Into The Maelstrom

For over two hundred years the United States has been the envy of the world, her economy the gold standard and her liberties the inspiration of the French, who were so impressed as to offer the wondrous statue that greets sailors in New York harbor. Then, over forty years ago, the fortunate inhabitants of the greatest country the world has known decided that our superiority was unfair and our society even less so. Taking advantage of the freedoms bestowed upon them by the very structure of that society, they began the slow and steady swirling motion that created the maelstrom in which we now helplessly spin.

As the funnel grows deeper and the wall of water ever steeper, the speed at which our utter destruction approaches has increased exponentially. Worse, those who have not been willing or active participants in the slow demise of America are complicit simply by virtue of their obliviousness. As many of their lives did not seem to be directly affected by the pending doom, they carried on with business as usual.

In Edgar Allen Poe's Descent Into The Maelstrom, the phenomenon is perfectly illustrated in the form of centrifugal force. The story is a retelling by an old fisherman whose vessel was surprised by a sudden hurricane, which pushed the boat into a maelstrom. The narrator survived to tell the story, in which he recounts:

"She was quite upon an even keel - that is to say, her deck lay in a plane parallel with that of the water - but this latter sloped at an angle of more than forty-five degrees, so that we seemed to be lying upon our beam-ends. I could not help observing, nevertheless, that I had scarcely more difficulty in maintaining my hold and footing in this situation, than if we had been upon a dead level ; and this, I suppose, was owing to the speed at which we revolved."

In short, had he been blind and deaf, the narrator would have felt as if the ship were right and not tilting at all and he would have been completely unaware of his jeopardy. It is in the same fashion that the innocent yet culpable are indicted because, had they noticed the destructive rocks that await at the bottom of the maelstrom, they may have been more eager to steer the ship away from its grasp before allowing it to be placed in peril.

The mutinous amongst us have not been merely satisfied with the complacency of their unwitting accomplices, however, though they have found it useful. It thus became much easier to take the impetus of those who had stalled in their pursuit of the American dream and reverse their course to their own detriment. This was accomplished through false compassion and a successful admonishment of faux greed, playing on the sympathies of genuinely good people and turning them into the tools of evil.

Despite the overwhelming generosity of the average American, they have been convinced nonetheless that they have not done enough to ease the "suffering of their compatriots", thereby allowing the steady creep of government intrusion into their lives, and the confiscation of their wages. No longer content with the amount of giving by the American, the whirlpool machine of the federal government has ever increasingly seized more and more of the private citizen's earnings in order to give to those that the government deems needy.

I have read numerous comments lately by my fellow citizens on various news sites and blogs, and some of them both frighten and sadden me. The general sentiment among liberals is that they "prefer socialism under Obama over corporate 'greed' under Bush". And so we spin ever faster to our ultimate end, round and round the maelstrom.

There is a glimmer of hope here, however, as I know that many will bemoan the lugubrious tone of this writing; the narrator in Poe's tale survived the maelstrom. He did so by calmly observing his surroundings, and noticed many other objects similarly caught up in the vortex in which he found himself. (Take note that the very reason for his calmness was out of resignation to his fate for, having made his peace with God, he no longer suffered the paralysis of panic.) Rather than awkwardly try to summarize the reason for his escape, I will post a rather lengthy excerpt in which Poe explains it best:

"It was not a new terror that thus affected me, but the dawn of a more exciting hope. This hope arose partly from memory, and partly from present observation. I called to mind the great variety of buoyant matter that strewed the coast of Lofoden, having been absorbed and then thrown forth by the Moskoe-ström. By far the greater number of the articles were shattered in the most extraordinary way - so chafed and roughened as to have the appearance of being stuck full of splinters - but then I distinctly recollected that there were some of them which were not disfigured at all. Now I could not account for this difference except by supposing that the roughened fragments were the only ones which had been completely absorbed - that the others had entered the whirl at so late a period of the tide, or, for some reason, had descended so slowly after entering, that they did not reach the bottom before the turn of the flood came, or of the ebb, as the case might be. I conceived it possible, in either instance, that they might thus be whirled up again to the level of the ocean, without undergoing the fate of those which had been drawn in more early, or absorbed more rapidly. I made, also, three important observations. The first was, that, as a general rule, the larger the bodies were, the more rapid their descent - the second, that, between two masses of equal extent, the one spherical, and the other of any other shape , the superiority in speed of descent was with the sphere - the third, that, between two masses of equal size, the one cylindrical, and the other of any other shape, the cylinder was absorbed the more slowly. Since my escape, I have had several conversations on this subject with an old school-master of the district ; and it was from him that I learned the use of the words 'cylinder' and 'sphere.' He explained to me - although I have forgotten the explanation - how what I observed was, in fact, the natural consequence of the forms of the floating fragments - and showed me how it happened that a cylinder, swimming in a vortex, offered more resistance to its suction, and was drawn in with greater difficulty than an equally bulky body, of any form whatever."

The narrator, realizing his discovery, lashes himself to a cider barrel from the deck and leaps overboard, thus sufficiently slowing his descent until the maelstrom subsides. The hope here lies in the possibility that the socialist movement will become such a behemoth that it smashes on the rocks below, while the rest of America remains buoyant long enough to survive the maelstrom which is nearing its zenith under Obama. Grab yourself a barrel and hold on.

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Withering On The Vine

Any politically savvy reader will no doubt recall the instant notoriety bestowed upon Newt Gingrich for hoping that "Medicare would wither on the vine". Oh, how he hated old, sick people. The evil SOB. The problem is however, that it was all a cunning and effective lie propagated by Big Labor over a decade ago.

In 1995, then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich delivered a speech to Blue Cross regarding health care and the Clinton's designs on it. During the campaign for Bill Clinton's reelection, the AFL-CIO ran a television ad designed to help Clinton's campaign by demonizing the Republicans, and Gingrich was the poster boy for the union giant. In the fall of 1996, the AFL-CIO ran the ad which began with a voice-over compassionately droning, "When you're older, and you're sick, Medicare is more than health care, it's peace of mind."

