Politics & Patriots

In case you were not aware, the Obama Administration is engaged in a war with the State of Texas. It is a war on the ideology of the conservative nature of the state, political reprimands against the residents of the state, and a frontal assault on the energy sector of Texas.

This all began in 2009 when Texas Governor Rick Perry, now Republican Primary Candidate for POTUS, refused that darned ole Porculus money offered from the Stimulus Package. That did not set too well with Barry, Harry, & Nancy and the assault on the Red State of Texas had begun. The fact that Perry openly thumbed his nose at Barry in his 10th Amendment, 2nd Amendment, and Religious stands did not set well with the man-child.

However, the Communist One was not done with Texas, in fact he was just getting warmed up. When Texas began to have one of its worst droughts in the history of the state and all the fires that ensued, ole Barry saw fit to deny Texas federal aid for its residents whose homes had gone up in smoke. It was a direct poke in the eye of Governor Perry, who could have the audacity to reject Porculus $$, but request fed money for fires. Just who in Obamaland did he think he was, this upstart Governor from Texas. In reality the Grand Puppett just angered hard-working people who had lost everything. The fires that have ravaged Texas this year could not give a flippin damn what political persuasion you were –  the homes were burned all the same. That means Democrats, Republicans, Independents, blacks, whites, etc. all got to witness first hand just what an ego centric child Barry really is. The Manchild at his best.  It caused enough fuss that Obama and Perry did not meet when Obama came to Texas in May – http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/10/perry-and-obama-take-a-pass-on-meeting/ 

Refusing aid caused some backlash within Barry’s support base and in the second round of Texas wildfires, federal aid was granted. Yours truly thinks it was to garner votes. This man hates Texans and we feel pretty much the same about this liberal loon.

Next on the targets for Obama was the Texas Energy Sector. In July of this year, the EPA issued a new Cross State Air Pollution Rule aimed at taking emissions to another lower level they saw Texas should be at. Will someone show me in the Constitution where the EPA has this power??? Anybody? The imposition of the new Rule was to be effective January 2012, which was well under sufficient notice for the state to have the Texas Center for Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to get notice out, have plants comply, etc. The end result would be loss of energy for Texans through rolling blackouts, loss of jobs, and more economic chaos under the Obama Administration. Only this time, Barry’s EPA stepped in deep dog doo. You don’t screw with the energy sector in Texas nor do you cause the potential loss of energy in a state where air conditioning is not a luxury, but a necessity. Ever see how irate people get in 105 degrees with the heat index at 113 degrees? Five alarm political bells went off in Texas and with the Texas Delegation in DC – Democrats as well. The Texas D’s know better than to tick of the electorate over energy and potential loss of the a/c when it is not required. After about 2 months of pressure from all sides, the implementation date of the rule was pushed back to March 2013.  There is talk of lawsuits and this will be a political bashing bat for GOP POTUS nominees against Barry next year.

But Barry is not done – this past week Obama’s pet Eric Holder and the Justice Department went after Texas Redistricting Maps from the past legislative session. The Justice Department claims that the Maps, signed into law by Perry, violate Civil Rights of minorities. WHAT A BUNCH OF POLITICAL BS!!! When the D’s controlled the Texas Legislature they drew district maps that made mobsters blush and Republicans in the minority took it as what happens when the state is not in your court. Now let the state go hard right and draw maps commensurate with the votes, and now the Dem’s are screaming foul. This is what happens when a racist poverty pimp rises to the top of a political party and fools people into electing his sorry rear as POTUS.  Read for yourself: http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/obama-v-perry-justice-department-challenges-texas-redistricting-map-20110919.

Now Perry is a GOP POTUS candidate. My guess is he was somewhat motivated to take on the challenge in the Republican Primary to get a shot at taking Obama down personally. While Perry faltered some this past week in the Florida straw poll, in the end Perry will garner the GOP Nomination. Perry is a hard campaigner, can raise lots of money, and has the best track record of economic success of all the GOP candidates. That is not a knock on any of the other candidates, but a flat fact.

If my prognostication holds, that will pit Barry versus Perry for POTUS for 2012.

That my friends, will be better than the World Heavywieght Fight on Pay Per View.

GOP Presidential front-runner and Texas Governor Rick Perry has been blasted by the liberals and moderates since he dared to utter openly the truth about what Social Security has become – a great big scam! I applaud Perry for having the nads to actual talk about this federal bilking system.

