Obama foreign policy—fail

SYRIA

Leader of said country now knows the limits as set by “O”: the death toll from the civil war he has waged has a number that has 6 digits, and this perfectly OK as long as he does not use NBC weapons.

EGYPT

The Egyptian military has always been the enforcers of peace tranquility when the “civilan” government has gone rogue, just as it has now. “O” has decided to cut off same because it has usurped power. “O” has decided to side with the Shiites.

IRAN

Everyone is shouting: don't ease up on sanctions or believe that liar Rohani, they are only bidding for time to finish their U235 enrichment project. They now have 1,000 of the good P2 centrifuges that can take 3.5% uranium, which is civilian grade reactor fuel, directly to 90% given enough time. They also have a new enrichment facility at Shiraz, which can enrich plutonium.

“O” is fully cognizant of these facts. He has decided that it OK for Iran to have nuclear weapons, because he is confident that he can “contain” the effects (the so-called “containment” policy). Notate bene: his goal is not the prevention of Iran getting the “bomb”.

IRAQ

“O” has skedaddled every last American soldier. Some are cheering, but this has created a power vacuum, and Al-Qaeda has happily filled the void. They are now serving as the willing conduit for supplies from Iran to the Shiites (Assad) in Syria.

SAUDI ARABIA

She is backing the Sunni rebel factions in the Syrian civil war, and counting on a US strike on the Assad forces. In the end, “O” chickened out, and she was left twisting in the wind. This country has been a key strategic ally in the Middle East, but the monarchy is Hashemite, a minority member in Saudi society. She is not happy with the actions of “O”.

TURKEY

Same comment as Saudi Arabia. Turkey is a member of NATO. Erdogan is converting this country from a secular one to a Muslim one, and “O” is perfectly OK with this.

CHINA

South-East Asia is a complicated place: many countries scrunched up together. She has elbowed her way into the cocktail party by claiming naval and ADIZ that clearly violated the sovereignty of her neighbors: Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, and South Korea. She has also been quite aggressive in various territorial claims with her land neighbors. “O” has supposedly “pivoted” away from the Middle East and towards China. To date, however. “O” has done little to push back on Red China.

RUSSIA

She has had zero influence in the Middle East since the her participation in the disastrous 1973 Arab-Israeli war. Thanks to the reticence of the “O” administration, she is now a major player in the Middle East as guarantors of peace, despite the fact that she supports Iran and Assad.

Edward Snowden – hero or zero?

I was watching This Week with HR Pufnstuf, and realized I have not opined on the good NSA employee, so here you go.

• He has clearly committed treason as defined in the US Constitution
• I agree with Ambassador Bolton: He should hang from the nearest oak tree
• In the traditional Samurai sense, he has acted with honor (according to the old Bakufu rules, I am full fledged Samurai). To great personal risk, he has revealed the truth
• John 8:32 “and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (RSV)
• using bullet points is a cheap and dirty way to organize thoughts that are poorly thought out

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy New Year.

Duck Dynasty, Phil Robertson, A&E: what Corinthians really says

The complete reference is:

1 Corinthians 6:9-10

The problem is that the New Testament is not written in English or Latin or Hebrew or even Aramaic (Jesus' native tongue), but Koine Greek. Therefore, translations vary.

Here is a brief sampling.

New English Bible

Surely you know that the unjust will never come into possession of the kingdom of God. Make no mistake: no fornicator or idolater, none who are guilty either of adultery or of homosexual perversion, not thieves or grabbers or drunkards or slanderers or swindlers, will possess the kingdom of God

King James Version

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

New American Standard

Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate [by perversion], nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Williams—New Testament in the Language of the People

Do you not know that wrongdoers will not have a share in the kingdom of God? Stop being misled; people who are sexually immoral or idolaters or adulterers or sensual or guilty of unnatural sexual vice or thieves or greedy graspers for more or drunkards or slanderers or swindlers will not have a share in the kingdom of God.

Beck—New Testament in the Language of Today

Or don't you know wicked people will have no share God's kingdom? Don't be mistaken about this: Nobody who lives in sexual sin or worships idols, no adulterers or men who sin sexually with other men, who steal, are greedy, get drunk, slander, rob will have a share in God's kingdom.

Revised Standard Version

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor sexual perverts, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God.

What It Does Not Say

Note carefully: not a single one of these translations states that homosexuality is a sin, or that the soul of gays will burn forever in pain and torment in Hades. They simply say that they will not gain the kingdom of God, which is not the same thing.

It is also important to keep in mind that this an excerpt of a pastoral letter written by Saul/Paul to the church of Corinth. These are not the words of Jesus or one of his disciples. Paul is interpreting, and not all of his contemporaries agreed with him.

If you have a Bible in your home, now would be a good to take it out and read what it really says, not what you wish it to say or what others claim it says. 

Barack Hussein Obama = Karl Heinrich Marx

Rhetorical hyperbole? Perhaps. Yet, when I view the historic sweep of political philosophy, it is not difficult to come up with this transitive equation.

Why People Hate the French Revolution

When I first ran across this, I could not understand. Did they not throw off the yoke of bondage and become a free people? Then I knew: the French people exchanged one type of tyranny (monarchy, which was relatively benign) for another one (tyranny of the mob, which was much more deadly, to the tune of 40,000 lives). Worse, their principle was:

Liberty, Equality, Fraternity

The problem was the middle word: “equality”, which was meant literally. So, if one gentleman had 2 suits of good clothing and his neighbor had none, it was his duty to give him one.

And Then Came Marx

It was his idea to take this one step further: take the economic continuity of society, chop it up into small pieces, and set them against each other in political (class) struggle. All these are examples: bourgeoisie and the proletariat; rich and poor; factory owners and workers; haves and haves not; petty bourgeoisie; middle class. It still influences contemporary politics: economic quintiles; the 1% and the people.

Jonathan Gruber, MIT

Being one of the architects of Obamacare, we find his interesting justification of same on the Real Clear Politics website:

The only way to end that discriminatory system is to bring everyone into the system and pay one fair price. That means that the genetic winners, the lottery winners who've been paying an artificially low price because of this discrimination now will have to pay more in return.

In isolation, this is an astonishing viewpoint, but not when viewed in light of the previous 2 paragraphs.

Transitive Property (Google it)

So, here you go:

Robespierre = Marx = Obama.

OK, deep breath.

Barkeep, another Lite Beer if you please.

The War On Poverty Is Over, Poverty Has Won

I was watching Speaker Gingrich on ABC's This Week. The segment was actually about Pope Francis (Jesuit, and also believer of “Liberation Theology”-Google it-the same political philosophy that Reverend Wright, Obama's preacher, espoused-Google him). He made a point about the failure of the war on poverty, and was immediately shouted down by the other 3 panelists, including the “objective” reporter Cokie Roberts.

Then it occurred to me that you young 'uns (born after, say, 1970) have no idea who LBJ was or the role he played in the “War Against Poverty”. It is important that, before you start drawing conclusions, that you hear the entire story. So, please forgive the history lesson.

FDR and Social Security

FDR invented this in the 30's, in depths of the depression when there genuine poverty and hunger and need. In fact, the correct name is “Supplemental Security Income” or SSI. Why “supplemental”? Because FDR envisioned that this would be one leg of a three-legged stool: SSI, your company pension, and your savings. It was never envisioned to be the sole source of income when you retired. That is why, to this day, it is difficult to live in retirement just from your SSI checks. The important focal point is that before the 30's, old retired folks never received retirement checks from the federal government.

LBJ and Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps

During the Johnson Presidency, the Democrats had an effort they called the “War on Poverty”. In 1967, LBJ signed into law, in one swell foop: Medicaid (free medical care for the poor), Food Stamps (free food for the poor), and Medicare (almost free medical care for all old people). The focal point here is that before the Johnson Presidency, Medicare and Medicaid and Food Stamps simply did not exist.

You young people need to understand that these “things” are not a centuries-old tradition. They were invented contemporaneously with, say, the Beatles. Since that time, the Federal Government has spent $10s trillions. Question: has hunger or lack of medical among the poor and old been defeated? If you do not know the answer, then this is your homework assignment.