The ad immediately cuts to the Blue Cross speech by Gingrich, with a partial excerpt. "Now we don't get rid of it in round one because we think that's politically smart and we don't think that's the right way to go through a transition. But we believe it's going to wither on the vine." But Gingrich wasn't doing his best impersonation of the fabled greedy, mustachioed landlord, twisting his facial hair while giddily tossing mothers and hungry children out of their homes. Here's the full context of Newt's comment on Medicare:

"What do you think the health care financing administration is? It's a centralized command bureaucracy. It's everything we're telling Boris Yeltsin to get rid of. Now we don't get rid of it in round one because we don't think that's politically smart and we don't think that's the right way to go through a transition. But we believe it's going to wither on the vine because we think people are going to voluntarily leave it. Voluntarily."

It was a very effective ploy, as I know people who still despise Gingrich to this day because of that misrepresentation. The DNC took the approach a step further during George W. Bush's administration with cartoon commercials showing the President pushing old people in wheelchairs down a flight of stairs. Charming.

Current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi today peeled the wrapping off of 1,990 pages of the same poison pill that Gingrich warned us of, and House Minority Leader John Boehner promptly referred to it as "1,990 pages of bureaucracy". CNN interviewed Congressman Mike Pence for the Republican reaction, and he was equally dismayed. See the video below.



Perhaps the reason for the Democrats' unveiling of this monstrosity being closed to the public - on the West side of the Capitol which is traditionally open to the public - is the direct result of this past summer's town hall meetings, when it was mostly Democrats on the receiving end of constituents' blistering outrage.

The only good news is that there will a period of roughly a week for House members to peruse this massive tome before a vote moves to the floor. I hope the Republicans along with moderate Democrats use this time wisely and develope a serious insurgency to put a stop to its passage. If not, it won't be Medicare withering on the vine. It will be American liberty.

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Recognizing Ineptitude

Sooner or later, those who voted for Barack Hussein Obama will no longer be able to avoid the contrition that experience demands. As the evidence of a grand experiment gone awry comes more sharply into focus for an increasing number of Americans, those who have selfishly resisted their obligatory mea culpas will find themselves ever increasingly unable to resist the forces exerted by their peers in acknowledging that a simple lapse in judgement will not long stand the litmus test of truth, nor suffice as a satisfactory excuse for the damage to come. We have shot ourselves in the collective foot.

OK, so what do we do now? Continue to ignore our hemorrhaging modes of primitive transportation, or apply tourniquets to stem the blood loss while offering embarrassed and sheepish grins at our foolishness? Personally, I've become rather possessive of my life-sustaining bodily fluids, so I'm going to opt for the cessation of my bleeding despite the fact that it was actually my neighbor who bears the responsibility for my wounds. Trust me, mine are not self-inflicted.

Yesterday, speaking before 3,500 military members and their families at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Obama had this to say:

"I will never rush the solemn decision of sending you into harm’s way".

Despite the desperate pleas from his hand-picked commander in Afghanistan, Obama is still "not rushing" his decision.

Obama has had accomplishments, however. In only nine months in office, he has already tied former President George W. Bush for rounds of golf played. It might have taken him a bit longer to reach such a benchmark had it not been for the fact that President Bush stopped playing golf in 2003, after the invasion of Iraq. Bush's reasoning was that it would appear unseemly to be enjoying days on the golf course while young men and women fought for their country. Obama exhibits no such qualms.

Obama does not to seem to be at all uncomfortable, either, in holding his weekly Wednesday night soirees in our White House while soldiers in Afghanistan die. Nor does he shy away from fabulous and luxurious vacations with his wife, Michelle, as bombs explode and helicopters collide. Rest assured, however, that while he's dancing the night away, he is constantly wrestling with the decision of meeting General McChrystal's military need.

He'll never rush such a decision, yet his socialist plans bear such an incredible urgency that congresspeople can't even have time to read that upon which they're voting. He'll keep the General waiting, but he'll tear through the nation's wealth faster than a speeding bullet. He'll fly all over the world and apologize for America's audacity to exist, encouraging our enemies to escalate hostilities in Iraq and Afghanistan, and shamelessly offer empty promises to military members in places like Jacksonville.

I wish he'd promise his constituency that he'd never rush to surrender America's sovereignty. I wish he'd promise his constituency that he'd never rush to bankrupt America's finances. I wish he'd promise his constituency that he'd never rush to enslave every one of us. Then again, his promises are worth less than the U.S. dollar has become, thanks in large part to his and his compadre's policies. The only one he will keep is the unspoken promise to let those soldiers in Afghanistan disappear through attrition. He clearly has no intentions of sending help.

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Obscene And Immoral Profits

"I'm very pleased that (Democratic leaders) will be talking, too, about the immoral profits being made by the insurance industry and how those profits have increased in the Bush years." -House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

It should be more than evident by now that the socialist mindset has stepped from the shadows and boldly thumps its chest in the bright glare of the sun. For elected politicians in a capitalist republic to utter such phrases should be cause for alarm in every American but sadly, far too many have bought into the lies that will ultimately be their own ruination.

By fostering a deep-seated hatred of those who do business for profit, Democrats have initiated a dangerous spiral which has begun to take on the damaging traits of a huge vortex from which we may find it difficult, if not impossible, to escape. When the argument is made that health care providers and insurers are greedy, heartless cretins who shamelessly make money, people have a detached propensity to simply nod in agreement. When the claim is "bolstered" by false statements, few bother to check their veracity.

Nancy Pelosi's quote above is but one of many examples. There is also this from Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD):

"Keeping the status quo may be what the insurance industry wants [since] their premiums have more than doubled in the last decade and their profits have skyrocketed."

