Category Archives: Right vs. Left

There is a right way…

Posted on 2012/02/09 by

Evil x 3

As much as Ron Paul would tell you “it doesn’t matter” when looking at world events and how they relate to our own status, most intelligent folks would beg to differ. Now there is certainly something to be said for the U.S. acting as policeman for the world, and I would not argue the point that our overseas expenditures are excessive to say the least. But I do believe there is money well spent in other nations and that money can make a difference if allocated and used appropriately.

Setting aside the United States as a free and compassionate nation which feeds the world in many respects, what do we do about the violence in Syria? As a matter of fact, what do we do about the Middle East period? Now there are those who advocate for a complete “hands off” policy, and still others who are firmly affixed to the screwy notion that we created the entire mess, so we must now step aside and let the world descend into chaos and anarchy as punishment for our sins. (What troubles me is there is even anyone who supports this view). That said, the question remains where do we go from here? In the broadest of terms, a war in the Middle East should be avoided at all costs. However, the world having allowed the likes of Bashar al-Assad and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to metastasize like malignant rectal cancer, has put our collective backs to the proverbial wall. There is I believe, a way out though.

In both Iran and Syria, there are real folks fighting for freedom, literally sometimes with sticks and stones. As I know the comparison email will flow, these are not Hezbollah and Hamas folks, who are terrorists and kill innocents in the name of their sadistic and twisted ideology. No, these are people who have lived under established and murderous regimes, in some cases for generations. I believe we have an opportunity to use the clandestine skills of our intelligence agencies, along with some muscle in the form of (weaponry only), to rid these nations of the cancer that is killing them and threatening world peace. In essence, provide these people who are fighting and dying in the streets, with the means to free their own country from the clutches of evil. Not in the way that the Obama Administration did so in Egypt, as we can see what’s happening there. We must see it through and frame the argument in a simple and obvious truth. And that is in order for any nation to engage in the discourse of legitimate international diplomacy, that nation must first have a foundation which acknowledges basic human rights and freedom first. What is so wrong with celebrating that? What is so wrong with associating with and promoting that? Who other than the most ardent Socialist/Communist would say, “Well maybe human rights are just not their way”, I’m sorry??

My thought process on the matter of Syria, and frankly all the Middle East at this point, is that I support standing with our allies and supporting those who truly want freedom. And don’t tell me, that with all of our capabilities there is not a way to legitimately do this without American boots on the ground to do the heavy lifting. Freedom is never free, and this should always be the first lesson.

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Good news…

Posted on 2012/02/07 by

Still stinging from the Patriots embarrassing loss to the Giants Sunday night, I have decided to move past my disappointment with Mr. Brady for the moment and do some news.

The jobs report is on the tongues of every pundit out there, so I’ll throw in yet another two cents. Republicans are going to have to accept the reality that the latest jobs numbers are damn good news in some ways. If we analyze the Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers for the last quarter, and extrapolate out the trend going back to about the fall of 2009, we can clearly see some movement in the right direction in the areas of Science and technology, engineering, construction and services, to include a pretty good uptick in retail for fiscal 2010-2011. It is noteworthy that in a recovery that has muddled along at what can only be described as a snail’s pace, these types of “numbers inside the numbers” do show improvement. What I mean by this, is putting aside for a moment that the work force has shrunk considerably, and that 24 million Americans remain significantly “underemployed”, the U.S. economy is doing what the U.S. economy always and eventually does, rolling over and coming about, despite whatever Washington is doing to “muck it up”. Some of my readers may recall my writing on this very notion around the time of the great “stimulus debate”.

Appropriately however, I think the Republicans should do their own homework and not get caught bad mouthing any good we can take from very bad times. There is plenty to focus on in the areas of inflation, fuel costs, European financial chaos, our own debt here at home, and how these factors will inevitably impact future jobs reports. But the fact remains that many who have struggled to find work to feed their families and hold on to their homes have found it, and this is absolutely good news…

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Religion when it suits him…

Posted on 2012/02/04 by

So now our “Separation Clause” President is gonna weigh in on what Jesus would think about taxes. Yup, it seems the President of the United States has called out Christians implying that Christ would have supported his redistribution efforts. Oh brother…..

I must tell you, there are days when I have great respect for this man’s intellect, and then there are others when I question his ability to reason his way out of a paper bag. As many of you know, I very rarely jump in the religious fray because it is simply above my pay grade. But I am a believer and have read enough of the Bible to know that the POTUS’s “implication” is nothing more than a cheap political ploy. Jesus also spoke personal responsibility and self-reliance, and the Bible has many passages proclaiming the goodness of “work and success”. I mean does he take us all for fools???

