TO HELL WITH SECOND BEST

An old Washington Post op-ed by Charles Kenny proclaims the United States will cease being the worlds largest economy. He expects China will overtake us by 2017 in having the worlds largest GDP. He gives many justifications why slipping one notch is OK, and concludes that being second in GDP should be a cause for celebration. He states, "because much of the world is becoming more like America in many ways richer, more democratic, more secure ", we should consider our role "a success story for U.S. stewardship of the global economy. So celebrate with me: We're No. 2 !"

Sorry Mr. Kenny, but with all due respect, I think your celebratory tone is another funeral dirge for American Exceptionalism, and another lefty swing in denigrating the greatest nation in the world.

The notion that the USA coming in second, or lower, in any human endeavor, including  GDP, is unacceptable, in my opinion. Our history is marked by unique accomplishments which has made us the worlds best in most fields of endeavor. We were the first on the moon, built the worlds greatest military while building the worlds greatest economy. Our scientists were leaders in developing atomic power, medical miracles, computers just to name a few.  Our Olympic athletes aim for gold medals, and while being the runner up in the Super Bowl is a notable accomplishment it pales in comparison to being the winner.

Unfortunately, our GDP and economy are severely hammered by the burden of the federal government. The "O" administration along with those of the past have steadily increased regulations and taxes on investors and entrepreneurs. Additionally, silly government schemes such as unlimited unemployment compensation, an unrealistic hike in the minimum wage, obamacare, bailouts for failing businesses, increasing welfare payouts, and unlimited immigration benefits for illegals, further muck our maintenance of a strong economy. This constant and sloppy interference by the government in our free enterprise system has chased the forces that build GDP to more economically friendly shores.

In Mr. Kenny's piece, he also uses statistics from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development which might hint at why we may slip to second in GDP. The OECD reporting on the top 31 countries of the world rate the US 27th in math scores, and 23rd in unemployment among other depressing ratings. If we took education away from unions and the federal government our students would surely fare better. Teachers with more talent than tenure would surely raise our educational standards. Also, if government would curtail it's micro management of our economy the wonders of capitalism would cause countless innovations and millions of new jobs. The free market allowed to naturally rise and fall, without endless government interference, made us the worlds greatest economic power, and it can happen again.

I find the possibility of our nation accepting or "celebrating" being # 2 to China pathetic. We have the talent, resources, grit, and national character to remain the worlds leader in whatever field we choose. To accept less of ourselves and our nation is a damn shame.  As Americans, "Second best is better", is an essay we should reject and endeavor to avoid.

      

ANOTHER obama STATE OF DIS UNION ...

As year number 7 grinds into view for the obama regime we must endure another big speech dripping with hooey.

The charlatan in charge will preach more hope and change by socialistic means. He will gloss over his immense failures in foreign affairs, economic policies, and management of our republic. He will blame republicans and everyone else for his errors and never whisper any personal accountability. He will continue to demand that the successful citizens in our free market give more to an increasing number of slackers and illegal aliens. He will tell the poor and middle class their economic woes are the fault of the rich. He will tell the nation that better education, health care, domestic tranquility, and job prospects can only be produced by his government schemes. He will tell the Congress that if his agenda is not stamped into law he will use his pen, phone, and a few unelected czars to get things done. In general, he will speak to our fears and baser instincts to achieve his socialist tainted goals. His agenda will require more federal government control of everything by taxing anything that moves.

The chamber of jackasses, elephants, generals, and supremos will witness and endure his tirade of worn cliches. His donkey pals will applaud wildly, jump and yammer approval on numerous occasions. The elephant folks will squirm and softly join the clappering a few times. The generals and supremes will attempt to remain stoic, and seriously avoid dozing. The specially selected gallery elites will twitter and bounce around like sugar charged balcony bunnies. The POTUS will unashamedly use a few war heroes, good citizens, and Mrs. potus to score a few cheap political points and cheers.

Hopefully, but unlikely, some detractor will utter "liar" or set loose a "boo" to the presidential speechifying nonsense. The media cameras will pan around spotlighting a few smiles, frowns, and the first lady and her cast of  luminaries. As the president departs, every fawning politician will push and shove for a touch of his hem, photo op or autograph.

