Three Articles The Politicians (And You) Need To Read

Not only the Democrats, but the Republicans are about to pay a price for not listening to the American electorate.

Not the vocal, visible minority; no.

I mean the persons Who Pay The Bills.

You and I.

See:

Also:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement today on the “security” agenda offered by Democrat leaders Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Harry Reid (D-NV):

“The Democrats’ years of negligence in addressing the real safety and security needs of the American people provide a very clear choice between Republicans and Democrats on security issues.

“While Democrats have openly advocated cutting and running from our efforts to support democracy in Iraq, Republicans continue to build upon our strong record on national security by funding our troops fighting terror around the world and supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

“While Democrats seem more interested in protecting the rights of terrorists than the American people, Republicans passed the PATRIOT Act to give law enforcement the tools necessary to combat terrorism, protect our citizens, and secure our communities.

“While Democrats focus more on protecting the rights of illegal immigrants than enforcing our immigration laws, Republicans have voted to secure our borders, give law enforcement new tools to enforce our immigration laws, and help prevent terrorist and criminal aliens from moving freely throughout our society.

“The Democrats, led by Nancy Pelosi, opposed the Patriot Act, opposed REAL ID legislation, and opposed efforts to strengthen and secure our borders. And they remain unable and unwilling to articulate a cohesive strategy for supporting our troops and winning the War on Terror.

“When it comes to national security, their answer is the same as it is for everything else: no. A media stunt will not eclipse their record of obfuscation and neglect on national and border security.”

BZ

Creating Larger Entitlement Attitudes Domestically and Abroad


At left, French rioters try to wrestle a video camera from a journalist during a continuing national protest by students and unions, demanding that the French government scrap a contentious youth jobs law, during a demonstration in Paris on Tuesday.

In Britain, almost two million local government workers went on strike Tuesday, closing thousands of schools and disrupting travel. Eleven labor unions combined to stage the 24-hour protest which, they said, would be the biggest strike since 1926.

UK workers are demonstrating against a plan to force some public sector employees to work longer, or face a reduced pension if they retire at 60.

Though Bill Clinton says that Britain’s government, economy and social system is the envy of the United States, Britain’s state and private pensions system is straining from the rising cost of an aging workforce. The UK faces a 57 billion pound ($100 billion US) shortfall in retirement savings which is around five percent of the country’s entire Gross Domestic Product.

Here, protests are still occurring over the illegal immigration issue, though the Senate Judiciary Committee panel broke with the House’s “get-tough” approach to illegal immigration on Monday and sent to the floor a broad revision of the nation’s immigration laws that would provide lawful employment to millions of illegal workers while offering work visas to hundreds of thousands of new immigrants every year — ending up with a granting of citizenship if the immigrant does in fact have a job, can pass a criminal background check, learn English and pay fines and back taxes — essentially what President Bush has proposed.

Republicans are widely split on the issue. Only 4 of the 10 Republicans on the committee supported the bill. They were the committee chairman, Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, and Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Mike DeWine of Ohio and Sam Brownback of Kansas. All eight Democrats on the committee voted in favor of the legislation.

In all, citizens of many western nations, the United States included, believe they are due certain inalienable rights, to include:

  • The right to cross into any nation and become a lawful citizen by dint of feet on soil;
  • The right to enjoy any and all benefits of that nation, as any other naturalized citizen;
  • The right to proclaim no allegiance to the nation inhabited;
  • The right to refuse to assimilate;
  • The right to complete healthcare, a “living wage” equal to that of any middle class tenured employee;
  • The right to obey only those laws one wishes, whenever one wishes;
  • The right to be assured of a job and not be fired, even for cause;
  • The right to be catered-to throughout one’s lifetime by government;
  • The right to owe nothing to the government or surrounding taxpayers for largesse enjoyed;
  • The right to change these rights at any time and, of course, to always demand more.

People, all I’m seeing is this:

Screeching masses demanding more. More. MORE.

And government having the temerity to actually consider not granting these demands.

Woe be to us all when governments cave, for this does nothing but imbue these governments with their primal fuel: power.

And then we will well and truly be lost and adrift.

BZ

(An aside: you think the Balkanization of the US, BTW, isn’t pondered? Go here.)

Blogging? Breathe A Sigh Of Relief


No.

You will not need a License To Blog.

You may now exhale.

The Federal Election Commission decided Monday (03-27) that the nation’s new campaign finance law will not apply to most political activity on the Internet.

In a 6-0 vote, the commission decided to regulate only paid political ads placed on another person’s Web site.