The problem is, both statements are simply not true. According to the Associated Press, health insurers as a whole posted an anemic 2.2% profit margin last year. While it is true that premiums have doubled since 2003, that increase hasn't translated to "profits skyrocketing" for the industry. On the contrary, according to Calvin Woodward of the AP, "Profits barely exceeded 2 percent of revenues in the latest annual measure. This partly explains why the credit ratings of some of the largest insurers were downgraded to negative from stable heading into this year, as investors were warned of a stagnant if not shrinking market for private plans".

The truly disturbing aspect in all of this, however, is not so much the treachery involved in trying to ram socialized medicine down our throats but more to the vilification of capitalism in and of itself. We constantly hear of the "obscene profits" of the oil industry and the health care industry has now joined that parade. It is simply disgusting, we are told, that someone would have the temerity to actually benefit from the sale for profit of life's necessities. But let's examine another industry that eludes a similar scrutiny.

Water is without a doubt the number one necessity for the survival of man, and it is abundant and easily accessible for most. Yet there is a very lucrative market where corporations sell water in bottles and make a fortune. The bottled water industry enjoys profit margins of anywhere from 50 and 200 percent. Yet, politicians do not consider this immoral or obscene, most likely because there is no political capital in attacking an industry that is off the radar of the citizenry.

It is frightening when Marxist vernacular emerges in those we choose to run this nation, and "immoral profits" is typical of a Marxist mentality. It should never have crept into the American lexicon at all.

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Fall Of The Republic

I am about to post part one of fourteen youtube videos that is so chilling, I barely know what to say. All I know is that I am heartened by the Tea Party movement and for patriots like those who created this film.

It is long, but consider it your solemn duty to watch, listen and become aware of what is happening to your country. And pray that it is not too late...

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The Left Keeps Its Shoes On

While it is debatable as to whether or not Nikita Khruschev actually banged his shoe as he shouted, "We will bury you!", I have found no concrete proof either way. That being said, I will continue to believe what I did before I decided to research it. Besides, this isn't about him anyway.

There can be no doubt that the ideologies of the Soviet Union and the United States were diametrically opposed, with the Soviets believing that theirs was the Utopian ideal and detesting capitalism. The Cold War was eventually won by the United States with no shot ever having been fired, true, but the victory was to be short lived. After the Berlin Wall fell followed thereafter by the entire monolith of the former Soviet Empire collapsing in a cloud of dust, we simply turned our backs, content in our assumption that Marxism was dead. Little did we think that there was a soul attached to the "body" of Marxism that - like a person passing away - would be reincarnated in the form of something unrecognizable, while eerily familiar.

Having learned the lesson of overt opposition and animosity's failure, Western leftists have regrouped and continued to carry the baton under an entirely different banner, using completely different tactics. Subtly and successfully restructuring the lexicon of average Americans, the left has created a new and frightfully hegemonic atmosphere that makes resistance nearly impossible and debate futile. Rejecting the alleged shoe-pounding tirade, modern Marxists now pursue their agenda under the guise of tolerance and fairness.

Values that most Americans share still are under relentless attack, such as the desire that immigrants play by the rules. This has succeeded in dwindling the roles of people willing to actually articulate such a desire for fear of being labelled as racist. Feel-good subterfuge such as that deployed by Al Gore and his ilk, propagating the myth that spending huge sums of money will prevent man's destruction of the planet, combined with the insane notion that giving the rest of the money away will actually reverse the damage, has proven to be a most useful strategy.

Al Gore has occasionally strayed from the path, more resembling Khruschev than his more pastel contemporaries, but thus far he has refrained from any footwear faux pas, and it stands to reason that the operatives most invested in the ultimate destruction of America will be watching him closely to ensure that he doesn't ruin things on this go 'round.

By rejecting the openly hostile tactics of the past that failed simply because they were easily identified, the new approach of "flying under the radar" has enjoyed much success. This is because it becomes quite easy to deny any nefarious intent by merely suggesting that the accuser is imagining it. Use a dismissive wave of the hand and a warm smile, and people will likely respond with a relieved sigh and an embarrassed chuckle. And the Trojan Horse rolls on unimpeded.

The Marxists have infiltrated our schools and universities, extolling the "virtues" of that which they themselves pursued in their youths, where free sex reigned and morals were to be wantonly discarded as archaic. Protecting the sanctity of truly innocent life such as the unborn has been supplanted by eliminating the stigma of wrongdoing in the hopes of saving the damned instead.

Most people would rally to America's defense violently were she to suffer an attempted mass invasion, but they have been conditioned to accept the slowly rising tide of those who flood our shores as a lunar tide. The left learned well the lesson of the frog and the boiling pot. Legend has it that if you place a frog in a pot of water and slowly heat the water he will sit and cook, but if you throw the same frog into an already boiling pot, he will immediately attempt to escape.

This is a very deliberate and patient enemy and I fear that they are winning. While there are still many amongst us who have the ability to recognize the late "Grandpa Marx" in the form of that new Pit bull puppy, I fear that the accomplices in the media are transforming more and more of us into those relieved and embarrassed sighers every day.

For my kids' sakes, I pray that I'm wrong.

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Obama: Man Of La Mancha

It is difficult to determine whether members of this administration are sinister or simply juvenile, but one thing is clear; they are easily distracted by trivial things. With a war effort in Afghanistan spiraling out of control and a domestic economic debacle in progress, Obama and his officials have been sidetracked by a quixotic quest to silence a news organization critical of them.

White House communications director Anita Dunn last week said that Fox News was "opinion journalism masquerading as news." On Sunday Chris Wallace fired back, "We wanted to ask Dunn about her criticism, but, as they've done every week since August, the White House refused to make any administration officials available to 'FOX News Sunday' to talk about this or anything else."

