Saturday, November 30, 2013

New Video Of Captured US Veteran In North Korea

by JASmius

Captured as in off a plane last month, not held for the past sixty years:

In October 2013 [Merrill] Newman left for the DPRK as part of a nine-day trip organized by Juche Travel Services, a travel agency that specializes in trips to North Korea. According to family members, Newman had generally been enjoying his trip and had communicated with them via telephone and postcards.

On October 26, after boarding an Air Koryo airliner in Pyongyang on which he was scheduled to depart the country, Newman was removed by a single, uniformed official. Newman's traveling companion, Bob Hamrdla, reported the arrest to U.S. officials via telephone upon the aircraft's arrival in Beijing later that day. This account of the arrest was relayed to media by Newman's son, Jeffrey, from information provided by Hamrdla, a former Stanford University professor who specialized in the history of the German Democratic Republic. According to the younger Newman, Hamrdla reported that Merrill Newman had previously engaged in a "difficult" discussion with government tour guides about the Korean War.

I don't pretend to understand why an old man who had fought the NoKos sixty years ago would want to go visit that hellhole, but then neither do I understand why he got into any kind of "discussion" with the tour guides about the Korean War, since everybody knows, and Mr. Newman certainly should have known, that "tour guides" in any communist country are either government intelligence or secret police or both.

I can't imagine that the NoKos had any great interest in a crotchety old geezer, but neither did they have anything to fear from Barack Obama for indulging in Mr. Newman's arrest and forcing him to read a dictated "confession":





Whatever the details of this incident, I can't see it taking place under any previous president except perhaps Jimmy Carter.  It's not a huge deal - I'd analogize it to a passing head-noogie in the school hallway - but it's symptomatic of the complete impunity America's enemies feel to do whatever they want, whenever they want, to whomever they want, free of any concerns about retaliation.

Yet another facet of the Obama Doctrine that has bloomed to depressing fruition.

Actor Paul Walker Dead

By Douglas V. Gibbs

Actor Paul Walker, made famous by the Fast and Furious series of movies, was involved in a fatal car accident in Santa Clarita, California this afternoon.  He was 40 years old, and had one daughter.  No other vehicles were involved.  He was the passenger in a friend's Porsche when the driver lost control of the vehicle, and slammed it into a tree.  The car burst into flames.  Both occupants were killed instantly.  Mr. Walker was in Santa Clarita attending a car meet tied to Always Evolving Performance Motors, and a charity event for his organization, "Reach Out Worldwide."

We, here at Political Pistachio, will keep his family and friends in prayers as they navigate these difficult moments after the accident.

Walker was also in the middle of filming the seventh installment of the Fast and Furious movie series, and an action film titled "Brick Mansions" which is in post-production.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

Paul Walker Dead At 40 - Business Insider

Obama May Never Leave

By Douglas V. Gibbs

President Barack Obama campaigns constantly that he is the anti-politician politician, yet reality says otherwise.  When the 44th President of the United States is out making speeches around the country he always discusses how nice it is to be away from Washington DC.  He does what he can to convince the voters that don't pay close attention to politics that he is just like them, fighting The Man, and trying to battle a system in the Federal City that is broken, and must be changed at its foundations.

He hates it in Washington, he tells us.

Like usual, what he says is far from the truth, while laced with bits of truth that are far from what the public is meant to understand.

In an interview on ABC News with Barbara Walters, King Obama, and be'Hom SuvwI' Michelle Obama, for the sake of their daughter's educations and social circles, said that they may kick around staying in Washington DC after the end of his presidency.

Some political pundits will argue he meant that his presidency will continue after the scheduled end of his regime's reign in January 2017.  A repeat of FDR's four term presidency may be eminent.

Liberals agree. In fact, Jonathan Zimmerman, a history and education professor at New York University, says deciding whether a president deserves a third, fourth or more terms should be left to the American people, not the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution.  When Democrats are in power, they argue against term limits.  When the GOP has the helm, suddenly they become strong advocates for limits on the terms of politicians.
The Obama's may claim to love Chicago (the thuggery and corruption has a tendency to reel in power-hungry types like the Obamas), but they love the power and status of Washington, much more - and I am thinking that in 2016, the supporters of Obama, and perhaps Barry himself, will begin to sound a lot like Professor Zimmerman.

A royal life, well supported by the American People, can be addicting.

A part of the fundamental change to the American System may include repeal of the 22nd Amendment.

American Politics is a subject that Obama focuses on constantly.  The system is broke, in his opinion, because the Congress is not a rubber stamp for his big government policies.  And God help us (or would that be "Allah help us"?) in the opinion of Obama if the Republicans regain the presidency.  Why, he must be thinking, they could ruin everything he's worked so hard to accomplish. . . and destroy.

Hanging around is the least he could do for the emerging communist empire.

Obama constantly tells us that when it comes to Washington, he hates the players, not the playground. So, he is working to change all the players - or at least make them powerless and silent.

The only downfall, I bet he is figuring, is as long as he remains on the throne, he won't be able to write an historical memoir about his historica presidency.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

Obamas Might Stay in Washington After Presidency Ends - ABC News

Presidential term limits necessary and right, or bad for democracy? - Yahoo! News

Democrat Defections Likely When ObamaCare Web Fixes Fail

by JASmius

Shutdowngeddon seems like it took place years ago, doesn't it?:

Democratic leaders have given the White House space to work out the problems with the ObamaCare website, but if it isn't right this time around, vulnerable Senate Democrats could [i.e. will] distance themselves even more from the law they voted to pass.

"There's a window here; I'm not sure how long it is," Jim Manley, a Democratic strategist and former spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, told  the National Journal.

Earlier this month, thirty-nine Democrats joined ranks with Republicans to vote for a bill allowing people to remain on their current health insurance plans, and are signaling they're ready to make a stronger push about the bill should the site still not work correctly after Sunday's deadline comes and goes, said the National Journal.

But with Obama's poll numbers at record lows and Americans are saying he's "untrustworthy," another failed ObamaCare website rollout could slash his ratings even more, and with public approval of ObamaCare also waning, Democrats are scrambling to show their constituents that they are trying to fix the problems.

"You need to explain what you're trying to fix, and you'd better be trying to fix something. If there's nothing you want to fix, there's something wrong with you," Democratic pollster Mark Mellman told the National Journal.

The whole "fix" meme is nothing more than a time-buying gambit.  It's implication isn't difficult to deduce: As long as something is ostensibly in the process of being "fixed," the idea of bagging the whole thing is held in abeyance - as is the notion of jettisoning the Democrats who voted to ram it down the necks of the public against their will in the first place.  Once it's "fixed," goes this line of reasoning, everything will be fine.

Except, of course, everything isn't fine.  Millions of individual policies have been cancelled by the Obama Regime (not insurance carriers, who are only doing what "settled law of the land" requires), tens of millions of employer-based plans are on the chopping block next year, and higher-premium/higher deductible/higher co-pay "sticker shock" is already gob-smacking millions of Americans who could barely afford the plans they had and liked.  This is all already common knowledge, and will sink in ever deeper if healthcare.gov ever does actually get up and running.  And until it does, the web portal fiasco will continue percolating like acid, eating away at the evaporating chances of the Dems retaining the Senate a year from now.

In short, they have no way out.  ObamaCare will be THE issue of 2014, red-state Dems all cast the deciding vote it without a single Republican joining in, and it is an unmitigated, un"fixable" disaster.  The O-swoosh might as well be tattooed on all of their foreheads.

