Sunday, May 24, 2015

When a Broken Clock Gets It Right

Hand me down my foil hat!  Conspiracies abound!


It has been said by the religiously inclined that the biggest trick the devil ever pulled off was to make people think he didn’t exist.  It allows him to run wild and wreak havoc unchecked.   Unaware of the source of evil, people can’t stop him.

Similarly, the greatest ally of a corrupt government is the conspiracy theorist. Often labeled conspiracy freaks, these folks – if they are not too nutty in their appearance – tend to grab some headlines at first.  If their complaints don’t pass the smell test, they quickly fade from the public forum.  The more outrageous and easily dismissed, the quicker that happens, and the moniker freak is assigned.  This is often well-deserved.  The most egregious that comes immediately to mind is the video of the twin towers with the second 767 digitally removed.  The viewer sees a whole shaped like an aircraft suddenly appear, for no apparent reason, in the side building followed by a fiery explosion.  It was quite an effort to promote a silly argument, but sociopaths are often determined people.

The Devils in DC


The problem with having these freaks gaining press is that when real life gets too uncomfortable, we can simply label the speaker a conspiracy freak and feel good about ignoring their complaint.  And that is where the real trick lies.  In the case of our current government, we have been played for idiots time and time again because when confronted with serious charges, the target would either treat the story as a conspiracy theory or come right out and label the herald a freak.  From Fast and Furious to Mrs. William Jefferson Clinton’s emails, legitimate charges have been thwarted by thin straw man arguments and amused dismissal.  White House press skank, Josh Earnest does this every single day.  And he gets lots of practice because this administration is by far the most corrupt, totalitarian cabal in our history.  Earnest doesn’t spin from that podium; he lies from behind a smirk that is utterly contemptuous of criticism or honest discourse.  And our pathetic press; they simply record the moment and go for cocktails.  The few who do challenge the administration will only go so far for fear of loosing their press passes to the fetid sewer that our executive mansion has become.   They are not digging for information, nor for that matter reporting what is occurring right in front of them.

Just look at Mrs. Clinton’s email scam.  She erased them.  She said so. Her staff said so. The State department said so.  The explanations were so childish, so breathtakingly disingenuous that one is left yelling questions at the TV that the press should be asking.  Among the questions would be:  What charges will the former Secretary be facing?  What would the likely sentence be if she were found guilty?  What about her lying to congress about Benghazi (the US was running guns to Syria via Turkey, as it turns out, to the wrong people)? 

Of course, such questions about that woman being charged with anything would be met with the freak treatment mentioned above – and most of the press would go along with it.

But when the truth is this obvious, a sycophantic press is not the problem.  We are.  It’s easy to dismiss unpleasantness with dismissive labels, but in the case of this government, it is perilous to do so.  We need to stand up.  We need to deal with what has happened and is happening to our country.

But the above complaints are all prologue. The most immediate priority is relieving Obama of any dealings with Iran.  We have watched idly as he lied about his intentions to deal with their nuclear program.  The entire three-year production has been a lie.  When the administration said at the beginning of negotiations that Iran was 7-10 years from breakout (that point at which they could weaponize nukes) every literate human being knew that was a lie already.  And yet, when he said he intended to prevent them from attaining a nuke, the press pretended to believe that too.  Late last year, the breakout point was 12 – 18 months.  Still a lie, and we were already lifting sanctions!!!!  When congress said they wouldn’t allow Obama to enact an agreement on his own the American Emperor said that it is silly at this point to quibble because Iran was only about a month from breakout so we need to have this agreement to keep the genie in the bottle for ten more years.  News flash:  Nothing will stop Iran from weaponizing.  That was never the point.  More on this later.

Devil Dorks


While witnessing lie after lie, what did Boehner and McConnell do?  They “compromised” with Obama in the way in which they would be “allowed” to review this worthless sham document.

Here are the two greatest offenses.  One, McConnell and Boehner are the loyal opposition representing a separate and equal branch of a constitutional government.  They do not work for the White House.  They marshal votes for their position and issue orders, in the form of bills, to the White House. Such orders can be vetoed and that veto possibly overridden, but the bills carry the weight of the American will.  Yet these two ineffectual idiots ask for allowances rather than insisting on doing their duty.  In behaving this way all through these years, they have facilitated offense number two.