But first gentle readers, let’s get some brief history on what a “Ponzi” scheme actually is. If you were to discover one, where would you turn? Why the Securities and Exchange Commission – that’s who! So I have borrowed some data from the SEC.gov site on this wonderful topic.
 

What is a Ponzi scheme?

A Ponzi scheme is an investment fraud that involves the payment of purported returns to existing investors from funds contributed by new investors. Ponzi scheme organizers often solicit new investors by promising to invest funds in opportunities claimed to generate high returns with little or no risk. In many Ponzi schemes, the fraudsters focus on attracting new money to make promised payments to earlier-stage investors and to use for personal expenses, instead of engaging in any legitimate investment activity. Hmm – this system started out with 16 payor to 1 payee. Now it’s under 3 payor to 1 payee and dropping. Only in this retirement, you have forced contributions as opposed to free market solutions. You have always been fed the baloney of how safe your money was with the feds…. When this was established the life expectancy was 67, so you were expected to die two years after you started collecting. THE SYSTEM WAS NEVER DESIGNED FOR WHAT IT HAS BECOME.

Why do Ponzi schemes collapse?

With little or no legitimate earnings, the schemes require a consistent flow of money from new investors to continue. Ponzi schemes tend to collapse when it becomes difficult to recruit new investors or when a large number of investors ask to cash out. Go back and look at the payor to payee ratio. This despite a growing population in the last 50 years. Oh wait, I forgot only half of America pays taxes, silly me. You get 2% versus market returns?? Whoa – you mean all that cash the feds have clipped me for might not be there for me when I retire? Virginia say it ain’t so!

How did Ponzi schemes get their name?

The schemes are named after Charles Ponzi, who duped thousands of New England residents into investing in a postage stamp speculation scheme back in the 1920s. At a time when the annual interest rate for bank accounts was five percent, Ponzi promised investors that he could provide a 50% return in just 90 days. Ponzi initially bought a small number of international mail coupons in support of his scheme, but quickly switched to using incoming funds to pay off earlier investors. I think we should rename these as “Leech Plans” after the blood sucking leeches that we all despise. I leave the description of the leech for your imagination.

Does the SEC investigate Ponzi schemes?

The SEC investigates and prosecutes many Ponzi scheme cases each year both to prevent new victims from being harmed and to maximize the recovery of assets to investors. The majority of such cases are brought as emergency actions, which often seek a temporary restraining order and an asset freeze. REEAAAALLLLYYY????? Why the hell hasn’t Congress been under investigation for the past 50 years?

During FY 2010, the SEC filed 47 enforcement actions involving Ponzi schemes or Ponzi-like payments. Don’t know about you, but I feel better.

FRIENDS, IF IT WALKS LIKE A DUCK AND QUACKS LIKE A DUCK  – IT’S A DUCK. IF IT FITS THE DESCRIPTION OF A SCHEME THE FEDS DEFINE THEN IT’S A SCAM.

So, here is the real issue – can it be saved and should it be saved? The answer is yes and yes with options for getting out of the system. First, you have to shut SS contributions off from any other federal agency. Then you have to put some options out there – for those that want out a payout period of 10 to 20 years where their contributions help fund the current system with portions of the payments going to private investments to get real returns. While that may sting on having that committment for that long, reality is that most Americans are willing to help fund the program for those that need it as part of their civic duty. The Social Security Administration would then become somewhat of a third-party administrator on conducting the private funds to the investment sector.

Can this work – darn tootin it can! Here is a little grid on how to scale out and get more dough with your bread.

The numbers speak for themselves. Can 7%  be achieved over 30 plus years in the market? Yes, but pro’s need to be involved. I am talking the schooled, educated, licensed boys and girls whose fannies get in a sling if they don’t work for your money.

I hope Perry is not the only one who grabs this stick and starts beating the libs over the head with the truth. It’s time to have the talk while we can still correct the problem.

This blog will be short and sweet, as the focus does not need to be on witty banter, political barnstorming, conspiracy theories rumored about, or any other distraction from the fact that 2996 souls, American and international, were lost on September 11, 2001.

We need to remember the grace under pressure the passengers must have had on planes that crashed into the Pentagon and World Trade Center Towers 1 & 2 once they realized the terrible fate they were speeding to….

We need to remember the brave men and women who decided to make a stand on United Flight 93 in Pennsylvania…..

