Frankly Speaking

I did my best to just ignore politics for as long as I could. The fall is my favorite time of the year, and this year was no exception. I have thoroughly enjoyed my respite from blogging and following the news every day. Enjoying the world that surrounds you is a lot more fun than following politics, but after the last couple of days I find that I can't ignore what's about to happen to our country.

In previous posts I have been chastised for labeling Senator Obama as a socialist. If there is anyone out there with any doubts as to his socialist/Marxist mindset, then you haven't been paying attention.

"To avoid being mistaken for a sellout,I chose my friends carefully.The more politically active black students.The foreign students.The Chicanos.The Marxist Professors and the structural feminists and punk-rock performance poets." Senator Obama

Consider the 2001 interview with a public radio station in Chicago, which you can access by clicking on the title of this piece. When he speaks of how the courts are not structured to implement the redistribution of wealth, it doesn't take a political science major to figure out that a liberal Congress, a liberal President, and judges with similar liberal political philosophies, appointed for life by the President, will do their best to alter the framework of our government.

There is no longer any doubt that an Obama administration will do everything within it's power to institutionalize socialism and turn us into the United Socialist States of America.

Socialism in and of itself will not destroy the country, but the proponents of this philosophy will.

Ask a question of the candidate like Joe the Plumber and suddenly government computers are used to check your taxes and find anything they can to destroy your reputation.

Ask a question of the candidate and your television station is banned from further interviews.

Turn on any channel, other than Fox News, and view with incredulity the liberal bias of the mainstream media. Given the power, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid will implement a "fairness doctrine" that is anything but fair. Under the guise of fairness, the voices of the opposition are stifled. I wonder where they'll setup their re-education camps.

All that redistributed wealth needs to be handed out, and the socialists will make sure that the money goes to ACORN or other phony non-partisan groups that have no interest in anything other than their parochial concerns.

Do you have any doubt that a 25% cut in the military budget, as proposed by Barney Frank, will be enacted by an Obama administration? You shouldn't. We'll basically be waiving a white flag and inviting a level of terrorism that only Israel has experienced.

And while we're at the task of withdrawing from the world, let's stop free trade as well. Ignore the benefits to all the countries involved, and let's return to the days of tariff wars.

The economic crisis we've been treated to over the last few weeks will pale in comparison to the depths that an Obama administration will lead us to. Why would anyone with money invest it and try to grow a business only to have the profits of their hard work handed out to people that don't even contribute to the tax base?

If your options are work your butt off and give more and more of your money to the government to redistribute, or sit on your butt and let the government subsidize your life of leisure, which one would you chose?

There has never been a clearer distinction between two candidates in my memory, but with the assistance of the mainstream media, that distinction has been blurred and misconstrued to make Senator Obama appear more middle-of-the-road.

He is not a centrist, he is a socialist steeped in Marxism who wants to take this country down a path that will assure our descent as the leader of the free world.

However, we do not need to despair. Regardless of the what the polls pronounce, this race is not over by a long shot. I'm sticking with my prognostication of a McCain victory, but even if I prove to be about as accurate as Carnac, I will never lose faith in the ability of this country to overcome the foibles of our elected officials. I will fight socialism with every bit of my being because the dignity of man demands it.

There are millions of Americans that will never sit idly by while a socialist/communist administration leads this country towards Soviet style democracy. We will fight you in the halls of Congress; we will fight you in the courts; we will fight you on the airwaves, we will fight you with every legal means available.

Senator Obama will never unify this country because the millions of us who enjoy freedom and individual responsibility are willing to fight, and if necessary, die for it.

Water In India - Dinner In China

Leading my remote life in Lewis County is wonderful. There is truly no where else I'd rather live in the world, but there sure are lots of places that would be something to see. Photos from one of my groups are below. I have done nothing other than add some captions.

First up: Water In India - I have paraphrased info from the website below:

http://amaze.learnhub.com/lesson/page/5048-the-amazing-well-of-chand-baori-india

The Amazing Well of Chand Baori (India) was built back in the 10th century, and it is situated in the village Abhaneri near Jaipur in Indian state of Rajasthan. This was a practical solution to the water problem in the area. The arid climate forced the locals to dig deep for a dependable water source, one that would last throughout an entire year. Chand Baori well is 30 meters deep, it has 13 floors and 3,500 steps. It is a fine example of the architectural excellence prevalent in the past. This impressive step well is as deep as a seven storeyed building. The famous Harshat Mata temple situated opposite to this well shows that there must have been a religious connection with the step-well. The well is 35 m on each side with steps leading down from each side and water can be drawn from any level. Abhaneri is 4 km northwest of Sikandra on the Jaipur-Agra highway. Abhaneri is on the Ahmadabad-Delhi railway line, near Bandikui in Jaipur District. The other nearest railway station Bandikui Junction is 6 km from Abhaneri.
























































Now we head off for dinner in China. If you don't have an appetite already, you'll be able to work one up on the way there:



















































































Personally, I'd fill my bowl with rabbit "smart pills", pour milk on them and pretend they're Cocoa Puffs before I'd EVER attempt that climb.

