The incoming administration has a laundry list of new programs and measures reminiscent of the New Deal, or The Great Society. Mr. Obama is being compared to FDR and his coming administration is being called Obamalot (the Martyred JFK's Admin got the name Camelot posthumously). There is great hope and expectation that those whose suffering, real or imagined, will be rescued by this great Crusader (oops, that term is now politically incorrect, it's offensive to Muslims) who has already been called everything from the "Magic Negro" (LA Times, March 19,2007 http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-ehrenstein19mar19,0,5335087.story?coll=la-opinion-center), to "The Messiah" (Rush Limbaugh created the term as a tongue in cheek jab, but it was picked up by the Media and left and used extensively). As I have read or heard all of these platitudes over the past few weeks it has sparked a period of introspection. I have been amazed by my fellow mans willingness to sacrifice freedom for comfort. Not just comfort, but to be cared for in every way, they wish to give up all ability to choose. You see, having to choose to work or not, get an education or not, what to or not to eat, to smoke or not smoke what to drink, or even whether or not to have children and how many are acceptable, these are difficult choices. According to American Progressives, i.e.: Liberals, these choices are chains, and we cannot truly be "Free" until we do not have to make these choices for ourselves. There are "Better Educated" people who will take these choices for us. Further, if we do not take these choices for ourselves, then we can't fail. Failure will be a thing of the past. In fact, failure may even be stricken from the modern lexicon, if it is a state we will never experience, and then we will logically, not need it. We will just "Not succeed to our full expectation". Then again, we may have to also remove success from the lexicon also, because if you can't fail, you also cannot succeed. You may just "achieve more than the standard set", Yes, The modern American Progressive Media (I am trying to stop using the term Liberal for these people, and Fascist is still too harsh no matter how relative), also known as the Main Stream Media (MSM) have resurrected a little remembered program first put forth by the American Progressive Icon FDR.
Side Bar: OMG! I think he just called FDR a Fascist in a Left (pun intended) handed way!
BigMan: Yes I did... End Side Bar:
FDR, in one of the last speeches he made before his death, enumerated what he called a "The Economic Bill of Rights". http://www.worldpolicy.org/projects/globalrights/econrights/fdr-econbill.html.
"Among these are:
The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;
The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;
The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;
The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;
The right of every family to a decent home;
The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;
The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;
The right to a good education."
After all of my reading, studying, and listening to the glowing expectations of the incoming American Progressive Obama administration, I have also read and heard discussed that this Economic Bill of Rights is something he also wishes to champion.
Side Bar: OMG! He just intimated that "Lord Barrack, the most Merciful" is a Fascist!!!
BigMan: Busted. I can't get anything past you.. Socialist, Fascist, NAZI, Communist, American Progressive, all from the same family tree, but that is for another post. End Side Bar
After taking all of that information in to my sizable cranial cavity (I didn't say I have a big brain, I just said the cavity is large). I had an epiphany while putting up Christmas lights outside at the Ranchero de Grande Hombre. I like many people get through life's menial tasks by reaching a "Zen" of thought. Those tasks wherein you go into an "autopilot" mode and just think. This is what I came up with.
Human society like everything else in the natural world is cyclical. There are ebbs and flows. Pendulum swings from one extreme to the other. We started our civilizing need with a simple band for protection. We are a weak species physically. We therefore abandoned some of our freedom for safety and security. We probably started with the first true "Democracy" where all band members helped decide where they would go for food and how the food was shared. There was probably some type of emergency and it was discovered that a "wise" individual could take decisions more efficiently than the group as a whole. These individuals or "Chiefs" at first had only temporary command during a crisis, and eventually, as they saying goes, “absolute power corrupts absolutely", the Chiefs refuted to relinquish control. We see examples of this through out history, especially in the Roman Republic. In a time of emergency, usually a war, two all powerful Pro-Consuls were selected, they were known as dictators. The choice of two was to be a safety measure so as not to bequeath too much power onto a single man. This worked well for many years until a Dictator named Gaius Julius Caesar was selected. We know how that turned out. Two twentieth Century Monarchs owed their heredity titles to this man, the Russian Tsar or Czar (C-zar), and the German Kaiser.
Like our earlier band, the Romans went from a time of relative freedom and liberty, to what we now call a dictatorship because of an emergency. Like the Roman Dictator Caesar, our early Chiefs title became hereditary most likely sometime or somewhere along the line, our Chief decided to "share" some of his power with his rivals in the band. An early example of "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer". These positions became hereditary also, and these individuals began to consider themselves as "Noble', because they were "chosen" to lead. The "people". These Nobles thought that they were rightfully chosen because of their superior intellect and therefore they could not dilute the "nobility" by interbreeding with the non-noble "common people" or "commoners". The reward for "taking care" of the common people was that they would not have to work as hard to provide for themselves. After all taking all of the decisions for the "band", "tribe", or eventually for the "Classical" world, City, was hard work.