In Conclusion

In a way, we cannot blame the liberals and Liberation Theologists like the Pope. Surly it is logical for the rich to give up some black-market Havana cigars or that Christmas diamond tennis bracelet, and give the $$$ to the poor instead. In the end, our actions must be based on accomplishing the goal rather than on what makes us feel good emotionally. By that standard, the “War on Poverty” has been a miserable failure.

the Paul Ryan surrender brigade

Many in the financial press are on their feet, cheering, throwing streamers. Paul Ryan has come to a budget agreement with the (D), to the rescue of the Republican Party. Yes, there is an adult in the Republican party; Paul Ryan has saved the Republicans from themselves. There will be no government shutdown. Surely Presidential material, no?

No...

What nonsense.

The Republican Party has simply surrendered to the legions of Caesar Obama.

I find nothing to cheer or be happy about. Sequester was working: government spending was going down, and would have continued to be so if just left alone. This was the first step towards the healing of the American economy. This was a good thing. Then, Mr. Ryan tossed the box of chocolate chip cookies overboard, and now everyone is feting him.

I fail to see how (R) have benefited.

Huckabee for President? Hahahahah...

Having the day off, I tuned into the Huckabee show while preparing breakfast. Imagine my surprise when I heard our old friend JD subbing. No big deal, except for the reason why: H is contemplating another run for the White House.

After I stopped laughing and was able to sit upright again in my chair, I shuddered. Is he serious? Yes, he is gentle, a protestant minister, trustworthy, a man of integrity, and all around good guy. He will also get his butt kicked even worse than I was.

The Republican party, not to mention our country, needs someone with power and courage. Someone who will upend the money-changers' table in the temple. Someone who will shout at the top of his/her lungs and shake the very rafters of Valhalla.

H is not such a man. Yes, I genuinely wish him luck. I also remind you that we (R) have twice elected nice guys, McCain and Romney, and have had our heads handed back to us on a silver platter. May god have mercy upon our unworthy souls.

Redskins? Oh, puleeze...

Here we go again: yet another movement is afoot to impose political correctness on our language. Today's lucky winners: American Indians. See, some are incensed that there is football team that uses a so-called racial epithet: the Washington Redskins. They have given numerous interviews, and are proud that their moniker is on an NFL team, an icon of American culture. These do-gooders are further angry at the so-called hypocrisy that said NFL team honored the Code Talkers (Google it; it is a great story).

I am also a racial minority, and there certainly are racial epithets for my race. Truthfully, I do not mind their use: from my viewpoint, these are not hurtful or mean or derogatory. At worst, it represents a lazy use of language.

So, what on earth is the white man up to (how is that for yet another racial epithet?)? Those who have African ancestry do have epithets (the infamous “N” word) that are meant to be critical and degrading, and the recipients are justifiable resentful at its use. Hence, their use have been expunged, more or less, from polite conversation. He is taking this situation and grafting it into a situation where the same principle does not apply.

So, put that into your peace pipe and smoke it.

Knockout the Jew

As prerequisite, I require you to read a column by Thomas Sowell.

The media are not correctly reporting this offensive behavior: they are calling it the “Knockout Game”. The original version is what I quote in the title. Worse, it was invented by black street gangs: the goal is to coldcock anyone who looks Jewish, and you get double points for an obvious orthodox Jew, anyone wearing a yarmulke, or a Rabbi.

Very recently, that billionaire-gadfly Winfrey, while “across the pond” as they say, made a racist remark that I will not dignify by repeating. From my viewpoint as a non-white, non-black, non-Christian, non-Jew, there is one last bastion of racism here in the United States: black antisemitism. So, consider: take Winfrey's remark and turn it on its head by using the last 2 words of the previous sentence.

Pretty nasty, huh? Yet her remark is what passes for enlightened discourse these days. Sigh...

Editorial: Lincoln was totally wrong

This is the 150^th anniversary of the great Gettysburg Address. IMHO, it was the greatest and also the darkest hour of American, yea, human history.

Slavery

There is no human behavior more worthy of scorn than this. We honor our Founding Fathers, but the fact that President Lincoln was still battling this evil decades later does not bespeak well of their legacy. Even today, this evil persists: specifically, Muslims who enslave blacks as living beings of little value above that of pigs or dogs (regarding Muslim prejudice against dogs and pigs, Google it).

$$$

As background, it is important to understand that the battle for the almighty dollar was a significant factor, and anyone who denies this and claims that the Civil War was only about morals is an idiot, ignorant of the realities of the times. There was economic warfare at the time, just as it is today. Then, the industrial North wished suvereignty over the slave-driven South, and versa-vice.

The Great Compromise...Not

That civil war based solely on slavery was eminent on several levels, including moral and economic and political grounds, was obvious to everyone, including a doofus like Lincoln. The South, recognizing this reality, offered Lincoln a compromise. Henceforth, there would never be another new human slave in the United States; also, all existing slaves would end their lives as such. Within one generation, where he willing to wait, slavery would have disappeared from our country. In his arrogance and stupidity, Lincoln rejected this out-of-hand.

Lincoln...makes the wrong choice

He was not a stupid man. He knew that civil war would make the earth run red with American blood. Brother against brother, father against son.

Indeed.

In the end, the number of dead Americans is a number with 6 digits, more than all other wars put together, and he knew it would happen. A serious military mistake. Nevertheless, the same mistake made by several respectable warlords during the Sengoku (Japanese Medieval civil wars).

Of the great warlords, there are many you can read of: Sun Tzu, Miyamoto Musashi, Mori Motonari, Hojo Tokimune. They all agree one on point: the greatest victories are battles that are won without shedding a single drop of blood.

By this measure, Lincoln was an abject failure.

Have a nice day.

President Obama: kiss my *ss

Please forgive my lack of decorum. As a Buddhist, 100% truth and honesty are my guideposts. Thus it is now. I herewith present an open letter to the President.

You repeatedly proclaimed that, under your new way, ordinary working-class citizens can keep their doctors and health insurance policies. This is demonstrably not so. Your response:

“I am sorry.”

Sir, you are a liar and hypocrite. Your “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” has caused millions of people to lose their current health insurance and forced either to go without or pay dramatically higher monthly premiums. You are not sorry, nor do you care that you have f*cked up the healthcare of many who are living paycheck-to-paycheck. From your point of view, it is a proud and vital first step to the complete control of medical care by the Federal Government bureaucracy (single-payer healthcare; Google it). Nothing else really matters to you.

I acknowledge that this is a perfectly reasonably viewpoint, if you are honest about it. You, sir, have not been so. This legislation is the worst piece of dog-poop that has ever been produced by the House of Representatives, and it has your name on it: “Obamacare”. I hope you are proud of it.

Your own actuaries, 3 years ago, warned you that between 37% and 80% of all people with private health insurance will lose their medical coverage.

It is one thing to be stupid or ill-informed. You, sir, told a flat out lie, and knew it. There are many human weaknesses that I can forgive, even in a CIC. Your sin, sir, is not among them.

I humbly suggest that you apply lip balm and pucker-up.

Have a nice day, President Obama. 

Top Ten + 2 Facts About Obamacare

The Roll-Out...Has Been A Success?

Note well: there is great controversy no to mention a PR nightmare, but this entirely about the defective website. The argument about whether Obamacare is, on net, a good thing or bad thing, is totally missing.

The Numbers Not Available Till...Mid-November?

This is total nonsense. HHS is holding back the numbers, so they do not come out till after the elections. The numbers are available real time, as this is computers and not a dude cranking away on an adding machine. In fact, there is no reason HHS could put a counter right on the webpage proudly displaying how many have actually signed up. Another wrinkle is the difference between just opening an account and actually applying for insurance. See, there is no looky-loo provision like any other retail website, so you have to start an account to find out how much a policy will cost you. Why? Cuz HHS was afraid that visitors would get sticker shock, so they removed the preview function so you actually have to open an account to get your quoted price with subsidies and the like.

The Real Reason Obamacare Was Created

Medicaid.

That's right: the qualifications were loosened considerably as part of Obamacare so that more people than ever can get it (if the website ever gets fixed). All this subsidy stuff is just a prelim to moving everyone towards Medicaid and single-payer-healthcare.