And you can count on Barack Obama's stubborn persistence in bulldozing this atrocity forward, regardless of what anybody says or how loud the mass howls for repeal, like the dictator he is.  The only question is whether or not O will summarily cancel the midterm election.  Either way, it won't be pretty for his party.

Put another way, what goes around most emphatically comes around.




Saturday Luncheon Leaves JASmius in Charge

American Daily Review Radio

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Welcome to the pre-game show for Constitution Radio on the Political Pistachio Radio Network [(KCAA-1050AM (Los Angeles), KCXL-1140AM (Kansas City), and WHTH-790AM (Youngstown, Ohio)]! Hang on every word of Blog Talk... more
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in Politics Conservative
today at 12:00 pm Pacific


Constitution Radio with Douglas V. Gibbs. . . yet another JASmius edition on KCAA 1050AM, KCAAradio.com at 2:00 pm Pacific

Today's 5 Big Stories of the Week

5 Big Stories of the Week, November 30, 2013

5. Barack “Neville Chamberlain” Obama’s Bad Iranian Diplomacy Deal

http://freebeacon.com/reports-u-s-unfreezes-8-billion-in-iranian-assets/

http://thehill.com/blogs/global-affairs/middle-eastnorth-africa/191285-schumer-iran-wins-in-nuclear-deal

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/alan-dershowitz-iran-deal-cataclysmic/2013/11/24/id/538374

http://blog.heritage.org/2013/11/24/bad-nuclear-deal-iran-lead-war/

http://hotair.com/archives/2013/11/24/white-house-celebrate-disaster-of-a-deal-with-iran/

http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/tygrrrr-express/2013/nov/25/barack-neville-chamberlain-obama-declares-peace-ou/

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/11/25/there-are-a-lot-people-comparing-obamas-new-iran-deal-with-a-significant-and-very-bad-moment-in-history/

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2013/11/24/Dershowitz-Iran-Deal-Could-Be-a-Chamberlain-Moment

http://politicalpistachio.blogspot.com/2013/11/iran-deal-worse-than-munich-agreement.html

http://politicalpistachio.blogspot.com/2013/11/graham-senate-will-challenge-white.html

http://politicalpistachio.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-worst-of-all-possible-outcomes.html

http://politicalpistachio.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-cataclysmic-error-of-gigantic.html

http://politicalpistachio.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-historic-mistake.html

http://politicalpistachio.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-mullahs-hit-jackpot.html

4. Black Friday

http://politicalpistachio.blogspot.com/2013/11/brawls-at-malls.html

3. The Failed Obamacare Website Fix Date Looms - Will Fail Too!

http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2013/11/30/obamacares-website-wont-be-working-by-november-30-but-what-if-it-isnt-working-by-november-2014/?partner=yahootix

http://politicalpistachio.blogspot.com/2013/11/healthcaregov-still-hit-miss-as-fix.html

http://politicalpistachio.blogspot.com/2013/11/regime-fears-rush-of-users-will-crash.html (ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. . .)

2. Obama Approval Numbers Continue to Plunge

http://politicalpistachio.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-cnn-poll-lashing.html

http://politicalpistachio.blogspot.com/2013/11/new-cnnorc-poll-obamas-approval-hits.html

1. Thanksgiving. . . . You know - that American Holiday created to give thanks to God for our prosperity, exceptionalism, and liberty. . . Oh, and the colonists defeat of socialism.

http://politicalpistachio.blogspot.com/2013/11/thanksgiving-giving-thanks-for-miracle.html

http://politicalpistachio.blogspot.com/2013/11/menu-of-pilgrims-first-thanksgiving-of.html

http://politicalpistachio.blogspot.com/2013/11/george-washingtons-thanksgiving.html


http://politicalpistachio.blogspot.com/2013/11/give-thanks-to-lord-on-thanksgiving.html

Brawls at the Malls

By Douglas V. Gibbs

Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Peace On Earth - Now let the brawls at the malls begin.

Yes, yes, I know it is the same story each year, but it seems to me that the brawls are getting more intense the further away we travel from the turn of the century.

Black Friday started earlier than ever before in 2013.  Macy's here in Southwest Riverside County in Southern California opened at 8:00 pm Thursday.  Some stores opened on Thanksgiving morning.  Others began their Black Friday deals early in the week.  Wal-Mart claims they processed 10 million transactions, and that is just Online.  Black Friday sales sites were rushed by hordes of people, and those that were not in the stores were at home crashing the websites.  And all of this while it is being reported that consumer spending confidence is down.

Nothing like incredible deals to get people out into the stores buying goods.

At the malls the crowds were especially large, and You Tube is filled with footage of fights over products. . . some of those fights including tasers in the mall, and shootings in the parking lots.

Black Friday pandemonium convinces shoppers to line up for hours in the cold, squirming through swarms of people once the doors open, and battling over rapidly dwindling supplies. . . all to save a buck or two.

More than $11 billion is expected to exchange hands between shoppers and retailers during the maddening shopping frenzy.

With prices normally high, and pocketbooks fairly empty, in the current economic conditions, it is no surprise that Black Friday attracted so many folks.  But, a limited time price for a limited quantity of items in a crowded store is not exactly a recipe for Peace On Earth.  In fact, the competition for the best deals for the best items may lead some people to exhibit irrational behavior, and maybe even violent behavior.

I am not condemning competition.  Competition is a good thing.  However, when you squeeze that kind of competition into a small arena with adrenaline charged customers seeking limited available victories with a mixture of personalities that range across the spectrum, and then couple that with a culture that is rapidly losing sight of the line between right and wrong, disaster is bound to happen.

"Wow, man, that was one helluva dopamine rush."

Anticipation, plans for what one is going to buy, where it is in the store, the awesome price. . .

Aaaaaaggggggghhhhhhhhh!

I have a saying for my wife, who is a "read all the labels and compare every product to its competitors no matter how long it takes" kind of shopper: 

"Find it. Buy it. Leave."

I have participated in Black Friday twice in my life, and both times after it was all over I said to Mrs. Pistachio, "Never again."

It was akin to battling with prehistoric hunters seeking the final kill.  Survival of the fittest.  Ugh.

And with all of those deals laying there, just waiting to be grabbed, the rules go out the window.

Let the games begin:

From the U.K. Mail Online:

Just when you thought Black Friday brawls couldn't get any more shocking! Watch woman use a 'STUN GUN' during fight in day of violence across America

- The rush for Black Friday bargains has resulted in outbreaks of violence as shoppers clash over reduced price goods
- Police in Virginia have reporting a stabbing incident after two men got into a fight in the car park over a space
- In Las Vegas, thief shot shopper in his leg and stole his television, while cops in Chicago shot a man as he scuffled with a police officer

- Shoppers cutting in line sparked a Black Friday Brawl at another Walmart

- Several clips have already appeared on YouTube of the carnage at various Walmart stores
- Some retailers opened their doors as early as 6am on Thanksgiving Day

From the Chicago Tribune:

Charges Filed After Shoplifting Suspect Shot by Police

From CBS News Las Vegas (8 News Now):

Black Friday Shopper Shot in Las Vegas


Crazy Wal-Mart Black Friday fight for TV 2013

From MyFoxDC:

Black Friday violence reported as retailers usher in start of Holiday Shopping Season


Walmart officials comfortable with security after Rialto 'Black Friday' brawl sends police officer to hospital


Shopper Claims He Was Kicked Out of Walmart for Filming Black Friday Fight 

From CBS DC:

Two Arrested After Stabbing Over Parking Space at Wal-Mart 


Shoppers Knocked To Ground In Utah Walmart Rush 


Women Get Into Black Friday Stun Gun Fight Inside the Mall

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

healthcare.gov Still "Hit & Miss" As "Fix" Deadline Looms

by JASmius

.....or "On the Edge Of Never":

The Obama administration has said the government’s troubled HealthCare.gov website will function smoothly by the end of Saturday.

