It is now a fact that the Democratic Party has sustain large losses in the midterm elections. It was interesting to watch their candidates and leadership explain why they lost.
My guess is that we shall hear a lot of talk about racism. This is the chief charge leveled against the Tea Party movement and it is utterly without substance. Democrats, however, are very likely to spin the loss as bigotry in general and, in particular, directed against America’s first black president. Obama has been rejected for reasons obvious to anyone who is unemployed, has had their home foreclosed, and an electorate aware of multi-trillion dollar deficits as far as the eye can see.
The next fallback position will be, of course, to blame the economy, but the Democrats literally own the economy and have owned it going back decades to the 1930s when Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected and reelected while prolonging the Great Depression for ten years until the economy was rescued by a full-employment program called World War Two.
Those were the years when Social Security, a huge Ponzi scheme, was introduced, followed by Medicare. Both are now insolvent and, like all socialist schemes, have “run out of other people’s money.”
The effort to take over one-sixth of the nation’s economy with Obamacare is a major reason for the Democrat failure at the polls. Forced through a Democrat controlled Congress through bribery and arm-twisting in the face of enormous public rejection and protest, the Democratic Party experienced a paroxysm of hubris that ignored the will of the People.
There is, too, a widespread sense that Congress, including some RINOs, Republicans in Name Only, has failed the People. The critical role of the “independents”, voters who do not identify with either party, will be manifested and it can no longer be ignored by either party. Last week, a Rasmussen Reports poll revealed that an astonishing 65% say that Congress has failed to perform its critical duty to maintain the welfare of the nation.
The statistics of government failure whether it is Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, all give voice for a return to the founding principles of the nation; a smaller, limited central government.
In a recent Wall Street Journal article, John Fund noted that “It took Democrats in the House of Representatives 40 years to become out-of-touch enough to get thrown out of office in 1994. It took 12 years for the Republicans who replaced them to abandon their principles and be repudiated in 2006. Now it appears that the current Democratic majority has lost voter confidence in only four years.”
What those inside the D.C. Beltway have failed to comprehend is that, in an era of the Internet and instant access to encyclopedic amounts of information about the legislative actions of Congress, they no longer can fool all of the people all of the time, nor even some of the people all of the time. A core of about 25% believes in liberalism. The rest of the population does not.
The voters, too, will have rejected a vicious Democrat campaign of personal destruction directed against Republican candidates, accusing them of sexual misbehavior, witchcraft, and other misdeeds that were not only lies, but totally irrelevant at a time when the nation’s economy is in serious trouble.
Along with the Democratic Party, the nation’s mainstream media will suffer a continuing loss of the credibility necessary to their existence. In media critic, Bernie Goldberg’s words, it was “a slobbering love affair” with Barack Obama that got him elected.
I think, too, that many saw the rally staged by Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert of the Comedy Channel as an insult to the seriousness of the nation’s problems. Having people like Muslim convert, Cat Steven, participate, or Sheryl Crow who advocates bizarre environmental ideas, simply degraded the event further. There were few laughs to be had from the small crowd that attended.
There will be payback as daily newspapers grow thinner, as news magazines like Newsweek get sold for $1 and the assumption of its debt. The network news programs will continue to lose viewers, while Fox News channel continues to thrive, along with a bevy of conservative radio hosts and commentators.
Ultimately, though, this is a loss to be laid at the feet of the first openly socialist president of the United States, Barack Obama, and it is testimony to the rejection of his political philosophy and his determination to “transform” the nation.
Washington, D.C., with its legions of lobbyists and the need to raise huge amounts of money to get reelected does strange things to the judgment of those in Congress. No matter how the numbers turn out following the election, Republicans must keep in mind that they did not so much “win”, as the Democrats lost.
The same forces are at work and will be on a faster schedule if Republicans do not prove responsive and fail to make the changes necessary to save the nation from economic ruin.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Revolution Muslim Shifting from Ideological to Operational
Followers of the outspoken groups Revolution Muslim and the Islamic Thinkers Society are moving from ideology to violent action, a review of recent terror indictments by the Investigative Project on Terrorism shows.
U.S. counter terror agencies have traditionally paid little attention to those groups, presumably because they represent a safe and legal outlet for the frustrations of young, aspiring Jihadists.
Similarly, Islamist groups like the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) have minimized the danger of these individuals. CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper wrote off the RevolutionMuslim.com site as "an extreme fringe group that has absolutely no credibility within the Muslim community." "In fact, most Muslims suspect they were set up only to make Muslims look bad," Hooper added. "We just have very deep suspicions. They say such outrageous, irresponsible things that it almost seems like they're doing it to smear Islam." But the new indictments show that some overzealous participants in the groups are increasing their radical activity, resulting in the groups' heightened threat. Their influence is growing.
The case of Abdel Hameed Shehadeh is the most recent example. Shehadeh was arrested Oct. 26 in Hawaii on charges of lying about why he traveled to Pakistan and his attempts to join the Taliban. Shehadeh, who operated three websites hosting extremist material and Al-Qaeda videos, enjoyed a close relationship with Revolution Muslim.
According to the criminal complaint, a June 28, 2008 visit by a federal agent to one of these websites revealed a blog post "introducing http://www.civiljihad.com/ to the Revolution Muslim online community."
"It is time for the Muslims to start practicing our freedom of speech… My brothers of revolution islam [Revolution Muslim], I am with you as long as you keep struggling. Trust me there are many brothers and sisters in America that are ready to speak up. They just need a push," Shehadeh posted on his site. By August 03, 2008, http://www.civiljihad.com/ simply became a redirecting website, automatically sending viewers to Revolution Muslim's homepage.
Organizations like Revolution Muslim have been the "push" that many of these individuals needed to organize and act. These groups share a common belief in spreading their understanding of Islam through Da'wah [proselytizing]. They also promote a common narrative of a "War on Islam," and an identification with foreign terrorist organizations aimed at bringing down the West.
RM functions as one of the most visible English-language websites and organizations promoting al-Qaida's call to jihad. In addition to promoting the literature and videos of individuals like senior terrorist ideologue Anwar al-Awlaki, RM leaders have personally participated in all levels of the radicalization process, from identifying targets to providing advice about bombings.
