Have Thought Will Travel. Ruminate on ideas, philosophy, culture, society, books, music, politics, religion, movies...and see where it takes us.
May each of you have the heart to conceive, the understanding to direct, and the hand to execute works that will leave the world a little better for your having been here. -- Ronald Reagan
Here's some fashion shots of Leftist protesting. Thanks to Michelle Malkin
Remember too all the well mannered Leftists at G8 Meetings throwing bricks through display windows of stores, battling police, Leftist environmentalists blowing up cars on dealership lots, torching houses under construction, breaking into university and corporate labs destroying property.
Damn, those Brooks Brothers wearing right wing extremists are a dangerous piece of work; going to townhall meetings they've been invited to and asking their elected representatives to explain themselves. The audacity! The danger!! The horror!!!
A WOLF, meeting with a lamb astray from the fold, resolved not to lay violent hands on him, but to find some plea, which should justify to the lamb himself, his right to eat him.
He then addressed him: Sirrah, last year you grossly insulted me. Indeed, bleated the lamb in a mournful tone of voice: I was not then born.
Then said the wolf: You feed in my pasture. No, good sir, replied the lamb: I have not yet tasted grass.
Again said the wolf: You drink of my well. No, exclaimed the lamb: I never yet drank water, for as yet my mother's milk is both food and drink to me.
Upon which the wolf seized him and ate him up, saying: Well! I won't remain supper-less, even though you refute every one of my imputations.
Moral: The tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny, and it is useless for the innocent to try by reasoning to get justice, when the oppressor intends to be unjust.
He's on tape saying it, why is he denying it now? He says these are out of context. What context of this statement 'I want a single payer...' would change this to 'I don't want a single payer...'?
"Those who seek absolute power, even though they seek it to do what they regard as good, are simply demanding the right to enforce their own version of heaven on earth. And let me remind you, they are the very ones who always create the most hellish tyrannies. Absolute power does corrupt, and those who seek it must be suspect and must be opposed. Their mistaken course stems from false notions of equality, ladies and gentlemen. Equality, rightly understood, as our founding fathers understood it, leads to liberty and to the emancipation of creative differences. Wrongly understood, as it has been so tragically in our time, it leads first to conformity and then to despotism."
"I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue!"
"My faith in the future rests squarely on the belief that man, if he doesn't first destroy himself, will find new answers in the universe, new technologies, new disciplines, which will contribute to a vastly different and better world in the twenty-first century. Recalling what has happened in my short lifetime in the fields of communication and transportation and the life sciences, I marvel at the pessimists who tell us that we have reached the end of our productive capacity, who project a future of primarily dividing up what we now have and making do with less. To my mind the single essential element on which all discoveries will be dependent is human freedom."
The FCC is directed by five Commissioners appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate for 5-year terms. It was established by the Communications Act of 1934 to regulate interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable. Just appointed as 'Chief Diversity Officer' is Mark Lloyd. He was a Senior Fellow at the (Statist) Center for American Progress (CAP), and co-wrote, in 2007 for them, an anti-free speech screed "The Structural Imbalance of Political Talk Radio."
Leftists on the radio can't get anyone to listen to them; unless paid for by taxpayers (NPR). Their talk shows have tiny audiences. Since the MSM is the media wing of the Democrat party, I really don't get their beef against Conservative talk radio. They have lots of Statist outlets...ABC, NBC, CBS, Time, Newsweek, NY Times, LA Times, etc. They present their Statists views as news. Talk radio is opinion, presented as opinion. Oh yeah! If you don't agree with them shut up or they'll shut you down! And use the government to do it. Used to be called "The Fairness Doctrine" which was exposed for what it was, so now it's called "localism". (Like 'global warming' is now 'climate change'.)
What this character Lloyd advocates are steps to stamp out Conservative talk radio. Christian radio is on the chopping block too. The free market is a problem for this guy, as it is for our Dear Leader and his Statist friends. Some solutions: Go back to limiting how many stations anyone can own, and control who owns them. Require more local control and local coverage (the FEDERAL FCC will administer that of course). If a station doesn't have the proper (federally imposed) public interest or "balanced" programming, then a fine will be imposed to support (Statist) public broadcasting.
There you go. Can't compete in the free market, use the government to bludgeon and bankrupt the opposition.
MALLOY (3:50): I have a good news to report; Glenn Beck appears closer to suicide - I'm hoping that he does it on camera; suicide is rampant in his family, and given his alcoholism and his tendencies towards self-destruction, I am only hoping that when Glen Beck does put a gun to his head and pulls the trigger, that it will be on television, because somebody will capture it on YouTube and it will be the most popular video for months.
