By William L. Garvin
“The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. Leadership means that ‘the buck stops here.’ Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better. I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America’s debt limit.” Senator Barack H. Obama, March, 2006
In high school, superior running backs can reverse their field on the gridiron with spectacular results. In college, if you can reverse your field with a spectacular result, you may win the Heisman Trophy a la Reggie Bush. When you try to reverse your field at the professional level, the results are usually spectacular…in their losses! The same is true for the professionals in politics when they “flip flop” or reverse their field.
Senator Obama did his best to castigate President Bush as documented in the introductory quote but reversed his field and voted for every ceiling-busting budget thereafter. Subsequently, President Obama has spent money faster and raised the ceiling higher than any president in history. Then he reverses his field and becomes a deficit hawk and wants to freeze spending. This year alone, the federal spending will amass a $1.5 TRILLION deficit! You want to freeze federal spending at this level? A $14.5 trillion debt isn’t enough? That’s almost as ridiculous as pretending there is an important distinction between “spending” and “investing.”
Senator Obama wasn’t the only person on the Democrat side to oppose raising the debt ceiling four years ago. Listen to Nevada’s Harry Reid: “My Republican friends… should explain why they think more debt is good for the economy…Democrats won’t be making arguments to support this legislation, which will weaken our country.” After presiding over the worst four years of financial fiascos, outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi showed an incredible reversal capability by proclaiming: “Deficit reduction has been a high priority for us. It is our mantra, Pay-As-You-Go.” Two more spectacular reversals; two more spectacular losses.
The President would be well served to heed the following words: "Our true choice is not between tax reduction, on the one hand, and the avoidance of large Federal deficits on the other. It is increasingly clear that no matter what party is in power, so long as our national security needs keep rising, an economy hampered by restrictive tax rates will never produce enough revenues to balance our budget just as it will never produce enough jobs or enough profits... In short, it is a paradoxical truth that tax rates are too high today and tax revenues are too low and the soundest way to raise the revenues in the long run is to cut the rates now." These sentiments could have been spoken by Ronald Reagan, Sarah Palin, the Tea Party or any leading Conservative voice. Since these words were in fact spoken by President John F. Kennedy, it is easy to see the reversal of field by the Democrat Party over the last fifty years and the reason for the spectacular losses they incurred last November.
This reversal of field has not only been economic but also philosophical. J.R. Dunn in the AMERICAN THINKER noted: “When liberalism mutated into an ideology in the wake of the New Deal, it also adapted the “enemies” mindset of its model ideologies, fascism and communism. No longer was politics the grand democratic game. Opponents of liberalism were enemies of progress, of justice, and of the people, deserving no consideration or mercy. The old rules of decorum and civility went out the window, replaced with any below-the-belt move that worked.”
The politics of personal and political destruction is most evident in the left’s unrelenting assault on the Tea Party, Sarah Palin and her family. Not a day goes by that a new nadir in civility is not breached by the left. This week saw the lyrics in The Mikado rewritten in the Missoula Community Theatre to call for the beheading of Sarah, “because no one would miss her.” Nice civil discourse there, Montana. Here’s your problem: she’s still standing; she’s still writing; she’s still speaking; and she’s still smiling. She won’t shut up and she won’t sit in the back of the bus with the rest of the “enemies.” She won’t retreat and she won’t reverse her field. She and the Tea Party are here to stay so get used to it.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Charades, Cynics, and Corporate Cronies
By William L. Garvin
When it comes to politics and politicians, a couple of adages come to mind. First, “if it sounds too good to be true, it is”; and second, “follow the money.” On the eve of the State of the Union address, it would be good to keep both of these thoughts in mind. We were told in SOTU 2010 that “jobs would be the top priority.” We all know how well that has worked out. The only reason that unemployment numbers are below 10% is because massive numbers of people have given up looking for work. Given the failure of the Stimulus package (even with the newly contrived “created or saved” category), don’t expect to hear about “stimulus” or “spend.” Instead, in SOTU 2011, we’ll be told how important “targeted investments” are for our economic engine to roar back to life. It’s the same old tax and spend philosophy cloaked in new language.
