I will take a stab at this even though you probably won’t like my answer. Libertarianism is focused on civil liberty. I like many people feel strongly about my individual rights. The problem is that Libertarianism is more a political philosophy than a working model for government. Civil liberty is only one element of a government model. I am not sure about over the course of history but least in modern times there has never been a “Libertarian” country that I am aware of.
America is a republic. Our republic is an attempt as evidenced by our founders to take the best of a variety of government models and merge them into one. We have elements of democracy and libertarianism that have been incorporated into our republic. The three branches of government combined with the Constitution were designed to protect our civil liberties. As we all know our republic and the civil liberties that Americans used to enjoy have been hijacked. Too much freedom in the eyes of most modern day politicians is bad because it takes away their control.
So now for the answer to the question; why Libertarians should vote for Romney? If you believe in all you espouse; you have to vote for Romney.
Here’s why – we need to buy time. Surely you do not believe that Romney is the militant that Obama is where it comes to government regulation or government control. He is also not a progressive socialist. It’s true that he (Romney) may turn out to be another new world order guy like the Bushes but he loves the country enough to not sell us out to Putin once he has “more flexibility”.
Here are a few other things to consider:
There will likely be one or two Supreme Court appointments in the next four years. Do you really want Obama making any of these appointments? Here is a scary thought – Eric Holder or Tony West as a nominee.
Obama will push for further reduction of our nuclear capabilities to level the field and reduce our power internationally. I am pretty sure Romney won’t.
Obama will sign us on to more U.N. treaties that will continue to erode our national sovereignty. Think – L.O.S.T. Treaty and the U.N. Small Arms Treaty for starters not to mention some form of international income tax.
Romney will help us slow down, maybe even help us avoid economic collapse. Obama is intent on redistribution and economic destruction of individual wealth. At least we know that he is a capitalist.
To quote Minnesotan Mitch Berg, “All the principle in the world does you no good if you are standing in soup line, if the government has confiscated your guns and branded you a terrorist for stockpiling food with the blessing of the Supreme Court. The vast majority of the people will sell the Rights of Man down the river for a pack of cigarettes, a bottle of booze or a bowl of gruel.”
I like most people, I am tired of holding my nose and voting; but what choice do we have? The question remains when are we going to do something about the real problem? We can’t wait to get worked up once every 4 years and bitch about the choices. We need to change things at the local and state level starting Nov. 7th and work every day for the next 4 years to change our course. It is time for all high minded, philosophical Libertarians to get involved on a daily basis and work for the change you desire. We must start taking our country and our liberty back from self-interested politicians. But first we have to buy time. Don’t waste your vote on a meaningless statement we need to slow down the progressives now.
“The saddest epitaph which can be carved in memory of a vanished liberty is that it was lost because its possessors failed to stretch forth a saving hand while yet there was time.” Justice George Sutherland, Constitutional Defender 1938
Wake Up, America! Restore the Republic by Rejecting Socialism and the Progressive Agenda!
So here are some stats to help you when you are discussing the election with your undecided friends. These are the facts and the numbers don’t lie. It doesn’t take a CPA to figure out if something doesn’t change quickly we are headed for an economic collapse. The tipping point is already on the horizon…
The Economy, Jobs & Taxes:
America’s Rank in Global Business Competitiveness: Before BO #1 Currently #7 (Source: US News & World Report)
Current National Debt – $16.2 Trillion (Source: US Treasury)
New Debt Added Since Obama was elected – $5.5 Trillion (Source: US Treasury)
Your share of the National Debt – $51,419 (Source: US Treasury)
Increase in your share since Obama took office – $17,554 (Source: US Treasury)
Federal Budget Deficits – 2 highest in history: 2009 – $1.416 Trillion & 2011 – $1.298 Trillion respectively (Source: CBO)
New Taxes Hidden in Obamacare – $810 Billion (Source: CBO)
Medicare cuts in Obamacare: $716 Billion (Source: CBO)
# of people Officially Unemployed: 12.014 Million (Source: US Labor Dept.)
# of people Unemployed, Underemployed or have given up – 22.728 Million (Source: US Labor Dept.)
The real Unemployment Rate: 14.7% (Source: US Labor Dept.)
# of people Unemployed More than 27 weeks: 5.0 Million (Source: US Labor Dept.)
Consecutive Months of Unemployment over 8% – 43 (Source: US Labor Dept.)
Pages of new Federal Regulations since Obama took office: 11,327 (Source: Federal Register)
Healthcare, Food, Gas & Education:
Avg. Increase in the cost of a family health plan since Obama took office: $3,065 or 24.2% (Source: The Kaiser Foundation)
# of people on Food Stamps: 47,025,030 (Source: US Dept. of Agriculture)
Avg. increase in cost of Groceries for a family of 4: 5.15% (Source: US Dept. of Agriculture)
Increase in the price of gas: 106% up from $1.89 to $3.89 per gallon (Source: US Dept. of Transportation)
Avg. Increase for In-State Tuition since Obama took office: 25% (Source: The college Board)
So there you have it. The numbers speak for themselves. We can’t afford to keep spending at these levels and increasing taxes stunts growth while killing jobs. We saw the same trends during the Carter Administration. Reagan corrected the problem by managing down the size of government and cutting taxes to stimulate growth. We rode that wave all the way through the Clinton Administration. We can do it again but not with a president that is more interested in “redistribution” than growth and creating opportunity.
Wake up, America! Reject Socialism and Restore the Republic!
“If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretence of taking care of them, they must become happy” – Thomas Jefferson
I decided to watch this movie On Demand this morning because I was in the mood for a little politics and could not bear watching the usual Sunday morning talking heads. I must admit I had low expectations going in and no idea exactly what to expect. I was very surprised for two reasons. First, I was surprised at how balanced the approach was – no hysteria or over the top attacks or accusations. Second, the movie took a methodical approach to laying out the facts around what shaped Obama’s beliefs and how his personal story may have forged his philosophy. In short it does not appear to be a hatchet job.
