Saturday, January 31, 2009

A Thousand Tiny Cuts Will Bleed Us Dry

The American Pundit #tcot
This is what happens when you get a president in office more concerned with protecting labor than efficiency and common sense. An executive order President Obama signed into effect yesterday requires new contractors to keep old workers when a government service contract expires.

A Case for the Libertarian Argument for Small Government

Instapundit #tcot
In many cases, bureaucrats are motivated to give millions of dollars in bonuses to contractors no matter how poorly a company performs because generosity with taxpayer money may help them land better-paying jobs after they leave the government.

Contractors on dozens of jobs at federal departments collected more than $8 billion in what federal auditors said were unwarranted bonuses from 1999 to 2005.
Too much money and power in the hands of the government.

Iraqi Freedom

Amy Ridenour #tcot
We have defeated Al Qaeda and the other enemies of Arab freedom, and joined with Iraqis to set up this birth of self-determination. We did this next to other tyrants in the heart of a region that has never known the dignity of individual liberty. In the face of the most fierce and cruel attacks thrown at Iraq, together we have prevailed.

This is noble, well done, courageous, and now we move on.

CAIR is a Problem? About Time

Muslims Against Sharia  #tcot
This took to long -
Several members of the U.S. House of Representatives Anti-Terror Caucus have sent a Dear Colleague letter today emblazoned with the warning: "Beware of CAIR". The signatories include: Reps. Sue Myrick (R-NC), Pete Hoekstra (R-MI), John Shadegg (R-AZ), and Paul Broun (R-GA). Rep. Myrick is the author of the Wake Up America Agenda aimed at countering Militant Islamic infiltration of American institutions

Obama Displays Weakness

Brutally Honest #tcot
Krauthammer:
Every new president flatters himself that he, kinder and gentler, is beginning the world anew. Yet, when Barack Obama in his inaugural address reached out to Muslims by saying "to the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect," his formulation was needlessly defensive and apologetic.
Follow this with his interview with Al Arabiya.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

New World Order Rumors from Davos

American Daily  #tcot
A call to utilize the current global economic crisis as a panic in which governments worldwide can move to nationalize banks is emerging from the 2009 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.


Debt Funding an Old Problem

Capitalism Magazine #tcot
Jefferson also noted in his letter that "the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale."

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Free Markets Require Moral Underpinning

Manhattan Institute #tcot
People instinctively know something is missing, just not what. A religious revival in America seems unlikely. Is it equally as unlikely that our institutions, most especially our schools, would once again promote the virtues that made capitalism thrive and Western societies prosper--not just hard work, but thrift and integrity, or what we once called the Protestant ethic?

Although religion is generally the source of our moral teaching I disagree a bit with the title.  A secular person can be moral.  I do agree that free markets require moral behavior to work best.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Why Progressives Are The Way They Are

American Power #tcot
The economic primitivism that is unceasingly promoted by the political left is a remnant of the cave-dwelling days of mankind; an idyllic era of history to which the left desperately yearns to return. The word "Progressive" is thus a simple rhetorical manipulation to diguise the essential backwardness of the left's economc thinking.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Freedom of Speech Dies a Little Bit

International Free Press Society #tcot
The Far-right Dutch politician will now be put on trial for his public statements against Islam.

The Rising Power of Non Governmental Agencies

No Left Turns #tcot
The rise of the czars is at once a reaction to this problem and something that, in the past, has only made the problem worse in the long term. The bitterness of modern American political argument is, I suspect, partly a result of the number of political issues that the modern administrative state has removed from the political system. The Courts have done the same thing. (In 1973, for example, they took from the people the right to legislate about abortion). The result is ironic: there is more shouting precisely because there is less actually to legislate about.

Decline in Marriage Bad For Civilization

The Astute Blogger #tcot
But if no one points out the consequences of the marginalisation of marriage, then some of the most vulnerable in our society will be voiceless. For the drift away from marital commitment is part of a broader flight from responsibility which is weakening our society and hitting the poorest, hardest.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Stop Talking About Technology

The Next Right #tcot
I generally feel uncomfortable with it being pigeonholed as a "technology" plan. I've generally struck "technology" from my vocabulary, taking instead about "new media" or simply, the "Internet" or when talking about a generational shift in fundraising or a 435 district strategy, wholesale party reform. Why? Because the word "technology" reinforces old siloed habits of thinking and implies that the solution is spending money on cool tech toys, rather than a quantum shift in approach.

Where I agree with Robert Reich?

Commentary tcot
Even some liberals see the fallacy in the bailout.
But the others — the ones the government is coming to own or manage — are less likely to rebound as quickly, if ever. If anyone has a good argument for why the shareholders of these losers should not be cleaned out first, and their creditors and executives and directors second — before taxpayers get stuck with the astonishingly-large bill — I would like to hear it.


