The celtic singers provide this stirring rendition of maybe the most beautiful Christmas song.
Here is a memorable moment for baseball fans.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Oldies and Goodies
Here's a post with links to many great singing and comedy acts that have been saved onYouTube. For my generation these are all great stuff gathered conveniently in one spot.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
An Opinion Worth Considering
Here's a pessimistic and/or perhaps realistic -- depending on one's optimism/pessimism quotient -- view of where we are in the recovery and what it's going to take to get out of it. In a related matter Professor Brainbridge weighs in here on the California debt problem with many interesting POVs in the comment section. California's issues are daunting and may involve repudiation of debt in order to get back on an even keel as a prelude to growth. What a mess out-of-control spending has caused in this state.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
What's wrong with Liberals (Progressives?)
It is a legitimate question to ask why Liberals (or Progressives, as they now choose to be called) always get everything wrong. Could it be they have never read, understood, or cared what Adam Smith revealed to the world in his treatise, The Wealth of Nations? Or for that matter what other 18th century philosophers like Locke and Hume said about the then modern world, the rights of individuals, the evolution of free market and the limitations of the central government in the lives of citizens in nation states? As far as liberals/progressives are concerned, it's as though the Age of Enlightenment never occurred and we simply skipped from The Middle Ages and Feudalism directly to the isms -- communism, fascism, socialism, totalitarianism -- of the 19th and 20th centuries. Surely the lib/prog collectivist world view is much more aligned with that of all the isms than with freedom of the individual to pursue his own self interest and the attendant benefits accruing to everyone in the free enterprise system as it has evolved over time.
Smith's book was published in 1775, just as things were heating up between the English and their colonists over in America. Most people associate Smith with the "Law of Supply and Demand", but in truth his tract covered much more than that simple but important aspect of human behavior. Smith was a spirited critic of mercantilism, the reigning economic theory of his times, devoting many chapters of his book to debunking the perceived benefits of this practice by the nation-states of 18th century Europe. He was an ardent proponent of free markets and free trade, at a time when there wasn't much of either, even proposing the dissolution of the colonial ties between England and the Americas was inevitable and would benefit all parties when indeed it occurred. Smith, and the others, believed in and promoted the individual citizen as the prime mover of economies, debunking excessive taxation and governmental control of economic activities in general, all the while acknowledging the importance of the government in its proper role as level field playmaker, and as a defender of the safety of the individuals in their property and physical being.
Perhaps Smith's biggest contribution to the development of the world's economies was his promotion of self interest as an important motivator, along with free markets in generating economic growth and the creation of wealth in societies. His was a message of limited but effective central government doing things it could do well to promote private enterprise and then getting out of the way (sound like Reaganism?). Development and construction of roads and canals for efficient movement of goods, a legal system that protected the rights of property owners, a rational banking system and a strong navy and military to defend citizens from predators were the essential functions of central authorities. Pointing to the failure of autocracies throughout Europe and the near east to improve living standards for their populations by over regulating and controlling all aspects of economic life it was Smith's view that the growth of the economy and the generation of wealth to benefit the entire population was best left to the invisible hand of self interest and free markets. Ultimately his was a simple message: the freer individuals are to pursue their own self interest, the better it was for the nation state.
Smith's book was published in 1775, just as things were heating up between the English and their colonists over in America. Most people associate Smith with the "Law of Supply and Demand", but in truth his tract covered much more than that simple but important aspect of human behavior. Smith was a spirited critic of mercantilism, the reigning economic theory of his times, devoting many chapters of his book to debunking the perceived benefits of this practice by the nation-states of 18th century Europe. He was an ardent proponent of free markets and free trade, at a time when there wasn't much of either, even proposing the dissolution of the colonial ties between England and the Americas was inevitable and would benefit all parties when indeed it occurred. Smith, and the others, believed in and promoted the individual citizen as the prime mover of economies, debunking excessive taxation and governmental control of economic activities in general, all the while acknowledging the importance of the government in its proper role as level field playmaker, and as a defender of the safety of the individuals in their property and physical being.
Perhaps Smith's biggest contribution to the development of the world's economies was his promotion of self interest as an important motivator, along with free markets in generating economic growth and the creation of wealth in societies. His was a message of limited but effective central government doing things it could do well to promote private enterprise and then getting out of the way (sound like Reaganism?). Development and construction of roads and canals for efficient movement of goods, a legal system that protected the rights of property owners, a rational banking system and a strong navy and military to defend citizens from predators were the essential functions of central authorities. Pointing to the failure of autocracies throughout Europe and the near east to improve living standards for their populations by over regulating and controlling all aspects of economic life it was Smith's view that the growth of the economy and the generation of wealth to benefit the entire population was best left to the invisible hand of self interest and free markets. Ultimately his was a simple message: the freer individuals are to pursue their own self interest, the better it was for the nation state.