Instant commentary from talking head and their teleprompters will rate his performance somewhere between boring and brilliant. Call in listeners on C SPAN will rate the prez as a messiah or serpent from hell.  However, after his big performance and hours of torturous commentary, nothing will change. Lazy and stupid citizens will still expect and demand their every need be a free gift from an obama welfare state. The productive population will brace themselves for a few more bad years. Obama will continue his eternal road trip of presidential campaigning to further divide Americans. He will spare no energy in blaming our unhappiness on racial, ethnic, economic, educational, and cultural differences. Ultimately, his state of the union will be more about dis union and further dividing the nation.

ELECTING PRETTY FACES.

Is it not time American voters get smart and begin electing candidates with the best ideas and morals ?

In my opinion, we have elected too many pretty faces, rock stars, and ideologues in the last few election cycles. Of late the country has suffered because of  these poor leaders. Due to the microscopic detail the media uses to evaluate any candidate for office their standards for acceptance are different than the qualities needed to do a good job.

As I recall from a reading of history, Tom Jefferson was a terrible public speaker, Lincoln was a gangly unattractive adult, and Truman a hot tempered bull dog. However, in their special ways these men were extraordinary leaders. None would  pass the smooth talking, handsome, even tempered persona's now expected of our candidates, but all were assets to our nation.

As we prepare for the mid terms and the big 2016 extravaganza it might be helpful to look beyond the party labels and old loyalties. We need fresh leaders with immense common sense, a firm grasp on the real world, and a value system anchored in the Constitution and principles of capitalism. We do not need any more sham leaders promising every segment of the population their specific bucket list of hopes. We do not need humbugs seeking political advantage by preaching class warfare to minimize their own leadership failures. We do not need the candidate capable of collecting the most money in donations.

In my opinion,  if our nation is to survive and maintain it's "exceptional" character we must break a few bad habits and find the best bold leaders with or without a few incidental warts. 

REMEMBERING 1964

In my opinion, 1964 was a significant year in the last century.

As a senior alumni of the baby boomer gang, my generation witnessed great changes only fully appreciated as our years became another chapter of  history.  With a handful of other codgers, I marked my fiftieth high school reunion a few years ago with the 60th coming soon ! 

To me, 1964 was a most interesting year on many levels.

As seniors at Saint Pauls High School in Portsmouth Virginia  we were just a few months shy of our graduation when the great tragedy of a presidential assassination occurred. While our nuns lost their Saint John of Kennedy, students lost a president with a youthful face and stirring words brimming with optimism. Many of us wanted to be Jacks and Jacquelines in a Camelot world, and this loss was a body blow, especially when a dour faced old man named Johnson took his place. In retrospect, Kennedy wasn't a great president, but to many of us he represented youthful optimism and stirring words for many of our generation.

On the brighter side, 1964 was the year the Beatles came to America, Ford Motors introduced the sexy 1964 and a half  Mustang. Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon were hot items at their "Bikini Beach" romps. We jerked and jived to the happy music of  The Beach Boys and a guy named Andy Warhol immortalized a tomato soup can and became a renowned artist. Bob Dylan wrote and screeched a song which prophesied our turbulent times when he wailed, "The Times They Are a Changing". 

In Detroit the "Motown" sound was invented and we listened to Marvin Gaye, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas who invited us to be "Dancing in the Streets". Sam Cooke crooned "A Change is Going To Come". The Rolling Stones, Animals, and Supremes also rocked 1964, and they were correct about change and getting in the streets.

Meanwhile, President Johnson declared a "War on Poverty", passed a Civil Rights Bill, and told Americans he was all in to make ours "A Great Society". These promises were taxpayer expensive and largely unfulfilled. College students at the University of California Berkeley held the first major campus demonstrations of the century. They boldly marched and occupied an administration building while Joan Baez sang, "We Shall Overcome". Barry Goldwater announced his run for the presidency and allowed actor Ronald Reagan to make the keynote address at the 1964 GOP Convention.