We need to remember the First Responders in New York and Washington, DC. who risked their lives to help their fellow-man…..

We need to remember those men and women who went through untold rubble to search for survivors while risking their personal health and well-being….

We need to remember our brave members of the military who went to enforce justice upon those responsible for the attacks and continue to do so today…..

We also need to remember that in all of this sorrow and tragedy, that our country was able to brush back the tears and come together as  a nation with a single purpose to protect the greatest nation on God’s green earth……

May we come together once again to remember….. 

God Bless America.

This is rumored to have been close to publishing at the Chicago Tribune by I.M Fletch –

Ever wonder what happened to Superman? The alien kid from the Heartland who defended the world from evil, but called Metropolis (Chicago) home? Recent documents are now coming forward to what actually has happened to the Man of Steel. As it turns out, he is not dead, just over-regulated.

Oddly enough, his departure from the Windy City has not been as far back as you would think. It began back in 1998 when Former Illinois Governor and current Club Fed attendee George Ryan signed the tax law called Illinois FIRST (Fund for Infrastructure, Roads, Schools, and Transit). Apparently, Super had a habit a messing up a few roads once in a while. Even though the Man of Steel worked for free (Super swung a few endorsement contracts for lettuce), Metropolis saw fit to tax his butt off. It was far easier to blame Super for a few issues than those pesky unqualified truck drivers bribing officials that Ryan ended up going to the pokey for. So for the first time in his career, Super had to carry Property Liability Insurance to cover “potential negligence from hero activities”. Word is it ate heavy into his revenues from Nike and cost him 2 sponsors.

A couple of years later, the same Governor Ryan declared a moratorium on capital punishment. The state had a revolving door in the prison system and was costing too much money. Sources now reveal that state officials put heavy pressure on Super to ease up on the incarcerations, as they were running out of dough. Now this was hard for Clark (Superman’s mild-mannered alter ego) to take as he was dedicated to truth, justice, and the American Way. That just did not include letting criminal elements go walking in the night. However, before he could decide a new method on crime fighting, the Illinois Chapter of the ACLU hit Super with a Discrimination Suit claiming he was racially profiling the “criminals” he was fighting. Now, Super had to hire an attorney and take out Errors & Omissions insurance. It was too much for Nike and they cancelled their endorsement contract as well. Ouch!

When Rod “Blago” Blagojevich took over in 2002, he worked a deal with Illinois State Senator Barack Obama and US House Rep Rahm Emanuel to have the FAA and Illinois Transit Authority to simultaneously hit the Man of Steel with an “Air Space Flight Tax” that is rumored to have been heavy-handed. Obama also organized Chicago minorities against Superman, claiming he was “…too white..” to understand the needs of the inner city challenges that were leading to lives of crime. Obama placed a bill before the Illinois State Assembly, that Blago swore he would sign, that would require Superman to comply with a whole slew of regulations in his approach to fighting crime aimed at protecting minorities from unjust persecution. Obama also called for a “…better, blacker, hero…” that those young darlings could look up too. Little did we know at the time that he was referring to himself, but that is another story.

Dejected, over-taxed, over-insured, and now without income our Man of Steel decided to stop in for some spirits at a local pub. When he entered the lounge for libations, he was greeted by the local union thugs that explained this was for the Local AFL-CIO and to get his scabby butt out! It was too much for Super to endure and he pummelled the union dweeb into a mud hole. The Chicago PD arrived in seconds and arrested Super for assault and battery. While this is unconfirmed, it is rumored that Superman cut a deal with the DA’s office on the basis that he pack and leave the state of Illinois and never return.

After a short stint with the Justice League, our hero is rumored to have retired upon the swearing-in of Barack Obama as President. He claimed ”That skinny runt ruined my gig there in Metropolis and I’ll be darned if I am going to hang around to watch what he does to the whole country. Call me when you vote this really bad man out.” Superman does not prescribe to profanity. No one is quite sure where he resides today, but we do know the GOP is actively seeking him for a run at any political office.

Folks, aside from Barry’s Change & Hope Socialist aspirations, there is even a greater enemy out there wrecking havoc on America that has went under the radar for too long. I am talking about the Chinese. We have been under every form of economic attack for some time, going back into the 1990′s. They have a load of slave labor that has been ridden to dizzying heights for technology and industrial development. Development that undermines civilized labor in other countries, including our own, and has allowed a plethora of inexpensive goods to flood the market.