Also keep in mind that the “neutral” Congressional Budget Office must make its projections based upon the data provided to them by the administration. Everyone is well aware of GIGO—“Garbage In, Garbage Out.” If you collect revenues for 10 years and only provide benefits for 6, if you farm out many of your responsibilities to the states as unfunded mandates, if you pass many of your fiscal obligations (such as the Medicare “doctor fix”) through entirely separate spending bills, even the health care monstrosity can be “revenue neutral” or actually reduce the deficit. Unfortunately, it’s a charade, a shell game, a smoke and mirrors numbers game that relies on deception.
Given this as background, the President has adopted a new “business friendly” persona by appointing Bill Daley as his new Chief of Staff and Jeffrey Immelt to the President’s Council on Jobs and Prosperity. Pundits hailed this as a positive change since the previous Council had virtually no business experience, much like the President’s inner circle. A closer look may not be quite as comforting.
Jeffrey Immelt is the CEO of General Electric and has been a frequent guest at the White House. It’s no wonder that he was a guest at the State dinner for Chinese Premier Hu Jintao. (Curiously, not a single article referred to “Communist” China.) In any event, GE landed five deals with China worth $5 billion in sales. They have already contracted to provide 895 wind turbines to China and are involved in another $2.1 billion joint venture to provide engines and services to Air China. That’s just good business, right?
Maybe there is more to it than meets the eye. GE has never been a bank, but TARP definitions were stretched to provide funds to GE and in fact, they were a major beneficiary. They also received tremendous amounts of stimulus money. Coincidentally, GE also owns 80% of NBC Universal. Is there a quid pro quo? According to Charlie Gasparino, Immelt called all the CNBC reporters together and “scolded” them for their negative comments about the President. CNN’s Howard Kurtz referred to MSNBC as “the Obama network.” MSNBC anchors Chris Mathews, Keith Olberman (R.I.P.), Rachel Maddow, Laurence O’Donnell, and Ed Schultz are all unapologetic Obama cheerleaders.
In addition, there is no question about anthropogenic (manmade) global warming on these channels. Of course, GE stands to make huge profits from cap and trade and has garnered huge government subsidies and invested huge amounts in alternative energy sources. At a Brookings Institution meeting, Immelt emphasized the importance of a government policy that would “raise energy prices to spur renewable energy…there has to be a price on carbon.” GE also has a virtual monopoly on “smart grid” technology. Also on the Council is John Doerr, a green technology venture capitalist who spent $2,100,000 to defeat Proposition 23 which would have delayed the implementation of the California Cap and Trade law. Doerr is Al Gore’s business partner. Do we have a pattern?
Daley came into the Administrations via JP Morgan Chase where he headed up the “Corporate Social Responsibility Department.” Not too surprisingly, he created a climate change policy that was hostile to coal, oil, and natural gas. They were banking on making money from trading carbon credits and investments in renewable energy. He also has ties to Exelon, a Chicago based utility that received $200 million in Stimulus money, and is frequently the lead dog attacking coal based energy generation. It’s becoming clear that the President will keep one campaign promise: “energy prices will skyrocket.”
When it comes to politics and politicians, a couple of adages come to mind. First, “if it sounds too good to be true, it is”; and second, “follow the money.” On the eve of the State of the Union address, it would be good to keep both of these thoughts in mind. We were told in SOTU 2010 that “jobs would be the top priority.” We all know how well that has worked out. The only reason that unemployment numbers are below 10% is because massive numbers of people have given up looking for work. Given the failure of the Stimulus package (even with the newly contrived “created or saved” category), don’t expect to hear about “stimulus” or “spend.” Instead, in SOTU 2011, we’ll be told how important “targeted investments” are for our economic engine to roar back to life. It’s the same old tax and spend philosophy cloaked in new language.
Also keep in mind that the “neutral” Congressional Budget Office must make its projections based upon the data provided to them by the administration. Everyone is well aware of GIGO—“Garbage In, Garbage Out.” If you collect revenues for 10 years and only provide benefits for 6, if you farm out many of your responsibilities to the states as unfunded mandates, if you pass many of your fiscal obligations (such as the Medicare “doctor fix”) through entirely separate spending bills, even the health care monstrosity can be “revenue neutral” or actually reduce the deficit. Unfortunately, it’s a charade, a shell game, a smoke and mirrors numbers game that relies on deception.
