Ghosts of Obama Present

The last three postings looked at individuals that have in the past been directly linked to Obama.  Knowing who he's associated with gives us a window to Obama's soul.  None of us associate with people who hold values and ideals that are in considerable condradiction to our own.  Obama's past is littered with fanactical extremists as I believe is proven with the last three posts. Now I'd like to look at people he is connected with currently.  People can change over time so I think it's only fair to give Obama the benifit of a doubt and review the people he surrounds himself with today.  If we find that the people he currently associates with are more centrist and less fanatical then I would say that his past connections do not reflect his current ones.  Unfortunately, what I've found is that Obama has solidified his connections to radical and corrupt individuals.  Let me lay out below a list of his current associates and you be the judge.


Richard Holbrooke

• February 2001 to July 2008 Mr. Holbrooke sat on the board of AIG.  This is the same AIG that has recieved billions os US taxpayer dollars to keep from going bankrupt.  AIG is one of several parties (public and private) who's business practices were directly responsible for the current global recession.  It's curious to me that anyone would give Mr. Holbrooke a job.  He and the rest of the board of directors are directly responsible for the business practices.  He should be living under a bridge not advicing President Obama.  Mr. Holbrooke currently holds the positions of "Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan".

Steven Rattner

• One of the four founding members of the Quadrangle Group.  The Quadrangle Group is under investigation by the SEC for a kickback scheme involing the NYS pension fund.  He was named as the "senoir executive" of the SEC complaint against the Quadrangle Group.  In February 2009 he was hired as Treasury Advisor, Head of the Auto Task Force even though he was and investor in the Cerberus Capital Management the owner of Chrysler.

Ron Bloom

• Is a self described Socialist has had a long relationship with radicals going all the way back to his youth.  As a young man Ron was active in Habonim which is a progressive Labor Zionist youth movement.  Starting at the age of 10, Ron attended  Camp Galil.  Camp Galil was a Labor Zionist movement summer camp.  He attended it for 4 years and eventually became a counselor.  Ron Bloom was initially hired to be the Senior Counselor to the U.S. President for Manufacturing Policy and was later hired (after Steven Rattner stepped down) as U.S. Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry.  He recieved these positions even though his attitudes towards capitalism and the freemarket were well known and of public record.  At the 2008 sixth annual Distressed Investing Conference held at the Union League Club Mr. Bloom was a speaker.  He is quoted as stating during that conference:

"Generally speaking we get the joke.  We know that the free market is nonsense.  We know that the whole poiunt is to game the system, to beat the market, or at least find someone who will pay you a lot of money because they're convinced that there is a free lunch.  We know this is largely about power, that it's an adults only, no limit game. We kind of agree with Mao that political power comes largely from the barrel of a gun.  And we get it that if you want a friend, you should get a dog."

Carol Browner

• She was hired as the Director of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy.  Previously, she was one of 14 leaders of the socialist group Commission for a Sustainable World Society.  The stated goal of this commision is for "global governance" and states rich countries must shrink their economies to address climate change.  Soon after her appointment by the Obama administration her biography was removed from the Socialist International's web page.  The Socialist International is a organization that contains many of the world socialist democratic political parties.  It organizes socialist political parties throughout the world and has traditionally worked against and been critical of U.S. policies.  The Socialist International group includes Angola's MPLA.  The MPLA with assistance of Soviet arms and Cuban troops won the Angolan civil war.  It has stated that the Cap-and-Trade legislation does not do enough and is not restrictive enough.  They are against the U.S.-Mexico border fence.  They have stated that developed countries like the U.S. must decrease their consumption and suggest that economic limits that force a decline of the overall ecomony would be one good tool to achieve this.

These are the first four connections.  There are more to come but I think 4 is a good start for you all to digest.  I'll post four more soon.

One last ghost of BO's past....

I'm back on the net.  For those that didn't know I moved recently and was without internet for about 3 weeks longer than I expected to be.  So back to discussing BO's past connections.  Why?  Well I've been told over and over again by educated people that these connections to Marxists, racists and extremist is not important.  They explain it away by saying basically he can't control what other people do.  So he made a few poor choices with who he's associated with it's not who he is. Just because he has some loose connection to these people isn't really an issue.  Well, I'm attempting to make the point that: 1) these people are not loosely connected to him; 2) he knew these people and what they stand and still choose to associate with them.  Finally, I want people to ask the following questions: If I was always in the company of racists would it not be assumed that I was a racist?  Why would I associate with racists if I wasn't one?  As a minimum associating with racists means I tolerate racism even if I may not agree with it.  Then ask the question:  Why would I hire/employ racists?

With those questions in mind we finish up with one last ghost from BO's past.  Here is some information about Rev. Wright:

Reverend Wright:

FACTS:

• Rev. Wright subscribes to the ideals of Black Liberation Theology. Black Liberation Theology was founded by African-Americans as a way to counter radical black Muslim influences on the black community. Rev. Wright frequently cites works by James Cone and Dwight Hopkins. Cone and Hopkins are considered by many to be the leading theologians of this belief system. Note that both Cone and Hopkins were far left of center and critics of their works call the Black Liberation Theology a mixture of Christianity and Marxism. Turning Jesus into a leftist rebel, making racist statements against whites and Asians, and describing blacks as helpless victims.
• Quotes from works that Black Liberation Theology is based on:

 Cone states that it should be the goal of black men to "aid in the destruction of America as he knows it.".

Cone states that to arrive at such destruction it requires black hate and white guilt. That blacks need to tell the story of their oppression so forcefully and precisely that whites "tremble, curse, and go mad, because they will be drenched with the filth of their evil."

Black Theology and Black Power, Pages 139-140 states that Jews are not the only chosen people "To be Christian is to be one of those whom God has chosen. God has chosen black people!"

Black Theology and Black Power, Pages 14-16 "It is important to make a further distinction here among black hatred, black racism, and Black Power. Black hatred is the black man's strong aversion to white society. No black man living in white America can escape it...But the charge of black racism cannot be reconciled with the facts. While it is true that blacks do hate whites, black hatred is not racism. Racism, according to Webster, is 'the assumption that psychocultural traits and capacities are determined by biological race and that races differ decisively from one another, which is usually coupled with a belief in the inherent superiority of a particular race and its rights to dominance over others.' Where are the examples among blacks in which they sought to assert their right to dominance over others because of a belief in black superiority?...Black Power is an affirmation of the humanity of blacks in spite of white racism. It says that only blacks really know the extent of white oppression, and thus only blacks are prepared to risk all to be free."

Cone makes the argument: Black Theology and Black Power, Page 139 "We cannot solve ethical questions of the twentieth century by looking at what Jesus did in the first. Our choices are not the same as his. Being Christians does not mean following 'in his steps." and on Page 140 "Therefore, simply to say that Jesus did not use violence is no evidence relevant to the condition of black people as they decide on what to do about white oppression."

Black Theology and Black Power, Page 143 "The Christian does not decide between violence and nonviolence, evil and good. He decides between the less and the greater evil."

Cone believes: "People should love each other' sounds like Riis Park at sundown. It has very little meaning to the world at large." Black Theology and Black Power, Page 135

Black Theology and Black Power, Page 24 "All white men are responsible for white oppression. It is much too easy to say, "Racism is not my fault," or "I am not responsible for the country's inhumanity to the black man...But insofar as white do-gooders tolerate and sponsor racism in their educational institutions, their political, economic and social structures, their churches, and in every other aspect of American life, they are directly responsible for racism...Racism is possible because whites are indifferent to suffering and patient with cruelty. Karl Jaspers' description of metaphysical guilt is pertinent here. 'There exists among men, because they are men, a solidarity through which each shares responsibility for every injustice and every wrong committed in the world, and especially for crimes that are committed in his presence or of which he cannot be ignorant."

Black Theology and Black Power, Pages 39-41 "For the gospel proclaims that God is with us now, actively fighting the forces which would make man captive. And it is the task of theology and the Church to know where God is at work so that we can join him in this fight against evil. In America we know where the evil is. We know that men are shot and lynched. We know that men are crammed into ghettos...There is a constant battle between Christ and Satan, and it is going on now. If we make this message contemporaneous with our own life situation, what does Christ's defeat of Satan mean for us?...The demonic forces of racism are real for the black man. Theologically, Malcolm X was not far wrong when he called the white man "the devil." The white structure of this American society, personified in every racist, must be at least part of what the New Testament meant by the demonic forces."

Black Theology and Black Power, Page 73 "Racism is a complete denial of the Incarnation and thus of Christianity...If there is any contemporary meaning of the Antichrist (or "the principalities and powers"), the white church seems to be a manifestation of it. It was the white "Christian" church which took the lead in establishing slavery as an institution and segregation as a pattern in society by sanctioning all-white congregations."

Black Theology and Black Power, Page 143 "Whether the American system is beyond redemption we will have to wait and see. But we can be certain that black patience has run out, and unless white America responds positively to the theory and activity of Black Power, then a bloody, protracted civil war is inevitable."

Black Theology and Black Power, Page 136 "The revolution which Black Theology advocates … [means] confronting white racists and saying: 'If it's a fight you want, I am prepared to oblige you.' This is what the black revolution means."

Black Theology and Black Power, Page 16 "Black Power seeks not understanding but conflict; addresses blacks and not whites; seeks to develop black support, but not white good will."

A Black Theology of Liberation, pages 63-64 "The black theologian must reject any conception of God which stifles black self-determination by picturing God as a God of all peoples. Either God is identified with the oppressed to the point that their experience becomes God's experience, or God is a God of racism...The blackness of God means that God has made the oppressed condition God's own condition. This is the essence of the Biblical revelation. By electing Israelite slaves as the people of God and by becoming the Oppressed One in Jesus Christ, the human race is made to understand that God is known where human beings experience humiliation and suffering...Liberation is not an afterthought, but the very essence of divine activity."