The Classical world also gives us our first look into a Feudalistic society, the Spartans. They were a warrior people, there were probably never more than at most 30.000 Spartan Citizens. They did not work or sink to manual labor. They had slaves for this purpose. The Spartans were considered the greatest warriors of the Classical world. They had to be, there were as I said only approximately 30,000 Spartans, approximately half were male. That leaves only the "possibility' of 15,000 warriors. We know when they fought the Persians they eventually mustered 10,000 Hoplites to fight. Why is this significant? Why am I going through all of these numbers? The Spartans enslaved a whole people, the Helots. There were an estimated 100,000 of them. As the status of slaves, they gave up a portion of their crops, and all of their freedom (including the right to own weapons) in return they were protected from all of the possible invaders/conquerors of the Classical world by the Spartans. This arrangement lasted for approximately 500 years.
This type of "Arrangement" has been in and out of vogue over the centuries since the fall of Sparta. The most recent period started sometime in the late ninth century in Europe, and still exists in one form or another today. The commoners have had many different names, serfs, slaves, the western term "slave" is a derivative of the ethnic name for Eastern European people, the Slavs. The last True Serfs or slaves traded their Noble lords for Political ones in Russia circa 1917.
The "Serfs" traded their freedom of travel, the right to self protection (arms) and self determination for protection and the "Freedom" from taking their own choices. The only thing Serfs had to fear, other than the occasional raid that the local Lord would retaliate for, was crop failure. For that they would look to the Church which would re-enforce their servitude as "God's Will". The Church even practiced feudalism, it owned lands, serfs and it had its own Knights to protect those lands.
This was the status quo of man for centuries until s group of Nobles in Britain began to chafe under incompetent rulers. In 1215 they forced the King of Britain to sign away some of his powers and prerogatives. These powers bequeathed to the nobles were "Rights". A representative Govt was formed eventually (yes I know I am skipping some steps here). At first it only represented the Nobles with a group of representatives known as "The house of Lords", this group or "Parliament" over time included a group that was to represent "Free Men" who were mostly Merchants, known as "The House of Commons". From this tradition the expectation of a certain amount of freedom was gained and expected. When Freedom is relatively new and it has been recently fought for (Multiple English Civil wars and much national strife), it is jealously guarded.
These Britains, or Englishmen with their new found freedom, through their "mercantile class", became very prosperous using a somewhat "free' market. This free market propelled a small island nation to unprecedented power. To the point where this tiny island's presence was felt all over the world. Creating one of the greatest economic expansions and a resulting Empire based on that need for continuous economic expansion.
One of the results of this expansion was a small set of colonies founded in North America. These colonies were obsessively to provide raw materials for the economic engine of the British Empire. It came to pass that these little colonies became weary of the heavy yoke of the Empire, although they considered themselves proudly as free Englishmen, they were not treated as such by England herself. After a war of Independence, the representatives of these free North Americans, decided to create a Govt. that was limited in scope and power. They did not trust Govt. They had just fought a long and costly war for their freedom. They held it dearly and cherished it. They codified this Govts limitation and enumerated powers in a document so there would be no question as to what this National or Federal Government's powers were to be. They further reserved certain powers to be held only by the individual "States". They divided the Government into three separate "Branches" that had specific powers that were not shared in order that no one branch would wield too much power. After all of this, there were those men some still with wounds and scars visible and hidden from the recent battle for freedom. That did not trust any Government. They demanded that certain "Rights" be specifically added to this document or Constitution, these rights would be codified for all to see so that the Government could never attempt to take these "God Given" or "Natural" rights away. They wanted all to know that these "Rights were not the gift of any man or Government, but that they were existing prior to the creation of any Government. It would take another 80 years to remove all vestiges of serfdom from the North American continent. It was done eventually at the cost of much blood and sacrifice.
Now, as we have seen, individuals and groups of people are willing to give away their freedom(s) for security. These people do so because they had freedom given to them. When you have to work for something, like money, or food, you value it more than when it is just given to you. Unfortunately Americans of the 21st Century do not seem to hold freedom dear. We had a period of "Push Back" against the creeping "Serfdom" after WWII. The men and women of that generation almost had their freedom taken away and they had to fight for it. Their children and grandchildren were given freedom, and wealth beyond any imagination. These offspring of the "Greatest Generation" became complacent and used to comfort. They now value comfort above their freedom. They wish to trade freedom for a house, food, healthcare, and the "freedom" of not taking choices or chances.
As long as we allow ourselves to be "taken care of" by the Govt. Along as we refuse to stand up for ourselves and stay free men and women. They will control us, treat us like children, like the Serfs that we are.
Panem et circenses -- Give them Bread and Circuses .
1 : firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : incorruptibility 2 : an unimpaired condition : soundness 3 : the quality or state of being complete or undivided : completeness synonyms see honesty
Thomas J. Stanley wrote two books, 'The Millionaire Next Door' and "The Millionaire Mind'. In 'The Millionaire Mind' he listed 38 things that all people with a net worth of at least 10 million dollars had in common. Of those 38 things one was shared by all of the Millionaires, Integrity.
