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WAR PREP: UNDERSTANDING NORTH KOREA

kju

It’s no laughing matter in North Korea …

Contrary to popular belief and representations in the mainstream media, Kim Jong Un is not suicidal or crazy. He was raised in an atmosphere of expectation and entitlement much like the old monarchies and familial dictatorships where state politics takes on the trappings of a religion. It might be a cult of personality, but nonetheless its subjects believe in the divinity of the ruler of the moment. If anything, the young sun-god is delusional, believing that he can prevail over superior forces in fulfilling his grandfather’s (Kim Il Sung) and father’s (Kim Jong Il) promise to reunite the two Koreas and keep the Korean race pure, self-sufficient and untainted by outsiders. Thus it is Kim Jong Un’s destiny to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather and father. It is my belief that Kim really does believe that the West, including South Korea, is ready and willing to attack North Korea. To what end is the question nobody can answer because there are nothing to be gained except the obligation to provide state assistance to millions of desperate North Koreans.

China will not help, even if threatened with economic sanctions …

Even China appears to fear destabilization of North Korea in order to prevent a horde of needy people from crossing their shared border and becoming a burden on the Chinese infrastructure. So all of Trump’s posturing about China’s assistance in thwarting North Korea’s nuclear and missile ambitions is likely to fall on deaf ears. For those who have not been paying attention, Kim Jong Un apparently ordered the very public assassination of his older brother Kim Jong Nam who was under Chinese protection and was said to be the “replacement leader” if China decided to take out Kim Jong Un. And to put a fine point on the matter, the assassination was executed using a personalized version of a weapon of mass destruction, VX Nerve Agent.

Will the world be willing to sacrifice South Korea to keep the peace? I think not. There would be no end to the nuclear blackmail and crazy-ass posturing to keep his own people from revolting once they learn how other people live – with full stomachs and some degree of freedom from the paranoia of a culture that encourages and rewards children to report wayward parents and punishes three generations of family for the misdeeds of one person. Human rights in North Korea are nonexistent, and much of the country is illiterate, malnourished, and would consider Appalachian conditions to be paradise.

Will the world be willing to allow Japan and South Korea to become independent nuclear powers? I think not. Already China is chaffing under the use of powerful radar systems associated with the THADD (Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense) missile batteries that have been erected and manned in the South.

Yet, the North Koreans persist in their illegal and provocative behavior …

The North Koreans continue to violate United Nations sanctions on testing Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles that can threaten the entire United States. Testing might be the wrong term because the North Koreans have gone from testing to validation and now to launch practice. Since they are using easily hidden mobile launchers, they are almost impossible to track and target on the ground. It is also unlikely that we will be able to intercept and destroy multiple targets during their boost phase. Inflight interception is iffy, and just one missile with a nuclear payload would be catastrophic – not only in terms of blast and radiation damage but the long-lasting damage to all electronic infrastructure.

It is likely that the United Nations will remain impotent.

It is probable that China will not intervene because they do not want millions of illiterate, malnourished peasants invading their country.

It is not likely that North Korea will abandon all nuclear weapon and missile development and deployment. What the American government and the American media do not seem to understand is that it is the role of Kim Jong Un, the racist leader of one of the world’s purest races to fulfill his destiny and bring the world to his feet. Nuclear weapons are not bargaining chips – only a means to advance the fate of the Korean race.

To better understand North Korea is to understand Juche …

Juche is commonly translated as “self-reliance" and is the official state ideology since being created by patriarch Kim Il Sung. It appears to be a variant of Marxism-Leninism with the stated purpose of bringing about a perfect socialist state. But like all similar philosophies, it has devolved into a thuggish cult of personality which substitutes for religion in a godless political system. Juche’s three stated goals are: political independence, economic self-sustenance, and self-reliance in defense. Of course, the unstated goal is to preserve the dictatorial powers of the Kim family. Unfortunately, North Koreans believe that Juche can only be achieved if the people follow the dictates of one “great leader” and his designated heirs and successors.

Bottom line …

It appears that the world respects President Trump a little more than former President Obama. Perhaps respect is not exactly the right word – it is most likely the fear that arises from an unstable situation with a chaotic who does not appear to have the backing – if you believe the progressive mainstream media – of a majority of Americans. Something likely to change instantly if the United States was threatened by North Korea. Unfortunately, the situation has surpassed the ruling Troika's (Trump-Ivanka-Kushner) ability to understand and resolve on their own. 