From the movie’s website here is a brief description:
“2016 Obama’s America takes audiences on a gripping visual journey into the heart of the world’s most powerful office to reveal the struggle of whether one man’s past will redefine America over the next four years. The film examines the question, “If Obama wins a second term, where will we be in 2016?”
Across the globe and in America, people in 2008 hungered for a leader who would unite and lift us from economic turmoil and war. True to America’s ideals, they invested their hope in a new kind of president, Barack Obama. What they didn’t know is that Obama is a man with a past, and in powerful ways that past defines him–who he is, how he thinks, and where he intends to take America and the world.
Immersed in exotic locales across four continents, best selling author Dinesh D’Souza races against time to find answers to Obama’s past and reveal where America will be in 2016. During this journey he discovers how Hope and Change became radically misunderstood, and identifies new flashpoints for hot wars in mankind’s greatest struggle. The journey moves quickly over the arc of the old colonial empires, into America’s empire of liberty, and we see the unfolding realignment of nations and the shape of the global future.”
Obama: Love him or hate him, you don’t know him.
Creative forces behind the film
Dinesh D’Souza – Author of the New York Times Bestseller The Roots of Obama’s Rage which serves in part as the basis for this film. D’Souza wasborn in Mumbai, India and has truly lived the American Dream. He moved to the United States to attend Dartmouth College. Upon graduation he went to work in the Reagan White House as a policy analyst. He has been a fellow of the Hoover Institute at Stanford University and the American Enterprise Institute. His other book titles include the popular What’s So Great About Christianity, Letters to a Young Conservative, and The End of Racism.
Gerald R. Molen – produced many of the most memorable films in the last three decades including blockbusters like Jurassic Park, Twister, Days of Thunder, Hook and Minority Report. He was a producer for the Academy Award winning film Schindler’s List and co-producer for Rain Man which won the Oscar for Best Picture.
After watching this film, a lot of the things that I instinctively believed seem to have been confirmed. Using Obama’s own words from speeches and his book “Dreams from my Father” it’s hard to deny that there is a well guarded side of the president that if fully revealed would change the opinion of many. The movie lays out a credible case for a personal agenda that does not align with traditional American values. The president has said many times that his election would begin a fundamental change of America. This film definitely creates a glimpse of not only what will shape this change but also who is influencing the direction and what it might ultimately look like.
If you love the America of our grandparents, believe in the American Dream and the Constitution created by our founders – you owe it to yourself and your country to watch this film and decide if this is the Change you want.
Wake up, America!
“The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground” – Thomas Jefferson
“The time is near at hand which must determine whether Americans are to be free men or slaves” – George Washington
Now that republicans and conservatives have taken control of the House of Representatives, the air waves are filled with debate on how they will fulfill all their campaign promises regarding the economy. The biggest questions focus on their ability to reduce the deficit without raising taxes. Most commentators act as if this is impossible but here is a newsflash for the media as well as Washington – it can be done!
There are two big problems for the republicans – first, they only control one house of Congress and second, they have no direct control at the department level – that belongs to the President.
All that said, if either side was serious about fixing this problem and salvaging the economic future for the next generation they could work together because together they have the ability to do it. The truth is the solution is so simple politicians can’t seem to see it.
Here are 10 very simple, time tested methods used in the business world that if applied to government would fix the economy, create jobs and bring spending under control:
1. Run the government as if it were a for profit business. This means it must be a model of cost control and operational efficiency.
2. Declare an across the board 10-15% budget reduction in every department and agency in the federal government – period, no exceptions. Since this has never been done it should be easy the first year. We know there is a ton of waste in the way the government operates. We do this (set a reduction target) every year at the company I work for and every year we find more areas to improve or fine tune. This should be an annual ritual for the government, too. It’s called continuous improvement.
3. Declare that budget reductions can not be met by simply reducing services to citizens. Evaluate all service offerings to determine if they even fall within the constitutional scope of the federal government, if not eliminate them. Let the states provide the things that they should provide. Also we should sunset all agencies which have outlived their usefulness.
4. Declare budget reductions can not be met by cutting core entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare. The recipients shouldn’t lose their benefits to allow uncessary spending to continue, the government should be forced to eliminate waste first.
5. Eliminate all “nice to have” spending. In government just like private industry there are “nice to haves” that will not affect the quality of services provided if they were delayed or eliminated all together. These should not be credited toward the 15% reduction requirement. All eliminated “nice to haves” should come right off the top.
6. Consolidation of operations, workforce reduction and outsourcing should be considered. How many buildings, vehicles, people, etc. could be eliminated without changing the quality of services provided? The size of the government’s footprint is incredible. How much money could be brought in by selling off excess assets? How much manpower could be eliminated through improved processes, systems and automation?
7. Evaluate all discretionary spending. Examples: Review all foreign aid programs. Review the need for all foreign military bases. Get out of the business of “funding research” instead create incentives to stimulate research in the private sector.
8. Hold the management accountable. Where else in America do managers get to ask for larger and larger budgets each year while delivering such pathetic results? Why shouldn’t there be a culture that challenges these managers to do more with less? The taxpayers are their “shareholders” so where is our shareholder value proposition? It is simple – make the managers manage.
9. Cut government wages to align with industry average wages for comparable private sector jobs. Realign government benefits and retirement programs to those in the private sector.
10. Negotiate lower prices from all vendors and suppliers. Tell all suppliers that the government must lower costs and that they must lower their prices to retain business. This happens all the time in the private sector.
Last and not least there is the nasty business of generating government income to fund the things which are necessary such as infrastructure, homeland security and national defense. We must cut base tax rates for business to stimulate investment and job growth. Creating business growth builds a larger tax base and job growth creates more individual taxpayers.