Given this as background, the President has adopted a new “business friendly” persona by appointing Bill Daley as his new Chief of Staff and Jeffrey Immelt to the President’s Council on Jobs and Prosperity. Pundits hailed this as a positive change since the previous Council had virtually no business experience, much like the President’s inner circle. A closer look may not be quite as comforting.
Jeffrey Immelt is the CEO of General Electric and has been a frequent guest at the White House. It’s no wonder that he was a guest at the State dinner for Chinese Premier Hu Jintao. (Curiously, not a single article referred to “Communist” China.) In any event, GE landed five deals with China worth $5 billion in sales. They have already contracted to provide 895 wind turbines to China and are involved in another $2.1 billion joint venture to provide engines and services to Air China. That’s just good business, right?
Maybe there is more to it than meets the eye. GE has never been a bank, but TARP definitions were stretched to provide funds to GE and in fact, they were a major beneficiary. They also received tremendous amounts of stimulus money. Coincidentally, GE also owns 80% of NBC Universal. Is there a quid pro quo? According to Charlie Gasparino, Immelt called all the CNBC reporters together and “scolded” them for their negative comments about the President. CNN’s Howard Kurtz referred to MSNBC as “the Obama network.” MSNBC anchors Chris Mathews, Keith Olberman (R.I.P.), Rachel Maddow, Laurence O’Donnell, and Ed Schultz are all unapologetic Obama cheerleaders.
In addition, there is no question about anthropogenic (manmade) global warming on these channels. Of course, GE stands to make huge profits from cap and trade and has garnered huge government subsidies and invested huge amounts in alternative energy sources. At a Brookings Institution meeting, Immelt emphasized the importance of a government policy that would “raise energy prices to spur renewable energy…there has to be a price on carbon.” GE also has a virtual monopoly on “smart grid” technology. Also on the Council is John Doerr, a green technology venture capitalist who spent $2,100,000 to defeat Proposition 23 which would have delayed the implementation of the California Cap and Trade law. Doerr is Al Gore’s business partner. Do we have a pattern?
Daley came into the Administrations via JP Morgan Chase where he headed up the “Corporate Social Responsibility Department.” Not too surprisingly, he created a climate change policy that was hostile to coal, oil, and natural gas. They were banking on making money from trading carbon credits and investments in renewable energy. He also has ties to Exelon, a Chicago based utility that received $200 million in Stimulus money, and is frequently the lead dog attacking coal based energy generation. It’s becoming clear that the President will keep one campaign promise: “energy prices will skyrocket.”
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Stability for the Unstable
By William L. Garvin
The late comedian and social critic, George Carlin, used to contrast the pastoral sport of baseball with the violent world of football. In light of the “hair trigger” sensitivity of the mentally unstable to words and rhetoric, he might want to reconsider his previous riff. After all, “strong armed” pitchers fire “missiles” and “darts” with “laser” accuracy at 100 miles per hour. Batters are armed with “clubs” with which they attempt to “smash” balls out of the park and runners “crash” into shortstops and second basemen to “break up” a double play. Let’s not forget the sanctioned violence of the “collision” at home plate with the runner “launching” himself into the catcher at full speed.
Football is of course full of violent, warlike terminology. Coaches “target” opponents’ weaknesses. Linemen are in a “war” in the “trenches.” Short, fast passes are “bullets” and long throws are “bombs.” Players themselves resemble “gladiators” and are clad in “armor.” The percussive collisions are a centerpiece of the game.
Ice hockey is similarly concussive and soccer is reliant on both “kicking” and “tripping.” Both statistically track “shots” on goal. Basketball is rife with “pushing,” “shoving,” and “slamming” down thunderous dunks. It must be obvious that fans everywhere have been preconditioned by their sporting environments to act out their latent violent tendencies.
In truth, this preconditioning to violence started much earlier. You probably thought “snap, crackle, and pop” was just a clever marketing ploy for Rice Krispies. It is actually the trigger phrase for the mentally unstable Manchurian candidates to unleash their previously implanted antisocial desires. This is further reinforced by Quaker Puffed Rice and Quaker Puffed Wheat which were “shot from guns.”
Children were brainwashed with images of Big Bad Wolves devouring helpless young Red Riding Hoods and wicked witches intent on consuming Hansel and Gretel. Exactly how did the Old Woman in the Shoe end up with so many children? Was she the inspiration for the Octomom? And where was the father(s)? Does this sanction and encourage promiscuity? And what’s with Donald and Daisy Duck running around without any pants? Does this encourage exhibitionism? Pornography? Where was PETA when Elmer Fudd was running around with his weapons “hunting wabbits”? Speaking of rabbits, let’s not even consider the implications of Jessica and Roger!