The decision means that bloggers and online publications will not be covered by provisions of the new election law. Internet bloggers and individuals will therefore be able to use the Internet to attack or support federal candidates without running afoul of campaign spending and contribution limits.

“The law was never intended to regulate private citizen communication on the Internet,” said Commission Vice Chairman Robert D. Lenhard. “I believe that we have achieved that goal today.”

Commissioners said the new rule also specifically changes several other FEC regulations to make it clear that Internet activity, such as blogging, e-mail communications and online publications, is not covered by the campaign law.

For example, the rule says individuals can use union or corporate computers or other electronic devices for political activity, as long they do it on their own time and are not coerced to engage in such activity by the union or corporation.

Bloggers would be entitled to the same exemption from the campaign finance law that newspapers and other traditional forms of media receive.

Chalk this up to the government, specifically the FEC, actually doing the right thing.

Shocking.

BZ

WE ARE A NATION OF LAWS — Or Are We?


I find it difficult to place myself into the mindset of another entire system of thinking, but I shall try, regarding the disparate sides involving illegal immigration. In truth, by even phrasing the issue as “illegal immigration” I have revealed a major portion of my mindset, say immigrant proponents. There are those who would prefer “undocumented” workers. Or what I would call “euphemisms.”

Oh, there I go again. Heavy sigh.

The issue of illegal immigration has come to the forefront recently because various bills are up in the US Capitol, and the weekend has been filled with scenes of protesters in Denver, Phoenix, Los Angeles and other locations.

I will attempt to list the talking or bullet points of immigrant proponents with the following:

  • These bills are racist as they only target Mexicans
  • America enjoys the sweat from workers’ brows but refuses to compensate them properly
  • The US is a nation of immigrants; why are Mexicans different?
  • We have the same rights as everyone else; we are already here in your country
  • You can’t just pretend that these people aren’t present

I strained my Brain Housing Group (BHG) but could elicit no further points. I’m sure this is a biased and racist conclusion.

First, let me attempt to address each above point.

— The bills are racist? No. I don’t care which nation you come from; if the issue were involving Canadians, you would be within my sights. Mexico just happens to be involved because it resides on our southern border and its people are flooding my country.

— America benefits from Mexican workers? — true. No dispute there. I have written at length about the tacitly corrupt and ethically improper benefits enjoyed by businesses and corporations nationwide. I’ll write it again: overall, the Democrats want the “voting block” and the Republicans want “the labor.” Both sides are ethically wrong on the issue. And it creates a situation where, with such a base, businesses must become corrupt in order to compete.

If business “A” can replace your roof for $17,000 using American or legal citizens, and business “B” can do it for $10,000 — who would you pick? If you are business “A” — how can you compete?

— The US is a nation of immigrants? Correct. But, like everything else, there is a limit to physicality. There is a limit to expansion. There is no more Manifest Destiny. We have reached our shores and our borders. We have a capacity. And at this point I proffer: there is No Vacancy for any number of reasons. When we can no longer build infrastructure (get over this, Greens!) then we can no longer afford to pack people into central warehousing districts — once known as cities. Where does the oil come from to power the additional cars? Where does the electricity come from to power the additional homes and drain? Where do the additional sewer systems come from to deal with the waste? Where does the water come from to slake the additional thirst? Where do the additional roads come from to deal with the additional traffic? Schools? Courts? Prisons? Law enforcement? Fire stations? Public works? Probation departments? Signage? Welfare? Entitlements? Medicare? Health care?

We will have to get down to this: do we lean towards quality, or do we lean towards quantity?

— We have the same rights as everyone? No, you do not. You are creating an extension that does not, by law, naturally exist. We are a nation of laws — or are we? — my base question.

— We can’t pretend immigrants don’t exist? True. They exist. It is then up to us to determine what we do with them. Do we roll them over into an amnesty program, deport them, or continue to pretend they are merely background? We either deal with this up front, now, or let it fester until it explodes in our face later. Anything paid for, later, is ALWAYS more expensive.

Now let me attempt to address what I see, starting with the above photograph.

I see people protesting the upcoming bills. These are people with an agenda, clearly. They are talking about America. I do not see an American flag. Oddly enough, I see a Mexican flag.

Allow me to stop right there. When I talk about this issue, I do not talk about the Spanish or the Hispanics. I talk about Mexicans. Because that is the issue. I do not recognize Latinos or Hispanics or Spanish. I recognize Mexicans. Because they are from Mexico. The country. Let me also allow another truism: Mexicans speak Spanish because they were conquered by Spain. They do not speak Mayan or Toltec or Aztec or any other number of formerly-indigenous indian languages. Compare the faces of those from Spain from those from Mexico.