Cassius Clay whipped Sonny Liston in Florida, became "The Greatest", announced his Muslim faith, and forever changed his name to Mohammad Ali. College students gathered at a small college in Ohio to train for their non violent civil rights activities in the deep south. From that group three idealistic young men would travel to Mississippi and die to bring voting rights to black citizens of the Magnolia State. The murder of Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman, and James Earl Chaney would propel future martyrs Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and Medgar Evers to action which would change American history. In 1964 Doctor King would receive the Nobel peace prize. In the summer, riots erupted in Harlem and other ghettos of  large northern cities reflecting big "changing times" were upon us. Nelson Mandela and seven others were sentenced to life imprisonment in South Africa, and Nikita Khrushchev lost power in the USSR.

On television we began to enjoy more color programing, and believed every pronouncement from "uncle" Walter Cronkite as the gospel truth. We laughed at the broadcast debuts and weekly shows, "The Andy Griffith Show", "The Adams Family", and "The Dick Van Dyke Show". We set aside our smokes and shuttered as our Surgeon General announced that cigarette smoking "may" be harmful to our health and cause cancer. 

We half listened as President Johnson cited some attack on a US destroyer in the Gulf of Tonkin and encouraged a "Resolution" to super size our military presence in the far away country of  Vietnam. Many of us would visit Vietnam in the coming years and too many would come home in body bags or gravely disabled. 

Late in 1964 Lyndon Johnson trounced Goldwater to begin his one and only elected term as president. The Warren Commission revealed that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone killer of our beloved John F. Kennedy. We read the recently published " Feminine Mystique" by Betty Friedan , and began to understand that women could be something other than teachers, moms, nuns, secretaries or nurses. Sony introduced the worlds first home VCR device, and Elizabeth Taylor married Richard Burton for the first time. The 24th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified and forever banned poll taxes as a voting prerequisite.

By the end of 1964 into early 1965, my fellow graduates and I  had gone off to colleges, jobs, apprenticeships, marriages, or the military. Some of us would serve in Vietnam, others would resist military service, but in the end all of us would agree the Vietnam era was a troubling time.

We lived and learned a lot from that incredible year.  Now, as we toast each other and coast along our Final Lap, it's good to remember and reflect on the yesterdays that got us to today. While our future may not stretch as long as our past, the memories of our times were large with hope, fun, sadness and a wealth of experiences. 

I think, it is important we remind our children and their children that our history is but a single falling leaf on a windy fall day. It occurs to me, how important our young masters and misses learn the stories and lessons from past years while enjoying the bright sunshine of their youth.

BIZZARRO BARRY

Obama reminds me of the old comic book tale of bizzarro superman. Bizzarro Superman was the anti thesis of the good and normal Superman and was a world menace.

Let us count the ways in which barry obama is a bizzaro president:

First, in foreign affairs he bows to other foreign potentates in an obvious show of submission even though America has a superior military and economy. More importantly, his appointed foreign ministers consistently apologize and show weakness in negotiations with our adversaries.  Putin, "Little" Kim, Assad, and the dictators of Afghanistan and Iraq consistently make fools of Hillary and Kerry because their diplomatic portfolios are feeble. Also sadly, bizzarro Obama has allowed cover ups when Americans were murdered in the "Fast & Furious" and 9/11 Benghazi incidents. His administration will not claim responsibility or find the killers.

Second, his management of the economy has been strange beyond belief. For any highly educated person to demonize the rich while championing the less prosperous then  in the same breath demand higher taxes, levies, and fines from prosperous citizens and industries is incredibly self defeating. Defying the basics and essential strength of capitalism, bizzarro Barry used federal funds to prop up failing banks and motor car companies. The United States now has the second highest corporate tax rate in the world. In response to 90 million unemployed the best our bizzarro leader can do is demand the continuance of a two year program to pay the unemployed.  As our national tax base diminishes, Obama continues to use tax dollars to prop up a failed war on poverty, obamacare, and other programs of socialism. Since working individuals and businesses are paying less in taxes the only way to maintain his "ponzi" scheme of unlimited spending is to raise the tax rates and tax anything that moves.

Finally, in the leadership department B. Obama is at a firm zero. To circumvent the golden rule of American politics he has appointed czars and more than once stated his willingness to use his pen & phone to get around the other branches of government. If he ever knew of the co equal branches of our government, etched into the fiber of our Constitution, he has lost that learning. It seems he seeks to be a dictator and skip Congress and the Supremos.