High school teachers may also be complicit in their enabling of unchained violence by requiring their students to read TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS. The works of Shakespeare are also full of murder and social mayhem. Does THE TAMING OF THE SHREW and the more contemporary WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOLFE? inspire domestic mayhem?
Obviously, sports, nursery rhymes, cereal, cartoons, and literature should not be banned. The point is that there is no behavior or belief so bizarre, aberrant, or perverse that a pointy-headed intellectual somewhere won’t surface to rationalize and support it. There is an increasing trend to absolve individuals of accountability for their own actions and to conjure up a way to blame society for their shortcomings. Equally troubling is the tendency to take tragic situations and combine them with facts and comments taken out of context to suit a political agenda. Politicians and pundits repeatedly make technically accurate statements with the intent to deceive.
There is a responsibility on the purveyor of words to communicate a message. There is a responsibility on the part of the recipient of the message to define the message and then to assess its accuracy and relevance. If they actually think the drunken fan shouting “kill the umpire!” means it, why are they out in public without a caretaker?
Furthermore, why did the media pundits repeatedly caution the public against “rushing to judgment” in the Fort Hood massacre and then immediately rush to judgment in the Tucson massacre? Now that it is known that the Tucson shooter never listened to the news or talk radio, why haven’t they apologized to those they maligned, Sarah Palin, Sharron Angle, Mark Levin, Beck, Rush, et al? Why didn’t they list Mathews, Schultz, Olberman, Maddow, Krugman, and Scarborough by name in their indictment? Why didn’t they recognize that the words and manner in which they rejected the purported vitriol served only to “target” the conservative voices with which they disagree? If one of them is subsequently harmed by one of their “mentally unstable” listeners or readers, will they accept personal responsibility? As usual, they will not.
The late comedian and social critic, George Carlin, used to contrast the pastoral sport of baseball with the violent world of football. In light of the “hair trigger” sensitivity of the mentally unstable to words and rhetoric, he might want to reconsider his previous riff. After all, “strong armed” pitchers fire “missiles” and “darts” with “laser” accuracy at 100 miles per hour. Batters are armed with “clubs” with which they attempt to “smash” balls out of the park and runners “crash” into shortstops and second basemen to “break up” a double play. Let’s not forget the sanctioned violence of the “collision” at home plate with the runner “launching” himself into the catcher at full speed.
Football is of course full of violent, warlike terminology. Coaches “target” opponents’ weaknesses. Linemen are in a “war” in the “trenches.” Short, fast passes are “bullets” and long throws are “bombs.” Players themselves resemble “gladiators” and are clad in “armor.” The percussive collisions are a centerpiece of the game.
Ice hockey is similarly concussive and soccer is reliant on both “kicking” and “tripping.” Both statistically track “shots” on goal. Basketball is rife with “pushing,” “shoving,” and “slamming” down thunderous dunks. It must be obvious that fans everywhere have been preconditioned by their sporting environments to act out their latent violent tendencies.
In truth, this preconditioning to violence started much earlier. You probably thought “snap, crackle, and pop” was just a clever marketing ploy for Rice Krispies. It is actually the trigger phrase for the mentally unstable Manchurian candidates to unleash their previously implanted antisocial desires. This is further reinforced by Quaker Puffed Rice and Quaker Puffed Wheat which were “shot from guns.”
Children were brainwashed with images of Big Bad Wolves devouring helpless young Red Riding Hoods and wicked witches intent on consuming Hansel and Gretel. Exactly how did the Old Woman in the Shoe end up with so many children? Was she the inspiration for the Octomom? And where was the father(s)? Does this sanction and encourage promiscuity? And what’s with Donald and Daisy Duck running around without any pants? Does this encourage exhibitionism? Pornography? Where was PETA when Elmer Fudd was running around with his weapons “hunting wabbits”? Speaking of rabbits, let’s not even consider the implications of Jessica and Roger!
High school teachers may also be complicit in their enabling of unchained violence by requiring their students to read TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS. The works of Shakespeare are also full of murder and social mayhem. Does THE TAMING OF THE SHREW and the more contemporary WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOLFE? inspire domestic mayhem?