Those paid to help enroll Americans in Obamacare remain doubtful.
 
From Florida to Alaska, the “navigators” designated to sign people up for insurance under the  healthcare overhaul say the online insurance exchange has improved since its October 1st debut, but outages and errors continue to prevent many from using it to buy their coverage.

The site is “kind of hit and miss,” said Karen Basha Egozi of the Epilepsy Foundation of Florida [That's EFF, which I imagine a lot of ObamaCare "customers" have been exclaiming quite a bit, for quite a while, already], a ACORN U.S. designated navigator. “There have definitely been more hits lately than in the past. But I know there are cases where people still get locked out when they try to purchase a plan.”

Tyann Boling, chief operating officer of Enroll Alaska, a unit of Anchorage-based Northrim Benefits Group LLC, said she now rates the site a four out of ten, with ten being fully functional. “It’s got a long ways to go,” she said.

If you had to undergo, say, brain or heart surgery, and you were told that the best such surgeon in the hospital rated a four on a scale of ten, what would that do to your confidence level?  How much would you wager that four out of ten will be the standard for surgical skill under ObamaCare, in the sense that that will be the number of such surgeries performed each year, nation-wide, with that survival rate?

And still, his Infernal Majesty is maintaining his face of brave obtusity:

President Barack Obama said the health-care law will “be a legacy I am extraordinarily proud of,” during an interview with ABC News’ Barbara Walters airing today on 20/20.

“Obviously my most recent concern has been that my website’s not working,” Obama said, according to a summary of the interview by ABC News. “We’re evaluating why it is exactly that I didn’t know soon enough that [it] wasn’t going to work the way it needed to.”

Suuuuure they are.  Suuuuure he didn't know.  Makes you wonder how this little sit-down would have gone if Ted Cruz had been sitting in for Babwa Wa-Wa.  I'm sure the pay-per-view revenues would have gone a long way towards defraying the O-Care subsidy costs.

Speaking of which....:

“This week has become the breaking point,” Magnuson said by telephone. “I have several clients this week that have said exactly that: ‘I give up. I don’t care what the federal subsidy is. Enroll me in a plan. I’ll pay the premium.’”

In those instances, he said, they’re guaranteed coverage for January 1st, “but they’re giving up, in some cases, hundreds if not thousands of dollars in federal subsidies because of it.”

Could it be that the web portal debacle was planned after all, and for this purpose?  To batter down people's resistance to O-Care through O's god-level stubborn zealotry and even their inclination to hold out for subsidy goodies?  Will O now be boasting about this as a cost-saving feature? 

Yes...he...will!

It's reminiscent of the Discount Khan crushing Admiral Marcus's skull with his bare hands....





Does O sleep?  Or have a sufficient supply of Bounty picker-uppers in the White House residence?  We shall see.

But to answer my own rhetorical question above, quite possibly - except that even they underestimated the vastness of their own incompetence:

While accessing the site may be easier as the result of recent software fixes, using it to figure out the actual cost of a plan can be problematic, said John Foley, supervising attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, a ACORN navigator group in Florida.

Some of the data provided on consumer subsidies has turned out to be incorrect in individual cases so people may be charged more or less than they thought. There’s no consistency, he said.

And there never will be.  Kind of like hiring Michael J. Fox to be a sniper.  Something of which I'm sure O would be extraordinarily proud as well, since he's as ignorant of military firearms as he is the insurance business.

I think, though, that Alfred captured the essence of Red Barry's legacy....





Some men just want to watch the world burn - by "fundamentally transforming" it.

But O would keep the jewels, and the giant mound of cash.  Bonfires that big must be against some D.C. safety ordinance.

Friday, November 29, 2013

Lives, Fortunes, and Sacred Honor

By Douglas V. Gibbs

During the first few weeks of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 the bickering among the delegates was horrendous.  Nothing was getting done. The new nation needed solutions and the men present were arguing over matters that would not matter if the country collapsed.   Finally, the elder statesman, Benjamin Franklin, who had been watching the tumultuous beginnings of the convention with patience, and in silence, spoke up.  "Gentlemen, we are missing something."

Franklin knew that in order to move forward the battling delegates needed to find a common bond that was both inspirational, and demanded virtuous action.  He reminded the delegates of the Revolution, and how all odds were against the states that had united for war defeating the mightiest war power on Earth.  Yet, with the Hand of Divine Providence guiding them, and protecting them, the newly formed union of states defeated the British, and stood at the gateway of an exceptional existence.   But as those men were fighting over the dangers, and benefits, of a central government, they had forgotten to place the proceedings in the Hands of God.

Benjamin Franklin recounted all of the miracles of America, and explained how after four or five weeks of bickering, and disagreements, on virtually every issue brought to the floor, no matter how minor, it simply proved that human understanding is imperfect.  He commented on how they had studied history for examples of good and bad government, including the different forms of republics.  He went on to say that they had also looked at the current systems of government throughout Europe.  No system studied, however, was perfectly suitable for the needs of the fledgling United States.

Even with all of that research, Franklin observed, they were still unable to find the political truth they sought.  How is it that they could not find the answer?  Could it be that something was missing?

Should they, perhaps, humbly appeal to The Creator?  Should they not consult the "Father of lights to illuminate our understandings?"

The American Revolution began with a sense of danger, and the founders, Franklin reminded the delegates, were on their knees in daily prayer.  The prayers were heard, for only His Favor could account for their victory.

Now, continued Franklin, they were "consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? or do we imagine that we no longer need his assistance?"

Benjamin Franklin was not known to be a religious man, and he admitted that in his younger years he did not give much thought to the credence of the existence of God.  But, as he had grown older, his observations were telling him otherwise.  To explain this, Franklin said, "I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth- that God Governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid?"

Without God, he assured his fellow delegates, "We labor in vain."  Without God, the government formed by the convention would fail.  Without God they would be divided, bickering over little partial local interests.  Without God, the greatness that could be the United States would be lost to future generations.

Benjamin Franklin, the celebrated "deist", then recommended that they pray before each session of the convention.

After the motion was seconded, an interesting development occurred.

I am no fan of Alexander Hamilton.  I believe he was a monarchist, and worse, a statist that would fit right in with today's liberal left Marxists of the Democrat Party.  Hamilton was ultimately disappointed by the Constitutional Convention, because he believed the federal government created by the Constitution was not strong enough.  Not big enough.  He even, during the convention, stated that the executive should be king.

Hamilton, and a number of others that shared his political views, after Mr. Franklin's proposal was seconded, expressed their apprehensions about praying before each session of the convention.  Statists tend to have apprehensions about Faith in God.  Remember, it was the Democrat Party, the party of big government, that had to vote at their national convention, on whether or not to return God to their platform.  And when it was deemed God would be returned, about half of the auditorium booed.

Statists tend to be anti-God.  Big Government does not like competition.

In the end, the delegates decided that no clergy could be hired, partly due to a lack of funds, and therefore a formal prayer before each session of the Constitutional Convention was not possible.  Nonetheless, refusing to allow that to stop them from seeking God's Will before continuing, the delegates walked to the nearest church, and congregated there for a prayer.

Later in America's journey, based on Franklin's request, the tradition of prayer before each session of Congress was initiated.