The Devils Holds a Fire Sale


Here, I stand corrected on the piece I wrote earlier about losing Egypt.  I allowed for cowardice and incompetence as the reason for the United States losing our influence in the Middle East and North Africa; and cowardice may be a part of it.  Sadly, there seems to be a more devious reason.  The Obama/Jarrett cabal is not and has not been working to protect the interests of the United States abroad.  Quite to the contrary, they have been actively seeking the advantage of a few Muslim countries over ours.


Look how far the administration has perverted its original stance on Iran.  Since declaring his unwavering determination to prevent Iran from acquiring nukes in 2012, we have been watching Obama lobby congress, directly and through the press.  They are working strenuously to protect Iran's nuke ambitions and produce an agreement that provides this country with absolutely no satisfaction while facilitating the production of nuclear weapons by Iran's phony religious nut bags (read: ayatollahs.)

Don’t take my word for it.  Watch the pattern develop.  From their starting point, Obama has steadily backed away from the original plan of complete prevention of Iranian nukes and possible regime change to accomplish that goal.  From the very start the administration fought against sanctions.  Throughout the process, they nagged congress to lessen and then lift sanctions.  While the Kabuki Theater they called negotiations played out and sanctions were reduced, Iran became more bellicose.  They were downright cocky.  They were clearly told that Obama was in their corner, not in ours.  “Negotiators” would meet in plush surroundings in Geneva and go on record with phony positions, none of which was intended to go on paper in any real way.  And as Iran raced to improve their nuke program, the Administration dug in its heels – against the United States Congress!


UPDATE: As of this week, the Jarrett administration has announced through their the spokesbitch Josh Earnest, that the June 30th deadline (now the 4th deadline?) isn't really the deadline.  Whatever deal they come away with will require further negotiations to really, REALLY get right.  Please, no sanctions on our Iranian friends during this delicate period.

We are watching your president, the C-in-C of your armed forces, and naked Islamophile, slow walk a scam to ensure that our sworn enemy, total religious nut bags, get a nuke to lord over the world.  When it is over, they'll say, "Well, golly. We did our best, but they got the Bomb anyway.  Sneaky bastards."

And have Boenher and McConnell stopped all action on any bill to address this insanity?  No! during this time, they have voted to give Mr. Executive Authority enhanced trade negotiating authority!  Why are those two morons still in their seats?  Why are they not out of power?  House and Senate: Grow balls! Dump the morons and throw a stick in the spokes of Obama's girl bike!  NOW!

And elsewhere…


And it gets worse my friends, much worse.  Question: If Obama/Jarrett really wanted to keep Iraq stable and not make a mockery of the loss of American lives there, why would they have waited until 30 days before the expiration of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) to do anything to maintain our interests?  And when they finally decided to act, why did they send Joe “Duh” Biden to do the heavy lifting?  My previous answer allowed for stupidity.  I now repudiate that assertion for one much clearer.  Barack Obama, Commander in Chief of our Armed Forces, the Chief Executive for the government of these United States, fully intended to leave behind a power vacuum for his friends in Iran to fill.  The same Obama wants the vilest of Muslim countries to have a nuke.  The same Barack Hussein Obama and Iranian-born Valerie Jarrett fought the United States Senate in an attempt to preserve the power of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Fortunately for the citizens of Egypt, better people who don’t think religious nut baggery makes for good governance prevailed and ousted the nut bags despite the assistance provided to the MB by Obama.

The insanity continues.  Obama knew he couldn’t just walk away from Afghanistan.  But even with his “surge”, a lame pretense of force costing American lives, Obama made it nakedly clear to those he favors there that they should just sit tight, we’ll be gone soon.  Hell, he announces every withdrawal with each strategic adjustment.

And those who know better, Republican and Democrat have allowed this to happen.  Whether watching the cabal gather power unto itself domestically with Obamacare and illegal immigration activity, or allowing the cabal to ignore the law in the cases of Fast and Furious, the IRS scandal, Bill’s wife and her emails, those senators and congressmen have done the United States and their own institutions a grave disservice.  And they have compounded that immeasurably by allowing the President to sell us out to the power mongers in countries like Iran.