Now, we all know that this is not the first time we have heard this song and dance. In the late 70′s and early 80′s Mexico played this part. Then Japan in the 80′s, theN Korea in the 90′s, etc. Any  place that had cheap labor worked for a while until the labor wanted a greater standard of living and wages rose. While that has happened to a small degree in China, wages in that country have in no way come anywhere near any other industrialized nation for one simple reason – China is a communist state and will never allow the wages to become an issue.

China also has a large tract of land and more people than anyone else, so it would take generations for the wages to come up to middle class levels even if they were a capitalist state.

While the Chinese dump goods on the US, if you want access to the Chinese market, you build a factory there and employ their citizens. Hmm – kinda like that and maybe we should employ this tactic on companies seeking foreign trade with the US……. Free markets are only free when the playing fields are level. In our case with China, that would require about a 50% tariff. Our current tariff on their goods  is under 5%…… Even on the US goods built in China, the Chinese place a 20 plus % tariff on. Someone explain to me why he have chosen to take it direct in the shorts from the Chinese?

China’s greatest issue is its lack of natural resources. That have no oil, gas, or coal to speak of. They are importing everything and pollute beyond any reasonable measures of control. They are promoting a toxic environment for their folks that is creating severe health issues and ultimately they could end up completely poisoning themselves into seeking new ground. Currently, they are buying JP54, D2, Mazut, and crude oil from the Russians. THE RUSSIANS! Yeah, one commie country making another one rich. Have to hand it to the Ruskies – they do not let their environmental zealots run their country and are banking billions along the way while we sit back and cut off drilling permits from US companies. The Chinese are buying iron ore from Mexico, Brazil, and Australia in record amounts with all the cash they have from our stupid butts buying their products. Does anyone ever wonder why they have been building one huge military? Were you aware that the treasonous bastards at GE are selling military level avionics to the Chinese?

It is time to deal with the Chinese. We should have allowed McArthur to engage with the Chinese last century when we could and would have whipped their butts straight up. Now, 60 some odd years later after allowing everyone to copy the US economic plan and out perform us, we get to deal with these people on a level where they have the upper hand. Not our brightest move. Reagan would have never steered this nation down this path, but then Reagan was a man and we have the man-child. I am not a fan of tariffs, but I will make an exception for the Chinese along with the investment in plants and US citizens to sell products here. Time to fight fire with fire.

Oh, and for those that argue the Chinese have great quality to go with those great prices, check this little story from China on their construction techniques http://www.hoax-slayer.com/13-story-buliding-collapse-china.shtml That was from 2009.

Still feeling good about all the crap you buy from China?

THEN FIND A WAY TO BUY AMERICAN AND PUT THESE CHUMPS OUT OF BUSINESS.

Ever wonder where the phrase “idiot stick” came from? Wouldn’t it be cool if Nerf or someone would come out with such a neat device we could have some fun with liberals with?

In 1958, writer Damon Knight published a short story about aliens landing in New Jersey and putting humans to work by making them “feel good” from a capsule given from the aliens. It has some interesting parallels to the lulling of the electorate by DC currently.

Here is the synopsis of the story -

Aliens land in New Jersey, in a mile-long space ship. They request 500 acres (2.0 km²) of level ground to erect buildings, and induce humans to work for them by passing out capsules that produce a feeling of temporary bliss. The workers are given sticks, each a “light metal or plastic rod, five feet long, with a curved handle and a splayed tip”:

“When the command ‘Go’ is heard,” said the alien’s voice clearly, “you will all proceed directly forward at a slow walking pace, swinging your sticks from side to side.”

The sticks flatten the ground in front of the people as they walk. Later the aliens make adjustments in the sticks, and the ground bulges up into walls. Eventually an enormous building takes shape.

The aliens are circumspect about their motives. One alien, Pendrath, is fond of fraternizing with humans. On one occasion he becomes drunk (from aspirin), and lets slip that the building will house a giant drill, which will be used to place a bomb in the core of the Earth. The purpose is to increase the amount of dust in the space around the Sun as a means to slow down spaceships and to protect the aliens from invasion.

The humans become desperate to find a defense. They modify the “idiot sticks” at random; each modification causes the stick to become unstable and to kill its operator. Eventually a pattern is found that is stable and that is lethal to the aliens. A mob storms the ship and the aliens are killed.