Why Your Health Insurance Policy Is Being Canceled

According to an article in Forbes, all policies (including the cheapie Bronze ones) must include all of the following:

• Emergency services
• Hospitalization
• Laboratory services
• Maternity care
• Mental health services
• Occupational and physical therapy
• Prescription drugs
• Preventive and wellness services (such as vaccines and cancer screenings)
• Speech-language therapy
• Addiction treatment
• Ambulatory patient services
• Care for newborns and children
• Chronic disease treatment (such as diabetes and asthma)

At least half of these are not normally covered by insurance policies, even the expensive ones. If your current health insurance does not cover all of these, it is not allowed.

Why It Is A Threat To Your Privacy

Cuz the Obamacare database will connect to many other databases that have your personal data, which is unprecedented. Including: criminal records, employment data, family records, where you live, your voting history, driving records, taxes, gun registration, health records, INS records, all with your personal data. Obamacare will be the new central hub to gather all your private info. The stated reason is that the HHS website has to verify who you are to determine what subsidies you are eligible for.

A Simple Fix That Will Never Happen

All the Obamacare website needs is a simple, text webform. You fill in the blanks, and the website gives you the price of your insurance policy assuming you filled in the form correctly. You click a button that says “OK, I'll take it”. Then, on the back end, the servers verify your form, and you get an email in a few days with an offer from the insurance company. This will never happen, cuz then HHS cannot capture all your private data in realtime.

Health Insurance Broker/Agent

All this is so unnecessary. These folks know their stuff, and are licensed by the state. They know the policies forwards, backwards, sideways, upside down and inside out. Why are they being cut out? See the previous paragraph.

If You Like Your Doctor...You Are Probably Screwed

“If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.”

Not.

Depending on which survey you read, up to half of all physicians are either putting themselves out of reach of Medicaid, Medicare, and Obamacare, or outright retiring. You might have the same doctor under Obamacare, but this is sheer random luck.

Narrow Provider Networks

Before you celebrate the lower-cost or no-cost insurance policy, note carefully which hospitals, doctors, clinics, and pharmacies you can use. You might be surprised at how few resources you have access to.

The Roberts' Supreme Court...may have permanently killed single-payer healthcare

Another little-noticed development is that the Supremes deemed that individual states can opt-out of the provisions that dramatically expand Medicaid. Under Obamacare, if a state opts of the Medicaid increase, then the residents of that state are not eligible for premium subsidies either. I am sure that Larry Summers, the primary architect of Obamacare, never envisioned such a thing. All states will be under Obamacare and the Medicaid increases, a good first step to single-payer healthcare (where all people in medicine are federal employees and the President controls all premiums, coverage, and medical decisions). The fact that almost a third of the states have opted out means that this liberal dream will never come true.

Healthcare vs. Health Insurance

Is this about access to basic medical services, or about the price of the monthly insurance premiums? I submit to you that Obamacare is about the latter.

The Infamous 'Death Spiral'

This is something that should be explained if you do not already understand. Health insurance for us old fogeys and people who have preexisting medical problems are going down. How? All people, especially the young, are now required by law to have health insurance. They are going to put into the kitty, but because they are young and strong and virtually immortal, will never use medical care. Therefore, they subsidize insurance price reductions for everyone else.  

Battlefield Report—the War on Obamacare

• We learned that St. Obama has feet of clay.
• Barry's Heroes hit a grand slam, clearing the bases. The Good Guys got skunked.
• The Good Guys suggested several improvements (delaying the individual mandate for one year, eliminating the medical devices tax, making Congress and the Executive branches submit to Obamacare just like ordinary citizens), but Barry's Heroes successfully turned back all of these skirmishes.
• Guardians of National Parks and Monuments were given explicit instructions to make the gov't shutdown as painful as possible to citizens.
• Unity of Barry's allies in the Senate trumps disunity of the Good Guys in the Senate and House.
• The carpenters who built https://www.healthcare.gov/ , CGI Federal, have political connections to Barry's command staff, and were awarded a no-bid contract. My good sirs, please look up the meaning of 'Crony Capitalism'.
• The Exec for the Good Guys is relieved: surely the rookies Generals have learned their lesson, that theirs was a fool's errand, had no chance, and should not have been attempted in the first place.
• Few have noticed that this was but the opening volley in what is sure to be a long, protracted, and costly war against Barry's Heroes.

My good Generals' Cruz and Lee [no, no, not that Lee—think 'Utah'], please accept this report in good grace. I must now return to my post.

The GOP Surrenders...again

We hope you have enjoyed this encore presentation of The Republican Kabuki Dance. For those who may have missed an installment, here is the...

Plot Synopsis

Act 1

The Wise General announces his wish to build a castle. It will include cylindrical solar cells on the roof, a golf course, a cigarette factory, its own Buffalo Wild Wings franchise, and an exercise cycle being used as a coat rack.

Act 2

The Stupid Nobles, tired of having their gold stores raided repeatedly by the Wise General, are fed up. They decide to barricade themselves in the gold vault by blocking the door with furniture. Smirking, the Wise General announces, “very well, then: with no gold, there will be no food for the children”. He loads up all the rice into the bed of his natural-gas powered Silverado and drives to the Archer-Daniels-Midland refinery where every last grain is converted to ethanol for E85 fuel.

Act 3

The Royal Nobles rush out of their Ivory Castle, and pound on the door, “open: you have no chance of winning, besides not having an endgame”. The Stupid Nobles respond, “over our dead bodies”.

Act 4

One of the Royal Nobles goes back to castle and returns with his toolbox: he takes the door off its hinges. The Wise General triumphantly strides into the vault and begins shoveling gold into the waiting pockets of his flunkies.

Act 5

Beaten and dejected, the Stupid Nobles shuffle home, hoping at least to be greeted by throngs of peasants, whose gold their were protecting. Sadly, they were all too busy in their homes feeding their children with rice.

The Moral of the Story

If you are going to play clog-the-wheels, use brand new furniture from IKEA.

This performance will repeat on Friday, Feb 7, 2014.

The 14th Amendment...does not say what you wish it to say

First, the full text of Section 4:

The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.

HISTORY

The 14^th Amendment to the US Constitution was hotly contested, hence its rather circumspect language. See, in the Constitution, words mean exactly what they say, no more and no less. This amendment was adopted in 1866, in the wake of the Civil War. Mostly, this one was designed to ensure that blacks were citizens with the same full legal rights as whites, an idea that was revolting to the South and even some in the North. Section 4 was included to ensure that states south of the Mason-Dixon Line would regard debts incurred by the Lincoln government fighting the war would be recognized as legit for all.

“Questioned”?

In the past several days, I have heard any number of “opinions” about the meaning of this word, and therefore its implication. Problem is, this sentence has never been litigated up to the Supreme Court, and its correct Constitutional meaning has never been determined. In particular, I am not convinced that reneging on Treasury debt is the same thing as 'questioning the validity' of same: it just means you are a deadbeat, but not necessarily contesting the legitimacy of the debt. It might mean that, but this has never been determined. If I am not correct about this, please do put the Supreme Court case reference in the response box below, won't you?

Section 5

The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

OK, this is the funny (i.e. strange, not funny ha-ha) about this. It is the House, not the Executive, that is tasked with enforcing this amendment. Therefore, if Barry tries to enforce this part, is it Constitutional?

Treasury Default? Bring It On, Barry!

Forgive my lack of manners, but IMHO the current occupant of the Oval Office is an arrogant SOB. He seems to have not yet learned that all things in politics are negotiable: here, if he takes one step back, he goes twenty-three steps forward. He reminds one of a spoiled adolescent: he cannot understand why he simply cannot have his way. He is driving the car off the cliff, figuring he can blame the steering wheel for not obeying his verbal commands.

I say, let us teach this teenager a lesson. In the words of the script of The China Syndrome: scram the bastard (I paraphrase). It is time he learn his precious first step towards "single payer healthcare" (read: government will control medicine 100%, including doctors, your insurance and co-pay, and at what age they will no longer be willing give grandma a hip replacement)  has to take a significant hit. In other words, do exactly what he fears and do it in spades (reference to the card game Bridge; Google it). If Republicans worry about the negative PR, then run a commercial: a young girl in a pretty dress and a ribbon in her hair, saying "Pwease Mr. Pwesident, sign the bill? Pwetty Pwease?"