I’m gonna leave this one be, as my Pastor will have my “you know what” for going down this road. But I would ask this Progressive President to adhere to that which his party celebrates and (can it) with the Jesus references. Disingenuous does not do this crap justice… This is gonna be a rough 10 months…

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Donation shell game???

Posted on 2012/02/04 by

The Susan G. Komen Foundation (SGKF) seems to be making some headlines these days. As a rule, I really try and stay out of the women’s issues as I am obviously not qualified. That said, I can and do support several, what I believe to be worthy causes, and while SGKF may not be one of them, I think there is a certain legitimacy to the question of how they disseminate the donations they receive. One would have to assume they would target areas which could show a documented effort in the fight against breast cancer specifically. Why then is Planned Parenthood receiving money? I have done a little homework on the issue and it appears that most of the diagnostic and subsequent treatment of breast cancer issues is farmed out by the controversial agency. Moreover, I think it is fair to say that Planned Parenthood is much more oriented toward “family planning” as they like to call it, with far less emphasis on complex health issues like breast cancer.

Now as I have indicated, this is certainly not my area of expertise, and I do not wish to denigrate and or minimize in any way, the vital work being done by many well-intentioned folks associated with the SGKF. Having said that, I do have strong pro-life political views and will tell you I despise what goes on these Planned Parenthood places. So I guess my question would be why was the SGKF giving money to Planned Parenthood in the first place? And why after stopping said funding did Nancy G. Brinker appear to be a complete and total hack by bowing to political pressure and reinstating those funds?

Let’s just put it this way, if you feel strongly about pro-life issues, you would be well served to take a closer look at the SGKF to be sure that as the preeminent entity in the battle against breast cancer, they are not be distracted or persuaded away from the goal for which you give your money to see forwarded. I think this is fair.

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Read between the numbers…

Posted on 2012/02/03 by

I think it’s important for those on the Left side of the argument to understand they may not count me among those who refuse to see any good for simple hatred of the opposition.

Today’s unemployment numbers are truly something to be happy about. They reflect a trending in the right direction and come with internal statistics indicating higher rates of pay. This is all good news, and frankly long overdue. The stock market responded accordingly and it was truly refreshing for this Capitalist to see the engine that is our economy at least running.  Happy?

Now for the qualifier:

While we should embrace any good news coming out of this economy with open arms, it is important to apply the proper context. Using yesterday’s post as a benchmark, nothing has really changed. I would add that any employment uptick must first be balanced against the factors of a shrinking work force, those no longer looking for work, and the ratios of months on unemployment for workers in 2008 vs. 2012, (Obama’s “new norm”). When you figure in the CBO’s projections for the next two years, which are partly based on the separate but applicable economic factors of debt and spending, it is very clear that real recovery is not yet around the corner.

As a caveat, it is important to understand our economy and what makes it tick. As I have written many times, the Obama entitlement spending spree and stimulus did little to stimulate anything, but rather created a few government jobs that cost on average $175,000.00 per employee. What we are really seeing in this jobs report is the natural ebb and flow of an economy that will come back on its own “in spite of” any efforts on the part of Washington.

So while I’m happy to know there are folks who have finally found work and can now get back in the game, and that the American economy is as resilient as I knew it was, I remain realistic and even a bit skeptical in my appraisal of this little employment number nugget today. The road to lasting and meaningful recovery that will promote long-term hiring and an “expansion” of the work force to at least what it was pre-recession, is a long one to say the least.

Posted in "Patriot64", America, Economy, Jobs, Media, Politics, Right vs. Left, Socioeconomic | 2 Comments

This President’s “new norm”…

Posted on 2012/02/02 by

With hope of banking and debt stability in Europe, and the stock market and “some” leading economic indicators showing anemic signs of life here at home, there are those including our President who would have you believe our nation is on the mend. Insomuch as many of us would like to believe that, reality is unfortunately something very different.

The recent Congressional Budget Office report has leading economists warning of a very real scenario for the United States. Ironically, the one thing which stood out for me in the report besides the references to rising fuel costs, inflation and localized budget shortfalls, was  the Congressional watchdog agency predicts that even if the “Bush Tax Cuts” were to fade away, any budget windfall would not plug the enormous hole in our economy. Actually, it would not even come close. The CBO cites inflation in all categories, the aging population as it relates to the cost of the health care overhaul and a host of other entitlement programs to include Social Security and Medicare as the main reasons. But it also adds that the estimated $800 billion dollars in added revenue the federal government would receive by eliminating those tax cuts would not keep the national debt from soaring to $21 trillion dollars in less than 10 years, thus setting off a chain reaction of economic nightmares. The CBO is now officially calling our record deficits “unsupportable” and warning of the dire consequences of inaction on the part of our leaders in Washington.