So what’s the parallel here? Well, the liberals are the aliens trying to enslave the American people through government entitlement programs. They have been doing a dandy job in reconstituting slavery in America since the end of World War I, they have just been propagating it in a different manner. Gone are the days of Master beating the downtrodden slave with a whip. Now, Master is the “benevolent” government bureaucrat handing our feel good treats in the manner of unrestricted renewable energy grants, welfare money to single mothers to keep them producing the future livestock for abuse, abortion programs funded by federal dollars to promote the destruction of life from within the nation, and of course  providing the masses with “free” healthcare to ensure they keep coming back for more.

Just like the beings in Knight’s story, the Obama supporters have been given their idiot sticks as well. These sticks were not to swing at the ground, but to pounce upon any racist that dared to defy The Supreme Liberal Alien Obama – such as the Tea Party scum. While buildings were not erected with these sticks, large barriers of stupidity, ignorance, racism, and hate were erected instead to quash the ideas of Constitutional basis for law, individual responsibility, liberty, and a capitalism form for the economy.

The Liberals here have also become drunk, not from aspirin, but raw power. In the drunken stooper, they let slip comments like “…they cling to their God and their guns…”, “. We have to pass the bill to see what’s inside the bill.”, or as one of the liberal champions Harry Reid commented on a visiting crowd to DC”…is that smell coming from back there?…” Yes, the aliens have let loose lips slip the overall agenda of transforming America into a communist state as soon as possible. While there will be no bomb dropped to the center of the earth (Liberals can’t allow drilling because you might hit oil), they are working overtime to “bomb” us to death with untold trillions of debt.

As with Knight’s humans in his story, the United States Conservative Movement has awoke and is on a path of defense of Constitutional liberties and improving their methods of aggressive reclamation of lost liberties. Conservatives have taken the idiot stick from liberals and used it to beat back these aliens to once again restore liberty in the nation. The first phase of storming the alien mothership (Capitol Hill) was successful in 2010 by placing more conservatives in the US House of Representatives. The next offensive is scheduled for November 2012 when the US Senate and Presidency will be taken back. Unlike the short story, we anticipate no casualties but a peaceful transition of power.

Unless of course the aliens turn violent against change and then all bets are off.

If that happens, you could see a whole lot of idiots being actual hit with that proverbial stick. 

Well I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed to have the characters of JRR Tolkien’s Middle Earth being brought into the debate as things wound down on the debt debate charade of the year. You see The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and the granddaddy of them both – The Silmarilian, were books I tore through from cover to cover on many an occasion. I was a Tolkien nerd from the standpoint of knowing every crest of the houses of Elf, Man, and Dwarf and I even had mastered a bit of Elvish. So when Arizona Senator John McCain invoked hobbits as a Tea Party Activist descriptor, Tolkienites throughout the land heard him loud and clear,

Now before I sear a layer of flesh from McCain (hereinafter known as “McGrump”), I need the set the record straight on what characters in Middle Earth align with the current reign of darkness in Mordor (formerly known as Washington DC). I have seen some match ups on the web, best we need to be unified and concise out of respect for the characters in fiction and slap around the characters in flesh. Here is my list and I hope you enjoy it:

• Barack H Obama is the King of The Nazgul; A Ringwraith, Leader of the Nine Black Riders - He has the ability to lead Man, but is easily ensnared by power & corruption; is easily distracted by objects such as an adorned ring designed to capture his soul; has sold his soul to a Master in hiding. I know many wanted BO as Sauron, but that is too high up in pay grade for this puppet and the Nazgul are puppets serving one Master.
• George Soros is Morgoth. Now if you have not read The Silmarilian, then now is your chance for some great reading. Morgoth is the name given by the Elves to the first Dark Lord Melkor for the pain and anguish he made them endure during the First Age. He was one of the original Vala and is far more powerful than Sauron would ever become. Soros’ pure evil of his world vision grants him this role.
• Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton is Sauron. Is she one of the Puppet Masters for BO? I think so. Look at what she is doing at the Department of State and all her “work” with the UN. Barry wants to change the world, but only knows socialism and crashing economies. Hillary is changing the world at the UN for her One World Order. Clinton will come out of her position with the DOS with far more power and appeal that Barry. Barry’s wrecking of the US economy and its worldwide impact have assured that only one will rise. Secretary Clinton learned from the best – former Pres. Bill Clinton. Sauron wants to dominate the world and so does Hillary.
• Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is Saruman – This may be giving too much credit to Reid as Saruman was good for most of life until he was seduced by corruption. I’m not sure Reid has done any good at all. Saruman considered Sauron a power he could usurp. Like Saruman, Reid sees himself above Obama in power and rank as The Senate (with the House) can make law and bypass the President is the percentages are high enough.  Reid has the same smug arrogance as Saruman and shares the same goal – to dominate Man.
• Former House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi is the creature Shelob. Shelob scared the hell out of everyone in theaters the first time it was revealed, much as Pelosi did in 2006 when she became Speaker of the House. Like Shelob, Pelosi, entangled all of us in a sticky web of legislation, poisoned us with lies, and then drank our blood for dinner. OK, I have not confirmed Pelosi’s actual blood sucking, but you know what I mean.
• Arizona Senator McGrump is Grima Wormtongue. With all due respect to the Senator’s War Hero status and past service – his time has past for being a force for good in DC. Wormtongue transformed over time in the same manner as McGrump. Grima McGrump has got to go to pasture.

