetuation. In fact almost all these "Acts" have built in clauses so they may be revisited from time to time to strengthen them. Any call from the citizenry to repeal an outmoded law is met with a phalanx of protests and lawyers on the payroll of these regulatory entities.
The EPA was formed to protect the environment, yet, under the this agency the environment is the least of their worries when it comes to oil and gas leases on Government land and timber leases in National Parks. If you can pay for the rights, you get a free pass.
The Department of Education should not even exist. This is a State's Right issue, if not a local city and community issue. Not one initiative has done anything to improve the quality of public schools but has institutionalized, standardized and sanitized the educational experience. This further erodes individuality and Liberty of young minds. Unions, in the pocket of both parties, has corrupted the system of education and its quality. Here again, any talk of a reform is met with feverish rancor from Teacher's Lobbyists. Anything to keep the slow creep to Socialism alive.
However, this pressure must be kept on the burner. It must also have the heat turned up and expose any example of corruption and partisanship. We must take a play from the Socialist handbook of Cloward and Piven. The advent of Cable news, the internet has exploded with good and bad examples of a new surge of information and freedom of thought. Is it any wonder legislators have time and time again called for internet regulation and taxation. Senator Rockefeller has called for the elimination of FOX and MSNBC, again, disguising his rhetoric with the sinister statement, "..so we can get on with the work of the Congress". The Fairness Doctrine, disolved during Reagan, is always coming up in Senate Hearings to be resurrected. God forbid the nation should keep tabs on it's elected.
The hatred and lies spread towards a populist movement are indefensible. The hatred and discrimination towards our Armed Services hasn't been this bad since Vietnam. The acceptance of a gaping wound on the Southern border, rewriting our history to salve ethnic members of our society, tolerating the intolerable are symptomatic of a nation in identity crisis and is ripe for the final chapter of Socialism to be written and the iron clad lockdown of its doctrine to be our undoing.
....And That Is The Diatribe....
The importance of keeping the pressure on all our elected officials cannot be stressed enough. If they continue to act as if everything is business as usual, Future Tea Party events could become recruitment stations for an upcoming war.
In his piece written for Renew America, Henry Lamb tells of the pivotal time the Tea Party has brought us too and how consistency must be the watchword for the next decade at least.
"...The rise of the Tea Parties is evidence of a growing rebellion
among the people unwilling to accept this current reality. This is
a time of great opportunity or great danger..The future cannot be
left to any political party, but guided by solid, proven principles.."
The insults upon the intelligence of citizens are rapidly gaining in strength and rates of occurance. Lamb points to the transgressions of the recent TSA violations of personal space and dignity while the Government, at large, leaves gaping holes in our border due to environmental regulations and ignores and impunes upon State's Rights to enact laws defending their territorial borders.
Further insults are disguised under the banner of Hate Speech. Free speech and Hate Speech are dictated under the guidelines of Political Correctness and fear of Ethnic backlash, especially any critical analysis of Islam. The International Free Press Society has listed many double standards in regards to critiques of Islam on Western European Nations. A meeting of fifty-six nations comprising the Organization of Islamic Conference. In 2008 this conference gathered to discuss a ten year plan to eliminate any critical views of Islam by any one, any press agency, any government. Under the universal threat of being labelled a racist, the OIC has enacted laws that has put some journalists under arrest and awaiting trial simply for pointing out violence committed by Islamic Terrorist Groups. The push in the United States to allow Shar'iah Law to exist within (and imune from) State and Federal laws grows at a rapid rate. No similiar Christian protections exist, Later Day Saints Fundamentalists are routinely arrested for their practice of Bigamy. Muslim husbands and Fathers can beat, rape, sell, kill their wives and daughters with no fear of justice. A secular couple can have a simple argument and the wife has Domestic Violence laws at her whim and disposal.
We constantly garnish every new law with nice sounding names. They are anything but nice. Virtually every law, regulation passed since Wilson has done two things and two things only; 1;To suppress individuality, personal responsibility and Liberty. 2; To find a way to tax us to pay for it's enacting and perpetuation. In fact almost all these "Acts" have built in clauses so they may be revisited from time to time to strengthen them. Any call from the citizenry to repeal an outmoded law is met with a phalanx of protests and lawyers on the payroll of these regulatory entities.
The EPA was formed to protect the environment, yet, under the this agency the environment is the least of their worries when it comes to oil and gas leases on Government land and timber leases in National Parks. If you can pay for the rights, you get a free pass.
The Department of Education should not even exist. This is a State's Right issue, if not a local city and community issue. Not one initiative has done anything to improve the quality of public schools but has institutionalized, standardized and sanitized the educational experience. This further erodes individuality and Liberty of young minds. Unions, in the pocket of both parties, has corrupted the system of education and its quality. Here again, any talk of a reform is met with feverish rancor from Teacher's Lobbyists. Anything to keep the slow creep to Socialism alive.
However, this pressure must be kept on the burner. It must also have the heat turned up and expose any example of corruption and partisanship. We must take a play from the Socialist handbook of Cloward and Piven. The advent of Cable news, the internet has exploded with good and bad examples of a new surge of information and freedom of thought. Is it any wonder legislators have time and time again called for internet regulation and taxation. Senator Rockefeller has called for the elimination of FOX and MSNBC, again, disguising his rhetoric with the sinister statement, "..so we can get on with the work of the Congress". The Fairness Doctrine, disolved during Reagan, is always coming up in Senate Hearings to be resurrected. God forbid the nation should keep tabs on it's elected.
The hatred and lies spread towards a populist movement are indefensible. The hatred and discrimination towards our Armed Services hasn't been this bad since Vietnam. The acceptance of a gaping wound on the Southern border, rewriting our history to salve ethnic members of our society, tolerating the intolerable are symptomatic of a nation in identity crisis and is ripe for the final chapter of Socialism to be written and the iron clad lockdown of its doctrine to be our undoing.
....And That Is The Diatribe....
Monday, November 15, 2010
Common Sense
A child is accosted at the airport. A child is told he cannot fly the flag for Veterans on his bicycle. A war Verteran cannot fly his flag on his paid Condo lawn. God is taken from the courts, our, schools, our commons, our debates, our public forums.
Why do Liberals want the word of God struck from our public forums? To make it easier to lie at them. The perversion of the word of God is a long and sordid past.
From the early Puritans, the Mayflower Compact, the Pequot Wars, Salem. From the Missions in SA to the Missions in Africa. The Muslims, whose sole purpose is to destroy any one not a Muslim: The perversion of God is antithetical to human expansion and Human Evolution. All I have listed here has done nothing, but perverse and restrain, the potential of Humanity. These, modern day, rejections of God and Country are the same damn thing!
There never is; a "middle road", always a struggle of one side, or, the other. The fight of the 21st Century is that again! Why? Why must we continue on this path and wonder why no one from 'out there' wants anything to do with us?
How can (some one like me) see this stupidity so clearly and no one else can see it? I know why.
Because, we are not as evolved as we believe ourselves to be. One side (the West) may believe themselves to be evolved. Correct they may be. The East, believes that God is vengefull and wishes to rid the world of infidelity (whatever that means, and, as correct as they may perceive). NOTE: Yes, I defer to the former in this discourse.
So, must we defer to the minority religion, in order to, be accepted among them? What if they don't want us? Shall we continue this path of.."Please!!" Shall we continue the path of war?
NOTE: This is what sucks about being a former Liberal. turned Conservative. I can see both, fucking sides..God, I hate this crap!! Where is the Demorol??.."Can I get a drink here , please!!"
Maybe, that is the answer. Every one chill the fuck out! Let the kid fly his flag. Stop molesting the child at the gate and allow the profiled to stand proud and proclaim their allegience to America. Stop whining about being targeted and be proud that you are targeted. Then say; .."I am an American!"
Ever think to yourself? God is asking something of ourselves? To be better than what the Media and Government ask's us to be? That..Things are going on right now and we must all take a chill pill? Be wary, be helpfull to your brother and sister and child. Be kind, have some common sense?
....And That Is The Diatribe....
Why do Liberals want the word of God struck from our public forums? To make it easier to lie at them. The perversion of the word of God is a long and sordid past.
From the early Puritans, the Mayflower Compact, the Pequot Wars, Salem. From the Missions in SA to the Missions in Africa. The Muslims, whose sole purpose is to destroy any one not a Muslim: The perversion of God is antithetical to human expansion and Human Evolution. All I have listed here has done nothing, but perverse and restrain, the potential of Humanity. These, modern day, rejections of God and Country are the same damn thing!
There never is; a "middle road", always a struggle of one side, or, the other. The fight of the 21st Century is that again! Why? Why must we continue on this path and wonder why no one from 'out there' wants anything to do with us?
How can (some one like me) see this stupidity so clearly and no one else can see it? I know why.
Because, we are not as evolved as we believe ourselves to be. One side (the West) may believe themselves to be evolved. Correct they may be. The East, believes that God is vengefull and wishes to rid the world of infidelity (whatever that means, and, as correct as they may perceive). NOTE: Yes, I defer to the former in this discourse.
So, must we defer to the minority religion, in order to, be accepted among them? What if they don't want us? Shall we continue this path of.."Please!!" Shall we continue the path of war?
NOTE: This is what sucks about being a former Liberal. turned Conservative. I can see both, fucking sides..God, I hate this crap!! Where is the Demorol??.."Can I get a drink here , please!!"
Maybe, that is the answer. Every one chill the fuck out! Let the kid fly his flag. Stop molesting the child at the gate and allow the profiled to stand proud and proclaim their allegience to America. Stop whining about being targeted and be proud that you are targeted. Then say; .."I am an American!"
Ever think to yourself? God is asking something of ourselves? To be better than what the Media and Government ask's us to be? That..Things are going on right now and we must all take a chill pill? Be wary, be helpfull to your brother and sister and child. Be kind, have some common sense?
....And That Is The Diatribe....
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
The Second Greatest Show On Earth
My grandfather had a saying; "Next to Barnum and Baily, the American Election Process is the greatest show on Earth!" How correct he was. Yet, how sad his prediction has become. We cannot vote anymore without a doubt of our selection's integrity to elect candidates. Our ballots no longer reflect the choice of our nation's direction, but rather, who is the least worst.
Voter fraud is just a normal part of the process now as much as long lines are normal at Dunkin Donuts. I can deal with deciding I want a coffee with cream then getting one that is without. I cannot deal with my vote being for "A" then discovering it was for "B". Then, I have to listen to some one tell me it was vote for racism, or, a vote for "going back".
Speaking of Dunkin Donuts and the election..I was accosted by an individual today at a DD. The server was handling several orders at once. She got mine wrong. I suggested she slow down and take one order at a time. Some A-hole called me a "dick" and berated me as my order was processed. ..I thought I was going to be in a fight. This guy was in my face!!
This made me think.. How much berating will we suffer this next week at the polls as people want to be heard properly and have the correct ballots to cast their votes. How many A-holes will be there calling them "dicks" and berating them to vote as they see fit.
The sad answer is; there will be many. Many will try to vote and be shunned away. Other votes will be auto-clicked to the Democrat Party.
Try to complain my friends...There is no recourse!
The reports from FOX already point to numerous voter fraud examples. Most of our military absentee ballots are in the trash or lost.
I love how I am accused of being a "right wing" guy. The funny thing is, that, my accusers don't have a clue as to my past. I was born and raised a Card carrying Left wing ACLU Democrat! I know the play book. I know the game plan. I am the consummate "mole" to expose the playbook of the Left. I lived that life!
Recently, I read one of Hillary Clinton's books, " Living History". She wrote about how she was a registrar for John Kennedy's Presidential Campaign. Her job was to gather registrations for the vote..A noble cause.
She wrote that she went to address' that didn't exist, names that were deceased, places that did not exist. She filled out her forms and went back to the campaign manager.
After she told him about these discrepencies, she was informed to forget about them and those names would be added anyway. She said she heard nothing more of this. This was in 1960 for God's sake!
You think this has gotten better?
Gore vs. Bush in 2000: Gore wanted votes recounted in only Democratic Districts to sway the outcome. The Florida State Supreme Court said that ALL votes must be recounted in ALL Districts. This lead to the stopping of recounting and Gore relequishing to Bush...The Left was not happy. They claimed that Bush "stole" the election.
Truth is, Gore wanted to slant the election in Primarily Democratic Districts where voter fraud was rampant. Thus the stage was set for ACORN in 2008. We can go to Jersey City/ Hudson County in 1997 for another great example of fraud. Two machines sent to a Teacher's Union non polling place already loaded with votes.
Shall we talk about the Black Panthers outside polling places in 2008?
So, here we are again... Ross Perot said in the 1992 debate that this would be the last truly free election. We all laughed at him and his big ears. His simple "fixes" for our economy....Damn..I wish Ross was President then.
His words come back to haunt us! From a simple man who built a company and was in the front row of the bullshit our Government has handed us over 30 years come the telling! A giant shit sandwich and we must all take a bite from!
....And That Is The Diatribe....
Voter fraud is just a normal part of the process now as much as long lines are normal at Dunkin Donuts. I can deal with deciding I want a coffee with cream then getting one that is without. I cannot deal with my vote being for "A" then discovering it was for "B". Then, I have to listen to some one tell me it was vote for racism, or, a vote for "going back".
Speaking of Dunkin Donuts and the election..I was accosted by an individual today at a DD. The server was handling several orders at once. She got mine wrong. I suggested she slow down and take one order at a time. Some A-hole called me a "dick" and berated me as my order was processed. ..I thought I was going to be in a fight. This guy was in my face!!
This made me think.. How much berating will we suffer this next week at the polls as people want to be heard properly and have the correct ballots to cast their votes. How many A-holes will be there calling them "dicks" and berating them to vote as they see fit.
The sad answer is; there will be many. Many will try to vote and be shunned away. Other votes will be auto-clicked to the Democrat Party.
Try to complain my friends...There is no recourse!
The reports from FOX already point to numerous voter fraud examples. Most of our military absentee ballots are in the trash or lost.
I love how I am accused of being a "right wing" guy. The funny thing is, that, my accusers don't have a clue as to my past. I was born and raised a Card carrying Left wing ACLU Democrat! I know the play book. I know the game plan. I am the consummate "mole" to expose the playbook of the Left. I lived that life!
Recently, I read one of Hillary Clinton's books, " Living History". She wrote about how she was a registrar for John Kennedy's Presidential Campaign. Her job was to gather registrations for the vote..A noble cause.
She wrote that she went to address' that didn't exist, names that were deceased, places that did not exist. She filled out her forms and went back to the campaign manager.
After she told him about these discrepencies, she was informed to forget about them and those names would be added anyway. She said she heard nothing more of this. This was in 1960 for God's sake!
You think this has gotten better?
Gore vs. Bush in 2000: Gore wanted votes recounted in only Democratic Districts to sway the outcome. The Florida State Supreme Court said that ALL votes must be recounted in ALL Districts. This lead to the stopping of recounting and Gore relequishing to Bush...The Left was not happy. They claimed that Bush "stole" the election.
Truth is, Gore wanted to slant the election in Primarily Democratic Districts where voter fraud was rampant. Thus the stage was set for ACORN in 2008. We can go to Jersey City/ Hudson County in 1997 for another great example of fraud. Two machines sent to a Teacher's Union non polling place already loaded with votes.
Shall we talk about the Black Panthers outside polling places in 2008?
So, here we are again... Ross Perot said in the 1992 debate that this would be the last truly free election. We all laughed at him and his big ears. His simple "fixes" for our economy....Damn..I wish Ross was President then.