A Black Theology of Liberation, p. 70 "Black theology cannot accept a view of God which does not represent God as being for oppressed blacks and thus against white oppressors. Living in a world of white oppressors, blacks have no time for a neutral God. The brutalities are too great and the pain too severe, and this means we must know where God is and what God is doing in the revolution. There is no use for a God who loves white oppressors the same as oppressed blacks. We have had too much of white love, the love that tells blacks to turn the other cheek and go the second mile. What we need is the divine love as expressed in black power, which is the power of blacks to destroy their oppressors, here and now, by any means at their disposal. Unless God is participating in this holy activity, we must reject God's love."

• Quotes from Rev. Wright:

"The government lied about inventing the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of color." Meaning it is Rev. Wrights assertion that the US government created the HIV virus to preform genocide against people of color.

"And the United States of America government, when it came to treating her citizens of Indian descent fairly, she failed. She put them on reservations. When it came to treating her citizens of Japanese descent fairly, she failed. She put them in internment prison camps. When it came to treating her citizens of African descent fairly, America failed. She put them in chains, the government put them on slave quarters, put them on auction blocks, put them in cotton field, put them in inferior schools, put them in substandard housing, put them in scientific experiments, put them in the lowest paying jobs, put them outside the equal protection of the law, kept them out of their racist bastions of higher education and locked them into positions of hopelessness and helplessness. The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing 'God Bless America.' No, no, no, not God Bless America. God damn America — that's in the Bible — for killing innocent people. God damn America, for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America, as long as she tries to act like she is God, and she is supreme. The United States government has failed the vast majority of her citizens of African descent.."

"The government lied about Pearl Harbor too. They knew the Japanese were going to attack."

Discussing the 9/11 attacks he said: "We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye... and now we are indignant, because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought back into our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost.". Meaning we deserved what we got.

Now lets look at some facts about Obama's relationship to Rev. Wright:

FACTS:

• Obama met Wright in the late 1980's
• Rev. Wright married Barrack and Michelle.
• Rev. Wright baptized Barrak's children.
• Obama's 2006 memoir "The Audacity of Hope" title was inspired by one of Rev. Wrights sermons.
• According to Obama's own speech titled "A More Perfect Union" he described Rev. Wright as both a role model and a spiritual mentor.
• In 2007 Rev. Wright was appointed to Barrack Obama's African American Religious Leadership Committee. This was a group of over 170 national black religious leaders who supported Obama's bid for the Democratic nomination.

ANALYSIS:

Regardless of what you want to assume about Barrack's relationship with Rev. Wright, how often he actually attended the church, or what he may have thought about the sermons one must consider for themselves what they would have done in Barracks position. Would you have sat there and quietly listened while someone ranted bigotry, racisms, and anti-Americanism? I hope not and I would expect you to hold Barrack to that same standard. Why didn't he denounce Rev. Wright even once for 20 years until it became an issue during the campaign? I don't want to believe Barrak feels the same way about white people as Rev. Wright, Cone and Hopkins do. I choose to believe that maybe he lacked the courage to argue with a man he thought of as a mentor. But, then you also have to ask, how much influence on my life have people had I consider role models and or spiritual mentors? How much influence have the teachings of Rev. Wright, Cone, and Hopkins had on Obama's life?



Conclusion:

We can't say for sure that Obama is a racist nor unpatriotic and I do not mean to label him as such. We can assume that Rev. Wright is a bigot, racist and unpatriotic based on his comments both on and off the pulpit. We can draw clear conclusions that the Black Liberation Theology has a racist slant which is hardly Christian. The idea of the Black Liberation Theology completely washes over the historical importance that Christianity had on the abolishment of slavery in the USA. We know that Obama did not denounce a man he himself called a role model until it became necessary to maintain his political career. These points are difficult to argue against. Therefore few possible conclusions can be drawn. Either Obama lacked the courage and conviction to rise up against racism and bigotry or he agreed with it. So if he lacks the courage or conviction to stand up to one such as Rev. Wright how can we expect him to stand up for us as our President? If he agrees with the sermons then what path will he lead our country down? How many times have you sat silent while someone spewed hate, bigotry and racism? As a minimum maybe you can say, well I never denounced a hate monger but I chose not to further associate with them. All Obama would have had to do is walk away from Wright, his teachings and his church. He didn't. Maybe it was because he saw it as a means to further his career? A reverend of a church in a mostly black community with approximately 10,000 parishioners might have had something to do with it. Or maybe it was because he agrees with those ideals of Wright. How many of you call racists mentors and role models? No one I want as a friend does. No one I want as a President should.

This is the final associate from Obama's past we'll be discussing here.  Of course there are other's we could bring up but I think the three I've posted about (Raila Odinga, Bill Ayers, and Rev. Wright) are the prime 3 which are "officially" in his past.  They supposedly have no direct contact with him today.  So now lets look at people which he is still currently in contact with.  The next few posts will focus on his association since becoming President.  I'd like to specifically look at the people he has chosen to elevate into positions of power in government.  As we go forward please ask yourselves this: If these people are Communists, Marxists, racists, and in general radicals and extremists why then would Obama hire these people and/or associate with them if he didn't appreciate and value their point of view?

Bill Ayers

As I said before, I am attempting to lay down facts and let you conclude what you will about Barrack Obama. If you've already made up your mind that's great but do you really have all the information? Read and find out. I've done my best to be as accurate as possible and unbiased. Last week I laid out some facts regarding Obama's relationship with Odinga. Today I'd like to explore Obama's relationship with Bill Ayres. So here are some facts about Mr. Ayres, organizations Bill belonged to, his relationship with Obama:

FACTS:

Bill Ayres:

• Born to an affluent family on December 26, 1944.
• Bill grew up in the affluent Glen Ellyn community of Illinois.
• Bill's father was the Chairman and CEO of Commonwealth Edison. Commonwealth Edison is the largest electric utility in Illinois.
• Bill attended the private prep school Lake Forest Academy.
• Bill received a B.A. from the University of Michigan in American Studies in 1968.
• Currently he is a tenured professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago.
• He was a member of many radical Marxist groups and co-founded the radical left organization the Weather Underground in 1969.

Weather Underground:

• The Weather Underground was a radical left organization during the 1960's and 1970's.
• The Weather Underground conducted a bombing campaign of public buildings during the 1970's.
• In 1970 Weather Underground issued a Declaration of a State of War against the US government.
• Their founding document called for the formation of a “white fighting force” to ally with the “Black Liberation Movement”.
• They sought to achieve “the destruction of US imperialism and achieve a classless world: world communism.”
• They attempted to bomb a US military non-commissioned officers' dance at Fort Dix, New Jersey. Brian Flanagan, one of the leaders, said it was intended to be “the most horrific hit the United States government had ever suffered on its territory”.
• However, during preparations of these bombs they prematurely detonated. The three of the five bomb makers were killed. They had also intended to bomb the Butler Library at Columbia University. The bomb prematurely detonated in the well to do upper middle class neighborhood of Manhattan know as Greenwich Village. The FBI report stated, that there were enough explosives in the apartment to level buildings on both sides of the street.
• On February 16, 1970 a pipe bomb on the ledge of a window of the San Francisco Police Department detonated killing Brian V. McDonnel a police sergeant and severely wounding and partially blinding Robert Fogarty another police officer. It was never proven to be the work of the Weather Underground but strong evidence points to them being responsible.
• On February 21, 1970 several Molotov cocktails were thrown at the New York State Supreme Court Justice Murtagh's home, a police car in Manhattan, and two military recruiting stations in Brooklyn. Here as before no direction connection could be made to the Weather Underground. Though most historians state that the arson was carried out by Weather Underground and considered to be a failure. It is also important to note the Bernadine Dohrn, a leader of the group, wrote to the Associated Press in late November 1970 to expect more bombs.
• On March1, 1971 they bombed the United States Capitol stating it was in protest for the US invasion of Laos.
• On May 19, 1972 they bombed the Pentagon “in retaliation for the bombing raid in Hanoi”.
• On January 29, 1975 they bombed the Harry S Truman Building housing the US Dept. of State “in response to escalation in Vietnam”.
• Weather Underground claims responsibility for 25 bombings.
• No direct link was ever made to any bombing perpetrated by the Weather Underground injuring or killing anyone.
• After the breakup of the Weather Underground several members, not including Bill Ayres, formed a new group called the May 19 Communist Organization. They along with the Black Liberation Army were responsible for the Brinks Robbery in 1981. They killed one of the armored car guards and severely wounded the other. Later when trapped by a police road block a gun fight ensued killing two police officers and wounding two others.
• Apart from those that took part in the Brink Robbery none of the people responsible for the bombings were ever prosecuted. Primarily this was due to the COINTELPRO misconduct of the FBI and Justice Department and President Carter's pardoning of many radicals of the Vietnam ear.
• In 1985 Susan Rosenberg and Linda Evans, both members of the former Weather Underground, were apprehended while transporting 740 pounds of explosives which they both acknowledge were slated for use in additional bombings. Rosenberg was sentenced to 58 years in prison and Evans got 40 years. President Bill Clinton pardoned both women in January 2001 as he left office.
• Recently release FBI files under the Freedom of Information act detail a direct link between Weather Underground, Cuba, and the USSR. Mark Rudd, currently a professor of mathematics at a New Mexico community college, traveled illegally to Havana in 1968 and received terrorist training at camps set up by Soviet KGB Colonel Vadim Kotchergine. These camps were educating Westerners both in Marxist philosophy and urban warfare.
• The Weathermen as the members of the Weather Underground were called spelled America with 'kkk' instead of a 'c'. So it would be spelled Amerikkka. As a side note, Reverend Wright has also used similar language to describe the USA as the “US of KKK”.
• Bernardine Dohrn, Ayres wife and currently a law professor at Northwestern University and a Board member of the ACLU, once praised serial killer Manson. “Dig it.” she said “First they killed those pigs, then they ate dinner in the same room with them. They even shoved a fork into the victim's stomach. Wild.”
• Weather Underground also helped psychedelic drug guru Timothy Leary break out of California prison and arranged for his transport to Algiers.