Allow Me a Broad Extrapolation.


Here’s the foil hat part.  Why, since Clinton, have we had elections where the county is so closely split on Election Day?  The whores and hacks of the political class tell us it is because we are so polarized.  But when have there not been at least two poles of influence in politics? There is nothing inherently wrong with polarization. That’s just a talking point both parties indulge in, much like both parties exploiting illegal immigrants for their own gains – Dems for the illegal voters and Reps for the slave labor the Chamber of Commerce loves.  Why is the vote always so close? With a White House devoid of ethics and congress behaving like a nakedly corrupt lapdog, does it become plausible that the leadership in both parties have rigged the paperless vote to reflect a slowly modulating split of power between themselves?  With paperless ballots, it’s easy as hell to do.  We have never had a period of so many four-year cycles where one party just barely beats out the other and only those who seem to be already out of favor lose their seats.  Clearly, if I am only half right about what I’ve written, this government has no ethical or constitutional compass.

Have we reached that point?  Have we become more debased than Mexico? Does the reader even give a damn that I ask? Or am I just one of those freaks?

Next Time:  How do we take our country back?





Friday, May 22, 2015

Canard of the Week: Free trade Agreements

The government is notorious for creating terms that are utterly devoid of truth.  Affordable Care Act leaps to mind.  So I will dedicate space each week to the vetting of a fun canard.

This week, free trade agreements.

Does anyone know who Fred Hochberg is?  I didn't until today.  He is the present head of the Import-Export "Bank" of the United States.  This is a government monster created by, get this, executive order in the 1930s to finance trade to other countries; trade so risky and/or worthless, that no bank would bother to get involved.  It has since grown into a cabinet level function of the government.  Have you ever heard of this creature?  No? Well, too bad, because keeping this obvious moral hazard alive is the price we are paying for an example of this week's canard.

The Transpacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), some people calling it the Asian free trade agreement, is by itself a red herring.  It is touted by supporters as a bill designed to help American goods get to market.

Problem:  There is nothing FREE about it.  This is an example of Congress once again handing its power to the executive branch ostensibly to foster faster trade deals with foreign countries and "help the American worker".  (I am blowing raspberries.)  How could anything negotiated by a few heads of state, always done in the interest of selected corporate "winners" and handed to our Legislative branch for an up-or-down vote without amendment be called free?  Further, in this case, the power is being handed to the man who set back-to-back billion dollar records for selling influence to major corporations.  A man with only two desires applicable; the acquisition of personal power (he only has two years left and is in dire need of a success) and selling the aforementioned influence.   This will set him up for his multimillion dollar paydays after he leaves office.  Even if we had a 100% pure and honest broker in the oval office, there would be nothing free about this or any other trade deal that would be made by anyone other than the parties buying and selling their goods.

In order to get enough liberals to vote for this free trade myth, McConnell - who appears to be missing a jaw bone as well as a spine - agreed to make the survival of the Import-Export "Bank" part of the bill.  Of this move, Mitch said that although he doesn't support the phony bank, those that do support it are entitled to a vote.  Aww, too bad his predecessor didn't feel that way when Obamacare was rammed through without real debate or substantial amendment and one-sixth of our economy was being hijacked.  At the time, McConnell was on all fours, pants around his ankles saying, "Do me again, Harry!"

Anywho, according to AP's Myway.com, this all came with the "usual presidential phone calls, closed-door Capitol meetings and urgent, private pleadings. [Emphasis mine]

A cute side note:  The president stayed up late into the night making phone calls to keep this bill alive.  Hmmmm… Well where the hell was he on 9/11/12?  NOWI want more personal power so I'll stay up all night in order to get it.  THEN: Someone is attacking my ambassador in Libya? Oh well, do what you can.  I have a fund-raiser tomorrow.  I have to go night-night. 

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Simple but Critical Economic Awareness

This comes to us from Jessica Burns, of St. Louis, MO, a wonderful lady and always the smartest duck in the room.



