How does time fly! My last post was in February and a lot has transpired since then. Unfortunately the healthcare deform bill passed, as well financial deform legislation and a lot more federal spending that we cannot afford. Today I am returning to the orginal "news and digest " format for my post. There is no central theme to today’s update, just my ramblings on random topics and on current events.
MEDICARE
Once again this Administration is trying to mislead the public through their propagandists. This time it is about the financial health of Medicare. I have linked to NYT and Washington Post stories that, if you just read the headlines as many people do, would think that Medicare has been given a new lease on life. I have also linked to a National Review piece that sheds light on the attempted falsehood and the actual Trustee Report itself. See paragraph two of page 282 of the report which is the “Statement of Actuarial Opinion”. Here is what it says:
"For these reasons, the financial projections shown in this report for Medicare do not represent a reasonable expectation for actual program operations in either the short range (as a result of the unsustainable reductions in physician payment rates) or the long range (because of the strong likelihood that the statutory reductions in price updates for most categories of Medicare provider services will not be viable). I encourage readers to review the “illustrative alternative” projections that are based on more sustainable assumptions for physician and other Medicare price updates. These projections are available at http://www.cms.gov/ActuarialStudies/Downloads/2010TRAlternativeScenario.pdf."
In fairness, the Washington Post story was pretty well balanced for a liberally biased organ as it also discussed the skepticism of the chief actuary, although you do not get to that fact until the 4th paragraph, while the NYT story did not even mention it.
www.nytimes.com/2010/08/06/health/policy/06medicare.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=Medicare%20Trustee%20Report&st=cse
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/05/AR2010080500643.html
http://www.nationalreview.com/critical-condition/242932/fraud-exposed-and-ignored-james-c-capretta
http://www.cms.gov/ReportsTrustFunds/downloads/tr2010.pdf
CLIMATE
Speaking of misleading, even after “Climate Gate” painted a clear picture of the dishonesty of the AGW global warming crowd, the progressives are still pushing for a climate bill. Carol Browner recently said that the Administration may try to ram a version of cap and trade through during the lame duck session after the November mid-terms. Their idiotic theory that CO2 is a pollutant has been discredited and most people do not believe it. So why are they doing this? I think you are smart enough to reach your own conclusion even though the elites do not.
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/113197-browner-energy-bill-still-possible-in-lame-duck-session
http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/08/global_warming_rip.html
EVIL INTENTIONS?
Since we have mentioned lame ducks, here is something that is frightening to contemplate; the democrats get routed in November and then return to Washington and pass Card Check, Cap and Trade, Amnesty for Illegal Aliens, further unemployment extensions, more “stimulus”, etc. Consider this also; Congress has yet to create a budget, let alone pass one for fiscal 2010. They are spending us into oblivion and we have really no idea where all of the money is going. If the Republicans do not win enough seats to override a Presidential veto when they seat the 112th Congress, America will face very dark times ahead. We have already seen massive numbers lining up for Section 8 Housing assistance in Atlanta and “99ners” demonstrating for more unemployment assistance on Wall Street last week. Is this the Cloward & Piven Strategy in action? See the link immediately below for more information on that topic.
http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/Articles/theclowardpivenstrategypoe.html
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=38413
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/08/14/heed_the_will_of_the_people_106746.html
THE FUTURE
Many people are starting to become concerned about the quality of education in our government run schools. They are waking up to the fact that our children are not learning the truth about American history, or are really studying math, science and economics. The fact of the matter is the children of America are being indoctrinated to be good Socialists. Young adults graduate from college and in many cases are functionally illiterate but are solidly progressive. They have no clue that America is NOT a Democracy. They do not have any understanding about market capitalism, which has given us the highest standard of living in world history. To make matters worse, Pop culture is pervasive and is how many young people get their news and information today, often from Comedy Central. Then there is technology, which is shortening our attention spans and increasing the physical distance between people. The intersection of education, pop culture and technology, which is increasingly the province of the hard left, will be central to the battle for freedom.
http://spectator.org/archives/2010/08/13/ignorance-is-this
http://www.nrbookservice.com/products/BookPage.asp?prod_cd=C7581
http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/08/manufacturing_liberals.html
INTENTIONS PLEASE?
Even though I am an Independent, I must align myself with a Republican Party that I deeply mistrust in these dire times. The ruling class of elites in Washington is comprised of both Democrats and Republicans. These people feel they have a natural right to rule over us. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is a good example of a Republican who is out of touch with Republicanism. Today, Republican Strategists are telling their political clients not to rock the boat, do not take principled stands on issues, don’t tell the folks what you really intend to do if elected. If you do the democrats will use it against you! I disagree vehemently with this strategy and have stated so many times. Principles, morality and character matter to the average American. Why doesn't the Republican “leadership” get it? The editorial below predicts that this election's success for Republicans could also spell the doom of that party...