For example, RM founder Yousef al-Khattab sparked heightened security at prominent Jewish sites by identifying them as sources of funding, spiritual guidance and material for Israel's January 2009 attack on Gaza. He also taunted law enforcement in his threat, noting that, "And Wallahi [really], New York City Police Department, CIA, and FBI, you can put me in jail for the rest of my life. As long as I got that information out there to people about what to do, I did something." The following picture on RM's website was linked to his threat.
An earlier posting featured a Jewish prayer book covered in what appears to be blood. Likewise, a posting concerning the Times Square Bomber stated, "I think people should be more careful when they plan operations. Try fertilizer, not firecrackers, Insha'Allah [Allah willing]."
Revolution Muslim has also been a stopover point for identification with larger terrorist groups like Hamas and al-Qaida, or an ideological breeding ground for home-grown jihadist sentiment. By giving would-be warriors a centralized place to review and discuss violent speeches by clerics such as Abdullah al-Faisal, RM gathers isolated individuals on varying levels of the radicalization process. It gives them "a push" to identify with the most violent extremes of Islamist theology and feeds the narrative that Muslims everywhere are the victim of a "War on Islam."
RM's efforts have registered with susceptible individuals, including Abdul Hameed Shehadeh, former RM leading member Zachary Chesser, and a host of other attempted terrorists.
Chesser, aka Abu Talhah al-Amreekee, recently pled guilty in Alexandria, VA federal court to providing material support to Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaida-affiliated terrorist organization. Chesser also echoed calls by Awlaki aimed at inciting violence against cartoonists for the animated show "South Park" and a journalist who initiated the "Everybody Draw Muhammad Day." In addition, he provided the personal information of several individuals involved with "Everybody Draw Muhammad Day" on a jihadist forum. Other accused or convicted terrorists with noted Revolution Muslim ties include Colleen LaRose, Bryant Neal Vinas, Tarek Mehanna and Daniel Maldonado. Even Samir Khan, the suspected editor of Al-Qaeda's English magazine and the author of its second edition article, "I am proud to be a Traitor to America," gradually moved from the organization's circles to al-Qaeda.
RM is not alone in its connections to individuals who have carried out acts of terror. The Islamic Thinkers Society, another radical Islamist forum, promotes an identical message about a "War on Islam" and violent solutions. Islamic Thinkers Society went well beyond providing ideological support and identifying potential targets. According to CNN, "followers of the Islamic Thinkers Society not only helped radicalize [convicted terrorist Bryant Neil] Vinas, but also helped him connect with militants in Pakistan." Other accused terrorists affiliated with the movement include Mahmood Alessa and Carlos Eduardo Almonte, both reportedly negotiating guilty pleas for attempting to fight alongside Al-Shabaab
U.S. counter terror agencies have traditionally paid little attention to those groups, presumably because they represent a safe and legal outlet for the frustrations of young, aspiring Jihadists.
 |
| CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper |
Similarly, Islamist groups like the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) have minimized the danger of these individuals. CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper wrote off the RevolutionMuslim.com site as "an extreme fringe group that has absolutely no credibility within the Muslim community." "In fact, most Muslims suspect they were set up only to make Muslims look bad," Hooper added. "We just have very deep suspicions. They say such outrageous, irresponsible things that it almost seems like they're doing it to smear Islam." But the new indictments show that some overzealous participants in the groups are increasing their radical activity, resulting in the groups' heightened threat. Their influence is growing.
The case of Abdel Hameed Shehadeh is the most recent example. Shehadeh was arrested Oct. 26 in Hawaii on charges of lying about why he traveled to Pakistan and his attempts to join the Taliban. Shehadeh, who operated three websites hosting extremist material and Al-Qaeda videos, enjoyed a close relationship with Revolution Muslim.
According to the criminal complaint, a June 28, 2008 visit by a federal agent to one of these websites revealed a blog post "introducing http://www.civiljihad.com/ to the Revolution Muslim online community."
"It is time for the Muslims to start practicing our freedom of speech… My brothers of revolution islam [Revolution Muslim], I am with you as long as you keep struggling. Trust me there are many brothers and sisters in America that are ready to speak up. They just need a push," Shehadeh posted on his site. By August 03, 2008, http://www.civiljihad.com/ simply became a redirecting website, automatically sending viewers to Revolution Muslim's homepage.
Organizations like Revolution Muslim have been the "push" that many of these individuals needed to organize and act. These groups share a common belief in spreading their understanding of Islam through Da'wah [proselytizing]. They also promote a common narrative of a "War on Islam," and an identification with foreign terrorist organizations aimed at bringing down the West.
 |
| Anwar al-Awlaki |
RM functions as one of the most visible English-language websites and organizations promoting al-Qaida's call to jihad. In addition to promoting the literature and videos of individuals like senior terrorist ideologue Anwar al-Awlaki, RM leaders have personally participated in all levels of the radicalization process, from identifying targets to providing advice about bombings.
For example, RM founder Yousef al-Khattab sparked heightened security at prominent Jewish sites by identifying them as sources of funding, spiritual guidance and material for Israel's January 2009 attack on Gaza. He also taunted law enforcement in his threat, noting that, "And Wallahi [really], New York City Police Department, CIA, and FBI, you can put me in jail for the rest of my life. As long as I got that information out there to people about what to do, I did something." The following picture on RM's website was linked to his threat.
An earlier posting featured a Jewish prayer book covered in what appears to be blood. Likewise, a posting concerning the Times Square Bomber stated, "I think people should be more careful when they plan operations. Try fertilizer, not firecrackers, Insha'Allah [Allah willing]."
 |
| Abdullah al-Faisal |
Revolution Muslim has also been a stopover point for identification with larger terrorist groups like Hamas and al-Qaida, or an ideological breeding ground for home-grown jihadist sentiment. By giving would-be warriors a centralized place to review and discuss violent speeches by clerics such as Abdullah al-Faisal, RM gathers isolated individuals on varying levels of the radicalization process. It gives them "a push" to identify with the most violent extremes of Islamist theology and feeds the narrative that Muslims everywhere are the victim of a "War on Islam."