Obama's relationship with Ayres:

• The two of them met “at a luncheon meeting about school reform”.
• Bill Ayres with others formed a work group. Their goal was to win a grant from the Annenberg Challenge for Chicago. They won a $42.5 million grant over 5 years from the Annenberg Challenge on January 23, 1995.
• On June 22, 1995 the Board of Directors of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge were announced. Their job was to approve how the grant was to be spent. Barrack Obama was the chairman of the board.
• Barrack Obama resigned his chairmanship in September 1999 to run in the Democratic primary for the 1st Congressional District of Illinois.
• Bill Ayres hosted “a coffee” at his house for “Mr. Obama's first run for office” in 1995.
• December 21, 1997 Barrack Obama wrote a short review of a book written by Bill Ayers. The book titled “A Kind and Just Parent: The Children of Juvenile Court” was reviewed by Obama as “A searing and timely account of the juvenile courts system, and the courageous individuals who rescue hope from despair.”
• Obama and Ayres both servered on the board of the anti-poverty group Wood's Fund of Chicago. Between 2000 and 2002 the board met 12 times.
• In April 2001 Bill Ayres donated $200.00 to Obama's re-election to the Illinois State Senate campaign.

ANALYSIS:

Bill Ayres is directly linked to some deplorable acts of violence. Although he claims he never intended to hurt anyone this only changed after the bombs detonated taking the life of his girlfriend and two other friends in the Greenwich Village apartment. Let's not forget that they intended to bomb a dance filled with NCO's and other innocent people. They intended to bomb a library full of students at Columbia University prior to the Greenwich Village accident. Many historians and critics state that the only reason the members of the Weather Underground weren't mass murders was because their incompetence. The bomb that detonated in the Pentagon was underneath the womans bathroom. The bomb burst water lines and destroyed sensitive information. How many soldiers lives were lost as a result of that information loss? Several of the Weather Underground members have regrets for their actions. Mark Rudd said:

“These are things I am not proud of, and I find it hard to speak publicly about them and to tease out what was right from what was wrong. I think that part of the Weatherman phenomenon that was right was our understanding of what the position of the United States is in the world. It was this knowledge that we just couldn't handle; it was too big. We didn't know what to do. In a way I still don't know what to do with this knowledge. I don't know what needs to be done now, and it's still eating away at me just as it did 30 years ago.”

Brian Flanagan compares his actions while in the Weather Underground and the groups actions as being terrorism. “When you feel that you have right on your side, you can do some pretty horrific things.” Flanagan states. Bill Ayres on the other hand is quoted as saying “I don't regret setting bombs” and “I feel we didn't do enough”. When he was asked if he would do it all again he said “I don't want to discount the possibility.” These comments were published in the “Chicago Magazine” on September 11, 2001. The same day other terrorists were attacking the US. In fairness Ayres claims that those comments have been deliberately distorted. However, consider his comments during a recent interview taken in January 2004. The interviewer asks “How do you fell about what you did? Would you do it again under similar circumstances?”. Bill Ayres replies “I've thought about this a lot. Being almost 60, it's impossible to not have lots and lots of regrets about lots and lots of things but the question of did we do something that was horrendous, awful?...I don't think so. I think what we did was to respond to a situation that was unconscionable.”. This is not the comment of a man with any regrets or remorse. In a 1995 interview he said, “I am a radical, Leftist, small 'c' communist....Maybe I'm the last communist who is willing to admit it. We have always been small 'c' communists in the sense that we were never in the Communist party and never Stalinists. The ethics of Communism still appeal to me. I don't like Lenin as much as the early Marx. I also like Henry David Thoreau, Mother Jones, and Jane Addams...”. Bill Ayres has been on the covers of magazines proudly, defiantly stepping on the American flag.

CONCLUSION:

There is no clear, concise evidence that shows Obama and Ayres as being well known with one another but it's also clear they knew each other. They had worked together. Obama reviewed his book. There are some items that suggest that they were well acquainted after all it's not like you just invite complete strangers over to your house for coffee. Then considering that the “coffee” wasn't something casual but an event to launch Barrack Obama's run for the Illinois Senate to help him gather support. Considering that Ayres labels himself as a communist,that he helped launch Obama's political career from his living room, and supported him with a $200 donation, what does that say about Obama's true politics? Do you support and vote for some that is like minded or someone that has contradictory views to yours? I personally support people that I feel have like or at least similar views as me. I don't think it's a stretch to say Ayres feels that Obama has like or similar views to his. At a minimum you must ask yourself why would Obama sit on a board with a terrorist? Why would he give a review of a terrorists book probably boosting sales of that book? A famous quote by Ayres is “Kill all the rich people. Break up their cars and apartments. Bring the revolution home, kill your parents, that's where it's really at.” Remembering, by any definition of the word, that Ayres grew up rich and is currently rich today. Obama himself would be defined as rich. I wonder what either of them think of such a quote today? I wonder if Obama thinks his children should “kill your parents”? Based on the evidence I think it's a fair to state that as a minimum Obama and Ayres knew each other and likely share similar ideals about what America is and where it should be taken.

Raila Odinga

Who is Raila Odinga? Let's get to know him and his accomplishments.

• Born January 7, 1945 in Maseno, Kisumu District, Nyanza Province, Kenya.
• Raila named his first born son after Fidel Castro.
• Raila, a proud Marxist, was awarded a scholarship in 1965 to the Technical University, Magdeburg in East Germany. East Germany for those who are not aware or to young to remember was ruled by the Soviet Union.
• In 1970 he graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
• In 1982 he was a collaborator in a Soviet backed, failed and very bloody coup attempt against President Daniel arap Moi of Kenya an ally of the United States.
• Kenya has been one of the most stable democracy's in Africa since the 1960's.
• For his part in the coup he spent 8 years in prison. He denied his guilt.
• Later in a biography he claimed to be the leader of the coup. However, the statute of limitations was up so he could not be prosecuted for that role.
• He was arrested in 1988 for his participation with the Kenya Revolutionary Movement which was an underground organization pushing for “multi-party democracy” in “a one-party state”.
• Raila was release on June 12, 1989 and then arrested again on July 5, 1990.
• Release again on June 21, 1991 he fled Kenya in October to Norway alleging the government intended to assassinate him.
• In February, 1992 Raila returned to Kenya to join his father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, in the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD). The stated goal of FORD was to return multi-party democracy to Kenya.
• In the 1992 elections Raila won the Langata Constituency parliament seat.
• Jaramogi Oginga Odinga died in January 1994.
• Raila Odinga left FORD in a lost attempt to unseat Michael Wamalwa Kijana from FORD-Kenya chairmanship.
• In the 1997 elections Raila finished third after President Moi and Democratic Party candidate Mwai Kibaki.
• Raila retain his parliamentary seat for the Langata Constituency.
• Raila supporting the Moi government help merge his party with the NDP, KANU.
• Raila served as Energy Minister in Moi's Cabinet from June 2001 to 2002.
• Moi was constitutionally prohibited from serving a fourth term as President and rather than throwing his support behind Raila he asked Raila and the rest of his party members to support Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of Kenya's first president.
• Raila and others refused to support Uhuru. Instead they formed the Rainbow Movement.
• Later the Rainbow Movement joined up with the Liberal Democratic Party(LDP) and still later teamed up with the National Alliance Party of Kenya(NAK). This coalition became known as the National Rainbow Coalition(NARC).
• Raila was apparently betrayed by Kibaki leader of NAK and upon winning the election for President refused to offer Cabinet positions to the LDP, Rail's group or any of the other NARC members. Instead he assigned the positions to the members of KANU and FORD.
• After the collapse of NARC Raila formed the Orange Democratic Movement(ODM).
• Odinga received large support from Kenya's Muslim community.
• Odinga denied any connection between himself and the Muslim leaders.
• Sheik Abdullahi Abdi, chairman of the National Muslim Leaders Forum, presented a Memorandum Of Understanding(MOU) signed on August 29, 2007 by Odinga and Adbi during an appearance on Kenyan television.
• The details of the MOU promised the Muslim communities support for Odinga, in return, if elected President, Odinga would impose measures such as recognizing “Islam as the only true religion”. Other policies promised were to give Muslim leaders “oversight role to monitor activities of ALL other religions”, the install of Shariah courts in every jurisdiction, a ban on Christian preaching, replacement of the police commissioner who “allied himself to be used by heathens and Zionists”, adoption of a women's dress code, and bans on alcohol and pork.
• These Islamic extremists are the same groups that took part in the bombing of the US embassies.
• The 2007 election was reportedly rife with voter fraud and manipulation by both Kibaki and Raila supporters.
• After loosing the 2007 elections Raila claimed it was due to voter fraud.
• Following his loss to Kibaki there were 2 months of extreme violence and genocide.
• On New Years Day 2008, in the village of Eldoret, Kenya a mob of 2,000 Islamic extremists, supporters of Raila Odinga, locked 50 parishioners into the Assemblies of God church and then they set it on fire. Most of the parishioners were women and children. Any that fled the burning building were hacked to death by the machete-wielding Islamic supporters of Raila Odinga.
• President Kibaki requested a meeting of all opposition leaders in early January in the hopes to bring an end to the violence. Everyone attended except Raila Odinga. A month later Odinga was offered the role of Prime Minister in the Kibaki government if he “would end the violence”. The violence ended.
• When the violence ended in mid-February 1,500 Kenyans were killed most were Christians slain by Islamic supporters of Odinga.
• More than half a million people were displaced from their homes.

So now we know who Raila is. How is he connect Barrack Obama? Lets see....

• Kenyan peoples support for Odinga was low initially. This was true right up until his cousin, Barrack Obama came to his aid. According to Odinga, Barrack and Odinga are cousins. Odinga's maternal uncle is Obama's father's brother.  Is this true?  We don't really know.  No evidence has been provided one way or the other but Obama's campaign denied it.
• Obama sent Mark Lippert, his foreign policy adviser, to Kenya in early 2006 to make arrangements for his summer visit.
• Barrack traveled to Kenya in August 2006.
• Barrack and Odinga traveled together throughout Kenya during his trip.
• Shortly after meeting with President Kibaki Obama made the damning statement against Kibaki stating “The Kenyan people have to suffer over corruption perpetrated by government officials.”
• Showing firm support for Raila, his cousin, Obama said “Kenyans are now yearning for change”.
• Oama continues to deny any role in assisting Odinga's campaign. However, there are many video's showing Obama making appearances at campaign rallies for Odinga in Kenya. One such video for example can be seen here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b63bBCC2-yM&feature=related
• Please note, that Barrack Obama used your federal tax dollars to make this trip.  In essence, your tax dollars indirectly went to support Odinga's campaign.
• Also note that Barrack Obama's campaign did not deny any of the meetings that took place with Odinga.  Further, they admit that Barrack Obama has taken/made phone calls to Odinga.