President bizzarro also shows very poor organizational skills. With years and billions he launched and proudly boasted of an obamacare health website which was in fact a most amateurish  failure. Without a blink, he has lied to the American people about "keeping your old health care...at a lower cost...", prosecuting those IRS people who targeted the Tea Party,  bringing the Benghazi assassins to justice, and the list of lies goes on ad naseum. Barry the bizzarro has also demonstrated a sad habit of dividing the American people in all his campaign and presidential speeches. He tells the lower income groups their woes are caused by the rich folks. He tells blacks and Hispanics that he is their only messiah. He tells business owners they must do more to create jobs while he encourages his DC bureaucrats to crank out regulation after regulation limiting business activities. Without fail when anything bad happens Barry the b. announces "it's news to me." He is clueless and concludes himself blameless.

Every president is but a man and every man has fault. However, our president O. is a bundle of bizzarro which has caused a sad slide for American Exceptionalism.  Despite his bloated oratory in his upcoming State of the Union speech we should expect more weirdness from this bizzarro POTUS.

We must suffer a few more years with hopes that his bizarroness can be reduced and squashed in the 2014 and 2016 elections.  

"LONE SURVIVOR" - THE MOVIE

In my opinion, the current movie "Lone Survivor" carries two important messages:

First, our politicians have sent young men and women to experience death and horrible injuries without pledging their full support by way of Congressional Declarations of War.  For decades Congress has skated on this constitutional responsibility. In skipping a vote to war or not war, politicians have escaped their duty while riding the roller coaster of public opinion. However, fighting men and women are always required to sacrifice their bodies and minds in ill conceived military missions. This chicken shit and half baked way of governing our military has allowed the United Nations or a president to initiate the actions of our armed forces for far too long. Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and the conflict in Afghanistan all lack the necessary commitment, direction, and objectives necessary to militarily succeed. In my opinion, thousands upon thousands of our finest have been killed and maimed to settle civil wars and regional conflicts which were not in our national interest. While politicians lack the stomach to officially declare war, they revel in the micromanagement of our armed forces to serve their political ends.

Second, since the rise of a powerful media class, our military has been forced to employ rules of engagement and other sanctions placed on their ability to effectively wage war. In an early scene of "Lone Survivor" the decision to release the goatherders because of what "CNN" might say dooms the operation and causes over a dozen men to be killed. War is a nasty business of killing and its rules cannot be left to the musings of civilians guided by  "political correctness". Nothing about war can ever be correct or proper, and the worst of our nature is sometimes the only way to survive. The terrible decisions a soldier must make in order to survive should never be subject to what "CNN" might report. Sometimes what happens in the heat and passion of combat must remain a soldiers dark secret. Pompous talking heads and politicians would have little to say if they were veterans of gut wrenching combat experiences.

"Lone Survivor" correctly depicts another American war mismanaged by politicians. The movie also shows a good example of why our military cannot be subject to the relentless anti military scrutiny of CNN and other media bullies. As the winds of public opinion push and pull poll numbers, Americans must demand political leaders to respect our armed forces with the backing of formal war declarations and the ground rules to succeed. Continuing to use our military force as mercenaries for political reasons in undeclared wars is a national disgrace. 

A COSTLY WAR LOST BY AMERICAN PROGRESSIVES & LIBERALS

Recently we marked the 50th anniversary of the "War on Poverty" declared by President Lyndon Johnson. This failed war is his everlasting legacy, and an extension of the progressive ideas of Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt.  Additionally, this "War on Poverty" has been happily embraced by liberal politicians since 1964. The idea to redistribute the nations wealth from the taxpayer class to the poor has been a colossal failure. Over the life of this "War" anyone questioning the massive expenditures was quickly labeled a grinch, racist, or someone wanting to starve grandma and helpless little children.

Johnson's "War on Poverty" is a turd from the toliet bowl of socialism which failed in the Soviet Union, China, and many other countries. The old concept of government redistributing a nations wealth has caused revolutions, class warfare, and misery in many nations. Needless to say, our national failure to win the "War on Poverty"  WILL NOT be widely reported by the liberal press.

Today the Washington Times and Rush Limbaugh did report a few specifics on this failed war. First, taxpayer dollars redistributed to abolish poverty over the last half century have amounted to almost 21 TRILLION DOLLARS. The poverty rate in 1965 was about 17 % and today it is 15 %.  In the last years of the Bush administration the poverty rate stood at 12.7 % . Further, we now have 47 million people on food stamps, up an amazing 13 million since obama took office five years ago.