Yes, yes, I know: wailing and gnashing of teeth. Global death and destruction. Volcanoes will rise and flood our amber waves of grain with molten lava, and skeletons will rise from the grave and steal the “Michelle Obama” school lunches from our hungry children. Frogs will rain from the sky, and the locusts will darken the sun. There will be a global financial panic, and we will be using chocolate donuts as currency.

C'mon, gimme a break.

In fact, forcing a default by the US Treasury should be a good exercise: what will happen, exactly? No one seems to know, but everyone is predicting doom and gloom.

OK, let us find out.

Are you game, Barry?

the Obama Political Doctrine: my way or the highway

In today's episode of the Federal Follies, our protagonist has stated:

• I will not negotiate the Debt Ceiling
  
• I want a “clean” Continuing Resolution (CR)
  

Rather remarkable, if he can get away with it. You see, everything on Capitol Hill is negotiable, and nothing ever comes out clean. This is the life's blood of politics, ever since the dawn of civilization.
He and his advisors have made 2 astute judgments: that House Republicans will eventually cave anyway so why give an inch, and that if there is a government shutdown the other side will get the blame just like they did in 1995. I am not so sure that I disagree with these judgments.

See, Obama has accused House Republicans of an “idealogical crusade”, yet it is he who is doing same. If they do not play by his rules, he is taking his ball and going home.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled government shutdown.

Questions About the Government Shutdown

If 800,000 Federal employees are “non-essential”, why do they have jobs at all?


If it is the end-of-the-world, why are Social Security checks still going out?


If the government is shutdown, why are meat inspectors and border agents still on the job?

Questions About Obamacare

If Obamacare is such a great deal, why is it mandatory?


If Obamacare will save us money, why is everyone calling it Obamacare instead of its real name: the “Affordable Care Act”?


If $billion$ corporations can get a one year extension on penalties, why not working families?


If the websites to buy it are so important, why not hire IBM or Oracle or Amazon or Google to design them, rather than federal bureaucrats?


If the the new health insurance policies are so good, why are so many health insurance companies withdrawing from Obamacare?


If Congress cannot stop Obamacare by defunding it, why is the President fighting so hard against it?


If Obamacare is suppose to help people get insurance, why are so many losing theirs?


If Obamacare is reducing insurance premiums, why are they going up in some states?

The Dirty Little Secret Behind Obamacare

Now that the health insurance bell is tolling for you and me, it is time to examine it. No, I am not going to go over the legions of problems with Obamacare. I am thinking about the cost of healthcare in general in the United States.

Et tu, SNL?

On last night's season opener, Saturday Night Live did a satire on Obamacare. It was quite funny, especially considering who it was. Well, not actually. It was one of those cases where the humor was so close to the truth that it was really not very amusing.

Is Our Healthcare Really That Expensive?

I was never convinced of this. We were regaled with scary-looking charts and graphs, showing how expensive healthcare is and that its skyrocketing costs were sure to send us into bankruptcy. I suspected that this steady increase in overall costs was due to the boomers retiring and getting old. It had nothing to do with insurance or medical delivery systems or anything else. And, in the past 3 years aggregate spending has gone down, not because of Obamacare but because millions are now unemployed and are not spending on insurance or seeking needed medical care. None of these are endemic to our medical care system, but rather the result of unrelated external forces.

The Secret

Young people in their 20's and 30's. You see, they are strong, healthy, and practically immortal. Since they almost never require medical care, it is traditional for them to go without health insurance. A risky strategy to be sure, but a reasonable one. I myself did the same when I was that age. Obamacare actually increases health costs, but this is balanced out by the young who now must buy insurance that they will never use or need. That is how Obamacare is designed to reduce costs.

OK, So Mega-Corporations Got A Reprieve, Why Not Us?

See the point above. Every company with more than 50 employees must offer health insurance or pay a fine. They got a one year delay, because this does not affect the finances very much. However, they must get a lot of young, healthy enrollees paying into the system right away, or Obamacare will collapse of its own weight and cost.

Remember–This Is Not About Quality Or Access

Obamacare is designed to reduce the cost of health insurance, nothing more and nothing less. The quality of our medical system or access by the needy is not the issue with Obamacare.

Do We Really Need It?

Probably not. I call your attention to the fact that we have 50 independent states, each with the problem of paying for healthcare by her citizens, and each with its own solution. Some states, like California, insurance is expensive to ensure that everyone that has it also has access to a smorgasbord of specified services, while other states have the equivalent of catastrophic insurance which is very affordable and designed to keep you out of bankruptcy from a huge medical bill. From my viewpoint, Obamacare is an expensive solution in search of a problem.

Wrong—a CR can defund Obamacare

I heard a commentator (he will probably want me to mention his name) state absolutely that a Continuing Resolution (CR) passed by Congress cannot defund Obamacare. Being an ex-OMB employee, he claims that a CR can cut discretionary funding, but not funding for programs/departments already ensconced in law.


This might be a folkway respected by the Reagan Administration, but is not a law or rule or regulation. Nice try, though.


The Senate website says that a CR is defined as:

Legislation in the form of a joint resolution enacted by Congress, when the new fiscal year is about to begin or has begun, to provide budget authority for Federal agencies and programs to continue in operation until the regular appropriations acts are enacted.

A CR can fund as much or as little of the federal government as Congress pleases. They are not obligated to fund the entire shootin' match.
Full stop.

question for Muslims

If it is acceptable for you guys to burn down Coptic Christian churches, why is it not acceptable for Christians to burn copies of the Koran (which have certainly been defiled by the hands of "infidels")?
Inquiring minds want to know.
FYI, I am Buddhist, and do not have a horse in this race.

NYT Editorial: Putin is Correct, McCain is Wrong

here are the relevant links:
Putin
McCain


Sigh...sometimes it stinks to be honest, and this is one of those times.
The president's idea to surgically bomb Syrian Assad's chemical weapons stores of sarin gas would be a mistake unparalleled since the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand (Google him, people) with potentially similarly tragic and regrettable consequences.
Putin's editorial comments made a few good points, McCain's tirade scored none. I shall admit ab initio that most of P's editorial is sheer, good old-fashion political rhetoric of little value or import, but a similar criticism can be applied to Mc.


Putin: "The potential strike by the United States against Syria...will result in more innocent victims and escalation..."
Probably true.
Syria has come to a situation that resembles a disgusting, if stable, state of quasi-equilibrium that resembles a simple if deadly civil war. Chucking US T-LAMs into the mix might upend the drink cart.


Putin: "Syria is not witnessing a battle for democracy..."
Bullseye.
The autocratic leaders of Libya and Egypt were deposed to much adulation, but the new guys turned out to be much worse. The country is much worse off. How does that go? From the frying pan into the fire? They are not interested in freedom, liberty, or anything of the kind. They want to install pure, absolute, militaristic social and religious sharia law. Full Stop.


Putin: “We are not protecting the Syrian government, but international law.”
Bullsh*t.
They are protecting their only warm water port in the Mediterranean at Tartus. Let us go on.


Putin: “I would rather disagree with a case he made on American exceptionalism, stating that the United States’ policy is 'what makes America different. It’s what makes us exceptional.' It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation.”
This statement seems to be what set off Mc and company.
Both P and Mc seem to miss the point of this principle. The US constitution's form of government had many precedents and descendants, yet all have failed. What makes our government work is the American character. Suggest you read Tocqueville. Contrary to any other society, Americans have an internal compass as to what is correct and what is wrong. This compass influences our everyday behavior, even at the cost of one's own treasury. This is unique behavior unknown to any religion or society I am aware of save the Tibetan Buddhists.


McCain: “Look, we’ve got to start dealing with Vladimir Putin in a realistic fashion for what he is. He’s an old KGB Colonel Apparatchik that dreams of the days of the Russian Empire...”
So what?
Kerry was a peacenik flower-child that marched arm-in-arm with fellow peacenik Jane Fonda. He told flat-out lies about the behavior of US soldiers because he hated war. He is now SecState. Either we condemn both as liars, or let it rest and continue.