Unfortunately integrity has been lost for the most part in our children. Although I am not sure that until my mid 20's, I had much personal integrity. Since then I have developed my own code. it is based on two sayings or parables that I have come across. One of which has been my tag line for years.
You are, what you do, when it counts
and
You are what you do when you think nobody is watching
I think that the only way we can teach integrity to our children is by example. My generation at least had television shows which featured characters with integrity, Maverick, Gunsmoke, Bonanza etc. The current television landscape is bereft of characters with integrity, in fact most current shows feature sexual jokes or sexual situations. Adultery sells, there is no integrity present when the story line involves Adultery. My generation also had Movie stars that had Integrity and they would not play characters that did not have it, even if they played "bad guys", those characters had a code they lived by. I have attempted to introduce these actors and their movies to my children, especially John Wayne. It is amazing to me that many of my children's friends have no clue as to whom he is.
As for the recent election, the only one of the four candidates that displayed integrity was Sarah Palin. That is why she was so vilified by the Main Stream Media, and why she was so popular among the people. She had a living example of her personal integrity in the form of her son Trig. She is against abortion and she made the tough choice to keep her child when she was most likely a little afraid. A child is a life changing event, a second, third, fourth, or even fifth child is a little less so. A downs child is a major life adjustment, the parents will most likely be responsible for this child for the remainder of their lives.
John McCain had had integrity at one time, but I believe he has sacrificed it in the pursuit of power. Recently when Sarah Palin was being attacked AFTER the election, he would not take a strong stand when it was rumored that individuals in his campaign were "leaking" derisive information about Gov. Palin. Fortunately these statements were not really released form the McCain Campaign they were from a leftist blog and only intended as satire. That still does not excuse Sen. McCain's lukewarm defense of his former running mate. A man of Integrity would have a strongly worded statement denouncing anyone in his campaign that would impugned the intelligence of his running mate. He basically said that she was a smart lady and he appreciated her being his running mate..Wow, what support.
Integrity-- You are what you do when it counts....
How can we expect our children to understand the concept when there are so few public figures, and many of us, do not display it?
Recently our captains of industry have been begging for money from Congress instead of doing the hard work of reorganizing and cutting the waste from their companies. These CEOs especially the automakers, are doing everything they can to avoid Chapter 11 which would force them to reorganize. Congress doesn't want them to reorganize because this would break the UAW and the Democrat Majority can't let this happen, they receive too much money from the Unions. They would rather give them our money, and put our country into debt.
Integrity-- You are what you do when it counts....
There are currently people trying to figure out ways of walking away from their debts, they borrowed this money, the lenders lent it in good faith. No one twisted their arms in order to force them to borrow money, now they want default....
The Difference between “Spread the Wealth” and the Alaska Oil Money Rebate
After the “Joe the Plumber” incident during the election just past, I heard on several occasions from the Main Stream Media (MSM) that BHO’s “Spread the Wealth” program is no different than the Alaska Oil Rebate program presided over by Gov. Sarah Palin.
After much thought about how to explain this lucidly enough for even the new voters that just recently registered in order to vote for BHO would understand it. I think I have may determined a way to explain the difference. Here it goes..
The Baseline
Let us imagine, for the sake of argument, a housing development with 10 homes. These homes range from humble 1000 square foot Ranches to 4000 square foot ‘McMansions”. This development has some common grounds that require mowing, landscaping, and general maintenance. We will say that the annual cost of this maintenance is $3600.00. This would require that each resident or family pay $30.00 per month or $360.00 per year to cover these costs.
The Alaska Oil Rebate Example
Let us say again, for the sake of argument that a portion of the common property (“Commons”) borders on a local park. This park hosts a festival; a concessionaire approaches the community council, and offers to pay $600.00 a day, for the Saturday and Sunday on which the festival will be held. This will be an un-budgeted windfall for the community. The Community Council appropriates $200.00 of the $1200.00 to use, to pay the landscaping company to clean up and make any repairs to that portion of the “Commons” that may be damaged by the festival goers. They therefore have $1000.00 left over. The Community Council then decides to give the $1000.00 that remains, back to the property owners; they therefore get $100.00 each.
This is of course an very simplistic example, but it is basically what happens in Alaska. The Alaska Govt. leases land to the Oil companies. They then receive payment in royalties from the Oil companies. Instead of keeping that money which is not needed for state operations, they give every ‘Legal’ resident of Alaska a portion of that money.
The Share the Wealth Example
For thisexample we will break down the residences thus, two 4000 square foot houses (sqf), two 3000 sqf houses, two 2000 sqf houses, and four 1000 sqf houses.