The reason for Dunn's attack was retaliation for Fox News Sunday having the unmitigated audacity to fact-check another White House official, Tammy Duckworth, assistant secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, over comments she made in August regarding the VHA's "death book". Dunn was astounded that a Sunday news show dared to fact-check an administration official, something she said "I've never seen a Sunday show do." That's probably just the way they like it, too. The rest of the Sunday shows apparently regurgitate dutifully whatever drivel the White House feeds them.

As a matter of fact, Anita Dunn recently admitted that the administration controls the media, saying in a video conference to the Dominican government, "Very rarely did we communicate through the press anything that we didn't absolutely control." Here is the video:

It must be awfully frustrating trying to take over a country when there is that one, pesky news outlet that just won't play along. The only other alternative is for the administration to remove the mask, step out of the shadows and declare that democracy is dead, but they would never dare do that. In the meantime, all that's left to do is tilt at windmills and dream the impossible dream.

Good for the country, but sad for liberals nonetheless. As the New York Times David Carr recently wrote, "The administration, by deploying official resources against a troublesome media organization, seems to have brought a knife to a gunfight."

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A Rush To Judgement

Let's set the record straight right from the outset; most of the people who hate Rush Limbaugh have never heard his radio show, save for a handful who have heard clips only. These are the people most vociferous in their opposition to virtually any endeavor the man undertakes, and the people who will suddenly crinkle their faces into a just-ate-a-lemon grimace at the mere mention of his name. So it stands to reason that these uneducated ideologues - the most dangerous type - are so easily manipulated into believing the worst. It's what they want so desperately to believe.

So when Rush was approached by Dave Checketts to partner in a purchase of the St. Louis Rams, so-called "Black leaders" and their liberal supporters sprung into action to prevent a miscarriage of justice. Relying on lies and perceived transgressions falsely attributed to Limbaugh, they quickly mobilized to stop "this racist" from ever owning a professional football team, perhaps primarily because most players are black. Limbaugh warned Checketts of the pending firestorm, but Checketts was confident that the deal would go through. It didn't, the group asked Limbaugh to withdraw, and finally tossed him under the bus when he refused to step down, citing no malfeasance on his part.

The Reverend Al Sharpton ruined the life of Stephen Pagones in 1987. Pagones was an Assistant District Attorney in New York's Dutchess County when a black girl named Tawana Brawley claims she was raped by Pagones. Sharpton poured gasoline on that fire and was later found guilty of not one count of libel, but seven.

The Reverend Jessie Jackson in 1984 called New York City "Hymietown" and Jews "Hymies", a derogatory term for Jewish people. Jackson also tag-teamed with Sharpton in 2006 in the near lynching (yes, I said it) of three white Duke University lacross players accused of raping a black stripper. The story was proved made up and the players acquitted. To date, there has been no apology from either "reverend".

These two men have been responsible for more injuries and property damage through their words than Limbaugh could ever dream of, despite the left trying to pin blame on him for Oklahoma City and Timothy McVeigh. But they have one more common thread, not shared by Limbaugh...they are still free to pursue their dreams without condemnation, whatever those dreams may be. Personally, I find it infuriatingly offensive that I work my fingers to the bone for whatever I have while two "men of God" - who claim to actually own nothing - live such lives of luxury.

When Rush pushed back and dared to see the evidence of his crimes, his accusers backed off only slightly, still insisting that - simply because he's a conservative - he still believed the lies of which he was accused. As we know, Merriam's Dictionary definition of Conservatism = racism. (wink, wink). How odd then, that when Roman Polanski was finally arrested for a 32-year-old rape charge, involving a then-13-year-old girl, his liberal bretheren responded with idiotic comments such as, "it wasn't rape, rape".

Reading the Liberal Handbook For Dummies, it becomes quite clear. A liberal can actually commit an act and later be forgiven for some imaginary, extenuating circumstance while a conservative can be hanged with a mere accusation standing as sufficient. Perhaps Rush would find more comradery with the left if the EIB logo were replaced with a genuine, in-your-face racist symbol and then he can be excused from the leftist's attacks. Maybe a nice bust of Robert Byrd sporting his KKK Grand Poobah regalia.

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Knowing The Limitations

"While there's plenty that government can and must do ... there's a lot that government can't and shouldn't do and that's where active, engaged citizens come in." - Barack Hussein Obama, October 16th, 2009

Remember that quote the next time the Obama administration attacks a Tea Party protest or a group of outraged citizens at a Town Hall meeting. Speaking at a community service forum in Texas - hosted by former President George H.W. Bush - Obama laid out the limits of government in contrast to the capabilities people.

Calling on all Americans to volunteer in their communities, Obama asked for that which he has been critical of in the last few months, when millions of Americans have given willingly of their time and resources to save their country from ruination. His vision of community service must differ greatly from that of most Americans who are increasingly at odds with this administration. When he says do this, what he really means is do this, not that.

One must wonder - at the rate that Obama and the democrats are tearing through funds - if the idea of volunteerism will soon be required at the work place, as businesses may one day lack the means by which to actually pay for services rendered. In less than one year in office, the U.S. Treasury Department reports that the budget deficit for 2009 came in at $1.42 trillion, the largest percentage of gross domestic product since World War II.

To be certain, it is the epitome of hypocrisy that the party that only a year ago complained bitterly about George W. Bush's $400 billion deficit has managed to more than triple it in record time. Worse yet is the fact that as they gorge themselves on the peoples' money, they actually defend the red ink.

Add to this the fact that Congress raided the Afghanistan military funding to the tune of nearly $3 billion. Money that was supposed to go toward the troops in Afghanistan was stripped from the war funding bill so that it could be used on pet projects in congressional districts, such as $25 million for a World War II museum in New Orleans (couldn't whatever monies be better spent in that town??), and another $20 million for an institute in Boston to be named after Ted Kennedy.

All of this, and they're not done spending yet. Obama is trying to "community organize" America as a whole, and it is the one thing at which he is succeeding.