We must also either lower income tax rates for individuals or better yet scrap the progressive income tax model in favor of a national sales tax. A national sales tax is the fairest tax for individuals because it taxes your ability to spend not your earnings. In other words, wealthy people buy stuff, the more stuff you buy – the more tax you pay. It also taxes the underground economy which eliminates significant tax fraud by those that are self employed working for cash and not reporting their real earnings.
If the government held itself to the same performance standards as private companies do, we would be able to fix the deficit. If every time the government borrowed money to spend they had to provide a justification and a return on investment model before they borrowed it – how much of the spending would be approved?
In the end, if the politicians could just stop trying to get elected long enough to look at the real problem solving it might be easier than everyone thinks – eliminate the waste and increase the value. The only politician that seemed to understand this in the last 20 years was Ross Perot – but then Perot wasn’t really a politician, he was a successful businessman.
Restore the Republic, Reject Socialism!
“The budget should be balanced, the treasury should be refilled, the public debt should be reduced and the arrogance of public officials should be controlled”. – Ross Perot
“Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a loud voice at one end and no responsibility at the other”. – Ronald Reagan
Turn on a radio or a TV and listen to any news show discussing the “shellacking” the democrats received in the recent election and you will likely hear the Tea Party described as an anti–government movement. This is a complete misrepresentation.
Those who say the Tea Party is anti-government either simply don’t get it or are just not listening. The Tea Party and its’ supporters are strong supporters of the government established by the U.S. Constitution and the philosophy of government it represents.
The constant inaccurate media coverage and the continued bashing of the Tea Parties by the liberal press are only strengthening the Tea Party’s message. Tea Party members are not a bunch of right wing extremists trying to disrupt the system. They are conservatives trying to make their voices heard and participate in the political process. Their grassroots efforts were aimed at the direction and policies of the previous Congress and the Obama Administration.
The Tea Party issues are:
Ending excessive taxes
Reducing government spending
Stopping nationalization of private businesses
Ending excessive government manipulation/control of the financial markets
Stopping redistribution of wealth
Ending government bailout plans
Preventing loss of individual freedoms
Overturning the government takeover of healthcare
Securing the borders and implementing an intelligent immigration policy
Protecting our national sovereignty
The founding fathers established 28 principles of freedom which were framed into the Constitution. These principles were the foundation of our laws and beliefs for the last 200 years. They helped America become the most powerful and free nation on earth. As a result, we have enjoyed an unparalleled standard of living and individual freedoms unheard of anywhere else on earth. Our Constitution is the most original government charter every conceived. The government it created fueled America’s greatness, the American Dream and the innovation that powered American exceptionalism.
Concerned citizens everywhere have gotten involved. They are exercising their unique right as Americans to participate in the process of government. All citizens that value their freedom have a responsibility to exercise these rights. The Tea Party pushed for a return to a government that follows the Constitution and its principles. The Tea Parties represents the desire by many citizens to restore these values within the government. In the end the Tea Party and its’ members are actually pro-government, they just do not support the over reaching type of government that Washington has become. Through peaceful rallies these citizens have promoted their ideals and made their voices heard. The outcome of the election shows that many of their fellow citizens are listening. Isn’t that the way a Republic is supposed to work?
The real question now is – Is Washington listening?
As Florida Senator-elect Marco Rubio so eloquently put it, “We make a great mistake if we believe that tonight these results are somehow an embrace of the Republican Party. What they are, is a second chance, a second chance for Republicans to be what they said they were going to be not so long ago.’’
America, we have taken the first step but there is still a lot of work to do. We must continue to hold our elected officials accountable. The newly elected members of Congress must stand by the rhetoric that got them elected or face the consequences.
As Thomas Jefferson said, “I hold it that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms are in the physical.”
It appears the system still works in America, the people have spoken. The pro-constitutional government, Tea Party conservatives are not going away. They are exercising their rights to help shape the policies of the government in which they believe.
“I am president. I’m not king. I can’t do these things just by myself. If Latinos sit out the election instead of saying we’re gonna punish our enemies and we’re gonna reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us, if they don’t see that kind of upsurge in voting in this election, then I think it’s going to be harder, and that’s why I think it’s so important that people focus on voting on November 2nd. …Well, I’m disappointed, too. Many Republicans who used to support comprehensive immigration reform, like John McCain, decided not to support it. The problem that we have is that until I can get some cooperation from the other side, then people who are anti-immigration reform can continue to block it. And that’s why this election coming up is so important because we essentially have to say that those who are politicizing the issue, who are supportive of the Arizona law, who talk only about border security but aren’t willing to talk about the other aspects of this, who don’t support the DREAM Act, who are out there engaging in rhetoric that is divisive and damaging, those aren’t the kinds of folks who represent our core American values”. – Barack Obama on Univision, 10/25/10
Obama also said, “Republicans had driven the economy into a ditch and then stood by and criticized while Democrats pulled the economy out, and now the progress has been made, we can’t have special interests sitting shotgun. We gotta have middle-class families up front in the car. We don’t mind the Republicans joining us. They can come for the ride, but they gotta sit in the back.’
How ironic is this statement? After all this is the President of the United States talking. The president who is suppose to be a healer and “post racial”. He was the president that was supposed to inspire and unify America. When before in history has a U.S. President suggested that fellow citizens that didn’t agree with his policies are the enemy and should be punished? Obama has finally showed his true colors in a public forum in a way that can’t be denied.
Given the tone of this statement, how can he accuse anyone else of “rhetoric that is divisive and damaging”? Does the president even know anyone who represents core American values?
