Another Obama Speech, more Shenanigans

I have not been writing my comments on current events lately, partly because I am too busy, but also because there has not been much new. Current political events are merely elaborations on the themes of one or two years ago. For instance, see my post of August 11, 2009, Mixed-Up Economy: We Are All Blood Suckers Now. The war of ideas between the Keynesian outlook and the Free market/Small Government school rages even more today.

Another theme of this blog, which has never been as obvious as now, is the observation that generally liberals accuse conservatives of doing exactly what they do, or plan on doing soon. (Such as their accusations of "uncivil" remarks from conservatives.) Today, Obama waved a newspaper and stated that the Republicans oppose his so-called jobs bill because it is to their political advantage, without regard to the damage to the country of not going along with his latest scheme. In actuality, it would seem to me very politically courageous to oppose Obama's proposal to hand out more stimulus money. For conservatives, who believe that less government intervention in the economy will ultimately bring the best results, it could be political suicide to advocate abandonment of bailouts and other government largess.

On the other hand, it may not be difficult to make the point that the "jobs bill" would not save any jobs, and is intended primarily to save Obama's job. He asks that our congressional representatives pass the bill right away, presumably before they have time to read it, just as they passed the other masterpieces of the Harry Reid bill writing factory. Those bills are never what we are told they are. We have to pass the bill "to see what is in it," as Nancy Pelosi tells us. (For instance, we just learned that if congress does not adopt the suggestions of the super-committee of bipartisan spending cutters, we will automatically get cuts to the military and cuts to what medical providers are paid by medicare. It was advertised that there would be cuts to medicare but it was not explained how the cuts would come about. Doctor fees are already cut to the bone.) No telling what will be lurking in the hundreds of pages of the latest Obamination.

What does seem obvious is that the new bill is the same as the old bill. It is a way of looting the treasury and giving the proceeds to his constituents, i.e. to serve Obama's political ends. The primary constituents to be rewarded are, as usual, the unions, especially government unions. There was little or no economic stimulant effect the first time. The Austrian school of free market economics, as well as the Gods of the Copybook Headings, would explain that only the free market can allocate recourse's to fill our most urgent needs. Government intervention only makes things worse with unintended consequences. Bailing out state government workers, for instance, only prolongs the problem of wages and benefits being too high. A 5% cut in government salaries would be a better way to avoid government layoffs. Longterm changes in government pension systems also are needed as soon as possible.

Glenn Beck had a guess the speech segment this morning. He played cuts from Obama's speech advancing the 2009 stimulus bill and his speech the other day pushing the "jobs bill'" You had to guess which speech was which. The only difference that I heard was the new strident, almost threatening tones of the president. He seemed to be ordering congress to pass this latest bill. I guess he was desperate, and ought to be.

The Continuing Non-Debate Debate

In 1993 President Clinton established the President’s Council on Sustainable Development, headed by Al Gore. If I ever heard of it, I took no notice, as was probably intended. When I started trying to learn about global warming, I was surprised at the almost total lack of objective scientific debate. This policy statement explains what happened to the debate we were promised:

"The Council should not debate the science of global warming, but should instead focus on the implementation of national and local greenhouse gas reduction policies and activities, and adaptations in the U.S. economy and society that maximize environmental and social benefits, minimize economic impacts, and are consistent with U.S. international agreements."

Why Al Gore Refuses to Debate Anyone

I heard a commentator speculate recently that he thought there could be credible opposition to President Obama for the Democrat nomination. He thought that the most likely contender would be Al Gore. I cannot think of anyone else who would cause me to wish for four more years of Barack Obama.

Atlas Shrugs said it first: We Are All Birthers Now

Your Papers, please, Mr. President

FEC Commission, Requesting Obama Birth Certificate Investigation UPDATE: SIGN THE PETITION:

A New Twist in Obama Birth Certificate Mystery

All you ever (or never) wanted to know about the "Birth Certificate" controversy:

http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/obamas_birth_certifcate_forgery/

The first three links are to three of 63 posts dating to before the presidential election on the website of "Atlas Shrugs." The last link is to the entire article where Atlas discusses the various posts and ties some of the issues together. This goes into scrubbing the internet and possibly altering official records by BHO operatives, and even to the murder of a witness. This is a whole lot more that a few second rate burglars breaking into the Watergate. The official reaction and the press reaction, that is the cover-up, is the story, not the birth certificate. It gets more bazaar and intresting all the time.