That’s the current list and it is absent a few names. Still not sure where Boehner fits in. His stocked dropped over the debt deal with me. I need more time to match him up.

Back to McGrump – while he was attacking the Tea Party when he used the term “hobbits”, Mc Grump may have actually place a prophecy in motion. It was the hobbits that would save Middle Earth from all its evils of Saruman and Sauron. The Tea Party is a movement of Constitutional conservatives from all walks of life that are demanding political change, engaging in the election process, and beginning to see a turn in the tide of communist backwash that has flown for so long against our great nation. Perhaps the Tea Party Movement will indeed save our great nation from its current evils, although it will not be without similar battles (whether real or political) witnessed by the participants in Middle Earth.

So in preparation for the long journey ahead, remember to always have a positive attitude towards life, have plenty of your favorite spirits around, and quit shaving your feet.

Economist Arthur Laffer, part of the Reagan Economic Policy Advisory Board, came up with one of the simplest ways in history to equate taxation to actual revenue taken in by the federal government. According to Laffer, a linear curves exists where taxation brings in zero revenue and a tip of a bell curve that could be thought to be the optimum rate for taxation.  This theory, in graph form, became The Laffer Curve. At 0 and 100% tax rates, no revenue is derived. Zero is self-explanatory and 100% should be self-evident – you have no incentive to work if every penny goes to the government. Somewhere in between is where people can make money and pay taxes. 

One little problem with the Curve – it does not account for the nearly 49% of Americans who pay zero in taxes. Therefore, the ones on the curve are paying their share and the share of those who pay no taxes.

Enter the debt ceiling debate. There are serious ramifications for the debt ceiling debates coming down to the wire before next week. It boils down to spending, our ability to pay off the debt, interest rates on the debt, etc. I have no doubt that a deal will be reached and the US will not default. I also doubt with the Senate and White House still in Dem hands that the debt ceiling will be left as is. It will be increased to get a deal done. While this round of this heavyweight battle has been laden with jabs, it will be a draw when it settles. The real question once again comes to the table about taxes and the impact on the ability to repay this Goliath.

A key anchor in the US economic ship right now is uncertainty of future taxes. We know the Communist One wants to raise the living hell out of taxes to pay for his social wonderland. The reality is that our current tax rate is already onerous enough as is. The current max income tax bracket is 35% on income. However, that is before Social Security and Medicare take their bites. That is 4.2 % and 1.45% respectively for a total of 40.65%. However, there are other taxes placed on high income earners such as  the Alternative Income Tax that make the effective rate over 50%. This does not include any state income or sales taxes people also pay from the hip.For 2013, the income bracket goes up another 4.6%. Past 2013 no one is certain and with this mountain of debt, many forecast additional increases to pay down the debt. Somehow the Dem’s feel that taking more than 40 to 50% of your money at the federal level is not fair. What dope are they smoking??

I am leaning more and more to a flat tax on everyone of 15 to 20% with the only way to raise taxes to be 2/3 majority of the House and Senate. If everyone pays, then everyone watches the money closer. There is solid evidence the government would lose revenue under such a system and it would be forced to shrink in size. This would be fair across the board to taxpayers and would provide the mechanism to force the government back to essential services and eliminate waste.