Obviously, sports, nursery rhymes, cereal, cartoons, and literature should not be banned. The point is that there is no behavior or belief so bizarre, aberrant, or perverse that a pointy-headed intellectual somewhere won’t surface to rationalize and support it. There is an increasing trend to absolve individuals of accountability for their own actions and to conjure up a way to blame society for their shortcomings. Equally troubling is the tendency to take tragic situations and combine them with facts and comments taken out of context to suit a political agenda. Politicians and pundits repeatedly make technically accurate statements with the intent to deceive.
There is a responsibility on the purveyor of words to communicate a message. There is a responsibility on the part of the recipient of the message to define the message and then to assess its accuracy and relevance. If they actually think the drunken fan shouting “kill the umpire!” means it, why are they out in public without a caretaker?
Furthermore, why did the media pundits repeatedly caution the public against “rushing to judgment” in the Fort Hood massacre and then immediately rush to judgment in the Tucson massacre? Now that it is known that the Tucson shooter never listened to the news or talk radio, why haven’t they apologized to those they maligned, Sarah Palin, Sharron Angle, Mark Levin, Beck, Rush, et al? Why didn’t they list Mathews, Schultz, Olberman, Maddow, Krugman, and Scarborough by name in their indictment? Why didn’t they recognize that the words and manner in which they rejected the purported vitriol served only to “target” the conservative voices with which they disagree? If one of them is subsequently harmed by one of their “mentally unstable” listeners or readers, will they accept personal responsibility? As usual, they will not.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Symbolism and Sophistry
By William L. Garvin
This last weekend, a self-absorbed narcissist called Jared Loughner decided to make a name for himself. He had dropped out of high school, been kicked out of community college, was rejected by the Army and was described by a classmate as a “pot smoking leftist.” His Facebook page listed Mein Kampf and the Communist Manifesto among his favorite books. His favorite video was of a terrorist burning an American flag. In a video he posted to YouTube he said: “The government is implying mind control and brainwash on the people by controlling grammar.” Later on he said: “No! I won’t trust in God!” If ever there was an antithesis to an American patriot, or the Tea Party, or to Sarah Palin, Loughner is it.
In a cowardly attack on innocent civilians in Tucson, he killed six people and wounded another fourteen. Among those he killed was a 63 year old conservative Republican judge who had been appointed by George H.W. Bush, a 76 year old Christian who died shielding his wife from the murderer, and a 9 year old girl named Christine who was born on 9/11/2001 and who had just been elected to her school student council. He also murdered a 73 year old woman and a 79 year old woman. He also killed a young congressional staffer and critically wounded moderate Democrat Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. Were it not for a courageous woman who grabbed the magazine as he attempted to reload and two bystanders who tackled this contemptible loser, the carnage would have been much worse.
In a scene reminiscent of Columbine, one would think that all would gather in condemnation of this despicable act and lend as much prayer, comfort, and support to the victims as they could humanly muster. Some did but such was not the case for all. Within minutes, leftist blogs such as Daily Kos, Firedog Lake, and the Huffington Post swooped in like vultures on carrion, picking and clawing at scraps to create a new scenario. It was the “vitriolic atmosphere” created by “media hosts” and “violent rhetoric” of Sarah Palin and the Tea Party the instigated this horrendous act. In another incredible lapse of journalistic integrity, MSNBC and CNN, even Fox, began treating these internet fantasies as if they were real news. Sheriff Clarence Dupnik added fuel to the fire by hypothesizing that rhetoric could inflame those who are “mentally unstable.” After criticizing conservative media, he noted that “freedom of speech has consequences.” Previously the lifetime Democrat had called the Tea Party “bigots.” Loughner has refused to cooperate with the investigation so the Sheriff has no evidence of any kind as to his motivation. In his case, partisan politics prevailed over police professionalism. One can readily imagine a defense attorney calling the Sheriff to testify about his client’s “diminished capacity.”