A new president of the community council is elected and he determines that the current community dues program isn’t “fair” to the residents that live in the 1000 sqf houses. He further determines that the “Rich” people of the community, those with houses over 2000 sqf should pay their “fair share”.Also, in the spirit of “fairness” he determines that a “Graduated Scale” of dues be implemented. This would ensure that those who have the largest homes would “Share” the bulk of the burden. Now for some math, under the original “unfair” plan everyone paid $30.00 each month or $360.00 a year. Under the new “fair”dues plan, the $1440.00 that was previously paid by the 1000 sqf’ers must now be paid by the “Rich” residents. This is how it is to be divided, the 2000 sqf’ers will pay an additional $108.00 each per year, or 15% of the $1440.00, the 3000 sqf’ers will now pay an additional $252.00 each per year, or17.5% of the $1440.00. Of course we can’t leave out those evil 4000 sqf’ers, they each will pay an additional $360.00 a year or 50% of the $1440.
This is how in breaks down under the new plan:
House Size
Dues owed pmth/pyr
4000 sqf
60.00 / 720.00
3000 sqf
51.00 /612.00
2000 sqf
39.00 /468.00
1000 sqf
0.00 / 0.00
As time passes, the economy hits hard times, several of the four 1000 sqf’ers can no longer either pay their mortgages or afford food. The council President, showing love and compassion for his neighbors and friends, decides that the 1000 sqf’ers should get a ‘refund’ on their dues to help them out. They each will get $1000.00 each year from the Community Council.
This how the dues will now be paid: (amounts have been rounded up)
House Size
Dues owed pmth/pyr
4000 sqf
144.00 / 1728.00
3000 sqf
101.00 /1212.00
2000 sqf
72.00 /876.00
1000 sqf
+84.00/ +1008.00
Some will say that this is a bogus example because these people pay the association dues voluntarily and can refuse. That is true they could, but when you purchase a house in a development you agree to a “Covenant”. There are rules pertaining to association dues wherein the Community Council or association can sue you for non–payment of dues and place a lien against your property for the unpaid amount.
By the way, the IRS claims every year when they announce compliance percentages and the amount of receipts to the Federal Govt. That the United States of America has the largest Voluntary tax system in the world.. I bet you didn’t know it was Voluntary, did you? Try not Voluntarilypaying and see what happens..
“There’s got to be a morning after” –Maureen McGovern
"I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine." –John Galt
Some observations about the election just past:
You don’t win an election or motivate people to vote, if their motivation is voting against something.. Americans like to be for something not against something…
Most of the voters that voted for John McCain did not vote for him, they voted against Barack Obama.
“Conventional wisdom” from the McCain Campaign and the Main Stream Media (MSM) is that Sarah Palin hurt the campaign and caused John McCain to lose.. “Conventional wisdom” is Neither. The ONLY reason I voted for John McCain, and not Bob Barr (L) is because of Sarah Palin. I believe that approximately one quarter to one half of the voters voted for McCain for the same reason.. Some polls say she brought his tally up by 13%, like I said I think it was really two to three time that number.
Barack Obama does not have a “Mandate”, for the same reason George W Bush did not have a Mandate in 2004.. How can I say that? Am I just a Racist? No, the MSM stated in 2004 that George W Bush didn’t have a Mandate when he won with 62,040,610 popular votes.. Barack Obama had 64,043,290, I do not see how the addition of 2,002,680 votes creates a “Mandate”.
Karl Rove, “The Architect” (GWB Campaign Mgr), has stated that the election shows that the Republican Party needs to move to the Left… NO IT DOESN’T !!! The problem was that it already moved to far to the Left. John McCain is a very Liberal Republican, he was considered for and he considered being John Kerry’s VP. He sponsored the Amnesty bill of 2007 along with Ted Kennedy, the one that a majority of Americans were against. He also believes in Cap and Trade as a solution for Global Warming. First Global Warming is a hoax, the Science isn’t settled, and true Science is NEVER settled. Cap and Trade is an International Spread the Wealth program. It will spread the wealth from industrialized wealthy nations to non-industrialized third world nations. It has nothing to do with Global Warming, if Global Warming were real, Cap and Trade would not change the levels of CO2, Countries and Companies would just pay for the extra cost of doing business by passing the cost to us, the consumers.
I can only hope things are not destroyed too bad and we can make it until 2010 wherein we can vote in a Republican congress to hold Obama in check…
Note: I wrote this several days ago before more compelling evidence came out about Sen. Obama's Marist ideas. The main one being a 2001 interview in which he lamented the Civil Rights Crusade and the Warren Supreme Court not addressing the issue of "Social Justice" and the "Redistribution of Wealth". He also stated that what I consider one of the three most important documents in human history (Magna Carta, Declaration of Independence), the Constitution was flawed in that it limited Govt. by stating what Govt. could not do and not what Govt. MUST do on behalf of it's citizens. Most sane right thinking Americans belive that is what makes the Constitution great, that it protects us (or use to anyway) from the Govt., Federal and State, by limiting their powers.
Side Bar
First some context...
For those of you who do not know what a "Fellow Traveler" is:
1: In some political contexts the term fellow traveler refers to a person who sympathizes with the beliefs of a particular organization, but does not belong to that organization. The phrase must be understood as referring to people who "walk part of the way" with an organization, without committing themselves to it.