"...there's a lot that government can't and shouldn't do and that's where active, engaged citizens come in."

That's right. For once I agree with the man, although the legions he is calling into action are not what he had in mind. The more he does, the larger his opposition grows. Thank you Mr. President, and thank you Congress, for finally getting the people engaged. But don't expect any apologies from me when you realize that your creation has gone awry.

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Pennies From Heaven

President Obama is at it again, handing out your money and taking credit for it. A week ago, in Detroit, people lined up around the block for "Obama cash" in a move whereby the federal government was taking your confiscated taxes and handing them out to "low income people and the homeless". One woman in line was asked by a reporter what she was in line for and her giddy reply was, "to get Obama money". When pressed as to where Obama got the money, she responded, "I don't know, I guess from his stash, but I'm gonna get me some".

Here's some audio of the debacle:

Limbaugh is quite correct is assessing this behavior as demonstrative of what the Great Obama endeavors to create.

Now, he is going to waste another $13 billion on sending out $250 dollar checks to senior citizens and veterans. While these groups are no doubt the most deserving of assistance, the amount falls far short of such a description. I am reminded of the first Bush tax rebate, which was $300 and ridiculed by then-Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and Rep. Dick Gephardt as an insult to taxpayers. They posed for the cameras with an old muffler and the message that it was all that the money would buy. Now, adjusted for inflation, the actual amount Obama wants to dole out to the people who helped make this country great is more of a brisk slap in the face.

Incredibly, the administration is saying that because the first round of stimulus was "so successful", this was a much needed boost to the recipients. Huh? Excuse me, but the first round of stimulus did nothing but put the countries finances deeper into the hole, but let's play along. If it indeed was such a success, wouldn't that negate the need for a repeat?

Barack Obama reminds me of Brewster from the Richard Pryor comedy film Brewster's Millions, sans the humor. Pryor's character was left a fortune consisting of $300 million, with a stipulation; in order to prove that he knows the value of money, he must spend $30 million in 30 days without actually wasting it and without investing it. At the end of thirty days, the money had to be gone with no assets to show for it.

Obama seems to be finding frivolous things on which to spend billions that do not belong to him and he seems well on his way to having no appreciable dividends. Unless, of course, a completely dependent populace could be classified as dividends.

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Not Afraid To Fight

Once again, as in the past, the world has become a place fraught with perils and we have a leader who has proven to be fearlessly prepared to confront them. With the advent of lunatics in North Korea and Iran working feverishly to acquire nuclear weaponry, and radical Islamists at the gates of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, the Obama administration has mobilized a coordinated and daring assault on the most dangerous foe of all; Rupert Murdoch.

Showing the same propensity for truth and honor as displayed by the detested British Army during the Revolution - when the British soldiers lined up in bright red uniforms like so many target practice mannequins - so goes the alleged reporting of Murdoch's Fox News, brazenly daring to buck the system by blazing a trail of veracity aimed at informing a hungry populace of the horrors that await them. Murdoch is also a Brit...coincidence?

Yes my friends, just as a decorated general in America's mighty military complex - charged by the very administration that hand-picked him for his expertise with making things right in Afghanistan - is relegated to listening to annoying "hold music" while awaiting a response from his Commander in Chief in regards to his urgent request for more forces, Obama's true warriors have been preoccupied with a much more menacing foe.

This insidious interloper poses a major danger to the machinations of an agenda that the folks who actually voted for Obama would never recognize, and that the people paying attention to their futures would never accept. For a movement that simply cannot abide either side hearing the facts, it becomes clear that a news outlet refusing to toe the line is a greater liability than any threat from beyond America's shores.

When economic ruin not only looms on the horizon but is lured by a leader, and when social apocalypse is likewise pursued, an attack on the messenger is to be expected. In this instance, however, it is beyond belief when the attempts at extinguishing the lone beacon to which the people gaze are not only so blatant, but genuinely encouraged by former beacons that have long since lost their radiance. Times like these are no time for envy.

White House Communications Director Anita Dunn has created quite a buzz by launching an attack on the Fox News network, prompting concerns of mimicking a similar tactic by Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. Chavez has recently employed the tactic of shutting down media outlets unfriendly to his "administration" by claiming a "need for truth", calling his critics liars. Sound familiar?

The building blocks are numerous for a gigantic muzzle on our information sources with some being already present, while others are being poured at the foundry of Washington at this very moment. The so-called Fairness Doctrine's resurrection is already being bandied about while other measures are mounting under the guise of "truthfulness". This last relates directly to Ms. Dunn's latest comments but also on the grander stage of D.C. politics of late, which have recently resembled more closely an American Middle School cafeteria than the hallowed halls of congress.

This new administration has shown some definite backbone when pushed to the brink. The only problem is that the moxie is aimed at its own constituency rather than at America's foreign enemies. The bigger question is whether America at large and this new president actually share the same enemies. While the question itself may elicit counter questions of maturity from the left, I'd still like an answer.

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The New Colors Of War

Special hat-tip to Wild Abandon, who was the genesis for this article.

American history is stained with the blood of men who either wore a blue uniform or a grey one. It was a terrible time when differing ideologies boiled over the edge of the pot, creating an awful mess on the stovetop and an even worse loss of life. We remember with humility brothers fighting brothers, fathers fighting sons. Our nation was nearly torn asunder by that war and yet, we managed to not only survive, but to prosper and heal beyond the imagination of anyone who lived through it.

The Union Army wore blue uniforms while the Confederate Army wore grey, and the battle line was drawn at the Mason-Dixon line, separating North from South. Essentially, this was a clear mark of delineation often crucial to battle planning; the war had an actual "front". Today, we are ever increasingly sliding toward yet another war that will bear no clear line of demarcation, no militarized zones and no boundaries. In essence, we are heading for a free-for-all, a bonafide donnybrook, a brawl.