So what can we conclude?  Is Barrack Obama a cousin of Raila Odinga?  Maybe, but does it really matter?  Not so much.  It might be one of the plausible explainations for why he spent so much time with Odinga in Kenya but his campaign has denied that they are cousins.  What we know for certain, based on fact, is that Raila Odinga is a ardent communist.  We know that Raila Odinga made a pact with Islamic extremists.  We know that Raila Odinga is in part responsible for the riots, bloodshed and genocide that occured after the elections.  We know that prior to these elections Barrack Obama gave his support to Raila Odinga with US tax dollars funding it.

Finally, in closing, it is obvious that Barrack Obama has a connection to Raila Odinga.  I would not say that Barrack Obama has ever supported the riots and genocide.  However, by supporting Raila Odinga it shored up his base and gave them confidence.  Would they have rioted if Obama had never shown up?  Maybe.  We'll never know.  We can say at a minimum Barrack Obama is guilty of poor judgment in throwing support behind a man such as Odinga.  I would even say if this were Obama's ONLY connection to a Marxist/Communist/Terrorist/Racist then it would have little or no significance.  This isn't the case however.  Obama has a long history and numerous connections with Marxist/Communist/Terrorist/Racist individuals.
 
I have concluded, that Obama went to Kenya intent on giving his support a to Marxist/Communist canidate.  Odinga has supported a canidate that has reportedly used violence to further his political goals therefore Obama also supported a terrorist canidate.  You might say, well he didn't know about the pact with the Islamic extremists and the genocide ocurred AFTER Obama's visit.  Both of which are true points.  However, all Obama or his campaign staff would've had to do is google Raila Odinga and they would've learned he was a Communist and had supposedly used violence to further his political agenda.  So the question needs to be asked, if Obama knew about this or should've known about this why did he go to Kenya and why did he aid Odinga's campaign if he did not believe in the Communist cause?
 
I believe based on the research I've done that Obama knew EXACTLY who he was supporting.  I believe Obama stood for a Communist because he is one himself.  To further support that point I'll be outlining the other colorful figures in Obama's life in later posts.

I'm at a loss for words.

I just don't know what to say about the latest ACORN scandal that has come out. You can watch the undercover video at the following link:

http://biggovernment.com/page/2/

Watch the ACORN Baltimore Prostitution Investigation video 1 and 2. It's simply unbelievable what these people are assisting. It seems like something out of a bad comedy. When I say that I mean it's sooooo absurd what these ACORN people are plotting that you just can't believe something like this ACTUALLY HAPPENED. I was watching this happen and my mind just couldn't believe it. I was having a VERY difficult time believing this was REAL. OK they were set up but COME ON....how is it possible that these two ACORN people can 1) believe this and 2) partake in something SO IMMORAL and SO ILLEGAL! When you finish watching this you got to ask yourself if something SO IMMORAL and SO ILLEGAL and SO UNBELIEVABLE is conducted WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON AT ACORN!?

Now remember, ACORN is an organization that Obama worked for, that Obama appaulds, is an organization that has taken active roles in shaping government policy and new laws and regulations. They are now in some of the highest echolons of our government and hold such influence over our government that Congress REFUSES to investigate them.

ACORN has recieve $53 MILLION in Federal money. They are about to get BILLIONS more. I have to ask the question....When will you all wake up? When will you stand up and make it known that supporting organizations like ACORN MUST END. How many more truly awful people and organizations to you need to see connected to Obama before you figure out you've been fooled? If this were the ONLY case of illegal activity by ACORN I'd say...OK a rotten apple is to blame....but it's not the ONLY case. If this were the ONLY corrupt organization or individual connected DIRECTLY to Obama I'd say...OK we have all made poor choices in freinds or associates from time to time....but it isn't the ONLY time there has been a DIRECT connection made to Obama and corruption and evil. Last year about this time of year I sent out a lengthy email of DIRECT connection between Obama and corruption, evil, communists, and terrorist. Starting next week I'm going to fill my blog with post after post of true, verifiable Obama ties to individuals and groups that most of you have never known about. I'm sick to death of the stink around this man. I'm sorry if this offends you. I'm sorry if this sounds partisan. It's not. It's fact. This must end before it's too late. Please, come next week and read what I post. You don't need to comment if you don't like. But come and read it. Those of you that know me know I'm not some crackpot that will put up lies, conspiracies or loosely tied tales. Come here and read and then ask.....Why hasn't Obama been asked about these connections and why hasn't he given answers for these connections.

Know Your Enemy.

Sorry for the lengthy delay since my last post. I've been down and out with a dying computer (finally laid to rest last Saturday). Anyway, on to the subject at hand. Know your enemy. In this case, the socialist/communist left that has taken control of the Democrat party and is running 2 of the 3 branches of our federal government.

Lets first define WHO we are discussing. The Democrat party elites that are in charge. I don't include special interest groups or individuals because at the end of the day the decisions made by our elected officials are theirs and theirs alone to answer for. The current Democrat party elites we'll define as those who've:

• been nominated to run for President in both 2004 and 2008
• those in leadership positions of both the House and Senate
• those that hold seats on any of the given committees of both the House and Senate

To broad? I don't think so. Maybe not broad enough. Please note I do not include the sitting President. In my opinion, he is not in charge. He is merely being led around by the nose and is frequently led to slaughter by those that are running the show. He has also stated on many occasions that the people that are running things from behind the scenes are his mentors. So at the end of the day he's influenced by the people we've defined above rather than them being influenced by him. This puts them on unequal footing.

Next lets review WHERE these people come from. The current generation that make up a vast majority of those that fall under our definition "bloomed" into maturity during the 50's and 60's. A turbulent time full of cultural strife not just for the US but for the world. These are the people who labeled our soldiers as baby killers. Some like John Kerry actually made such statements before Congress. These are the people that sympathized with movements like The Weather Underground and The Black Panthers. These are people that sympathized with the protesters at the 1968 Democrat Convention. Their beliefs in Socialism and Communism that are contrary to a free and open society though they claim otherwise. Make no mistake, the fundamentals of Socialism and Communism are in direct conflict with the ideals of individual freedoms protect by the Bill of Rights and our Constitution. Hence the strong desire to rewrite the Bill of Rights by most people on the left.

So now that we've defined WHO and WHERE lets look at HOW. HOW is our enemy working to change society so that you as an individual become less free and more controlled. To understand HOW they plan to change society you need to think of this as a chess game. There will be feints and sacrificed pawns. You must think several moves ahead to get an idea of where they hope their plans will take you. Ultimately to checkmate. Their idea is that IF they can slowly and quietly establish laws then they can slowly erode your individual rights and assert greater control over your life. I would compare them to starfish that once they latch onto a muscle it is only a matter of time before they get inside the shell. Let's take their health care plan. Here is why a public option is so important to them:

1. Establish via law a public health care insurance which directly competes with private health care insurance providers.
2. Raise taxes on the middle classes to pay for said public health care insurance.
3. Now that both public health care insurance and higher taxes have been established the process of dismantling the private health care insurance industry can begin. Dismantling the private health care insurance providers will be the result of middle class Americans either demanding (if they aren't already allowed to) access to the public option. This will be based on the fact that they have less disposable income due to higher taxes. The middle class will opt to join the public option over private because as they see it they're already paying for one insurance via higher taxes what is the point in paying for a private insurance as well.
4. At this point they can begin to remove your rights to make decisions for your own health. This will be done in the name of efficiency and cost. This is the reason the current bill establishes obligatory end of life consults every 5 years for certain patients. This is the reason that the bill is 1100 pages long. So that they can hide, confuse and be non-specific enough to leave open the door to later interpretations which where not anticipated. Things like rationing will be inevitable once the middle class floods the public option. Decisions like does your 70 year old parent really need kidney dialysis or should nature just take its course will be decided by boards not by the family or the individual.

If you think this isn't how things will become please show me one nation which has established national health care and doesn't ration it's care. Also, please note that there is already talk about raising middle class taxes to pay for health care.

Now lets look at another recent program which the individuals we defined above have brought to us. On the face of it the Cash for Clunkers seems innocent enough. What's not to like about giving Americans a discount to purchase new cars while at the same time increasing gasoline efficiency. Remember one must think several moves ahead to see the goal of these people. So let me lay out what I see as the next moves. Please note this started with the changes Obama made to the fuel efficiency standards as well as Cap and Trade. I'll explain that below as well.

1. Shorten the time frame in which more fuel efficient vehicles must be introduced into the the market place. The increase pace to bring to market more efficient vehicles puts an increased strain on the auto industry which is already broken. This will likely weaken the last remaining independent auto manufacturers which up to this point have not sought government intervention to remain solvent (such as Ford). This brings the last of the auto makers under the control of the government.
2. Create a CO2 tax effectively raising taxes on "non green" electrical suppliers and factories. Essentially reducing the amount of disposable income of the middle and lower classes.
3. Create a Cash for Clunkers program. By insisting that the turned in older, less efficient vehicles get crushed they are removed from the market place. Over time the supply of used vehicle will be impacted. Less supply equates to higher prices for second hand vehicles.
4. Cap and Trade will raise the cost of buying a car because the factory where it was produced must pay a tax on it's CO2 emissions. In addition to the higher cost for forcing the market to bring higher fuel efficient vehicles the government will now have a solid control over all auto makers. With this increased influence the government will be in a position to apply pressure on the direction the company moves in. If you doubt that please ask yourself what CEO or other such manager of any auto maker will not be influenced when the Pay Czar will be deciding if he is making too much money. Let's not forget that Obama basically fired the GM CEO. As a result of this increased influence electric plug-in vehicles will become more and more prevalent.
5. With the introduction of many make and models of electric plug-in vehicles replacing gas powered vehicles the demand for electricity will go up. In the early days to meet those demands coal will become more important not less. As the demand for electricity goes up so too will the amount of money the government collects in tax revenue.
6. With vehicles now costing more to purchase both new and used and the added cost of electricity the middle and lower classes will be effected. Their disposable income will decrease. Inevitably this will lead to the average citizen demanding more public transportation services.
7. Government will introduce plans to increase funding to public transportation.
8. Urban areas will grow more populated decreasing suburban growth.
9. The goal is reached. More green. Less pollution. It was accomplished through governmental economic pressures applied to the lower and middle classes. By removing the ability of both lower and middle class people to make a choice you achieve an objective of the left.