By any standard, tons of money have been used and wasted with very little meaningful improvement for the poor. Since the poverty rate has remained unchanged over the years, one might ask where the money went ? In my opinion, much of the money has been shamelessly squandered on thousands of bureaucrats with fat salaries working in fancy federal office buildings. The money, food stamps, free food, free phones, free housing, and government checks sent to the poor have established an underclass of hopeless people. Older generations have taught younger generations how to play the system and live off the dole. To maximize their payouts, too many poor people have had too many babies raised in fatherless homes where education was set as a low priority. Like buzzards, liberal and progressive politicians have bought the votes of the poor with promised new handouts and speeches on class warfare. In election after election, the poor have been trained to vote like mindless zombies.

As obama and is liberal pals demand extensions of unemployment compensation, obamacare changes, a higher minimum wage, a war on the rich, and looser immigration laws, there will be NO OFFICIAL WASHINGTON celebration or commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the "War on Poverty". Interesting that king obama of the progressive world of liberals, WILL NOT speechify  "The War on Poverty", but rather he will continue to demand more money to prop up his ponzi schemes of socialism.
   

OUR MARCH PRAYER ....

Dear president obama, as we glory in another month of  hope and change under your enlightened rule, may we be granted a side order of global warming, climate change or whatever it's called this week. You see we really need to thaw our toes and noses, get back to work and get the kids back in school. We trust thee o prince of the Potomac, and magnificent messiah of Chicago & Hawaii to deliver the heat.

Dear blessed one, you have repeatedly told us evil business men and republicans cause the polar caps to melt and drown fuzzy polar bears, so please power your social progressiveness to make it warm. We beseech thee to appoint al gore or a czar to turn up the global thermostat a few degrees even at the risk of flooding Manhattan or Miami.

Dear almighty obama, we humbly thank you for the gifts you have bestowed over the last six years. We praise thee for the many new jobs, end to poverty, glorious new less costly healthcare plans, an end to class warfare, a minimum wage equal to the bosses pay, free phones, free tuition, and so many other free government treasures. Now, we grovel before your altar chilled to the bone and beg the favor of the global warming you've promised us for so many years.

Dear holy obama, on bended knee please send us some heat and snow melt.

  

COMMANDER IN THIEF

Of all presidents, obama is proving to be the chief "commander in thief " in the history of our republic.

He has qualified for this dreadful distinction because of his firm belief that socialism is a good idea. He is so committed to this wrong headed philosophy he is happy forcing it on all Americans. Disregarding all historical evidence that socialism is a flawed concept, he has striven to attach it's destructive elements into our social and economic lives. Wilson, Roosevelt, Johnson, Carter, and Clinton were minor progressives compared to obama.

obama's cure for all our social and economic problems is too appropriate more money from taxpayers, and re distribute it through government bureaucracies to many undeserving people. He steals from the producers of the nations wealth, and displaying great generosity doles it out to get votes. The trillions spent in the last half century by liberal democrats has not ended poverty. Rather, the endless array of government give away schemes robs hope from millions of people and destroys family values. Thanks to the progressive and socialist movement of the twentieth century, America now has a permanent and growing economic underclass. Too many millions of capable workers choose to remain absent from the workplace and live off handouts. obama and other like minded progressives have stolen hope from many citizens capable of work, but poorly motivated because of welfare handouts of subsidized almost free free housing food, telephones, health care, etc.

obama breaks the rules of the Constitution to achieve his agenda, and appoints unelected czars to get around the well established laws of checks and balances within the government. To maintain popularity and donations from a minority of  uber left wing donors, he is destroying the foundations which made America an "Exceptional" nation. Our most basic liberties and free market advantages are under assault from obama. Whether it's obamacare, the size and style of light bulbs, the content of our diet, the privacy of our phones, the fairness of the IRS, or other offenses, obama is stealing from our nation's treasury of admirable qualities.

obama's state of the union tirade will proclaim equal distribution of income and services for the impoverished and illegal aliens. This siren song trades "free" products and services in return for votes. The media, educated and social elitists will continue to support obama or risk being called called racist if they question the "commander in thief".