McCain: “Most importantly, to me, of course, and should be to the world, is their continued support of Bashar Assad and the massacre that’s taking place in Syria, not to mention a number of other areas that Russia is basically showing us a total lack of respect.”
So?
Respect in the international community is something you earn by the righteousness of your actions, not a thing that is automatically handed to you because of your title. From my viewpoint, the current administration has not yet earned its stripes.


McCain: “We need to show more leadership, and that does not mean confrontation, but it means steadfast adherence to the principles that many presidents, since the end of the Cold War, since before, have stood for, that the rest of the world will respect.”
Does he understand that today's demons are not Kerensky, Stalin, Brezhnev, Castro, Mao Tse Tung, Pol Pot, or even Ho Chi Minh? Try: Khamenei, Kim Jong-un, Mursi, or Nasrallah (Google them).

IN CONCLUSION

I dunno. My stomach hurts.

Syria – Obama Repeating His Egypt Mistake?

THE ARAB SPRING ISN'T

The “BO” administration has oft trumpeted same as the flowering of democracy in the Middle East.
Not.
In every country that has changed leadership, the new guys are terrorists. Yes, the old dude was a tin-horn dictator ruling the Islamic version of a Banana Republic. But, like medieval kings, their influence is limited and his true power to victimize his subjects is limited to his personal circle of advisers, which does not extend very far. The new guys seek to fundamentally rearrange society, reaching down into every last jock strap and pair of panties. And, oh yes, killing every last Coptic Christian they can find.

THE EGYPT MISTAKE

“BO” and his flunkees came up with a true boner when dealing with Egypt. The Muslim Brotherhood won the elections, and “BO” heralded this as the green shoots of democracy, as the people finally found their voice. He gave his stamp of approval. Turns out that the new guys were even worse and more despotic than their predecessor, Mubarak. Any self respecting person would voluntarily eat crow at this point, but “BO” and his minions are too arrogant.

FOOT-IN-MOUTH PART 1

“BO” drew a “red line” in the sand, stating that Assad must not use sarin gas in violation of international law. He used it once. Nada. He did it again. “BO” deployed a total of 8 DDG-51s armed with Tomahawks, threatening to take out the WMDs. International support for such a surgical strike evaporated like dew in the morning sun. Had he submitted it to Congress for a vote, he would have lost by a country mile. This would have been a historic shaming of an American president.

FOOT-IN-MOUTH PART 2

Not to be outdone, SecState Kerry said all Assad had to do was give up his chemical weapons. Assad said hmm, OK. Putin heard this, and quickly jumped on this faux pas and said “OK”. They called Kerry's bluff. Now what?

RUSSIA TO THE RESCUE!!

It is quickly becoming obvious that the plan by “BO” to cruise-missile Assad's chemical weapons store would be a historic mistake. Not only would it not completely destroy the sarin gas stores, it would probably be the match that ignites major wars in the Arab world. Putin offered to be the hero by taking control of the chemical weapons in question, offering a fig leaf to “BO”, who has certainly committed a major error.

BARRY, IT IS YOUR MOVE

The issue of Syria's chemical weapons is now off the table. Yes, many details are yet to be worked out and there are doubts and suspicions on all sides. Still, does “BO” have the wisdom and strategic sense to admit that he has made a big mistake, and to take the solution being offered to him, allowing him to save face?

CONSULTING THE MAGIC 8-BALL

Intellectual horsepower is not the hallmark of the current occupants of the West Wing, so the final decision cannot be predicted with confidence.

Go Ahead, Bomb Syria...but is it legal?

What can possibly go wrong...besides World War 3?
Some, including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, are questioning the validity under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
Let us examine whether military action against Syria by the US is justified.

Step 1: causus belli

Does the US have one against Syria? Did they attack us or aid in such an attack? Are we in imminent danger of being attacked? The answer is a firm no. What action did they perform against us or against our interests that would justify such an attack? Revenge, justice, a “shot across the bow”, or “sending a message” to Iran are not sufficient to invoke causus belli. Nor is the belief that Assad is simply evil and must be taken down a few notches.
Let us allow for the moment that a chemical warfare attack occurred in Syria. This is certainly a violation of international law. Does that qualify? First, we are not sure of our facts (I have heard it said that there is proof positive; yes? Then let us examine them openly and fairly). The CW attack could easily have been a roque general or Turkish partisans crossing the border, trying to provoke a military response that would destabilize Assad. See, the Syrian president is not the only one in the area who has access to CW weapons. We would need an investigation as to the guilty party, a trial in absentia at the International Court at the Hague, and then, if found guilty, a warrant issued for the guilty party's arrest.
Is this not the correct procedure according to international law?
And: at what point in the court proceedings does the chucking of Tomahawk missiles come in?

Step 2: is it moral?

There has not yet been a formal investigation: did the attack actually occur? Who was the perpetrator? Unless we have answers to these questions, simply tossing around a few cruise missiles is irresponsible and certainly immoral. Innocent people who had nothing to do with CW attack could get killed.
Even worse, the CW stockpiles have been dispersed among the population, making them human shields. A despicable action to be sure, but makes it even more imperative that we be absolutely sure of our facts before taking action that is certain to kill innocent civilians.
If there is irrefutable proof, then let us see it. Simply claiming it does not make it so (this was the mistake that Bush the son made in deciding to invade Iraq).

Step 3: will it be effective?

Difficult to see how this could be so. The sarin gas seems to have been dispersed. In order to make it impossible for Assad to use them again (assuming he was the culprit), we would have to get all of it. If only one stockpile survived, he would retain CW ability.

Step 4: some advice

In the 70s, it was a common sitcom joke to say to an anxious woman: dear, why don't you take a pill (quaaludes) and lie down? You will feel much better when you wake up.
I suggest that Obama, Kerry, McCain, et al, follow this age-old advice.

Obama to Assad – My Missile is Bigger Than Yours

Well, well, well. Looks like 'ole “BO” is about to make another foreign policy boo-boo, this time in Syria.

REWIND

I have figured out, up to a point, the rules of the “BO” foreign policy:

• never put more boots on the ground
  
• skeddadle the ones you have at maximum speed you can get away with
  
• chuck a few Tomahawk missiles from a couple of Arleigh Burke-class Aegis Destroyers at your strategic target
  
• dust off your hands, and say “done and done”
  
• favor the Muslim Brotherhood, cuz you think they will win in the end
  

WHERE 'YA GOIN? SIT AND HAVE ANOTHER BREWSKIE

Team Obama originally made a mistake by drawing a line in the sand, regarding use of chemical weapons. Assad used them on a dare, TO just backed up and drew another line. This time, he seems determined to use them. The scuttlebutt is that he does not want to topple Assad, but just destroy the CWs.
Congress is not helping: some demand that he “consult” with Congress first, others are jumping up and down, demanding that TO “do something”.
Question: where the CW delivered via missile or Soviet-built fighter? Makes mucho difference. There are doubts that the Assad-regime has technical know-how to deliver CW via missile. If they can only deliver CW via military plane, then simply bombing the few known airfields in Syria might be more effective with little, if any, collateral damage.

RING-A-DING-DING-STOP

This is one case where sitting on his hands might be the most prudent choice. There is no telling what the end result will be: you might just as well spin the wheel-of-fortune. TO apparent plan is bad for several reasons:

• the CW have been scattered about, meaning that destroying them will have some pretty good civilian collateral damage
  
• an attack might simply ratchet up the complicated political tensions, kinda like sticking a mop into a hornets' nest
  
• China, Russia, Iran support Assad. Who knows how they will react when someone shoots at their catspaw
  
• If TO does shoot and accidentally topples Assad, the replacements could be even worse (viz Egypt)
  
• total death toll is already 6 figures, and the refugee number has 7. Not increasing these numbers should be a top priority of any operation. This does not seem to be so with TO.
  
• We will be seen as taking sides again, angering the other side (viz Egypt). Sitting back and letting them self-immolate might not be such a bad idea

Egypt – what a mess

I wish to disabuse you of the notion that Egypt's problems are anything but simple or easy. I shall add yet another discordant voice to the cacophony.