Tuesday, January 20, 2009

A New Generation Ushers in Socialism

Intellectual Conservative #tcot
The American people will never knowingly adopt Socialism. But, under the name of 'liberalism,' they will adopt every fragment of the Socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened

Governmentd Payroll Passes Manufacturing

Monday, January 19, 2009

Conservatives Must Win Or Liberalism Will Be the End of Our Culture

Flopping Aces #tcot
The idea that getting rid of masculinity should be absurd to most anyone, but it is not to some that teach our young adults and influence their values.

Think I am reaching. Look at our present day TV and how it demeans fatherhood. It is the male, often a white male, that is the lazy and stupid one in the show who is always getting in trouble. And if you think fatherhood does not matter, just take a look at the effects of the death of the nuclear family with the African-American community The thought that a de-masculinized society will roll over in the face of an aggressor should seem obvious, but it is not to the permanently simple. Like with any species, what determines the survivability of a nation is it’s ability to defend itself and ability to procreate.

Secular Liberalism fails in both categories. Culture does matter, and now even more as we are in the mist of a cultural war as we struggle to win a very real world war. This, more then any other factor is why I changed my party affiliation from Democrat to Republican. Social Darwinism is real and will determine if the west will survive at all. For in the end, either the west will defeat secularism and survive or the west will stay secular and fall.

History is nothing but competing nations and cultures, And the winner of the contests of history is not always the most technically advanced, but the ones with the strongest will and culture. If our country is to survive as a great country, then conservatives must do more then worry about the elections and poll numbers. There is a very real war to fight for America’s culture. And there are battles raging every day. For the survival of Democracy is still an open question, and it seems unlikely that those who embrace socialism, multiculturalism, and moral relativism will be the ones to ensure it’s survival and ensure Democracy is more then just a footnote in the pages of history. For in the end, liberals are doomed, as they either will be defeated by the conservatives in the us for the soul of this country or they and their allies will be defeated by Islam in the growing cultural war.

Losing the battle will in the end lose us the war.







Sunday, January 18, 2009

Political Co-dependency

Gina Cobb #tcot
because constant rescue creates a vicious cycle which will destroy both of you. Break the cycle before it breaks you.

What if Mexico Collapses?

Blogs for Victory #tcot
... do keep in mind that one of the things which kept Mexico afloat over the past 10-15 years was remittances from Mexicans living in the United States. With that source of revenue drying up, the corrupt and antique Mexican economy runs a high risk of implosion. This could lead to revolution and/or civil war south of the border, which will be unpleasant for everyone in the neighborhood, especially us.

Ignorance is Bliss

Colossus of Rhodey #tcot
"It doesn't matter that the state of Maryland is broke ... as long as Barack Obama is president of the United States!" -- Maryland State Senator Lisa Black

The Western World Slowly Comitts Suicide

Gateway Pundit #tcot
Ed Driscoll said that things are starting to look a lot like 1942 lately.  He might be on to something.

Dalai Lama on Terrorism

Muslims Against Sharia #tcot
So you can't just turn the other cheek or reason with them.
The Dalai Lama, a lifelong champion of non-violence on Saturday candidly stated that terrorism cannot be tackled by applying the principle of ahimsa because the minds of terrorists are closed.


Friday, January 16, 2009

Loss = Victim, Profit = Windfall

Carpe Diem #tcot
Ayn Rand and Orwell are on top of this.
With each successive bailout to "calm the markets," another trillion of national wealth is subsequently lost. Yet, as "Atlas" grimly foretold, we now treat the incompetent who wreck their companies as victims, while those resourceful business owners who manage to make a profit are portrayed as recipients of illegitimate "windfalls."


Thursday, January 15, 2009

The Descent of the Senate

American Thinker #tcot
This is a root issue that transcends partisan politics.
The United States Senate used to be the most distinguished legislative body in the world.  The unbridled lust for power, the cynical insistence on a Leftism that bears no resemblance to the liberalism of Humphrey, the willingness to sacrifice every principle to win - this is what has become of the United States Senate.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

A Loss of Freedom Affects Us All

Mere Rhetoric #tcot
Years of appeasement have brought Europe to the brink.  The early signs are appearing in the US but many are in denial.  Clash of civilizations is for real.  Read the sign in the photo - "Islam will conquer Europe".  The barbarians have silenced these Jews because the government is unable to manage the violence.  Freedom lost - the barbarians won.  Appeasement enables violence.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

George Will - Our Litigious Society

Carpe Diem #tcot
But in such a society, dazed by what Howard calls "rule stupor" and victimized by litigious "victims," the incentives are for intensified complaining. Read Howard's book, and weep for the death of common sense.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Oil as a Weapon

Breitbart #tcot
When will we face the strategic security issues of energy independence?  The article does point out this is unlikely to actually cause trouble at the moment but do we need to wait for a crisis before we act to protect ourselves?