RM's efforts have registered with susceptible individuals, including Abdul Hameed Shehadeh, former RM leading member Zachary Chesser, and a host of other attempted terrorists.
 |
| Zachary Chesser |
RM is not alone in its connections to individuals who have carried out acts of terror. The Islamic Thinkers Society, another radical Islamist forum, promotes an identical message about a "War on Islam" and violent solutions. Islamic Thinkers Society went well beyond providing ideological support and identifying potential targets. According to CNN, "followers of the Islamic Thinkers Society not only helped radicalize [convicted terrorist Bryant Neil] Vinas, but also helped him connect with militants in Pakistan." Other accused terrorists affiliated with the movement include Mahmood Alessa and Carlos Eduardo Almonte, both reportedly negotiating guilty pleas for attempting to fight alongside Al-Shabaab
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
‘November 2010: Will Humans Finally Begin Retaking Their Country from the Marxists?
With all of the anti-American and anti-human legislation that they have recently passed (in order to control We-the-People and destroy OUR country), it’s increasingly difficult to ascertain why any viable polls—whatsoever—would show the population returning to a strong Marxist-Democrat vote. But, that’s what the polls seem to reflect with the latest results (many former Republican leads shifting to Dems?) from most of the well-known pollsters. In fairness, the vast majority of these polling organizations are leftist (aka Marxist) leaning. But, does the majority really want a totalitarian government? Really?
Are the polls heavily weighted for the polling company’s favorites or are they bogus—entirely? Are some within the electorate still not aware of the more recent events (the true ones) that led up the to current debacles facing the United States of America?
In my 7 October 2008 column “Democrats Destroy Economy—Blame Republicans,” I name names and lay out—step by step—the bad actors (some who are STILL in Congress) and predominant reasons we have been placed into the morass that surrounds us, today. Hint: It began with Fannie May, Freddie Mac and the forced-on-banks Clintonian American Home Ownership and Economic Opportunity Act of 2000. By the way, Republican RINOs are not—at all—blameless. They are at best liberals and at their worst Marxist-Democrat plants. However, it was and is the Democrats in power who began, followed through and implemented the corrupt scheme to steal all of the taxpayers money for themselves and their buddies and, in the process, bankrupt America. And their leader, Usurper and Dictator-in-Chief Barack Hussein Obama, is now shoving vicious and devastating Marxist programs (one after another) down our patently unwilling throats. This is being done by Obama & Co (which includes their Congressional Democrat minion) in the hopes that their opposition—We-the-People—will choke, die and can then be thrown out in the trash by our former slave masters.
Although it seems highly unlikely, if you are still uncertain about for whom to vote in your Senatorial and/or House races, please consider the following:
1. Virtually ALL Democrats in both the US House of Representatives and Senate voted for the horrible life-destroying ObamaCare
2. Virtually ALL Democrats in the House voted for the energy and life-destroying Cap & Trade (aka Cap & Tax)
3. Even “pretend” pro-life Democrats (there really is no such animal) voted for federal abortion funding contained within ObamaCare’s devastating pages. That is, as long as the price (aka “bribe” or “kickback”) was right
4. Do you really want to reelect the people who have willingly brought about our destruction so that they might enrich themselves, their families and friends?
The RINOs also need to be addressed and we must work hard to send them back to the Democrat Party of their true roots. There may even be a new future better and more Constitutionally sound political party to replace the GOP. But, today, we are fighting for our very survival. We MUST take back Congress or we will not survive at all. We must also work to rid ourselves of the head of the current fiascoes—the one who said (if we don’t support him and his policies): “Part of the reason that our politics seems so tough right now, and facts and science and argument does not seem to be winning the day all the time, is because we’re hard-wired not to always think clearly when we’re scared.” In the past, The Obama called us ‘bitter clingers, and now, we’re just scared blobs of dense, slow and dull protoplasm. In other words, he says it’s OUR fault not Obama’s that we can’t see the brilliance of his slavery plans for us. We should be thanking him for his willingness in expending his time and effort to both dominate and destroy us!
If we want to save and begin the restoration of the USA‘s Republic, there is currently only one thing we can effectively do—vote out ALL Democrats and start the process of instilling Constitutionalists back into OUR government. And, again, we MUST vote in extraordinary numbers never before seen in our nation. Only in that way can we even begin to thwart the massive Marxist-Democrat election fraud that has already begun.
“Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness”—George Washington
Democrats Destroy Economy—Blame Republicans:
http://www.webcommentary.com/php/ShowArticle.php?id=zieves&date=081007
Obama’s Fright-Wing Extremism:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304410504575560041353681892.html
Fires, Fraud, Democrats & The SEIU: It’s a Real Work in Progress(ivism):
http://www.redstate.com/laborunionreport/2010/09/26/fires-fraud-democrats-the-seiu-its-a-real-work-in-progressivism/
Are the polls heavily weighted for the polling company’s favorites or are they bogus—entirely? Are some within the electorate still not aware of the more recent events (the true ones) that led up the to current debacles facing the United States of America?
In my 7 October 2008 column “Democrats Destroy Economy—Blame Republicans,” I name names and lay out—step by step—the bad actors (some who are STILL in Congress) and predominant reasons we have been placed into the morass that surrounds us, today. Hint: It began with Fannie May, Freddie Mac and the forced-on-banks Clintonian American Home Ownership and Economic Opportunity Act of 2000. By the way, Republican RINOs are not—at all—blameless. They are at best liberals and at their worst Marxist-Democrat plants. However, it was and is the Democrats in power who began, followed through and implemented the corrupt scheme to steal all of the taxpayers money for themselves and their buddies and, in the process, bankrupt America. And their leader, Usurper and Dictator-in-Chief Barack Hussein Obama, is now shoving vicious and devastating Marxist programs (one after another) down our patently unwilling throats. This is being done by Obama & Co (which includes their Congressional Democrat minion) in the hopes that their opposition—We-the-People—will choke, die and can then be thrown out in the trash by our former slave masters.