How long will that take to accomplish? I have no idea. Steps 1 and 2 are a reality now. Step 3 is before Congress. What I do know for a certainty is if Step 3 is passed by the Senate then Steps 4 through 9 are unstoppable. It won't be possible to undue the damage regardless of who is in office next. Call me a conspiracy theorist if you like. I'm just laying on ONE of MANY possible outcomes. Like with chess there is no way to know what the EXACT next move of your opponent will be. If however you know your opponent you can begin to guess with better accuracy what their next move will be. That said the further out you go in your forecast the hard the greater the chance of errors. For all you know your opponent could make a stupendous error and leave it's king in open to check or checkmate. I would say that no one anticipated the uproar over health care that the middle class has voiced recently. I think that the Democrats are facing a check situation right now regarding that but not quiet the checkmate I hope for. Be sure though that with this miscalculation that they made regarding health care they will be more careful with their future endeavours. Stay vigilant. If you don't you may find yourself sitting on a packed bus watching through the window as wealthier people drive their electric plug-in cars to work and wondering how the hell they can risk doing that when the government won't cover injuries sustained in a crash involving a personal rather than public vehicle.

Health reform via tax breaks

So....my last post was meant to shock and awe you. Not sure it accomplished much as no one seems to have posted anything. However, it was my goal to get you out of your seat and on the phone to your congressman/woman and tell them HELL NO regarding Cap and Trade and/or the Health Care bill. As of yesterday the Congress said it would not get to health care reform before the summer recess. HOORAY! OK enough celebrating. It's time to get active. Call you Congressman/woman and Senators and tell them stop the politics and start making sense. Without a doubt we need something done with health care. The government is the main culprit in rising costs so I have little expectation for them to solve the problem. In fact I would expect it to get worse because of their meddling. That was until last night. An idea came to me. I'm not sure if it makes sense or not to be completely honest. I was thinking about the health care problems we are facing as a nation. I'm not a bleeding heart but I don't think it's correct, moral, or fair for people to not have affordable health care. We hear about people who loose their health care because they become too expensive or they have a pre-existing condition. You'd have to be a complete cold hearted non-human to not feel sympathy for people in those situations. However, I do not agree with the current purposed fixes to those problems. I just can't see how they will help. I see more damage being done by the current formats of each of the bills. For example, one Democrat bill actually states that IF you decide to leave a company and get self employeed you will be OBLIGED to sign up for the state run health care insurance and you won't EVER be able to switch to private health care. As someone who is self employeed that is a very scary concept. I will have no options.

Anyway, as I was saying, an idea came to me last night and I'm going to put it out there for all to critique. So here it is. We, as a nation, pay for "univeral health care" with a tax cut. WHAT!? I know I know....that doesn't make sense right? Wait for it....Wait for it....NOW....

1. Oblige all employeers to offer full medical and dental to it's employees.
2. Employeers as well as employees share the cost burden.
3. The split will never exceed 50/50 employee to employeer but can have the employeer taking a larger share so for example it could be 40/50
4. If employees do not like the health insurance plan or provider offered to them via their employeer they are not obliged to sign up for it.
5. Allow insurance providers tax incentives to create "pools" of people who are either self employeed or are employeed but do not care for the plan or provider being offered by their employeer.
6. HERE IS THE TAX BREAK IS MENTIONED.....All insurance and medical payments are completely tax deductible by both employeers and employees + 5%. This means for every $1.00 spent by your employer or by you for you health care insurance or for any health care costs you get to deduct $1.05 from you taxes at the end of the year.
7. The tax deduction can only be used to zero out your taxes. It can not get you a refund. So if you spent more money on health care than your total tax liability you can only claim deductions up to the point where you have no taxes to pay.

Here are some of the benefits from such a program:

1. No large beaucracy needs to be created or an existing one made larger. Because you make health care a tax issue it's handled though the already existing IRS. All you might have to do is one more mindless calculation on you yearly tax form.
2. You have complete freedom of choice allowing the market to create competitive programs.
3. The government is not competing with private industry.
4. Cut the waste. Under a government run program you would pay taxes to the government for health care they would provide to you. We all know how that will work but in addition it's like paying someone to pay you. Which makes no sense at all.
5. It removes all politics from the disussion.
6. It creates jobs. More people getting affordable health care equals more jobs. By the way it's private sector jobs that are being created.

Let me know what you think.

I blame you....

It's been a month since my last post because I've been struggling with how to put in words my thoughts. I don't want to come across angry or hostile but it's how I feel right now. I don't want to be overly dramatic but it is difficult not to be. Saying things are bad right now is an understatement. Our government OWNS private industry. The government creates laws that have no logic or sense to them. They can't even be bothered to read what they vote on. They raise our taxes without ever voting for a tax raise via stealth mechanisms like the new energy bill or by becoming a shareholder in the top banks and auto manufacturers. The government fights to have indited not for profit organizations to be active members of the upcoming census but won't fight to protect our tax dollars from the very same indited entity. We allow our government to put non elected officials, Czars, who are not beholden to anyone including us in charge of policies that ONLY elected officials have any business making. Our government is now dictating to private industry, how much pay individuals should receive and whether to hire or fire personnel. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Our society and government is rotting from the inside out and as plainly stated as I can be this is OUR fault. I blame the last 3 or 4 generations of Americans. Maybe the world is correct when they disparage us. Maybe we are all fat and stupid. I mean LOOK at what is going on and ask YOURSELF.....what have you personally done to stop it? When was the last time you publicly took a unpopular stand? When did you last attend a town hall meeting and speak you mind? When did you last VOTE? Times like we have right now don't happen over night. No one politician or on political party to blame. Point the finger all you want but when you live in a democracy you have no one to blame but yourself. The events that are unfolding today are a result of your apathy. You whine that you don't vote because your vote doesn't count. Well it surely won't if you don't vote that's for certain. You complain that you can't afford health care then do nothing to stop frivolous lawsuits a for millions of dollars for a unnecessary surgery gone wrong. You whine about prescription drugs being to expensive and then down load music illegally. All you do is whine and moan, never lifting a finger to do more than you need to for your own personal sphere. I got news for you this is EXACTLY why politicians come to your "rescue". They make promises to take care of you to make your life more simple. All you need to do is promise to give them authority over you. These promises they know are fluff and lies but you buy into. Would someone please explain to me how it's even remotely possible for the government to get socialized health care right when there is 99 TRILLION US DOLLARS of unfunded obligations for Social Security and Medicare? The government knows about this, YOU know about this and yet you STILL insist that government can provide you with affordable health care. Or take the energy bill. The ONLY way "green" energy can compete with standard existing energy is via a tax raise on the current energy production. HOW DOES THIS MAKE SENSE TO YOU? HOW CAN YOU SIT THERE AND LISTEN TO LIES ABOUT NO NEW TAXES ON THE MIDDLE CLASS. IF THIS ENERGY BILL PASS YOU WILL BE PAYING THE GOVERNMENT A TAX FOR USING ELECTRICITY MADE BY A COAL BURNING PLANT OR PAYING FOR HIGHER RATES AT A SUBSIDIZED "GREEN" PLANT? Oh and by the way the higher taxes you pay on your coal burning plant electricity go to building more "green" power plants which directly compete with the coal burning one. WHAT? But just sit there. Leave all these problems and many more for the next generation. Leave it for the children that are being born today to solve. Most of you 50+ won't be alive when they're 30+ so it doesn't matter to you. You 50+ age group which are currently in power and who will soon be passing the torch on to your children don't get it. You've condemned you children and grandchildren. Your grandchildren if they're smart will put your children in the street. How far removed do you believe we are from Iran? Those people in the streets of Tehran have more spine than you all do. They know when they aren't being counted and decry it and some even sacrifice their lives for it. Now I know I've been generalizing whole groups of people. There are clearly some out there that have recognized the errors made and are taking actions. The are peacefully protesting the wrongs done. The problem is there aren't really very many. Still most couldn't care less that they are loosing their rights. Not so long ago during a discussion about how the government is now a shareholder in GM and how in doing so they have effectively raised your taxes without ever taking a vote I got the following response: "So? I don't see how that's a problem. The car still costs the same?" Does it really? The government takes your money without your vote and it costs the same? Your rights have been taken and you don't even know it nor do you care about it. So continue voting along party lines for the same incumbent. Tell yourself he/she is working for you. Tell yourself there is nothing you can do. Believe it because it's getting to the point where you won't be able to do anything about it if you wanted to. Did you call your Congressman/woman and demand they vote NO on the energy bill? Did you even know about the energy bill? Will you call your Senator and demand they vote NO on the energy bill? Most of you probably won't. You're too busy with important stuff like TV, movies and getting dinner ready. I COMPLETELY understand. Just remember when you're older and grayer and my kids put you on the street you had a chance to fix it, you FAILED, and you deserve what you get. PROTEST TODAY with a phone call. PROTEST TOMORROW with a vote. November 2010 will be here before you know it.

Did you blink AGAIN!?

I came across this when researching the earlier post and thought....WOW....too good to pass up. Here's what B.H. thought should've happened to the Gitmo detainees:

"In terms of the issue of Guantanamo, look, this is a very difficult issue. It's difficult in my country; it's difficult internationally. We have a facility that contains some people who are very difficult to deal with. Some of them probably should not have been detained in those facilities in the first place. They should have been processed and tried and convicted. If they weren't convicted, then they should not have been languishing in a facility like that, that became a symbol for many around the world of us not sticking to our ideals and our traditions and rule of law."