This same guy has said he hopes Rush Limbaugh "chokes to death". How nice.
Not that government has become too intrusive or overbearing or inflexible or controlling or anything. There was a little girl in Tulare, CA. Wanted to get a little cash for a trip to Disneyland. She set up a lemonade stand, fresh squeezed, 32 oz for 2 bucks. The city shut her down. No business licence.
I grew up in Southern California back when it was covered with citrus orchards, and all us kids sold lemonade or orange juice to supplement our allowances. We lived near Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm, and had to get the 'E' ticket and Knotts' great pastries. Who knew? I started my life as criminal.
The Dems, who claim to be the true party of the people, have ordered themselves some really cool transportation. After excoriating private sector leaders for flying around in private jets, guess what they've ordered for themselves? Some private jets! I'm sure the jets use ethanol too, cause they're sooooo concerned about carbon footprints and the environment. Oh, they don't make those? Besides, you can't travel with the great unwashed; even first class, those are just horrible capitalist businessmen. Yuck.
$200 million have been approved for three jets. Gulfstream G550, sure nice to have. Advertisement... “The cabin aboard the G550 combines productivity with exceptional comfort. It features up to four distinct living areas, three temperature zones, a choice of 12 floor plan configurations with seating for up to 18 passengers.”
There will be justifications for this. Safety, security, whatever. In an economic downturn, when the Dems have run up an $11 trillion debt, they're out shopping and buying non-essentials.
I want a CTS, but I'll stick with my 4 cylinder Grand Am. Gee, think I could ask the Bamster, or Reid or Pelosi for new wheels? I really need better climate control, bigger engine and leather seats and a Bose sound system to scoot around the Vegas valley. CTS provides more safety and security don't you know.
Nixon had his enemies list generated by his own nefarious people. Our Dear Leader wants citizens to generate his list for him. Obama gained notoriety by agitating against (you fill in the blank). When he gets agitated against...well you better not, or they're coming for you. Legal? No more than Nixon. 5 U.S.C. § 552a says United States agencies, which I assume would include the Executive Branch, shall, “maintain no record describing how any individual exercises rights guaranteed by the First Amendment unless expressly authorized by statute or by the individual about whom the record is maintained or unless pertinent to and within the scope of an authorized law enforcement activity.”
The White House wants you to inform, to them, on your fellow citizens: "There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov."
What's the level of danger? Nixon was a paranoid with a lust for power, and that's what motivated him. Obama has a lust for power and wants to "remake" America into Amerika. Obama's people and the Dems fought hard for terrorists' rights. Can't listen to the bad guys calls from overseas, can't investigate their bank accounts, have to read Miranda rights to battlefield prisoners, and have to bring Gitmo prisoners to the US and give them full citizenship rights. But boy, you better not question your political representatives about ObamaCare, global warming, cap and trade, or you become an enemy of the State.
Lanny Davis, Attorney and Democratic strategist: "The "shout downs" organized by the Republican right meet one of the classic definition of "fascist" tactics--defined as using shouting and disruption to deprive the civil and respectful debate of ideas. There is literally no defense to these tactics. I don't criticize those who feel genuine anger or fear and show up to meetings to express those emotions. But I do call out the tactic of screaming and disrupting a meeting and the fact that this is a systematic tactic by thugs who want to prevent civil discourse, not promote it.
Let's have the media name names, publish photographs, and do interviews of those responsible for approving, even organizing these techniues. And let's find an investigative journalist - are there many left - to prove these so-called grassroots shouters are, or are not, being paid.
It took a year or more to prove that the so-called grassroots protesters shouting and pounding on the windows of the vote counters in Dade County -- successfully stopping the vote -- were really paid Republican congressional staffers, many then on the public payroll, and from the Republican National Committee and the Bush 2000 presidential campaign staff.
Will that story of paid people to disrupt and block discussion organized by the Republican Party or tacitly encouraged while Republican rightwing organizations organize them at least be investigated?"
Directly from the White House: "There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov."
The White House goes 1984 Big Brother and asks citizens to report on each other, and one of the leading Dems wants an investigation. By all means investigate. It will turn out that these are ordinary citizens. Then what?
The Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that stimulus funds have contributed to increasing state and local government expenditures, which are up 4.8% in the second quarter. Because states run by Statists (Dems and RINO's) have bankrupted their states, federal stimulus money has topped the income that is supposed to be generated by sales and property taxes. That of course means that most of the federal money is going to Democrats, while the Obama administration made sure he was shutting down car dealerships (turns out most dealership owners were Republican) and stressing other small business, hurting local economies. Federal money has helped cover for reduced state and local revenues by adding 7.5%, covering an 8% drop in tax collections. States run by conservatives are stressed but dealing with it, or improving; so not getting, or are refusing, federal money.
Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that state and local governments added 12,000 workers, a 0.1% increase, in the second quarter. The private sector cut 1.3 million jobs, a 1.2% reduction. Federal employment stayed where it was.
Bureau of Labor Statistics also reports pay and benefits rose at a 4% annual rate in the second quarter for state and local employees. Not so much for the private sector. They have experienced an 0.8% annual rate.
The Statists are saying that a 1% decline of the GDP in the second quarter is better than the 6.4% drop in the first quarter. See? The stimulus is working! Business is getting smaller, the government is getting bigger and better paid. Obama says, 'I love it when a plan comes together!'
Well, not exactly. There's a lot of vids lately of just plain ol' regular middle class folks showing up at townhall meetings and questioning politicians about their views and votes. The Dems, MSM and such are painting those as extremists, radical, being sent by 'K' Street, lobbyists...oh my god!!! it's a mob!!!! They must be stopped!!!! Michelle Malkin has put together some vids on how Leftist's protest.
This is funny. The guy that posted this calls Beck a hatemonger, but when John Stewart, SNL, or Cobert do this kind of stuff it's funny; not when Beck does it. This is funny... oh yea, happy birthday Barry.
Here's some comments from the Left: Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable President Earl Ofari Hutchinson:"Depicting the president as demonic and a socialist goes beyond political spoofery,"... "it is mean-spirited and dangerous." "We have issued a public challenge to the person or group that put up the poster to come forth and publicly tell why they have used this offensive depiction to ridicule President Obama." Station KTLA is outraged, and this "is a no no". And of course the usual nonsense from the leftist blogs.
So where was the outrage when the July 'Vanity Fair' had this:
Nor did we hear much protest about the offensiveness and lack of respect for any of these:
After those, methinks thou dost protest too much...
Tax revenues are down, projected to drop 18% this year. Individual payments to the government (some people call them taxes, Dems call them investments) down 22 percent from a year ago. Corporate income taxes are down 57 percent in that same period. Not surprising when we have an administration take control of several sectors of the economy, attack Wall Street, the oil industry, pushes for increased spending for existing social programs plus creating new ones, and then is trying to ram socialized medicine down the throats of the American people when poll after poll shows half or more of us don't want it. The result of this is that investors, the money guys, are sitting on the sidelines. They aren't going to start new business or invest if they don't know if they will face higher taxes, civil charges, politically correct charges...the administration has made it clear it does not like capitalism, prefers socialism, so the capitalists will sit it out. I think if much more time goes by, they will start investing overseas. Goes back to the question for socialists, 'what do you do when you run out of OPM' (other peoples money)? Tax Cheat Geitner and Rahm Emanuel say they may have to raise taxes on the middle class. That's probably you, dear reader.
I see Dems and RINO's (Republican in Name Only) facing tough town hall meetings. The Dems have sent memos out to politicians and the MSM to demonize these people as right wing extremists and political operatives sent to disrupt. I guess when the Left has riots and break things, disrupt conservative speakers, even physically jump on stage and attack conservative speakers, that's okay...just regular folks do that. But if a Statist politician gets up and regular working folks take off work to question policy; well, damn that right wing conspiracy anyway. I mean, really, what sane person would object to having the government take over every aspect of his/her life?
Talks our Dear Leader have given saying his goal is for a single payer health care system have been found and is getting posted all over the place. The Bamster is saying it's out of context, and has geared up his White House staff and his still existing campaign army (why are they still in place, and who's paying them?)to refute it. Well, context or not, when he says, in two vids I've seen, that his goal is a single payer system, then he wants a single payer system. Below is one of the vids.
Also I read this morning that an estimated 27 million people are now on anti-depressants. Part of it is, I'm sure, is $9.6 billion in U.S. sales. Follow the money. Then there's justification; more is being reported, more is being diagnosed, pills are cheaper than therapy, to name a few. My view is that it is because the constant campaign against traditional values, church, God, religion, and capitalism (that has provided a stable economic system, except when the gov't intervenes like in the '30's and now). Take away the foundations of society and culture, the people get stressed. The secular society says, take drugs for it; it's okay. Traditionalists say, embrace your family and friends, and God. I've tried both drugs and God. God works better.