The lemming media mouthpieces then made much of Sarah Palin’s tweet of “Don’t retreat, reload” and her map which targeted twenty congressional districts with “crosshairs.” Congresswoman Giffords district was one. Nothing was made of the Democratic National Committee’s use of “bullseyes” as “targets” on their map. Also nothing was said about the Daily Kos itself “targeting” the Congresswoman with a similar bullseye! They also published an article that headlined “My Congresswoman is DEAD to me!” Why? Because the author was distressed that the congresswoman had voted for John Lewis instead of Nancy Pelosi for minority leader! To disguise their hypocrisy, Daily Kos has scrubbed both of these pages but they have been archived by others for posterity. Curiously lacking in the coverage of “violent rhetoric” was the President’s “they bring a knife, we bring a gun” outburst or demanding his followers “get in their faces.” But then, that wouldn’t fit their agenda.
A Google search of “in the crosshairs” has over a million hits with such nuggets as a book by Kathleen Willey called CAUGHT IN THE CROSSHAIRS OF BILL AND HILLARY CLINTON; headlines of AARON RODGERS IN THE EAGLES’ CROSSHAIRS and LINDSAY LOHAN IN THE SHERIFF’S CROSSHAIRS; also coaches, Fed manipulations, Christians, Cuba, Iran, Chesapeake, cancer, plastic bags, feral cats and many, many more are all “in the crosshairs.” Stop connecting imaginary dots in your hateful fantasies.
There is no relationship between Sarah Palin and Jared Loughner. There is no relationship between the Tea Party and Jared Loughner. There is no relationship between rational thought and Jared Loughner. He is a pathetic, tormented, anarchistic soul whose only significance is the evil he has done. Stop trying to make him anything more. You would be better off spending your time praying for those this lunatic has harmed.
This last weekend, a self-absorbed narcissist called Jared Loughner decided to make a name for himself. He had dropped out of high school, been kicked out of community college, was rejected by the Army and was described by a classmate as a “pot smoking leftist.” His Facebook page listed Mein Kampf and the Communist Manifesto among his favorite books. His favorite video was of a terrorist burning an American flag. In a video he posted to YouTube he said: “The government is implying mind control and brainwash on the people by controlling grammar.” Later on he said: “No! I won’t trust in God!” If ever there was an antithesis to an American patriot, or the Tea Party, or to Sarah Palin, Loughner is it.
In a cowardly attack on innocent civilians in Tucson, he killed six people and wounded another fourteen. Among those he killed was a 63 year old conservative Republican judge who had been appointed by George H.W. Bush, a 76 year old Christian who died shielding his wife from the murderer, and a 9 year old girl named Christine who was born on 9/11/2001 and who had just been elected to her school student council. He also murdered a 73 year old woman and a 79 year old woman. He also killed a young congressional staffer and critically wounded moderate Democrat Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. Were it not for a courageous woman who grabbed the magazine as he attempted to reload and two bystanders who tackled this contemptible loser, the carnage would have been much worse.
In a scene reminiscent of Columbine, one would think that all would gather in condemnation of this despicable act and lend as much prayer, comfort, and support to the victims as they could humanly muster. Some did but such was not the case for all. Within minutes, leftist blogs such as Daily Kos, Firedog Lake, and the Huffington Post swooped in like vultures on carrion, picking and clawing at scraps to create a new scenario. It was the “vitriolic atmosphere” created by “media hosts” and “violent rhetoric” of Sarah Palin and the Tea Party the instigated this horrendous act. In another incredible lapse of journalistic integrity, MSNBC and CNN, even Fox, began treating these internet fantasies as if they were real news. Sheriff Clarence Dupnik added fuel to the fire by hypothesizing that rhetoric could inflame those who are “mentally unstable.” After criticizing conservative media, he noted that “freedom of speech has consequences.” Previously the lifetime Democrat had called the Tea Party “bigots.” Loughner has refused to cooperate with the investigation so the Sheriff has no evidence of any kind as to his motivation. In his case, partisan politics prevailed over police professionalism. One can readily imagine a defense attorney calling the Sheriff to testify about his client’s “diminished capacity.”
The lemming media mouthpieces then made much of Sarah Palin’s tweet of “Don’t retreat, reload” and her map which targeted twenty congressional districts with “crosshairs.” Congresswoman Giffords district was one. Nothing was made of the Democratic National Committee’s use of “bullseyes” as “targets” on their map. Also nothing was said about the Daily Kos itself “targeting” the Congresswoman with a similar bullseye! They also published an article that headlined “My Congresswoman is DEAD to me!” Why? Because the author was distressed that the congresswoman had voted for John Lewis instead of Nancy Pelosi for minority leader! To disguise their hypocrisy, Daily Kos has scrubbed both of these pages but they have been archived by others for posterity. Curiously lacking in the coverage of “violent rhetoric” was the President’s “they bring a knife, we bring a gun” outburst or demanding his followers “get in their faces.” But then, that wouldn’t fit their agenda.
