Text And the World

The Arrogance of Power - FEAR!

The last two Presidents have made use of this tool and it works.

President Bush used it to get the debate on the first TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program). Bailout over with and a vote cast before 'it was too late'. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said this 'must' get passed or the economy will face complete ruin. We simply cannot wait or it will be too late. After a quick recess for 2 days, they then voted and the TARP bill passed.

President Obama (President Elect, at the time) said on many occasions that 'this is the worst economy since the great depression' and 'something must be done now', just like the President before him. Now that he is the President, this continues as he goes back on the campaign trail selling his 'Economic Stimulus Package' to the masses. Once again in both Indiana (a town devastated by the loss of the RV industry, yet he fails to state which party was the main cause of that) and Florida, we hear President Obama talking down the economy and instilling fear into the masses that if this bill is not passed we could face economic ruin.

Nancy Pelosi again adds to the fray by stating that every month this bill does not pass 500 million Americans will face unemployment. The fact there are only about 300 million Americans on the planet doesn't seem to bother her, though. The key here is that since Timothy Geithner announced his TARP II, the stock market has dropped almost 300 points. Since Obama (who stated before the election that he would not use 'the politics of old') became the President, the market has done little to correct itself.

As strange as it may seem, the markets are reacting to what the President and government are saying. I'm not saying its the main reason, but they are being affected. If you hear the leader of the free world state how bad the economy is and that if government doesn't take action soon it will 'be the end', how would you feel?

My guess is that you are scared for the future. My guess is that you are holding off doing anything with your money. My guess is you are cutting back, saving money, and riding out the storm.

Now, what if the President stopped saying it was 'SOOOOO' bad, and laid off of the doomsday predictions? What if Obama stopped saying 'government is the only one who can solve this crisis' and started being more positive?

I know so many are saying that, if he did that, he would just be covering up the truth and lying. I can completely understand that, and we don't want a liar for a President, but being so doom and gloom, I believe, is actually keeping the markets down and keeping people scared. What if Obama said it was bad, as bad as it is, but then said we as Americans can get through this. Do not be beaten into submission by what the media says. Do not hide under the bed and wait, we need to get out there, and build on this economy. I know you're scared, and I know you're uncertain, but if we just sit back and do nothing it will get worse.

If you weren't so scared and uncertain, what would you be doing? I personally believe that if people weren't so scared, that they would be out spending in the shops and the economy would be on the up. But with Obama and Pelosi both stating 'this is terrible, its the worst economy since the great depression, we need to spend $1 trillion to fix it, and only government can do it. All I see are scared faces waiting for government to fix it. Truth be told, government caused this and will make it worse with spending their way out of it.

Government is not the 'only one' who can fix this. Look back into history around the time of the Great Depression.Why, in other countries, is it called 'the depression', when in the US its called the 'Great Depression'?

One answer: GOVERNMENT!!

The government programs put forth to 'save the economy' actually prolonged the recession into a long depression. What do we all see at the end of the 'great' depression? World War II. Come forward in time to President Carter. As he was leaving office and Ronald Reagan was entering office, the US was in a deep recession. We've all heard about the high interest rates, gas lines, and unemployment, etc. How did the US get out of that? Ronald Reagan cut taxes, plain and simple. (well obviously he did more, but this is the main factor in growth). Due to this revenues to the government were increased, new jobs were created, and American businesses had more money in 'their' pockets to put back into the economy.

So looking back over history, government spending has prolonged a recession (into a Great Depression), yet tax cuts have helped grow the economy and recover.

As the government votes on the now approximately $800 billion 'stimulus' package, Americans can expect to see about $13 a week extra in their paychecks. Then, come January 2010, this will drop to $8 a week if you make under $75,000 a year. The majority of this $800 billion is not geared towards 'stimulus', but toward more spending what can anyone do with $13 a week?

If government cut your taxes as well as taxes on business....what could you do with more of your own money each month?
Spend more? Invest more? Expand your business more?

What's the difference here? Obama is stating tax cuts won't work and 'only' government can resolve the crisis. This is flat out, and the fear within his statements is making us more reliant on government, making us hold onto our money so the market cannot recover, and furthering the policies hidden with the $800 billion bill (Government controlled health care is one of them, but that is another topic).

In the last few days, it was reported that spending was up 1% and the housing market has picked up. Be very careful how this is interpreted. So far, nothing has been 'done' by Obama and his administration to aid the economy. So, if the market is indeed correcting, then it is a natural correction. We will, of course, hear people say that this is due to government, but be careful.