Although it seems highly unlikely, if you are still uncertain about for whom to vote in your Senatorial and/or House races, please consider the following:
1. Virtually ALL Democrats in both the US House of Representatives and Senate voted for the horrible life-destroying ObamaCare
2. Virtually ALL Democrats in the House voted for the energy and life-destroying Cap & Trade (aka Cap & Tax)
3. Even “pretend” pro-life Democrats (there really is no such animal) voted for federal abortion funding contained within ObamaCare’s devastating pages. That is, as long as the price (aka “bribe” or “kickback”) was right
4. Do you really want to reelect the people who have willingly brought about our destruction so that they might enrich themselves, their families and friends?
The RINOs also need to be addressed and we must work hard to send them back to the Democrat Party of their true roots. There may even be a new future better and more Constitutionally sound political party to replace the GOP. But, today, we are fighting for our very survival. We MUST take back Congress or we will not survive at all. We must also work to rid ourselves of the head of the current fiascoes—the one who said (if we don’t support him and his policies): “Part of the reason that our politics seems so tough right now, and facts and science and argument does not seem to be winning the day all the time, is because we’re hard-wired not to always think clearly when we’re scared.” In the past, The Obama called us ‘bitter clingers, and now, we’re just scared blobs of dense, slow and dull protoplasm. In other words, he says it’s OUR fault not Obama’s that we can’t see the brilliance of his slavery plans for us. We should be thanking him for his willingness in expending his time and effort to both dominate and destroy us!
If we want to save and begin the restoration of the USA‘s Republic, there is currently only one thing we can effectively do—vote out ALL Democrats and start the process of instilling Constitutionalists back into OUR government. And, again, we MUST vote in extraordinary numbers never before seen in our nation. Only in that way can we even begin to thwart the massive Marxist-Democrat election fraud that has already begun.
“Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness”—George Washington
Democrats Destroy Economy—Blame Republicans:
http://www.webcommentary.com/php/ShowArticle.php?id=zieves&date=081007
Obama’s Fright-Wing Extremism:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304410504575560041353681892.html
Fires, Fraud, Democrats & The SEIU: It’s a Real Work in Progress(ivism):
http://www.redstate.com/laborunionreport/2010/09/26/fires-fraud-democrats-the-seiu-its-a-real-work-in-progressivism/
Obama And The DeMarxists’ Scorched Earth Political Suicide
Regular readers of this blog will remember a blog entitled: ‘Leftists,Progressives and Socialists’, where the socialists marched on Washington displaying their banners, well, November 2, 2010 is this days arrival. That’s much like what’s still occurring within the DeMarxist ranks. Not satisfied to have presided over the single greatest threat to our livelihoods, our homes and our freedoms in the history of the country, many a Congress critter are about to ride the Obama express into a failed history.
The mood of the country is neither forgiving nor is it likely to allow for much compromise with the left as far as most of us are concerned. The DeMarxists are running for their political lives. Barack Hussein Obama’s White House is rapidly becoming his Fuhrer’s bunker, just as Hitler lived underground in Berlin during the final days of the Reich. No, I’m not comparing Obama to Adolf Hitler, though there certainly are some ready comparisons.
The political landscape isn’t just looking bleak for the enemies of our country… it’s purely toxic. I mentioned yesterday that every new move of the DeMarxist political machine drops them even deeper into hot water with the American citizen. Yeah, the ones they’ve lied to and ignored for the last time.
Obama’s and the DeMarxists’ tactics are not going unnoticed or unremarked. They are facing an aroused populace, who has made it its business to be extraordinarily well informed about the condition of the country and the economy.
A seismic upheaval in the tapestry of American politics will occur in less than three weeks now. It’s not a question of victory any more. We are assured of that, however it is a matter of numbers… we’re sure to take the House by more, much more, than we need.
The Senate is also up for grabs with ten seats which could very likely swing Republican. There are thirty six gubernatorial seats up this election cycle, many of which may fall to Republicans. Add to that the truly staggering numbers of state and local races where Republican candidates are having a huge impact.
It is indeed a very tough year for incumbents.
The mood of the country is neither forgiving nor is it likely to allow for much compromise with the left as far as most of us are concerned. The DeMarxists are running for their political lives. Barack Hussein Obama’s White House is rapidly becoming his Fuhrer’s bunker, just as Hitler lived underground in Berlin during the final days of the Reich. No, I’m not comparing Obama to Adolf Hitler, though there certainly are some ready comparisons.
The political landscape isn’t just looking bleak for the enemies of our country… it’s purely toxic. I mentioned yesterday that every new move of the DeMarxist political machine drops them even deeper into hot water with the American citizen. Yeah, the ones they’ve lied to and ignored for the last time.
Obama’s and the DeMarxists’ tactics are not going unnoticed or unremarked. They are facing an aroused populace, who has made it its business to be extraordinarily well informed about the condition of the country and the economy.
A seismic upheaval in the tapestry of American politics will occur in less than three weeks now. It’s not a question of victory any more. We are assured of that, however it is a matter of numbers… we’re sure to take the House by more, much more, than we need.
The Senate is also up for grabs with ten seats which could very likely swing Republican. There are thirty six gubernatorial seats up this election cycle, many of which may fall to Republicans. Add to that the truly staggering numbers of state and local races where Republican candidates are having a huge impact.
It is indeed a very tough year for incumbents.
An Uneducated Electorate
Many of us are aware that the elitists currently pouring millions into this election cycle anonymously care little about education. Indeed, these elitists prefer ignorance and misinformation as the best tactic to maintain power and control. As such, the poor state of our elections and electorate is to be expected.
The charade called the 2010 Election brings to an end any honest discussion about the quality of information and education we the people receive through the corporate-controlled media. The litany of ridiculous ideas a substantial minority of our electorate holds deserves mention only for the absurdity of the positions. President Obama is Muslim, born in Hawaii, and educated in Indonesia. Global warming is a hoax, the science proves it, and we are now involved in yet another religion war. Tax cuts for the rich create jobs. Wars are required for our national security. What’s good for Wall Street is good for Main Street. We require a Federal Reserve Bank for ‘federal reserves’. The litany is endless.