2: Since the Russian Revolution and rise of the Communist Party in the Soviet Union, the term has most often been used for a sympathizer of Communism or particular Communist states, but who is nonetheless not a "card-carrying member" of a Communist party.
In this instance I am referring mostly to the first definition, but the second definition is also pertinent.--BigMan
End Side Bar
This post, if you have not yet surmised, is about Democrat Presidential candidate, Barack H. Obama (BHO). I find myself yelling at the TV and the radio when a talking head or talk show host makes the following statement; "You have to wonder about Barack Obama's judgment, I mean he was friends with Bill Ayers an unrepentant terrorist and Jeremiah Wright a racist minister!!" . The statement supposes that although he knew about Bill Ayers actions, and had to know about the not so reverend Rev. J. Wright that he continued to associate with them anyway even though he did not hold their beliefs... I don't believe there is anything wrong with Sen. Obama's judgment, he agrees with both of them, therefore his judgment is not in question.
Bill Ayers, Bernadette Dohrn, and the Weather Underground
Bill Ayers and Bernadette (aka Bernadine) Dohrn were members of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). This was a Socialist/Marxist organization started by several Red Diaper Babies, Tom Hayden and Alan Harper in Ann Arbor Michigan in 1960. The SDS was kicked off with a mission statement or manifesto written by Tom Hayden entitled "The Port Huron Statement". In the Fall of 1969 the SDS split into multiple splinter groups, this schism was led by a subgroup of the SDS, the Revolutionary Youth Movement (RYM), whose leader at the time, was a Lawyer named Bernadine Dohrn. This group, the RYM, formed the nucleus of The Weathermen (aka the Weather Underground) which was co-founded by Bill Ayers. The Weathermen's first official act was to travel to Cuba and meet with representatives of the Cuban and North Vietnamese Governments.
Side Bar
Some of you may recognize the name Tom Hayden, he was briefly married to that Patriotic American and 80's exercise guru Jane Fonda. He used her money to get elected to the House of Representatives from California (Where else?)
One of former High School Cheerleader Bernadine Dohrn's most famous (infamous) acts came at a Weatherman gathering in December 1969. At the Flint Michigan rally known as "The War Council", ever the wordsmith, Bernadette gave a speech which contained the following observation about the Manson Families' (Charlie's group) recent murder spree: "Dig It. First they killed those pigs, then they ate dinner in the same room with them, they even shoved a fork into a victim’s stomach! Wild!"The victim she was speaking of was Sharon Tate, she was eight months pregnant at the time of the murder.
End Side Bar
A list of Ayers statements about the Weathermen, and their accomplishments:
Weatherman co-founder Bill Ayers stated the following about the group, "Terrorists terrorize, they kill innocent civilians, while we organized and agitated. Terrorists intimidate, while we aimed only to educate. No, we're not terrorists."
"Kill all the rich people. Break up their cars and apartments. Bring the revolution home. Kill your parents." -Bill Ayers, 1970.
In 1970 the group issued a "declaration of a state war" against the United States government.
February 16, 1970 the group bombed the San Francisco police department.
February 21, 1970 gasoline firebombs exploded at the home of New York Supreme Court Justice Murtagh.
March 6, 1970, a bomb detonated prematurely intended for a function at Fort Dix and another intended for Butler Library at Columbia University.
June 9, 1970, the Weather Underground bombs a New York City police station.
By the end of 1970, the Weather Underground is placed on the FBI's most wanted list.
March 1, 1971, the Weather Underground bombs the Capital building in Washington DC.
May 19, 1972, the Weather Underground bombs the Air Force wing of the Pentagon in Washington DC.
The Weather Underground eventually claimed credit for more than 25 bombings.
By 1980, Bill Ayers and Bernadette Dohrn turns themselves in to authorities.
In 1995 Bill Ayers stated, "The ethics of Communism still appeal to me. I don't like Lenin as much as the early Marx."
In 2000, Bill Ayers stated, "I don't regret setting bombs" and "I feel we didn't do enough"
Bill Ayers has stated, "We weren't terrorists. The reason we weren't terrorists is because we did not commit random acts of terror against people. Terrorism was what was being practiced in the countryside of Vietnam by the United States."
"Everything was absolutely ideal on the day I bombed the Pentagon. The sky was blue. The birds were singing. And the bastards were finally going to get what they had coming to them." -Bill Ayers from his book, "Fugitive Days".
In 2003 Ayers stated on a LA talk radio show " I am still an Anarchist. Well mostly a Marxist with a little Anarchist thrown in."
The 25 Million...
You see, Bill Ayers was correct, the Weathermen weren't terrorist, they were revolutionaries, they wanted to take over the country. They just used the Vietnam war as a pretext for their violence and for recruiting new members.--BigMan
Below is an interview with former Weather Underground member/FBI informant Larry Grathwohl, in which he speaks the following chilling words:
I asked, "well what is going to happen to those people we can't reeducate, that are diehard capitalists?" and the reply was that they'd have to be eliminated.
And when I pursued this further, they estimated they would have to eliminate 25 million people in these reeducation centers.
And when I say "eliminate," I mean "kill."