Muslim video
This video is worth watching to better understand the Islamic movement. The key point is Islam is more, much more than just a religion. It is the combination of a religious, social and governing construct that ultimately controls all aspects of the individuals' life, much like the Nazi's National Socialism and Communism as practiced under the soviets in Russia, the North Koreans, the Cubans and the Chinese. There are no individual rights ecept those conferred by the state, which can confer and remove these rights as it wishes.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Istanbul -- a Weimar city
C.S.Lewis's body of work
Scott at Powerline has produced a post that lists many of Lewis's works and he also points out the fatuousness of liberal pundit Richard Wolffe, who appears on MSNBC programs all the time as a savant. He's also become the official chronicler of the Obama presidency and as such has full access to the WH in order to generate his propaganda on behalf of the one. One needs a strong constitution to watch Wolffe perform on MSNBC and avoid gagging at the outrageous distortion of reality by a dyed-in-the-wool liberal. Paraphrasing Scott, Wolffe he is both arrogant and a fool, like most liberals IMHO.
Almost everyone knows that C.S. Lewis, known to his friends and family as Jack, was a remarkable man of letters. For a serious writer of quality, he was incredibly prolific and incredibly popular. Almost everything he wrote is still in print, and almost everything he wrote is worth reading. Amazon lists 157 or 160 titles under his name. I mention here only a few items of interest.
Every high school senior should read The Abolition of Man. In it Lewis makes a powerful case for a version of natural law that belies the relativism in which students are inculcated in one way or another in school, especially in college. The problem is not strictly American or of recent vintage. Lewis was prompted to write the lectures that make up the book by a British high school English textbook. The Abolition of Man was published in 1943.
As a scholar teaching literature at Oxford and then Cambridge, Lewis wrote such influential scholarly works as The Allegory of Love: A Study in Medieval Tradition and Poetry and Prose in the Sixteenth Century, an installment in the comprehensive Oxford history of English literature series. As a college English major I used Lewis's Preface to Paradise Lost with pleasure. Other distinguished books deriving from Lewis's scholarly pursuits include The Discarded Image: An Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Literature, Studies in Words, An Experiment in Criticism, and Selected Literary Essays.
Lewis loved fable, myth, and allegory. He even tried his own hand at them. Among his works in this vein are The Pilgrim's Regress and Till We Have Faces.
It would only be a slight exaggeration to say that every educated person is familiar in one way or another with Lewis's Christian apologetics. He told the story of his own journey back to Christianity from atheism in Surprised By Joy. Lewis's defense and elucidation of Christian faith took form in books too numerous to mention here. Among the most prominent are Mere Christianity, The Problem of Pain, and Miracles. Closely related are The Four Loves and A Grief Observed, the book Lewis wrote following his wife's death from cancer.
Lewis's faith also found expression in fictional form. Who doesn't know The Screwtape Letters? It has become a modern classic. Educated readers should also be familiar with The Great Divorce.
Lewis's popular science fiction trilogy for adults gave expression to his philosophical and religious concerns as well. Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength are the novels that make up the trilogy. Lewis's Chronicles of Narniahas become a children's classic.
Richard Wolffe is a charter member of the Obamamania media. He is the author of the Chronicles of Obama, now comprising the two books Renegade: The Making of a President and, most recently, Revival: The Struggle for Survival Inside the Obama White House.
In an appearance on Hardball last week (video below), Wolffe demonstrated his intellectual daring with critical words about Sarah Palin. Palin had cited C.S. Lewis as an author to whom she turns for divine inspiration. Wolffe thought this was absurd. Wolffe expressed incredulity that Palin turned to the author of children's books for inspiration.
Matthews interrupted Wolffe: "I wouldn't put down C.S. Lewis."
"I'm not putting him down," Wollfe responded. "But you know divine inspiration? There are things she could've said to divine inspiration. Choosing C.S. Lewis is an interesting one."
Palin's citation of C.S. Lewis is interesting, though not in the sense that Wolffe means. I would be interested to know in which of Lewis's books Palin has found inspiration. Palin's citation of Lewis in any event makes perfect sense. Even more interesting than Palin's citation of Lewis is the fact that, at the time of his appearance on Hardball, Wolffe had no knowledge of Lewis as anyone other than the author of the Narnia books. Anyone who combines arrogance and ignorance in these proportions is a fool. Wolffe is hardly special in this respect, but he is a good example of the phenomenon.
UPDATE: Joe Malchow says that I should promote this post under the heading: "Every C.S. Lewis Book You Need to Read." It's that too!