Here is some good news

Carpe Diem #tcot
The last 12 months may prove not to be the most fondly recalled in recent American history, but things aren't all that bad. Most social indicators are still moving in the right direction. In general, our standard of living continues to improve. Advances in technology are helping us beat the diseases most likely to kill us; giving us more leisure time; making us more comfortable; giving us more convenience; and with the Internet, putting much of the world—quite literally—at our fingertips.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Messaging and the Loyal Opposition

Hugh Hewitt #tcot
Mostly I like what he has to say and I prefer a positive message as opposed to negative.
The danger, of course, in embracing the role of the opposition, is the temptation to oppose every little thing in an attempt to manufacture a bogeyman where there is no credible one.  The result is a mish-mash of messages, and a whiny voice.  How many conservative columnists have, over the past eight years, used the phrase, "liberal crybabies?"  Another lesson we can learn -- only this time, a lesson in what not to do.
Crybabies is a bad thing from "our" point of view, but the truth is the left acted that way and demonized us at every turn and WON.  I'm not so sure it's "what not to do".  Politics ain't bean bags.




George Will on Unintended Consequences

Robinson and Long #tcot
He takes a while to make his point, but:
Griggs and its consequences are timely reminders of the Law of Unintended Consequences, which is increasingly pertinent as America's regulatory state becomes increasingly determined to fine-tune our complex society. That law holds that the consequences of government actions often are different than, and even contrary to, the intended consequences.

Soon the Obama administration will arrive, bristling like a very progressive porcupine with sharp plans -- plans for restoring economic health by "demand management," for altering the distribution of income by using tax changes and supporting more muscular labor unions, for cooling the planet by such measures as burning more food as fuel, and for many additional improvements. At least, those will be the administration's intended consequences.
This supports a central libertarian argument for small government and less laws.

What a Femisnist Should Really Look Like

Pajamas Media #tcot
In her quiet, unassuming way, Laura Bush has championed women's issues around the world

North American Oil Consortium?

Instapundit #tcot
Interesting idea.  We really MUST stop sending our dollars to the Middle East and Russia.
A U.S.-Canada energy consortium — with the eventual involvement of Mexico — provides us out from our fundamental geopolitical dilemma: how to grow our economy while reducing our dependence on imported energy and, over time, carbon-emitting fuels.

Welfare Simply Enables A Victim Status

Don Surber #tcot
Did that title get your attention?  As a starting point for discussion, I posit that welfare works up to the subsistence level.  Anything past that will not be appreciated.  Is this man's nature?  Is it culturally learned?  Let's discuss.
Volunteers build you a house in Florida and give you a 25-year, no-interest mortgage. Payments are less than $300 a month. How do you show your gratitude in America in the 21st century? You call your lawyer.



The Left Warming Up to Common Sense?

Daily Pundit #tcot
This is one of the most devastating refutations of the religion of global warming I have ever seen - and even more amazing, it was published in that coven of AGW uber-faithful, the Huffington Post.



UN Useless Nitwits

Daily Pundit #tcot
When will we stop supporting and participating in this nonsense?
There’s also a need for an international body that isn’t primarily made up of Jew-haters.
More than hating Jews, they hate freedom.

Czech Republic Understands Terrorism

Commentary  #tcot
“I am enjoying the luxury of telling the truth.” 

American ignorance of American principles

American Thinker #tcot
I don't hear much talk about education as part of the conservative re-building.  Given that the liberal education system has stopped teaching history, or worse, teaching a revised history, this seems important.  Part of the reason the electorate has moved left is that they have lost touch with their history.
If we are to recall those principles and again respect, revere, and observe them, we must rededicate ourselves as students of our nation so that we may again become truly informed citizens. It may be fairly said that the essential document in helping us relearn  and reclaim the American cause is The American Cause.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Moderate Muslims

Check out this great site.  Muslims Against Sharia    #tcot
Let us pray for the safety of Palestinian civilians who held hostages by Hamas and the safety of Israeli soldiers. May this campaign end swiftly and may Hamas be destroyed.

More Than Just Israel is at Stake

Dissecting Leftism #tcot
Finally, it is of the greatest importance to understand that this is not an issue of Gaza or of Israel alone. The great issue of our era, of our remaining lifetimes, is the battle between radical Islamism—whether using the tactic of terrorism or not—and the rest of the world. To isolate this question as merely something about Israel is to misunderstand everything important about the world today.