One of the reasons we end up in a snit during a market correction and politicians start mucking about with the economy is because we fail to realize how important the corrections are and because we don't understand economic laws.   The politicians, taking advantage of the panic for short term gain, invariably make things much worse and drag out what would be a normal, almost painless recovery.  We must learn that when things turn down as they occasionally MUST do, all of us - producers, retailers, consumers - must learn to keep our heads and not scream for incompetent beltway idiots to do ANYTHING at all.

It wouldn't hurt to take some personal responsibility and sock some cash away when times are flush.

Watch-Learn-Share…then watch it again.

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

2014 - Then This Post - Then 2015

Resolutions

I have but one New Year's resolution: EFFING WRITE MORE!  I have been remiss, especially in the last month or so.  

Review

2014 saw the launch of one of the most riveting and influential blogs in all of Thornburg, Va.  This one, Pedestrian Politics and Economics far outstrips the local competing blog Lawnmower Engines and the Men Who Love Them.  This morning I established the coveted Spotsylvania Award for Journalistic Excellence, sort of a Pulitzer for rednecks, and promptly awarded it to me.  

And why not?  In less than a year we made the case against the existing US foreign policy in the Middle East in three posts, discussed kissing, corruption, mob rat #7 and almost single-handedly brought an end to Jay Carney's career (I have a few regrets there.)

2014 also saw the launch of Operation Moron, with the mission of dumping the top four in the House and Senate and positioning the Republicans for the White House in 2016.  Now that this blog holds the highly respected SAJE the Republicans will surely sit up and listen.

Preview

But if you think my previous, barely understandable rants were perhaps a bit too harsh, stand by.  I intend to piss off everyone this year.  Before the year is out, I will upset people from every race, creed and sex, or lack thereof.  It seems that the only way to motivate Americans is to tweak their noses and run away laughing.  I am just the man for that job.

I make this promise:  I will do my level best to present views that are at least arguable on a reasonable level.  While I will leave your nose feeling properly tweaked, it will be because my argument is strong; not because I think daisies spring out of my butt every time I post something.  I will also strive to be right.   But then, when am I not?  (For those of you just tuning in, I am always right…and damn good-lookin'!)  Further, I promise to do all these things more often, so long as She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed has no objections or has no chores for me to do. 

I'd like to think that as the new year unfolds mentors like George Will and CK will look at this blog with pride; the kind of pride a man has for his 27 year-old son who stops licking windows and takes a position as a carnival barker - or Al Sharpton's hairdresser - eew.  And I humbly hope that your New Year's resolution will be to share and comment on every syllable this award-winning blog publishes in 2015.

Sunday, December 21, 2014

I May Be Losing Touch With Reality!

I never thought I'd see the day that I'd miss these two people.  I remember when they did their jobs, I was left thinking that sticking needles in my eyes would be more fun than listening to them.  But I should be more careful for that which I wish.

The Previous Migraine


The first of these two talking crucibles is Sean Hannity.  When he first reached national prominence, he was almost acceptable.  You could tell he wasn't the sharpest tool in the box, but he was personable and self-depricating in a genuine and funny way.  But soon after getting his own radio gig, he got arrogant and lazy.  The arrogant part was the most grating.  He was too far below par to have ever let go of his original "aw shucks" personae.  He developed a pathetic phony laugh and wouldn't have had a show but for the Drudge Report.

He is also a terrible interviewer.  When you don't want to know what a guest has to say, just watch Hannity or catch his radio show.  He filibusters, then asks some of the most blatantly loaded Have-you-stopped-beating-your-wife questions.  His unfortunate guest would get two words out and Hannity would be off again.  He's like O'Rielley without the presence.  (Full disclosure:  I dislike O'Reilly for the same reasons.  O'Reilly should do his opening commentary and sign off every night.)

I used to get empathetically embarrassed for Hannity when he'd run out of material while interviewing any liberal.  You would know this because he'd shout,  "What about Bill Ayres?  What about Jeremiah Wright?"  And he'd be totally out of context.  I haven't watched his TV show for a while, but I imagine he still does it.