Do not listen to the fear being broadcast to us by those in Washington. Evaluate your own circumstances, spend and save based on your own thoughts and feelings, and America will recover without government take over.

You are who you are, do not be a part of 'the masses'.

I, for one, will not be participating in this recession.
Everyone else is free to decide, but I'm sitting this one out. 

The Arrogance of Power - FEAR! - Tony Leach

There Are Only, Like, 6 Socialists in America, Right?

It would probably surprise you how many people think that socialism is dead and by relation communism is dead. Here are a few organizations that might surprise you:

Marxist.org
cpusa.org
Socialist Party of America
Socialist Labor Party of America
Socialistpart-usa.org
Vote-socialist.org
Groups.yahoo.com/groups/nsmamerica
Spmichigan.org

Only, like, 6 socialists? If each of these groups has ONE member, there are at least 8! Even our current president used to be a member of the New Party in Illinois (1). Although it is now defunct, the history of the New Party was described as socialist democratic (2).

The younger generation of today has either been misinformed or not informed about people like Mussolini, Hitler, and other ruthless rulers that have tried to take over countries, some succeeding but defeated in the end. The younger generations do not know or remember the atrocities committed toward innocent people. With our politically correct environment, innocent is relative to who you are (holocaust deniers).

Hundreds of United States soldiers died to keep these socialist leaders at bay, to keep the world safe. There are those who would say Hitler did a good thing or Hitler was misunderstood. Everyone is good, but it is their environment that caused them to do evil things. That debate has been around for a long time. In the end, our politically correct environment justifies all murder, including abortion.

People do not seem to remember the deaths that seen by their grandfathers/mothers or great-grandfathers/mothers were real people and died for a cause. There are arguments whether FDR did a good thing or bad thing by growing government. The war is what saved the country. The war made people come together and work together to save their world and their country. Working together in a bipartisan way is the answer to saving our country now.

So many people are uninformed or misinformed and cannot believe that socialism could actually happen. Now, there are so many reports about what companies have to do in order to take part in the bailout money. A lot of the requirements are giving the government power over the businesses (control of the means of production). There was also a story I read saying that newspapers are looking for a bailout. The government again would have requirements of what the newspapers do (state controlled media).

We are quickly sliding into a socialist country, beginning with Medicare and Social Security. One person said that as long as children have medical coverage, they wouldn’t care if the country is socialist. This is the uninformed or misinformed attitude that permeates our culture today.

We need to keep our eyes open and educate ourselves on socialism and communism. The political ideas are still alive and wanting to take over. The people during the Revolutionary War fought and died to break away from England. 200 plus years later, Europe is our ideal continent?

Some in the federal government do not represent us anymore. They represent their lobbyists and their friends. We, the people, their bosses, need to be represented, and representation should not include taking federal tax payer money and giving it to a particular state (pork) for a rail system. Why would I want my federal tax money to go to a rail system I won’t even use?

The Lilly Ledbetter Sue-For-Anything Act

Obama's first signed bill was the sickly named Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act [1]. Instead of actually accomplishing something for fair pay, the act says "that the 180-day statute of limitations for pay discrimination resets with each new discriminatory paycheck".

Basically, as long as you think you're being discriminated against through pay, your lawyers have all the time in the world to harass and sue your employer.

What hasn't got out in the media is this (from Stuart Taylor Jr. of National Journal Magazine):

First, Ledbetter waited more than five years after learning that she was paid substantially less than most male co-workers to file her Title VII claim for back pay, compensatory, and punitive damages. Second, by that time a key supervisor -- whom she belatedly accused of holding down her pay raises after she rejected his sexual advances -- had died. Third, Ledbetter chose not to pursue a claim under the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which has a much longer time limit (three years) than Title VII but does not (yet) provide for big-bucks damage awards.

Fourth, her years of poor performance evaluations, plus repeated layoffs that affected her eligibility for raises, convinced a federal magistrate judge (although not the jury) that her relatively low pay did not prove sex discrimination. Maybe Ledbetter was a victim of discrimination, as the jury found. Maybe not. The evidence is too stale to allow for a confident conclusion -- which is one reason the justices ruled against her. [2]

Goes to show that if you cry hard enough, you'll get what you want. Though such a tactic is usually saved for infants.

Do Obama voters care?