How Do You Handle Adversity?

The current economic crisis has provided us with daily reaffirmation of Congressional inadequacies. Their dithering in the face of this economic crisis leaves one to wonder how they ever get anything accomplished. It also illustrates how different people react differently to adversity. Some of us fight the good fight; some of us assume the fetal position, and some of us look to others to help us find our way.

I recently was introduced to the typewriter art of Paul Smith in one of my Yahoo Groups, and his story is one of the most inspirational I've ever come across. Born in Philadelphia on September 21, 1921, Paul suffered from severe cerebral palsy. His disease kept him from ever going to school, but it didn't keep him from developing artistic and visualization skills that made him a true artist and a heck of a chess player.

Paul would use his left hand to steady his right, and usually had the shift key locked down because he could never push more than one key on the typewriter at a time. Consequently, his pictures are constructed mostly of the symbols ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ). If you click on the title of this piece you'll be taken to Paul Smith Foundation.Org where you can learn a lot more about this incredible man and see more of his art work.

Paul passed away in 2007, but the story of his life should serve as a reminder of the true potential that lies within all of us. Perhaps if we made each of our representatives familiar with Mr. Smith and his incredible life they might be able to set aside politics and concentrate on the well being of their fellow citizens.

Wishful thinking? Probably, but a little inspiration can go a long way.

All Hail Queen Nancy

Yesterday Speaker Pelosi demonstrated to the country her total lack of ability as Speaker of the House. At a critical moment prior to the vote, she decided it was time to blame the Bush administration for all of the economic woes. Instead of focusing on the importance of passing the legislation, she opted to play the blame game.

Her comments didn't kill the bill, regardless of how some Republicans feel. There were 90-some Dems who voted against it, some at the instruction of Queen Nancy because they were freshman congressmen up for re-election. That really puts the country before the party eh? Then we get to listen to Barney Funky-Frank tell us he'd speak uncharacteristically nice to the 12 Republicans who voted against it because of the Queen's utterances, when a number of his cohorts on the Ways & Means committee also voted against it.

Queen Nancy conveniently overlooked legislation proposed in 2002 to overhaul Fannie & Freddie and tighten loan requirements. It passed the House, even though Funky-Frank voted against it, but it died in the Senate at the hands of Senator Chris Dodd, a man that I have always found to be honorable.

This entire mess is the result of people acting with the best of intentions who failed to abide by the basic tenets of making loans. In their attempt to get as many Americans into their own homes as possible, the Dems decided that a down payment and proof of income and ability to pay were not essential criteria when making loans. At that point, human nature took over. Greedy bankers and other "financial geniuses" created the mortgage-backed securities that have led us to where we currently are.

Fannie & Freddie are symbolic of how a country begins it's downhill slide into socialism, and the greedy bankers are symbolic of the dark side of capitalism. At some point we are going to have to decide, as a nation, which path leads to sustaining the greatness of our nation. Do we veer left towards European-style socialism, veer right towards unrestricted capitalism, or try and find a middle path that finds a balance between the two?

The lack of leadership on both sides of the aisle has left the American citizenry not knowing what the future holds for them; not knowing what the real reasons for the crisis are; not knowing if it's a bailout or a buy-in, and not knowing what action, if any, can get us out of this mess.

As I noted early on, I am opposed to the bailout on principle, but I see no other option that will prevent a worldwide depression.

Watching Congress over the last week calls to mind Nero and his fiddling as Rome burned, except now there are hundreds of fiddlers, out of tune, out of time, and out of touch with the people they represent. If the trillion dollars of losses in the stock market we saw just yesterday doesn't get these people moving, we'd all better get back to farming and growing our own food because the Great Depression of the 21st Century will make the Great Depression of the 20th Century look like a banker's holiday.

The 545

The political playhouse in Washington, also referred to as the Congress, has provided us with soap opera-like drama this past week. They have a plan - how nice of them to put aside election concerns and try to save the economy.

In honor of their bipartisan cooperation I am going to share an editorial by Charlie Reese, previously a reporter for the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper. If you're as sick of the "blame game" as I am, this is one of Reese's Pieces (sorry, couldn't help myself) that you'll find quite tasty.

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them. Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, we have inflation and high taxes? You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices: 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country. I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason.They have no legal authority.

They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash.T he politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it. The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million can not replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people.

When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.

If the Marines are in IRAQ , it's because they want them in IRAQ .

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems. Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

On 9-11-03 Barney Frank said Freddie & Fannie were not in distress, a claim he continued to make right up to the bitter end.

Duke Cunningham, a Republican and a war hero, sits in jail because he accepted money for favors.

The party makes no difference. The cesspool we've allowed to grow in D.C. continues to flourish, and yet most of us believe that everyone else's representative is doing a lousy job except for my representative.

I don't have the solution and I don't know anyone who does, but transparency and accountability should be part of everything an elected official does.

Apply As Needed

If we've learned anything this week its the fact that government does have an important role in the economic life of not only our country, but the world. As I write this Secretary Paulson has not made his address as yet, but the major elements of the government's plan to steady the financial markets are already known. The stock market is soaring and it appears that the Bush administration's efforts to stabilize things have helped. We're not out of the woods by a long shot, but at least a degree of confidence has been restored and markets around the world are reflecting that.

As a conservative I am not fond of the government stepping into our lives any more than necessary. This is certainly one of those times. By announcing that Money Market Funds will be insured like your bank deposits (FDIC) and limiting short selling for about 800 financial companies for a period of time, markets around the world have regained everything they lost earlier in the week. It appears that there will also be some form of restructuring of mortgages, which is a great idea.

Even Senator Chuckie chimed in this week - a 90 day freeze on all foreclosures until the debt can be restructured. I don't often find myself in agreement with Senator Shumer, but if you're going to bail out the large financial institutions, you need to extend a hand to the little guy as well.

The big problem, as I understand it, is that much of the paper that's being held on mortgages may well be based on over-valued property. Since determining the value of the "paper" is not something that can be accomplished overnight, banks are not willing to make any funds available for loans because no one knows for sure just exactly what they've got. The creation of a new federal agency to sort things out is a scary concept, but at this point I don't see any alternative if we're to maintain stability.

All the political finger-pointing in the world solves nothing; it only pleases the partisans. The truth of the matter is that greed and the lust for more money is at the heart of the issue. Making loans based upon the assumption that the housing market will continue to climb is just plain stupid. Did you have to come up with 20% down when you bought your first home? Most of us who've owned homes for sometime had to meet that criteria, but the "I want it now" American mentality overcame the tenets of good business. The banks gladly handed out the money with an adjustable rate, and that adjustable rate has come home to roost.

I applaud the quick action on the part of the President and his advisers. It has been reported that Congress will likely take action this weekend to pass the necessary legislation that will be part of the overall plan, as opposed to their earlier plans to adjourn because no one knew what to do. I can only hope that the leaders of both houses take the necessary action and not try to pass off some half-assed, watered-down legislation like the useless proposal to drill from 50 miles off the coast and out. When 88% of the oil is 50 miles or closer to the coast, you're not solving a problem or fooling anyone, and you're certainly not doing what the American people want you to do.

If Congress fails to act in the best interests of the country, there should be a lot of incumbents looking for new jobs come November 5th.

I'm On The Wagon

N0, I am not giving up Jack Daniels. I am giving up giving a crap about politics until after the election. Hurricane Ike is headed for Texas and all these two can do is rush out political ad after ad, ad nauseum. If you take a look at the current titles of my fellow bloggers that are listed on the right, you'll see some examples of partisanship that will never change the mind of the undecideds. Therefore, I am swearing off any political commentary until after the elections.

Why? Quite simply, my mind is made up, I'm voting for John McClain. No, that's not a misspelling, I'm voting for the Bruce Willis character from the "Die Hard" series of movies. If Bruce Willis decides to run, I'll vote for him. At least by voting for a fictional character I'll be more aptly expressing my opinion of how we select our Presidential candidates. And with fiction, you get to write your own ending - you can't beat that.

OK, I will pull my tongue from my cheek and correct the above statement - I am voting for John McCain. Since Senator Obama has the most liberal voting record in the Senate, and I have no desire for socialism, the choice for me is quite simple.

Candidates slandering each other is nothing new, but that doesn't make it any more palatable. If you make your decision based on anything other than your political philosophy, then we can only hope you use some criteria more relevant than lipstick on a pig, or the hundreds of flags the Dem's threw in the garbage in Denver after the convention. Obama wasn't calling Palin a pig, and it was some minor functionary who probably didn't know how flags are supposed to be disposed of who screwed up in Denver. Our non-partisan media (more fiction) tries to make mountains out of molehills to increase their ratings. At least Keith and Chris won't be in the anchor chairs anymore. Oh, by the way, the flags were rescued by some veteran's and used by Republicans for a rally.

The point being that it is the political philosophy of the candidates that matters the most. If you are undecided, turn off the damn TV and start doing some research on the positions of each candidate. To do otherwise is to fail in your duty as an American citizen.

It is more than likely that any "undecideds" have ever been to this blog, but touting windmills has never presented much of a problem to me.

So, that's it. No more politics until after the election. I can't tell you what it is that I'll choose to do, I can only tell you that I'll do my best to keep it interesting.

Happy voting.