The combatants will likely wear no coordinated uniforms, but the colors will still adorn the banners that will almost certainly be incorporated for each side. These will obviously be red versus blue; liberal versus conservative or socialist versus those who still cherish the freedom to either succeed or fail, choosing to rely upon their resourcefulness in lieu of a cheap guarantee from a government ill equipped to deliver on the promise.

Soldiers for the socialization of America will be the aggressors simply because of their inherent dependence on others to provide their sustenance. When the well dries and government can no longer derive the necessary funding from it, those who have allowed themselves to be subjugated will become first confused, then hungry, and finally angry and - having long abandoned the ability or desire to fend for themselves - will eventually go seeking life-sustaining resources from those who resisted the original enslavement. Considering the dire circumstances necessary to create such a scenario, it stands to reason that manners will not be part of the process of acquisition.

Sadly, the aggressors cannot be blamed, save for their own ignorance and innocent reverence of a non-existent power self-bestowed by a government that lied to them, but they will still remain a formidable foe that will need to be reluctantly dealt with for the preservation of our country. We find ourselves edging closer to a disaster and a tragedy that could have been easily avoided if only the formerly honorable trade of journalism had retained its integrity.

That duty is now left to kooks like me who must tell the unspeakable truth to whomever will listen (or read). However, I fear the time for intervention is past and the only recourse is a simple warning flare that will alert anyone paying attention to the terrible fact that the bridge is out up ahead. We can't save the structure, but we may save some lives.

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"Not Evil, Just Wrong"

Such is the title of a movie challenging Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. Watch these two video clips and decide whether or not it is evil, considering that debate is clearly suppressed and cap and trade will surely be devastating.

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The Purloined Nation

The Mocking And Contemptuous Theft Of A Country

As Barack Hussein Obama and his socialist minions march us inexorably toward our doom, nearly half of the populace remains blissfully ignorant of the realities that confront them. Worse, perhaps half of that half actually eagerly await the final result. Whatever the motivations, the tactics of freedom's enemies have taken a decided turn to chicanery that is proving to be most effective.

In 1845, Edgar Allen Poe wrote a brilliant story titled The Purloined Letter in which he describes perfectly the notion of hiding in plain sight. In the story, detective C. Auguste Dupin is visited by the Prefect of the Parisian police who is seeking the counsel of Dupin after having been completely confounded by the theft of a royal letter by the Minister D--. The Minister was holding the letter - an incriminating document for the Queen - for the purpose of blackmailing her Highness.

After confiding to Dupin that the Parisian police had meticulously searched every nook, cranny and crevice of the Ministers apartment to no avail, Dupin suggested that perhaps the mystery was too simple, prompting gales of laughter from the Prefect. The Prefect described in great detail the search process, which involved removing floorboards and disassembling every piece of furniture as well as microscope examinations.

To make a long story short, Dupin visited the Minister and detected the letter immediately, hiding in plain view among other letters and cards in a card rack mounted on the wall. The letter had been deliberately soiled and torn so as to appear as an old, useless document, thereby evading the scrutiny of the Prefect.

Throughout his rise to power, Obama has been scrutinized by precious few, and the damning aspects of his past have been cavalierly dismissed by a decidedly incurious press. The few diligent truth-tellers have been routinely and sarcastically scoffed at and derided as lunatics. The new tactic is not to deny malfeasance but to blatantly admit to it as a ridiculous notion.

Recently, Bill Ayers has been suspected of ghostwriting Obama's book, Dreams From My Father which, if true, would indicate a much closer relationship than Obama has previously suggested. When asked point blank by the National Journal about this, here's what Ayers had to say:

"Here's what I'm going to say. This is my quote. Be sure to write it down: Yes, I wrote Dreams From My Father. I ghostwrote the whole thing. I met with the president three or four times, and then I wrote the entire book. And now I would like the royalties."

Brilliant. Just throw it out there with an eye-roll and the useful idiots in the mainstream media will gleefully shout, "Ha! Ayers sure showed them! What a dopey accusation". And so it goes, that virtually anything can be perpetrated with impunity by brazenly utilizing this simple strategy. When Obama is on tape saying, "I happen to be a proponent of a single payer [health care] system. That's what I'd like to see", he can always laughingly respond to a question with, "Yeah right. Like I meant to say that I want socialized medicine". Or when he tells Joe the Plumber - on camera - that "spreading the wealth is good for everyone", he can admit (deny) with a shrug that he wants redistribution of wealth.

How far can this be carried? Will he declare at his next State of the Union address that he is a Marxist to roars of laughter in the chamber? When he attempts to abolish the 22nd amendment will he jokingly admit that he will now be president for life? These are questions of lunacy, I know.

Yeah right. Like I'm really on to something, here (LOL)!

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Not Being George

The look on George W. Bush's face sums up pretty well how I and more than half of America feel at this early stage of the Obama presidency. The tears represent a deep sorrow over the steady erosion of our freedom - something that Bush ironically was accused of attacking - through the increasing lurch toward "sin" taxes for "our own good" and the battle currently raging over who will ultimately oversee and administer our health care. The tiny flag symbolizes the diminution of the great nation of The United States at the hands of the very people who were elected to preserve her proud heritage.

Of course, these are my own interpretations of a photo that was taken long before Barack Obama was even a gleam in the public eye. I'm sure that the photographer was completely unaware of how prescient his work would prove to be, for as we learned today, the man leading the push toward America's mediocrity has been rewarded by those who wish us all to be equal.

It now appears that anyone interested in tearing America down from the inside until we resemble the rest of the countries of the world is worthy of the now-worthless Nobel Peace Prize. Those who validate the premise that America and her citizens are no better than anyone else are applauded for their attempts to level the playing field of the world stage, artificially raising Third World nations to statuses they have no business attaining until they decide to join the current century. Forgive my sense of conceit, but when the entire world looks to us for rescue and sustenance, I feel that we have earned special standing.

