Does Corporatism Equal Conservatism?
Posted on November 14, 2008
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Is the free market economy run by corporations or markets?
The existence of the legal form of organization known as the corporation is not dependent on the existence of free markets. Those who castigate corporatism and equate it with the political right do so with some degree of error. Corporations are an oft-used whipping boy in Hollywood. Corporations are always unfeeling evil-doers. They are in league with those other pariahs of the left… hunters in plaid jackets and earflap caps.
Veteran’s Day
Posted on November 11, 2008
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I heard someone wish another person “Happy Veteran’s Day”. I thought Veteran’s Day is not necessarily a happy day. It isn’t as sad as Memorial Day should be. It just is.
I’m not a veteran, but my Dad served in WWII. His dad, my grandfather was a vet. He actually pre-dated WWI. He fought cannibals in the Philippine Islands.
I really connected with it all when I was in Europe. My business finished early on Thursday in Amsterdam and I had to be in Munich the next Monday. Rather than mess around in Amsterdam over the weekend, a place I’d been a number of times, I decided to rent a car and drive to Munich. With most of my European trips to Britain, I hadn’t had the opportunity to view the continent other than the large cities.
I drove through the Netherlands, through Belguim and ended up in Luxembourg in the late afternoon. I decided to stay there. I didn’t realize it, but one of the major WWII service cemetaries was just down the street from my hotel. It was late and the cemetary was closed, but I stood there looking through the fence at row after row of headstones. The cemetary was beautiful. As I took in the sight, I could feel the heavy weight of lost opportunity. Of lives sacrificed for my family and me. Me. These young men taken in the prime of their lives did it selflessly. That feeling… those images have stayed with me in the intervening years. When Veteran’s Day comes around, I relive that scene. I marvel and am in awe of the incredible sacrifice of human life in the Civil War, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf I & II.
Veteran’s Day should not be used as a vehicle for anti-war sentiment, but a means to remember that the world we live in is not necessarily a nice place. If we don’t stand up for what we believe, it will be taken from us. That’s what these people gave their lives for.
But Veteran’s Day is not just about remembering fallen heroes, but also those who remain unfallen. Those who had to experience the horrors, the losses of their brothers in arms, and yet, be proud of their victories. Without those victories the world would be a different place.
Vietnam is a different story. The Vietnam-era vets served and have every reason to be proud of their service as any other veteran. Victory was stolen from them by those in political power. The Gulf War II we are fighting now may yet result in no victory but cowardly withdrawal. Such an act will not diminish the sacrifice and achievements made by our fighting forces in the War on Terror in the middle eastern fronts. It only serves to diminish those politicians in power who, with feckless acts abandon the principles and spirit of victory in war that made our nation great.
Centering Conservatism
Posted on November 9, 2008
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Rich Lowry of National Review wrote a column appearing in the Washington Post this morning (11/9, 2008). It was titled “The Right Needs to Get Centered”. I have been reading a number of posts and articles by a movement of “young conservative turks” such as Ross Douthat and Ramesh Ponnuru. They are proclaiming that conservatism has to be transformed into a movement that provides more social programs for the center, such as increased child credits for families. Mr. Lowery’s column proposed that there is movement to get conservatism to move closer to the center to grab a greater swath of “conservatives”.
What now? Glimmers of Hope…
Posted on November 7, 2008
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With Obama’s pick of Rahm Emanuel as his Chief of Staff and the inability of the Dems to get a filibuster-proof Senate, there are some structural impediments to the Reid-Pelosi Wacky Left in place.
One of my concerns about an Obama administration is the gutting of the pro-Israeli factions in the administration. I feel that a pro-Israeli stance is key to the perpetuation of the thin balance the West has in the politically boiling Islamist Middle East. With the taint of Obama’s past relationship with Rashid Khalidi offset by Emanuel, there is now balance in the White House.
A number of commentators have remarked about how difficult it is for Presidents to work with the Legislative Branch. I forgot how tough it was for Carter to govern with Congress. So with a tough Emanuel in the White House who likely knows how to eviserate opponents as well as brush his teeth, Obama won’t get rolled by the feckless Congress we are currently saddled with. Make no mistake, Obama will want a second term. He won’t get it if Pelosi-Reid rule the roost. There is a reason Congress’ ratings are in the tank and it isn’t just due to Republican foibles.
The other balance point rests with the paper thin filibuster-ability of the GOP. In matters of the War on Terror, there is at least one Democrat caucuser (Lieberman) who won’t stand for a weak defense. I think we may be in for the usual disappointment from RINO republicans on domestic matters, but there is still some hope that the more radical measures may be killed in the Senate.
Musings Amidst The Ashes
Posted on November 5, 2008
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It’s not very pleasant to taste the bitter ashes of defeat. It’s something that I have been doing for the last 20 hours since it dawned on me that the GOP didn’t make the grade. Ain’t America grand?
Obama’s Campaign: One has to hand it to Obama and Axlerod for putting on a really effective campaign, from obfuscation, lying, illegal campaign contributions, and dubious activities mixed in with superb organization and an overwhelmingly positive press presence, Obama’s organization deserved to win.