The right approach to governing
Mitch Daniels may just be the ideal executive for the public sector. He understands the fundamental role of government is to help those who for one reason or the other cannot help themselves and provide infrastructure that allows the private sector to thrive. To this end he has created priorities, leaned out budgets making government more efficient, and created a culture of trust in government among the people. This is really not a complicated formula and it is one that clearly works wherever it is applied. Unfortunately Democrats do not believe in this kind of governance. Their priorities are quite different. They want a larger role for government in the economy because that approach suits their lack of confidence in the free market and individual freedom. Theirs is a philosophy of command and control and seemingly no matter how many times this formula is tried and fails, there are those who believe it will if you just get the details right. Democrats have never come to grips with the basic truth Adam Smith revealed 235 years ago that self interest and freedom are the driving forces behind economic success. Why they can't and wont see this obvious truth is mysterious. Perhaps the most logical explanation is they are fundamentally followers who don't really want or appreciate freedom and the risks associated with it. Like the serfs on the manors they are willing to trade their freedom for security. Mona Charon writes an enlightening story here of Daniels' governance in Indiana. This is the model for the rest of the country. Think it will be tried in states where democrats are entrenched? Not on your life. So those states will continue on the path to bankruptcy and the rest of us better move to Indiana or somewhere else where the dems haven't gotten control yet.
Friday, December 10, 2010
A Dose of Reality from Paul Rahe
No one wants to imagine the worst case scenario in terms of the economy, however Paul Rahe does and outlines it here in this brief and chilling article. The unemployment chart in the article alone suggests his basic argument that this is a fiscal or excess debt-driven recession along the lines of the 1930's is probably the correct view of what's happening now. Rahe's bottom line is we are facing a very rough ride for the next phase of this unwinding of excessive debt everywhere and that we have probably the worst leadership imaginable in place to deal with it.
Darkness at Noon -- a book to read?
John Fleming leads off The Anti-Communist Manifestos: Four Books That Shaped the Cold War with an account of Arthur Koestler and Darkness at Noon. It is a riveting chapter of an excellent book.
Professor Fleming described Koestler (1905-1983) as among the better-known intellectual figures of the twentieth century: "He was a multilingual polymath whose large literary production included journalism, fiction, political and philosophical speculation, and some of the most remarkable autobiographical memoirs of his time. He was for some years a member of the German Communist Party. Later he became one of the most effective of literary anti-Communists...Koestler's rich life will surely be illuminated by a long-awaited biography by Michael Scammell."
Scammell's biography of Koestler was published at the end of last year. In the new issue of the Claremont Review of Books(subscribe here), John Derbyshire turns his attention to Scammell's biography in "Meeting the goose," the last of the three pieces we are previewing from the new issue.
Derbyshire quotes Koesler's warning to an admirer that coming face to face with one's favorite author is "a bit like having a wonderful meal of goose liver and then meeting the goose." Koestler led an interesting life, but familiarity with it is not likely to increase one's admiration for the goose. Derbyshire observes that the "goosiest aspect" of Koestler the man was his promiscuity.
Professor Fleming writes that "To read Darkness at Noon today may require a refresher course in European history of the late 1930s; but once a a little 'background' is in place, the book is as profound and stimulating as it was on the day it was published." It remains in print 70 years after its publication. It is to be hoped that Scammell's biography will reawaken or intensify interest in Koestler's contribution to the literature of hell.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Fascinating Possibilities
This article by J.R.Dunn, editor of the American Thinker, reads like a sci-fi thriller, and yet it appears most of what he describes actually happened. At one level it is comforting to know (speculate?) that we are as clever as Dunn suggests, at least in terms of being able to deal with the really bad guys out there who want to do us and all other infidels harm.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
The America haters
Ed Kaitz provides clear thinking in this article about all the America hating so prevalent among the blacks and so-called intelligentsia in journalism, academia, and Hollywood. It's pretty clear all those seeds of hatred and the like were planted by the hippie movement of the '60's and is largely a case, as Eric Hoffer pointed out in his writings, of arrested development. As Hoffer saw it the young people at the heart of the 60's movement were the product of an affluent society and were not forced to grow up by means of working at real productive jobs involving manual labor, much like he did in his career as a longshoreman. This article also puts into perspective the slavery issue, used to great effect by the grievance movement headed byAl Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. Clearly it's reached the point that many in the Sharpton/Jackson movement believe that the blacks are owed a living because the system was and is still rigged against them. This thought seems to drive those who want cash compensation for past wrongs and ever more affirmative action plans and programs to make up for those past wrongs.
The article also points out how skillfully Obama used white guilt to motivate votes. It is remarkable how differently Obama has governed compared to his rhetoric of bringing people together. His has been a governing philosophy of divide and conquer, and the country is much the worse for it.
The article also points out how skillfully Obama used white guilt to motivate votes. It is remarkable how differently Obama has governed compared to his rhetoric of bringing people together. His has been a governing philosophy of divide and conquer, and the country is much the worse for it.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
How did this guy get his job?
Hard to believe but this Secretary of State of Minnesota appears to be a communist sympathizer if not an out and out commie. Ever wonder why so many dems end up winning contested races, like the one won by Al Franken?