There is no easy way out. Even when we start getting the cuts we need in spending, it will have a negative economic impact if the private sector cannot absorb public sector losses. We know it will be hard to absorb all that into the private sector due to the damage wrought by this Administration and the 111th Congress; so expect a sluggish economy for a while.  No matter how we tackle this, it is going to be long, loud, and painful.

And that, my friends, is no Laffing Matter.

Just in case you’re wondering, this is not an update on Pink Floyd. With apologies to Roger, Nick, Richard, and David - this is a commentary on a sad day in American history. Yesterday, July 21, 2011 marked the end of an era in US Space Flight with the final landing of the shuttle Atlantis at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This is one of the most significant decisions in US aerospace exploration and defense and the attention paid to it by the general public is shameful. Gone are the days of dreaming of the USA being the first to land a man on Mars. The Russians, Chinese, and Indians are hot on that pursuit. The Earth is now gate kept by the Russians – think that will have any impact on our relations? We all better pray to the Lord the themes like those from the movies Deep Impact and Armageddon never become true. If they do, I do not want my hide relying on the Kremlin or the Chinese to save us.

As much as I would like to lay this at the feet of Obama, I can’t. Not that he has not added his personal touch in further relegating NASA to the sideline, but this rotten egg was laid by Barry’s predecessor Bush 43.  Every President from Kennedy to Reagan knew the importance of the Space Program. Since Reagan, the attitude has been subdued at best. Bush 41 and Clinton cut NASA with the military, as if it were one and the same. Bush 43 killed the shuttle program in 2005 after the investigation of the 2003 crash of Columbia. Hmm, that’s not exactly correct. The Columbia Accident Investigation Board made return-to-flight recommendation — modify the space shuttle external tank to prevent it from shedding insulating foam. NASA was supposed to replace the shuttle with a new craft to get the job done. However, instead of heading back into deep space and exploring the last frontier for the US and mankind, Bush 43 pushed a new directive to return to the Moon for further exploration.

That’s right – the Moon. The same one we landed on in 1969 and frequented in the early 1970′s. The same one that short of a defense post against aggression and some neat mining benefits does not hold a great deal of hope of further colonization for mankind.  I still have no clue why W felt the agency should head this way, with his dad claiming Houston as home. One would think the Bush’s would want Houston to continue to kick butt for NASA. If someone has an answer – please share it.

I have a few core areas that I am a fan of government investment for research and development and space is one of them. I want private enterprise investing as well, even partnering with NASA on projects. What I cannot stand is to see what has been, along with the US Military, one of the few bright spots in the US Government be turned into mush. If Obama wanted to actually create government jobs in NASA that will actually benefit the US and the world, I would applaud it. We need engineers, physicists, and mathematicians working on projects that would have the aerospace and related industries building more spacecraft and support parts. That would employ more people who would need homes, buy cars, etc. Reality is that Barry will never invest in NASA as he sees it as part of the American Colonization Machine that he hates so dearly. That is one of the reasons he has not released to Congress the new design NASA has been working on in response to The Columbia Accident Investigation Board recommendations.

There are some long-term realities that humanity will have to face in future centuries in that we have a good shot on having a bit of a population issue. Unlike the liberals, NAZI’s, Chinese, and other population control freaks of the world – I believe God endowed mankind with the intelligence to create, engineer, and build the required technologies to live beyond the borders of the Earth. The Universe is too vast to be merely dreamed about. It demands exploration. Mars is the next step and enough research has come forward from the efforts of NASA that the creation of an atmosphere is not beyond the realm of developing technologies. However, you have to be able to transport people and machines to make it happen.

Does NASA have a future? Reality demands a healthy yes, albeit not in this current White House Administration. The US has led in this area for too long, mistakes and all, to simply quit the game. The current direction of NASA is not just taking a step back, but stepping back into a cave in aerospace darkness. It is a direction that is unsustainable for US defense, exploration, and potential colonization efforts.

Like the Conservative Agenda we are currently fighting to re-claim in the local, state, and federal legislative chambers, a day will come when we can re-claim the lead in the Space Race. Until then, we have to live with the dark side of the Moon.

While there is no doubt we are part of a Global Economy, we are in no way a One World Government as the Communist One and his followers are working for. What is the real benefit, if any, to having the US be involved in the United Nations?

