Monday, January 31, 2011

Hallelujah! Socialized medicine "void" for now

OK. The Florida federal court has just delivered a verdict regarding the suit brought by 26 states of the USA who argued the socialized medicine law, as written is unconstitutional.

THE FLORIDA COURT DECLARED THE SOCIALIZED MEDICINE BILL UNCONSTITUTIONAL BASED ON THE COMMERCE CLAUSE. The court said only the US Supreme Court can expand the power granted under the commerce clause... so apparently the congress can't??

Furthermore, and I'm crying I'm so happy --

THE SOCIALIZE MEDICINE LAW IS NOT SEVERABLE -- SO THE ENTIRE ACT IS DECLARED VOID. "Not severable" means if one clause -- like forcing people to buy insurance -- is unconstitutional, then the entire act is unconstitutional.

We're supposed to get two feet of snow. I don't care. I'll be dancing in the streets anyway. Barefoot. And strewing confetti.

Save the Republic.

Like an Egyptian

Well, the events in Egypt continue. Still masses of people in the streets, and a guy named El Baradei, who's a Nobel winner and apparently emblematic of political change, spoke to the crowds last night in one square. Nothing much else has changed. Just heard, too, that there have been reports that the radical, anti-US Muslim Brotherhood is trying to get close to El Baradei. Let's hope not.

It becomes apparent, however, that Mubarak isn't going to be able to maintain his control. Apparent to me, anyway. Not sure Mubarak is aware of it. And more power to the Egyptian people. It's their country. They should claim their human rights and work to establish a freer and more just government. But it seems one of the biggest problems is that Mubarak has been in control so long and so exclusively that not many other Egyptians have the experience and the skills to replace him -- to serve as a government. I don't even know if Egypt has any kind of legislature.

The US State Dept. has advised Americans in Egypt to leave and is arranging flights out. Their evacuation began today sometime.

And the price of oil and gasoline here will probably go up. The price of crude already has gone up.

Egypt doesn't produce any oil, but it's in the path of tankers and the pipeline.

And I've got to wonder, again, why the hell does the EPA and the rest of the current US regime keep this nation dependent on foreign oil? Why don't we use our own resources, which are extensive?

If we at least continued drilling in the Gulf, that would serve some of our needs while we drill in ANWR and other places within US boundaries.

We don't have to depend on the Arabs or on maniac Chavez in Venezuela for oil. But apparently we want to. We want to be emboiled in the domestic problems of other nations -- problems that really aren't our business. We like having our own lives disrupted by people like Hamas and Hizbollah or the lunatic marxists in South America -- or the rabid drug producers down there, too, for that matter.

I suppose our dependency on oil from undeveloped and unstable nations gives the State Dept. an added sense of purpose. I can't think of any other reason for extending it.

Save the Republic.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Oh, the hypocrisy

Well, things in Egypt seem to have gotten even worse as yesterday wore on. And right now, it's just about dawn of a new day there.

Mubarek made a big announcement after midnight, Egypt time, saying he would fire his whole government and appoint a new one.

That really cracked me up. "Appoint" a new one. I think he put his finger right on the problem. Or actually, his failure to see the irony in that is the problem.

Meanwhile, the Comrade made a statement, advising that the Egyptian military and other security don't fire real bullets at anyone. He reminded everyone that there's a "universal" right to peacefully protest, to free speech and all. He urged Mubarek to turn the Internet and Twitter and all that back on. He urged Mubarek to listen to his people.

Not a bad statement, but coming from the Comrade, the hypocrisy is monumental. I mean about a million Americans in Washington a while back, unhappy about socialized medicine, and the Comrade does a fly-over and leaves town. And then shoves that piece-shit-legislation through congress by totally destroying any kind of ethical procedure.

Hey, Comrade, you listen. And get your slimy, and power-hungry over-reaching claws off the Internet here, off the radio, off TV. OK??? You listening, or too busy rehearsing your next campaign speech? You  don't really want another term, do you? Wasn't this one bad enough? Surely you can't be comfortable with people coming to you for answers you just don't have. Why not get on a plane and fly away. I mean far away. And stay there.

And frankly, if push comes to shove over here, I'm not convinced the police or the military would stand behind the Comrade. I really wouldn't count on it if I was him.

Just a few things to think about. I really despise hypocrisy, lying, corruption, lying, hypocrisy. LYING.

Save the Republic.

Friday, January 28, 2011

The individual vs. the state

Interesting news today. In Egypt, apparently a popular uprising has erupted. The dictator, Mubarek, has shut down all media and declared a curfew, while thousands of people are burning down the local TV station and Mubarek's office of some kind in Cairo. This is after about four days of rioting, the police gasing people, the military called in. One report says people are happy to see the military because the police are so brutal. Others say the police are breaking rank and joining the protesters.

Anyways, a mess.

Mubarek is a dictator. He has complete, autocratic control over Egypt. It seems the Egyptian economy has been hurting -- like everyone else's -- and that has been one source of discontent. Then they also get Al Jazeera and the like, urging them to trade Mubarek for a Imam of some kind, apparently, trading one type of autocratic rule for another. But I doubt you'd convince them of the folly of that.

Hillary Clinton has issued a statement asking Mubarek to meet with the protesters and find out what their problems are and try to offer some kind of solution. But I think the problem is what it always is -- a lack of personal freedom.

Of course, the USA is not without violence either. This morning in Takoma Park, Md., a guy walked into a Capital One bank with something he said was a bomb. (Turned out to be Styrofoam.) Anyway, someone called the cops, and they showed up in 20 seconds. Must be a doughnut shop across the street. At any rate, the guy apparently gave up on the robbery thing and grabbed a woman to use as a human shield so he could get his sorry butt out of the bank.

Outside, backing toward the parking lot, holding the woman in front of him, the robber stepped on a chunk of ice, slipped, and the hostage made a break for it. The cops shot and killed the robber.

So what are the parallels?

Well, I suppose the Maryland bank robber was dead broke, saw little hope in his life, and believed robbing the bank would solve all his problems. It didn't, but that's another thing.

While in Egypt, people are dead broke, see little hope in their lives, and believe they have to topple the government to solve their problems. While the revolt is still in play, I don't think this is going to end happily for anyone involved.

See the parallels between a free, capitalist system and a government-run dictatorship? I think the advantages and disadvantages are pretty clear. It comes down to a matter of scale, and how many people are unwillingly impacted.

And the Comrade wants us all to be more like Red China.

I just don't get it. Do you?

Save the Republic.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Yeah, right, "mourning" in America

Watching too much TV lately. On Megyn Kelly today -- though she wasn't there -- they had a story about how Time magazine is running a cover in an upcoming issue that features Ronald Reagan's profile side-by-side with the Comrade. I mean, is this funny or what? Maybe a case of some kind of "stolen valor" or what?

So this guy named Joe Trippi, a dem who worked for Howard Dean or John Kerry or someone, gets on TV to explain. Trippi says well, no, nobody's saying the Comrade is anything like Reagan policy-wise. The whole thrust of the story is the Comrade renewing public optimism, like Reagan's "Morning in America."

But, you know, somebody also did a video like an un-funny parody on "Morning in America." Called "Mourning in America," it showed photos and played music related to what's really going on with this administration -- unemployment, housing foreclosures, bankruptcies, etc etc. I'm sure you can still find it on YouTube.

And this cover makes me ask the question: Who the hell is editing Time magazine anymore? Geroge Stephanopoulos? Dan Rather?

Here's the central problem with the Comrade and his administration -- apart from blockhead, unworkable and actually ruinous policies. This White House is unable to discern propaganda from reality, and it assumes that we all out here in the hinterland make the same mistake.

The recent State of the Union address was the very first time I've ever heard the Comrade say one good word about America. The very first time. And he called this our "sputnik moment," meaning time for us all to rise up to his challenge.

The thing is, while we'd all like to return the USA to peace and prosperity, rising up the Comrade's challenge will only turn the USA into Red China. Not many people outside the Beltway are up for that. But I suppose this is what the Comrade calls "leadership." More like "cheerleadership," but that's just my own opinion.

Furthermore, I don't think the Comrade has one single concrete idea about turning around the economy or inspiring the public. He has absolutely no experience with this kind of thing (capitalism) on this kind of scale (beyond the barrio.)

He does know how to campaign. That's about it.

And comparing the Comrade to Reagan is really kind of an insult to human intelligence.

Save the Republic.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Medicare Chief admits socialized medicine won't deliver, or toldya so

Interesting. Watched Megyn Kelly today on Fox, and she reported on a story that's up on Fox's Web site:
....Medicare's independent economic expert told Congress on Wednesday.
The landmark legislation probably won't hold costs down, and it won't let everybody keep their current health insurance if they like it, Chief Actuary Richard Foster told the House Budget Committee. His office is responsible for independent long-range cost estimates
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/26/medicare-actuary-doubts-health-care-law-hold-costs/#ixzz1CAgwgyA3

Gee, really? I'm shocked, shocked!

So Megyn had a Repbulican and a democrat on to discuss the issue. The democrat started out saying how the Republicans had complete input into the bill, hearings for the bill, and they didn't raise any of these objections before it was passed. [Careful, Dude, your nose is gonna grow.]

He also noted that the CBO said the bill would actually save money. -- BULLSHIT. Everybody knows about this. The CBO simply adds and subtracts whatever bogus numbers congress puts in front of it. Apparently Pazzo Pelosi and the merry marxists submitted figures like -- "a tonsillectomy will now cost 43 cents. Comprehensive health insurance for a family of four will cost $2.80 per annum." So I don't blame the CBO for coming up with really bizarre and unrealistic numbers that the CBO itself doesn't even believe.

So on Megyn Kelly, the dem says, "Well, it's up to the Republicans now to fix it and make it work."

Laughed so hard coffee was shooting out my nose. I refer you to my blog of 1/3/11, which talked about the Evil and the Stupid Parties. The Evil party passes all kinds of crap legislation designed to enslave and destroy the USA, and the Stupid Party makes it work.

Only, as I said in that blog -- I don't think these particular Republicans are about to play the traditional role of the Stupid Party.

And I must say, that's not because of the traditional Republicans, but because of the Tea Party. Really, seems like a lot of those freshmen congresscritters really do understand who voted for them and why.

Also, and think this must have been at the same Budget Committee Hearings, Fox earlier ran a clip of a couple guy from Taco Bell or someplace saying that they absolutely cannot insure their employees as they would be mandated to under the socialized medicine bill. One guy said, and I paraphrase, "I think the whole idea behind this was to make it impossible for us to provide insurance from a private carrier."

Meanwhile, the Comrade is in Wisconsin, apparently hoping to stir up some support for his 2012 campaign for re-election.

My God, if anyone votes for this bozo again, I'll know the USA has outlived its usefulness -- and the "last great hope for man on earth" will be gone forever.

Save the Republic.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Obama's "ogenda" still intact

Well, listened to the Comrade's speech, Paul Ryan's speech, and Michelle Bachman is on right now.

Listened to the commentary about the Comrade on Fox, and surprised no one seemed to quite get what the Comrade was saying.

He's going to continue to spend money. If congress won't give him any money -- and he himself promises to "freeze" spending -- he's just going to rearrange the government and apparently reallocate whatever he does get to spend to continue to "invest" in his pet projects to promote his unchanging ogenda.

I mean, this is what "redistribution" really means, isn't it?

The Comrade talked a lot about indoctrination. I mean education for America's youth. I'm sure he's interested in that. The only people who'll vote for him will be the 19-year-olds who still believe in the Tooth Fairy -- the same people who voted for him in 2008. Only those 2008 voters now, after two years of being without a job, may not appreciate him quite so much anymore. So raise a new crop, huh?

Then he talked about a company owned by the Allen brothers. They took some old factory, and with a government loan, began producing some kind of "green" shingles. Nice. They created themselves a job. Find it interesting that only a paragraph or so later, the Comrade did note that the only thing green technology needs anymore is a market.

Make it and they will buy? We'll see. But it seems Spain -- the government of -- invested very heavily in green technology and Europe even had cap-n-trade. And Spain is going broke. I mean, exactly where is that elusive market?

You can tell the Comrade has been talking to Jeffrey Immelt, whose company is heavily invested in technology that should be obsolete before it's installed -- that is "green" stuff -- so the Comrade owes him one. Crony capitalism? You decide.

High-speed rail all across the country as a brand new idea. No offense. but the Transcontinental Railroad was complete in 1869 and not a lot of people use it anymore. They'd rather drive cars or fly. Cars get you from doorstep to doorstep with as many stops (for as long as you want) in between. And planes get you there within hours. Trains take forever -- even high-speed across the face of the North American continent -- and neither do they offer the convenience of landing you exactly where you want to go. You still have to hassle with cabs, tickets -- all that crap. Just like flying, only much slower.

And I've asked before: What is the fixation politicians have with high-speed rail? I have never, ever, ever in my life heard any person say, "Gee, I wish we had a monorail or something like that." Only politicians like this idea. And why? Well, the Comrade says the USA is one of few countries without high-speed rail.

Is this an argument in favor? That is, if your friends all went and jumped in the lake, does that mean you have to, too?

I mean, the largest nation in Europe is maybe the size of Pennsylvania. Entirely different geographical considerations. And Europeans, as their incomes increase, if and when they do, abandon the high-speed rail for the private auto.

Maybe some pol during his college years had a real blast Hamburg to Paris on high-speed rail. So I suppose next we'll all have to give up hotels and stay at youth hostels, too.

And I'm sorry, but did no one catch the backhand at John Boehner. The Comrade plays up Boehner's rise to Speaker, then deftly notes, "He's sitting behind me here." Yeah, the Comrade said that everyone who didn't agree with his socialist agenda can just behind him.. "back-of-the-bus," wasn't it? I'm sorry, but I don't think that was accidental. The Comrade loves to insult. He just can't resist trying to belittle people whenever he can. He has a kind of profound meanness and bitterness about him disguised by the practiced smile.

But the big threat was the Comrade's promise to redesign the Executive Branch. No doubt it will come out as streamlined and efficient as the Poltiburo, and the only outlets for allocated funds will be the SEIU, GE and other kiss-ass dinosaur corporations that play socialist soccer, and whatever else crap will promote the ideal of rebuilding the USA on the model of Red China.

Hey... the federal government has published a book about remaking America into Red China. I am not making this up.

Paul Ryan just reaffirmed his commitment to the Constitution and American exceptionalism. Good enough for me. I preferred that.

Enough for now.

Save the Republic.