His words come back to haunt us! From a simple man who built a company and was in the front row of the bullshit our Government has handed us over 30 years come the telling! A giant shit sandwich and we must all take a bite from!
....And That Is The Diatribe....
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Intolerance Run A-muck
The recent firing of a renowned journalist, Juan Williams from NPR has sent a chill down the spines of writers, commentators, television and radio personalities. That chill can have two effects. 1; it either stiffens the spine so the respondent becomes more resolute or, 2; the spine becomes brittle and breaks way to easily. Either way the industry itself becomes less of a trusted source for information as a whole. It was Walter Cronkite who said something to the effect that our Democracy depends on the free flow of information from its news organizations.
Speaking of Walt; I wonder if the graphic news reels from the front lines of Vietnam, that were broadcasted nightly, were censored. Would the outcome have been different? It is fact that, The Pentagon Papers, graphic scenes of our mangled soldiers and other exposures during that time altered the course of the war. We do not see those secnes today on the nightly news. The best source to see some really great video is a website from The Military Channel, military.com. Some are scenes of our soldiers performing bravely, some of them getting killed, blown up, graphic gun camera video of insurgents and Taliban getting cut to ribbons in full on no bullshit. The television decision makers will never air this. Not because they want to alter the course of the war, but because some one may complain.
That's right..Viewers may complain. Some one may be 'offended' and write an angry letter. Corporations for media tremble at this omni-present threat.
Since I am a contributing writer to this blog I have every right to (and I must) direct this conversation towards my own experiences while producing my radio program. I feel the examples over the past two days are relevant to my own situation.
I want to make a statement here:
I will stand shoulder to shoulder with anyone, even those I find reprehensible in their rhetoric to defend their right to say what they think.
There are standards we must oblige by. Don't swear, don't be openly racist, etc. But some one's opinion? Some one's thought on an issue? Some one's political convictions? Those, now, are tantamount to dismissal?
What really fries my fish is the level that some will lower to to demand that my voice be censored under the guise of "their values" or "the values we represent". What values are those? The values of a one sided conversation? The values of a set agenda (written or implied)? The value of, we don't want any other view point except our own, or the concept thereof.
I had responded to some comments on the content of my show. There is a 'Forums' page on the website WCUW.ORG. I post my show programming, I make comments, introduce guests. I, even, post something controversial in relation to the content of my show. This includes jpegs, etc.
The first time I was called on the carpet was for a political cartoon of Obama and the Statue of Liberty. The cartoon was removed by Management and I was told in an e-mail that I was spreading hate speech and something about interracial rape. It was nonsense. It was cartoon.What are we the Taliban? Publish a cartoon of Mohammed and a 'Fatwa' gets declared?
There was another time when I had a Congressional Candidate(Ind) on and a caller asked about the "illegal war in Iraq..etc". We had responded by saying that Congress did vote on the war. The argument turned into a case of semantics. An entire dissertation about the 10th Amendment followed from the caller on that 'Forums' page.
Lately, the issue of having the Tea Party on my show (for the um-teenth time) reared its ugly head. This is what is the crux of the problem now. I have been accused of having only "right wing" Candidates on my show. Even though I have submitted a list to Management on the guests since January, this moron demanded a list anyway. They are right there on this page for every one to see..Didn't matter. This idiot later claimed that he/she had only tuned into my show from time to time, but was convinced of the political slant. That made him/her very upset. Ounce of perception, pound of obscure.
After I pointed out that WCUW broadcasts many other politically charged shows, and no one says a word, (because they are Left leaning) that we also have spiritual and Christian broadcasts; this didn't satisfy the complainer. Instead, this Fascist Zealot wanted the content of the Christian shows and my show forcibly handed over to the Board of Directors. So much for one of the stations hallmark logos, "radio of the people, by the people and for the people."
I guess this individual is self appointing themself to be the one man committee of Decency and political correctness. I always thought these were the actions of 'right wingers'. Au' contraire mon ami.
The reality is it has always been the Left who engage in this behavior. The reality is; in the past, most of these 'concerned citizen' groups were card carrying Democrats. All these organizations have grown to such power that they now control content over Government policy and censorship in the media. Individuals engage in this behavior almost on a sub conscience level. They don't know they are stepping on the Constitution. Their own sense of self righteousness clouds this inconvenient truth. They are convinced they are doing "the right thing".
The truth is. These people are spreading hate, spreading intolerance, narrow-mindedness, a strict regiment to a stated doctrine and down right bigotry.
....And That Is The Diatribe....
Speaking of Walt; I wonder if the graphic news reels from the front lines of Vietnam, that were broadcasted nightly, were censored. Would the outcome have been different? It is fact that, The Pentagon Papers, graphic scenes of our mangled soldiers and other exposures during that time altered the course of the war. We do not see those secnes today on the nightly news. The best source to see some really great video is a website from The Military Channel, military.com. Some are scenes of our soldiers performing bravely, some of them getting killed, blown up, graphic gun camera video of insurgents and Taliban getting cut to ribbons in full on no bullshit. The television decision makers will never air this. Not because they want to alter the course of the war, but because some one may complain.
That's right..Viewers may complain. Some one may be 'offended' and write an angry letter. Corporations for media tremble at this omni-present threat.
Since I am a contributing writer to this blog I have every right to (and I must) direct this conversation towards my own experiences while producing my radio program. I feel the examples over the past two days are relevant to my own situation.
I want to make a statement here:
I will stand shoulder to shoulder with anyone, even those I find reprehensible in their rhetoric to defend their right to say what they think.
There are standards we must oblige by. Don't swear, don't be openly racist, etc. But some one's opinion? Some one's thought on an issue? Some one's political convictions? Those, now, are tantamount to dismissal?
What really fries my fish is the level that some will lower to to demand that my voice be censored under the guise of "their values" or "the values we represent". What values are those? The values of a one sided conversation? The values of a set agenda (written or implied)? The value of, we don't want any other view point except our own, or the concept thereof.
I had responded to some comments on the content of my show. There is a 'Forums' page on the website WCUW.ORG. I post my show programming, I make comments, introduce guests. I, even, post something controversial in relation to the content of my show. This includes jpegs, etc.
The first time I was called on the carpet was for a political cartoon of Obama and the Statue of Liberty. The cartoon was removed by Management and I was told in an e-mail that I was spreading hate speech and something about interracial rape. It was nonsense. It was cartoon.What are we the Taliban? Publish a cartoon of Mohammed and a 'Fatwa' gets declared?
There was another time when I had a Congressional Candidate(Ind) on and a caller asked about the "illegal war in Iraq..etc". We had responded by saying that Congress did vote on the war. The argument turned into a case of semantics. An entire dissertation about the 10th Amendment followed from the caller on that 'Forums' page.
Lately, the issue of having the Tea Party on my show (for the um-teenth time) reared its ugly head. This is what is the crux of the problem now. I have been accused of having only "right wing" Candidates on my show. Even though I have submitted a list to Management on the guests since January, this moron demanded a list anyway. They are right there on this page for every one to see..Didn't matter. This idiot later claimed that he/she had only tuned into my show from time to time, but was convinced of the political slant. That made him/her very upset. Ounce of perception, pound of obscure.
After I pointed out that WCUW broadcasts many other politically charged shows, and no one says a word, (because they are Left leaning) that we also have spiritual and Christian broadcasts; this didn't satisfy the complainer. Instead, this Fascist Zealot wanted the content of the Christian shows and my show forcibly handed over to the Board of Directors. So much for one of the stations hallmark logos, "radio of the people, by the people and for the people."
I guess this individual is self appointing themself to be the one man committee of Decency and political correctness. I always thought these were the actions of 'right wingers'. Au' contraire mon ami.
The reality is it has always been the Left who engage in this behavior. The reality is; in the past, most of these 'concerned citizen' groups were card carrying Democrats. All these organizations have grown to such power that they now control content over Government policy and censorship in the media. Individuals engage in this behavior almost on a sub conscience level. They don't know they are stepping on the Constitution. Their own sense of self righteousness clouds this inconvenient truth. They are convinced they are doing "the right thing".