It is now time for Trump to bring in people like John Bolton and others who not only understand the mentality and intentions of North Korea but who might be able to fashion a creative solution without keeping America on the brink of a nuclear exchange with North Korea.

Perhaps Kim Jong Un is right about one thing, America and the American people have far more to lose in a nuclear exchange – in particular with an EMP (Electro-Magnetic Pulse) that will wipe out our electronic infrastructure and wreak havoc on our economy and defense posture. Not so much the North Koreans who have had 60 years to create bomb shelters and train their citizens in civilian defense matters. There are few Americans, other than the preppers, who are prepared to be self-sufficient at a subsistence level.

And, let us not forget that the Asian races appear to be the most racially-oriented and biased among us, no one more so than the North Koreans who believe their race is pure and free from outside influence. The Chinese and Japanese, after decades of dealing and intermarriage with Westerners, less so as they hide behind smiling and laughing faces. 

We are so screwed.

Steve


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI: GORDON GECKO IN THE WHITE HOUSE? (UDATED)

UPDATE 7/31/2017: IT APPEARS THAT ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI IS NOW OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE AS COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

In my opinion, what did him in was not his profane rant to a reporter or even his Trump-like tough-guy behavior; but the fact that he pushed Trump off the front page and became his own story for a few days. 

One can only wonder at the type of tax break Scaramucci will receive on his federal taxes since he purportedly quit his job and arranged for the sale of assets before assuming the position of White House Communications Director. Scaramucci will not be the first Trump appointee to benefit from tax laws favorable to government appointees.

It appears that Section 1043 of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S. Code § 1043 - Sale of property to comply with conflict-of-interest requirements) represents a potential windfall for those seeking to shelter last-minute payouts to those assuming office. According to published reports, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson may save between $11 and $48 million on his tax bill. Other Trump appointees like Todd Ricketts, Betsy DeVos, and Wilbur Ross, will also be able to take advantage of the provision.  

As for Trump's Chief of Staff, the position went to former Marine General (4-stars) John F, Kelley who was formerly the Secretary of Homeland Defense. It appears that Kelly will be the no-nonsense adult in the room -- but will he be capable taming the Trump wild-man act?

 Original post ...

mooch5

He is young, rich, brash, profane, and fearless – and he is now running the White House Communications Office over the alleged objections of President Trump’s Chief of Staff, Reince Priebus. He is the former hedge fund manager, Anthony Scaramucci, another New York progressive who appears to be slavishly loyal to President Trump. Reince’s protégé spokesman, Sean Spicer, has already resigned and was replaced by Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

I would not be surprised to see Scaramucci become the Chief of Staff once the Trump Administration’s leakers are discovered and purged – and possibly prosecuted.

I have heard various pundits compare the White House to the “Monkey House” at the zoo. Visitors who are entering can barely stand the stench. Visitors who have been there for 30-minutes appear to tolerate the smell. And, visitors who have been there for more than an hour, do not even notice the smell. Even the zoo employees appear not to mind the smell as they acclimate to their environment.

This is the perfect “take no prisoners” while smiling type of guy. A strong personality needed to combat the progressive socialist democrats and their attempt to deflect and diffuse attention from their prosecutable scandals and misdeeds. The perfect man to hold Robert Mueller in check while the democrat-inspired witch-hunt proceeds.

Bottom line …

For those looking for a significant change, fuhgeddaboudit as the New York goombas are wont to say in The Godfather. Trump remains an undisciplined, petulant little boy with delusions of grandeur and is so surrounded by sycophants that he believes he is smarter than everyone else in the room. And since becoming President, Trump has validated his mindset and worldview. How else can you explain how former Ambassador John Bolton is on the outside while son-in-law Jared Kushner fumbles his way around the world.

We are so screwed. But it is still better than Hillary.

-- steve


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


JOHN McCAIN: NEVER MET A PROGRESSIVE CAUSE THAT HE DID NOT SUPPORT

Once again, another lying Republican – well not exactly a Republican, more like a RINO (Republican In Name Only) – joins the progressive socialist democrats in pursuing their anti-America, anti-GOP agenda …

How many people remember John McCain slamming Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ) about her vote to support Obamacare during her 2016 challenge for McCain’s Senate seat.