The men of the Constitutional Convention, including the Hamiltonians, did share a few traits, in those days.  They were patriots.  Like the signers of the Declaration of Independence, they were willing to lay down their lives, lose their fortunes, and stand on their Sacred Honor for the ideas contained in those documents.  The taste of liberty was different for those men.  They understood tyranny first hand, and the chain of bondage had to be broken.  It was necessary, in the minds of these men, that America be a land of freedom and opportunity.  It was their goal for the United States to be the shining beacon up on the hill, not only promoting freedom for herself, but the rest of the world, as well.

The founders also were not working to establish liberty only for themselves, but for the future generations of America.  The Preamble of the Constitution states that with that document they endeavored to "secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity."

They were willing to put everything on the line for that freedom.  The idea of self-governance was so important that they made sure it was known that they were willing to put everything on the line for it.  The final sentence of the Declaration of Independence reads, "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

Hard Starboard Radio: Selfishness & Lawlessness




"For all the gnashing of teeth over the lack of comity and civility in Washington, the real problem is not etiquette but the breakdown of constitutional norms.

"What distinguishes an institution from a flash mob is that its rules endure. They can be changed, of course. But only by significant supermajorities. That’s why constitutional changes require two-thirds of both houses plus three-quarters of the states. If we could make constitutional changes by majority vote, there would be no Constitution.

"As of today, the Senate effectively has no rules. Congratulations, Harry Reid. Finally, something you will be remembered for."

Plus an encore of last week's guest-hosted edition of Constitution Radio with Jennifer Crawford and moi.

Assuming (1) anybody still has a job and (2) doesn't have a boss who's a big enough jerk to make them work today, the festivities kick off at 6PM Eastern/3PM Pacific.  And for any who (1) don't or (2) do, praise the LORD for podcasts.

How Medicaid Fails The Poor

by JASmius

Avik Roy joins Glenn Reynolds to discuss Medicaid, the federal health care program for the poor. Roy explains that most enrollments under Obamacare are in Medicaid.




A Republic, If You Can Keep It

By Douglas V. Gibbs

Harry Reid and Barack Obama have unleashed what is being called the "Nuclear Option."  The U.S. Senate rule change is designed to enable Barack Obama to pack the courts, and render the Congress powerless.  The Democrats want what they want, and they are willing to go to any lengths to achieve their statist goals.  All of the little groups that the liberal left have set against each other are too busy demanding their little agendas to feel the noose tightening around their necks, and the shackles being placed on their limbs.  The Democrats aim to control us, to micro-manage our lives, through bigger government, and we have been positioned by them in such a way that we are not only letting them do it, but many folks are actually calling for it.

In 1787, after four months of intense debate, the signers of the United States Constitution emerged from Independence Hall satisfied men.  With the belief that Divine Providence had guided the negotiations, they had created a federal government that would protect, preserve, and promote the union of sovereign States.  The government, according to the Constitution, was to be limited to only the external issues, leaving the local issues to the States, where they belonged.  Checks and Balances were interwoven throughout the system to protect the new nation against a rise of tyranny from within.  A Separation of Powers divided the power, keeping the three branches of government withing their own authorities, and allowing the States, through the United States Senate, to maintain a little control, through their "advise and consent" powers, of the government that the founders were positive would do as all central governments do. . . try to grow bigger and infringe on the rights of the citizens.

The Founding Fathers studied history, from Britain's own Anglo-Saxons, to Greece, Slovenia, and Rome.  They discarded the parts of the systems they believed would lead the United States towards democracy or oligarchy, recognizing that both political philosophies were dangerous, and kept the concepts that supported their idea of a constitutional republic that functions under the "rule of law," rather than the "rule of man."

Benjamin Franklin, the elder statesman, was particularly satisfied, and as he walked across the lawn a woman approached him, and asked, "Sir, what have you given us?"

Franklin probably adjusted his round spectacles, allowed a brief glimpse of a smile brush across his lips, and then leaned a little forward toward the woman, and said, "A republic, if you can keep it."

What did Benjamin Franklin mean by those words?  What did he mean, "If you can keep it?"  Was the system the founders gave to us through the United States Constitution something that would take vigilance to keep?  Would Americans need to labor constantly to maintain the liberty provided by their representative republic?

The answer to the last two questions is, "Yes."

For millions, the principles in the U.S. Constitution have provided freedom and opportunity. America has indeed become the shining beacon on the hill, and we have The Creator, our Founding Fathers, to thank for that. But none of those principles and protections of rights in the Constitution are guarantees. Liberty must be continually fought for. Without our effort to conserve the Constitution, and the government it established, the Constitution is no more than a bunch of pages with ink on them.

It is up to our willingness to keep the flame of liberty alive.

We The People have endured countless storms, and our forefathers endured countless sacrifices. These patriots did these things to keep the hope and promise of a lasting union intact so that their posterity, namely “us,” may enjoy an exceptional nation of liberty. Part of the fight to preserve liberty is through education. We must know where we came from, and how we got here.

The United States is exceptional.  This country is different from all of the others around the world.  Our exceptionalism emerged long before the United States became a nation.  The conditions through which the American Colonies were formed, and their belief in Divine Providence, contributed to the exceptional nature of the United States of America.

This nation was not only exceptional at its founding, but became increasingly exceptional over the passage of time.  The exceptionalism this country enjoys will no doubt continue well into the future, as long as the concept of exceptionalism is defended by the individuals that make up the grand experiment known as The United States of America.

The exceptional nature of the United States has been important not only to the growth of this country both geographically and economically, but to the many other peoples around the world.  Our exceptionalism has set us apart in many ways, defining our character as a nation of opportunity, revealing our individualistic nature that has given way to self-reliance, and prosperity.  Americans are more likely to “pull themselves up by the bootstraps” and engage any challenge that may come their way.  We tend to be more personally responsible, we work harder, hold disdain for statism, are more charitable, and are more likely to participate in civic activities.  Best of all, we do these things voluntarily, because we are free to as individuals.

Americans are patriotic.  We are proud to be Americans.

Alexis de Tocqueville in 1831 and 1832 recognized the exceptional nature of the United States, and was amazed at how the politicians prayed, and the pastors preached politics, but government did not control religion, and the church restrained itself from intertwining itself with government.  He noticed that though there was a certain level of separation between church and state, they also depended upon each other in a symbiotic manner.  Tocqueville realized that America is great because America is good.

Alexis de Tocqueville was astonished by America because among the elites in Europe there was an anti-American sentiment that was sometimes believed by members of the general populace.  The truth he learned by visiting the United States was very different from the criticisms of America by the political ruling classes of Europe.

Sigmund Freud said, “America is a great mistake.” 

“Anti-Americanism was an elite view,” James Q. Wilson commented in an article in The American, “but it has spread deeper to publics here and abroad.”

Clearly, American Culture is different from any other culture in the world.  The level of patriotism, individualism, religious beliefs, and our spirit of self-reliance sets the United States apart as a nation.  As revealed in our founding documents, and the example provided by the everyday lives of Americans, we are a culture that holds dear our individual rights, while keeping a watchful eye on a potentially intrusive government.  As a society, we largely support the limiting principles of the United States Constitution, expecting the role of the federal government to be restrained to only those functions necessary for protecting, promoting, and preserving the union.  We expect our economy to grow as a result of a flourishing free market, with as little governmental interference as possible.  Individualism means that we may encounter personal consequences, and we are fine with that, rather than expecting the government to somehow mend any vestige of perceived inequality. 