Twenty-five million people.
I want you to imagine sitting in a room with 25 people, most of which have graduate degrees, from Columbia and other well-known educational centers, and hear them figuring out the logistics for the elimination of 25 million people.
And they were dead serious.
The Weathermen split in the late '70s into two groups, "The May 19th Coalition" and "The Prairie Fire Collective". Ayers and Dohrn, whom by this time were married and had two children, were the leaders of Prairie Fire. The idea was that "The May 19th Coalition" would stay underground to continue the struggle, and that "The Prairie Fire Collective" would turn themselves in (Dohrn was concerned for her children. What a Mom!--BigMan) to work the system from the inside (remember that).
The couple turned themselves in to authorities in 1980. While some charges relating to their activities with the Weathermen were dropped due to prosecutorial misconduct, Dohrn pled guilty to charges of aggravated battery and bail jumping, receiving probation. She later served less than a year of jail time, after refusing to testify against ex-Weatherman Susan Rosenberg in an armed robbery case. Shortly after turning themselves in, Dohrn and Ayers became legal guardians of the son of former members of the Weather Underground, Kathy Boudin and David Gilbert, after they were convicted of murder for their roles in a 1981 armored car robbery.
Bernadette later worked for the prestigious Chicago Law Firm Sidley Austin LLP, formerly known as Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP, one of the oldest law firms in the world. Although she was no longer a practicing lawyer she assisted with Legal research and case briefs while employed there from 1984-1988.
Side Bar
Another Chicago personage of note was employed by Sidley Austin starting in 1988 after her graduation from Harvard Law School, Michelle LaVaughn Robinson. You might know her by her married name, Michelle Obama. (Do you think that Bernadette and Michelle might have met?)
End Side Bar
" Bill Ayers is currently a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Education. His interests include teaching for social justice (code for Socialism--BigMan), urban educational reform, narrative and interpretive research, children in trouble with the law, and related issues.
He began his career in primary education while an undergraduate, teaching at the Children’s Community School (CCS), a project founded by a group of students and based on the Summerhill method of education. After leaving the underground, he earned an M.Ed from Bank Street College in Early Childhood Education (1984), an M.Ed from Teachers College, Columbia University in Early Childhood Education (1987) and an Ed.D from Teachers College, Columbia University in Curriculum and Instruction (1987).
He has edited and written many books and articles on education theory, policy and practice, and has appeared on many panels and symposia."
Wow, what a guy, he works for "Social Justice" and has earned his Masters of Education!! This is all well and good until you understand the teachings and work of Antonio Gramisci, an Italian Communist. He realized that the easiest, most bloodless way to a Communist revolution was through education. If the Communists trained the teachers, wrote the text books and established the curriculum for all levels of education, that within a generation or two, they could take power through democratic means. This is what Bill Ayers is working on currently. Through the Woods Foundation, the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, and the professional groups he belongs to he has been setting the curriculum for teachers colleges and schools all over the state of Illinois and the United States.--BigMan
The Reverend Jeremiah Wright and The Trinity United Church of Christ (TUCC)
What you have to understand about this "Church" is that it is not so much about religion as it it is about Social and Political Reform. The Rev. J. Wright is a very vocal proponent of "Black Liberation Theology".
Black Liberation Theology:
Theologians such as theology scholar Dr. Robert A. Morley take a dim view of black theology. Morley's paper "The Goals Of Black Liberal Theology" is one widely quoted paper citing specific criticisms of black theology.
Dr. Morely states that black theology turns religion into sociology, and Jesus into a black Marxist rebel. While making statements against whites and Asians, it promotes a poor self-image among blacks, and describes the black man as a helpless victim of forces and people beyond his control. Black theology calls for political liberation instead of spiritual salvation.
Fundamentally, it is not Bible-based, Christ-honoring theology from this critical viewpoint. Anthony Bradley of the Christian Post interprets that the language of "economic parity" and references to "mal-distribution" as nothing more than channeling the views of Karl Marx.
Mr. Bradley believes James Cone (The creator/developer of BLT --BigMan) and Cornel West have worked to incorporate Marxist thought into the black church, forming an ethical framework predicated on a system of oppressor class versus a victim much like Marxism.
Stanley Kurtz of the National Review criticizes black liberation theology, saying, "A scarcely concealed, Marxist-inspired indictment of American capitalism pervades contemporary 'black-liberation theology'...The black intellectual's goal, says Cone, is to "aid in the destruction of America as he knows it." Such destruction requires both black anger and white guilt. The black-power theologian's goal is to tell the story of American oppression so powerfully and precisely that white men will "tremble, curse, and go mad, because they will be drenched with the filth of their evil."
If this doesn't make clear the ideas of thoughts of BLT, here is a proponent speaking on C-Span, Dr. Kamau Kambon, the President and CEO of Blacjnificent Books Inc.
For those of you who cannot watch the above clip.. Dr. Kambon states the following (I am paraphrasing): "The white man and white woman are the true niggers (Dr Kambon's word not mine), we are the imitation niggers. The only way we can clean up and heal the earth, the only way we can survive as a people (meaning the black people) is to eliminate the white race."