Propaganda, the dissemination of falsehoods for special interest gains, has been with us for centuries. Even the Revolutionary War had to be ‘sold’ to a reluctant populace. Wealthy landowners who wanted to reduce their tax burden to England were the instigators. The peasants had little interest, knowing their lot changed little regardless of who held power.
In the 1930s propaganda become “public relations”, and the mislabeling of bad ideas and misleading the populace became common place Edward Bernays. And while the tactics became more sophisticated, the goal didn’t change. The elitists of the day believed benevolent control by elites was far superior to a democracy of the uneducated – all the while contributing to that lack of education. [Herman and Chomsky’s book, Manufacturing Consent, was taken from Edward Bernays who famously said “the engineering of consent" is the very "essence of the democratic process.”]
Things got much worse in the 1970s as conservatives and moneyed interests organized. Conservative think tanks, right-wing radio, fundamentalist preachers and lots of cash began to create a political machine that has dominated honest efforts at democracy ever since. In 1970, there were 135 lobbyists. By the time Reagan was elected in 1980, there were over 1500. Today, there are hundreds of lobbyists for each member of congress, an industry worth 3.2 billion dollars.
A 1991 study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) uncovered just how porous was the Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act of 1946. The GAO found that about 10,000 of the 13,500 individuals and organizations listed as key influence peddlers on Capitol Hill in a book entitled Directory of Washington Representatives were not registered as lobbyists. No wonder real wages have been stagnant for forty years.
With this backdrop, it should be no surprise when Tea Party candidates win primaries for the job of senator or congress person. We have been encouraged to vote against our best interests for generations. We have been goaded by ‘hot button issues’ like gay marriage instead of following the money. We’ve been discouraged, deluded and disillusioned by corporate media, losing our center and sense of power as we’re told what is ‘real’ and ‘possible’ by agenda-driven pundits. The anonymous pockets behind right-wing fundamentalism are deep.
This election cycle does offer something new, if not positive. The United States Supreme Court earlier this year determined that corporations cannot be limited in their contributions to preferred candidates. And that they can hide their contributions through third-party groups. This means customers and clients don’t know the politics of companies they support, not to mention the massive sums involved. Can there be any question that this decision undermines what crumbs of democracy that remain in these United States?
The Tea Party slate of candidates throws another twist into this cycle. We have rarely seen such extreme positions for high office. In a curiosity, this Tea Party radicalism may be the saving grace for a weak democratic party in this election cycle. There’s a high level of disgust for both parties, with record levels of dissatisfaction among the citizenry, and elitists have figured out how to leverage that dissatisfaction for their own gain. They use their money to misinform, to confuse and confound, to attack, to lie and deny – to buy our wounded democracy.
Another oddity. Much of the Tea Party funding comes from non-local sources. Carl Rove has raised millions through his 527 group ‘American Crossroads,’ over 90% from just three billionaire donors. We don’t yet know how national dollars will impact local races.
This malaise would not be upon us if the Democratic Party were the champions of common sense and the common good. But here again nothing changes. No, they act as the quasi-sane yet horribly ineffective party because that is their role in this charade. Obama’s health care reform was a pathetic effort in light of his campaign promise. The ‘health care’ corporations remain in charge without even a public option. The same is true for the financial reform bill and every other piece of legislation. Corporate control is maintained. There is no integrity.
We have an uneducated electorate because of broad-spectrum corruption across the whole political and economic system. This core issue is reflected in everything from our educational system to the 24 hour news channels. It would be ugly enough if it were just greed, but there’s a certain malevolence in encouraging ignorance for personal gain at the expense of the common good.
We can see and feel the poverty and degradation that has been slowly overtaking our communities for years. This is because our government caters to huge corporations, giving them our tax money. This because our government values corporate interests over citizen interests. This because, as we follow the money, the elites, the owners of corporations, have nearly all of it.
We obviously don’t know yet how this election cycle plays out, especially with well-funded Tea Party enthusiasm, fortified by a purported news network. But we do know of unprecedented involvement by special interest groups, and their goal is obvious.
All this foolishness can be understood because of our lack or awareness about the nature of things. We don’t understand reality. Religion tells us God, or Awareness, is the ultimate force. Science tells us the whole universe is energy. Common sense dictates the conclusion that awareness and energy are the two great fundamentals of reality. And that this co-mingling can happen only Now.
From the World 5.0 perspective, this totality of our present reality is based on the intermingling of Awareness and Energy, or stillness and motion. Opposing forces creating together. The Great Tao. These two fundamental forces do not exist, and cannot touch, outside of Now. Compare this to our common notion about living in time, dividing reality into past, present, future. But such a notion is dead wrong. We cannot live in past or future. Indeed, we cannot leave This Moment.
Once we understand the totality of This Moment, we appreciate that of prime concern is our intent — how we fill this moment. We have but two options, fear or Love, and we live in one or the other to varying degrees. Fear continues the patterns of greed and hate we’re so familiar with in the media and politics. Love recognizes our commonality and equality, resetting our priorities and experience of This Moment.
This is the awareness that allows for true learning, nurturing, and real education. We are so culturally lost the obvious truth of reality seems ridiculous, incomprehensible. So we have a steep climb. But at least we now have the path of World 5.0.
Returning more to topic, how do we combat this onslaught of elitist cash? Education, knowledge and awareness. We fight for transparency at every turn. We educate ourselves and those close to us. We calmly refute hate-mongers who would distract us. And we leverage the one small crumb allowed us as citizens still; we vote.
We can’t fix this mess alone. We can only do it together. We can only find real freedom with awareness of This Moment and in spending Now without fear. We can only fix the system by replacing corruption with integrity. By living Here in Peace and Love. This is what World 5.0 is all about.
The charade called the 2010 Election brings to an end any honest discussion about the quality of information and education we the people receive through the corporate-controlled media. The litany of ridiculous ideas a substantial minority of our electorate holds deserves mention only for the absurdity of the positions. President Obama is Muslim, born in Hawaii, and educated in Indonesia. Global warming is a hoax, the science proves it, and we are now involved in yet another religion war. Tax cuts for the rich create jobs. Wars are required for our national security. What’s good for Wall Street is good for Main Street. We require a Federal Reserve Bank for ‘federal reserves’. The litany is endless.