So far the only thing this president has demonstrated is the ability to divide as well as unbelievable arrogance and a stubborn streak a mile wide. Since taking office he has repeatedly sent the message that it’s his way or no way. There is no evidence that he is capable of meaningful compromise. He has had many opportunities to give small compromises to the Republicans during the past two legislative sessions. There were opportunities in both the Stimulus and Healthcare debates. In either case small compromises would have helped him neutralize the Republican objections but his ego wouldn’t permit it. Here are some examples of his arrogant posturing:
On the Economy:
After a long meeting with Congressional leaders prior to the passing of the Stimulus Bill, Republican leaders were voicing there disagreement and offering ideas on ways to compromise on the contents of the bill. After shooting down all their ideas, Obama told the Republicans, “on some of these issues we’re just going to have ideological differences.” The president added, “I won. So I think on that one, I trump you.”
At a DNC fundraising dinner in San Francisco, President Obama took a shot at his critics saying, “Another way of putting it is when, you know, I’m busy and [Speaker] Nancy [Pelosi]’s busy with our mop cleaning up somebody else’s mess — we don’twant somebody sitting back saying, you’re not holding the mop the right way.” Or from a Virginia fundraiser, “I don’t want the folks who created the mess to do a lot of talking. I want them to just get out of the way so we can clean up the mess!” In others words – Shut Up!
On the Tea Party and Conservatives:
In a meeting with Congressional democrats to promote his healthcare reform bill Obama was quoted by the New York Times as saying, “Does anybody think that the teabag, anti-government people are going to support them if they bring down health care? All it will do is confuse and dispirit” Democratic voters “and it will encourage the extremists.”
At a San Francisco fundraiser Obama said, “You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing’s replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. So it’s not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations”.
Apparently, all conservatives or anyone for that matter who disagrees with his policies is a frustrated, bigoted, extremist.
On Immigration:
On July 2nd, President Obama gave a speech at American University and said, “…it’s not just that the law Arizona passed is divisive — although it has fanned the flames of an already contentious debate. Laws like Arizona’s put huge pressures on local law enforcement to enforce rules that ultimately are unenforceable. It puts pressure on already hard-strapped state and local budgets…. These laws also have the potential of violating the rights of innocent American citizens and legal residents, making them subject to possible stops or questioning because of what they look like or how they sound.”
“One of the things that the (Arizona) law says is local officials are allowed to ask somebody who they have a suspicion might be a illegal immigrant for their papers. Now, suddenly, if you don’t have your papers and you took your kid out to get ice cream, you’re gonna be harassed. That’s something that could potentially happen.” – Barack Obama
Based on the above comments, Obama’s recent remarks on a webcast designed to fire up his supporters seems quite hypocritical…
“The question, once again, is going to be whether hope overcomes fear. Essentially, what the other side has decided is that they are going to try to ride fear and anxiety all the way to the ballot box on November 2.” – Barack Obama
And let’s not forget, the President also struggles with his own feelings on Race and Racism:
“I ceased to advertise my mother’s race at the age of twelve or thirteen, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites.”
“I found solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and animosity against my mother’s race.”
“To avoid being mistaken for a sellout, I chose my friends carefully. The more politically active black students. The foreign students. The Chicanos. The Marxist professors and structural feminists.”
“I learned to slip back and forth between my black and white worlds. One of those tricks I had learned: People were satisfied so long as you were courteous and smiled and made no sudden moves. They were more than satisfied; they were relieved — such a pleasant surprise to find a well-mannered young black man who didn’t seem angry all the time.”
“The point I was making was not that Grandmother harbors any racial animosity. She doesn’t. But she is a typical white person…”
“That’s just how white folks will do you.”
– All of these quotes are from Obama’s books, writings and speeches
And one more contradiction for good measure – Obama on why the democrats are having such a tough time in the mid-term elections:
“Part of the reason that our politics seems so tough right now, and facts and science and argument does not seem to be winning the day all the time, is because we’re hard-wired not to always think clearly when we’re scared. And the country is scared.’’ Apparently, we are not real smart.
Some of the Presidents friends and supporters have also weighed in on why the democrat’s strategies are failing and their concerns about the conservative message:
Sen. John Kerry -“We have an electorate that doesn’t always pay that much attention to what’s going on, so people are influenced by a simple slogan rather than the facts or the truth.’’ John, can you say “Hope and Change”?
ABC’s Christiane Amanpour – “I mean there’s been a long and venerable tradition of conservatism in this country. You can go back at least to Ronald Reagan, William F. Buckley, all of that sort of intellectual conservatism that lasted about 30 years and people are saying that right now, it’s really gone to the extreme. People are looking at the tea party and saying this is not conservatism as we knew it, but it’s extreme”. Apparently, conservatives used to be smart, now we’re just scary!
Rob Reiner explaining his fear of the Tea Party with a Hitler comparison: “He wasn’t a majority guy, but he was charismatic and they were having bad economic times – just like we are now – people were out of work, they needed jobs and a guy came along and rallied the troops.My fear is that the Tea Party gets a charismatic leader, because all they’re selling is fear and anger and that’s all Hitler sold – “I’m angry and I’m frightened and you should hate that guy over there.” Ironically, polls indicate that unemployment is highest among those who likely voted for Obama.
But there you have it, if you breakdown the opinions and commentary from the left as laid out above, you would probably conclude that conservatives are scared, angry, ignorant, bigoted, simpletons who will follow the first smooth talking shyster (lawyer/community organizer) with a great slogan (Hope & Change) that comes along, down a path that will destroy America. Wait a minute!! So why aren’t these people jumping on the Obama bandwagon? Oh, yeah their conservatives with American values.
This president has attempted to divide America on the basis of race, class and partisanship for his own political gain and to further his progressive agenda. He is not above telling a big lie and repeating it with conviction to manipulate his listeners. Now using his “big lie” techniques and out of desperation to avoid a mid-term electoral disaster as a last resort, the president is calling for “punishing of our (political) enemies” and the “rewarding of our (political) friends”.
Wake up, America! It is time to clean the House and the Senate of the “friends” of the Progressive Agenda! It is time to take back our country and stop its fundamental transformation. On Nov. 2nd vote for America and freedom. Vote conservative!