Well, we're 2 weeks into President Obama’s first term and he certainly has been busy. We're now paying for abortions overseas, we’re closing the terrorist detention center at Guantanamo Bay for increased national security (not sure how that works), and we're stimulating the economy with the biggest spending bill in the history of, well, ever!

The trouble is the vast majority, and by that I mean 90%+, has nothing to do with stimulating the economy. $400 million for ATV trails, for instance. How is that doing anything? So, along with about 50% of the country, I’m simply bashing my head against the wall wondering why this is being allowed to happen. This bill has passed through the house with every single republican and 11 democrats saying ‘no’ to it, yet this pork laden steaming pile of dung passed and now moves on to the Senate.

So, America really has gone crazy. The keys to the candy store have literally been handed over to the kids and there are not enough adults to stop them. So, we hear the outrage from conservatives like myself, as well as traditional common sense thinkers who see this as nothing more than a spending bill aimed at democratic pet projects and forwarding the socialist agenda. Money was even set aside in this bill to 'prepare' America for universal health care. Being a British citizen living under this kind of program for 20+ years, I can tell you: you do not want to give up the system you have.

The outrage is heard from every corner of common sense America, and yet it still passes. But where is the scream of joy from the Obama voters? Is this not what he said he'd do?
In fact from his abortion bill, the closing of Gitmo, all the way to the $800 billion spending bill, I’ve not heard anything from any Obama voters.

Tell a lie, the most I've heard is 'well he's not even been in 10 days yet, give him a chance'. It appears that now the Obama voters are 'asleep at the wheel' and have no idea what is going on. The educated on the issues, common sense people are now the ones screaming as loud as they can at the destruction of America. Conservative talk show hosts as well as journalists are seeing what this dramatic increase in spending, as well as the vast increase in the printing of money by the fed, is going to do. And those responsible for voting Obama into office are blind to it? Can they still blame this on Bush? Will the 'inherited problems of Bush cannot be fixed overnight' be the new 'Bush's fault' answer?

I’ve heard so many stories of people screaming for Obama, thinking he will pay their bills, give them free health care, and take care of them. They will be waiting a long time.
The most they will see is a check for $500 every year, money many of them do not deserve because they pay no taxes. Yet its called a tax cut,figure that one out. Not only do the non-tax payers get the money, but so do our illegal immigrants, who not only don’t pay taxes, but still get the health care for free, as well. So, in an 'economic stimulus' package we are giving money to people who not only do not support the economy, but are not even legally entitled to any of it. Where is the stimulus?

Is this 'change we can believe in'?

Obama himself said he will not sign a bill that contains pork spending. The $800+ billion stimulus bill is about 90%+ pork. Obama himself stated he will not have any lobbyists on his staff. Timothy Geithner's number 2 at the treasury department is a former lobbyist. Is this change we can believe in?

And where are the Obama voters questioning what he said then and what he’s doing now? Surely, they cannot just vote for such a historic figure and then not keep a watchful eye on what he's doing? Well, I'm sad to say that appears to be exactly what they are doing. They voted and now their job is done, as far as they are concerned. The media honeymoon continues, but how long can they hide the dramatic spending when inflation takes over?

The hopes of Obama being a centrist president are long over. He moved to the left and he moved quickly.

Lets go back in history for a second. In a recession two forms of action have been tried by the government in the past.

1.)Increase government spending to stimulate the economy – this has failed every time. Because of this the depression of 1929 became the 'great' depression of the 1930's, and even FDR’s own staff stated that their involvement only made things worse.

2.)Drastically cut taxes – this was done when Reagan inherited the recession from Carter and it actually increased revenue to the government and let the free market get itself out of the recession.

What have we learned? Apparently nothing, since Obama is now increasing spending saying 'government is the only one who can get us out of this economic downturn' while pushing us towards hyper inflation.

If the Obama voters woke up, what would they say to this? Give him a chance; it’s only been 2 weeks or so? Well, Bush really screwed up the economy and its going to take this to fix it?

Or what if they said:
Well what if we cut taxes? What if we cut spending? What if we gave more money to businesses that create jobs?

I don’t see it happening, but what if America woke up, stopped relying on government to fix the problem it caused and relied on themselves?

I know, we can dream. :)

Please America, take the time to learn what is going on. We need you.

Do Obama Voters Care - Tony Leach

P.S. Thank you to all Republican members of the house.
I'm one of millions who are hoping this is the start of something unifying and new from the GOP.