A Migraine on Steroids


So it was such a relief to hear that WMAL was taking his drive-time slot away.  That is radio prime-time.  It belongs to talented, interesting people.  Little did I know how much worse a drive time talk show could be.  Enter Michael Savage.  As a radio host, he is the worst of all worlds.  He is unfocused.  He can barely maintain a train of thought unless he is reading someone else's work, or worse, his own.  He reads passages (long ones) from his own books frequently, peppering the segments with claims about how he never reads his own stuff on the air because he really hates to do so.  He frequently misses points his callers are making and launches into the most ignorant rants that not only grate, but often leave the caller and listeners frustrated.  He frequently blots out the seeds of great points that could have been made.

His most  ludicrous attribute is his claim to have discovered everything and to have been the first to have explained it.  About some of the most mundane and stale topics he'll say something like, "You (the listener) don't know this.  Only I know this.  And I will explain it to you."  The emphasis on "I" is his.

Marry all this to a stereotypical New York accent and the most whiney, self-important delivery you are ever likely to hear from a paid radio personality and you have what many Americans hear during every evening commute.  I have tuned in recently to see if this clown had a single redeeming quality worth mentioning for this article.  I quickly return to oldies or even subject myself to NPR (whichever of their radio stations' isn't trying to sell me a coffee mug for $75).

Is it possible that I actually miss Hannity?!

A Glimmer of Hope?


There is a rather witty and interesting talk jock, Larry O'Connor who has been co-hosting the morning drive with Brian Wilson, inarguably the gentleman journalist of DC.  O'Connor came to WMAL from Breitbart and has been doing a bang-up job in a chair that has changed hands quite a few times over the years.  For a few months now, in addition to his morning show, O'Connor has been bumping Savage from his third hour, every night with show called "The Drive at Five." It's not exactly a title you precede with a drum roll.  But it is bloody good radio.  O'Connor holds his own very nicely, has good "gets" to interview and makes the hour fly by.  I now find myself tuning into WMAL to check and see if he is on yet.  If I hear a jackass talking about his digestive disorders or demonstrating a complete misunderstanding of some of the most common events, I know O'Connor isn't on yet.

I'd like to respectfully request WMAL find a new sidekick for Wilson and give Larry his own gig from 3-6 every afternoon.  But for the love of knowledge and reason, dump Savage.  He makes the station look stupid.  Even Hannity would be an improvement, but there is enough real talent out there that you shouldn't have to bring Hannity back.  You could try putting the Conservative Black Chick on with Wilson in the morning and O'Connor in the afternoon.

From the Weird to the Absolutely Hysterical


The other guy I miss is Jay Carney.  He makes appearances here and there, now and then, commenting on the issues of the day.  But that isn't the same as watching his lip curl from the White House podium.  I found him an annoyance on his best day.  Little could I know that his replacement would make him appear almost human; hell, practically likable.

The present WH press secretary is Josh Earnest (now there's a name for you).  This guy is the most self-righteous, grating, smug spokesbitch to ever disgrace the podium.  Don't you want to just whole-hand him across the side of his head him every time he opens his smarmy mouth?   He is perfect for this administration.  For Carey's part, you knew when he was lying, something he did every single day, because his lip would curl.  At least he had enough dignity to be uncomfortable with the task.  But Earnest?  He glides through the cesspool of crap like a ballerina.  And if any of the two or three REAL journalists in the room DARE to question his endless stream of crap, he is nakedly condescending.  First you lie, then you condescend.  A perfect fit for the entire administration.

I would like to offer my sincere apology to every American for being personally responsible for the downfall of Carney and the rise of Earnest.

Okay, okay!  So MAYBE it wasn't this blog that was ENTIRELY responsible.  But I still feel bad.  I feel especially guilty when I think of the fake reporters who not only sit through the gelatinous flow of feces that stinks up the press room; they have to pretend to believe it and THEN write or talk about it.  Poor, illegitimate bastards.   (Wait…that was redundant, but not.  I am really not questioning their parentage, only their professional ethics and skepticism.)

If anyone sees Jay, tell him I'm sorry and the poker invitation still stands.