Restore the Republic, Reject the Agenda of the Progressive Left!
“The time is near at hand which must determine whether Americans are to be free men or slaves” – George Washington
“If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen”- Samuel Adams
“A nation of well informed men who have been taught to know and prize the rights which God has given them cannot be enslaved. It is in the region of ignorance that tyranny begins” – Benjamin Franklin
Since early 2009 a conservative backlash has been brewing in America. It started slowly with a few small local Tea Party rallies, mostly focused on the impact of high income tax and excessive government spending on families, the economy and America. Tax Day (April 15th) 2008 marked a turning point as rallies large and small were held across the nation. Suddenly conservatives realized two things – there were a lot more of us than we realized and we could loosely organize to make a difference.
The nationwide Tax Day rallies were the result of a grassroots internet campaign. These rallies were self funded and run almost exclusively at the local level. I know – I was one of the organizers of the St. Paul MN rally held on the steps of the state capitol building. Our rally drew over 7,000 attendees that day. Even in liberal Minnesota there were signs of the coming backlash.
So here we are nearly two years later and halfway through the first term of the Obama presidency. Obama was swept into office with a message of “Hope and Change”. Many of those who voted for him bought into the slick marketing of his campaign. They believed that this president would right the wrongs and end government as usual. He promised fairness as well as a new prosperity that would make America a better place and people bought it. His campaign positioned him as “the post racial president”, a healer and center left moderate but in reality he is a progressive. As people began to realize who they had elected the euphoria which reined after his election quickly turned to discontentment.
The mood of America is now colored with grim concern. The independents and blue dog democrats that helped elect Obama have come to realize that he does not share their values or belief in the American way of life. In fact, they finally understand what Obama meant when he said that “we are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America” in an Oct. 31, 2008 speech in Missouri. Obama and his cohorts would like to create a new foundation for America, a foundation based on progressive values which have their roots in socialism/communism.
Their idea of government would be more of the European model of a socialist democracy with over reaching government controls, entitlements and heavy taxes to support a “nanny state” approach to “social justice”. There are two major problems with this model. First, it doesn’t work. It has not worked anywhere it was tried. It’s already falling apart in the liberals current favorite example of social democracy, Venezuela. Second, Europe is an economic disaster. Its’ citizens are rioting in the streets as their governments try to figure out how to make good on all the entitlements they promised as their economies tank. (See Greece, France and Portugal for examples) To add additional salt to the wound, European society has begun to spiral out of control as years of “open borders and society” has resulted in a Muslim occupation in some areas of Europe leading to bitter fights over the secular rule of law versus Sharia law. These are all consequences of a social democracy.
If we are not careful we will end up in the same place. Just this year, the Congressional Budget Office said that our national debt as a percentage of GDP will triple by 2035 which would be 185% of GDP. This represents nothing short of an economic train wreck.
To stay on a path that leads to a social democracy would be a fundamental transformation of America! As it turns out though this is not what most Americans want. Most Americans (75% overall) still believe in the American Dream and traditional American values according to recent surveys. Here are some other findings of recent polls that indicate that America is still a Christian leaning, patriotic, capitalist, center right country with traditional values:
The majority of Americans in every age group still believe that America is the land of opportunity.
75% of Americans still believe “America is the greatest country in the world”.
80% of Americans claim Christianity as their religion and 50% of Americans believe life in the United States would be better if more people lived Christian values
64% of voters say the country is on the wrong track and this number is steadily increasing.
90% of Mainstream voters favor a free market economy. 75% of likely voters overall believe in a free market economy rather than one controlled by the government.
58% of all voters favor increased competition over increased government regulation as the best way to hold big business accountable.
65% of voters overall, prefer a government with fewer services and lower taxes rather than one with more services and higher taxes. Even 32% of Democrats now prefer a government with fewer services and lower taxes.
83% of Americans believe it is somewhat likely that the federal government will have to cut government spending in the next 10 years.
53% of likely U.S. voters favor repeal of the health care law, including 43% who Strongly Favor repeal.
51% of Americans believe the healthcare law will increase the federal deficit. Only 30% believe it will reduce it.
Data sources: Rasmussen Reports, Real Clear Politics, ABC News, The Arizona Republic
It appears that Americans are reconnecting with their values. Sometimes it takes hardship to reawaken our spirits. I believe that recent times have taught us to value our freedom and our way of life. So now that we have the momentum to change the direction of our country and return to our core values, what’s our next move?
First, we must remember that the Republican Party has been a part of the problem as much as the Democrats for the past 20 years. Many moderate Republicans are progressives, too.
If we give the Republicans our votes – it should be done with this clear message – you work for us and from now on you will be held accountable for each and every vote you cast. No more back room deals, no more compromising. You campaigned on a platform that earned our votes, in return you need to vote the agenda that got you elected. If you don’t there won’t be another term.
This is the message that needs to be sent. No more politics as usual. There are many new faces on the political scene this year – most are riding the resurgent conservative wave. Hopefully they are who they say they are. Republicans, Independents and Tea Party candidates need to now do what is necessary to put America back on the right track. It’s time.
Restore the Republic, Reject the Agenda of the Progressive Left!
“If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values – that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that all reality has spiritual control”. – Martin Luther King
If Ronald Reagan was around today he might give the same speech he gave on Labor Day, 30 years ago, with a few changes to reflect the current situation. While a few of the key factors are different the country finds itself in a very similar circumstance. So here is my modified version of Reagan‘s famous speech, I have provided both a video of the original speech and a link to the transcript for comparison. You can learn from history. The original speech should remind us we have been here before and fought our way back. We can do it again.
And now President Reagan…
Labor Day Speech at Liberty State Park, Jersey City, New Jersey, Updated for 2010 (Original Sep. 1, 1980)
“It is fitting that on Labor Day, we meet beside the waters of New York harbor, with the eyes of Miss Liberty on our gathering and in the words of the poet whose lines are inscribed at her feet, “The air bridged harbor that twin cities frame.”