Election-Tampering Mark Ritchie Associated With Communist Party USA
Posted by Van Helsing at 7:39 AM | Comments (5)
As the Democrat Party's rapid descent into ultra-radicalism proves, the Cold War isn't over by a long shot. Mark Ritchie, the Minnesota Secretary of State who took a Senate seat away from Norm Coleman and handed it to the obnoxious left-wing comedian Al Franken, is affiliated not only with Obama's ACORN, but with the Communist Party USA.
This highly secretive organization trusts Ritchie enough to invite him to high level "not for publication" meetings, like one in 1999 following the appalling leftist riots at the WTO conference in Seattle. Via New Zeal, this document shines some light on Ritchie's contribution:
Having helped Al Franken take power despite losing the election, Ritchie is now trying to give the governorship to Mark Dayton — who like Franken is supported by the Communist Party USA. Ritchie's ability to do this explains the campaign by George Soros to take control of Secretary of State offices throughout the country.
Rest easy, Joe McCarthy. You have been vindicated.
Mark Ritchie, election-rigging commie.
On a tip from Hail The Amberlamps!
Monday, November 29, 2010
The America haters
Ed Kaitz provides clear thinking in this article about all the America hating so prevalent among the blacks and so-called intelligentsia in journalism, academia, and Hollywood. It's pretty clear all those seeds of hatred and the like were planted by the hippie movement of the '60's and is largely a case, as Eric Hoffer pointed out in his writings, of arrested development. As Hoofer saw it the young people at the heart of the 60' movement were the product of an affluent society and were not forced to grow up by means of working at real productive jobs involving manual labor, much like he did in his career as a longshoreman. This article also puts into perspective the slavery issue, used to great effect by the grievance movement headed byAl Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. Clearly it's reached the point that many in the Sharpton/Jackson movement believe that the blacks are owed a living because the system was and is still rigged against them. This thought seems to drive those who want cash compensation for past wrongs and ever more affirmative action plans and programs to make up for those past wrongs.
The article also points out how skillfully Obama used white guilt to motivate votes. It is remarkable how differently Obama has governed compared to his rhetoric of bringing people together. His has been a governing philosophy of divide and conquer, and the country is much the worse for it.
The article also points out how skillfully Obama used white guilt to motivate votes. It is remarkable how differently Obama has governed compared to his rhetoric of bringing people together. His has been a governing philosophy of divide and conquer, and the country is much the worse for it.
Wikileaks and what goes around comes around
Here's but one more example of the hypocrisy of the left at work in all its ridiculous WH caviling, whining, and complaining about the damage to relations with our allies and horrible risk innocent people have been exposed to as a result of the leak of classified diplomatic cables and the like by some criminal company called Wikileaks. Where were all those clowns when the leaks about Abu-grahib and the conduct of the WOT were going on when the fighting in Iraq turned ugly and the left was, as usual, ready to cut and run? The vaunted NYT has no problem printing all these illegally acquired diplomatic docs but in its own inimitable hypocrisy had difficulty releasing all the insider, confidential memos of the fraudulent scientists commenting on the global warming fiasco a couple of years ago. It's a wonder these people can sleep at night.
Terrorism and liberals
A conversation with a liberal friend about the Portland attempted bombing by the Somali Muslim revealed the problem our society faces dealing with terrorism and Muslims. My liberal friends reaction was this event was nothing more than another act by a random terrorist, a Muslim in this case, just as likely could be a Christian, Jew or someone of no faith. As usual my liberal friend trotted out the example of Timothy McVey, which is the default response in this discussion of terrorism. One of my friends at Powerline does an excellent job here of deconstructing the obvious flaws in this argument and example. One can see this "terrorists come from all religions and walks of life" argument at work after every violent act of a Muslim dating back to George W. Bush's reaction to 9/11 when he he called Islam a religion of peace. It is most definitely not a religion of peace and as the Powerline post points out, until the Muslims expunge this cancer of violent jihadism from their religion, they are going to be held in deep and justified suspicion by anyone not infected with political correctness.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Thanksgiving 2010
As a result of many forces and excesses at work in our society and country today we are experiencing difficult times. The economy has been dealt a severe jolt, largely the result of the build up over time of excessive debt. The nation's response to this condition has been to elect the first overtly socialist president in our history. In the first two years of his administration it's clear socialism is not the answer, as all of the schemes to engineer us out of this mess have failed. Of course the template for this failure has used many times in the past and always failed, so why should any one be surprised at its failure this time around. In our own American experience the socialist template was first used at the Plymouth Plantation by the very first pilgrims. They all nearly all died off before Governor Bradford and his council decided they better try something different, which experiment noted here in this essay by historian Paul Rahe, saved the day and launched the colony, and subsequent country, on the path to a prosperous future. It's hard to fathom why so many keep coming back to a formula that fails every time it is applied. Whomever comes up with the answer to this riddle could save everyone lots of grieve in the future. But then maybe not, dreamers will always dream and no amount of reality is going to stand in their way. Hopefully it will only be two more years until we can start to get back on tract.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Obama the Socialist.