Propaganda, the dissemination of falsehoods for special interest gains, has been with us for centuries. Even the Revolutionary War had to be ‘sold’ to a reluctant populace. Wealthy landowners who wanted to reduce their tax burden to England were the instigators. The peasants had little interest, knowing their lot changed little regardless of who held power.
In the 1930s propaganda become “public relations”, and the mislabeling of bad ideas and misleading the populace became common place Edward Bernays. And while the tactics became more sophisticated, the goal didn’t change. The elitists of the day believed benevolent control by elites was far superior to a democracy of the uneducated – all the while contributing to that lack of education. [Herman and Chomsky’s book, Manufacturing Consent, was taken from Edward Bernays who famously said “the engineering of consent" is the very "essence of the democratic process.”]
Things got much worse in the 1970s as conservatives and moneyed interests organized. Conservative think tanks, right-wing radio, fundamentalist preachers and lots of cash began to create a political machine that has dominated honest efforts at democracy ever since. In 1970, there were 135 lobbyists. By the time Reagan was elected in 1980, there were over 1500. Today, there are hundreds of lobbyists for each member of congress, an industry worth 3.2 billion dollars.
A 1991 study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) uncovered just how porous was the Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act of 1946. The GAO found that about 10,000 of the 13,500 individuals and organizations listed as key influence peddlers on Capitol Hill in a book entitled Directory of Washington Representatives were not registered as lobbyists. No wonder real wages have been stagnant for forty years.
With this backdrop, it should be no surprise when Tea Party candidates win primaries for the job of senator or congress person. We have been encouraged to vote against our best interests for generations. We have been goaded by ‘hot button issues’ like gay marriage instead of following the money. We’ve been discouraged, deluded and disillusioned by corporate media, losing our center and sense of power as we’re told what is ‘real’ and ‘possible’ by agenda-driven pundits. The anonymous pockets behind right-wing fundamentalism are deep.
This election cycle does offer something new, if not positive. The United States Supreme Court earlier this year determined that corporations cannot be limited in their contributions to preferred candidates. And that they can hide their contributions through third-party groups. This means customers and clients don’t know the politics of companies they support, not to mention the massive sums involved. Can there be any question that this decision undermines what crumbs of democracy that remain in these United States?
The Tea Party slate of candidates throws another twist into this cycle. We have rarely seen such extreme positions for high office. In a curiosity, this Tea Party radicalism may be the saving grace for a weak democratic party in this election cycle. There’s a high level of disgust for both parties, with record levels of dissatisfaction among the citizenry, and elitists have figured out how to leverage that dissatisfaction for their own gain. They use their money to misinform, to confuse and confound, to attack, to lie and deny – to buy our wounded democracy.
Another oddity. Much of the Tea Party funding comes from non-local sources. Carl Rove has raised millions through his 527 group ‘American Crossroads,’ over 90% from just three billionaire donors. We don’t yet know how national dollars will impact local races.
This malaise would not be upon us if the Democratic Party were the champions of common sense and the common good. But here again nothing changes. No, they act as the quasi-sane yet horribly ineffective party because that is their role in this charade. Obama’s health care reform was a pathetic effort in light of his campaign promise. The ‘health care’ corporations remain in charge without even a public option. The same is true for the financial reform bill and every other piece of legislation. Corporate control is maintained. There is no integrity.
We have an uneducated electorate because of broad-spectrum corruption across the whole political and economic system. This core issue is reflected in everything from our educational system to the 24 hour news channels. It would be ugly enough if it were just greed, but there’s a certain malevolence in encouraging ignorance for personal gain at the expense of the common good.
We can see and feel the poverty and degradation that has been slowly overtaking our communities for years. This is because our government caters to huge corporations, giving them our tax money. This because our government values corporate interests over citizen interests. This because, as we follow the money, the elites, the owners of corporations, have nearly all of it.
We obviously don’t know yet how this election cycle plays out, especially with well-funded Tea Party enthusiasm, fortified by a purported news network. But we do know of unprecedented involvement by special interest groups, and their goal is obvious.
All this foolishness can be understood because of our lack or awareness about the nature of things. We don’t understand reality. Religion tells us God, or Awareness, is the ultimate force. Science tells us the whole universe is energy. Common sense dictates the conclusion that awareness and energy are the two great fundamentals of reality. And that this co-mingling can happen only Now.
From the World 5.0 perspective, this totality of our present reality is based on the intermingling of Awareness and Energy, or stillness and motion. Opposing forces creating together. The Great Tao. These two fundamental forces do not exist, and cannot touch, outside of Now. Compare this to our common notion about living in time, dividing reality into past, present, future. But such a notion is dead wrong. We cannot live in past or future. Indeed, we cannot leave This Moment.
Once we understand the totality of This Moment, we appreciate that of prime concern is our intent — how we fill this moment. We have but two options, fear or Love, and we live in one or the other to varying degrees. Fear continues the patterns of greed and hate we’re so familiar with in the media and politics. Love recognizes our commonality and equality, resetting our priorities and experience of This Moment.
This is the awareness that allows for true learning, nurturing, and real education. We are so culturally lost the obvious truth of reality seems ridiculous, incomprehensible. So we have a steep climb. But at least we now have the path of World 5.0.
Returning more to topic, how do we combat this onslaught of elitist cash? Education, knowledge and awareness. We fight for transparency at every turn. We educate ourselves and those close to us. We calmly refute hate-mongers who would distract us. And we leverage the one small crumb allowed us as citizens still; we vote.
We can’t fix this mess alone. We can only do it together. We can only find real freedom with awareness of This Moment and in spending Now without fear. We can only fix the system by replacing corruption with integrity. By living Here in Peace and Love. This is what World 5.0 is all about.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Obama's Economists Missed What Voters Plainly Saw
Heading into what appears to be a disastrous midterm election, the Obama Democrats profess to be puzzled. The president's record, they insist, is moderate, accommodating -- if anything, overcautious. So why do most American voters seem to be angrily rejecting it?