Look folks, no one is praying for light at the end of this tunnel more than I. But the sad reality is this Administration has taken a bad situation and made it far worse, with ideological politics and unprecedented spending. Moreover, for all their talk about saving the country from another “depression”, they have actually set us up for a disaster the likes of which will make the depression of the early 20th century look mild. The cost of this little experiment in socioeconomic restructuring has failed miserably and the numbers show it. And while Americans are being told the “recovery” is on track just slower than expected, the housing market is crippled, fuel costs are rising, unemployment is expected to stay in the 8% range with a real number closer to 15%, wage earners are making less than ever before, every man women and child in America is shouldering close to $50,000.00 of the national debt, the federal reserve is printing money with nothing to back it up, and we will once again run a $1 trillion operational deficit, with servicing interest on the national debt actually eclipsing what is spent on Medicaid.

So when some politician points to the paper tiger that is the stock market today, bear in mind this is a bunch of speculative paper, backed up by less tangible assets than at any time in its history. Thankfully, I hear folks becoming more and more attune to the truth about where we really stand and what it means to our children.

I thought this would add an interesting twist to this post. I heard an exchange between an internet caller and the POTUS the other day where a women asked the President why her husband couldn’t get a job in the engineering field when the President has spoken so much about how many of these jobs are out there. Now as I have said time and again, I feel President Obama is in way over his head. However, I will leave it up to you to listen to the exchange and tell me if he doesn’t sound like a man who has very little real world experience, and even less in the actual job market. Keep in mind then, how can we ask that he or his administration “feel our pain”?

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj3HOmL0OJs’]

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Find your own iceberg Mr. Polar Bear, this one’s mine…

Posted on 2012/01/26 by

No questions please!

So frightened are the Progressive Environmentalists and their friends in the “main stream” media, about the questionable data implicating civilization in all of our planetary woes by way of “fossil fuel” consumption, that they are now pressuring states to include in their respective public school curriculums, a kind of “climate change denial” course. Huh? I guess this must be meant to convince our young ones not to be swayed by the “naysayers” and to fully embrace what is being “taught” them by way of the complicit academics.

Putting aside for a moment the mounting evidence that much of the rhetorical “global warming” pabulum being spoon fed to our children has been at the very least exaggerated, and some cases even down right manipulated to suit a particular political agenda, one has to ask: Can we send our children to school any longer without fear of them being indoctrinated as opposed to educated?

Listen up parents! It’s time you do your homework and make sure that your children are getting the facts. There are literally thousands of legitimate and noted scientists offering qualifying information about the effects of carbon emissions on our planet and its atmosphere. Dozens of agenesis have put forth challenges to the science of “global warming” but have been rebuffed by the “main stream” media when attempting to make their case. Only when one of the environmentalist hacks gets caught red-handed “cooking” the books are they forced to tell the story. Only when entire data collection firms are outed for manipulating results at the behest of agenda driven lobbies and their political enablers, do we learn the truth about the real numbers and the reality that goes with them.

Truth be told, I catch a lot of flak for some of my stances past and present concerning the “human footprint”. I think there is in fact much we can do to ensure a cleaner planet for our posterity. Having said that, the intentional mischaracterization of mans impact on this planet, combined with a clearly agenda driven approach to the problem and to the degree which it may or may not exist, does nothing but threaten our economy and ultimately our very way of life. Notably, the recent “push back” by Americans, as described by those who walk in the “evolutionary science circles”, is simply a reflection of doubt, not necessarily about the information, but about how and by whom it is being compiled and subsequently passed on to our children.

Additional note: It befuddles me the way in which Progressives continually portray themselves as purveyors of the debate, and then do everything in their power to silence the opposition?

Posted in "Patriot64", America, Congress, Economy, Environment, Fred Comella, Green Energy, Media, Politics, Right vs. Left, Socioeconomic | Tagged , | 2 Comments

More of the same…

Posted on 2012/01/26 by

The State of the Union address was a campaign speech. I knew it would be so I was not compelled to respond with an immediate salvo of criticism. The President struck an uncharacteristic and populous tone with much of the usual lofty rhetoric short on facts and substance. He was content to frame his argument in the form of questions most would answer “of course” too, but as usual left out key components of the debate which make that answer wholly inadequate. For instance, his rhetoric on taxes was particularly amusing considering the facts. But it sure sounded good in the context of his overall approach to the speech. Obviously, class warfare and the politics of division will be the Presidents weapons of choice this campaign cycle, and he made it very clear Tuesday evening he would not hesitate to use those weapons at every possible juncture.

Not unlike the Liberal playbook of old, Mr. Obama will put all of his marbles on the notion that most folks won’t fact check his assertions and that emotion will drive the vote. That may in fact work against him this time. There seems to be an equal amount of emotion with folks looking very carefully at his record. And running on a record is very different from running on simply “hope and change”.