From this we can see that the clips of Jeremiah Wright and his sermons that Barack Obama has disavowed are not unusual or rare for those who subscribe to BLT.
I have endeavored to find an online copy of "Dreams from my Father:A Story of Race and Inheritance". I wanted to find exact quotes and page number references for BHO's statements about BLT, but I could not bring myself to buy a copy. Further because of time constraints in wanting to get this out I did not go to the library to check it out. I have heard excerpts of the CD in BHO's voice and he described his discovery of BLT. Even though he states that he did not necessarily agree with it's more violent proponents he did find it personally and emotionally liberating. This was while he was a student prior to his move to Chicago Ill. Therefore his selection of TUCC is not surprising. I had originally given BHO the benefit of doubt in that I thought like many people that he probably did not agree with the Rev. J.Wright, that he just joined TUCC in order to get his "Street Credibility" and to network in the Chicago Black community. I find now that I was incorrect. The Marxist tenets and belief system of BLT are the same as BHO's own.
In Conclusion
In looking at the evidence I have found I have come to several of my own conclusions.
BHO is a Marxist
Black Liberation Theology(BLT) is Marxism in new clothes aimed at Blacks worldwide, BHO attended a BLT "Church" because he agrees with it's tenets.
BHO and Marxist Bill Ayers are more than passing friends
BHO did not start his political career in Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn's living room... Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn started BHO's political career in their living room.
The candidacy of BHO is a continuation of the work started by the Weathermen/Weather Underground and Ayers/Dohrn, they are using the system to further their Marxist revolution started in 1969.
If BHO becomes President, and the Democrat party pick up a filibuster proof majority in the House and Senate, we will be in for a terrifying time. We as a country may never recover. Barack Hussein Obama may be our Papa Doc Duavlier, President for Life.
If BHO becomes President, there will be a return of the thought police (Woodrow Wilson arrested and jailed thousands for anti-war actions during WWI, even for merely criticizing the War), he is already using this tactic in Missouri and other places to punish dissent or criticism.
The "Fairness Doctrine" will return, in fact it has been promised within his first 100 days. The "Fairness Doctrine" was originally instituted in the late 1940's because there were radio "Preachers" who were using their sermons to rally support against the US joining the UN. The "Fairness Doctrine" was to ensure that both sides of a political argument were heard. This sounds good in theory, but what it did was to stifle political speech. When President Reagan rescinded the "Fairness Doctrine", it birthed the "New Media", Talk Radio. Whether you agree with Rush Limbaugh or not, he single handedly saved AM radio from extinction. He blazed a trail for Sean Hannity, Michael Reagan, Michael Savage, Glenn Beck, Mark Levin, G. Gordon Liddy and others. These radio programs bring in millions of dollars in ad revenues for their respective stations. Yes, most if not all of these talk shows are of a "conservative" nature, I think there is a single successful "liberal" talk show. There has been multiple attempts to start nationwide talk shows to compete with Rush Limbaugh, using supposed heavy hitters of the liberal world, Mario Cuomo, Douglas Wilder and Al Franken. They all failed miserably as well as an attempt to start the nationwide liberal radio network "Air America". Most people who listen to talk radio, or watch Fox News on Cable, contend that all of the major networks and news channels already are liberal (ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, NPR, PBS), they go to Fox News and talk radio to get a conservative view. If the "Fairness Doctrine" returns all of the talk radio show will disappear, the only thing that may remain is Fox News. No radio station will be willing to put on a liberal talk show because they have proven they do not make money. Even in the market place of ideas, you must make a profit. Liberal talk radio has proven in most places it does not. If the "Fairness Doctrine" returns there will be no descent, we will only get that information that the Mainstream Media feels we need.
If BHO wins this election and we slide into Socialism or worse yet, Communism.. It will be the fault of the Main Stream Media(MSM) for not doing their jobs. Worse yet if BHO loses and there are riots wherein people are killed, it will still be the fault of the MSM for letting BHO get this close allowing his followers believe that if he loses it will be because of cheating or racism....
Well I will write about Politics from time to time... I technically am not a Republican. I consider myself to be a Conservative or a Libertarian. I have voted for Republicans mostly because they are closer to my beliefs than Democrats or the Democrat party. I hate Government and believe that it is a necessary evil. I also believe that it should only be large enough to take care of basic services, Defense, infrastructure, border control, relations with foreign nations, etc.
The Government SHOULD NOT take money from one group of citizens to give to another, the Government should not be in the Charity business. The "Earned Income Tax Credit" is NOT a tax Credit, it is Welfare. If you do not owe taxes because of your low income, that is all well and good.. You should not then receive a refund check from the IRS for $2000 to $3000. That is what the "Earned Income Tax Credit" does, it gives money to people that do not pay taxes. Obamma's Tax 'Cuts' are this program on steroids. He says that he will give "Tax Cuts" to 95% of the People, only approximately 60% of Americans actually pay Income Taxes. Therefore you cannot give a "Tax Cut" to the 40% of Americans that do not pay taxes. If you do that ISN'T a "Tax Cut", it is Welfare.