Barack Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize after only nine months in office, with virtually no distinguishable accomplishments to justify such an honor. Further, the deadline to be nominated for consideration was a mere twelve days after he was sworn in as president. There can be no explanation for this travesty other than the fact of Barack Obama's not being George W. Bush, combined with his incessant denigration on the world stage of this country and her great people. These are the things that citizens of other countries love to hear.

After running all over Europe and the Middle East on a seemingly non-stop Forgive Us Our Trespasses tour, Oslo no doubt decided that Obama's obsequious contriteness had struck the tone so long desired by those who either hate us or simply envy us. Finally, one of "them" was running America.

Jimmy Carter - who succeeded only in getting Anwar Sadat killed in the seventies - was finally awarded his Nobel Prize in 2002 for his "untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development." I thought that the prize was for actual accomplishments, but it appears "efforts" are more than adequate these days. In the case of Barack Obama, it seems that "good intentions" are now sufficient, as they were with Al Gore's award.

Al Gore was given the award for his constant harping on the evils of man - particularly American "man" - and their wanton destruction of the planet. Never mind that his views are being exposed right this minute as pure poppycock; Oslo liked his condemnation of America.

So it is small wonder that true patriots of America have been expressing their collective consternation with the current state of their nation. There is even less to question concerning their disdain for Obama's trivial award. If there was ever any doubt that Oslo hated George W. Bush, this should put to rest such doubts. And I make a motion that the committee replace the medallion with a certificate-style award, one that can be easily mounted on a spindle and perforated, just like Charmin.

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Is That Coffee I Smell?

I know that tea is the beverage of lore, but coffee is universally symbolic in regard to actually awakening. I know of no commercial that has ever equated the morning with any brand of tea. I believe that the original protest would have been better represented by tossing cans of Chockful-o'-nuts at the British navy, but our ancestors chose tea. Fine, I can live with that. They knew better than we did anyway, right? The answer is obvious...they certainly did. Besides, it's much easier to make a nifty acronym from TEA (Taxed Enough Already) than it is from coffee.

There can be little doubt that - for all of the hand-wringing from the right - Barack Obama has proven to be a great gift. He has brilliantly created an atmosphere perfectly conducive to the propagation of a new generation of patriots. (Trekkies would knowingly refer to this as an "M Class planet" scenario). Combined with the giddy mood of Democrats on the Hill at having "their guy" in the top spot, these idiots have spun out of control so fast that Mario Andretti has been asking, "What was that that just went by?".

So many television commercials for coffee use the theme of waking up that this current gaggle of Democrats in charge should have their own brand. Juan Valdez already has a burro as his symbol, but if they put a hammer and sickle on an ass, I think that the Democrats may escape a lawsuit. Nevertheless, they have a product that has been unquestionably responsible for the renaissance of conservative ideals by ordinary people across the land, people who have traditionally been too busy producing to protest.

I have never seen the mood in this country take on the hue that it presently has, with a widespread distrust of Washington that pervades even a simple flu vaccine. There was once a time when the American populace would line up for a vaccine unquestioningly, comfortable in the notion that their best interests were under consideration and that every effort at safety had been undertaken. In just the past nine months, that faith has been shattered by an administration's haste and a Congressional propensity for dimness.

These authoritarian figures have been like sharks who smelled blood in the water with respect to their social agenda, somehow misreading the tea leaves (I just had to, forgive me) to interpret past complacency as tacit approval of the destruction of our country. What they have succeeded in producing, however, is just the opposite of what they believed. They have only awakened a vast portion of the population who were once reticent to get involved proactively. They have only spawned a new mindset in a people of incredible numbers who will now realize the power that they have always had, but never used.

For that, we should be thankful. Someone on the radio recently opined that McCain would have been a worse choice, and for that was excoriated. I happen to agree with the sentiment, though. Under a McCain presidency, most of the formerly somnambulant would still suffer that malady. Now, however, thanks to the actions of the new bosses, there is a fresh-roasted aroma in the air. Can you smell it?

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America Is Me

Special hat tip to SleeplessByTheSea

This is a great and moving video. Don't be fooled by the length of time left when the video ends and the credits begin. Read them. You'll be glad you did. Enjoy, and remember.

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Men In The White Coats

While it is undoubtedly heartening to see the American people beginning to stand up and be heard, the fact remains that there are still far too many people with their heads in the sand. A week ago, Rasmussen reported that 56% of Americans were opposed to Obama's health care plan. Yesterday, that opposition dwindled to 50%, a drop of 6 percentage points.

Democrats' slick packaging and obfuscation are largely responsible, and yesterday's Obama photo-op with "doctors" will likely produce a slight bounce, providing the media can successfully conceal the shenanigans that went on there. A group of "doctors" was invited to attend Obama's (latest) speech, but it seems that some of them forgot to bring their white doctor-looking coats. Not a problem; the White House staff just happened to have some laying around, and promptly began handing them out. It would have been such a nice touch if they had some stethoscopes to hand out along with the coats.

It must be argued that - a small minority aside in both camps - the opponents of a disastrous health care overhaul are much better informed than the proponents, many of whom foolishly believe that it will actually be "free health care". Many believe that they will be able to go to the doctor any time they feel ill and not have to consider the cost. They will not be swayed, no matter the evidence offered. And Democrats are counting on creating many more just like them. The doctor coats should be enough evidence of that.

More evidence that something foul is afoot should be easy to spot, even by those who wish so desperately to believe that Democrats have their best interests at heart. Simply look at the Republicans in Congress pushing for your right to read the bill - whatever the final version may be, there are three in the House and two in the Senate - and consider the Democrat-controlled leadership in both chambers fighting hard against that possibility. Then ask yourself why.