A Google search of “in the crosshairs” has over a million hits with such nuggets as a book by Kathleen Willey called CAUGHT IN THE CROSSHAIRS OF BILL AND HILLARY CLINTON; headlines of AARON RODGERS IN THE EAGLES’ CROSSHAIRS and LINDSAY LOHAN IN THE SHERIFF’S CROSSHAIRS; also coaches, Fed manipulations, Christians, Cuba, Iran, Chesapeake, cancer, plastic bags, feral cats and many, many more are all “in the crosshairs.” Stop connecting imaginary dots in your hateful fantasies.
There is no relationship between Sarah Palin and Jared Loughner. There is no relationship between the Tea Party and Jared Loughner. There is no relationship between rational thought and Jared Loughner. He is a pathetic, tormented, anarchistic soul whose only significance is the evil he has done. Stop trying to make him anything more. You would be better off spending your time praying for those this lunatic has harmed.
Monday, January 3, 2011
How Smart is START?
By William L. Garvin
In the land of unicorns, rainbows, and lollipops, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) is regarded as a historic act of presidential brilliance. Any day now, North Korea will begin beating its nuclear swords into plowshares, Iran will open its nuclear facilities to Atomic Energy Commission inspections, human rights abuses in Russia and China will cease, and Jews and Christians will freely walk the streets of Mecca. All we are saying is give peace a chance! It’s the New World Order…”we are the ones we’ve been waiting for!”
Those of us who harbor no such fantasies have a more reserved view of START in both form and substance. There is no denying the historical nature of the treaty since it is the only one that has ever been ratified by a Lame Duck congress. The Democrat Senate felt it necessary to rush the vote through with minimal debate before the Christmas recess. Why? The Russians have until the end of January to provide their imprimatur. The Senate must have adopted the Nancy Pelosi strategy: “We have to pass this bill so we can find out what’s in it away from the fog of controversy.” After all it’s only our national defense that’s at risk here.
A second red flag was when a Russian underling threatened to render the treaty null and void if “a single word” was changed. When this sort of brinksmanship plays out in negotiations, you can be pretty sure that someone is being snookered. It’s also unclear as to how the Russian Bear gained sufficient gravitas to think they can set the framework for any debate on how the United States chooses to defend herself! Russia should have absolutely no role in how we determine the appropriate means of our self defense!
An obvious concern is that President Obama says the treaty does not cover defensive missile systems and President Medvedev says it does. If you don’t know what it says, you shouldn’t sign it. This continues to be a foreign concept to our Congress. President Obama sent a letter to the Senate telling them that their fears were unfounded and they naively bought it. Obviously they have forgotten the Executive Order that he signed that said ObamaCare would never cover abortions. That assurance has been proven not to be worth the paper on which it was written.
Keep in mind that the President already scuttled the missile defense system located in Poland and the Czech Republic because of Russian concerns. The replacement systems have been slow in implementation and plagued by accuracy problems. Also keep in mind that the United States has many more global defense responsibilities for our allies than does Russia. Unless Russia is ready to assume some of the deterrent responsibilities in regard to nations such as Iran and North Korea, why should the U.S. step down to a tit for tat level? Of course, Russia has been either uninterested or ineffective in pressuring North Korea and has been a steady weapons trading partner with Iran. A final note on treaty substance is that it fails to address the easily transportable tactical nuclear weapons where experts estimate that Russia has a ten-to-one superiority over the United States.
Let’s also not forget our southern hemisphere, which many military strategists regard as the “soft underbelly” of the United States. Much has already been made of our Swiss cheese border with Mexico. A more ominous concern is that Iran has established a “joint training center” in Venezuela and is training security forces there. Russia has supplied 1,800 anti-aircraft missiles as well as other types of missiles (range up to 185 miles) to Venezuela and has also agreed to supply them with Russian tanks. Certainly Russia is insuring that none of these armaments pass through their intermediary to Iran. Iran has said they will supply Venezuela with longer range ground to ground missiles with atomic warhead capability. Such missiles can easily reach the United States. Concurrently, Iran is mining uranium in their “host” country.
