Populism

On occasion, I like to introduce word definitions to the blog. In politics, there are words out there that I think most of us know the meaning of. If we don't know the exact definition, we know enough about the English language to derive the general meaning.

Yesterday I was listening to a reporter discuss one of the latest bright ideas of the Obama administration: bank fees for 2011 totaling about $100 billion dollars. Rumor has it that reports will soon be released for 2009 boasting heavy profits and perhaps even (gasp) bonuses will go to those who are responsible. So, they must be punished! The administration is not bothering to point out that unlike other industries (GM, AIG), most of the banks have paid back their TARP money plus interest.

Multiple times in the report, the journalist used the word "populism" and something about his use made me think there was more meaning to the word than my own interpretation of the administration doing what was popular. So, thanks to dictionary.com:

pop·u·lism

1. A political philosophy supporting the rights and power of the people in their struggle against the privileged elite.

2. The movement organized around this philosophy.

Aha...The government needs money. The banks are known for paying up. There is a widespread movement in this country against those who have money. The government plans to use this ideological movement to their political advantage to gain public support for a plan that unfairly punishes banks who have performed well under difficult circumstances. Wow. The power of a word to open your eyes.

When did Americans start this crazy "take from the top" mentality? Is this the result of watching ridiculous reality shows about lazy rich people in their ridiculously decked out homes? Does America think that is how you get rich?

Along the same rant, Obama met with unions this week to discuss health care. One of the union representatives interviewed about it touted the importance of making sure that "working people's" needs are met in this legislation. Again, the politics of words. I'm so sick of unions claiming they represent "working people." People all over the country are fending for their own benefits and salaries every day as they work to try to hang on to their job. They don't have a fat union watching over them, so I guess they are not really "working?" Nobody is at the table for them in this health care scam.

I think it is most important to realize that the government only uses this ideology to gain power. They are not ACTUALLY going to take from the "haves" and give it to the "have-nots." They just use it to sell their government expansion policies.

Cold

A friend forwarded this to me today and it made me laugh. Since it seems to be unusually cold everywhere, I think all will enjoy this today.



Now, let me give you a heads up: It will warm up in a few months. Then we will be paying unusually high prices for produce due to the damaged crops this month. While those of us willing to pay the price for fresh produce (in order to maintain our own good health) are paying the higher prices, the now-warm Democrats will be figuring out ways to send more of our money to the farmers who lost their crops. I doubt the farmers will seen a dime, but this will enable legislators to fund a global warming study and put a little cash into the pockets of the green intellectuals who vote for them. Those are, after all, some of the few jobs that have been "saved" in all of this nonsense. Saved until their grant money runs out, at least. Capitalism is really far simpler. Really!

Change I Believe In

I've been driving by this place for a few weeks with the intention of stopping to take a picture. Someone beat me to it and it's making it's way through cyber-space now. I love it. I really love that it's right around the corner from me too...I knew I was on good land!

It just so happens that I am in need of an oil change, so I guess I could be a Nobel Peace Prize winner by 2010.

Another favorite that I saw on Facebook today:

Photograph courtesy of CJL

See why I have faith in the American people?

Santa in Washington

In the usual fashion of Handout Politics, it looks like Obama and his Democrats are trying to play Santa Claus this week. Tomorrow morning they will go through the motions and vote in the Senate on what appears to be an already done deal. I've deliberated on posting about this for weeks: What to say? As I watched the news this morning it hit me that there may be no stopping the reckless, liberal agenda in Washington no matter what the people of America want. I'm still holding out that this is not what Americans want, even if they voted for the people in charge.

I'll give my top arguments:

#1. An automatic 20% cut in Medicare reimbursements is on the table. After Medicare cuts are in force, insurance reimbursements will follow suit. Our economy is struggling with unemployment over 10%. This is not the time to make sweeping motions that cut profits in 17% of the economy by 20%.

#2. #1 brings me to my second argument which is really of equal weight. This is completely and utterly unconstitutional. The mere fact that the government has the power to simply destroy profits in the private sector would make the founders of our country roll over in their graves.