Factoid #1 – It's Not Him, It's Us

Do not forget the original, and still valid, reason the anti-Mursi protests began in first place: the economy. Under Mubarak, there was a yawning gulf between the haves and the have-nots. Egyptians voted for the Muslim Brotherhood, cuz they figured any change would help their pocketbooks. Not. MB were totally uninterested in financial stuff. They could care less if the IMF cuts financial aid.

Factoid #2 – The Military Has Strangled Democracy

Not even close. Just cuz there was a vote, does not mean there is democracy. MB, once in power, consolidated power with breathtaking speed. Freedom, liberty, and representative government was not on the menu, but autocracy was. They were trying to construct an old-time tin-horn dictatorship a la sharia. The military is trying to reconstitute a more or less secular country.

Factoid #3 – They Killed The Protesters

Not. Yes, the military killed hundreds (~500), but they were not political protesters a la OWS. The dead were MB partisans: shock troops, foot soldiers, paramilitary, or whatever label you wish to give them. Certainly not innocent bystanders or American-style protesters.

Factoid #4 – They Hate The US

Not exactly: they hate and distrust Obama and his foreign policy minions. Why? Because he cheered rather than jeered when MB seized power. They think (and it is hard to dispute the claim: witness a statement by him that the military should hand back power to the 'democratically' elected 'civilian' government) that “BO” still favors MB, whereas huge swaths of Egyptian society hate the MB in the same way that AQ hates the US.

Factoid #5 – Hey It's A Coup d'Etat And We Should Cut Off Foreign Aid!

Be careful what you wish for. Technically the statement is correct (Congress passed such a law long ago). However, the $$$ we send mainly goes to the military, not the civilian government. Cutting off the aid would be further evidence that “BO” favors MB, further alienating non-MB Egyptians. I would make a reference to the Dance of Shiva, but most Americans have not read the Rig Veda.

Factoid #6 – Sinai: The Boil On Egypt's Hiney

During the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, Sadat crossed the Suez with the First Armored Division, Egypt's only major armor force, not to mention her pride and joy. Israel easily cut it off, isolating the unit. Begin could easily have just bombed it into oblivion. However, demonstrating his chivalry, he allowed Sadat to withdraw his tanks back across the Suez unmolested. It was this act that finally persuaded Sadat to sign the historic peace treaty with Israel (which also transferred the Sinai back to Egypt), a peace that has thrived up until the election of Mursi. Sinai is again front and center: with the collapse of the civilian government, assorted and sundry terrorist groups have set up housekeeping there. Therefore, any peace solution will have to include this lawless area in the plan.

Factoid #7 – Aha! So You Think The Military Is Egypt's Savior?

Not even close. True, the military is the moderating force preventing Egypt from descending into the bowels of sharia. Conversely, economic development has never been a priority. The military is simply another force in the Egyptian landscape looking after its own. Like us, Egyptians are not concerned so much with religious orthodoxy as with jobs and economic recovery. Adam Smith and Milton Friedman are just as apropos to Egypt as to the US.

Factoid #8 – Aha...wait: say what?

To quote a previous HedFed:

...if I turn out to be particularly clear, you've probably misunderstood what I've said.

Your head should be spinning with many possibilities, forcing you to sit down for a few moments to regain your balance. This is the truth about Egypt's current problems. No other conclusion is possible. Perhaps you should read the Rig Veda after all.

Correction

Well, my memory is clearly faulty. I skimmed the Rig Veda looking for the specific Hymn(s) that reference the Dance of Shiva, which I always understood to be a cosmic dance of destruction and renewal. Could not find one. That's cuz it is a Tamil concept called Nataraj, and has nothing to do with Rig Veda, which are hymns dedicated to Indra. Sorry 'bout that.

Why I Fear the Federal Government (Mark Levin's latest book)

If this sentence does not scare the living bejeebers out of you, then you are not paying attention:

It is the nation’s largest creditor, debtor, lender, employer, consumer, contractor, grantor, property owner, tenant, insurer, health-care provider, and pension guarantor.

This quote is from page 6 of Mark Levin's latest book, The LibertyAmendments. The first chapter is available for download free of charge from his website.

He is totally correct.
Most of the defects of our country and even our society can be traced, directly or indirectly, to the Federal Gov't. We cannot hope to improve our country unless we improve the federal gov't first.
I could, at this point, give you a laundry list of complaints, but one presumes that a word to the wise is sufficient.

This is credo, whether you are liberal or conservative.

Benghazi? Hillary? SA7? CNN? WTF?

Well, well, well. Seems that Jake Tapper and CNN have written a new chapter in the upcoming book “Benghazigate” by Hillary Rodham Clinton. If you are searching for the eye of Hurricane Benghazi, look no further.


REWIND
on 9/11/12, the American Embassy in Benghazi was attacked by rebels linked to Al Qaeda. Three died that night, including Ambassador Stevens. In the immediate aftermath, there were several odd occurrences that smelled of cover-up:

• Administration spokesman Susan Rice, appearing on all 5 Sunday TV talk shows, claimed that the attack was instigated by an obscure YouTube video that no one saw. Turns out that the State Department knew it was AQ weeks before it happened.
  
• The SOP military rescue mission was deliberately suppressed, and an explanation was never forthcoming (in fact, we still do not know why)
  
• in response to Congressional inquiries, the Administration simply clammed up.
  
• It eventually released 100 pages of emails that, as far as I can tell, had nothing to do with the attack that night
  

IT IS RUMORED THAT...
In the immediate aftermath of the attack, the usual assortment of discountable rumors swirled about. The most outlandish of which was that the CIA was using the Embassy to transship arms and trained troops to Syria via Turkey to hide their CIA pedigree. Well, this story has resurfaced, only this time it is surface-to-air missiles rather than small arms. I found an old story about "SA7 man-portable, shoulder-fired, low-altitude surface-to-air missile systems" being found in Benghazi back in 2011.


WHAT'S GOING ON, HERE?
The CNN story has all sorts of unbelievable elements. People are being given new names and new identities and new lives? CIA employees are being polygraphed monthly and threatened with dismissal (plus threatening their families) if they talk? There were 3 dozen people on the ground that night, many CIA? What on earth did they do, just skedaddle when the bullets started flying? Where happened to them? Where are they now?


MATTERS A GREAT DEAL, MS. WHITEWATER
(reference to a scandal that popped up when she was FLOTUS; you young 'uns, Google it). When quizzed about this before a Congressional committee, she famously flailed her arms about and, exasperated, said “what difference does it make?” Well, SecState Apiarist (another fib she told while FLOTUS that she was named after the famous mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary: not possible, as he was still an obscure beekeeper when she was born), it clearly demonstrates that your soul is lacking. You see, your boss (& Valerie Jarrett) has done something very, very bad, and you just went along with it. The claim "I was only following orders" has been used to justify too many tragedies in our history (OK, I borrowed this sentence from the Star Trek TV series that has Patrick Stewart in it; it is also known as the “Nuremberg Defense”). The ethical thing to have done would be to resign in anger and disgust, as in: how dare you get me involved such immoral activities, POTUS?


JUST A GUESS
My theories are usually more disposable than the rumors they are based on, but here goes. During his presidency, Reagan illegally supported the Contras in El Salvador (the name “Ollie North” should ring a bell; again, you young 'uns Google it). I believe that POTUS has done the same thing in Syria. In both cases, the actions are illegal, unconstitutional, and therefore a theoretically impeachable offense. However, the former was not impeached for it, and neither should the latter. That is why “BO” is conducting a Watergate-style cover-up that in and of itself threatens his presidency, because he is paranoid and eerily resembles Nixon in this regard.


A FINAL WORD
There are many to choose from, but “presidential timber” would not be one of them (OK, two words).

Gov Romney – shut up

I was taught to mind my manners. In this case, I will make an exception.

As the Republican candidate for president in 2012, you lost. Not only did you lose, you lost every single toss-up state: the election wasn't even close. And all this against one of the weakest candidates the Dems have fielded in decades: it should have been a slam-dunk, sir.


Why are my BVDs up in a bunch? According to MSNBC, you said:

“...we need to exercise great care about any talk of shutting down government...What would come next when soldiers aren’t paid, when seniors fear for their Medicare and Social Security, and when the FBI is off duty?”

First of all, you beanhead, there is a category of federal employees that are "essential". They do not get sent home: only the "non-essential" go home. You know, just like the last time Clinton shut down the federal government.