I also see graffiti. Graffiti is commonly linked to Mexican gangs. For good reason. I also see a male on the right wearing a headband that falls so low as to shade his eyes. Also: gang related.

These are what I call Facts In Evidence.

I do not see an American flag. I do not see placards written in English. I see cards indicating “Si Se Puede.” Yes We Can.

Yes, the Los Angeles school system has 78% of its students who are Mexican. Indisputable.

Here is what I see:

A Sea of Ingrates.

They wave the flag of the country they seem to be so pleased to leave, and not the flag of the country they attempt to occupy.

Why leave Mexico? Why not stay, if one’s resolve is so strong?

I call these persons’ character into question. It must, by its presence at these protests, be flawed. You seem to expect entitlements. And privileges. And rights. That you would expect in your own nation?

You are ingrates, all. You should be blessing this country, that it could present you with such an unhindered (until now) opportunity. But I do not see you supporting my flag. I do not see you embracing my culture. I do not see you embracing my language. Gratitude moves to comtempt. I see you contemptuous of my country and my culture.

Free education. Free health care. Taking advantage of your melanin. And then bringing your corrupt culture to my shores? You are nothing more than brigands. You bring La Mordida, inculcated in every bureaucracy you create.

But oh no, the exception exists in your country. Any human being from Honduras, El Salvador, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Cuba, is to be ignored. I have visited your country, I know this from 2003 and 2004.

Why do you want to be here anyway? If your culture is so perfect why do you not embrace it and remain?

People: if we cannot defend our own borders, our own culture, our American Identity — then I submit we are collectively in Great Jeopardy.

BZ

To Rebecca: Only The Best!


Rebecca at Revka’s Take is leaving the blogosphere. She has made her last post today. I present her final posting:

Monday, March 27, 2006

Saying Goodbye!

To those of you who spend your time reading my blog, I want to thank you for your comments, and for the things I have learned from you as well.

I am going to sign off for good either tomorrow or the next day because I have had an opportunity arise that takes precedence over blogging.

I never thought about having online buddies, but I have made a few and it has been pretty cool! Mahndisa, Suzie, Gayle, Echotig, Big White Hat, Chatterbox -of course, A.Jacksonian, Bloviating Zeppelin, Ace in the Hole: Texas Fred, Dell Gines, James, Kirkrrt, Adrianne, and supplymadam, I do apologize if I forgot anyone!

I am heading out the door right now so I have to run! You all take care, and if I have time, I may do a blog honoring the people I have met in the blogosphere! I may continue to comment on your blogs when I have the time though!

P.S. I almost forgot about my troll friend, Josh Rosenau at “Thoughts from Kansas”.. Dude, what are you going to do now that I am not here? You will have to go elsewhere for material. All is forgiven on my end. You have a great day! (I mean that sincerely, not sarcastically).

____________________________________________

I left this comment on her blog:

Rebecca:

First, congratulations! It’s good when a person knows what they want to do, finds an opportunity, and then has the commitment and wherewithal to do it. Your devotion to autism is remarkable and the support group will find themselves only better for working with you and providing them with the drive I’m sure you possess — much to our detriment.

That said, I want to thank you personally for the times, writings, insight and humor you have provided not only me but all of us who have had the pleasure of “knowing” you in the Blogosphere.

You must do what you must do, and we all understand — that does not makes us any less sad or melancholy.

I would only ask this, if I could be so impertinent: leave up your blog, and throw a post at us whenever you might have a spare minute. It doesn’t matter how long or how frequently you write — it’s just that we’ve all gotten used to you and, greedy us, or at least me, we don’t want to see you go away. I don’t think it’s more complicated than that.

Now, go do what you must and enjoy your new tasks. I know you’ll do well and all those around you can only benefit from your presence.

_____________________________

If you have not already done so, please visit Rebecca and leave your thoughts. Perhaps now I better understand why she left this comment on my blog, Saturday, March 25th:

Blo: This is the best post i have read since I started blogging . . . By the way, you and Jacksonian are the two so far, who have caused me to think about where I stand in some areas politically, and how I can be guilty of being blind to what is really going on in our country with the two party system. If you got into blogging to change minds and hearts possibly, it is working. Keep up the good work, both you and AJ.

_____________________________

Thank you, Rebecca, for all your input, your comments, your insight, your drive and commitment. Thank you for being one of The Usual Suspects — a membership you’ll always possess.

Finally: Rebecca, we will all, truly, miss you. God bless.

BZ