The early history of America set the tone for our exceptionalism.  Historically, America is diverse, rugged, and a land of individual opportunity.  And for this, the United States was blessed with an incredible influx of immigrants who came to this nation desiring the opportunity to participate in the freedom, and exceptionalism, that America had to offer.

The exceptionalism of the United States, however, is frowned upon by political elites, and certain politicians have made it their priority to fundamentally change the complexion of this nation into something that more resembles the systems of Europe, and other parts of the world.  They wish to eliminate American distinctiveness, fearing that it betrays a certain kind of arrogance.

Historically, societies that allow government to be less restrained end up bogged down by governmental interference.  America’s prosperity is the nation’s defiance against such systems of communitarianism.  The U.S. has purposely aimed to be as unlike Europe as much as possible.  The distinctiveness of this country directly contributes to our exponential growth as a nation.  Capitalism in America has enabled our culture to take full advantage of America’s commercial potential.  Self-imposed discipline has fueled the free enterprise system, and this opportunity to succeed in the United States, and for the nation to prosper as a result, has specifically been because of the exceptional nature of America that works endlessly to disallow governmental attempts at intrusive regulations.

American Exceptionalism is American Individualism.  We cherish our personal freedom, and though community and family is important, we place the freedoms of the individual above the perceived needs of the community.  As a result, the community better benefits from the self-reliance, personal responsibility, and successes of the individuals.

America is exceptional because Americans are individuals.  America is great because those individuals are good.

Like We The People, the States are also supposed to be individuals.  They are supposed to be able to make their own decisions on local issues, without federal interference.  It is okay if the States are different from each other.  Their individuality is what creates innovation, and a system where people can move to a State that best fits their desired lifestyle.

Joe Klein, a liberal left progressive columnist for TIME Magazine, at the end of his "Obama's Fairness Doctrine" article in the February 6, 2012 issue, wrote, "It is a reminder that the Constitution was a stitching device, written to unify and control the states, not merely to liberate them."

Mr. Klein could not be more wrong.  It was the other way around.  The Constitution was a unifying device designed to create a federal government that would handle external issues that the individual States could not, while serving the States, and protecting their autonomy.  The Constitution did not create the federal government to control the States, but to serve the States, and be controlled by the States so it would not centralize further, and become a tyranny.

The colonies, from the beginning, were separate, self-sufficient, independent entities. Each colony had its own unique culture, its own religion, and even its own political system. The individual colonies were like siblings that fought against each other constantly, while coming to each other’s aid when they felt it was necessary. The American Revolution taught the newly independent states that if they were to survive, they would need to continue to function as a union. It took uniting as a single force to defeat the British, and it would take being united as a country to survive as a nation.

A central government, the Founding Fathers realized, was necessary, but not to be trusted.

Thomas Jefferson went so far as to suggest that to keep the new federal government under control, a new revolution may need to be fought about every twenty years.

As a contract between the States and the newly formed federal government, in the Constitution the States are the granters of powers to the federal government.  The authorities granted by the States are limited in number, reserving the remaining powers to themselves. The limiting principles set forth by the U.S. Constitution were designed to protect the States’ sovereignty while giving the federal government enough authority to properly protect and preserve the union of individual states. As a result, the United States of America was not designed to be a nationalistic entity, but rather a federation of sovereign states that have granted the authority to maintain the union to a federal governmental system. To understand that the Founding Fathers looked upon the new country as a federation of states, and not a nationalistic entity, one must only look to the language they used.

In early America the residents of this country rarely referred to themselves as “Americans.”  They saw themselves as citizens of their States, so they were Virginians, or Pennsylvanians, or New Yorkers before they were Americans.  The States acted as individual sovereign entities, each unique in its culture.  Though the States were united under the Constitution, they viewed themselves as separate and sovereign.

After the American Civil War people stopped referring to the United States in the plural.  After the War Between The States it became “The United States Is.”  Those who support a nationalistic United States suggest that it was then that the United States finally became one nation.  The original intent of the Founding Fathers was not for this country to be ruled by a national government  controlling the States.  The individuality of the States creates a condition much like a free market, where the States learn from each others successes and mistakes.  In that way, innovation is given the opportunity to take place, and when the States innovate, they prosper.

Though a federal government could potentially be a bad thing, the complete lack of a federal government was an even more dangerous proposition.  As a nation, without a federal government wielding enough power to field an army, or tax in order to pay for that army, the new country would not long survive.  The Articles of Confederation, a loose agreement between the States, proved to be too weak in the face of Shays’ Rebellion.  So, the Founding Fathers set out to create a new government with enough power to form a more perfect union, yet limited enough that it did not become a centralized tyranny such as the one the patriots had just defeated in the War of Independence.

The British Empire was ruled by men.  The King believed Britain to be his realm, therefore the concept of property ownership was limited to a small group of land owners, who were the Lords of Britain.  The King, and the nobles, had complete power over making law, and imposing taxes.  The Founding Fathers realized that a nation ruled by an oligarchy of political elite was not compatible with the society that would champion liberty, and individual rights, that the founders desired.

Though we are not an oligarchy, like monarchies, dictatorships, theocracies, and communist countries, we are not necessarily a democracy, either.  A Democracy is a system of government ruled completely by the people.  All laws and governmental functions, in such a system, are determined by the whim of the people. Historically, democracies are transitional governments that, when the people seek a governmental system more efficient and stable than their fickled democracies, become oligarchies, or a governmental system characterized by the many being ruled over by a few political elites.  Therefore, the founders did not desire to create a democratic governmental system.  Ultimately, a democracy always breaks down, and the system that replaces it centralizes, becoming nothing more than a system like the monarchy that the Americans had fought so hard against in order to gain independence.

The conclusion of the Founding Fathers, after all of their research, was that the United States must not be subject to the laws of men, be subjected to the rule of men, or open itself up to become an oligarchy by creating a system that enables too much power to be granted to a single person, group of people, or governmental entity.  The new nation needed to be a nation subject to the laws of God, governed by the rule of law, and have a republican form of government that features a representative system of governance.  The States, and the people, would need to hold sovereign power.  The federal government would need to be limited to authorities only necessary for protecting, preserving and promoting the union.  All other authorities, specifically those authorities that would address issues directly affecting the people, would need to be the responsibilities of the States, and the local governments, where the people have more control over governmental functions.

To achieve their goal, the Founding Fathers determined that the components of this new federal government, as opposed to being a national government, would need to be one with three separate branches of government, whose powers are separated so that no collusion between the branches would be possible, with numerous checks and balances to ensure no part of government wields too much power, have a limitation of authorities to the federal government granted by the States, provide due process of the law with the right of a trial by jury, and be a system that ensures that the federal government does not betray the unalienable rights of the people of the United States.

To achieve this, the Founding Fathers argued and debated heavily for four months in 1787.  The result was the U.S. Constitution, a document like no other.  The American Form of Government, through its constitution, would serve as a protector of the fires of liberty by preserving the union of states, and ensuring that individual freedoms and state sovereignty maintain a voice in the system.  The nation would prosper, to the surprise of the world, and maintain its system of limited government for more than 200 years.

The original intent of the Founding Fathers was not for the American form of government to be a more centralized governmental system, where the central authority wields great power.  When a system becomes centralized, the government uses its power to rule over the people through the rule of man, and in the case of today's system, through the rule of the well-funded.  The rule of law, under such a system, is then transferred to the courts or a small group of powerful elites, and law becomes determined by the opinions of a few powerful men.