#3. Coverage for abortions. It's there. Taxpayers will be paying for it. Again, it is unconstitutional for the government to take my money and use it in such a vile manner. Abortion is such a hot button issue. The country has always been divided on the legality of it - but I hold out that even those who feel like women should have the right to an abortion do not want to pay for others to get one.

#4. Coverage for illegal immigrants. What to say...they already get care and don't pay for it. I guess this just burns me because it would legitimize their law breaking lifestyle (and encourage their allegiance to the Democratic party!) Dems have been pushing for illegals to have voting rights for years. This is nothing but purchased votes.

#5. Office of Minority Health. Look it up. It's a provision in the health care Christmas package that establishes new federal bureaucracies within 6 already existing health care agencies. So what, you say? It funnels money, in the form of federal grants, into such organizations as ACORN (and there are plenty of others who don't make the news) specifically marked for communities of color. How is racial tension EVER suppose to go away when "communities of color" is part of our legislative language to send money to specific racial groups?

#6. Just because I think it's funny, and sad - A provision is in the Senate bill that insurance plans covering dependents will be mandated to offer that insurance to "children" up to the age of 26. 26??? Get out of your mother's basement already, get a JOB, get your own insurance. This is the perfect example of government involvement breeding laziness and lack of accountability in the lives of Americans.

Job Summit, Bah Humbug!

Wow, Thanksgiving came and went without me having the opportunity to blog that I was thankful Congress was also on vacation. I didn't feel a nagging sense of panic wondering what might be happening behind the curtain in Washington while America relaxed a bit and focused on family and traditions and the values that founded this great country.

Now we're back in full swing and there's no need to pinch yourself: Obama IS still the President. He has spoken/appeared/graced us with his presence twice this week. Today while I was working out to the news speculation of the Jobs Summit/campaign speech/photo opportunity, my mind was spinning.

Do any of the radical, intellectual, Ivy League graduates in the Obama "White House" Campaign realize that if they would just stop talking new jobs might actually appear? I mean, in that short Thanksgiving week some of us almost started thinking there was actual hope (I hate that he tainted that word!) on the horizon. We laughed about the past, enjoyed the presence, and looked forward to the future.

Then Obama and liberal Congress open their mouths and every productive person in the country gets nervous. Why should anyone expand their business right now and create jobs? A 10% tax increase is on the horizon in just 13 months. Health care costs that are already crippling small businesses are only going to increase while tax hikes and penalties for not enrolling employees in government health care will hurt on the other end. Cap and Trade is going to kill American businesses.

Everything the White House is saying they want to do will kill jobs. Why would any American out there do anything beyond try to hang on to the job they have? I've got a serious bee in my bonnet on this today. The fact that the words "community organizations" are a part of the job creation rhetoric makes me seriously crazy. Honey, if you're getting this you might not want to come home today! :)

Just for fun, if you've missed the latest polls here is some of the Rasmussen data this week:

• 30% of voters say the country is heading in the right direction.
• 71% of voters nationwide say they’re at least somewhat angry about the current policies of the federal government. That figure includes 46% who are Very Angry.
• 53% of voters are still opposed to the current health care legislation.
• 48% of voters are expecting their taxes to go up under Obama. Contrast with only 9% who think theirs will go down.

I'd like to propose a poll:

Do you think The Obama "White House" Campaign and Congress are trying to trying to ruin the country? Yes, No, or Maybe?

My answer is maybe. It looked like inexperience, naivety, and stupidity for a while. Now it starting to look like a calculated effort to destroy the fiber of our country. How could all of these people be so smart and really be that dumb?

ClimateGate

cli⋅mate gate [klahy-mit gayte]

–noun

1. disclosure of Climate Research Unit global warming files showing conspiracy, collusion in exaggerating warming data, possibly illegal destruction of embarrassing information, organized resistance to disclosure, manipulation of data, private admissions of flaws in their public claims and much more.

2. leaked files show that prominent scientists were so wedded to theories of man-made global warming that they ridiculed dissenters who asked for copies of their data, plotted how to keep researchers who reached different conclusions from publishing, and concealed apparently buggy computer code from being disclosed under the Freedom of Information law.

Synonyms:
3. fraud, crime, deceit, lies.