One Man's Plan for Fixing the Economy

Tigerhawk #tcot

The New Brown Shirts

Transterrestrial Musings #tcot
Deja vu all over again.

Delivering the Message

Instapundit  #tcot
Fundamental marketing - message and delivery.  This helps to understand the delivery part.
And the total online news audience is about 100 million—more than half total U.S. internet users—according to ComScore.


Anarcho Socialist Festering

Hot Air #tcot
“I guess my biggest thing is that as people who are trying to create a new world, I do believe we have to dismantle or transform the old order to do that,” Fithian continued. “I just fundamentally don’t believe it will ever serve our interests as it’s currently constructed.”

Where do we get these people?  Shades of the Weather Underground.


On Being a Spoiled Brat

American Daily #tcot
This isn't to imply we should sit like fat cats, cocky and smug and surrounded by affluence while we let others suffer. Of course not. It behooves us to be generous with our gifts from God. I merely suggested that complaining about the trivial when we are surrounded by the miraculous makes us sound remarkably like … well, you know.

I've often heard the platitude that gratitude is an attitude. I never realized just how true this is – or how generous so many people could be in illustrating the point.

Clashing Civilizations - Mark Steyn

National Review #tcot
What if it’s about something more primal than land borders and economic aid?

Soul Searching and Conservative Re-Building

Instapundit  #tcot
But the biggest failure of Reagan, and indeed Thatcher, was that they did not establish ideologically motivated party cores to build on their successes. They acted as if their successes were so self evident they did not need to be defended, let alone built upon in the future.

Defining Conservative Goals

Instapundit #tcot
Conservatives don't need to figure out how to promote conservatism on Facebook; they need to figure out what it is they're promoting. To the extent that a new media strategy is part of opening up that conversation, great, but it had better not become a substitute for engaging in some of that painful introspection.

Friday, January 2, 2009

Congressmann Donates Pay Raise

All American Blogger  #tcot
Kudos to Rep. Gresham Barrett.  More Congressmen and women should follow his lead.  In fact, they could vote to repeal the raise completely.  But this is a good start.


Immigration Policy and Islamists

Power Line #tcot
The flow of immigrants who identify with America's enemies should have been stopped in the immediate aftermath of 9/11.
The key issue is assimilation.  We are allowing those who identify with our enemies to gain the rights of citizenship.  That is suicide.  See prior article about the effects of this in Sweden.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Muslims Control Swedish City

Atlas Shrugs #tcot
Sweden is one of the worst hit countries in Europe of Muslim immigration and Political Correctness. Now, the police themselves have publicly admitted that they no longer control one of Sweden's major cities. I have made some exclusive translations from Swedish media. They show the future of Eurabia unless Europeans wake up.


Slowly the Creep In

Muslims Against Sharia #tcot
Supported by a multi-cultural PC.
Ahmed Bedier, the former Executive Director of the Tampa office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Tampa), is now the President of the Tampa/Hillsborough County Human Rights Council (THHRC), a group that the local Tampa government has involvement with. Given Bedier’s lengthy extremist past, isn’t this a conflict of interest for the city?


The Reason I Stand With Israel

American Power tcot
But it's the larger point people should keep in mind. As I've noted before, the health and preservation of the state of Israel is an EKG on the life of Western civilization. If and when pro-Palestinian "peace" activists prevail in their endless campaign of death and destruction of the Jewish state the rest of the traditional international community can kiss the fight for decency, light, and reason goodbye. Goodness will have been enveloped by the forces of nihilist evil. International postmodernism and the spread of the transnational secular-collectivist state won't be far behind.


Dems Live and Die by the Pursuit of Power

The Provocateur #tcot

The story behind Blago and Burris.
The Democrats will now be divided on racial and mostly miltancy lines. Militants like Bobby Rush will seen any rejection of Roland Burris as nothing more than a racist insult. Meanwhile the moderate forces will see any choice of Blago's as unacceptable. While those two factions battle it out, Blago will have achieved one of military's most basic principles, divide and conquer.


How the Dems Won

Redstate  #tcot
During that time, the Democratic activists that existed worked tirelessly, never
missing an opportunity to demonize the Republican President or the Republican
Congress for any misstep they made. And after those long years of hard work,
they had essentially tilled a bunch of marginal or worthless soil into receptive
soil and made their 2008 effort possible.

This is the big lie - said over and over again until perceived as true.  We thought truth and common sense would prevail.  It does not, when over-powered by a dishonest information system.  It is the information system that is key here.

The socialists and the Islamists understand the teachings of Marx better than we do.


Heritage Wish List