That's one way of looking at it. Another way is to say that the Obama administration and the Democratic Congress have increased government's share of gross domestic product from 21 percent, where it's hovered for the last several decades, to about 25 percent and have put the national debt on a trajectory to increase from 40 to 90 percent of GDP.
Voters have noticed -- and don't like it.
But, say the Obama Democrats, shouldn't ordinary people -- in particular, shouldn't the blue-collar working class -- be grateful to a government that tries to "spread the wealth" (Obama's words to Joe the Plumber) in difficult economic times?
They used to be, the argument would go. In post-World War II America, voters regularly moved toward the Democrats in recession years.
There's a difference, however, that has escaped Obama Democrats but perhaps not ordinary voters.
In recessions caused by oscillations in the business cycle from the 1940s to 1970s, voters were confident that the private-sector economy could support the burden of countercyclical spending on things like unemployment insurance and public works projects.
That spending would stimulate consumer demand, the thinking went, and once inventories were drawn down, manufacturers would call workers back to the assembly line. The recession would be over.
But it's been a long time since we've had a major business cycle recession. The recession from which we've technically emerged, but which seems to most voters to be lingering on, is something different, the result of a financial crisis.
And financial crisis recessions tend to be a lot deeper and more prolonged than business cycle recessions, as economists Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff argue in their 2009 book, "This Time is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly." "The aftermath of systemic banking crises," they write, "involves a protracted and pronounced contraction in economic activity and puts significant strains on government resources."
The very able economists in the incoming Obama administration seem to have ignored the difference between these two kinds of recessions. Council of Economic Advisers head Christina Romer was surely sincere when she promised that passage of the stimulus package would hold unemployment under 8 percent.
Similarly, administration economists evidently thought the private-sector economy could bear the burden of a national debt that doubled over a decade. It would bounce back like it usually does in a business cycle recession.
Tea partiers took a different view -- and before long, so did most voters. They seem to believe that permanent increases in government's share of GDP will inflict permanent damage on the private-sector economy -- and won't do much, if anything, to move us out of this prolonged financial crisis recession. The evidence so far seems to support them.
In addition, they seem to have understood that the threat of higher tax rates and more onerous and intrusive regulation from this administration would deter business executives from expanding, entrepreneurs from creating jobs, investors from taking risks and consumers from buying things.
Larry Summers could tell business leaders that they had nothing significant to fear from a sophisticated economic adviser like himself. But he was working for a president who told ABC's Charlie Gibson that he would favor higher capital gains tax rates even if they brought in less revenue to the government. This is a president who likes taking rich people's money away from them.
The business leaders know that Summers has gone, while the voters know that Obama remains and will be in office two more years -- but without a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives and, perhaps, a Democratic majority in the Senate, if the polls are right.
The line from the Obama camp is that voters are confused, ignorant, misled or even racist; they can't be rejecting the president's party on the merits. But voters, in rejecting the Obama Democrats' vast expansion of government, may be more sophisticated than their supposed betters. Leave the private sector alone, they seem to be saying, so it can recover from the financial crisis recession and once again create the bounteous and unscripted growth that has been the norm in American history.
Obstructionism reaps its reward
The Republican Party is headed for a victory tomorrow to rival the biggest and best of those that the party has known in the lifetime of most Americans.
In 1938, the GOP won 72 seats in the House.
In 1946, Republicans swept both houses and presented Harry Truman with a "fighting 80th Congress" that contained three future presidents: John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon.
In 1966, Republicans picked up 47 House seats to set up the comeback of Nixon, who had led the party out of the wilderness of Goldwater's defeat.
In 1994, the Republican Revolution added 52 House seats and captured both chambers for the first time since Eisenhower's first term.
Looking back on those Republican triumphs, and forward to tomorrow, what do these Republican off-year victories have in common?
In all four – 1938, 1946, 1966 and 1994 – the GOP won not because of what the party had accomplished or the hopes it had raised, but because Republicans were the only alternative on the ballot to a Democratic Party and president voters wished to punish.
By 1938, America had had its fill of FDR, as the Depression returned with a vengeance and his aristocratic arrogance became manifest in the crude attempt to purge Democratic senators and pack the Supreme Court with six new justices who'd rubber-stamp his New Deal.
In 1946, Truman was perceived to have been as naive as FDR in trusting "good old Joe" Stalin, who was imposing his murderous Bolshevik rule on 100 million Eastern Europeans and whose Maoist allies were waging war on America's ally in China. What our boys won on the battlefield, our diplomats had frittered away, the country believed.
In 1966, the nation was reacting viscerally to the stalemate in Vietnam, rising casualties, campus disorders, soaring crime and riots in Harlem and Watts, all seen as the legacy of LBJ's Great Society.
In 1994, it was gays in the military, Hillarycare and the public perception that Bill Clinton was more liberal than he had let on that cost Democrats both houses. The post election spin that the nation had rallied to Newt Gingrich's "Contract with America" was pure propaganda.
Tomorrow's election, too, will be no embrace of the GOP, but rather a repudiation of what Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi have come to represent. All are seen as power-hungry politicians of an out-of-touch regime that is seizing control of private wealth and private lives as it fails in its duty to win our wars, balance our budgets and secure our borders.
Republicans will be the beneficiaries of this repudiation, as Republicans are, almost everywhere, the only alternative on the ballot, and because they are seen correctly as having opposed the Obama agenda with near-drill-team solidarity.
Every Republican in the Senate but Arlen Specter and the ladies from Maine voted against Obama's stimulus bill. Every Republican in the House, save eight, voted no on cap-and-trade. Every Republican on Capitol Hill voted no on Obamacare. More GOP senators opposed Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan than opposed any Supreme Court nominee in memory.
Tomorrow’s, obstructionism reaps its reward.
Tomorrow, the nation, including millions of Obama voters, will come out to empower the Party of No, even as the nation voted in 2006 and 2008 to throw out that party. While many did respond positively to Obama's politics of hope and change in 2008, as they ousted the Republicans, the nation, after Tuesday, will have voted in three straight elections in four years to be rid of its ruling regime.