Why the Barack Obama Birth Certificate Issue Is Legitimate

The Obama birthplace, i.e. birther question is a bit of a sticky wicket and a can of worms. There are many subtle issues. My bottom line is that it is an interesting story for historians to discuss, but it is not something that will get Obama out of office, so why bother.

However, there are two types of birth certificates and Obama presented a copy on line of one but not the other. The birthers ask, "where is the other one(the original one) on which the certified, computer generated one, is based?"

The question is: Are there two types of Hawaiian birth certificates. The answer is yes, The actual original (usually signed by the doctor) and A computer generated certified copy containing, "the contents of any certificate." (The validity of the certificates is a different, more complex question.) (See HRS §338-13 Certified copies;

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol06_Ch0321-0344/HRS0338/HRS_0338-0013.htm )

A detailed discussion of this is at:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Discuss:Is_a_certification_of_live_birth_the_same_thing_as_a_birth_certificate_in_Hawaii#ixzz1J0WTZrjb .

A summary along the same lines, also addressing other birther issues, is at:


Why the Barack Obama Birth Certificate Issue Is Legitimate

Atlas Shrugs Food for Thought

We are getting a strong dose of socialism along with the expected results: depressed, stagnant economic activity. In addition we are getting increased government spending, borrowing, and printing of money, which is the usual socialist fix to economic stagnation, which as usual, only make the problem worse.


We have riots and wars throughout the Middle East, all of which we should have kept our nose out of, except the Iranian pro-democratic riots, which were the only ones the our government did not support.

I usually feel better when I listen to Atlas Shruggs (Pam Geller) or Sarah Palin, so here is Atlas talking about Sarah:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ycPSsERhbo&feature=related


and on Ann Coulter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz8VbtHJp3M&feature=related


Atlas gets quite serious discussing radical Islam:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkiqzpXKNVQ


lastly, Atlas on Obamacare, Tea Parties, Climate Justice...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEmlye62sfw&NR=1


Fabulous News: The movie Atlas Shrugged comes out in a few weeks.

Truth Links

New lights of truth and common sense.

http://www.larryelder.com/

Mr. Elder filling in for Mark Levin on Wednesday March 30:

http://www.marklevinshow.com/sectional.asp?id=32930#


To hear Off The Wall Street economics commentary, the stock market, and who is a liar and who should be in Jail:

http://www.philsgang.com/

Government Salaries must be Reduced

Any fool can see that this is obvious, except the fools in congress, our state legislatures, and the press. After proposals for modest benefit cuts, Wisconsin government workers are literally marching in the streets. We have heard cries from our liberal Democrat legislators that cuts are an attack against wage earners, the middle class, and American families. The liberals, as always, renew their attacks against the 'wealthy.' They do not say that government workers already earn, on the average, twice what non-government workers earn. That is, we the people are forced to pay our public servants twice as much we make ourselves.

The liberal reaction is akin to the accusations of racism we heard when conservatives objected to government mandated home loans to low income borrowers. In that instance, the conservatives backed down and cowered in the corner. Now the original proponents of those loans, such as Barney Frank, blame the Republicans for the ultimate financial melt-down caused by those loans. He said its not his fault because the Republicans were in power at the time.

What is the lesson? Republicans should stop backing down. (And they should keep reminding us that it was Frank, Dodd, Raines, Cuomo, Obama (as an ACORN lawyer), et al, who caused the financial crisis. Bank insolvencies were a direct result of their own activities under the auspices of government.) Lesson two – only government can cause the really big problems, private industry can’t do it on their own.

Current government expenditures should be controlled by reducing wages and benefits of employees, including pensions. Bigger structural changes to Medicare, Social Security, etc. can follow. If cuts are not made, state governments will need federal bail-outs and the federal government, which is also broke, will have to print more money. When all this results in government lay offs and extreme inflation, the liberals will then blame failure of the free market, as they always do. I do not think the public is composed of big enough fools to be taken in this time.