Through this “Golden Door,” under the gaze of that “Mother of Exiles,” have come millions of men and women, who first stepped foot on American soil right there, on Ellis Island, so close to the Statue of Liberty.
These families came here to work. They came to build. Others came to America in different ways, from other lands, under different, often harrowing conditions, but this place symbolizes what they all managed to build, no matter where they came from or how they came or how much they suffered.
They helped to build that magnificent city across the river. They spread across the land building other cities and towns and incredibly productive farms. They came to make America work. They didn’t ask what this country could do for them but what they could do to make this refuge the greatest home of freedom in history. They brought with them courage, ambition and the values of family, neighborhood, work, peace and freedom. They came from different lands but they shared the same values, the same dream.
Today a President of the United States would have us believe that dream is over or at least in need of change. Barack Obama’s Administration tells us that the descendants of those who sacrificed to start again in this land of freedom may have to abandon the dream that drew their ancestors to a new life in a new land.
The Obama record is a litany of despair, of broken promises, of sacred trusts abandoned and forgotten.
Officially over 14.5 million or 9.8% are unemployed but actually 25 million are out of work. 41 million Americans are now on food stamps. 981,000 Americans have had their homes go into foreclosure this year. The federal deficit is now over $13.5 trillion which adds up to over$120k per U.S. taxpayer. Yet this year, Obama and his friends in Congress will add another $1.3 trillion to the deficit. They are trying to fix unemployment with government jobs and are threatening to increase taxes on the “wealthiest” Americans. Of course these are the very people who could reinvest if not over taxed to create the private sector jobs we so desperately need. This President is interfering in the private sector and leading a government takeover of both the financial markets and healthcare. He is on the wrong side of immigration reform, states rights and climate change. He has a decidedly socialist agenda that pushes redistribution of wealth, entitlement programs and “fundamental transformation of America”. His answer to all of this misery? He tries to tell us that the economy is getting better – just more slowly than expected, as if —words–relieve our suffering. Let it show on the record that when the American people cried out against his healthcare reform plan, Barack Obama ignored them. When the American people begged for economic relief through job creation, Barack Obama gave them the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The real recovery will begin when Barack Obama loses his job.
I have talked with unemployed workers all across this country. I have heard their views on what Barack Obama has done to help them and their families. They aren’t interested in hearing about George Bush any more. They are out of work and they help. And they know the difference between a real recovery and a sucker’s rally.
Let Mr. Obama go to their homes, look their children in the eye and argue with them that this is a recovery even though dad or mom can’t find work. Let him go to the unemployment lines and lecture those workers who have been betrayed on what is the proper definition for their widespread economic misery. Human tragedy, human misery, the crushing of the human spirit. They do not need defining–they need action.
And it is action, in the form of jobs, lower taxes, and an expanded economy that — as President — I intend to provide.
Call this human tragedy whatever you want. Whatever it is, it is Barack Obama’s. He isn’t fixing it. He tolerates it. And he is going to answer to the American people for it.
Last week, more than two years after be became President, he still blames George Bush. And today he announced a new economic program designed to create jobs rebuilding America‘s infrastructure creating jobs in the construction and engineering trades which are some of hardest hit segments of the workforce. But wait – didn’t we already invest in the once before, something called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. It is another new economic program based on government spending. He talks as if someone else has been in charge these past few years. With two months to go until the election he rides to the rescue now with a crazy-quilt of obvious election-year promises which might even include extending the Bush tax cuts – which he’ll ask Congress for– after the election.
After two years of neglect, the misery of unemployment, foreclosures, the threat of higher taxes, dwindling earning power and inability to save–after all this, American workers have now been discovered by this administration.
Well it won’t work. It is cynical. It is political. And it is too late.
In 2009 he said the stimulus we could cap unemployment at 8% it is now at 9.8%.
In 2009 he said the stimulus would create shovel ready projects creating immediate employment opportunities – it didn’t. Who can believe him?
And most of us have begun to realize that so long as Obama’s policies are in effect, the next two years will be as dark as the last two. But here, beside the torch that many times before in our nation’s history has cast a golden light in times of gloom, I pledge to you I’ll bring a new message of hope to all America.
I look forward to meeting Mr. Obama in debate, confronting him with the whole sorry record of his Administration–the record he prefers not to mention. If he ever finally agrees to the kind of first debate the American people want–which I’m beginning to doubt–he’ll answer to them and to me.
This country needs a new Congress, with a renewed dedication to the dream of America–an administration that will give that dream new life and make America great again! An America that creates opportunity to create wealth not redistribute it, an America that follows the Constitution not fundamentally trying to transform it!
Restoring and revitalizing the American dream and American exceptionalism will take bold action.
On this day, dedicated to American working men and women, may I tell you the vision I have of a new administration and of a new Congress, filled with new members dedicated to the values we honor today?
Beginning in November of 2010, Americans will once again be heeded. Their needs and values will be acted upon in Washington. I will consult with representatives of management and organized labor on those matters concerning the welfare of the working people of this nation.
I happen to be the only president of a union ever to be President of the United States.
As president of my union — the Screen Actors Guild — I spent many hours with the late George Meany, whose love of this country and whose belief in a strong defense against all totalitarians is one of labor’s greatest legacies. Thirty one years ago today on Labor Day George Meany told the American people:
“As American workers and their families return from their summer vacations they face growing unemployment and inflation, a climate of economic anxiety and uncertainty.”
Well I pledge to you in his memory that the voice of the American worker will once again be heeded in Washington and that the climate of fear that he spoke of will no longer threaten workers and their families.
When we talk about tax reduction, when we talk about ending federal deficits by stopping it where it starts — in Washington — we are talking about a way to bring labor and management together for America. We are talking about jobs, and productivity and wages. We are talking about doing away with Barack Obama’s negative view of capitalism, and ever-shrinking economic pie with smaller pieces for each of us.