"Only a large-scale popular movement toward decentralization and self-help can arrest the present tendency toward statism.... A really efficient totalitarian state would be one in which the all-powerful executive of political bosses and their army of managers control a population of slaves who do not have to be coerced, because they love their servitude. To make them love it is the task assigned, in present-day totalitarian states, to ministries of propaganda, newspaper editors and schoolteachers." --Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)
"How did the health-care debate decay to the point where we think it entirely natural for the central government to fix a collective figure for what 300 million freeborn citizens ought to be spending on something as basic to individual liberty as their own bodies? That's the argument that needs to be won. And, if you think I'm being frivolous in positing bureaucratic regulation of doughnuts and vacations, consider that under the all-purpose umbrellas of 'health' and 'the environment,' governments of supposedly free nations are increasingly comfortable straying into areas of diet and leisure. ... Freedom is messy. In free societies, people will fall through the cracks -- drink too much, eat too much, buy unaffordable homes, fail to make prudent provision for health care and much else. But the price of being relieved of all those tiresome choices by a benign paternal government is far too high. Government health care would be wrong even if it 'controlled costs.' It's a liberty issue. I'd rather be free to choose, even if I make the wrong choices." --columnist Mark Steyn
"After many a disappointment with someone, and especially after a disaster, we may be able to look back at numerous clues that should have warned us that the person we trusted did not deserve our trust. When that person is the President of the United States, the potential for disaster is virtually unlimited. Many people are rightly worried about what this administration's reckless spending will do to the economy in our time and to our children and grandchildren, to whom a staggering national debt will be passed on. But if the worst that Barack Obama does is ruin the economy, I will breathe a sigh of relief. He is heading this country toward disaster on many fronts.... This is a president on a mission to remake American society in every aspect, by whatever means are necessary and available. That requires taking all kinds of decisions out of the hands of ordinary Americans and transferring them to Washington elites -- and ultimately the number one elite, Barack Obama himself. Like so many before him who have ruined countries around the world, Obama has a greatly inflated idea of his own capabilities and the capabilities of what can be accomplished by rhetoric or even by political power." --economist Thomas Sowell
I'm heartened to see people that are against ObamaCare showing up at townhall meetings all over the country, asking hard questions. That these politicians justify not reading the bill, denying things that are in it aren't in it, lying about the current state of health care in America, they get shouted down and booed. I especially love it when RINO's (Republican in Name Only) get up there and say they are trying to negotiate a compromise get challenged and shouted down. When the campaign for the government to take control of health started, there was a wait and see, polls showing mostly undecided and for it. Now it's about 50-50 and trending against.
We had a similar situation in our church a while ago. We were considering having a single service on Sunday, and not having the early 8am service. There were valid arguments to keep two services and equally valid points to consolidate to one service. It became quite heated. We took polls and had special meetings of the executive board, congregational board, elders, and finally a full congregational meeting. We brought in a outside consultant.
The result was to leave things as they are. Even though a larger amount of people didn't have a problem with a single service, getting rid of it would do a lot of damage to the church.
Obama, the Dems and the RINO's must table this; it's tearing the country apart. Obama claimed to be a uniter, and he hasn't been on any issue thus far. The solution is obvious. For much less money and fighting, identify who specifically lacks insurance and find a solution for those, specifically. Eighty-five to ninety percent of people are okay with what they've got. Target the problem, don't disrupt everybody's lives for about ten-fifteen percent of the population.
Of course the political side of me wants to see these guys to keep trying to force something on the American people that most don't want. It would mean a turnover in the next elections, and I think a lot of Dems and RINO's would get turned out of office.
I do believe in the collected wisdom of the American people. They have always shown themselves to be wiser and more caring than the political class.
Worship is giving God the best that He has given you. Be careful what you do with the best you have. Whenever you get a blessing from God, give it back to Him as a love-gift. Take time to meditate before God and offer the blessing back to Him in a deliberate act of worship. If you hoard it for yourself, it will turn into spiritual dry rot, as the manna did when it was hoarded (Exodus 16:20). God will never allow you to keep a spiritual blessing completely for yourself. It must be given back to Him so that He can make it a blessing to others.
Bethel is the symbol of fellowship with God; Ai is the symbol of the world. ("He moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east, there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord." Genesis 12:8) Abram "pitched his tent" between the two. The lasting value of our public service for God is measured by the depth of the intimacy of our private time of fellowship and oneness with Him. Rushing in and out of worship is wrong every time-there is always plenty of time to worship God. Days set apart for quiet can be a trap, detracting from the need to have daily quiet time with God. That is why we must "pitch our tents" where we will always have quiet times with Him, however noisy our time with the world may be. There are not three levels of spiritual life-worship, waiting, and work. Yet some of us seem to jump like spiritual frogs from worship to waiting, and from waiting to work. God's idea is that the three should go together as one. They were always together in the life of our Lord and in perfect harmony. It is a discipline that must be developed: it will not happen overnight.