The truth is. These people are spreading hate, spreading intolerance, narrow-mindedness, a strict regiment to a stated doctrine and down right bigotry.
....And That Is The Diatribe....
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Have I Done Enough?
It has been a long time since I have written to this site. I have been busy at life and work. Others have posted and still do their own work and life. I am writing now on the last days of this election.
I have had the great opportunity to interview many prospective Congressional Candidates. Some lost the Primaries, some have won. I thank God for the chance to speak with these people, regardless of the outcome. It has been educational.
There has also been some controversy over the content of my radio show and if I was presenting a slanted view. Isn't every media and content thereof slanted in it's view?
One this day of my birth I realize how important I am to this world. Every person must realize that they are as equally important to their own cause and purpose of being.
The election is less than two weeks away. I am asking myself if I have done enough. Will my failure be my Birthday present? Will my small bit of help be my Birthday present? How could have I done more?
I interview, I blog, I try to carry the name of great Patriots along the road. Is that enough?? Has what little has transpired during my radio show been enough to convince just a few people? I pray it has. I know it has not..
The Left has brought out all the guns and all I have is my voice. All any of us have is our voice. Any attempt to bring out our own big guns pigeon holes us to the Right. How much have we accomplished?
I will tell you.
All of us have awakened this sleeping giant. All of us have cried; "We are here. We are here!" The nation has listened. It may not be the success we dreamed of; it is the success we have unleashed for the future. Our children now know what is at stake. Our children can see it. My children see it. (They, actually have no choice, I speak about this almost daily..So, they are inducted by default..)
We have awakened neighbors, we have awakened friends and family. We have been ostracized by some, accepted by strangers who are now our FB friends. Their children know their Parent's position. My children know what they must be. They must be American Patriots.
In the past, we spoke of the "debt" to our children and shielded them from it accordingly. We do not do this anymore. It is incumbent upon them to know their past and act to change their future. It is not the schools who will teach this (they want more of this). It is not our TV (they feed on fear). It is , certaintly, not, our Government ( a program sustained by a ruse is a program sustained in the budget). It is the voice of knowledge and the voice of living that lie that will change the way we do business in Government. As a former Liberal; I know that lie.
So, have I done enough?..No
Shall I do more?.. By all means...Teach your children well..
Monday, September 6, 2010
Straight Up Our Ass!
I have been reading an interesting book. It is not something most people would admit too, but true to my non-plus' about who I offend, it is "Inside the Third Reich" by Albert Speer. Interesting comments made by him on the total admiration of Hitler and the synchophants who surrounded him are in lock step and slogan lubed like today. This epiphany, while reading alongside, the personal contacts with people I meet confirms a disturbing Yogi Bera moment of history being lived all over again!
My writing has been called 'vitriolic'. I must be getting better at it then.
I know a person who is totally happy to be a Socialist. They would even move to Europe just to pay 60% taxes as long as others are "being taken cared of". The euro system would suit them fine.
Hey look at the point made.
Europe is a neat place to be! Work when, or if, you want, don't worry about your liberties. You aren't expected of and for anything; besides there is always some one else working and paying into the system, right? You don't have to worry about any wars because we always say 'no' anyway or the Americans will fight for us.
But, is that how we want to live? There is something antithetical about America as an 'also ran' nation. Some of the individuals I interact with have engaged me on terms such as 'American Exceptionalism', or, 'Conservative American Ideals'. They always want an explaination. Some responces are openly hostile. I always say that if you need an explanation or you become hostile towards my political position you are an intolerant Liberal. You run counter to your own doctrine of tolerance and understanding.
Just as one party marginalized opposition in Germany years ago, the same incremental social changes are ocurring now, I have witnessed and experienced it. OK..I will agree; We are a long way off from banners on every building. Might be the only thing that separates us from the Nazi's. The slogans and the programs? They are there; and more of the population are for it than they know why.
So, on the 9th anniversary of 9/11 we find ourselves aswaged and in compliance to the doctinaire of the mass media who constantly engages the public on generalities about our racist perception of islam. Any attempt at personal opinion or feelings are tagged as such: Racist. Yet media and the media bed buddy known as the Obama Administration constantly tell us how to feel and offer their own opinions and demand we accept them just because they come from on high.
In the lack of leadership a void opens up and becomes open territory for anyone to fill that void. History always shows us, that, at such times; tyrants, despots or meglomaniacs fill that void out of an open gate policy of a free society. They will listen to anyone who steps up to the podium. Once complaciency, apathy and concern for simple survival become the day to day struggle of the masses, little time is left for active participation in our political process.
It is exactly what those in charge want to see unfold.
Be not fooled!!
It is not the Capitalist system that keeps people on that, Lefist Imagined, gerbill wheel of birth, school, work, death. It is the slow erosion of that system of economic prosperity that makes it broken and forces the masses to be concerned only with the stability of that system.
It is here, at a critical point, that Socialism turns the light on.
It comes to the rescue of the disenfranchised and becomes the answer to the needs and wants of those who cry 'foul' the loudest.
I have said many times that there are many successfull Social programs that were long needed for ethnic, worker, safety, sexual, gender equality. They are established and few Americans will argue against the historical importance of such legislation.
However, there is a rub.
The past is prologue. All these groups no longer represent the constituents they were formed to represent in the first place. They have become Political Action Committees in and of themselves. They are included into the Federal general budget as an almost 'default' measure. There is Grant money set aside. Many of these groups apply for it, many of them get it, but; based solely upon the moral arguement they waged to awaken social conscience a generation ago. Those struggles are gone now. Those programs are outdated and those programs are dead. Stop funding and granting them.
Now, I come back to the book I have been reading. Everything Albert Speer did for Adolph Hitler was to help him create structures to emulate the power and glory of the new Germany. The public was enthralled with Hitler and all he proclaimed for a new Reich. Passage after passage in the book point to the public's total committment to the Feurher. A simple agreement to design buildings turned into a cornerstone of Socialist Doctrine.
Socialist Doctrine is ignited in our society today and anyone who says otherwise is suspect. The close circle of synchophants who surround our President carry the message of his doctrine, just as Hitler, with his synchophants, did in 1933.
As Goebbels controlled the movies and 'visuals' that the German public would see. So does MSNBC, CNN, does today. It is all part of the plan. Oh! There was opposition media, to no doubt!
It was countered, marginalized, laughed at and (eventually) jailed to be sent to gas chambers.
May FOX News be wary..I am sure they are.
What does this mean for our immediate future? Well:
The trend continues toward the inevitable end of total Socialist America. The admin is in place and holds the wheel and rudder. Will Nov 2010 shift? Mmmm. The road is long to reverse our 75+ year path we have followed.
We are at that point in 1933. The opposition is alive and kicking while being bombarded by a State run media intent on the destruction of any voice to the contrary. Generalities. We hear it all the time. The media scripted generalities are the antithesis of the actual voice of a free people.
This brings me back to my friend who is a 'happy Socialist'. There are choices to be made and they have nothing to do with society. They are, intrinsict to our status as a Nation State and how we (as that State) shall govern ourselves.
Do you want a total government system? Or do you want to return to the values of personal perserverance?
As long as we follow the path of World Universalism and Liberal Socialism we inevitably will find ourselves bent forward with ass in the air, while our enemies line up behind us. Only this time it will not be the armies of freedom who pull up our pants, pick us back up.
It will be the Sword of Damacleas straight up our ass!
My writing has been called 'vitriolic'. I must be getting better at it then.
I know a person who is totally happy to be a Socialist. They would even move to Europe just to pay 60% taxes as long as others are "being taken cared of". The euro system would suit them fine.
Hey look at the point made.
Europe is a neat place to be! Work when, or if, you want, don't worry about your liberties. You aren't expected of and for anything; besides there is always some one else working and paying into the system, right? You don't have to worry about any wars because we always say 'no' anyway or the Americans will fight for us.