That’s no answer. We can have a bigger pie with bigger slices for everyone. I believe that together you and I can bake that bigger pie. We can make that dream that brought so many of us or our parents and grandparents to this land live once more.
Let us work to protect the human right to acquire and own a home, and make sure that that right is extended to as many Americans as possible. A home is part of that dream.
I want to work in Washington to roll back the crushing burden of taxation that limits investment, production, and the generation of real wealth for our people. A job, and savings, and hope for our children is part of that dream.
I want to help Americans of every race, creed and heritage keep and build that sense of community which is at the heart of America, for a decent neighborhood is part of that dream.
We will work to strengthen the small business sector which creates most of the new jobs we need for our people. Small business needs relief from government paperwork, relief from over-regulation, relief from a host of governmentally-created problems that defeat the effort of creative men and women. A chance to invest, build and produce new wealth is part of the dream.
But restoring the American dream requires more than restoring a sound, productive economy, vitally important as that is. It requires a return to spiritual and moral values, values so deeply held by those who came here to build a new life. We need to restore those values in our daily life, in our neighborhoods and in our government’s dealings with the other nations of the world.
We must remember that freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. You and I must protect and preserve freedom here or it will not be passed on to our children.
I want more than anything I’ve ever wanted, to have a Congress that will, through its actions, at home and in the international arena, let millions of people know that Miss Liberty still “Lifts her lamp beside the golden door.” Through our international broadcasting stations — the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, and the others — let us send, loud and clear, the message that this generation of Americans intends to keep that lamp shining; that this dream, this last best hope of man on earth, this nation under God, shall not perish from the earth. We will instead carry on the building of an American economy that once again holds forth real opportunity for all, we shall continue to be a symbol of freedom and guardian of the eternal values that so inspired those who came to this port of entry.
Let us pledge to each other, with this Great Lady looking on, that we can, and so help us God, we will make America great again.
As the future of America as we know it hangs in the balance the Obama administration and for that matter, politicians on both sides of the aisle are demonstrating their adherence to and mastery of the “Big Lie” propaganda strategy. The strategy used throughout history by great liars was best explained by Hitler in his 1925 book, Mein Kampf.
“All this was inspired by the principle – which is quite true in itself – that in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods. It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and will continue to think that there may be some other explanation. For the grossly impudent lie always leaves traces behind it, even after it has been nailed down, a fact which is known to all expert liars in this world and to all who conspire together in the art of lying. These people know only too well how to use falsehood for the basest purposes.” Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf, 1925 (James Murphy translation, page 134)
According to Edward Bernays, known within the public relations world as “the father of spin”, “If we understand the mechanism and motives of the group mind, is it not possible to control and regiment the masses according to our will without their knowing about it? The recent practice of proganda has proved that it is possible, at least up to a certain point and within certain limits.”
Bernays referred to his scientific technique of opinion-molding as the “engineering of consent”. Sounds a lot like Obama’s public opinion puppetmaster, David Axelrod who has built a career on creating opinion shifts through clever tactics. This is the reason you can no longer take the news at face value. You do not know if you are being given the truth or “the spin” designed to keep you moving down the path they want you on.
And who can forget the administration’s little foray into art propoganda by way of the National Endowment for the Arts. Create a few policy themed pieces of art to support the administration’s agenda and receive a little grant money in the process. The manipulation of public opinion is key to the policy agenda of all politicians but it is one thing to uses facts or statistics – it is quite another to use lies. Both sides do it but it doesn’t make it right – it makes it corrupt. Make no mistake corruption is destroying our country!
Check out this Disney video which uses Chicken Little to explain the “Big Lie” theory:
So as various debates rage on the administration continues to weigh in them making supporting statements that are factually inaccurate and completely untrue to push forward their agenda. In the case of the Arizona immigration law for example, the administration opposes the law which is modeled after the current federal statute, a statute that they refuse to enforce. What makes this crazier is the fact that the basis of their objection is that some how WE are violating the rights of people who broke the law to gain admittance to our country.
Here are examples of the “Big Lie” in action:
Barack Obama: “You can imagine, if you are a Hispanic American in Arizona …” the president said Tuesday at a campaign-style appearance in Iowa, “suddenly, if you don’t have your papers and you took your kid out to get ice cream, you’re going to be harassed.”
Barack Obama: “What I think is a mistake is when we start having local law enforcement officials empowered to stop people on suspicion that they may be undocumented workers.”
False & False: The law specifically requires that the ability to question about immigration status be tied to a lawful stop, detention or arrest. Since looking Hispanic is not a crime the President’s example is ridiculous. The President is a lawyer so surely he knows better.
During the healthcare reform debate, Obama and the left made outrageous claims such as:
There are 40 million uninsured Americans
Doctors are performing unnecessary operations
And of course, you remember when this happened right?
“I’m going to have all the negotiations around a big table. We’ll have doctors and nurses and hospital administrators. Insurance companies, drug companies — they’ll get a seat at the table, they just won’t be able to buy every chair. But what we will do is, we’ll have the negotiations televised on C-SPAN, so that people can see who is making arguments on behalf of their constituents, and who are making arguments on behalf of the drug companies or the insurance companies. And so, that approach, I think is what is going to allow people to stay involved in this process.” – Barack Obama
No one will be required to buy coverage, no new taxes on employer benefits, no need to fear rationing, the “public option” won’t be a Trojan horse for single payer government plan – Read the law and compare that to candidate Obama’s campaign rhetoric along with many tapes/videos of his true goals. It was all a lie.
During the campaign candidate Obama made many promises regarding reducing or not increasing income tax on the lower and middle class. However with his spending and program initiatives this is a promise that was never true. I guess if you create a dozen new taxes but don’t call them “income tax”, the fact that they drive your cost of living up doesn’t count. Or maybe it is just a lie!