JMK

Obamacare is failing Arizonans. First, a massive rate hike more than twice the national average. Then, America's largest health insurer abandoned Arizona's failing Obamacare exchange. That's devastating, especially to rural counties. Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick bragged about her Obamacare vote, saying "it's also the one I'm most proud about.." While Kirkpatrick's "proud" of putting us at risk, John McCain is leading the fight to stop Obamacare.

I would have put up a video of the campaign commercial, but I can’t stand to see his smug smiling face. At least his protégé and best friend, Senator Lindsey Graham voted against McCain.

McCain’s legacy …

Since McCain acted as the “Judas Goat” on Obamacare, Americans will continue to pay grossly inflated premiums and co-pays for policies with outrageous deductibles. There will be no insurance availability across state lines – so many Americans will have only a few choices of carriers as they are forced to pay for policy “features” that they neither want nor need. Insurers, faced with increasing losses will drop out of the insurance market. And thanks to the generous definition of “poverty level,” previously insured people who were satisfied to pay moderate premiums for decent policies will jump on the Medicaid bandwagon. (Medicaid is a welfare program and should not be confused with Medicare.)

We are one step further down the slippery slope to a single payer healthcare system that will treat all Americans like the government currently treats its veterans at VA facilities. Long lines, rationing, staged die-offs, and crappy care. (No not all VA facilities and not all VA services.)

At the very least, McCain could have supported the McConnell-Cruz legislation that eliminated the mandate, subsidized high-risk patients or those with pre-existing conditions, prevented insurance company bailouts, and cut back Medicaid entitlements. 

Bottom line …

Why the GOP allows people like John McCain to run under the GOP banner after years of carrying water for the progressive socialist democrats can only be explained by the concept of numerical superiority over actually standing for the principles of republicanism: small government, fiscal prudence, social conservatism, the rule of law, and above all, respecting and protecting the United States Constitution.

Let us fondly remember some of McCain’s signature follies: McCain-Feingold (Campaign Finance Reform that flooded politics with money); McCain-Kennedy (Immigration Reform that promised to legalize an increasing horde of illegal aliens); and McCain-Lieberman (Climate Stewardship that promoted earning money off global warming based on an anti-science viewpoint that could not be justified._

Yes, John McCain was tortured and maimed by our enemies. Yes, John McCain is suffering from a life-threatening disease. But what about all of the political corruption and craziness in between these two life-altering events?

Every time McCain opens his mouth to condemn President Trump, I think to myself McCain’s candidacy could have been just slightly less progressive than that of Hillary Clinton.

We are so screwed.

-- steve


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


DID PRESIDENT TRUMP JUST SET UP GENERAL KELLY FOR A MAJOR CAREER FAILURE?

Trump appoints John F. Kelly, Secretary of Department of Homeland Security, to become his Chief of Staff …

What happens when you take an effective leader out of his milieu and place them in a chaotic environment? How much effectiveness is drained away from the big picture to deal with little more than childish personality and policy conflicts?

There is little doubt in my mind that retired four-star Marine general and the Secretary of Homeland Security, John F. Kelly, is a knowledgeable, effective, and competent leader who can handle a bureaucracy. But can he handle Donald Trump whose management style has been generously called loosey-goosey and chaotic?

I have no doubt that President Trump wanted a strong, impressive, and take-charge leader as his Chief of Staff. But how is Kelly going to deal with handling the Trump family whose influence on Donald Trump appears to be greater than his cabinet members, career diplomats, or the other experts that offer-up advice to the President of the United States?

Unfortunately for all concerned, General Kelly is used to issuing orders and having them followed. His previous positions contained implicit dictatorial powers to accomplish necessary tasks. Not so much in the White House where President Trump has a record of overriding, belittling, and changing the policies promoted by his cabinet and staff.

tweets

Bottom line …

Now that an effective non-partisan leader operating in his area of expertise has been removed at DHS in order to play partisan politics, who will replace him at DHS?

Let us hope that General Kelly’s talents are not wasted.

We are so screwed.

-- steve


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


OCS GUIDE TO FAKE NEWS

It is not unusual to encounter information on the internet that sounds perfectly reasonable and correct but is bogus …

TRUTH

Here is an email sent to me by one of my close friends who believed it to be true although there is no historical reference that attributes this work to either Socrates or Plato. But, it is well worth considering in today’s environment when even prestigious mainstream media outlets confuse rumor and speculation with fact.

Keep this philosophy in mind the next time you hear, or are about to repeat a rumor. In ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom.

One day, the great philosopher came upon an acquaintance, who ran up to him excitedly and said, "Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of your students...?"

"Wait a moment," Socrates replied. "Before you tell me, I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Test of Three."

"Test of Three?

"That's correct", Socrates continued "Before you talk to me about my student, let's take a moment to test what you're going to say.

The first test is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"

"No", the man replied, "actually I just heard about it."

"All right", said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second test, the test of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my student something good?"

"No, on the contrary..."

"So", Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him, even though you're not certain it's true?"

The man shrugged, a little embarrassed.

Socrates continued, "You may still pass though, because there is a third test - the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my student going to be useful to me?

"No, not really.."

"Well", concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither True nor Good nor even Useful, why tell it to me at all?"

The man was defeated and ashamed and said no more.

This is the reason Socrates was a great philosopher, and held in such high esteem.

- Source: The Internet (Apocryphal)

This appears to be a great start to building your Bullsh*t Filter …

Is it true?

One would presuppose that information should be correct – but if this were literally true, we would miss the examples of poor behavior, rumor-mongering, or self-serving information leaks that say more about the source than the object.  In many cases, it is impossible to determine the absolute truth, especially if the information has been filtered through a self-interested third-party. Think of the distortion of communications in the children’s game of telephone where one whispers something in the ear of the first person and as each person whispers it down the line, the information loses its meaning, is distorted, or it wrong.

Is it good?

One would presuppose that information should be good – but this is not the real world. Negative information also has value in keeping us safe and aware of potential threats. Many people shade the truth out of kindness and respect, but this prevents you from seeing the whole picture, warts, and all

Is it useful?

Again, usefulness is subjective. Any information that is actionable, good or bad, is useful to someone in the pursuit of their agenda.

I would add a fourth test, Is it necessary?

Most information conveyed by the mainstream media, both educational and for entertainment purposes, is only necessary to attract and maintain an audience that can be monetized or transmuted into political power. Since there are competing sources of information and the background noise level is so high, you will find information being reported in such a manner as to shock and titillate the sensibilities just to gain attention. Unfortunately, this means that evil is feted over good and despicable acts are given more attention than acts of kindness.

Bottom line …

There is only one test that is valid for each individual. Does the information I am receiving comport with my innate sense of conscience, good or evil, right or wrong.  It is up to you to assign a weight to the information you receive and to filter the results.

And, what do you do with a person in a position of power which lies without shame, lies about lying, and when confronted with absolute proof of lying, changes the subject and berates you for not understand what they meant?

We are so screwed.

-- steve


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


CONGRESSIONAL HEALTHCARE SCAM: DEBATE & SWITCH

Once again the lack of GOP discipline can be laid directly at the Senate leadership when Mitch McConnell has little control over his flock.

For years the GOP implored “We the People” to give them the House, then the Senate, and finally, the Presidency. All based on five promises: one, to replace Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia with a textual conservative; two, the enforce the laws of the land first, re-establish border control as a matter of national security, and provide immigration reform; repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act that featured outrageous premiums, deductibles, and co-pays; and four, to enact tax reform; and five, to reduce the size of government and bring spending under control. Nothing more, nothing less.

RINO-CARE

So on the healthcare front, we find the GOP trying to wrangle enough votes to pass some flavor of health care legislation. To do this, they have decided to provide a menu of items that allows almost anyone to vote for something – enabling them to return to their “constituents” with some indication of progress.

The three choices:

  • Option One: A complete repeal and replace bill – which is unlikely to proceed in the Senate because it is incomplete, lacks the competitive provisions that would allow for insurers to enlarge their risk pools by competing across state lines, and is full of special interest-driven nonsense with unintended consequences.
  • Option Two: A repeal without any replacement.
  • Option Three: A limited repeal that only removes the mandate that people have to purchase health care insurance and reduces or eliminates some of the embedded taxes. Without the mandate, Obamacare will implode, as Obama himself correctly recognized.

Not so long ago, the Republicans passed a bill removing the mandates and leaving the rest of the legislation intact. Of course, then President Obama threatened to veto any such legislation, and the bill died. Since the Republicans did pass the bill, there should be on qualms or reservations about voting, at least, for option three.

Bottom line …

While the pundits and chattering class is hailing this trickery as a bold masterstroke created by Senate Majority Leader McConnell, most will see it for what it is – an act of cowardice on the part of the GOP. No matter what happens – even if Obamacare sinks under its own weight – the progressive socialist democrats will blame all of the misery and suffering on the GOP and will most likely use health care and immigration to reestablish their old, corrupt coalition.

We are so screwed.

-- steve


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


AN AUSTRALIAN OLDIE BUT GOODIE: YOUR VICTIM CARD'S EXPIRED ...

A little reminder that multicultural, moral equivalent, political correctness on goes so far …

If you can’t see the video in the email version of this post, it can be found here.

 

And a moment of silence for our friends and allies, the Australians because they do not have a Second Amendment to protect their unalienable rights to self-defense and against the tyrannical actions of the international socialist movement.

Australia’s 1996 Gun Confiscation Didn’t Work – And it Wouldn’t Work in America  

But the Australian 1996 National Agreement on Firearms was not a benign set of commonsense gun-control rules: It was a gun-confiscation program rushed through the Australian parliament just twelve days after a 28-year-old man killed 35 people with a semi-automatic rifle in the Tasmanian city of Port Arthur. The Council of Foreign relations summarizes the Aussie measure nicely:  

The National Agreement on Firearms all but prohibited automatic and semiautomatic assault rifles, stiffened licensing and ownership rules, and instituted a temporary gun buyback program that took some 650,000 assault weapons (about one-sixth of the national stock) out of public circulation. Among other things, the law also required licensees to demonstrate a “genuine need” for a particular type of gun and take a firearm safety course.

The Australian gun-homicide rate had already been quite low and had been steadily falling in the 15 years prior to the Port Arthur massacre. And while the mandatory buyback program did appear to reduce the rate of accidental firearm deaths, Baker and McPhedran found that “the gun buy-back and restrictive legislative changes had no influence on firearm homicide in Australia.”

Gun confiscation is not happening in the United States any time soon. But let’s suppose it did. How would it work? Australia’s program netted, at the low end, 650,000 guns, and at the high end, a million. That was approximately a fifth to a third of Australian firearms. There are about as many guns in America as there are people: 310 million of both in 2009. A fifth to a third would be between 60 and 105 million guns. To achieve in America what was done in Australia, in other words, the government would have to confiscate as many as 105 million firearms. And an American mandatory gun-confiscation program — in addition to being unconstitutional — would be extraordinarily coercive, and perhaps even violent. There is no other way around it: The mandatory confiscation of the American citizenry’s guns would involve tens of thousands of heavily armed federal agents going door-to-door to demand of millions of Americans that they surrender their guns. That. Is. Not. Going. To. Happen. If the president and gun-control activists want to keep saying “Australia” in response to every shooting in America, they should at least be honest about what exactly they are proposing. <Source>

Bottom line …

You want an example of moral equivalence?

ss4

One, the United States Constitution is not a suicide pact.

Two, there is nothing in the Constitution that provides for unchecked, and dangerous immigration on “humanitarian” grounds.

Three, far more dangerous to Americans is the degree of political corruption where foreign sovereign entities, that use state-sponsored terrorism as a business model for revenue generation or to prevent an existential threat to their leadership, can purchase political influence or use American-subsidiaries to advance their agenda.

Looking at the flow of immigrants from the Middle East, one might ask where are the families, women and children, of these 18-34 year-old immigrants? And, why are we allowing unaccompanied male immigrants of military and militant age into the country? An even better question is why we are allowing Middle Eastern students to attend our universities – traditional hotbeds of radicalism in the Middle East? One look at the University of California at Irvine makes the point.

It is time we took action against those corrupt politicians who push an anti-America agenda in return for temporary political power. It is time that we re-label Islam as a political movement with a religious foundation instead of a religion with a political component.

We are so screwed when we pretend all is well in our government and our country.

-- steve - steve

Full disclosure: I am a life member (patron level) of the National Rifle Association.


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


DEMOCRAT'S BETTER DEAL IS REALLY A BET ON A BETTER LIE ...

The progressive socialist democrats are desperately trying to explain why their shoo-in candidate with a billion-dollar campaign war chest lost the presidency to a marginal celebrity candidate. And, just as desperately they are trying to find a rallying cry that will resonate with their disillusioned base and overcome all of the negatives of a failed healthcare experiment, a failed economic recovery, and a failed foreign policy that made America less safe and more vulnerable to terrorism.

Their focus group answer is another big lie: promising Americans “A Better Deal: Better Jobs, Better Wages, Better Future

For those who cannot see the video in the email version of this post, it can be found here.

 

Senate Democrats unveil their bold, new agenda, "A Better Deal: Better Jobs, Better Wages, Better Future," that will boost wages, lower costs, and unrig the economy to make it work for all Americans, not special interests or just the wealthiest few.

This campaign is little more than a sad echo of the dying “class warfare” theme that continues to divide America into the haves and the have-not's with the progressive socialist democrats trying to regain the base and the overwhelming type of political power that so damaged America under former President Barack Obama and his lazy “lead from behind” strategies.

If anything, the truth is more likely to be …

abd-1

Bottom line …

Truth be told, if the progressive socialist democrats could have delivered even half of what they originally promised, they would have won the election. Alas, they continued to destroy American institutions and dilute the unique concept of Americanism with hordes of illegal aliens whose allegiance was to a foreign power and who wanted to re-create the hell-hole they abandoned on American soil.

Even the most partisan or the most skeptical among you can see what decades of progressive governance have done to the inner cities of this nation.

Even the most partisan or the most skeptical among you can see how third-rate nations challenged the might of the American military with impunity – knowing that former President Barack Obama was a gutless paper tiger.

And, even the most partisan or the most skeptical among you can see how rising premiums, deductibles, and co-pays have priced health care beyond ordinary Americans.

This is the old bait-and-switch: we will redress your grievances in return for political power and another chance to pick the taxpayer’s pocket and loot the national treasury.

We are so screwed.

-- steve 


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


WHY PROGRESSIVE SOCIALIST DEMOCRATS CANNOT BE TRUSTED TO RUN CHICAGO

rahm

Mayor Rahm Emanuel, formerly the Chief of Staff to Barack Obama, is both a corrupt ideologue and an idiot …

The first duty and obligation of a mayor is to prioritize resources to ensure the safety and security of the public. This means the police, fire, medical, sanitation, and building code enforcement functions are fully funded before the allocation of resources to less critical functions. This includes controlling the out-of-control public employee unions who are quickly driving the city into insolvency.

The second duty and obligation of a mayor is to provide the type of fiscal leadership which combats waste, fraud, and abuse while conserving and allocating resources to the repair, replacement, and build-out of critical infrastructure that has been decaying for decades.

And the third duty and obligation of a mayor is to provide legislative guidance to minimize nonsensical rules and regulations that favor special interests. This means prosecuting insider deals and sweetheart contracts that do little more than picking the taxpayer’s pockets and reward the wealthy special interests.

One might argue that the overriding duty and obligation is to respect and enforce the Constitution of the United States and that of the State of Illinois. Equality under the law without favoring or disadvantaging any class of individual or business. In essence, allow the people to live as they wish to live without lecturing or restricting personal choices and options.

But, not in the world of the progressive socialist democrats and certainly not under Rahm Emanuel’s watch …

Violent Chicago Needs More Cops, But Soda Tax Plan Failed and Over 100 Jobs Gone

With record-breaking violence in one of the worst counties in the nation, Chicago desperately needs more cops. But the city’s plan to tie the new hires to a soda tax plan failed to achieve that goal when the tax was restrained by a Cook County judge.

The Chicago Tribune reported that the Cook County Sheriff’s Office was expected to begin training 66 new recruits but instead had to suspend them and lay off the 47 people that had already begun training last month. It seems the city put all its eggs into the soda tax-basket and it fell flat.

The soda tax was proposed to collect over $67 million this year and over $200 million for fiscal year 2018, Fox News noted. However, after the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, alongside grocery stores, complained the tax was vague and unconstitutional, a judge temporarily blocked the tax.

Other city workers were affected, as well, including 12 county courthouse employees and 69 employees, mostly lawyers, fired from the Public Defender’s office. That’s in addition to 300 county employee lay offs announced last week.

Bad timing to trust a big government plan to punish soda drinkers when the city is averaging two murders a day. Perhaps its time to ditch the Democrats in control. <Source>

You will notice that the city always ties their new taxes and tax increases to public safety while doing little or nothing about resolving the underlying issues. The idea that we should stop incarcerating violent offenders until some racial proportionality exists is both ludicrous and foolhardy. Why not simply bulldoze decaying and rotting buildings and place a lien on the property for the cost of the cleanup – forcing the sale of the property if the lien is not satisfied in ten years. And, for the libertarians among the population, enforcing existing health and safety codes and making the property’s owners responsible for the cleanup before the city taking action. I know where we could get a large number of unskilled laborers in the community, train them as demolition, cleanup, and renewal operators, and put people to work. Of course, instituting a work requirement for able-bodied welfare recipients may be just another grievance to convince the voters to cede power to the progressives in return for killing such a radical idea: earning an honest living.

It appears that Mayor Rahm “Never let a crisis go to waste” Emanuel not only wants to piggyback on the Obesity epidemic to push his progressive agendas, but he wants to tell others how to live their lives. Here is a Mayor who is always ranting about the disadvantages faced by minorities and the poor – yet he has no problem instituting and enforcing a regressive tax that disproportionately impacts minorities and the have-nots. And, the dishonest Mayor says nothing about the bulk of the funding going into the general treasury to pay down the massive unfunded pension liabilities that threaten to force the city into insolvency.

To prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Rahm Emanuel is an idiot, one need only consider gun control in Chicago. With some of the strictest anti-gun laws in the nation, the crime continues to grow -- perhaps, because the idiot Mayor overlooks the simple fact that criminals and crazies do not respect nor abide by the law. And, such restrictions only prevent decent, law-abiding individuals from protecting themselves to enlarge the bureaucracy which assumes total authority over your safety – but without responsibility if you are maimed or murdered.

Bottom line …

Our inner cities, governed for decades by the progressive socialist democrats, are decaying cesspools of poverty, illiteracy, disease, and crime. And, yet there has been little progress as minority gangs and criminals run amok. It is time for the people to rise – not to protest the manufactured causes of activists and agitators – but to remove corrupt politicians from office. The cause of most problems can be traced directly to corrupt politicians and their special interests. Unless we reduce political corruption, we continue to be screwed.

-- steve


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS


PRESIDENTIAL BS (BLACK SWAN)

The black swan, symbol of the unknown and rare circumstances favored by economists and financial pundits as the symbol of rationalization for an economic or other catastrophe …

pres-bs

Here we President Trump, surrounded by the elite wealthy financial New York/Washington wheelers and dealers that appear to run most of our country’s finances …

And most of them are operating with their heads down and paying deference to Ivanka and Jared Kushner while trying to avoid the hot mess that is the President and his Administration. So who is watching the store?

It appears that the Federal Reserve is attempting to shrink its balance sheet and simultaneously hiking interest rates – affecting an inflationary increase in the cost of debt service for both countries and individuals. The Fed shot their wad and do not know how to balance debt, inflation, jobs, and economic activity.

Dodd-Frank, created to reduce the systemic economic risk of the largest financial institutions is a failure with those risky institutions getting bigger and more riskier. We see housing policies that are once again being used to tell banks to avoid sound underwriting principles to expand minority home ownership.

And along comes Minsky …

Minsky was one of those economists who claimed that our economy was inherently cyclical, slowly moving from stability to fragility, and then to crisis – after which the economy recycled and did the same thing over again. In recognition of his economic theories, the “Minsky Moment” was so christened. So while Ivanka and Jared jet off to the G20 and the Aspen conference of the movers-and-shakers (because they are smart and she went to Wharton), Trump is tweeting while quivering with rage that someone doesn’t take his word for anything. It appears that we may be moving beyond a Minsky Moment into a Minsky Hour if Trump does not curb his childish impulses and demonstrates some form of leadership.

Bottom line …

Being a leader is not about shouting the loudest or paying off the special interests. It is doing the tough things in life – in Trump’s case, standing up to his progressive socialist democrat friends and burning down the Democrat party by prosecuting the Clintons and all of the other corrupt democrats. Trump appears to be all bluster with very little bite. Lawyering up and playing the very same games that Obama and Clinton played when they were in power.

We are so screwed.

-- steve


“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS