Priorities

Here is the headline at CNN.COM right now:

And here is FOXNEWS.COM:

While a former heroine addict’s breasts are important to her drooling fanboys, the fact that the Department of Justice wiretapped reporters and the IRS audited and targeted political groups is more important.

Why does this seem familiar?

He has, acting personally and through his subordinates and agents, endeavoured to obtain from the Internal Revenue Service, in violation of the constitutional rights of citizens, confidential information contained in income tax returns for purposed not authorized by law, and to cause, in violation of the constitutional rights of citizens, income tax audits or other income tax investigations to be intitiated or conducted in a discriminatory manner.

Stay classy MSM, I’m some some celebrity will do something else for you to focus on instead of another DC scandal….

The Party of Free Stuff

“Here is something I don’t understand: liberals are often revealed as vile, vulgar hatemongers–not all of them, of course, but far too many–yet they never seem to pay a penalty at the polls. Why is that?”
– John Hinderaker “Why Aren’t More People Repelled by the Left?“, Power Line.

“You’re not going to sell swing voters on far-left liberalism by telling them their kids don’t really belong to them, but tell them that they have a right “at all times” to things they need and you’re golden.”
–Allahpundit, “New MSNBC promo: You have the right to health care, education, housing, and food at all times“, hotair.com

Ask a stupid question. Student load debt is over a trillion, the teachers union is stuck in the past and liberals are attacking adoption and wiretapping their foes.

Vote Democrat, it’s easier than getting a job.

For decades the left has sold itself as the party of free stuff[tm]. Soak the rich to pay for stuff. College, welfare, gov’ment cheese, bennies out the wazoo and you are entitled to it. It’s your right. And if someone objects that racist!!1!!11!

The reality is that the country is broke. Employers can’t keep up with the new healthcare mandate, they are fleeing California and the blue states, Detroit is in shambles and the press is in the tank for liberal politicians.

The answer from our liberal overlords is more taxes and more spending of course. Never mind that we’re taxed to the hilt. The attacks will increase, the press will spin and spin, making dissent into a hate crime.

And the country will drown in red ink.

But hey, you’re “entitled” to free stuff.

Southern Poverty Law Center Jumps the Shark….

..and is now in Low Earth Orbit.

Berger explains why, specifically, the SPLC hugely inflates their headline numbers with a bizarre counting system. Only on the site where you find the raw data, and in none of their media releases, do they make it clear that the “1,007 hate groups” number counts individual chapters of national or regional groups. For instance, “the American Nazi Party is listed six times, and the Council of Conservative Citizens is listed 37 times. There are many more. When you filter the list for organizations with identical names, the list of 1,007 becomes a list of 358.”
–”The SPLC and Slant“: Patrick Brennan, NRO.com, (h/t: Instapundit)

It’s a “forever war” with these people. If they admit that hate is on the run, they lose money. If they admit that no one takes the KKK seriously, they lose a reason to exist.

In 1958, a black man could be arrested for sitting in the wrong seat, in 2008 we elected a black man president.

But you wouldn’t know it from the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Love and Truth in 2013

In the book 1984, the Ministry of Truth was the propaganda arm of the evil regime, the Ministry of Love was the KGB analog.

Social Class in 1984

“Colorado Democrats are prepared to launch an all-out war on guns with legislation that includes bans on “high capacity” magazines, requirements for universal background checks, fees for existing background checks, and allowing victims of gun violence to sue firearm manufacturers for the misuse of weapons.”–Breitbart.com

“DONALD SENSING: Why is DHS buying billions of rounds of ammunition?”
–Insty.

Keep this in mind, SWAT teams are growing across the country. the Department of Education has one. SWAT officers who nearly killed a man over his wife’s student loan fraud.

And now in California, a fired cop and “military” vet (really a reservist) is on a killing spree. The man is a leftist nutjob. But you won’t hear it from the media.

The left, the oh-so “we hate guns” left loves, loves, loves this guy.

“Apparently, when the suspected mass-murderer is a Piers Morgan fan, his crimes win a Piers Morgan exemption.

You know, the idea of bringing politics into a tragedy used to sicken me. But ever since Arizona, Obama’s mercenary media have helped me to see the light. “
–Piers Morgan: L.A. Murder Spree Has ‘Nothing To Do With Politics’ :Breitbart

“So far, though, it’s just the Obama administration pursuing the rather laughable claim that S&P’s ratings would have made any difference to Citi and BofA on their own products. Combine that up with the fact that this is the only ratings agency that the DoJ has pursued after the financial collapse in 2008, and it’s the most significant one that downgraded US credit while Obama has been President, and the actual raison d’être seems pretty clear.”
–DoJ lawsuit against S&P even sillier than first thought by Ed Morrissey, HotAir.COm

This worries me. We’ve seen the left call their opponents “UN-american”, “insurrectionists”, “violent”, “racist” and use vulgar slang and mockery to lesser us and silence dissent.

Now it seems that they want to use real violence. R.S. McCain points out that terrorists do get to be heroes given the passage of time. The left loves underdogs and views all the world through that Marxist Lens(tm). If, somehow, you can claim some “-ism” and pin it on your victims, you are not a domestic terrorist, you’re a hero.

Down the media memory hole went the Tea Part links to Gabby Giffords shooter. So too went the history of Bill Ayers. Vietnam is a repressive police state, but don’t tell the hippies that. The USSR has fan as well.

The mask is off, the fangs are out. The left hates everyone who is not like them. If you’re the 1% who profited from the bailouts, make Hollywood movies, part of the media or a government worker you are a saint. Even if you’re done vile deeds. We’ve seen that you don’t even have to have done anything real, just conform to the lefty narrative.

Go against the grain, make waves, speak truth to power or just step out of line?

There will be no curiosity, no enjoyment of the process of life. All competing pleasures will be destroyed. But always — do not forget this, Winston — always there will be the intoxication of power, constantly increasing and constantly growing subtler. Always, at every moment, there will be the thrill of victory, the sensation of trampling on an enemy who is helpless. If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face — forever.
–O’Brian, 1984

New GOP, old ideas?

After the beating the GOP took in November, PJ media offered some advice for the party leadership.

Here are two of their ideas and my comment on them:

4) Investigate the possibility of reducing American forces in Germany: While NATO served an honorable and crucial role in winning the Cold War, the chances of another war in Central Europe are currently very low. Drawing down American troops to a “trip-wire” force could save up to $20 billion [3].

5) Consolidate and eliminate departments: There is also precedent for this. In the 1950s and the 1990s, programs that were duplicative were combined to save money (both decades saw balanced budgets). One possible department to consolidate would be the Department of Energy (whose budget was $27 billion last year [4]). Many of this department’s functions can be handled by other cabinet agencies. For example, regulation of oil and gas drilling can be done by the Environmental Protection Agency. Grants in the alternative energy field can be processed by the Commerce Department. Drilling permits can be handled by the Department of the Interior. And so on.
…
8) Make sure your members speak the language of the national interest: The 2012 CNN exit poll showed that Democrats were 38% of the voters, Republicans 32%, and independents 29%. So, any policy that comes across as appealing only to the Republican base isn’t likely to rally the nation as a whole. The good thing about “reform” themes is that they cross party lines, and especially appeal to independents.

9) National Guard/FEMA upgrade: The nation has repeatedly been hit by natural (hurricanes, earthquakes, etc.) and man-made (9/11) disasters over the last generation. More extensive training for the National Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency would seem to be a wise investment.

Why are US forces still in Europe? And don’t say it’s because of the middle east. Pull our forces out of Europe and leave a skeleton force to keep bases in Germany maintained. PATRIOT missiles, tankers and support units could be left in Germany. Navy ships, an infantry brigade and other units could rotate out on an as needed basis. Move the dependents home would save a vast amount of money. Make Germany a one year unaccompanied tour for most service members. Consolidate all the commands into one Joint Service Command and retire all the field grades who just sit in an office and drink coffee.

The National Guard needs to stop being the red-headed stepchild of the DoD. Upgrade their equipment and training. As the Active Duty force draws down, offer incentives to servicemembers to join the Guard. Newer vehicles and aircraft would help the Guard because they have a state mission AND are the strategic reserve of the DoD. No Rachel Maddow, they are not the unit at sit in the armory until a disaster strikes. If we’re going to use them, treat them well.

The education department should go back under Health and Human Services.  The Department of Homeland Security should either go away or be reformed after a long hard look at how it does business.  The silly “firewall” between departments could get the once over.  The FBI and CIA should share data on terrorists.

The Democrats have set themselves up as the party of “free stuff”.  We need to point out that under all their horseshit there is no pony.  Hold the “reality based” community to reality.  Point out that California and Detroit are disasters.

We need to show off the GOP governors and the states they are running. Show that our glasses are clean before we point out the turds in the liberals punchbowl.

Chew on this: 2013

Some tasty links:

• “Working Americans have just experienced a pay cut they didn’t expect — the cut resulting from the expiration of the reduction in the payroll tax rate.” Powerline
• Leslie Eastman finds that liberals don’t like the new tax hikes. Legal Insurrection.com
• Life in the USSR circa 1989. Daily Mail
• “Trillion Dollar Coin.” HotAir.com

the left fails economics forever. I guess they want us to live in a third world country with hyper inflation.
The left always has some excuse, the rich, low taxes or some defense. Given that the left controls two branches of government, the branch that spends money and the branch that collects it, they have no excuse. So out comes the crazy solutions: more taxes, a platinum coin, soon pension funds may be at risk.

The left promised the moon: free stuff and a free ride. I have to wonder, they played to people’s greed to get into office. When the budget reckoning comes, will they play to the rage? Programs will have to be cut, may will be canceled to fix the budget. Entitlement fraud happens despite the left playing the race card, accusing people of racism when the welfare rolls have to be fixed. So the right, the tea party, ordinary Americans, thinking, will become the enemy. The economy and the country will be fixed until the next generation will fall for the okeydoke.

Well played lefties, well played.

In the Carboniferous Epoch we were promised abundance for all,
By robbing selected Peter to pay for collective Paul;
But, though we had plenty of money, there was nothing our money could buy,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: “If you don’t work you die.”
— “The Gods of the Copybook Headings“, Rudyard Kipling

Dopes on the ropes

It is a terrible thing, make someone dependent on something, so dependent that they need it. Then the thing is taken away. A real dick move right?

For decades, the left as sold college and the welfare state as a golden ticket. No worries, big Santa Government will pay for it all. Until the country goes broke:

1. “Their ideas don’t work and they know it, so now all they can do is try to make you think their failure is somehow a statement of principle” Dailycaller.com on the 150 to 200 square feet of living space “houses” appearing in Washington DC. (via Insty)
2. “Eleven states, including California, have more residents who draw money from the government—as employees, pensioners, or welfare recipients—than people employed in the private sector.“: Walter Russell Mead
3. “Welfare Spending Dwarfs Poverty” and “It’s Time To Stick It To the Blue States” both via Powerline
4. “Detroit CouncilPerson Puts Teh Onion Out of Business“: Patterico.com
5. “Hey, Fat Cat Unions: Pay Your “Fair Share””, Michelle Malkin
6. “UNPATRIOTIC MILLIONAIRES: Obama-Endorsing WaPo Rushes To Pay Dividends Before Obama Tax Increase Kicks In.” Instaundit alerts the 99%!!

The left loves socialism as long as other people pay for it. If you disagree, your a racist/sexist/member of the 1% and hate people.

I’ll tell the left who’s racist. Racism is telling people that they don’t have to work or earn a living. Racism is telling them to vote year after year and their problems will be solved by someone else. Racism is kicking the can forward, telling the people of today that their problems are someone else’s fault and if they just hate them enough and tax them enough their problems will be solved. And then they toss around blame and offer no solutions when it all goes south. When the money runs out they have nothing. And the people hurt the most are those who need that money they really have nothing.

“City Council member JoAnn Watson said Tuesday the citizens support of Obama in last month’s election was enough reason for the president to bailout the struggling the city. (Click the video player to listen)

“Our people in an overwhelming way supported the re-election of this president and there ought to be a quid pro quo and you ought to exercise leadership on that,” said Watson. “Of course, not just that, but why not?”
…
The White House has expressed no plans to bailout the cash-crunched city that some experts say could run out of money by the end of the year.

The federal government has bailed out cities in the past, however. In 1975, President Gerald Ford extended more than $2 billion in credit to New York City to help it avoid a financial collapse.”
–
Detroit councilwoman to Obama: We voted for you, now bail us out: By FOX 2 News Staff DETROIT

Heh, Gerald Ford. Republican Gerald Ford? The stumbling Chevy Chase character bailed out New York City? Yes he did.

This time there will be no bailouts for the blue states (and cities). Sure big labor, Wall Street and K Street got theirs, but the people who need the blue model to live will get screwed. They sowed a crop of class warfare, dreams and envy, they will reap red ink.

“Turning and turning in the widening gyre”

The Second Coming

“Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity”
–”The Second Coming“, William Butler Yeats

“The missile tests popping up all over Asia should be seen in this light. Everyone’s arming up, starting with Russia. As we speak, Moscow is rearming missile units with Russia’s most advanced ICBM, the Yars missile, which was first tested in 2007. The Topol-M missile, tested in 2004, is already deployed.”
–”Missiles, missiles everywhere” December 4, 2012 by J.E. Dyer, HotAir.com

Mr. Dyer goes on to list missile developments in Asia, including the Nork’s upcoming missile test. Oh, and “Nork” is not racist, btw.

US Army Patriot missile units are in the middle east, defending our allies in the Arabian Gulf. Egypt’s “moderate” president flees the presidential palace because Egyptians don’t like a dictator. India and China are flexing their muscles.

The left, when not plugging their fingers in their ears (that “norks is racist comment is based on a tweet by a leftie with the IQ of a tree stump), they spit on our country:

But will a film like Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty,” about a specific, recent event — the killing of Osama bin Laden — resonate in the same way that her previous, fictional movie about the Iraq war, “The Hurt Locker,” did with its fearless main character channeling our deepest fears about the price of that misbegotten war?

Oddly, my deepest fears about the war were that (a) the rules of engagement prevented victory, and (b) any gains made would be lost to politics. Both of those fears have been realized.
–”Yet more fear and loathing of American culture (and history) at the LA Times“,by Joel Engel (giving a “reason you suck speech” to the LAT’s Reed Johnson)

The left wants to pretend that the world loves and shares their Marxist worldview. The world is have vs. have not’s and not the real world of hate and power hungry haters.

Either we recognize that there is a bear in the woods or we let the bear attack.

“And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?”

We’ll find out soon enough.

RESIGN HOLDER

Eric Holder’s bright idea bears fruit (via Instapundit):

“Washington D.C. – According to credible ATF sources, officials heavily involved in Operation Fast and Furious and named as partially responsible for the program’s failure by Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz and the House Oversight Committee have been stripped of their government security clearances while some have been fired, demoted, and transferred. Criminal charges are also reportedly pending.“
…
“former ATF Special Agent in Charge of Operations in the West Bill McMahon and former Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division George Gillett have been fired…McMahon and ATF came under heavy fire just a few months ago after it was revealed McMahon had been receiving ATF paid leave while pulling a six figure salary from J.P. Morgan, the same bank that owns the bureau’s credit cards“
–
“Report: Security Clearances Revoked, Criminal Charges Pending For ATF Fast and Furious Officials” Katie Pavlich, Townhall.com.

What the hell? Conflicts of intrest, dead federal agents, many, many dead Mexicans and a country on the brink. Has the media and the administration no shame?

RESIGN HOLDER

Fiscal Cliff

So zerohedge.com published this:

“We realize that this is a painful topic in a country in which the issue of welfare benefits, and cutting (or not) the spending side of the fiscal cliff, have become the two most sensitive social topics. Alas, none of that changes the matrix of incentives for most Americans who find themselves in a comparable situation: either being on the left side of minimum US wage, and relying on benefits, or move to the right side at far greater personal investment of work, and energy, and… have the same disposable income at the end of the day. “

Check out the whole article at the link.

Given that the US of A is broke, what’s going on in politics? Naked protesters want more gov’ment cheese, the Democrats want to play chess and the GOP wants to play dumb and the GOP still wants to give lots of sugar subsidies. The Democrats are not the progressive party they are the stompy hooves party.

We need a fiscal deal.

We as a country can’t afford a military presence in Europe, a tank/APC that’s 80 tons, a welfare state that pays people to sit there and buy Iphones and the farm subsides need to go.

The problem is as old as time: people want to eat ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner but whine when their waistline expands.

As Insty says, if something can’t go on forever, it won’t.

Either we fix the budget and drive away from the fiscal cliff, or the Democrats will have ruined the economy and the country. They will own it. Bush is not in office, the military is shrinking (so much for the “permanent war economy”). The huge recession, the jobless rate? THEIR. FAULT.

Like Europe, the Democrats promised free stuff and easy living. When it goes south, they will sling blame and attempt to “fix it” with taxes and b.s. economics. Some in the GOP will attempt to do the same. Porkbarrel politicians will still rob peter to pay paul, even in the face of doom.

If the GOP can’t stop them, we need a new GOP (or a new party entirely).