But, is that how we want to live? There is something antithetical about America as an 'also ran' nation. Some of the individuals I interact with have engaged me on terms such as 'American Exceptionalism', or, 'Conservative American Ideals'. They always want an explaination. Some responces are openly hostile. I always say that if you need an explanation or you become hostile towards my political position you are an intolerant Liberal. You run counter to your own doctrine of tolerance and understanding.
Just as one party marginalized opposition in Germany years ago, the same incremental social changes are ocurring now, I have witnessed and experienced it. OK..I will agree; We are a long way off from banners on every building. Might be the only thing that separates us from the Nazi's. The slogans and the programs? They are there; and more of the population are for it than they know why.
So, on the 9th anniversary of 9/11 we find ourselves aswaged and in compliance to the doctinaire of the mass media who constantly engages the public on generalities about our racist perception of islam. Any attempt at personal opinion or feelings are tagged as such: Racist. Yet media and the media bed buddy known as the Obama Administration constantly tell us how to feel and offer their own opinions and demand we accept them just because they come from on high.
In the lack of leadership a void opens up and becomes open territory for anyone to fill that void. History always shows us, that, at such times; tyrants, despots or meglomaniacs fill that void out of an open gate policy of a free society. They will listen to anyone who steps up to the podium. Once complaciency, apathy and concern for simple survival become the day to day struggle of the masses, little time is left for active participation in our political process.
It is exactly what those in charge want to see unfold.
Be not fooled!!
It is not the Capitalist system that keeps people on that, Lefist Imagined, gerbill wheel of birth, school, work, death. It is the slow erosion of that system of economic prosperity that makes it broken and forces the masses to be concerned only with the stability of that system.
It is here, at a critical point, that Socialism turns the light on.
It comes to the rescue of the disenfranchised and becomes the answer to the needs and wants of those who cry 'foul' the loudest.
I have said many times that there are many successfull Social programs that were long needed for ethnic, worker, safety, sexual, gender equality. They are established and few Americans will argue against the historical importance of such legislation.
However, there is a rub.
The past is prologue. All these groups no longer represent the constituents they were formed to represent in the first place. They have become Political Action Committees in and of themselves. They are included into the Federal general budget as an almost 'default' measure. There is Grant money set aside. Many of these groups apply for it, many of them get it, but; based solely upon the moral arguement they waged to awaken social conscience a generation ago. Those struggles are gone now. Those programs are outdated and those programs are dead. Stop funding and granting them.
Now, I come back to the book I have been reading. Everything Albert Speer did for Adolph Hitler was to help him create structures to emulate the power and glory of the new Germany. The public was enthralled with Hitler and all he proclaimed for a new Reich. Passage after passage in the book point to the public's total committment to the Feurher. A simple agreement to design buildings turned into a cornerstone of Socialist Doctrine.
Socialist Doctrine is ignited in our society today and anyone who says otherwise is suspect. The close circle of synchophants who surround our President carry the message of his doctrine, just as Hitler, with his synchophants, did in 1933.
As Goebbels controlled the movies and 'visuals' that the German public would see. So does MSNBC, CNN, does today. It is all part of the plan. Oh! There was opposition media, to no doubt!
It was countered, marginalized, laughed at and (eventually) jailed to be sent to gas chambers.
May FOX News be wary..I am sure they are.
What does this mean for our immediate future? Well:
The trend continues toward the inevitable end of total Socialist America. The admin is in place and holds the wheel and rudder. Will Nov 2010 shift? Mmmm. The road is long to reverse our 75+ year path we have followed.
We are at that point in 1933. The opposition is alive and kicking while being bombarded by a State run media intent on the destruction of any voice to the contrary. Generalities. We hear it all the time. The media scripted generalities are the antithesis of the actual voice of a free people.
This brings me back to my friend who is a 'happy Socialist'. There are choices to be made and they have nothing to do with society. They are, intrinsict to our status as a Nation State and how we (as that State) shall govern ourselves.
Do you want a total government system? Or do you want to return to the values of personal perserverance?
As long as we follow the path of World Universalism and Liberal Socialism we inevitably will find ourselves bent forward with ass in the air, while our enemies line up behind us. Only this time it will not be the armies of freedom who pull up our pants, pick us back up.
It will be the Sword of Damacleas straight up our ass!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
The Hypnosis Continues Part III
Glenn Beck is a racist. The Tea Party is a racist organization. You, reading this are a racist. I, writing this am a racist. It is called "un words" and "newspeak". It is a party mantra that has it's roots in Communist Manifestos and Nazi Socialist Doctrine. I would not doubt if some one could link it even further back.
Dissent is not a, uniquely, American political concept. It is a natural process in the minds of 'A' type personalities. These are the people who invent (and spend their dying days trying to convince others). These are the people who wrote our Declaration of Independence and Constitution. They even had the forethought of leaving some items out because they knew they had to bind a nation..FIRST!
Dissent has even been linked, and written into law, as a crime. It is not. It is the most Patriotic example of an individual to proclaim that something is wrong and must be corrected. In fact, true honor is bestowed upon those people who stood once for liberty, gained it, then years later stood up to denounce it as it became corrupt and no longer represented the tenets that which the movement stood for in the first place. The actual voices who wrought the change are the targets of those who do not want change today.
We gloss our history into some kind of media event. We even teach our children the events as some heroic undertaking then instruct them that status quo must be maintained. The status quo of legislation and order. History and the blood spilled to attain it are glamourized into a panapoly of Americanna. When any one challenges that concept they are marginalized as heretics to the cause. My, how little we have evolved..
All the lives lost, all the hurt, sacrifices made; all polluted by revisionist history in order to persevere Government programs and an ideaology that has little to do with the original idea. All history is lost to the current form of political doctrine that denies the truth and expands the ideaology. It is a form of historical Socialism and a rewriting of all that has been.
Jefferson was a white slave owner and therefore didn't really believe in what he wrote in the Constitution. Lincoln just wanted to get elected and never thought of freeing slaves. Grant hated Indians and wanted them all killed. WWII was for American domination of the world and nothing else. I would support many of these arguements if it were not for the people who were there. The people who petitioned, the people who had a different idea, the soldiers who were on the line, the people who knew this was not for them but for the future. Thats why they did the things they did. We forget this precept.
We complain because it inconveniences us. We worry because of our own self absorbtion. As a poor man, I could care less. The whole of Rome could topple, I will still be searching for my next loaf. Funny; my wife and I looked at each other as the news of America's financial meltdown unfolded on TV and we both agreed.."We were poor before..What has changed for us?"
We complain because it inconveniences us. Our comfort zone is gone. How are we to afford our new SUV and expanded home we took loans on? I was there, I lost it all but my family was intact and I have found riches in my struggles.
Our nation is at war and the only care America expresses is the lives lost, the drain on our ability to buy crap, the inability to travel without a search, the rhetoric between left and right. No one sees the larger picture of why some things must be done. That message is lost in public polling years later as we all get back to the gerbil wheel we call work, family and life.
We forget that history and monumental changes in human evolution are made from cataclysm and geo-political forces and that our grandparents are the survivors of these very same forces. It is what has made us the strongest race of Homo-Sapiens we have ever seen in written history. The very things that history has layed upon our heads are testament to the fact that evolution weeds out the weak and allows the strong to grow, survive and give birth to the next generation of human kind. We must be the surviving grandparents for our children's children.
But..We do not see this. We are caught up in the web of politics, race baiting, hate, Government control of society and our own short sightedness. We splinter into groups who pontificate their own agenda and are swelled into the torrent of the tide that is that movement.
We argue over money. Money is taken from human endeavours and put into human complaciency. Then we argue over who gets what.
Meanwhile the barbarians siege the castle. We beg for understanding whilst they give none. We clamour for a policy change as they continue theirs. Our survival is in the hands of our debtors as they industialize against us and we buy into it..Literally. Our feeble attempts at elections, in order to change things, are a comedy to our detractors.