You can bet that when Hugo and the Imams (not to be confused with a 1950’s DoWop group of the same name) make their next move, they won’t be riding unicorns and they won’t be lobbing lollipops! They’ll be kicking the rear ends of a bunch of jackwagons in Namby-Pamby Land who are busy dancing around the Maypole of their New World Order. This month both Venezuela and the United States have cancelled the visas for each other’s ambassadors but who would know? This is highly reminiscent of the Cuban missile crisis except for the lack of Presidential resolve in the White House and the refusal of the media to keep the public informed. Wake up, America!
In the land of unicorns, rainbows, and lollipops, the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) is regarded as a historic act of presidential brilliance. Any day now, North Korea will begin beating its nuclear swords into plowshares, Iran will open its nuclear facilities to Atomic Energy Commission inspections, human rights abuses in Russia and China will cease, and Jews and Christians will freely walk the streets of Mecca. All we are saying is give peace a chance! It’s the New World Order…”we are the ones we’ve been waiting for!”
Those of us who harbor no such fantasies have a more reserved view of START in both form and substance. There is no denying the historical nature of the treaty since it is the only one that has ever been ratified by a Lame Duck congress. The Democrat Senate felt it necessary to rush the vote through with minimal debate before the Christmas recess. Why? The Russians have until the end of January to provide their imprimatur. The Senate must have adopted the Nancy Pelosi strategy: “We have to pass this bill so we can find out what’s in it away from the fog of controversy.” After all it’s only our national defense that’s at risk here.
A second red flag was when a Russian underling threatened to render the treaty null and void if “a single word” was changed. When this sort of brinksmanship plays out in negotiations, you can be pretty sure that someone is being snookered. It’s also unclear as to how the Russian Bear gained sufficient gravitas to think they can set the framework for any debate on how the United States chooses to defend herself! Russia should have absolutely no role in how we determine the appropriate means of our self defense!
An obvious concern is that President Obama says the treaty does not cover defensive missile systems and President Medvedev says it does. If you don’t know what it says, you shouldn’t sign it. This continues to be a foreign concept to our Congress. President Obama sent a letter to the Senate telling them that their fears were unfounded and they naively bought it. Obviously they have forgotten the Executive Order that he signed that said ObamaCare would never cover abortions. That assurance has been proven not to be worth the paper on which it was written.
Keep in mind that the President already scuttled the missile defense system located in Poland and the Czech Republic because of Russian concerns. The replacement systems have been slow in implementation and plagued by accuracy problems. Also keep in mind that the United States has many more global defense responsibilities for our allies than does Russia. Unless Russia is ready to assume some of the deterrent responsibilities in regard to nations such as Iran and North Korea, why should the U.S. step down to a tit for tat level? Of course, Russia has been either uninterested or ineffective in pressuring North Korea and has been a steady weapons trading partner with Iran. A final note on treaty substance is that it fails to address the easily transportable tactical nuclear weapons where experts estimate that Russia has a ten-to-one superiority over the United States.
Let’s also not forget our southern hemisphere, which many military strategists regard as the “soft underbelly” of the United States. Much has already been made of our Swiss cheese border with Mexico. A more ominous concern is that Iran has established a “joint training center” in Venezuela and is training security forces there. Russia has supplied 1,800 anti-aircraft missiles as well as other types of missiles (range up to 185 miles) to Venezuela and has also agreed to supply them with Russian tanks. Certainly Russia is insuring that none of these armaments pass through their intermediary to Iran. Iran has said they will supply Venezuela with longer range ground to ground missiles with atomic warhead capability. Such missiles can easily reach the United States. Concurrently, Iran is mining uranium in their “host” country.
You can bet that when Hugo and the Imams (not to be confused with a 1950’s DoWop group of the same name) make their next move, they won’t be riding unicorns and they won’t be lobbing lollipops! They’ll be kicking the rear ends of a bunch of jackwagons in Namby-Pamby Land who are busy dancing around the Maypole of their New World Order. This month both Venezuela and the United States have cancelled the visas for each other’s ambassadors but who would know? This is highly reminiscent of the Cuban missile crisis except for the lack of Presidential resolve in the White House and the refusal of the media to keep the public informed. Wake up, America!
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