Second, both SSI and Medicare have their own trust funds from which they withdraw moneys (even if the gov't is shut down), or didn't you know that? There is even “Social Security Bonds”: all the trustees have to do is go to the Treasury and redeem a few (this might require enabling legislation, which is totally independent of a “shutdown”).

Just because you are a Bushie does not qualify to be an Albert Einstein or even a Niccolo Machiavelli. I suggest you sit down and be quiet. You know, like one of those married couples where the wife (justifiably) says: “Honey, I will speak for us.”

Obamacare employees not eligible for Obamacare?

Ha...ha...ha...ha...ha...ha...
OK, this story comes from Batchelor's radio talk show. Right in my own backyard, Contra Costa County just east of the SF/Bay Area, is where the Obamacare help call center for California is.


Obama flunkees advertised for 200 full time jobs to man the phones, for which they received thousands of applications. Upon completion of their training, the hires where informed that many are part-time (i.e. less than 29 hours per week) and therefore not eligible for employer-required health insurance coverage. Many more are “on-demand” employees, and also not eligible. The total number of full time employees, surprise surprise, puts the call center under the threshold that would require the employer (HHS, a presidential cabinet department) to offer health insurance to its employees.


OK, you can't write comedy better than this. Take that, Barack HUSSEIN Obama.
Ha...ha...ha...ha...ha...ha...

A New Fed Chair? Uh oh...

It does seem as if this shall be Bernanke's last, and won't do another when his term expires later this year. As to who might be next, the odds-on-favorite is Janet Yellen or Larry Summers. Forgive me, neither one is the brightest bulb in the package.

Not surprising, as the current administration is not known for its intellectual horsepower. Here, being loyal and always agreeing with “BO” trumps the ability to effectively do your job. At one point, he made an off-handed remark making it clear that he wants ol' Helicopter out, and his own man in.

Expect “BO” to gleefully install his candidate, and do another one of his patented end-zone dances.
You have been warned.

Helen Thomas: journalist, trail blazer, woman, fierce anti-semite...

Oh, goody...I get to throw stones at the grave of yet another anti-semite.

Sigh...

OK, for most of you young 'uns, her name evokes nothing. When I was your age, the name “Helen Thomas” evoked truth and unimpeachable truth. If she said so, it was true. She was the dean of all journalists whom all tried to emulate. She was also the lead UPI reporter, the demise of both can now be pronounced once and for all.

When I was young, my nagging mom always cautioned me to not speak ill of the dead. Now that I am my own sentient being, veracity is the watchword. It gives me a tummy ache to say so, but she was also a fierce Jew-hater. In my perception of the truth, this fact casts doubt on an entire life's worth of journalism. Her perception of the world, including the Middle East, colored her, regrettably unreliable, words. An entire generation based their global perception based on what she did or did not say. Once her antisemitic views became known, her career, deservedly, went down the toilet, where her reputation lies to this day and should always remain so.

Likewise, Dan Rather's career also deservedly ended up in the circular file. So great was his hatred of Republicans, that he famously pushed out stories about President Bush (the son) alcoholism and drunk driving records, all false of course. His flat out lies cast doubt upon an entire career of journalism, as it should.

Like it says in John 8:32

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free

Today's Racism Test: Paula Deen or Trayvon Martin?

OK: thumbs up or thumbs down?

answer key

In order not to be a racist, you must have given both of the above the same vote. If you split your vote, you are a racist.

answer from an objective dude

I give both a big thumbs down, as both deserve to reside in the dustbin of history. God willing, let us never hear of either one ever again. To be clear, I am neither white nor black nor Peruvian nor from the Deep South.

Trayvon Martin? Purple Drank!!

Truthfully, nothing about the Zimmerman/Martin case made any sense. The media where hot 'n heavy spinning all varieties of stories out of whole cloth. Kudos to KSFO for finding the missing puzzle piece. Ah! Finally found the jigsaw puzzle piece with the tip of the sailboat and the lower left piece of the sun.

Purple Drank. Huh? I am middle-aged and on the cusp of being an old fart who lives in a middle-class area. I am as far away from pop culture as you can get. Never heard of the stuff. Seems that it is a recreational narcotic consisting of: Arizona Iced Tea Watermelon Flavor, Skittles, and Robitussin DM Cough Syrup (dextromethorphan). Guess what? The night Martin was killed, just by great coincidence, he had 2 of the 3 ingredients needed. Stuff is very popular in the Hip-Hop culture.

ABOUT MARTIN

All across this country, schools are giving away iced tea and Skittles. Children are encouraged to wear hoodies in honor of the slain young man. I wonder if they understand that they are worshiping a drug abuser who lost his life because of it.

Also, the media and minority activists are forever showing pictures of a baby-faced kid, probably from his junior-high days. This is likely the face that Zimmerman faced that night, not this one.

POLITICS? NAH...

Some (including “BO”) are trying to turn the Martin murder into something about race, gun control, or “stand your ground” laws.

Nonsense.

It is a simple case of yet another young man who lost his life as a consequence of drug abuse. I suppose it would be too naïve to say that the solution is to revive Nancy Reagan's “just say no” anti-drug campaign.

A SCARY CONCLUSION

Mr. Martin's friend (not clear if she was his bedmate, drugmate, or both), whom he called that night, when asked about the court verdict, gave a disturbing answer about “old school” vs. “new school”. So now, recreational narcotics and murder are OK? If true, then I suggest we turn back the clock a coupla decades: bull doze the hip-hop recording studios, take away the money and bling and fancy cars, and enforce curfew for minors 7 days a week.

I am getting just a wee bit tired of this issue. Can I go out and play, now?

Illegal Immigration...Is Already Fixed?

I fail to see the justification for current efforts in the halls of power to “solve” the immigration problem. It has already been taken care of. And, to you wiseacres, I am not referring to previous laws passed in 1986 and 2006 that are similar to current bills before the current Congress.

Right now, there are 11 million (or 20 or 30, depending on whose numbers you are looking at) illegal aliens in this country who snuck over the border. It is impractical, illogical, and down right rude to consider rounding them all up, loading 'em onto buses and planes, and shoveling all of them back into Mexico where they belong. Truth: they are here to stay, whether we like it or not.

The current, ad hoc solution here in the US is, I think a reasonable one. Mexicans sneak into our country not because they love the language or culture or history or food or literature or arts or liberty or freedom or Constitution, but for the $$$.

Granted.

We already have an effective system (eVerify) to weed out illegals applying for jobs. It is widely ignored and never enforced. The current administration, for better or worse, has suppressed the enforcement of immigration laws by ICE.

On the other side of the coin, the current Congress is unlikely to grant citizenship to illegals as they have before in 1986 and 2006.

That leaves illegals in a rather curious, if tolerable, gray zone. Jobs, housing, free education for the kids, government handouts, yes. Full legal status and voting rights, no. Judging by the current situation, I believe this to be a reasonable, if flawed modus vivendi (Latin, people; Google it). I see no reason to change it: change will require much political capital (which is sorely lacking) and probably result in a situation worse than the current one.

Note to you RINOs: there is no outcry outside of network newsrooms for change. Any pol you wish to consult will tell you that support for enforcing current immigration laws is greater among legal Mexicans than natural born citizens.  

Zimmerman Trial Is...Totally Unimportant

I find it difficult to write about Zimmerman/Martin case, because I don't think it is very important. Honestly, I could care less, and I make no apologies. I know some are desperately trying to turn this into a racially-motivated murder where justice must be done (even if Z is guilty of nothing more than self-defense). Witness:

• the media covered it, then all the usual race-baiters (including, sadly, “BO”) jumped in saying it was a white-on-black crime because Z is prejudiced and racially profiling M. Then it turned out that Z is only half white (does it really matter about the other half? Peruvian, for those who care), is allied with the NAACP, and donated to “BO”s campaign.
• The claim was made that M was innocently buying candy for his younger brother at a convenience store. Really? C'mon: it was raining, 10pm, and he had a package of Skittles in his pocket. Turns out that M had pot in his bloodstream and most assuredly had the munchies.
• There is no doubt that M was beating up Z.
• Z has been charged with Murder 2. Good luck on that one. At best, you are looking at involuntary manslaughter (like when a car accident results in a death). Do not be surprised if Z walks free, either from a hung jury or outright acquittal.
• Z is not a cop-wannabe or a vigilante. He is an old fashion neighborhood watch, a concept that dates back to the 70's. I can tell you from personal experience that politicians hate them, because they represent a grassroots political force that they find difficult to control politically.
• Neighborhood watch should never carry firearms or weapons other than a cell phone (in the old days, they had walkie-talkies). Their task is to be additional eyes and ears for the police. In this respect, Z certainly is culpable.
• The court case does seem to be associated with a lot of political shenanigans: “BO” stuck his big nose in it, and therefore Z must be convicted and “justice done”, even if innocent. The court system is suppose to be one place immune from politics.

In the end, I fail to see what relevance this has beyond the Zimmerman and Martin families. I realize that there are those who have invested much emotion in this court case. There is a saying: if there are self-made purgatories, then we all have to live in them.  

The Muslim Brotherhood – Did The Fat Lady Just Sing?

• The scene: Egypt
• Our story so far: The Muslim Brotherhood (MB) took over same, to much jubilation
• A bit of melodrama: a military coup d'etat, end of MB dominance
• Next: who knows?

The dream of Muslims is a Global Caliphate, that is all countries on the earth being under Sharia Law. Egypt is the crown jewel of the Arab world. Therefore, when the MB took control of Egypt, it was the first step in a long-held Islamic dream. They consolidated power with breathtaking speed and effectiveness: packing Parliament with lackeys, rewrote the constitution, and put loyal allies in key positions of the military.

Problem: MB had zero plans for the Egyptian economy. To their minds, such considerations (not to mention democratic political institutions) were unworthy of their consideration, being remnants of Western/Christian civilization. They have no use for any of it. Being intransigent about their behavior, the IMF cut them off: the US was one of the few places still supplying $. Predictably, the economy tanked: popular unrest, demonstrations, and riots.

Not surprisingly, the army stepped in (as it has before), removed the MB president, suspended the constitution, and dissolved parliament. They installed a new President and Prime Minister, and scheduled new elections.

What will happen next? As with all politics in the Middle East, there is no way of knowing. One thing, however, is certain: whatever happens, it will do Dostoyevsky proud.

What Black People Need To Know About White People

First, a disclaimer: I am neither white nor black (can we still use that word? The sensitivity police keep changing the rules), so “ah ain't got no horse in this race”. I apologize if my observations are insulting to some, but you cannot pretend that human behavior is otherwise just because it offends your sensibilities or is convenient to do so.

This sounds like one of those social jokes: “hey, some of my best friends are _____ (insert a racial or religious group)”. I know a few blacks who are college-educated, successful, and intelligent professionals. In unguarded moments (like after a coupla beers), they will admit that they feel as if they are the targets of pervasive, rampant, daily racism. They feel as if they are being socially, personally, and professionally held back because of their skin color (let us ignore for the moment that the only person I know who owns a Tesla Roadster, not the S, is black). They see racism every moment of every day of their lives lurking around every corner and under every rock.

Well, I got news for you: the white man could care less about you, for good or evil. They are way to wrapped up in their own little worlds to give a hoot about you. True, there are some social cul-de-sacs where whites view racial prejudice as a hobby. I suggest you steer clear, particularly small towns in the Deep South.

IN CONCLUSION

It is a mistake to look at the white man as either the source of all difficulties in your life or as your savior. Truth: you are on your own.

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM A GF

OK, this is where you might be offended, so fair warning. She was an Anthropology student, and had a rather personal yet perceptive observation. During Europe's colonizing period, the English gained the reputation for being the most racially prejudice and class conscious of all colonizing powers. Yet, when it came to socializing with the natives, getting married, and starting families, the English were the first muck right in, head first. Look, there is only one way a “prejudiced” Englishman and a “native” female to have a family. Her test was this: would you be willing to have sexual intercourse with one of “those”?

Why Everyone Hates Environmentalists

Mark R. Tercek of The Nature Conservancy (TNC), in a recent article, hit the nail on the head: because they nag us.

You know: pick up your dirty underwear from the floor; put down the toilet seat; take out the trash.

Flatheads at places like TNC are doing exactly the same thing: don't use plastic shopping bags; use low flow toilets; use ice-cream-cone-light-bulbs; recycle your trash; drive electric cars; put solar cells on your rooftop.

Sigh...

Like moms/wives nagging us, tree-huggers nagging us will, in the end, have little effect in the long run. It might be emotionally satisfying to make someone else do what you tell them to, but you are wasting your time.

Environmentalists in our country will never make headway until they stop being so egotistical with a holier-than-thou attitude. No, you are not smarter or more caring than the rest of us. Get over it, people. You are like fashion designers saying that men over 30 should always wear boardshorts at the beach, and never anything coming close to form-fitting, and equally wrong. If you wish to influence the rest of us, you must prove rather than just declaring that you know better than we do.

Case not proved. Case dismissed.

Proof – Global Warming Is A Hoax

We just do not have the time deal with flat-heads like “BO”, EPA, CARB, and the Sierra Club. They ignore scientific facts so they can boss-around other people (not to mention $billion oil companies who are the new demons) because they really enjoy telling people what to do. They gain a sense of power and importance.

I can demonstrate, mathematically, that global warming is mere fantasy. The problem is that we will quickly end up in the weeds, because it involves differential calculus. Don't worry, I will explain in ordinary language.

The Mother Of All Air Temperature Equations

Known as a “primitive equation”, here it is:

ΔT/t = T/t + u(T/x) + v(T/y) + w(T/z)

• The stuff on the left side of the equal sign is the final result: it is the change in air temperature over time. (For those who are interested, "T" is temperature, "t" is time).
• The first item on the right side calculates the heat absorbed by the earth from the sun and the heat our planet re-radiates back into space. This is where albedo, cloud cover, and atmospheric carbon dioxide (among other things) are taken into account.
• The second, third, and fourth things on the right side is a 3D model of the movement of air in the atmosphere. It estimates the movement of heat and moisture.

Deep breath. There, that wasn't so bad, was it?

Now The Fun Begins

The next step is to gather a zillion weather data points from satellites, ground stations, and so forth, and try to come up with a model that fits the observed data, then animate them in 3D. This is where supercomputers come in: you can do it on your desktop or laptop (indeed, there are some software packages that you can download and run on your computer), but the more computing horsepower you use, the more accurate your prediction becomes.

It sounds kinda squirrely, because it is. This is the basis for the forecasts of the TV weatherman. Now, tell me, how many times has he gotten tomorrow's temperature correct, much less a 7-day forecast? Have you ever heard him say something like: well, the computer models are forecasting rain tomorrow morning, but I just don't buy it. This is also the same equation used to predict global warming decades from now. How reliable do you suppose the temperature model will be then?

Houston, We Have a Problem...

There are a few important factors not taken into account by the primitive equation:

• The Jet Stream. It is a primary factor influencing atmospheric air movement. It also changes randomly and erratically. Scientists have no idea why, and they cannot predict its changes. So the 3D portion of the equation is total worthless.
• Cloud Cover. During the winter, have you noticed that if there is cloud cover at night, the temperature the next morning is moderate? Likewise, if the sky is clear, the next morning will be freezing cold with frost warnings (at least here in California). This is because cloud cover determines if the earth will cool or warm, and this nothing to do with atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Cloud cover is influenced mainly by the Jet Stream, so it cannot be predicted either.
• The Sun. The amount of heat the earth absorbs is determined primarily by how much heat we get from the sun. Sunspots, solar flares, and random variations in the sun's output vary dramatically over time. This is another area that scientists do not really understand, and they certainly cannot predict it. This renders the first item on the right side of the Primitive Equation equally worthless.
  
  

In Conclusion

I hope that I have demonstrated that atmospheric temperature, carbon dioxide, and dynamic, unpredictable climate are not reliable, settled science. It is mostly by guess and by golly. Climate and weather (do you know the difference?) are more art than they are science with plenty of room for disagreement. This is the same equation used in the 70's “proving” that we were headed towards another ice age, and that there would be icebergs surrounding the Statue of Liberty in NY Harbor.