We fight amongst ourselves for the last scraps of what was once a great industrial empire with Unions, bailouts, welfare. Our enemies stand waiting for the inevitable fall. Perhaps they are correct in proclaiming that our own self delusion shall be our un-doing
....And That Is The Diatribe....
Dissent is not a, uniquely, American political concept. It is a natural process in the minds of 'A' type personalities. These are the people who invent (and spend their dying days trying to convince others). These are the people who wrote our Declaration of Independence and Constitution. They even had the forethought of leaving some items out because they knew they had to bind a nation..FIRST!
Dissent has even been linked, and written into law, as a crime. It is not. It is the most Patriotic example of an individual to proclaim that something is wrong and must be corrected. In fact, true honor is bestowed upon those people who stood once for liberty, gained it, then years later stood up to denounce it as it became corrupt and no longer represented the tenets that which the movement stood for in the first place. The actual voices who wrought the change are the targets of those who do not want change today.
We gloss our history into some kind of media event. We even teach our children the events as some heroic undertaking then instruct them that status quo must be maintained. The status quo of legislation and order. History and the blood spilled to attain it are glamourized into a panapoly of Americanna. When any one challenges that concept they are marginalized as heretics to the cause. My, how little we have evolved..
All the lives lost, all the hurt, sacrifices made; all polluted by revisionist history in order to persevere Government programs and an ideaology that has little to do with the original idea. All history is lost to the current form of political doctrine that denies the truth and expands the ideaology. It is a form of historical Socialism and a rewriting of all that has been.
Jefferson was a white slave owner and therefore didn't really believe in what he wrote in the Constitution. Lincoln just wanted to get elected and never thought of freeing slaves. Grant hated Indians and wanted them all killed. WWII was for American domination of the world and nothing else. I would support many of these arguements if it were not for the people who were there. The people who petitioned, the people who had a different idea, the soldiers who were on the line, the people who knew this was not for them but for the future. Thats why they did the things they did. We forget this precept.
We complain because it inconveniences us. We worry because of our own self absorbtion. As a poor man, I could care less. The whole of Rome could topple, I will still be searching for my next loaf. Funny; my wife and I looked at each other as the news of America's financial meltdown unfolded on TV and we both agreed.."We were poor before..What has changed for us?"
We complain because it inconveniences us. Our comfort zone is gone. How are we to afford our new SUV and expanded home we took loans on? I was there, I lost it all but my family was intact and I have found riches in my struggles.
Our nation is at war and the only care America expresses is the lives lost, the drain on our ability to buy crap, the inability to travel without a search, the rhetoric between left and right. No one sees the larger picture of why some things must be done. That message is lost in public polling years later as we all get back to the gerbil wheel we call work, family and life.
We forget that history and monumental changes in human evolution are made from cataclysm and geo-political forces and that our grandparents are the survivors of these very same forces. It is what has made us the strongest race of Homo-Sapiens we have ever seen in written history. The very things that history has layed upon our heads are testament to the fact that evolution weeds out the weak and allows the strong to grow, survive and give birth to the next generation of human kind. We must be the surviving grandparents for our children's children.
But..We do not see this. We are caught up in the web of politics, race baiting, hate, Government control of society and our own short sightedness. We splinter into groups who pontificate their own agenda and are swelled into the torrent of the tide that is that movement.
We argue over money. Money is taken from human endeavours and put into human complaciency. Then we argue over who gets what.
Meanwhile the barbarians siege the castle. We beg for understanding whilst they give none. We clamour for a policy change as they continue theirs. Our survival is in the hands of our debtors as they industialize against us and we buy into it..Literally. Our feeble attempts at elections, in order to change things, are a comedy to our detractors.
We fight amongst ourselves for the last scraps of what was once a great industrial empire with Unions, bailouts, welfare. Our enemies stand waiting for the inevitable fall. Perhaps they are correct in proclaiming that our own self delusion shall be our un-doing
....And That Is The Diatribe....
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Spreading the Hate, Keep the Fire Burning
I posted my weekly messages on the 'Forums' page of the radio station I volunteer at. It is, actually, quite telling the lunatic responces I get from the ilk of cretons who view that page for the sole purpose of finding something of any substance they can complain about.
A few weeks back I did an interview with an Independent Candidate and some one called in to ask about '..This illegal war." We both quyickly realized, and commented, that the war in both Iraq and Afghanistan were not illegal because Congress did vote for both of them and the UN authorized "use of force". A week long discourse commenced over semantics. The caller was insisting on the term "declaration of war" and threw the Constitution at me. Either way he was wrong.
A week later another interview was interupted by another drunken Lib who kept cutting into a telephone interview to the point where I had to disconnect the studio phone and put a microphone to a cell phone speaker so I could continue. This kind of crap goes on weekly, from pre-planned I-tunes I am required to initiate after my show not being in the right folder on the computer, to various channels shut off when I need them to work to harrassing e-mails from Lib listeners and the radio staff (yeah! The staff!).
Last week was the icing on the cake. I posted my schedule in the 'Forums' page and loaded up a clip that is displayed here in this piece. I can't remember when I got it but i know it was sent to FB by a woman and I took it and put it in one of my Pictures Folder. So I loaded it up next to my schedule and my weekly messages.
I received an e-mail from some one at the studio telling me they removed the picture. Ok, fine. What followed is something from a Twilight Zone episode. A simple political cartoon gave birth to accusations of publishing hate speech wich went tangent into interacial gang rape. I have reproduced the e-mails here. I have removed any names.
I mean, after all why should anyone own up to what they say in this Post Obama World, unless you are Conservative.
Christopher,
I have pulled the caricature you had posted to the WCUW website on 08-04-10 depicting a black man as a rapist. Regardless of the political overtones of the drawing, this piece was way over the top on too many fronts!
All WCUW programmers are free to have their own opinions and beliefs, but at no time is the WCUW website, or airwaves, to be used to deliver this type of message. You may believe the premise to be true, but if you wish to have a voice with this organization, find another way of saying it.
Please note that any web posting or similar insinuation of this kind of hate presented on the airwaves by any programmer, or guest(s), will be immediate grounds for suspension from WCUW. Again, programmers are free to say and feel what they want, but there is a limit, and that limit was exceeded with the caricature you posted.
If you have any issue with this, please contact me directly or the WCUW (name removed). His email address is above.
You can take the stance of never posting again, or use some common sense. But then, you may never have met a woman who has been raped, or a black man who has been beaten and/or called a white woman gang banger…I have!
I do not feel my liberty is being raped or plundered, but I would never reach for the extreme to downplay the Tea Party or any other group.
If you question it, run it past me or just don’t post it.
So, you see, it is always an adventure for me each and every week. I reponded to the first e-mail by saying I was sorry and will never post anything ever again. I also asked that the staff draw up a list of rules specifically for me, since I seem to be so much trouble. Actually I think I will post something this week and include a photo of abused muslim women, or, that photo of the Blackwater Security people hanging from that bridge in Iraq. In fact, I think the photo here (the one in question) is the first one depicting Obama. I could be wrong. Either way, I am told I have to run all photos past a "censor". So much for tolerance eh?
Friday, August 6, 2010
Kurt Vonnegut - Visionary - 1961
I thought I'd post one of my favorite short stories today, hoping that the link to this blog will help spread the scary significance of this literary masterpiece. There were obviously people, roughly half-a-century ago, who recognized the dark cloud that was beginning to envelop the American society and culture. One of them was Kurt Vonnegut. Please read, and more importantly....PAY ATTENTION.
HARRISON BERGERON
by
Kurt Vonnegut
THE YEAR WAS 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They weren't only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General.
Some things about living still weren't quite right, though. April for instance, still drove people crazy by not being springtime. And it was in that clammy month that the H-G men took George and Hazel Bergeron's fourteen-year-old son, Harrison, away.