The Government SHOULD NOT be in the Education business, education and schools are local concerns. The parents of a school district should determine what the curriculum is and what text books should be purchased. The parents have a vested interest in the schools and their performance and will ensure that they provide a proper education for their children.
The Government SHOULD NOT be in the retirement business, Social Security was doomed to eventually fail from the begriming, FDR and his economic advisors knew that it couldn't last, they believed that it would probably fail sometime in the 1980's. Retirement for the elderly was not it's real purpose, buying votes for the Democrat party was. It was always a form of a Ponzi scheme (http://www.sec.gov/answers/ponzi.htm), or a pyramid scheme. It was based on the belief that 1. There would always be more young people than Old (there isn't) 2. The average American would not live to the age of 65, those that did would not live long afterward. Since it was instituted Social Security morphed from being just for retirement into also covering disability (which is defined broadly from physical injuries to Drug Addiction, Alcoholism and excessive weight), and dependent children of a deceased parent. The only reason it has survived to date has been that they have increased the Payroll tax and the amount of the employer match. Furthermore they also tax it as income which also reduces payments.
The Government SHOULD NOT be in the Medical business. They have made a mess of medicare and it has skewed the cost of medical care here in the US. Why anyone would want the Government to institute Nationalized Healthcare boggles my mind. Besides the fact that it is a horrible travesty where ever and when ever it has been tried. Look at it logically, most of us have been to the DMV and waited in long lines to be attended by surly Government employees who only get our paperwork correct about 80% of the time. Do you want these same bureaucrats in charge of your health care, do we think it will be any better? Something else to think about.. Many if not most of the Doctors in America are the best in their respective fields. While it is nice to believe that they do it for altruistic reasons, the amount of money they make doesn't hurt. When it comes time for a brilliant young man or women to choose a career path, why would they choose to be a Government Doctor with limited salary potential. Why go to college for 8 years and then internship for that? In fact most Doctors in Canada and the UK are from the third world because of the reasons I have stated. Health Insurance is not the answer either, it is part of the problem, but that is for another post..
I personally a flat taxer. I believe that if 10% is good enough for God, it should be good enough for the Federal Govt.Some say that it would not be enough for the Govt. to operate, not at it's current levels. That is the point, the Govt. currently spends to much. They need to cut spending drastically and should NEVER be able to run a deficit. If there is a national emergency they could raise taxes by 1-3% for the emergency. The tax increase would be temporary and could only be extended by referendum by the voters.
As for the Vote. I personally feel that those Americans who do not pay Federal taxes should not be allowed to vote in Federal elections. That is one of the reasons we are in our current mess. Politicians pandering to groups by giving them money and benefits to buy their Votes. Giving Taxpayers Money to those who do not pay taxes. If Politicians understand that they cannot buy the Votes of the people most of the earmarks would disappear. I am not naive enough to believe that they would disappear totally.
One thing to remember, the Government can not and does not give you anything free. It costs someone some where something. It is usually more expensive than if it was purchased out right.
Welcome to the musings of a bigman. Why did I call it that? Well for the obvious reason, I m a rather large man.. During the 1980’s I was in the upper end of the average size for an NFL offensive lineman, or a small "Hog" for the Redskins. I have 'suffered' from ‘Baby Huey' syndrome most of my life.. Since I am a big guy, I have always been stereotyped as being dimwitted. I have used that to my advantage sometimes, by the time that someone figures out I am not stupid, I have usually taken their job or made them look incompetent.
I decided to start blogging because my family is tired of hearing my rants and my lovely spouse told me to start a blog to let off steam. I actually started a blog back in 2002 but I only wrote in it once or twice and let it languish. My good friend XMLHacker was one of the first in the blogosphere and talked me into it, but at the time I really didn’t have much to say.
This blog may or may not be read by friends, family, acquaintances, and strangers. I don’t really care, I will use it to help clear my mind and put some organization to my thoughts. Sometimes I will blog about politics, sports, current events or some strange thought line I have come up with.
A little more about me.. Like I said , I am large, some may find me intimidating, but that is their issue, not mine. I am married, I have four children, 3 girls and a boy. I am a voracious reader. I usually read two or more books at a time. I can put a book down, partially read for several, days, weeks, or even months. I can then pick it up start back where I was, know exactly what is going on and not have to go back to refresh my memory. I have an expansive memory, usually if I am interested in the subject or I want or need to use the information for my job, I remember EVERYTHING I read. Not exactly total recall, but close enough for Govt. work. I like to say that I am a cornucopia of useless information, I know or remember things that someone has no need to know. I had to retire from Trivial Pursuit because no one would play with me. It even got so bad that we would play with my wife, children, two of our good friends, sometimes some of their friends and it would be all of them against me. I would still win.
I do not know how often I will be adding to the blog, if it will be regular or not. We will have to see how long this one will last..