This was his response to a question at the press conference held in Dresden on June 5th, 2009 with German Chancellor Merkel. I linked to quote directly to the White House website so as prevent people from denying he actually said it later. What part of that statement really jumps out and grabs your attention? For me it's the "They should have been processed and tried and convicted." sentence. He later mentions how this was a symbol of our lack of "sticking to our ideals and our traditions and rule of law." EXCUSE ME!? Chalk it up to B.H. being off teleprompter and making an error in speaking his mind or possibly just plain not thinking before he spoke. What happened to innocent until proven guilty? Isn't that one of the core principles that makes America unique in the world. Essentially B.H. said they should've been found guilty as a result of the trial and that by not doing that OR freeing violent people on society we were betraying our values. Uh-huh....does that make sense to anyone out there? It sure doesn't make any sense to me.

Stop blinking or you'll miss it all!

Did you blink and miss it? I know I almost did but I was halfway into the blink with my eyes only half shut. I almost didn't believe what my ears had heard. If my eyes would've been completely closed I might have thought, that can't possibly be B.H. Obama it had to have been an impersonator. NOPE! B.H. actually, for the first time, publicly began setting the stage for the play called "Gitmo Aint Closing This Year". I heard it's going to be a musical in which B.H. stars as an up-n-comer charismatic man who promised gold at the end of the rainbow to his passionate followers. The climatic ending has B.H. running away with his Czars, the followers cash and leaving behind broken dreams, empty promises and a ruined nation. Wait WHAT? In Dresden Obama said:

"I don't anticipate that it's going to be resolved anytime in the next two or three months. I think it's going to be a longer process of evaluation,"

Google that quote and make your own judgement call but I'd put my money on Gitmo not closing by the end of the year. B.H. is beginning to prepare his supporters for the let down 6 months early. Before some of you start in with the excuse making remember he didn't need to UNI-LATERALLY (yeah that word cuts both ways and I'm using it to needle the Dems) go it ALONE attitude in signing an executive order to close Gitmo by years end on his second day as President without consulting our ALLIES. Oh gee you mean the Europeans didn't show up to help out with the closing of Gitmo after publicly calling for it's closure for years? This is what you get when you vote into office someone with NO experience. Lots of big ideas and promises all of which come crashing down once applied to reality just like his promises to have all combat troops out of Iraq in 16 months from office. Which once he took office became 18 - 19 months leaving a 35-50,000 troop "transitional force" behind until 2011. The transitional forces mission will be, and I quote B.H.:

"we will retain a transitional force to carry out three distinct functions: training, equipping, and advising Iraqi Security Forces as long as they remain non-sectarian; conducting targeted counter-terrorism missions; and protecting our ongoing civilian and military efforts within Iraq."

That quote in itself when put up against B.H.'s claim to have all combat troops out of Iraq shows B.H.'s lack of understanding of the word COMBAT. To protect civilian and military efforts wouldn't involve COMBAT? To conduct targeted counter-terrorism missions wouldn't involve COMBAT? So this extension of the closing of Gitmo is just another let down to those that voted for hope and change and is another I TOLD YOU SO to all of the rest of us. Funny how everyday that passes B.H. sounds more and more like G.W.

It's safe to say we've been lied to.

The Democrats are in a lot of trouble. They've made a lot of promises and so far it's looking like they're slowing backing out of all of them. Obama is quickly looking like he'll be a one term president. Don't get me wrong I'm not excessively happy about that because that will likely mean the Republicans will pick up the presidency in 2012 and in 2010 might get some seats in Congress back. Right now I don't see how either party is really in it for WE THE PEOPLE. However, I do think we should be happy to see Obama, Pelosi and Reed go home if possible. I've not been very impressed with the Republicans but the damage that those three are planning on doing to us is by far worse than anything Bush ever did. At this point based on recent events I feel it save to call them LIARS.

They need to raise taxes on the middle class when they promised not to. Many of these taxes come in a hidden form. Two examples of hidden tax hikes on middle America are Cap and Trade, CAFE standards.

Cap and Trade is expected to raise the cost of the average American electric bill by $1400.00 a year. All companies with factories will also have to raise the costs of their products to cover the added costs of high electric bills but also the Carbon Tax which they too will need to pay for their Carbon footprint.

The CAFE standards aren't initally evident to most people I talk to as a tax on them. However, when you consider that the Obama admin now OWNS a portion of Chrysler and GM it begins to become obvious. Why the Obama admin would reduce the time frame from the Bush plan of a 35.5 m/g car from 2020 to 2016? Increasing fuel efficiency increases the cost of the car. Increasing the cost of the car means that the amount of money the government gets from the sale of every car goes up. I know you're thinking WHAT DID HE JUST SAY?! It's simple math though really. As the government OWNS shares of the car companies they get a percentage of the sales via dividend checks. So the more money into the company the more money the government gets. It's expected that the CAFE standards will raise the cost of cars by a minimum of $1300.00. If you buy a Chrysler and the cost of that car is $1300.00 more expensive next year than this year $104.00 goes to the government. The government OWNS 8% of Chrysler.

With their health care plan they anticipate putting the government in direct competition with the private health insurance companies. Apart from this being destructive to the economy they are essentially going to raise your taxes to pay for this plan and in addition to paying higher taxes you'll need to find the money to pay for their plan. You the hard working American will need to pay for those that can't pay for their own insurance via higher taxes. Then in addition the government will require you to have a health insurance plan. So you'll either have to buy from the government plan or from a private plan. We all know that the government plan will be cheaper than the private plan because they have the advantage of raising your taxes to cover their shortfalls or they can just operate on deficient spending like all other government programs. If private insurance companies tried that they'd go out of business. So here once again Obama lied. He will raise your taxes he just won't call it a tax raise. To me I personally view any increased cash flow to the government a tax raise. Call me crazy.

Then there is the expiration of the Bush tax cuts next year. Maybe you didn't get a big tax cut. However, a cut is still a cut. Next year when the Bush tax plan expires that cut will vanish effectively raising your taxes to the levels prior to the Bush plan. So the Dems haven't created a new tax plan they just wait out the cut to expire thereby raising your taxes.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are many other point to discuss which I'll get into next week. I think it's save to say that on taxes Obama and the other Dems lied. Middle America is going to be paying higher taxes under their watch.

ecoAmerica

When I first heard about it I thought....geeeee....didn't I blog about this not so long ago. In fact I did. ecoAmerica believes:

"Our engagement marketing approach creates new audience and consumer opportunities.... By harnessing our audience understanding and developing measurably successful programs, we create partnerships that reach out to new people and create lasting behavior changes that benefit our project partners..."

OK maybe the scariest couple of words in that paragraph are "lasting behavior changes". So they believe that by using marketing techniques they can sway their audience to their point of view to benefit their project partners....oh and by the way the environment too. Lets see if I have this straight....they're going to make money by helping other companies sell to the public that global warming is man made and if you buy their partners products you'll help prevent it. In doing so they expect to be able to influence your behavior for the long term. Wow! Quality! Nice to see they're not afraid to admit what I've been saying for years.....environmentalism is about money not the environment.

The best though is from their "research".

Climate and Energy Media Center (new program)
The Climate and Energy Media Center is a plan for a media “war room” that would repudiate the climate deniers; help change the framing on climate change from a long-term catastrophe to a near term economic and national security opportunity; and work to make climate change relevant by connecting climate and weather with Americans' everyday lives. Fresh polling data from Pew and Rasmussen indicate the increasing need for this program - global warming still ranks last out among the
top 20% public priorities and for the first time, more Americans attributed global warming to natural causes (44%) than human activity (41%). Since October, Bob Perkowitz and David Fenton have fleshed out the strategy and organization of the operation. Because this project requires a significant capital investment to launch – we won’t move forward until we have raised at least $1,000,000 for it. We have secured about $300,000 of initial pledges and are working with ACP/WE, EDF, NRDC, Open Society and others to secure necessary additional funding, but we have not secured any additional commitments at this point.

These people have no shame. Rather than letting science frame the debate they'd rather use slogans and rhetoric. For those that don't think that there's big money in the environmental movement you've just been given a cold slap in the face with this group. They basically state they must spend money to convince the public. Sorry I thought science would do that? No?

Bigger than Barnum

I can't wait for the big show to kick off. I really hope that the Dems do start a in depth investigation of the torture that took place under the Bush Admin. It's just what we need as a nation. It will set us straight in the eyes of the world. No longer will we be viewed as a tyrannical superpower. We need to bring light to those dark days and watch the roaches scatter. Sarcasm aside, I'm serious. I'll TiVo the whole show. Why? Well I know what the outcome will be or at least I think I know what it will be. You see the Dems, claiming morale superiority, have beaten the Repubs with the torture stick for about 6 years now. Now that they have both houses and the presidency they are on the hook. Just like they were with the "vote for us and we'll get you out of Iraq" and here we are going on 3 years since they've had control of both houses and we're still in Iraq. This is no different. They made a lot of noise last Fall just before the election about vote for me and we'll have trails and now people want to hold them to it. Obama knows better. That's why he initially said there won't be any trials. Which is why he released the CIA documents. He had hoped that by releasing those documents he would placate his base and avoid having to actually investigate the individuals that were involved. What a colossal blunder releasing those documents have been. In releasing those documents he made an enemy of the intelligence community. Not only has the release of those documents put us in greater risk by showing our hand to the enemy it will also make the intel community skittish about taking risks for the nation. Now with the potential of being brought to trail for offering legal opinions and for following orders the intel community will be even less likely to actively protect us. They will become what they were prior to 9-11 a reactive organization rather than a proactive one. Who can blame them?