It's pretty clear to Jeffrey Folks here that our president is an out and out socialist at best and most likely a Marxist. His evidence: the constant, unremitting attack on corporations as the root of all evil in our society today. Folks notes the war with the Chamber of Commerce, and the barrage of radio addresses in which Obama blames corporations for everything except possibly cancer. Given enough time he'll probably get that on his list too. Much criticism has been leveled at the administration for the absence of any one with actual hands on business experience actually holding a responsible appointment at Treasury, or on the Economic Advisory body. Apparently a search has been on going to find a CEO willing to join the administration in an advisory capacity with no takers to date. As Folks points out, why would any productive CEO want to join this administration in any capacity, as the "token" business person among a cabal of left wing professors? Obama, as usual, looks to disguise his real motives with an appointment here or there and a luncheon meeting with the head of the Chamber all in the interest of appearance. When he changes his message, stops bashing business and decides to offer help for the job creators in our country, he will gain a lot more support for his programs. This is not likely to happen as the evidence points to Obama as a socialist ideologue unwilling to change his stripes under any circumstances. Can you imagine Lenin compromising his world view?
Take a Look at this!
Hard to believe this little bit of hard news from the past.
Communist To-Do List
Posted by Van Helsing at 1:31 PM | Comments (45)
The following list of communist goals appeared in the Congressional Record for January 10, 1963. It was taken from Cleon Skousen's 1958 book The Naked Communist. Let's check on communists' progress toward their ultimate objective of enslaving the entire human race:
1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war.
2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war.
3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament [by] the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.
4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war.
5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites.
6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination.
7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N.
8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N.
9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress.
10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N.
11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.)
12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party.
13. Do away with all loyalty oaths.
14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office.
15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.
16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.
17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks.
18. Gain control of all student newspapers.
19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack.
20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policy-making positions.
21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.
22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms."
23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art."
24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.
25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.
26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."
27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity, which does not need a "religious crutch."
28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."
29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.
30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man."
31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.
32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture — education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.
33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus.
34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities.
35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI.
36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions.
37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business.
38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand [or treat].
39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.
40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.
41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.
42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use ["]united force["] to solve economic, political or social problems.
43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government.
44. Internationalize the Panama Canal.
45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction [over domestic problems. Give the World Court jurisdiction] over nations and individuals alike.
Any of these goals that liberals haven't already accomplished, they are working on as busily as termites. The supposed fall of communism when the Soviet Union imploded doesn't seem to have set them back very far.
1963- The Year That Changed America
By Greg Swank
12-4-2
Over the years, I have shared in debates and discussions regarding the current state of affairs in the U.S., and the changing social climate of this great nation. Since the "baby-boomer" generation, society and its culture have become noticeably different than the way it was 50 years ago. From the late 50's to the 70's a series of events took place contributing to the way we are currently living. However, like anything else, there has to be a starting point at which the wheels are put into motion. Sometimes it can be a single event, such as war, but more often, it is a series of events, some intentional, some planned, others unpredictable. There is always a pivotal point when things begin to change. I believe that time was 1963.
For my generation, some of the following will certainly stir old memories. If you born later, this may serve as a brief history lesson into the times your parents traveled through.
By 1963 television was the leading sources of entertainment. The public enjoyed a different type of programming back then. Lessons on life could be viewed weekly on "Leave it to Beaver" or "My Three Sons." There were hero's back then that never drew blood, "The Lone Ranger" and "The Adventures of Superman." Cartoon series evolved, such as, "The Flintstones" and "The Jetsons" without messages of empowering the children, using vulgarities or demeaning parental guidance. Family's could spend a weekend evening watching "Ed Sullivan," "Bonanza" or "Gunsmoke." For those who enjoyed thrill and suspense, we were blessed with "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and the "Twilight Zone." 'My Favorite Martian," "Ozzie and Harriet," "Donna Reed" and "Sea Hunt" also kept viewers entertained weekly.
Movie theaters were not multiplex units with 15 screens, rather, one single, giant big screen with adequate sound and hard seats without springs. "Tom Jones" had won the Academy award for best picture. "How The West Was Won," "Cleopatra," "Lily of the Fields," "The Great Escape," "The Birds," and "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" were all box office hits.
By years end, "The Beatles" had played for the British Royal Family and were laying the groundwork to conquer the U.S. the following year. Eric Clapton began his journey to fame with Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Jim McCarty and their band, "The Yardbirds." Out on the west coast the surf was beginning to rock'n'roll with "The Beach Boys" and their first song to reach the top ten list, "Surfin' U.S.A."
"Joys of Jell-O" recipes for quivering florescent foodstuff hit the stores. U.S. Postal rates went up to five cents for the first ounce. AT&T introduced touch-tone telephones. The Yankees played in the World Series again; but lost to the Dodgers in four straight. The government and NASA began the Apollo program.
This is just a brief snapshot of some things that were going on back in 1963. Remember?
While some of these events played an important role in the direction of change that affect us today, many of them were lost to much greater, more political events, that I believe put everything into motion.
On January 10, 1963, the House of Representative and later the Senate began reviewing a document entitled "Communist Goals for Taking Over America." It contained an agenda of 45 separate issues that, in hindsight was quite shocking back then and equally shocking today. Here, in part, are some key points listed in that document.
4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war.
5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites.
8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states.
11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind.
13. Do away with all loyalty oaths.
16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.
23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art."
24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.
25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.
26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."
27. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity, which does not need a "religious crutch."
28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."
40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.
44. Internationalize the Panama Canal.
You can see the entire list on this web page - http://www.truthtrek.net/politics/takeover.htm
Now, I am not saying that the U.S. is under some kind of Communist control, but what I do find frightening, is of the 45 issues listed, nearly all of them have come to pass. Remember this was in January 1963.
In 1963 the news media showed women burning their bras as the women's liberation movement took off with the publishing of "The Feminine Mystique" by Betty Friedan. Martin Luther King was jailed in April and civil unrest was being brought to the forefront. On August 28th the media brought us live coverage of the march on Washington and Dr. Kings famous "I had a dream" speech. The Cuban missile crisis found its way in to our homes and our nation was gearing up for conflict.
By September of 1963 we had lost some very influential people, Pope John XXIII, Robert Frost, and country legend Patsy Cline, to name a few. In the early hours of November 22nd we learned of the quiet passing of C.S. Lewis and hours later we were brought to our knees when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated and our nation mourned.
So you see, while long since forgotten, 1963 could very well have been, one of the most important years since our founding fathers provided us with the Constitution of the United States. Which brings me to one final and extremely important decision that was made during this most provocative year.
On June 17, 1963 the U.S. Supreme Court concluded that any Bible reciting or prayer, in public schools, was deemed unconstitutional.
While American's have endured great prosperity over the past 40 years we have also lost our moral compass and direction. In reviewing the research, data supports 1963 as a focal point, demonstrating a downward slope in our moral and social decline through 2001.
Certainly, one would have to agree that all of these events have had a profound impact on the way our current social structure has been changed. Personally, if I had to choose one specific event that has demonstrated the demoralization of our country, it would have to be the decision of the U.S Supreme Court in June of 1963.
But there is always "hope." As always, I welcome your comments and can easily be reached. Thanks for the response to "Daddy, What's Fluoride?" My email is: greg@truthtrek.net
Monday, November 22, 2010
Obama and the UN Human Rights Council
Anyone wondering what the foreign policy of the US entails need look no further than this video of a meeting of the UN Council on Human Rights in which the delegates from many dictatorships and socialist and communist countries (China, N. Korea, Cuba, Nicaragua) around the world critique the U.S. There is no criticism of the countries who actually are guilty of all the charges they bring against the US, and worst of all the is implicit agreement with the charges by those who allegedly represent the US government in this forum. This charade is clearly an orchestrated event by the Obama Administration to discredit and malign the U.S. throughout the world for the purpose of aligning Obama with the non-democratic countries who gave this testimony at these hearings. Any self respecting representative of a country being charged with serial violations of human rights and other crimes, as the U.S. was, would have walked out of these hearings after calling them what they are: a forum for a bunch of thugocracies to justify their existence by maligning the biggest force for good and severest critic (in previous administrations) of these repressive states. Had the US representatives a shred of self respect left, or were anything other than the left wing socialist wannabes they are, after walking out of the forum they should have issued a statement recommending the US cut off all foreign aid to all these non-democratic, fascist countries and beef up its foreign aid to freedom loving democratic countries throughout the world. This performance provides all the proof needed to understand what Obama is up to. There's no telling how much damage he can do if he gets a second term.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
One for the books
Here is the liberal media on full display -- outright lying, posturing, making up stuff. It's hard to believe they had it their way for so long given the magnitude of their dissembling and distortions. What were people thinking of before the grand awakening brought about by Buckley and then Reagan & the rest of the conservative movement. The comments section of this piece is priceless.
Make this guy the President! Lt Col Allen West.
This is an astounding interview of someone who obviously has first hand experience with the jihadists and knows their M.O. and how to deal with them. How about the absence of political correctness and wishy washy b.s. practised by so many, including former President George W. Bush, let alone the incumbent president. Amen to this guy.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
CRA/Acorn/Obama Nexus
This story dating from October 2008, just prior to the election that put Obama and his socialist buddies in the White House, tells the sordid story of the influence applied to the Congress and the banking system at large, by the Acorn group with which Obama was closely affiliated. There are several books that have been written on this subject since the meltdown which corroborate the story told here by Stanley Kurtz. Those who want to spread the blame or responsibility for the meltdown and the current financial problems among all parties, banks, politicians, Wall Street, etc, are kidding themselves. This disaster was brought about by a runaway socialist group, ACORN, and its enablers in the Congress. Obama was at the head of that enabler list dating back to the time he helped train agents for the ACORN group. To prevent a recurrence of this disaster Representative Issa, new Chairman of the Banking Committee, will be holding hearings, putting all the various players under oath, and get at the truth of the matter once and for all. He should be encouraged in this effort by everyone. While we will be living with the aftermath of these events described in this article and the various books on the subject for many years, a repeat occurrence would probably sink the ship once and for all. The perps must be identified and held accountable.