Before we examine that question, a brief glimpse needs to be reviewed on the UN’s failed predecessor - The League Of Nations. While not a Marvel Comic alliance, the League was comical in its influence, or lack thereof, on world political events. After World War I, The League was formed from the Treaty of Versailles in what to do with Germany. The Treaty was heavy-handed to Germany and many believe it led to World War II. The League of Nations, of which the US was a charter nation and one of the “Big Three” with Britain and France, was to be the peace keeping world body to ensure another massive world engagement would never happen again.

The Russian Revolution, Italy’s dissatisfaction with its place in The League, and the total evisceration of Germany in the Treaty doomed the League from the start. The conditions for the Treaty placed the League in a situation of carrying out massive penalties on Germany which included giving back land, keeping Germany’s military reduced, and collecting reparations for the War. In 1922 Germany defaulted on payment of monies or goods claiming that did not have the means to make the payment. League of Nation Members France and Belgium violated League rules and invaded the German Ruhr, Germany’s industrial zone. This violation of League Rule by Key Members set a tone that The League of Nations was a paper tiger at best. A year later, Italy claimed an attack on its men from Greece and convinced the League to fine Greece 50 million lire. A young Benito Mussolini led this effort and had other successes of undermining League Rules for Italian gains during this period. Is his rise to Chancellor, Adolph Hitler was able to use the failure of the The League of Nations and the harsh Treaty of Versailles to rally Germany to his side.

The League was toothless in enforcing resolutions or stopping aggression of nations in the 1930′s when World War II began. The League was fundamentally defunct, as its purpose was to prevent war and many of the Key Members in starting new aggressions that led to World War II. The League was a failure and dissolved at the end of World War II. The United Nations was formed in its place and inherited many of its agencies. The UN’s goals are international cooperation on international law and security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and to keep world peace. Sounds neat.

The UN partition of Palestine in 1947 re-created the state of Israel.  There is no doubt a great achievement in aid to Israel and democracy in the Middle East. However, we know the Arab League and other Arab groups condemned this action and thus started chaos in a region riddled with issues. Since this bold move, it would be hard to argue that the UN has done anything more than perhaps be a conduit for disaster relief aid.

Does the UN have any teeth to its actions at all. In short – no. Let’s examine a few key parts of the UN for validity to this charge. The UN Security Council is a solid place to examine failure. The US, Britain, France, Russia, and China are the 5 permanent members to this body. Hmm, let’s see…. Oh yeah – China backed North Korea in the Korean War and are still the Puppet Master for Pyongyang. Then there was this little skirmish in Vietnam where both Russia and China were at odds with the US. If memory serves, when Iraq invaded Kuwait those UN sanctions were laughed at by Saddam until US led and organized Coalition Forces moved him back. There were 17 Un resolutions against Saddam prior to the US invasion in 2003 that were never enforced and comical. How many UN resolutions have been passed against the nuclear issues in N Korea and Iran without action? Did the UN send forces after 9-11-01 as a means for “global peace” or were US Forces kicking ass? These are just a few examples of the futility of this organization’s ability to keep peace.

Has the UN helped 3rd world nations or disaster areas or does the US pony up the majority of dough for relief? Failure there. Who was the last country that can claim the UN helped develop their economy? None, so it’s a failure there too. Human Rights – do not get me started. This bozo organization have had some of the worlds worst criminals on their Human Rights Council. Just take a look at the Sudan as a reminder.  Oh – does anyone remember the boondoggle “Food For Oil” program that had the UN scamming billions of Iraqi oil? Just me I guess.

So, what’s left for the UN? Law & Security. Here is where they are trying to make a last-ditch effort at something and with this effort eliminate any sovereignty that the US has left. Secretary of State Billary Clinton and O’Communist have been trying their best to take our guns. They cannot get it done in with US law, so they are trying the good ole UN. The Arms Trade Treaty is nothing more than a global gun grab done under the guise of protecting against terrorism and is a load of bunk. While I am not a fan of everything the National Rifle Association does, their Exec VP Wayne LaPierre showed he had a great big set of brass ones with his speech.  Here is the link to the speech:  http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Read.aspx?ID=6993.

Folks, the UN is not a functional organization for any of its purposes. If the rest of the world wants to keep this failure afloat – let them. It is time for America to take care of its own and when we are well and back on our feet, well be glad to come to the aid of the world. OR – if you want us to be the World Police then pay for the service, otherwise take a powder. The US will always come to the aid of the tired and downtrodden, even in our hard times. However, it is high time we quit wasting are time with this group of collective do-nothings and fix our nation and the world on our terms.

I hear France has cheap space for rent….