Come on, liberals, this isn't rocket science. If Obama can keep complaining that the public is being fed disinformation on his lofty proposals, how can he and Congressional leaders - with straight faces - defend their obvious desire to keep you us from reading what is actually contained within that on which they intend to enact?

I believe that anyone who even attempts to defend such a thing is one who most needs a visit from the men in the white coats.

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25 Years

This video is of an interview conducted almost twenty-five years ago. I believe we're on the cusp of stage four. Those who choose to scoff at this are already there.

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The Longest Mile For Cloward-Piven

Forty years ago, back in the 1960's, a pair of Columbia University professors, named Cloward and Piven, developed a strategy of "manufactured crisis" to incrementally move the United States toward a socialist society. The Cloward-Piven Strategy was simple. It reasoned that people would not willingly surrender their lives to ever-increasing government control, but would do so slowly and unwittingly if they were frightened enough.

Democrats - who have historically been the self-proclaimed "champions of the little guy" - enjoyed complete dominance of the legislative branch of the federal government for forty years. In those forty years, they complained about the plight of that same little guy, but never quite managed to deliver on its promises. It was part of the Cloward-Piven Strategy; keep the people hungry and wanting while promising that you would be their savior.

For far too long people believed it thanks to the brilliant rhetoric of the left, who somehow were able to manipulate the masses into blindness. So it became much easier to employ the professors' plan when the Earth began to warm up quite nicely, and boy, did people fall into line. Easily convinced that our way of life - while very enjoyable - was going to come to an ugly end unless we made draconian sacrifices, the creation of an entire sub-culture of self-flagellation was child's' play. Finally, the people were ready to be strictly controlled, mistakenly believing that such an existence was surely better than horribly dying at their own hands.

Enter Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), who set the stage for what nearly sealed the deal on world dominance. A compliant media made the sale of this more palatable to the public, who thought that if Reuters and the AP were saying it, it must be true. The debate soon became extremely contentious between the true believers and the deniers, who were immediately cast as heretics and criminals. The perfect storm (pardon the pun) was nearly upon us. Then, something terrible happened.

First, people began to wipe the slumber from their eyes and started to realize that the ultimate culmination of the Democrats plot was an unmitigated disaster. Conservatives took to the streets for the first time in their lives, joined by Independents and even some disgruntled Democrats, to protest the rampant spending and power grabs by a new administration. With the finish line in sight, the wheels began to fall off of the socialist bus. Refusing to concede defeat, the driver limped along on the hubs. Then, the engine blew up.

The linchpin in the plan began to decay like August fruit left in the Sun for too long, which is an appropriate analogy, considering that the Sun is playing such a large role in the ultimate ruination of the Cloward-Piven Strategy. Having almost convinced the world that "the debate was over" on man-made global warming, the left thought that it was inevitable that they would take the checkered flag. Oops, sorry.

An ever-increasing number of scientists who at one time were on board the climate change bus - including some IPCC scientists - have come to their senses and have begun to set the record straight. Not only is the debate far from over, but the assumed victor has fallen way behind. (The link provides a wealth of information on the current state of AGW news).

It is always a shame when decades of hard work, dedication and perseverance go up in smoke. I'd like to say I have empathy for the players in the Cloward-Piven game, but I'm not sorry in the least that they are poised to fail in their diabolical scheme to rule over me and you. In fact, I'm giddy over their pending failure.

God bless America!

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False Prophet Falters (Again)

While Rome burned and Tora Bora melted, the self-anointed "messiah" who is Barack Obama felt it his duty to make a pilgrimage to Copenhagen as an emissary for the Holy Land. (That would be Chicago for anyone who might feel compelled to bow to this insolent idol). Trekking to the capitol of Denmark in the hopes of securing that which nearly half of the citizens of Chicago did not want, Obama failed in that endeavor, wasting countless and precious taxpayer dollars in that futile and trivial pursuit.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) apparently was as awestruck by Prince Obama's (Prince of Peas, perhaps?) presence as may be expected of a Hell's Angels rally upon encountering a new arrival on a classic, multi-colored Hot Wheels tricycle. Michelle and Barack Obama's impassioned pleas fell on deaf ears, managing only to remove their consideration in the first round of IOC voting regarding Chicago's hosting of the 2016 Olympics.

Failure seems to be an early and consistent hallmark of this administration. While Obama may be considered successful in getting his policies enacted at record-breaking speed, the results thereof have proven dismal, at best, and potentially disastrous bearing the test of time. This might explain the increasing reticence of a stacked House and Senate to fall in lock-step with this president. The stars were aligned. They had all the votes necessary to enact all of the dreadful dreams of the socialist ideal, and yet they now vacillate and tremble on the trigger.

Promises have been made, and made with great confidence. One has been that if the $787 Billion stimulus was passed in great haste - as is the wont of this neophyte - we would limit the unemployment rate to 8%; we're now at 9.8%. Another was that this would be the most transparent administration in the countries history, but the fact is that this administration makes the previous one seem like a public school meet-the-teacher night.

There was going to be not one single dime in any form of tax increases for any American making less than a quarter of a million dollars per year and yet, we've seen so-called "sin taxes" increase within the very first month of Obama's presidency. His deeds and current words are demonstrably in stark contrast to his campaign rhetoric and still the state-controlled media vomit lies to the masses or refuse to report actualities accurately.

Fortunately, none of these concerted and coordinated efforts give the appearance of bearing fruit as the irony of a liberal creation rot the crop. Al Gore, the "creator of the internet", has made possible the inability of a tyrannical government to gain a foothold. Too many people have access to information that the Obama's of the world wish would remain hidden. And the problem is that while they could shut it all down on a whim, they know that the people would only be enraged and defiant.

Just as false gods throughout history have paid a terrible price for their audacity, so have their willing accomplices and worshipers. While we mortals may never witness the wrath of God on this current cabal of usurpers in charge of the nation, we can most certainly exact our own form of retribution at the polls beginning next year.

Remember, people. Remember.

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