In the end I found the speech to be no different from other SOTU’s from Presidents on both sides of the aisle. Lofty rhetoric with little substance and boat loads of political satire, are usually the jumping off points for politicians running for re-election.

I did take exception with one thing he mentioned regarding to the “Situation Room”. I think this POTUS has to some degree “declassified” the office of President. There are just things better left off the table as a matter of respect for the high office. Americans want there to be a kind of hands off notion about the President when he acts on our behalf militarily. We don’t necessarily need to know the gory details. Just the fact he is doing his Constitutional duty to protect the nation will do. With the precisely timed release of the first S/R photos taken as “Operation Neptune Spear” unfolded, it was clear this Administration meant to capitalize in every way they could when President Obama carried out President Bush’s standing executive order to neutralize Osama bin-Laden. I think the fact he flew that flag again Tuesday night was regrettable. It wasn’t he or Bush who killed the terrorist leader but rather Seal Team Six, and I feel their role is diminished when the Commander-in-Chief attempts to emphasize his part by way of dramatizing what goes on behind the closed doors of a clandestine military operation. It just seems to trivialize a truly heroic and significant moment in our nation’s history.

With that said, I will not expand beyond these few observations, as it will ultimately be the collective Electorate who will decide if the POTUS was grandstanding, campaigning or if he was truly sincere beyond the politics of the moment.

 

Posted in "Patriot64", America, Campaign 2012, Congress, Fred Comella, Media, Military, Politics, Right vs. Left | Tagged , | 2 Comments

My fellow Americans…

Posted on 2012/01/24 by

The President of the United States is sure to tell Congress tonight that the “state of the union” is improving. He’s done this several times already. But here’s what he will really be saying:

Now here's what I really mean....

My fellow Americans, I believe that our nation must be one with other nations and that we have enjoyed far more success than we are rightfully entitled to. Our exceptionalism has come not as a result of hard work, sacrifice and entrepreneurial initiatives born of God-given freedom and liberty, but rather at the expense of the rest of the world, and it is high time we pay the price. My intention is to transform our nation using the European model of big government and featuring entitlement as the primary mind-set of the people. I will continue to push for “reforms” which create a larger and more vocal entitlement class who know only protest and class warfare as answers for their lot in life, and who have little or no interest in success based on diligence and effort. I will tell Americans that $48,000.00 in debt to each and every child born this day, and a “real numbers” national debt of $202 trillion is a small price to pay for our place in the world, and I will demonize Capitalism as the root of all evil and the free market enterprise as merely a tool of the rich. I will re-write history to convince the impressionable youth of our nation that we are the problem and must suffer for all of our transgressions. I will reach into the classrooms of the youngest of them and use manipulated, inconclusive and false data to make them cry about that which in many cases we are powerless to control. I will tell them there is no God and that if they believe there is, they must keep it to themselves for fear of offending. I will explain inaccurately that Columbus was a murderer and that he brought only disease to the continent, and I will teach them that Communism is just another form of government and not responsible for the deaths of tens of millions of innocent people.

And finally my fellow Americans, I will do all of this under the banner of “hope and change”. I will ostracize and vilify all who oppose me as bigots, racists, homophobes, and out of touch. I will deny the very intent of the Framers and finally wash away all remaining memories of a government “of the people, by the people, for the people…

NOTE: This is merely an attempt to invite the broader debate. But it is also a reminder that to continue down our current  path with the proverbial/ideological blinders of either side of the argument firmly affixed, is tantamount to slamming the door in our children’s faces. We need to return to searching for the things which bind us…

Posted in "Patriot64", America, Congress, Economy, Education, First Amendment, Fred Comella, Green Energy, Health Care, Jobs, Political Correctness, Politics, Religion, Right vs. Left | Tagged | 4 Comments

They make it easy…

Posted on 2012/01/23 by

I dislike this YouTube video with some confliction as I agree with much of what this young man has to say. The problem is he assumes all “Republicans” sport “religion” or “Christianity” as a pillar of their political belief system, when in fact many on the right simply fear the dissolution of a fundamental truth about our nation. And that is “one nation under God”, while religious in its overtones, was simply an acknowledgment of faith and the understanding that inevitably we are not as human kind, the “be all and end all”. I submit to you, that simple and humble expression is what has separated us from the very people this young man speaks of in his video. In the end, his effort to de-politicize the argument over religion actually politicizes it right out of the gate, when he generalizes and then labels “Republicans” as the exclusive purveyors of religion. It’s a valiant effort but falls short and right into the category of ideology. Maybe if we try harder to find the commonality that should bind us as a country, as opposed to highlighting that which may separate us culturally, the issue of religion and politics would be much less divisive. Sorry Jeff, nice albeit youthful try though…

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IAhDGYlpqY’]

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