Why does this matter? Computer models have been erected upon this data, which have been incorporated into governmental and U.N. reports, which have become the basis for actual and proposed government policies.

So what? The Cap and Trade bill and the EPA's plans to regulate carbon dioxide are based on these computer models. In international politics: The Copenhagen summit is coming up where the sovereignty of the United States may hang by a thread in the name of "global warming."

So, unlike last year's buzz word "vetting" this one really matters!

•Details of this definition courtesy of CBSnews.com, realclearpolitics.com, and Telegraph.co.uk.

Arguing With Idiots Frontrunner

Glenn Beck is holding an "Arguing With Idiots" video contest on YouTube. This is the current frontrunning video. It's not my favorite out there, but must be striking a cord with others!

It's Been Said...

I've heard bits and pieces of this quote, but decided today to look it up in its entirety. I'm a believer that truth is truth, no matter when it is spoken, and history definitely repeats itself.

Is it not high time for the people of this country explicitly to declare whether they will be freemen or slaves? It is an important question, which ought to be decided. It concerns us more than anything in this life. The salvation of our souls is interested in the event; for wherever tyranny is established, immorality of every kind comes in like a torrent. It is the interest of tyrants to reduce the people to ignorance and vice, for they cannot live in any country where virtue and knowledge prevail. The religion and public liberty of the people are intimately connected: their interests are interwoven; they cannot subsist separately, and, therefore, they rise and fall together. For this reason, it is always observable that those who are combined to destroy the people's liberties practice every art to poison their morals. How greatly then does it concern us, at all events, to put a stop to the progress of tyranny. It has advanced already by far too many strides. We are this moment upon a precipice. The next step may be fatal to us. Let us, then, act like wise men, calmly look around us, and consider what is best to be done. Let us converse together upon this most interesting subject, and open our minds freely to each other. Let it be the topic of conversation in every social club. Let every town assemble. Let associations and combinations be everywhere set up to consult and recover our just rights.

~Samuel Adams, 1772

Competition

John Stossel has an informative piece out this morning on the bill passed by the House. Click here to read the entire article. He addresses the argument by politicians that they are "bringing us competition" nicely:

Competition is a "discovery procedure," Nobel-prize-winning economist F. A. Hayek taught. Through the competitive market process, we producers and consumers constantly learn things that force us to adjust our behavior if we are to succeed. Central planners fail for two reasons:

First, knowledge about supply, demand, individual preferences and resource availability is scattered -- much of it never articulated -- throughout society. It is not concentrated in a database where a group of planners can access it.

Second, this "data" is dynamic: It changes without notice.

No matter how honorable the central planners' intentions, they will fail because they cannot know the needs and wishes of 300 million different people. And if they somehow did know their needs, they wouldn't know them tomorrow.

I think at least half of the politicians leading this parade know this and just don't care. This is simply about power. Everybody is at the table for a piece of the pie: Politicians will come away with more power, big pharma has struck their own deals, insurance companies have their hands in the pot, and even Walmart gets something. The only people missing from the discussion is patients and their doctors - aside from the 150 who showed up to be preached to at the White House last month.

I hear about people who think this is the beginning of lower health care costs for their families. That is a gross misunderstanding. If you currently pay for your own health care, at best you will be paying the same or more for (hopefully) the same care. The only difference is that you will be paying higher taxes and perhaps higher private insurance premiums to subsidize the new government health care plans. What if you can't afford your own rising health care costs? There is an answer: you go on the government plan. This is going to fall hard on the heads of the middle class and it's a shame.

*I have to add that I thought it was ironic Stossel pointed to a Nobel Prize winner for his quote about competition.

What to Say?

I've been waiting to post something about this past weekend's health care bill vote in the House, but not much is coming to me. I surfed the web tonight reading about the topic here and there. I thought some bright inspiration would come. Something inspired, maybe? Here's what I came up with:

1. The bill passed.
2. 52% of Americans are still against it. (Rassmussen on Monday)
3. Republicans still think there is hope that the Senate will listen to Americans and not pass the public option plan.

Who really knows on #3 considering that #2 has been the same for months and it didn't impact #1. That's all I have to say about that.