http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/08/how_a_gop_november_victory_cou.html
THE NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
I sent out an email some time ago about recommended reading selections straight from the NEA website. Some of the books the NEA recommend are disturbing and in my view further evidence that this organization is nothing less than a domestic enemy of America. Since Barrack Hussein Obama has been in the spotlight, the name Saul Alinsky has gained more widespread recognition. The NEA website describes Alinsky in almost glowing terms. They fail to mention that he was a hard-core Communist or that he dedicated his book "Rules for Radicals" to none other than Lucifer. And our current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and possible future democratic candidate for President, wrote her college senior thesis on Alinsky. This is why we all need to get more involved in the education system, if nothing more than to attend a school board meeting in your community to see what is going on. You don’t have to have kids of school age to be concerned about kids. After all the younger generations will assume control of the levers of power in this country over time and impact you. How they impact you is something you can try to shape or just let happen…
http://www.nea.org/tools/17231.htm
http://sweetness-light.com/archive/hillary-clintons-idol-saul-alinsky-and-satan
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/11958
RADICAL ISLAM
There is no doubt in my mind that the radical Islamists are still seeking to find a way to kill large numbers of Americans and defeat our country. They are working both sides of the street, planning terrorist attacks such as the destruction of the Twin Towers on 9/11/2001 as well as attempting to rot our traditional culture from within. Many Muslims are very open about their intentions to infiltrate Sharia law into our courts and then use the courts to dominate our culture.It has been happening in western Europe for decades and they have almost accomplished that goal there. It is happening right before us every day. The Progressives are okay with this as it helps destroy our Christian-Judeo foundations, thus another strong reason NOT to vote for a Democrat in the upcoming mid-terms. That party has been completley co-opted by the Progressives. The attempt to build a Mosque near Ground Zero in New York City is helping bring this issue into sharper focus for more and more Americans. It is interesting that President Barrack Hussein Obama continually ignores important Christian occasions such as the National Day of Prayer and blows off the Boy Scouts 100th Anniversary celebration, but seems very interested in having an Iftar at the White House during the Ramadan Holiday. Former President Bush also held Iftars, but did not ignore important Christian days as this President does. I guess the good news here is when Obama takes a position on this Mosque he highlights the clear differences between democrats and their opposition in the Republican Party. Muslims have the right to build a Mosque in that location. But they should refrain from doing so if it is meant as a symbol of victory over the United States. That will be intentionally sticking their thumb into American eyes.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/beliefs/sharia_1.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iftar
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/41069.html
MONETIZING OUR DEBT
The Fed’s Ben Bernanke, after promising NOT to monetize our debt back in 2009, now announces the Fed will do so. This is not good news as monetization is a root cause of inflation and its first cousin hyper-inflation. Obama and his Keynesian allies on the Hill have been passing spending bills like there is no tomorrow. The Federal Reserve is printing new fiat notes 24 hours a day to increase the money supply. If you do not know what this can mean, check out the history of the Weimar Republic’s last days. That is the period that set the stage for the rise of Hitler and the Nazis in Germany. There are parallels with current events in the United States today. What is interesting to me is some are talking about the risks of deflation at this time. I think that is just a smoke screen to give political cover for the Federal Reserve and Congress’s irresponsible actions over the past 3 years and not what is really coming… I do not know if the average citizen can protect their hard-earned wealth at a time like this besides buying precious metals and stones.
http://www.freedomworks.org/blog/josheboch/government-promises-not-worth-the-paper-theyre-pri
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monetization
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflation_in_the_Weimar_Republic
http://wallstreet.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2010/08/13/hoenig-doubts-deflation-diagnosis/
http://www.moneynews.com/StreetTalk/Keith-McCullough-US-Economy/2010/08/13/id/367409?s=al&promo_code=A7EB-1
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2010/08/deflation-buffett-isnt-betting-on-it/61414/
RACE RELATIONS
It certainly is wonderful to live in a “post racial” society now that we have a black President, isn’t it? Well, sort of. I think we can all agree It would be better if when someone differs with Obama’s policies that person was not labeled a “racist” and then tarred and feathered by the majority of the media, the ACLU, NAACP and/or the CBC. Or if a person of color in an important leadership position is charged with corruption, race wasn’t used as a shield to deflect the charges or as a distraction from the main issues involved ala Charlie Rangel. It would really be nice if facts, not skin color, were debated in these cases. Then we could truthfully say we were in a “post racial” society. After all a crime is a crime no matter who commits it. When our leaders believe they are above the law, it is time to fire them and elect people of character, morality and ethics who will uphold the Constitution. Martin Luther King, Jr. said and I quote: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. “ Amen brothers and sisters.
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=38557
http://townhall.com/columnists/JonahGoldberg/2010/08/13/race-card_payment_coming_due/page/full
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OneUnited_Bank
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08/13/rep-waters-violated-house-rules/?test=latestnews
FINAL THOUGHT FOR THIS POST
Finally, a politician with the courage to speak his mind, and say what millions of us have been thinking, if not saying privately to our friends. Obama is the “worst President in history”. I will say another Amen to that statement because it is true. Good luck to Ben Qualye on his run for the House in Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District.
http://www.quayleforcongress.com/