The United States is starting to look like the French Fourth Republic.
After France lost Indochina, began losing Algeria and was flipping from one premier and one party to another, the call went forth from an exasperated nation to Gen. DeGaulle to come and take charge of affairs.
Consider the critical issue facing America today – the budget and trade deficits, the soaring national debt, an unemployment near 10 percent for 14 straight months – and how neither party seems to have the cure.
While George Bush's tax cuts did not cause this, they did not prevent it. And if Republicans believe that his deficits did cause it, why have those Republicans not addressed the causes of those deficits – Bush's wars, Bush's tax cuts and Bush's social spending on No Child Left Behind and Medicare drug benefits?
Yet, if liberal Democrats are right and deficits are the correct Keynesian cure for recession, why have Obama deficits of $1.4 and $1.3 trillion failed so dismally? Paul Krugman says they are not large enough. Perhaps, but the country is about to end the experiment.
The Federal Reserve, having used and broken every tool in its toolbox, including doubling the money supply and setting interest rates at near zero, will now bet the farm on inflation, starting Nov. 3, just watch and you’ll see that I am right, it only makes sense.
Both parties have lost the mandate of heaven, and neither knows if its economic philosophy even works anymore.
We are in uncharted waters. The country is up for grabs.
Related offers:
See the signs created by tea partiers across the nation!
Visit the one and only "tea party store" now
Get "Taking America Back," Joseph Farah's manifesto for sovereignty, self-reliance and moral renewal
The Tea Party Manifesto: A Vision for an American Rebirth - (Autographed) (Paperback)
 |
| Tusedays Vote |
The Republican Party is headed for a victory tomorrow to rival the biggest and best of those that the party has known in the lifetime of most Americans.
In 1938, the GOP won 72 seats in the House.
In 1946, Republicans swept both houses and presented Harry Truman with a "fighting 80th Congress" that contained three future presidents: John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon.
In 1966, Republicans picked up 47 House seats to set up the comeback of Nixon, who had led the party out of the wilderness of Goldwater's defeat.
In 1994, the Republican Revolution added 52 House seats and captured both chambers for the first time since Eisenhower's first term.
Looking back on those Republican triumphs, and forward to tomorrow, what do these Republican off-year victories have in common?
In all four – 1938, 1946, 1966 and 1994 – the GOP won not because of what the party had accomplished or the hopes it had raised, but because Republicans were the only alternative on the ballot to a Democratic Party and president voters wished to punish.
 |
| FDR |
By 1938, America had had its fill of FDR, as the Depression returned with a vengeance and his aristocratic arrogance became manifest in the crude attempt to purge Democratic senators and pack the Supreme Court with six new justices who'd rubber-stamp his New Deal.
In 1946, Truman was perceived to have been as naive as FDR in trusting "good old Joe" Stalin, who was imposing his murderous Bolshevik rule on 100 million Eastern Europeans and whose Maoist allies were waging war on America's ally in China. What our boys won on the battlefield, our diplomats had frittered away, the country believed.
 |
| Joe Stalin |
In 1966, the nation was reacting viscerally to the stalemate in Vietnam, rising casualties, campus disorders, soaring crime and riots in Harlem and Watts, all seen as the legacy of LBJ's Great Society.
In 1994, it was gays in the military, Hillarycare and the public perception that Bill Clinton was more liberal than he had let on that cost Democrats both houses. The post election spin that the nation had rallied to Newt Gingrich's "Contract with America" was pure propaganda.
Tomorrow's election, too, will be no embrace of the GOP, but rather a repudiation of what Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi have come to represent. All are seen as power-hungry politicians of an out-of-touch regime that is seizing control of private wealth and private lives as it fails in its duty to win our wars, balance our budgets and secure our borders.
Republicans will be the beneficiaries of this repudiation, as Republicans are, almost everywhere, the only alternative on the ballot, and because they are seen correctly as having opposed the Obama agenda with near-drill-team solidarity.
Every Republican in the Senate but Arlen Specter and the ladies from Maine voted against Obama's stimulus bill. Every Republican in the House, save eight, voted no on cap-and-trade. Every Republican on Capitol Hill voted no on Obamacare. More GOP senators opposed Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan than opposed any Supreme Court nominee in memory.
Tomorrow’s, obstructionism reaps its reward.
Tomorrow, the nation, including millions of Obama voters, will come out to empower the Party of No, even as the nation voted in 2006 and 2008 to throw out that party. While many did respond positively to Obama's politics of hope and change in 2008, as they ousted the Republicans, the nation, after Tuesday, will have voted in three straight elections in four years to be rid of its ruling regime.
The United States is starting to look like the French Fourth Republic.
After France lost Indochina, began losing Algeria and was flipping from one premier and one party to another, the call went forth from an exasperated nation to Gen. DeGaulle to come and take charge of affairs.
Consider the critical issue facing America today – the budget and trade deficits, the soaring national debt, an unemployment near 10 percent for 14 straight months – and how neither party seems to have the cure.
While George Bush's tax cuts did not cause this, they did not prevent it. And if Republicans believe that his deficits did cause it, why have those Republicans not addressed the causes of those deficits – Bush's wars, Bush's tax cuts and Bush's social spending on No Child Left Behind and Medicare drug benefits?
Yet, if liberal Democrats are right and deficits are the correct Keynesian cure for recession, why have Obama deficits of $1.4 and $1.3 trillion failed so dismally? Paul Krugman says they are not large enough. Perhaps, but the country is about to end the experiment.
The Federal Reserve, having used and broken every tool in its toolbox, including doubling the money supply and setting interest rates at near zero, will now bet the farm on inflation, starting Nov. 3, just watch and you’ll see that I am right, it only makes sense.
Both parties have lost the mandate of heaven, and neither knows if its economic philosophy even works anymore.
We are in uncharted waters. The country is up for grabs.
Related offers:
See the signs created by tea partiers across the nation!
Visit the one and only "tea party store" now
Get "Taking America Back," Joseph Farah's manifesto for sovereignty, self-reliance and moral renewal
The Tea Party Manifesto: A Vision for an American Rebirth - (Autographed) (Paperback)
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