So WHY am I looking forward to the trials and investigations and the testimony on the Hill? Well, to chase the roaches back into their holes. In this case it's Pelosi, Reed and the rest of the screaming mimi's. Some of the young and new blood on the Hill are idealist and might yet still have some delusions about cleaning house. The old guard though knows, or should know, better. Here's my predictions for any trails regarding torture. I would bet that the people in charge of the interrogations of captive terrorist practiced some CYA. For those that don't know CYA means Cover Your Ass. My guess is that Pelosi and Reed and all the rest were fully briefed on what practices were not only in the Bush Admins opinion legal but which were actually being used or going to be used. Now Pelosi can claim all she wants that knowing something might be used is not the same thing as something being used. That just doesn't cut it. No American will buy that line except the truly dense, blind followers. Furthermore, by releasing those documents Obama all but guaranteed that some staffer, lawyer, or interrogator practicing some good CYA will squirrel or has squirreled away documents, recordings, and/or video tapes which will show that the screaming mimi's were implicit in the aggressive interrogation techniques. Using this evidence of their innocence if they are brought to trial. Time and time again this has happened during show trials. Just like when the Dems created the Un-American Activities Committee to seek out Communists (which by the way was originally created to seek out the KKK but then again the KKK was run by the Dems and by their voter base so they switched their focus to Communists) this too will blow up in their faces.

The American Center for Law and Justice has filed a Freedom of Information request to get the memo of the briefing that Pelosi received back in 2002 regarding water boarding. If they get the memo I have a strong suspicion it will show that Pelosi and other Dems knew about it and accepted it. The Dems should've known better than to light the pyre while standing in it when burning witches. Obviously, they did not and will suffer for it. When it comes out that some of these terrorists gave up information that saved lives they will burn for it. When it comes out that they knew about these techniques being used and then feigned indignation to further their political goals (like they did with denying any sort of WMD materials were in Iraq oh yeah except for the nearly 800 tons of yellow cake that our government knew about since 1992 but hey lets pretend that doesn't exist). When people begin to connect the dots and see that to further their political careers they denied knowing about water boarding, helped close GitMo, and remove water boarding from the table of interrogations and in doing so put all Americans at greater risk they will burn.

All of the Dems talk is just that TALK. They don't want trials. They could've started an active investigation into the water boarding over 2 years ago. They haven't, didn't and won't. They fear what will come out. They know that once the public finds out about the scam they've been running there will be a house cleaning in the next election. Just like they never mounted any serious effect to cut funding for the war in Iraq they won't mount any serious effort to hold hearings about water boarding. They know it will be their political death to so. Just as it would've been if the Dems were actually successful in cutting funding for the war in Iraq.

So bring on the trials! Let's air the dirty laundry! This will bring down the Obama administration and cost him the next election. It will ruin the Dem party and will cost them both houses within 2-4 years. I hope that with an already weaken Republican party prior to any hearings and a destroyed Dem party after the hearing a serious 3rd party might gain enough seats to have meaning. I do not necessarily like a particular 3rd party but I believe a 3rd party with some teeth might help restore some balance to D.C. The shift to the left by both parties is appalling. Over the last 10 years or so the Republicans shifted away from the right and picked up the ideals of the Dems while the Dems began picking up the ideals of Marx and Lenin. Now is the time for a new 3rd party that will shift the other two parties back towards their center left and center right homes. So let's get ready for the show and POSSIBLY a new political awakening of the silent American center right majority. Enjoy!

As promised.....

OK so I'm a little late in getting back to you on my claim that the rich don't pay taxes. They do not. The middle classes pay a vast majority of all tax revenue levied by our governments. I love the stat that shows how 5% of Americans paid 60% of Federal Personal Income Taxes. While this is likely a true statistic it is not an accurate way to compare tax burden. It's very important that we distinguish between INCOME TAX and TAX. Why? Well because they are two very different issues. While the "rich" might pay more INCOME TAX they are not burdened by taxes the way the average American is. The actual number of pages in the Federal Tax Code depends on how you define it. Depending on your definition of the Federal Tax Code it can range from about 2,000 pages to as high as 70,000 pages. Depending on what state you live in you could practically double that number. The NYS tax form is twice as long as the federal 1040. If you are like me you don't really have the time to KNOW how to pay less taxes and likely you don't have the resources to pay someone who does KNOW how to pay less taxes. For example, did you know that for every $ you make over $102k you aren't required to pay SS on it? I bet you didn't. Did you know the fact that you actually pay 15.3% of your income to SS and Medicare rather than the 7.65% shown on your pay stub? Yeah, your employer pays the same amount you pay for you. That money could've been in your paycheck instead it's off to the feds. So now lets look at what the average American pays in Federal Income Tax. It's about 25%. Add that to the 7.65% and we're talking about 32.65% of your income going to the Feds. That doesn't condsider the OTHER 7.65% you could have been paid by your employer but aren't. In effect it's a "hidden" tax on your wages. So the TOTAL paid is actaully 40.3%. That's not even beginning to calculate state income taxes. Now the "rich" income tax rate maxes out at 35%. As we mentioned earlier they stop paying SS and medicare payments on anything over $102k. So if they made $1.102 million they pay 35% on the $1.102 million and 15.3% on $102k. So while the average American is paying 40.3% on their income the weathlier American is pay 35% on a vast majority of the income. As you can see they do not have a greater burden than the average American. Now lets consider a recent HOT topic in the media....bonuses. What almost none of the media outlets mentioned in regards to the AIG bonuses was that many of the individuals that got those "bonuses" had opted to get a $1.00 yearly salary in exchange for the bonus. What!? Yep that's right. Why the heck would they do that? Well because bonuses are not taxed as "income" they are taxed under the capital gains heading. Which is 15% rather than 35%. In addition they don't pay SS and Medicare on it. So when comparing the RICH to the AVERAGE American it's truly absurd to make the claim that the Rich have a greater tax burden.

Now let's consider the impact of raising taxes on the rich. I know, I know, I've just said they don't pay hardly any taxes compared middle income Americans. However, lets look at what we can expect with raising taxes on the rich. To do this consider what happens when your purchasing power is reduced. When your cost of living goes up you look at where you can make cuts to save money. For you and I it's things like eating out less, canceling cable TV, shorter or no vacations, etc., etc. For the wealthy, it's more along the lines of investments, and business expansion. If the rich have less to spend they don't debate HBO or Cinemax with their spouse. They look at laying off employees or reducing their stock portfolio. They have their team of lawyers and accountants locate tax shelters where they can put their money to ride out the storm of the tax hike until someone cuts taxes.

So lets go after their businesses! Cap and Trade! Higher Corporate Tax Rates! Well, sure that's fine. Know this, a business NEVER pays taxes. The consumers of the products or services that business produces or provides pay the taxes. When a business does a cost analysis it must figure in the cost of the tax it will pay. It then incudes that into the price structure for it's goods and services. So, for example, placing a tax on a coal burning electric plant is essentially placing a tax on all of the consumers of that electric plant. The plant doesn't pay more tax. They pass that cost on to you. The plant doesn't pay for it greener technology. You do. If that electric plant can't compete and closes, guess what? Your rates will increase with increased demand on fewer plants and less competition. In addition, raise taxes on an electric plant only serves to make more expensive engery more competitive. It doesn't make you life less expensive.

This idea that we can make the rich pay an equal share is mythical under the current tax structure which has been created by both Democrats and Republicans. Do you truly believe that Obama will raise taxes on himself? Well lets look at that. He and Michelle reported earning $2.6 million from book sales in 2008, about $200k in income and a small amount of money from some investments. They paid $855k in taxes. Ummmm...what? Do the math. They paided less than 35% of their total income. I wonder HOW they were able to do that? Obama was able to reduce his tax profile there by reducing his tax burden and effectively NOT PAYING HIS FAIR SHARE!

There would be ONLY 1 method to make all pay their fair share. That would be a national sales tax on EVERYTHING. Nothing would be exempt. No need for thousands of pages of tax code. You can't hide your money from it because to live in the USA means your spending money in the USA. The more money you make the money money you'll probably spend therefore the more money you'd pay into the tax coffers. You could dramatically reduce the size of the IRS. No one would need to fear April 15th. No more dreaded knock on the door by the IRS wanting to see your records from 10 years ago. It's the purest way to fund the federal government without burdening some while others aviod it. Now I am not saying I'm in favor of taxes nor the federal government having such a large budget nor some of the programs that are being funded. HOWEVER, in 2009 it's estimated that the federal government spent about $3 trillion with a budget deficiet of about 400 $billion. The GDP of 2008 was about $14.3 trillion. With a national sales tax of about 25% would've covered the 2009 budget, the deficiet and still had some jingle in the governments pocket to begin to pay down the National Debt and make up for the SS and Medicare projected short falls. When you consider that the average American is already paying about 40% of their income to the Fed just counting Income Tax and FICA you can see how much more money the middle class would have. Now think about all the other taxes you pay to the Feds that wouldn't exsist with a national sales tax. Gas would cost less for example. I would ONLY suggest a nation sales tax if all other federal taxes were scrapped. Just think about it.

Saint O's healing touch....I CAST THE OUT DEVIL! BE HEALED! HALLELUJAH!

Who knew O was such a reverent pastor of the people!?

I've been gathering up information so I could present this argument correctly. I think it's important to get on the point and not deviate with this particular discussion. I hold veterans, in general, in the highest regard. I do not wish that to be misunderstood. This discussion is less about the vets than socialized/nationalized health care. So while I may bring up our wounded vets in this discuss it is to make a point about socialized/nationalized health care and not to critique the VA nor what our vets deserve. I don't think we could ever fully repay their service.

That said, I would like to turn your attention to something the Obama administration considered doing before hitting a brick wall and backing away from. Last month the Obama administration purposed a plan that would have required private insurance companies to provide coverage to our soldiers, airmen, sailors, and marines for injuries sustained on the battle field. This is a fact (google it if you don't like my link). Obama claims this would save the federal government about $540 million per year. We will come back to that number but first consider what it would do to premiums for health care coverage by the private insurance companies if they were obliged to provide health care for those people the government sends to war. It would send them through the roof. It would likely bankrupt the private insurance companies which would provide ample excuse for the government to step in and nationalize health care in the exact manner that they've done with our banks. The premium would be to high forcing many people to drop their coverage giving the insurance company less money to pay for the injuries it was legally obligate to pay for. Eventually, the private health care providers would begin failing and the more expensive it became to pay for health care the louder the cry would get for nationalized health care. Some of the larger insurance companies would get bailed out. These would be partially or wholly owned by the US government similar to the situation AIG finds itself in. This would be a quiet way for the US government to nationalize health care and no one would mind. Why? Well because by this point a majority of the nation would be without health care coverage.