We the People have the duty to ensure that our governmental system does not operate outside Constitutional boundaries.  It is our duty to protect our God-given liberty, and restore our Constitutional Republic.  That journey begins with understanding the original intent of the Founding Fathers, and educating ourselves and our posterity about the principles of the U.S. Constitution.  Only then will our government return to the system it was intended to operate under, namely, the rule of law.

In other words, we must work to keep our system as it was originally intended.  We must fight for it.  And we must be educated enough about what it should be so that we may be able to properly defend it.

Benjamin Franklin knew all of this.  He recognized the heavy burden before him, and his posterity.  He said it all in a nut shell to that woman on the lawn in Philadelphia way back in 1787. . . "A republic, if you can keep it."

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

Mo' Money, Mo' Problems

by JASmius

Nominee for Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen is awful. But the real problem is the Fed, not who is in charge.





Well, she's perky.  She might want to watch how much she crosses those sparkling eyes, though.  Freeze that way, and all that.

She also might want to mention the chief reason the Fed printing presses run at maximum capacity, 24/7 in perpetuity: debt monetization.  Since the Regime has no more suckers customers for its T-bills, T-bonds, and other borrowing instruments, the only way to maintain the fiction of borrowing capability in order to maintain the rank fiction of cellar-dwelling interest rates is for one tentacle of the federal leviathan - the Federal Reserve - to buy all the debt of another tentacle - the U.S. Treasury.  But who pays the price?  We do, through zippo return on savings accounts and burgeoning inflation.  And this house of cards can only remain stable if none of the Regime's creditors - say, the ChiComms - decide to sneeze in its direction by calling in that debt, which would detonate interest rates right along with inflation, create a radioactive crater where the precarious federal deficit used to be, collapse the United States Government and the American economy, give Red Barry that Final Crisis for which his desperation is so palpable, and, well, need I go on?

This young lady is as much a twenty-first century Jeremiah as I am.  Maybe she and I should get together and make a rightwing buzz-killing Dos Equis parody ad.  I'm an interesting man, after all.  When I'm not crossing my eyes.

A CNN Poll-Lashing

by JASmius

As Black Friday is off and limping, I bring you, free of charge, an antidote for your tryptophan overdoses.

First, another "direction of the country" polling story whose headline is less eye-grabbing than it looks at first, er, glance:

Americans are becoming even more pessimistic about the state of the nation, according to a new CNN/ORC International poll released Friday, with more than half saying conditions are going badly. 
The survey, conducted on November 18-20 of 843 adults, showed that 41%  believe conditions are going well, marking the lowest that number has been in a CNN poll since February 2012. 
Meanwhile, 59% say things are going badly, a number up nine points since the last poll in April.

In plain, non-Romulan English, the sheeple have finally crashed from their Hopenchange encore high in general, and gotten a heaping helping of ObamaCare terror in particular.  And, given that it's CNN, the actual numbers are probably worse than 41/59.

But not that much worse:

The opinions were along a partisan divide, as well as a difference of opinion between younger and older people. 
"There's a slight generational divide, with 46% of those under age fifty saying things are going well. That number drops to 36% for those fifty and older," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.

Which means...yeah, the numbers probably are genuinely worse.  But most Dems still don't want to be candid about their pessimism out of stubborn pride and tribal loyalty.  And the youngin's....nah, they're not smart enough to recognize how awful things are.

Could a fat man be our deliverer?  Within thirty minutes, free of charge?  CNN seems to want to think so:

A new national poll indicates New Jersey Governor Chris Christie would be an early frontrunner if he decides to jump into the race for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. 
The CNN/ORC International survey, released Friday, indicates Christie, who won re-election in a landslide victory, leads the pack of potential contenders for the GOP nomination.... 
Twenty-four percent of Republicans and independents questioned in the survey polled said they'd support Christie, up seven percentage points from a CNN poll in September. Back then, Christie and Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the House Budget chairman and the 2012 Republican vice presidential nominee, were virtually tied, with Christie at 17% and Ryan at 16%.

But Ryan has dropped to 11%, behind Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, at 13%. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas garnered 10% in the survey, followed by Senator Marco Rubio of Florida at 9%, Texas Governor Rick Perry at 7%, and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, each at 6%.

I bet you couldn't tell what a slow news day the day after turkey day is from the fact that even I, who loathe polling posts - particularly "horse race" polls more than two years before a single primary or caucus vote will be cast (assuming any will be permitted by the Regime) - and usually avoid them like fresh vegetables, am bowing to the inevitable.  A bet I will win because most of you probably aren't even awake yet from yesterday's gastronomic excesses.

Those few of you who are probably want some analysis of CNN's numbers.  Which reminds me of Jim Mora's old "Playoffs?" rant:





What's that?  Analysis?  You want me to talk about analysis?  Are you kidding me?  Analysis?  I just hope I can click the "publish" button.

But, alright, analysis: The media has anointed, for now, Governor Christie the 2016 Republican presidential frontrunner.  That's pretty much it, folks.  There's still a year to the 2014 midterms (if the Regime permits any more elections), nobody will declare until a few months after that, and nobody knows who will declare, although the Big Man will probably be difficult to keep from that particular buffet.

What CNN's poll is is their wish list, essentially.  If the GOP primaries were made up of their designated field, Double-C would steamroll everybody else on that list like Weird Al Yankovic in a fat suit doing a Michael Jackson parody video.  Cruz, Paul, and Rubio are all (1) freshman and (2) senators, and in any case would fragment and neutralize the Tea Party vote, Ryan isn't even a senator, Perry would be a retread, and Jeb Bush has that surname problem.

You'll note that CNN omitted any up-and-coming Tea Party governors like Wisconsin's Scott Walker, which the media can justify now on the grounds that they haven't faced re-election yet.  But that same logic underscores the irrelevance of the poll itself.  It's just preparing the enemy's internal battlefield long in advance, and otherwise entirely masturbatory.

So don't flip out about it.  As I've said before, don't fall for the media's enticements to fragment to can't-win candidates; unite behind a can-win TP governor like Scott Walker when the time comes, and give Chris Christie - and the media - a run for their - which is to say, our - money.

It'll be the only way to get it, and so much more, back.

Screwing Up Hope & Change

by JASmius

How incompetent must a guy be to screw up something as simple as "hope and change"?




I heartily second Bill's admonition to return America from socialism and perversion to God and country, and I know you all do as well.  But, as always, I have to tack on one more word: How?  I don't want to call that a pipedream, and if it is, we are still duty-bound to try.  I just wish that he would acknowledge just how deep a hole we're in, just how entrenched the Obama dictatorship has become, and just how high the cost of our liberation might be.  Talk is cheap, Bill; freedom and liberty are not.

BTW, was that a black helicopter I heard approaching Bill from behind in the background?

2013 Post Thanksgiving Reality: Communists in Washington

By Douglas V. Gibbs

As the Democrats use Socialism to move us towards tyranny, we are reminded that the very idea behind the First Thanksgiving in the Colonies was that they survived because of moving away from such communal political philosophies.  While using a communal central store system, much like today's entitlement programs and identical to Marxist philosophies, was in place, the colonists starved, and died.  When the communal system was done away with, and replaced with a system that resembles today's free market system, and the colonies prospered as a result, it inspired them to give thanks to God for the prosperity.  The prosperity, after such a disastrous beginning, was due to a capitalistic system where colonists were given a parcel of land, and were told they could keep what they produced, and bring to market any excess.  In other words, a system exactly like today's free market system of capitalism is what led to the success of the American Colonies, and ultimately the success of the fledgling United States of America.

