Conservative Musings

Even Pravda Thinks So

If anyone should recognize Marxism, it sure would be folks from where it was tried (and failed) first.

Russia's Pravada speaks of "American capitalism gone with a whimper".  Sadly, this is becoming so true, with hardly a comment at all except from those of us labeled as part of the extreme right wing.  You know, those of us clinging to our guns and religion.

I find several very interesting comments made by Pravda.  The best economic one is "The Russian owners of American companies and industries should look thoughtfully at this and the option of closing their facilities down and fleeing the land of the Red as fast as possible. In other words, divest while there is still value left."  Going Galt may be their best move.

-Colonel Steve

he was known before he was formed

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;...."  Jeremiah 1:5.

The all-powerful God, Creator of the Universe, knew me before i was even conceived.

This same God knew my wife, and set her apart before she was created.

The same powerful Creator knew Barak Obama before the beginning of time, and set him apart for a purpose.

This Barak Obama, however, knows not the meaning of being set apart by God.  Particularly when it comes to 1.2 million U.S. citizens each year who never reach birth.

Reverend John Piper's statement on this.

-Colonel Steve

Heartwarming Story.....

and AP Editor goof up.

Lori Schneider, a retired school teacher from Wisconsin (WI) has succeeded as of Friday to climb a mountain on each of the seven world continents.  Wow! 

That would be tough enough for us healthy folks.  However, in 1999, Lori was diagnosed with MS (Multiple Sclerosis).  All completed since this diagnosis.

Congratulations Lori on a phenomenal accomplishment.

Sadly, the Associated Press' editors need some work on their journalistic skills.

Schneider is reported to be the first woman afflicted with the neurological disease to reach the Everest summit and the first person with Mississippi to complete the Seven Summits. (Emphasis mine).

Even an engineer like myself, in a profession less known for their grammar and spelling talents, can tell the difference between MS Mississippi and MS Multiple Sclerosis. 

-Colonel Steve

A Very Late Apology

Anderson Cooper is finally apologizing for his teabagging comment about tea party protesters.  However, read closely two sections of the linked story:

"I think it's an incorrect statement to say I was, in any way, trying to disparage legitimate protests," said Cooper. "I don't think it's my job to disparage, or encourage, which oddly other networks seemed to be doing."

"If people took offense to that and felt that I was disparaging their legitimate right to protest, and what they were doing, then that is something I truly regret, because I don't believe in doing that."

Excuse me?  Not disparaging?  I think he's parsing words here.  No, maybe he wasn't disparaging their right to protest.  Just disparaging personally the protesters themselves.  Watch and listen to the original story and see if you agree with me (note Anderson's comments in the last few seconds of this 56 second clip).

Yeah, right!  Not disparaging at all.  Sure.

-Colonel Steve

Raising Taxes Works

Just not in the way lawmakers expect it to.  As Arthur Laffer and Stephen Moore note, the states most needing income are raising their taxes, but loosing their tax base.  The base they are loosing are the ones who they tax the most - the rich.  They can afford moving.

The best example they give is New Jersey:

(C)onsider the fiasco of New Jersey. In the early 1960s, the state had no state income tax and no state sales tax. It was a rapidly growing state attracting people from everywhere and running budget surpluses. Today its income and sales taxes are among the highest in the nation yet it suffers from perpetual deficits and its schools rank among the worst in the nation -- much worse than those in New Hampshire. Most of the massive infusion of tax dollars over the past 40 years has simply enriched the public-employee unions in the Garden State. People are fleeing the state in droves.

Sadly, they'll never learn until there's no one left to tax.

-Colonel Steve

This is Economic Stimulus?

See some of the effects of Obama's stimulus plan:

• Foreign owned Pennsylvania steel plant not allowed to sell it's products.  600 union workers likely to lose their jobs.
• Canadian companies having their products withdrawn from the domestic U.S., triggering a likewise move within Canada.
• A $200 billion tax increase on companies doing business abroad.  Likely to shut down American business overseas.
• Watching Barack Obama break another promise he made to Canada, where in a February 19th visit he promised to avoid protectionism.

Sounds so like an Atlas Shrugged like move on our government's part.

-Colonel Steve

They Shouldn't Have Been Surprised

Barack Obama's rich supporters have now discovered he ain't what they expected. 

Wealthy Wall Street financiers and other business figures provided crucial support for Mr Obama during the election, backing him over the Republican candidate John McCain as the right leader to rescue the collapsing US economy.

But it is now dawning on many among them that Mr Obama was serious about his campaign trail promises to bring root and branch reform to corporate America - and that they were more than just election rhetoric.

A top Obama fundraiser and hedge fund manager said: "I'm appalled at the anti-Wall Street rhetoric. It was OK on the campaign but now it's the real world. I'm surprised that Obama is turning out to be so left-wing. He's a real class warrior."

Amazing.  These guys actually expected him to break a campaign promise by not going after corporate America.  Ironically, this is one he's actually kept.

Poor guys.  Guess they'll have to vote conservative the next time around in 2012.

-Colonel Steve

Obama's D-Day Plans

My father-in-law was a World War II veteran.  Sadly, we lost him 9 years ago.  If there is anything good side to death, not seeing Barack Obama as our commander-in-chief is one of the things he was blessed in not seeing.

That, and this insult to veterans of any war.  Especially those few remaining of the World War II generation.

The 65th Anniversary of D-Day is fast approaching.  Barack Obama will attend the events on June 6th as George Bush did in 2004 for the sixtieth memorial service.  Here is the rub, as of now Obama’s State Department has asked (read demanded) the French government not allow tour guide services to operate that day. It is a big day for Normandy tourism. Yet, the king will not allow those not connected with government to enjoy the day.  Obama is very important you know.  This is an unprecedented request.  I hope the French come to their senses and deny it.

I hope, like John Romano, that the French stand up and deny the request.  No white flag of surrender to this demand.

-Colonel Steve

Can't Make Anyone Happy

All this time, I thought Arlen Specter was more aligned with the liberal party of America.  Now it turns out a whole sector of them aren't happy with him either.

With today's polarization in America, loneliness seems to be a moderate's lot in life.

-Colonel Steve

Goodbye Capitalism

We've seen the takeover this week of 2/3'rd's of the American brands in the domestic auto industry (the rest being foreign brands manufacturing onshore).  We also have the push of the Obama administration to take over the health care industry.  Representative Jan Schakowsky is one of those who is 100% behind this.

Help me understand something.  What, besides the military, has our federal government run correctly?  If medicaid and medicare is any hint, they sure don't know how to run health care.  The liberals like to slam the federal government for their response to hurricane Katrina.  Outside of the military component of the rescue (Coast Guard, National Guard, etc.), sure, the federal government wasn't too good at it (can you say FEMA?).  The federal government's part of helping the education industry hasn't been a shining star either.  The 40 year war on poverty has no end in sight (Harry Reid's "The war is lost" quote sure fits here).  Is there ANY exit strategy for this poverty war?

About the only thing the folks out of D.C. do well is spending OUR money.  Mostly down sinkholes.  Sadly, the one thing that has worked well for the good ole' USA is now being taken over.  That is, private industry.  We are the most blessed nation on earth when it comes to economic resources.  We've developed a country where even the poor among us are richer than many folks in third world countries.  And the thanks we get?  An eventual take over by the federal government.

Ayn Rand was definitely a prophet when it comes to her fictional work Atlas Shrugged.  Scary that the book has the makings of coming true.

-Colonel Steve