It was tragic, all right, but George and Hazel couldn't think about it very hard. Hazel had a perfectly average intelligence, which meant she couldn't think about anything except in short bursts. And George, while his intelligence was way above normal, had a little mental handicap radio in his ear. He was required by law to wear it at all times. It was tuned to a government transmitter. Every twenty seconds or so, the transmitter would send out some sharp noise to keep people like George from taking unfair advantage of their brains.
George and Hazel were watching television. There were tears on Hazel's cheeks, but she'd forgotten for the moment what they were about.
On the television screen were ballerinas.
A buzzer sounded in George's head. His thoughts fled in panic, like bandits from a burglar alarm.
"That was a real pretty dance, that dance they just did," said Hazel.
"Huh" said George.
"That dance-it was nice," said Hazel.
"Yup," said George. He tried to think a little about the ballerinas. They weren't really very good-no better than anybody else would have been, anyway. They were burdened with sashweights and bags of birdshot, and their faces were masked, so that no one, seeing a free and graceful gesture or a pretty face, would feel like something the cat drug in. George was toying with the vague notion that maybe dancers shouldn't be handicapped. But he didn't get very far with it before another noise in his ear radio scattered his thoughts.
George winced. So did two out of the eight ballerinas.
Hazel saw him wince. Having no mental handicap herself, she had to ask George what the latest sound had been.
"Sounded like somebody hitting a milk bottle with a ball peen hammer," said George.
"I'd think it would be real interesting, hearing all the different sounds," said Hazel a little envious. "All the things they think up."
"Um," said George.
"Only, if I was Handicapper General, you know what I would do?" said Hazel. Hazel, as a matter of fact, bore a strong resemblance to the Handicapper General, a woman named Diana Moon Glampers. "If I was Diana Moon Glampers," said Hazel, "I'd have chimes on Sunday-just chimes. Kind of in honor of religion."
"I could think, if it was just chimes," said George.
"Well-maybe make 'em real loud," said Hazel. "I think I'd make a good Handicapper General."
"Good as anybody else," said George.
"Who knows better then I do what normal is?" said Hazel.
"Right," said George. He began to think glimmeringly about his abnormal son who was now in jail, about Harrison, but a twenty-one-gun salute in his head stopped that.
"Boy!" said Hazel, "that was a doozy, wasn't it?"
It was such a doozy that George was white and trembling, and tears stood on the rims of his red eyes. Two of of the eight ballerinas had collapsed to the studio floor, were holding their temples.
"All of a sudden you look so tired," said Hazel. "Why don't you stretch out on the sofa, so's you can rest your handicap bag on the pillows, honeybunch." She was referring to the forty-seven pounds of birdshot in a canvas bag, which was padlocked around George's neck. "Go on and rest the bag for a little while," she said. "I don't care if you're not equal to me for a while."
George weighed the bag with his hands. "I don't mind it," he said. "I don't notice it any more. It's just a part of me."
"You been so tired lately-kind of wore out," said Hazel. "If there was just some way we could make a little hole in the bottom of the bag, and just take out a few of them lead balls. Just a few."
"Two years in prison and two thousand dollars fine for every ball I took out," said George. "I don't call that a bargain."
"If you could just take a few out when you came home from work," said Hazel. "I mean-you don't compete with anybody around here. You just set around."
"If I tried to get away with it," said George, "then other people'd get away with it-and pretty soon we'd be right back to the dark ages again, with everybody competing against everybody else. You wouldn't like that, would you?"
"I'd hate it," said Hazel.
"There you are," said George. The minute people start cheating on laws, what do you think happens to society?"
If Hazel hadn't been able to come up with an answer to this question, George couldn't have supplied one. A siren was going off in his head.
"Reckon it'd fall all apart," said Hazel.
"What would?" said George blankly.
"Society," said Hazel uncertainly. "Wasn't that what you just said?
"Who knows?" said George.
The television program was suddenly interrupted for a news bulletin. It wasn't clear at first as to what the bulletin was about, since the announcer, like all announcers, had a serious speech impediment. For about half a minute, and in a state of high excitement, the announcer tried to say, "Ladies and Gentlemen."
He finally gave up, handed the bulletin to a ballerina to read.
"That's all right-" Hazel said of the announcer, "he tried. That's the big thing. He tried to do the best he could with what God gave him. He should get a nice raise for trying so hard."
"Ladies and Gentlemen," said the ballerina, reading the bulletin. She must have been extraordinarily beautiful, because the mask she wore was hideous. And it was easy to see that she was the strongest and most graceful of all the dancers, for her handicap bags were as big as those worn by two-hundred pound men.
And she had to apologize at once for her voice, which was a very unfair voice for a woman to use. Her voice was a warm, luminous, timeless melody. "Excuse me-" she said, and she began again, making her voice absolutely uncompetitive.
"Harrison Bergeron, age fourteen," she said in a grackle squawk, "has just escaped from jail, where he was held on suspicion of plotting to overthrow the government. He is a genius and an athlete, is under-handicapped, and should be regarded as extremely dangerous."
A police photograph of Harrison Bergeron was flashed on the screen-upside down, then sideways, upside down again, then right side up. The picture showed the full length of Harrison against a background calibrated in feet and inches. He was exactly seven feet tall.
The rest of Harrison's appearance was Halloween and hardware. Nobody had ever born heavier handicaps. He had outgrown hindrances faster than the H-G men could think them up. Instead of a little ear radio for a mental handicap, he wore a tremendous pair of earphones, and spectacles with thick wavy lenses. The spectacles were intended to make him not only half blind, but to give him whanging headaches besides.
Scrap metal was hung all over him. Ordinarily, there was a certain symmetry, a military neatness to the handicaps issued to strong people, but Harrison looked like a walking junkyard. In the race of life, Harrison carried three hundred pounds.
And to offset his good looks, the H-G men required that he wear at all times a red rubber ball for a nose, keep his eyebrows shaved off, and cover his even white teeth with black caps at snaggle-tooth random.
"If you see this boy," said the ballerina, "do not - I repeat, do not - try to reason with him."
There was the shriek of a door being torn from its hinges.
Screams and barking cries of consternation came from the television set. The photograph of Harrison Bergeron on the screen jumped again and again, as though dancing to the tune of an earthquake.
George Bergeron correctly identified the earthquake, and well he might have - for many was the time his own home had danced to the same crashing tune. "My God-" said George, "that must be Harrison!"
The realization was blasted from his mind instantly by the sound of an automobile collision in his head.
When George could open his eyes again, the photograph of Harrison was gone. A living, breathing Harrison filled the screen.
Clanking, clownish, and huge, Harrison stood - in the center of the studio. The knob of the uprooted studio door was still in his hand. Ballerinas, technicians, musicians, and announcers cowered on their knees before him, expecting to die.
"I am the Emperor!" cried Harrison. "Do you hear? I am the Emperor! Everybody must do what I say at once!" He stamped his foot and the studio shook.
"Even as I stand here" he bellowed, "crippled, hobbled, sickened - I am a greater ruler than any man who ever lived! Now watch me become what I can become!"
Harrison tore the straps of his handicap harness like wet tissue paper, tore straps guaranteed to support five thousand pounds.
Harrison's scrap-iron handicaps crashed to the floor.
Harrison thrust his thumbs under the bar of the padlock that secured his head harness. The bar snapped like celery. Harrison smashed his headphones and spectacles against the wall.
He flung away his rubber-ball nose, revealed a man that would have awed Thor, the god of thunder.
"I shall now select my Empress!" he said, looking down on the cowering people. "Let the first woman who dares rise to her feet claim her mate and her throne!"
A moment passed, and then a ballerina arose, swaying like a willow.
Harrison plucked the mental handicap from her ear, snapped off her physical handicaps with marvelous delicacy. Last of all he removed her mask.
She was blindingly beautiful.