Now, the statists in Washington, primarily of the Democrat Party persuasion, but definitely including many members of the GOP too, are trying to move us back to the failed communal system our forefathers were so happy, and wise, to discard.  In fact, after a couple hundred years of manipulation and subverting the Constitution, the system of communal collectivism is largely in place.  We are only a hiccup away from failed European Socialism, and failed Soviet Communism.

It doesn't matter what the label is.  They are all the same.  We can call them liberals, progressives, statists, socialists, or communists.  It is all the same.  Same crap, different name.  Personally, I would just rather call them all "Commie Bastards."  That would make President Barack Obama the king of the Commie Bastards.

Writer Robert A. Heinlein, who was very critical of political systems in general, put it this way:

Political tags - such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth - are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire. - Robert A. Heinlein

So the question is, do you want a few elitist rulers to control the many?  Or do you believe we should remain free with our choices, our liberty, and our rights?

The current form of government in America was created to protect life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, while also standing the test of time. It was designed to not be easily infiltrated by tyranny, and for any change in the law of the land to be difficult and arduous.  After the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, the forces of collectivism (a.k.a. commie bastards) with their schemes of leveling (redistribution of wealth) and utopianism (communism) attacked the new system immediately.  Alexander Hamilton introduced "Implied Law" and John Marshall introduced "Judicial Review," which were tools that would help the statists subvert the Constitution, and in the end destroy liberty with collectivistic political philosophies.

Abraham Lincoln stomped all over the Constitution in the name of "war powers."  Woodrow Wilson brought us direct taxation (16th Amendment), a loss of State representation in Congress (17th Amendment) and the Federal Reserve Act that allows private international bankers to manipulate our money through inflation, deflation, and boom-bust cycles.  Herbert Hoover kicked us into a Great Depression with his increased taxation and regulation (coupled with an onslaught of public works programs), and Franklin Delano Roosevelt extended that depression by seven years using radical versions of Hoover's policies - while also instituting socialist programs through his New Deal.  John F. Kennedy was killed for daring to stand against communism, and then his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson escalated the Vietnam War for the purpose of enlarging a crisis that enabled him to inject even more collectivism into our system - including his Great Society programs.  Richard Nixon killed the gold standard, or at least what was left of it, and Carter destroyed our economy and standing in the world.  George Herbert Walker Bush called for a New World Order of globalism, and Bill Clinton expanded upon Carter's Community Reinvestment Act which eventually led to the collapse of the housing industry during that final years of George W. Bush's presidency (and never mind that the Republicans warned of a crisis with Fanny and Freddie, and the democrats blew it off, back in 2001 and 2003. . .).  And now, Barack Obama has come in as the final act to seal the deal, and give the government complete control over the lives of each and every American.  The fascism of Obama has taken communitarianism to a whole new level, opening doors for the federal government to micromanage our lives through the banking system, energy industry, and health care.

During the Bush 43 presidency the leftists convinced everyone we were in a recession with an unemployment rate below 5%.  Now they are trying to will us out of recession, and claim we are in recovery, with manipulated unemployment rates that barely scratch below 8% (the real rate is around 20%).

We are being lied to. The liberal left democrats of the political world, and the media, are feeding us a line of B.S., not because they believe it, but because they want you to believe it.

They have to. They have to try to will recovery into existence, and get you to believe that everything is wonderful as they delay Obamacare mandates, and hide true numbers that reveal we are falling apart economically.

For you to believe otherwise would be for you to realize that that liberal control over the American form of government over the last half dozen years has failed, and has failed big.

Things have never been so bad, and when any news of the failures reach the surface, the media hides it, and when they can't hide it (and they can't say it is Bush's fault anymore), they blame the Republican Party (and natural disasters).

The uninformed voters, of course, believe the propaganda, because they are (and they just haven't realized this, yet) nothing more than tools for the democrats to manipulate.

The collapse of the housing market was the result of liberal left philosophies and policy that cried out that everyone should be owning a home, now matter what it takes.  After crying about Bush's federal spending habits, under Obama the debt created by Bush looks like a pothole compared to the Grand Canyon.  We now see regulatory policies that are strangling the free market, and are designed to destroy the private sector (especially in regards to banks (largely due to Dodd-Frank), health insurance, energy use, and transportation).  Liberal left failure has also revealed itself in the tendency of Obama and his liberal buddies to bail out failed businesses, rewarding dying industries, pushing green technologies against the will of the market that also ultimately fail and go bankrupt, and shifting taxpayer dollars into the pockets of the corporations that he likes best because they have contributed to his campaigns or the connections said companies has with his accomplices.  In the days of the Founding Fathers, they called that "mercantilism."  Meanwhile, taxes are being increased against producers, and the IRS has been used to target any groups (like the TEA Party) that dare oppose the liberal left agenda.

The most blaring sign of the failure of liberalism in today's world, however, is the fluttering attempt to unconstitutionally install Obamacare. . .

The website is a joke.  The claim that you could keep your doctor was a lie.  The claim that your premiums would come down was a lie.  The complex law is a travesty.  The scary part, however, is it is a failed law by design.  The goal is not for it to succeed, but for it to fail, and take down the private industry with it, so that we are left with only one choice - the choiceless specter of Single-Payer. . . a.k.a. Socialized Medicine.

All of this failure, and a failed economy to boot, and the democrats continue to deflect criticism, deflect blame, and instill their communist agenda.

This recession belongs to Obama, and his liberal policies are making it all much, much worse.

As it says in the Bible, there is nothing new under the sun.  None of this is anything new. From the beginning of time, statists have worked to gain control over government, and for government to gain control over the people.  This mess in America began with Alexander Hamilton and John Marshall, and is now to the point where the democrats think they have turned the corner, and that this is a leftist nation.  The democrats were lying from the very beginning of the Obama administration about job creation, and economic recovery.

And they could care less about your opinion, or what you have to say on the matter.  They consider themselves to be the ruling elite.  You, according to the liberal democrats, are too stupid to understand the complexities of government, and the American Economy. They don't care what you have to say because they believe that only they, the political elite, are capable of recognizing what needs to be done, and what is best for the "common good." Besides, a centralized government can be trusted to remain benign, right?

Never mind that this group of commie bastards have even decided to embrace communitarianism - which places the welfare of the community over the welfare and freedoms of the individual. . . at all costs.

This is all by design. The liberal democrats are destroying the American System, so they can replace it with what the Founding Fathers called "utopianism" - a society where The State works to create the perfect society, even if they must force it upon the people.

Or as the French Political Philosopher, and one of the main guys behind the French Revolution, Jean Jacques Rousseau said, "People must be forced to be free."

Some may call it socialism. Some may call it statism. Others call it Marxism. They refuse to call it what it is for the critics will rise up in protest. The U.S. Congress saw it coming. In 1963 a list of 45 Communist Goals was presented by Representative Herlong.  These goals are listed below.  And as you read them, think about Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals, and think about what today's democrats are doing.  Barack Obama is obviously a student of the following communist desires:

Communist Goals (1963)
Congressional Record--Appendix, pp. A34-A35
January 10, 1963

Current Communist Goals

EXTENSION OF REMARKS OF HON. A. S. HERLONG, JR. OF FLORIDA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, January 10, 1963

Mr. HERLONG. Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Patricia Nordman of De Land, Fla., is an ardent and articulate opponent of communism, and until recently published the De Land Courier, which she dedicated to the purpose of alerting the public to the dangers of communism in America.