California vs Texas
There's much written these days about the rise of Texas and the fall of California, at least in terms of their respective economies. California will always win the weather competition with any state in the union, hands down. As my former business partner and true wit used to say, "There's only one reason to live in California, and that's the weather, but that's a very good reason". He makes a good point when you consider California has about 330 good to perfect days per year and just enough rain to clean things up a couple of times each year. However, and this is a big however, politically things have definitely gotten worse in California since we moved here in 1973. At this point in time the state is being run by a dysfunctional bunch of corrupt and hack pols who are in the pocket of unions and the "greens". It's been well documented that the unionized government workforce is bankrupting the state with its outsized pay and regulatory schemes. Imagine a scenario where a state in big fiscal trouble rehires an old governor whose policies from 30 years ago led to the states present dilemma. Without the strength of powerful unions allied with special interests this election would never happen. California is truly in the hands of a thugocracy not at all unlike the one that ran the former Soviet Union into the ground in the 90's. Things will only get worse in California, already at the bottom of the list of states with the worst business environment. Look out below!
ADDED: 02/10/11: Victor Davis Hanson, a California farmer/philosopher/historian of note, has written perhaps the definitive piece on the California nightmare that is its present condition and dilemma. If one thinks Jerry Brown, who contributed mightily to this nightmare, is capable of solving California's problems, then I suggest that must be the same person (s) who voted for Obama in '08. Obama and Brown are birds of a feather, and neither of them have a clue how to solve the country/state's problems.
ADDED: 02/10/11: Victor Davis Hanson, a California farmer/philosopher/historian of note, has written perhaps the definitive piece on the California nightmare that is its present condition and dilemma. If one thinks Jerry Brown, who contributed mightily to this nightmare, is capable of solving California's problems, then I suggest that must be the same person (s) who voted for Obama in '08. Obama and Brown are birds of a feather, and neither of them have a clue how to solve the country/state's problems.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Why California is failing
As a resident of California for almost 40 years now, I concur wholeheartedly with the reasons of the states' demise over these years as expressed in this post here. California is a perfect example of runaway government programs and the unaccountable political class at every level of government. Want to know why the Tea Party came about and why it has had such a major impact on the most recent election?, look no further than the state of California and its disfunctional governing class. Pathetic.
ADDED: Since the post above yet another "analysis" of the problems confronting California appeared here in this article by Robert Tracinski. One has to wonder what are the residents of California thinking when they return to office one of the architects of its ruin in the first place, Jerry "Moonbeam" Brown, and his able co-conspirators, Barbara "Call me Senator" Boxer and all the rest of the moonbats who are captive of the all-powerful unions. The middle class is fleeing the state rapidly and soon it will belong to the wealthy enclaves in S.F. and Hollywood and the "wetbacks" from south of the border, down Mexico way. Too bad because the state has much to offer in the way of natural resources, natural beauty and climate. However it can not survive the influence and power of the unions and their representatives in Sacramento who have been driving the state over the cliff for 40 years now.
ADDED: Here is a recent history of the public unions and how they gained and consolidated power over the course of time, as published in the WSJ. As usual, they are the product of democrat party political strategy and a sad legacy indeed.
ADDED: Here's Moonbeam Brown's so-called solution to the budget shortfall of 25 billions caused, as we all know, by over regulation and sweetheart union contracts for state employees and sundry other reasons. Anyone see any of those issues addressed by Brown in his state of the state address?
ADDED: Yet another analysis of the "problem" in California. One has to wonder why Brown would want to be governor considering he has to come to grips with this budget/debt problem sooner rather than later. It is rough justice that Moonbeam Brown should be forced to deal with this intractable problem since he helped create it with his endorsement and signing of the Dills Act in 1978, which allowed collective bargaining in California state for unions representing state employees.
ADDED: Since the post above yet another "analysis" of the problems confronting California appeared here in this article by Robert Tracinski. One has to wonder what are the residents of California thinking when they return to office one of the architects of its ruin in the first place, Jerry "Moonbeam" Brown, and his able co-conspirators, Barbara "Call me Senator" Boxer and all the rest of the moonbats who are captive of the all-powerful unions. The middle class is fleeing the state rapidly and soon it will belong to the wealthy enclaves in S.F. and Hollywood and the "wetbacks" from south of the border, down Mexico way. Too bad because the state has much to offer in the way of natural resources, natural beauty and climate. However it can not survive the influence and power of the unions and their representatives in Sacramento who have been driving the state over the cliff for 40 years now.
ADDED: Here is a recent history of the public unions and how they gained and consolidated power over the course of time, as published in the WSJ. As usual, they are the product of democrat party political strategy and a sad legacy indeed.
ADDED: Here's Moonbeam Brown's so-called solution to the budget shortfall of 25 billions caused, as we all know, by over regulation and sweetheart union contracts for state employees and sundry other reasons. Anyone see any of those issues addressed by Brown in his state of the state address?
ADDED: Yet another analysis of the "problem" in California. One has to wonder why Brown would want to be governor considering he has to come to grips with this budget/debt problem sooner rather than later. It is rough justice that Moonbeam Brown should be forced to deal with this intractable problem since he helped create it with his endorsement and signing of the Dills Act in 1978, which allowed collective bargaining in California state for unions representing state employees.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
John Allison
This is a very interesting POV because John Allison is a conservative (free market proponent) who happens to be a senior executive past and preset, of a large bank. He speaks quite simply and clearly about the problems with social engineering policies of the government and their impact on the financial system. He gives the impression of one who has seen the impact of big government on the economy up close and personally, so-to-speak, and who believes that the government involvement in markets is always a mistake, long term. It all seems to come down to there are no short cuts to building a society, country, economy. Entrepreneurs have to be unleashed one by one and companies have to be built one by one, providing jobs as a consequence of their growth. Once the government gets into the business of allocating resources, picking winners and losers based upon some social ideal, we end up with a misallocation of credit and resources and the mess we are now experiencing. Allison is kinda gloomy about the future. However if the push back against the Obama socialist agenda proves lasting, it is possible the country can regain its footing and move forward. It the push back is not lasting we'll end up like Europe.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
More on the Debt Issue
The description and explanation of the federal debt in the Wikipedia pages here is interesting. Wikipedia's methodology is suspect among some, but at least it tries to deal with controversial and complicated issues which it has done in this case. It would appear that the debt load is approaching the critical point at which the economy simple can no longer expand, create new jobs and provide for rising incomes. Although the exact point at which this happens is not universally accepted, the magic number to one economist quoted in this explanation is about 90% of GDP and by one of two differing measurements of debt we have already reached this number. In any case we are on a path to reach the levels of debt Japan has been experiencing for the last decade (130% of GDP) and that country has not seen an expanding economy for nearly two decades now. So the cause for concern is real and not just a political position being taken by one party. The reality is that which ever party is in control, they are going to have to make major changes in the level of government spending and debt in order to return us to a growth scenario for the economy. Bottom line: Too much government debt chokes off the private sector and results in stagnation. It's pretty clear that's where we are now.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Two Perspectives on the Looming Election Tsunami
These two articles, here and here, present two reasoned and reasonable perspectives on the coming election this Tuesday and its probable aftermath. In the first article Pat Cadell and Roger Shoen, two democrat pollsters for a long time, weigh in on why they are so discouraged by the Obama presidency and why he has betrayed true liberals like them with his conduct in the WH. Essentially they say he has been the most divisive president since Nixon and that he campaigned to be the most inclusive. It's safe to say this is the view of centrist democrats, which these guys are. The second article is a particularly enlightening article by WSJ's John Fund. His subject is Brian Baird, another centrist who represented his district in Washington State for 12 years and is retiring at the age of 56. Baird has had it withthe rank partisanship in Washington and in particular in his own democrat party. Baird voted for Obamacare and all the other socialist plans put forth by the dems and proceeds in this article to provide reasons why these were flawed programs in spite of his support for them. It pretty much sounds like he was pressured by unions and one wonders if he just caved and then decided to retire after having second thoughts. He sounds like a reasonable sort but his vote for those programs in spite of their flaws makes one wonder if he has a backbone.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Inflation or Deflation?
Seems as though the question for investors is always will there be inflation or deflation as a result of various government policy moves? From the grave Milton Freidman weighs in here on the subject. He was what they call a monetarist which I believe means he considered the amount of money available in the system determined whether we experienced price stability and ultimately inflation or deflation. This article is not a bad primer on the Freidman theory of money supply and its effect on the economy.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Byproduct of Obamacare
Reading this WSJ article, Big Insurance, Big Medicine, one gets a sense of how complicated the healthcare industry is and how it is being impacted, adversely, by Obamacare. All sorts of consolidations are now going on as providers and insurers position themselves for the future under this nightmarish bureaucratic tsunami that is now descending on them. This article clarifies some of the issues but doesn't really touch on one of the major ones to most people, what happens to the quality of healthcare once the docs are all salaried government types. It seems the experiments in Canada and GB indicate that under government auspices the docs no longer have the same incentives to innovate and improve healthcare delivery from the consumer's perspective. While reforms are necessary all over the place in the industry, one wants to take care not to throw out the baby with the bathwater.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
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