"Now-" said Harrison, taking her hand, "shall we show the people the meaning of the word dance? Music!" he commanded.
The musicians scrambled back into their chairs, and Harrison stripped them of their handicaps, too. "Play your best," he told them, "and I'll make you barons and dukes and earls."
The music began. It was normal at first-cheap, silly, false. But Harrison snatched two musicians from their chairs, waved them like batons as he sang the music as he wanted it played. He slammed them back into their chairs.
The music began again and was much improved.
Harrison and his Empress merely listened to the music for a while-listened gravely, as though synchronizing their heartbeats with it.
They shifted their weights to their toes.
Harrison placed his big hands on the girls tiny waist, letting her sense the weightlessness that would soon be hers.
And then, in an explosion of joy and grace, into the air they sprang!
Not only were the laws of the land abandoned, but the law of gravity and the laws of motion as well.
They reeled, whirled, swiveled, flounced, capered, gamboled, and spun.
They leaped like deer on the moon.
The studio ceiling was thirty feet high, but each leap brought the dancers nearer to it.
It became their obvious intention to kiss the ceiling. They kissed it.
And then, neutraling gravity with love and pure will, they remained suspended in air inches below the ceiling, and they kissed each other for a long, long time.
It was then that Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General, came into the studio with a double-barreled ten-gauge shotgun. She fired twice, and the Emperor and the Empress were dead before they hit the floor.
Diana Moon Glampers loaded the gun again. She aimed it at the musicians and told them they had ten seconds to get their handicaps back on.
It was then that the Bergerons' television tube burned out.
Hazel turned to comment about the blackout to George. But George had gone out into the kitchen for a can of beer.
George came back in with the beer, paused while a handicap signal shook him up. And then he sat down again. "You been crying" he said to Hazel.
"Yup," she said.
"What about?" he said.
"I forget," she said. "Something real sad on television."
"What was it?" he said.
"It's all kind of mixed up in my mind," said Hazel.
"Forget sad things," said George.
"I always do," said Hazel.
"That's my girl," said George. He winced. There was the sound of a rivetting gun in his head.
"Gee - I could tell that one was a doozy," said Hazel.
"You can say that again," said George.
"Gee-" said Hazel, "I could tell that one was a doozy."
"Harrison Bergeron" is copyrighted by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., 1961.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Want To Start Understanding What Obama "Change" Means?
2011 Taxes
In just six months, the largest tax hikes in the history of
take effect. They will hit families and small businesses in three great
waves on
First Wave: Expiration of 2001 and 2003 Tax Relief
In 2001 and 2003, the GOP Congress enacted several tax cuts for
investors, small business owners, and families.
These will all expire on
Personal income tax rates will rise. The top income tax rate will rise
from 35 to 39.6 percent (this is also the rate at which two-thirds of small
business profits are taxed). The lowest rate will rise from 10 to 15
percent. All the rates in between will also rise. Itemized deductions and
personal exemptions will again phase out, which has the same mathematical effect
as higher marginal tax rates. The full list of marginal rate hikes is below:
The 10% bracket rises to an expanded 15%
The 25% bracket rises to 28%
The 28% bracket rises to 31%
The 33% bracket rises to 36%
The 35% bracket rises to 39.6%
Higher taxes on marriage and family. The marriage penalty" (narrower tax
brackets for married couples) will return from the first dollar of income.
The child tax credit will be cut in half from $1000 to $500 per child. The
standard deduction will no longer be doubled for married couples relative
to the single level. The dependent care and adoption tax credits will be
cut.
The return of the Death Tax. This year, there is no death tax. For those
dying on or after
on estates over $1 million. A person leaving behind two homes and a
retirement account could easily pass along a death tax bill to their loved ones.
Higher tax rates on savers and investors. The capital gains tax will rise
from 15 percent this year to 20 percent in 2011. The dividends tax will
rise from 15 percent this year to 39.6 percent in 2011. These rates will
rise another 3.8 percent in 2013.
Second Wave: Obamacare
There are over twenty new or higher taxes in Obamacare. Several will
first go into effect on
The "Medicine Cabinet Tax" Thanks to Obamacare, Americans will no longer
be able to use health savings account (HSA), flexible spending account
(FSA), or health reimbursement (HRA) pre-tax dollars to purchase
non-prescription, over-the-counter medicines (except insulin).
The "Special Needs Kids Tax" This provision of Obamacare imposes a cap on
flexible spending accounts (FSAs) of $2500 (Currently, there is no federal
government limit). There is one group of FSA owners for whom this new cap
will be particularly cruel and onerous: parents of special needs children.
There are thousands of families with special needs children in the
States
Tuition rates at one leading school that teaches special needs children
in
$14,000 per year. Under tax rules, FSA dollars can be used to pay for this type
of special needs education.
The HSA Withdrawal Tax Hike. This provision of Obamacare increases the
additional tax on non-medical early withdrawals from an HSA from 10 to 20
percent, disadvantaging them relative to IRAs and other tax-advantaged
accounts, which remain at 10 percent.
Third Wave: The Alternative Minimum Tax and Employer Tax Hikes
When Americans prepare to file their tax returns in January of 2011,
they'll be in for a nasty surprise-the AMT won't be held harmless, and many tax
relief provisions will have expired. The major items include:
The AMT will ensnare over 28 million families, up from 4 million last
year.
According to the left-leaning
index the AMT will lead to an explosion of AMT taxpaying families-rising from
4 million last year to 28.5 million. These families will have to
calculate their tax burdens twice, and pay taxes at the higher level. The AMT was
created in 1969 to ensnare a handful of taxpayers.
Small business expensing will be slashed and 50% expensing will disappear.
Small businesses can normally expense (rather than slowly-deduct, or
"depreciate") equipment purchases up to $250,000. This will be cut all the way
down to $25,000. Larger business can expense half of their purchases of
equipment. In January of 2011, all of it will have to be depreciated."
Taxes will be raised on all types of businesses. There are literally
scores of tax hikes on business that will take place. The biggest is the loss
of the "research and experimentation tax credit," but there are many, many
others. Combining high marginal tax rates with the loss of this tax relief
will cost jobs.
Tax Benefits for Education and Teaching Reduced. The deduction for
tuition and fees will not be available. Tax credits for education will be limited.
Teachers will no longer be able to deduct classroom expenses. Coverdell
Education Savings Accounts will be cut. Employer-provided educational
assistance is curtailed. The student loan interest deduction will be disallowed
for hundreds of thousands of families.
Charitable Contributions from IRAs no longer allowed. Under current law,
a retired person with an IRA can contribute up to $100,000 per year
directly to a charity from their IRA. This contribution also counts toward an
annual "required minimum distribution." This ability will no longer be there.
PDF Version Read more:
_http://www.atr.org/six-months-untilb...#ixzz0sY8waPq1_
(http://www.atr.org/six-months-untilb...#ixzz0sY8waPq1)
Now your insurance is INCOME on your W2's.
One of the surprises we'll find come next year, is what follows - -
employer will be increased to show the value of whatever health insurance you
are given by the company. It does not matter if that's a private concern or
governmental body of some sort. If you're retired? So what; your gross will
go up by the amount of insurance you get.
You will be required to pay taxes on a large sum of money that you have
never seen. Take your tax form you just finished and see what $15,000 or
$20,000 additional gross does to your tax debt. That's what you'll pay next
year. For many, it also puts you into a new higher bracket so it's even
worse.
This is how the government is going to buy insurance for the 15% that
don't have insurance and it's only part of the tax increases.
Not believing this?
Joan Pryde is the senior tax editor for the Kiplinger letters. Go to
Kiplingers and read about 13 tax changes that could affect you.
Why am I telling you this? The same reason that I hope you forward this to
every single person that you know. People have the right to know the truth because an election is coming in November.
Is this the change you voted for?
If not, I hope you'll remember the people in Congress that voted for this
"CHANGE" and help CHANGE their status in Congress.
NOVEMBER IS COMING.....
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