Obama himself? Mister HOPE & CHANGE? He’s an empty suit, a pawn of the extreme left in all of this. Engaging in oratory. Something of a pedantic personality. All the stars aligned to make him President-Elect. We also now have Sen. Gaffe-Biden as our Vice President-Elect. Ain’t America grand?
McCain’s Campaign: He was a loser from the beginning. Ever since Ted Olsen and Charlie Crist endorsed him and the Republican establishment pushed him into the lead in Florida, I knew he was going to be a disaster. He was. I was on record writing he was the wrong candidate. No crow to eat there. The Palin VP decision was the real act of putting lipstick on a pig. Palin’s lipstick to McCain’s pig. McCain lost huge chunks of the base with his senatorial policies (including me). Another Dole… that’s what my mind flashed from Super Tuesday to Election Tuesday. He proved me right.
Sub Rosa Radical
Posted on November 1, 2008
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As one finds our more about Sen. Obama, one discovers more dots to connect. If you take out the rhetoric and look at actions and associations, the message is clear. Obama is a far left radical. He associates with them, he is friends with them, his voting record is one of the most, if not the most, liberal of any Senator. His electoral tactics indicate time and again that the end justifies the means.
Rumors of Conservatism’s Death are Exaggerated
Posted on October 30, 2008
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There has been a movement for sometime, at least since the 2006 GOP electoral breakdown, that have claimed that conservatism is dead. That the GOP needs to be rebranded. That the GOP will forever remain the minority party. I’ll bet that those claiming this are by and large the same group that have either endorsed Obama or slammed the existence of Sarah Palin.
The truth is conservatism is not dead. It just is not led by the elites. Conservatism is not led by anyone at this moment. So is conservatism leaderless? Yes. You have Newt Gingrich roaming around. You have various think tanks and special interest groups, but there is no “conservative” organization. I have been seeking such a group… but it doesn’t exist that I know of. And if I don’t know of it, that means most conservatives don’t either. But that doesn’t mean conservatism is dead. It just means it lacks coherent organization, not coherent ideas.
Pre-Election Depression
Posted on October 26, 2008
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The old adage, “Never discuss Religion and Politics” is really true. Thinking so much about this election is dangerous. It leads to headaches and depression if you are a conservative. Here we have the overwhelmingly liberal mainstream media pounding lies and misdirection into the heads of the nation’s voters and where are the Republicans?
Here we have an obviously fraudulent credit card fund raising operation by Obama’s campaign and where is the outrage? Where are the stories? Where is the FEC?
Here we have a radical leftist revolutionary… a RED (as in commie) trojan horse for a president. All of Obama’s past history and associations put him squarely in the clutches of the left… in his books he even reminds us that is where he was searching for his identity. He found his identity and sealed it in stone attending Trinity United for twenty years. Where is there any reporting even bringing this up? Nowhere, not even on FOX News.
Here we have Barney Frank, conscience of the the House wanting to soak the rich into submission after more rescue (read income redistribution programs) for the nation. We have House hearings on nationalizing the citizenry’s private tax-sheltered retirement programs. Where is the reporting? Where is the outrage? Where are the calls against this blatant socialism?
One gets depressed thinking about that and how weak the Establishment Republican leaders have made our party and our nation. The Republicans were in the majority when McCain wrote his 2004 or 2005 letter cautioning about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Where leadership was required, our establishment Republican leadership failed the nation. The blame for our “loss of brand” comes not from the people, but from the top. Look at the turnout at Gov. Palin’s rallies. She brings in tons of people wanting to listen to a clear message. The class warfare a lot of rank and file Republicans/conservatives see is the leadership of their own party versus themselves. The principles of conservatism and small government haven’t changed. The Republicans in both houses have, in fact, lost those principles and have accepted the “collegiality of the Senate” and the aura of privilege of the House. Not all have, but enough to have damaged our reputation.
Now we see our nation at the precipice of turning sharply left. It may be such a turn that we may never be able to get on the right track again… only make the best of a bad, bad thing.
We stand by helplessly as the government enslaves another 15% of the electorate into it’s dole system of not having to pay taxes to their government. We see our abilities to make choices being discussed by radical leftists in the House. If Obama is a radical leftist, the Senate is our only control against these gross intrusions on American Exceptionalism.
What a mess! I’ll be voting for McCain… I can only hope enough others do.
Fair to Whom?
Posted on October 20, 2008
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Obama and the Dem’s leadership keep crying about fairness. Fairness in taxes, fairness in health care, fairness in education, fairness in mortgages, fairness on the radio… fairness in everything. The party and liberalism is based on leveling the playing field. But why are they the ones to define fairness?
Effective Obama Ads.
Posted on October 20, 2008
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You need to view all of these ads from this group. They are good encapsulations of what a number of people (including me) have been whining about Obama all these months. When you look at one, continue to look at the group Let Freedom Ring. (hat tip to RedState)
Obama continually lies, obfuscates and distorts his past, his present and his future to the detriment of right thinking Americans.
keep looking »