Now we have the BP oil crisis in the Gulf. Obama says it is all he thinks about. He needs to know “who’s ass to kick” and who to hold responsible. When he gets negative press coverage for his handling of the issue, he takes the opportunity to make a speech or have photo op – but what is he really doing? A few months in and there is no end in sight… So what is he doing? Golfing, concerts and baseball games! OK, I am being a little sarcastic everyone needs some downtime so stop being so disingenuous – it’s not all you think about. Show some leadership – do something. How can this be all he thinks about? It’s not, so is this just another lie?
We currently have no shortage of issues, each seemingly a crisis in its own right. They run the gamut from unemployment and illegal immigration to unmanageable national debt and foreign relations. You remember about a crisis, right? Early on Rahm Emanuel told us about the opportunities of a crisis:
“You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it’s an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.” – Rahm Emanuel
And then there is Treasury Secretary and tax cheat Timothy Geithner, who says:
“Most consequential choices involve shades of gray, and some fog is often useful in getting things done.”
Fog and shades of gray sounds a lot like cover-ups, half truths and lies. Again this represents a strategy to manipulate. It has gotten so bad that the “Big Truth” syndrome is taking over. The ugly truth is becoming so obvious that now people don’t want to believe it because it would force them to confront the issues.
There is a never ending attempt at media manipulation with this administration. It is designed to keep you off balance while they keep pressing forward with the real agenda. Crisis after contrived crisis all designed to distract and create opportunities to transform not reform America.
The real question should be “transform America” into what? If you open your eyes the big (and very ugly) truth is staring us in the face. Social justice, redistribution of wealth, centralized planning, a greatly expanded national government, a loss of individual freedom and a reduced standard of living wait for us at the end of this journey to socialism.
Wake up America! Is this the destination that you signed up for? Are you ready to trade our national sovereignty, our values and our individual freedoms for the “security” of a nanny state? I believe the majority of Americans would say no if faced with this choice. Yet many fail to recognize that we are facing this choice right now! If you are a regular reader of this blog then you already understand the choices in front of us. The question now is – how do we wake up our fellow citizens before it is too late?
Restore the Republic, Reject the “Big Lie”!
“He who permits himself to tell a lie once, finds it much easier to do it a second and third time, till at length it becomes habitual; he tells lies without attending to it, and truths without the world’s believing him. This falsehood of the tongue leads to that of the heart, and in time depraves all its good dispositions.” – Thomas Jefferson
“The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground” – Thomas Jefferson
“Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness” – George Washington
When the founders of America set out to form a better type of government they had a clear historical perspective of the type of government they did not want. They knew that monarchies and arbitrary power were the enemies of freedom. Using this knowledge they created a republican form of government that by design was based on “natural law” rather than positive law.
So what is natural law? Natural law begins with the premise that all of our rights come from God or nature and are inherent to our being. Positive law, on the other hand, believes that our rights are granted by the government, society or other men and therefore can be taken back by them as well. Positive law is the basis for the concept of social justice which attempts to subvert natural law and create artificial equality through regulations or force. This goes against the very essence of human nature. In other words, laws created by men are always secondary to natural law which emanates from human nature itself.
With first hand understanding of the pain and injustice suffered throughout Europe at the hands of monarchs, the founders built a government that used natural law as its foundation. Beginning with the Declaration of Independence the theme on which America was established was natural law.
“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.” – The United States of America, Declaration of Independence
With natural law as the foundation of our government, the founders formalized their intent with the establishment of our Constitution. The very intent of the Constitution is to uphold natural law by restraining the government. The Constitution not only recognizes that we have natural rights but, that we are free to exercise these rights. In fact the one of the primary purposes of our government is to protect our natural rights. The Constitution does not grant us rights, it was designed to prevent the government from trampling those rights in pursuit of its own goals.
“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government — lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.” – Patrick Henry
Natural law is the antithesis of positive law which is based on theories of majority rules, rights are granted and the government’s goal is to serve the majority. In this form of government the will of those in power is enforced and the minority is left unprotected, their rights at risk. The government becomes the arbitrator of right and wrong. This is where things historically go very wrong because human nature is inherent.
Through reason we can determine the requirements of natural law. The only time natural law curtails the rights of an individual is when that individual has acted against others by violating their natural rights. Under this system due process is used to evaluate and determine punishment for such crimes. In a society based on natural law abridgement of these morals are the only time an individual is subject to losing their own natural rights.
However in a society based on positive and in turn, social justice, the government may take away rights, property, liberty or freedom based on the greater societal goals/needs.
This is what is happening today. The government is passing laws and removing liberties all in the name of the “greater good” or “social justice”. This is unconstitutional and a violation of our “unalienable rights” as outlined in the Constitution.
Today’s Progressives have tried to revert to and reinvigorate the ideals of FDR’s Second Bill of Rights which attempts to create equality and social justice through the force of law. It goes against every principle of natural law. Throughout history this approach has never worked. While all men are created equal, they will not equally achieve. To infringe upon the natural production of one by taking away from another to create “equity” is to create class warfare and undermine individual freedom and liberty. This naturally results in oppression and rebellion, ultimately destroying the artificial society that the government created.
In their wisdom and from their experiences the founding fathers recognized this. That is why they created a government rooted in the principles of natural law. A government designed with a separation of powers and a Constitution designed to protect individual rights and freedoms while limiting the size, scope and authority of the government over the governed.
Somewhere we took a wrong turn and the government the founders desired to prevent has become a reality. It is time to make a U turn and return to the safety of our Constitution before it is too late.
Wake Up America! The pace of transformation is accelerating. Your liberty and freedom are at stake.
Restore the Republic! Reject the Agenda of the Progressive Left.
“Freedom is not a gift bestowed upon us by other men, but a right that belongs to us by the laws of God and nature.” – Benjamin Franklin
“Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed” – The Declaration of Independence
Uncommon Sense 