The second point I would like to make brings us back to that number I mentioned earlier. $540 million. Let's do a little math shall we? First though lets get some more information. How many vets are are enrolled in the VA Health Care System? There are 7.8 million vets enrolled in the VA Health Care System. Now remember, the proposal by the Obama admin only discusses forcing private insurance companies to cover injured vets not ALL vets. So now how many vets receive VA Disability Compensation? That number is 2.95 million. Now this number is a little misleading. Do all 2.95 million need constant medical care? Not likely. This number includes people who are not necessarily injured on the battle field. It could be their job gave them a bad back. But we can't distinguish between those shot in war and those that drop a heavy box on their big toe. All of these 2.95 million people will at one time or another seek medical assistance from the VA if their injury disables them. So now to the math. Lets divide $540 million by 2.95 million vets. That works out to be about $183.05 per vet. Which is really not a lot. I assume that the big toe injury doesn't require as much medical attention as a bullet wound. However, we need to look at averages. So on average the VA spends $183.05 per vet per year for medical attention. Now where am I going with all this? Well, lets consider Obama's first budget. In it he purposes creating a $630 billion "reserve fund" for changes to our health care system. The total costs are not known which Obama fully admits to. If you review his budget plan and read the last paragraph on page 67 you'll note that the plan specifically calls this $630 billion a down payment and it goes on further to state:

"In addition, the Budget calls for an effort beyond this down payment, to put the Nation on a path to health insurance coverage for all Americans."

The term down payment and the fact that the "Budge call's for an effort beyond this down payment" tells me that this $630 billion is just a small piece of the total cost "to put the Nation on a path to health insurance coverage for all Americans." Now if we just consider the down payment $630 billion and we divide that by 10 years (that's the number of years the $630 billion will be spread out over) we get $63 billion. Now take 63 billion and divide it by 300 million Americans we get $210.00 per American per year.

So now that the math is done lets draw your own conclusions. I personally see a great deal of hypocrisy when Team O can claim it will save $540 million per year by forcing private insurance company's to foot the bill for battle wounds and then also purpose to spend even more money per private citizen. Remember the math....$210.00 per year on a private citizen and $183.05 per year on a vet.

Now lets not forget that the Obama plan has no real way of funding this $630 billion. The budget states:

"$630 billion over 10 years to finance fundamental reform of our health care system that will bring down costs and expand coverage."

Excuse me? How does one EXPAND COVERAGE and BRING DOWN COSTS? It's simply not possible to expand the number of people covered by health care and expect that costs will come down. Costs will go UP because you're taking care of more people. It goes on further to explain:

"The reserve is funded half by new revenue"

New revenue? Ohhhhh you mean increased taxes. I see. Where will he get these new taxes from? Why the rich of course, right? NO! Let's face facts here people and put to rest a HUGE myth. The rich do not pay the greatest share of the tax. WHAT!? No they do not. You can give all the facts you want but at the end of the day the rich are not this nations greatest revenue resource. It is and always will be the middle class. HOW SO?! Well, you'll just need to wait for next weeks post to find out because I want to stay focused here for now. I promise you can debate it next week. For now lets pretend we agree on this point. Predominately the governments revenue source comes from the middle class. O can threaten to raise taxes all day and night on the rich but he'll never pay for his plans that way. It will come out of the pockets of the people that are already paying for their own health care. In the beginning of O's plan he'll raise taxes on the middle class to pay for coverage of the people who do not have it yet. So at the end of the day all of you out there that are currently struggling to pay your bills will get the added advantage of paying for someones bills. Does that tie nicely back to my earlier suggestion about what O nationalizing with bailouts private insurance providers? I think it does. Because just like we are paying for the mortgages of people who took on too much risk we will eventually be paying for the health insurance of people who can't/won't pay for it.

Now lets consider recent history of other federally funded social programs that have worked sooooooo well. According to Richard W. Fisher, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, in a speech before The Commonwealth Club of California on May 28, 2008 in San Francisco:

"Add together the unfunded liabilities from Medicare and Social Security, and it comes to $99.2 trillion over the infinite horizon."

WOW! This happened because instead of using Medicare and Social Security funds the way they were suppose to be used they got quietly spent on pet projects of our federal politicians. That number is 10 times the GDP of the USA. In other words if we spent every penny made in the USA to pay our debts it would take more than 10 years to pay it off. Incredible. A nationalized health care plan will end up under funded and searching to make cuts just as Social Security and Medicare do now. A nationalized health care system is as sustainable as Social Security and Medicare.

While we are moving towards nationalize health care the countries the started the craze are leaving it. European countries are bankrupt and quietly cutting critical health care to it's citizens. A friend of mine is dying of a brain tumor. About 6 years ago he was diagnosed with it. The Italian health system said basically he should go home, put his things in order and die. Instead he, and I think most would, decided he'd try and fight to live. He and his wife have spent a lot of their own money on private health care to try and extend his life. A man, that was given 6 months, and told to go home to die is still alive 6 years later because of private health care he has spent his own money on ALL THE WHILE BEING TAXED FOR NATIONAL HEALTH CARE! I know lots of people who have chronic disease like thyroid disease that are told by the nation health care system here in Italy that their treatment is not covered by the national coverage. Once the thyroid is dead....we'll remove it and you'll get meds to supplement the missing hormones. This they will pay for. That said....until that happens....all the blood work, the medication, the treatments to improve life.....well that's on the patient to pay for out of their own pocket. Nationalized health care in Europe does not practice preventive medicine. It engages in treatment after the fact. They don't keep records to track you health through your life. So a new development isn't caught and treated before it becomes life threatening. This is what you pay for with your taxes. Nationalized health care does not want you to live long. Why? Well, preventive medice extends your life expectancy therefore the costs to the government go up as you live longer and are not contributing to taxes as you're a pentioner and not part of the work force. Idealy, under nationalized health care it's citizens will die off before they get to the pention age. One way to assure that is to not practice preventive medicine.

So what does all this cost you ask? A lot! I know of an individual that takes home 60,000 Euro's a year. Well, he does before taxes. What he actually takes home is about 30,000 Euro's a year. That's a tax rate of 50% on someone making about (depending on the exchange rate) 75 to 80 thousand US$. In addition, out of the 30,000 Euro's he then pays a 20% sales tax on EVERYTHING he buys. So if he spend lets say 25,000 Euro's a year on life's expenses he's paid an additional 5,000 Euro's in taxes. This is all before we consider that taxes on his gasoline (over half the cost of the 1.22 Euro's per liter is tax it's actually closer to two thirds), his car, the yearly tax he pays to own a TV (not kidding), the house, etc., etc., etc. This is how Europe pays for it's social programs. They tax the hell out of the middle class. Do you really think we in America are going to some how be different when we have a nationalized health care system? After all that is said and done on top of paying the equivalent of 75-80% of his income to the government the government continues to reduce it's social programs because it can't afford them. Is this the road you want America to go down? To take on another large social commitment it won't pay for just like Social Security isn't paid for? It's a bold face lie that O makes when he says he can expand coverage and reduce cost. Large bureaucracies are not know to be efficient users of cash.

The first and easiest way to reduce cost in a socialize health care system is to reduce the quality of the facilities provided. If you visit a hospital in a country with socialized health care you'd be shocked at the conditions. It's not a critique of the employee's it's a critique of the governments commitment to providing national health care. The local hospital here CRAWLS with mosquitoes throughout the warmer months. Imagine not being able to slap at mosquitoes as they suck you dry because you're physically unable to while you lie in your hospital bed. In addition, the typical ward is 3 to 4 beds per room. Further, there are plenty of cases where there aren't enough beds and so patients sleep on stretchers in the hallways. If you'd like examples I can link some but they'd be in Italian. How about the hospital that was amputating healthy limbs and conducting unnecessary surgeries just to get a bigger budget the next year? Then there is the girl that died during a common surgery on the operating table because the government never supplied backup generators to the hospital so when the power went out the equipment and lights stopped working. This is what you want?

Let's also not forget that this won't "end" private health care. In every country where you find national health care you also find private health care. So in the end the middle class is taxed to pay for the nationalized health care and the rich or those that can afford it get private health care. Why? Well because typically the national health care system is over loaded. So if you need a surgery you might have to wait for months to get it. This includes simple testing like blood work or a breast exam. If you miss your appointment you may not be able to reschedule it for months or a year. Meanwhile, the rich and those that can afford it go to the front of the line. What? That's right because while the doctors work for the state and draw a salary from the state they also work on their own as private health care providers. So half their time is to the public health care system and the other half is to private health care. This is true also of many hospitals that receive public funding and also are used by private health care. So the MIR you have wait months to get, the rich guy can get done in a week. Do we really want a two class health care system in America? Currently, apart from the myths, lies, and occasional occurrence no one in America goes without health care except by choice.

My last point to make, regarding nationalized health care is how much is spent in the countries where is already exists. The UK expects to have a NHS budget of 110 billion pounds for the 2010-2011 fiscal year. Depending on the exchange rate you use that's about $162 billion. That's nearly three times the annual budget down payment that O has purposed. Oh but wait a minute, the UK doesn't have as many people as the US does. OK, time for some more math. The UK has about 60 million people or about 1/5 the population of the USA which is 300 million. So I guess we would need to multiply that $162 billion by 5 to get the estimated cost for nationalized health care. That would be $810 billion a year for nationalized health care in the USA. That's about 13.5 times the size of the down payment in O's budget. Typically, when I think of a down payment I think of a number around 10%. That's about right for the down payment of 63 billion a year. Do we as a nation REALLY want to spend 800 billion a year via the US Treasury on health care? Think about who's pocket that will come from.

Next week I promise to explain why I say the rich don't pay the majority of the taxes.