At Mrs. Nordman's request, I include in the RECORD, under unanimous consent, the following "Current Communist Goals," which she identifies as an excerpt from "The Naked Communist," by Cleon Skousen:

[From "The Naked Communist," by Cleon Skousen]

CURRENT COMMUNIST GOALS

1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war. (Does Obama's recent United Nations dealings come to mind?)

2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war. (Does Obama's recent Neville Chamberlain deal with Iran come to mind?)

3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament [by] the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength. (Does recent arms talks with Russia come to mind?)

4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war. (Which is why everything seems to be "Made in China")

5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites. (Obama's "flexibility" with Russia has been apparent, loans to countries like Vietnam a norm)

6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination. (Common policy, now)

7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N. (Happened)

8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N. (UN influence on a united Germany is huge)

9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress. (Happens, testing has ceased)

10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N. (Collapse of Soviet Union changed this, but communist countries now not only are represented, but hold key positions, such as on Human Rights Commission)

11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.) (Obama ran to the UN over Libya, and is constantly touting the need to use the UN for international issues.  Globalism is also constantly commented as a necessity by today's liberal left democrats - as well as many republicans)

12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party. (The Communist Party in America is no longer necessary, for the Democrat Party has adopted all of the Communist Party's platform.  Obama has proven to be a radical in this particular agenda.)

13. Do away with all loyalty oaths.  (The current attack on the Pledge of Allegiance is evidence of this)

14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office. (Cooperation in full swing)

15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.  (Democrat Party is completely captured, and the GOP is mostly captured).

16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.  (Under Obama, any opposition to his policies are considered racist, and a violation of civil rights.  The courts call these things economic justice, social justice, etc.  The courts have been used to overturn State laws and State Constitution amendments, i.e. California's Proposition 8 - to weaken the family institution of marriage, and has allowed Obamacare to remain intact in the name of the civil right of health care)

17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks. (Common Core is the latest tool for this one.  Next will be the attempt to eliminate all homeschooling and private schools)

18. Gain control of all student newspapers. (all media, except a few independent outlets, are under liberal left/communist control. Obama's attempt to regulate the Internet is an attempt to further their grip on news)

19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack. (SEIU has jumped into this circle, as has other liberal groups)

20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions. (done - and the media acts as a propaganda arm for the Obama administration)

21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures. (also done)

22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms." (Deconstructionism also fits into this, as well as tasteless "art" such as pornography in mainstream films, communist philosophies depicted in art, anti-Christian concepts, etc.)

23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art." (done)

24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press. (A new mainstream move called "Nymphomaniac" with well known Hollywood stars is about to hit the circuit, filled with pornographic scenes.  Sex on television has now reached a level of soft porn.  Miley Cyrus has been the poster girl for this communist goal, because the system has taught her to be this way - and the younger generation eats it up, because they have been taught to accept it.)

25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV. (done.  See above)

26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy." (Gay Marriage was just the start.  In California it is law that teachers must teach homosexuality as "normal, natural, and healthy."  Anybody who says otherwise about homosexuality is labeled as being a "homophobe.")

27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch." (The rise of Chrislam - a hybridization of Islam and Christianity, has emerged.  Some religions are now accepting gay ministers.  Christianity is under constant persecution, and has even been mocked by President Barack Obama.  Obamacare has also sought to force Christian institutions to promote promiscuity by mandating that their insurance plans include coverage for birth control and the abortion pill.  Christian companies are being sued for refusing to "bake cakes for gay weddings," refusing to "photograph gay weddings," and so forth.)

28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."  (Under Obama the extremes of this goal include the requirement at some schools and colleges that crucifix necklaces be hidden, or removed.)

29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis. (In recent years the shouts by the left that the Constitution is antiquated has increased.)

30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man." (Today's Democrats use deconstructionism to discount the Founding Fathers, considering them to be white, rich aristocrats that created the United States in the form they did to protect their power and riches.  Thomas Jefferson has been a particular target.)

31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over. (Revisionist history is currently being taught in our schools, portraying the Americans in history as being genocidal against Native American populations, rich white slave owners that craved only power, and President Obama has even injected the ridiculous idea that Muslims were a strong part of this nation's founding.  Common Core has changed American history, and calls this nation but a small part of the big picture of the global community.)

32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc. (constant increase in each of this concepts, with a particular emphasis on education.  The concepts of "diversity" and "multiculturalism" have given the communists particular leaps forward in this goal.)

33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus. (Obamacare is an attempt to eliminate the private sector's involvement in healthcare.  Recent laws regarding banking institutions have given more power to the government over the operation of the banking industry.  Recently, the democrats eliminated in the U.S. Senate the filibuster rule regarding nominations so as to provide less hindrance of their agenda.)

34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities. (Any organization critical of Obama's administration has been targeted by the IRS, among other agencies).

35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI. (The FBI has been herded into a minor role since the establishment of Homeland Security)

36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions. (done.  SEIU, in fact, has used fear tactics to support the Obama agenda).

37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business.  (Obamacare, banking regulations, and energy regulations are just the tip of the iceberg.  Also, under Obama, big businesses have been forced to curtail executive bonuses, and have been under fire for daring to pursue "profit."  Obama's buyout of General Motors and Chrysler is also evidence of this administration's attempt to satisfy this goal.  Obamacare will allow complete control by the government over the "big business" of health insurance.)

38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand [or treat].  (The "mentally challenged" rule over gun ownership is a part of this, as is the creation of Obama's civilian arm through the machinations of Obamacare funding: On page 496 of H.R. 3590 is this quote: ” (b) Assimilating Reserve Corp Officers Into the Regular Corps. . .Effective on the date of enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, all individuals classified as officers in the Reserve (civilian) Corps . . .shall be deemed to be commissioned officers of the Regular Corps.” Reserve and Regular Corps are military terms used to describe a “civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well funded,” says Obama in his famous Civilian Army Speech.  The IRS is also being used in this fashion, as the enforcement arm of Obamacare.)

39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals. (With recent shootings, and the claim that the shooters are mentally handicapped, this is a goal currently be worked on.  Included in the definition of those with mental health issues are military veterans, conservatives, and anyone else who opposes the Obama agenda.)

40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce. (Gay Marriage is a part of this agenda item.  Constantly in media and the entertainment industry we are being bombarded with claims that marriage is a dead institution, or that the traditional family unit is old fashioned and out of style.)

41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents. (Hillary Clinton's famous "It takes a village to raise a child" fits this goal perfectly.  The public school system is now offering free breakfasts to kids, and under Obama the lunch program has increased - sending the message that parents can't even be trusted to properly feed their children.  There has been a recent push to mandate pre-school in the public education system)

42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use ["]united force["] to solve economic, political or social problems. (President Obama said in a Mexican television that the viewers should "punish your enemies")

43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government. (Obama's father was an anti-colonialist, and I believe Obama is as well.)

44. Internationalize the Panama Canal. (done, thanks to liberal democrat Jimmy Carter)

45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction [over domestic problems. Give the World Court jurisdiction] over nations and individuals alike.  (Repeal of the Connally reservation has been proposed.  Obama constantly hails the necessity for us to respect the World Court.  Global jurisdiction is also being initiated through Agenda 21.)

As much as everyone wants to deny it, today's American Liberals have accepted the torch. Communism did not die with the USSR. Communism is alive and well in the democrat party.

"The American people will never knowingly adopt Socialism. But under the name of 'liberalism' they will adopt every fragment of the Socialist program, until one day America will be a Socialist nation, without
knowing how it happened." - Norman Thomas, six-time U.S. Presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America, 1948 - from an interview during the presidential campaign.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary