Doug Wead: Paul for Pres 2012

Doug Wead, an advisor to two past presidents, recently blogged on why Ron Paul needs to run for president in 2012:

He has woven a slender thread through the crimson cloth of Evangelical Christians and the pink cloth of Gay America, making one garment out of a people who have decided that they never really wanted or needed power, just the guarantee that government would stay out of their lives and not intrude. Who would have thought that this was politically possible?

He has gathered the hurt and wounded families of America who have suffered the extremes of our glorious “War on Crime,” which has become almost Soviet in its unintended consequences.

It is an amazingly diverse and complicated political fabric, with great demographic possibilities.

You can read the full article here.

The Numbers Game

UPDATE:



This was found here:

If we add in the Citi bailout, the total cost now exceeds $4.6165 trillion dollars. People have a hard time conceptualizing very large numbers, so let’s give this some context. The current Credit Crisis bailout is now the largest outlay In American history.

Jim Bianco of Bianco Research crunched the inflation adjusted numbers. The bailout has cost more than all of these big budget government expenditures – combined:

• Marshall Plan: Cost: $12.7 billion, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $115.3 billion
• Louisiana Purchase: Cost: $15 million, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $217 billion
• Race to the Moon: Cost: $36.4 billion, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $237 billion
• S&L Crisis: Cost: $153 billion, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $256 billion
• Korean War: Cost: $54 billion, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $454 billion
• The New Deal: Cost: $32 billion (Est), Inflation Adjusted Cost: $500 billion (Est)
• Invasion of Iraq: Cost: $551b, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $597 billion
• Vietnam War: Cost: $111 billion, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $698 billion
• NASA: Cost: $416.7 billion, Inflation Adjusted Cost: $851.2 billion

TOTAL: $3.92 trillion

And people tell me a gold standard is crazy.

This Guy Rocks

This guy on Aljazeera rocks!

Left-Wing

The left-wing: A political wing that believes it is ok to take rights from those it doesn't like, and fight for rights of those it does like. A political wing that doesn't believe an individual should be awarded for hard work and success through the market, but instead all of the rewards created from the hard work and success should be shared among everyone, especially those that did not contribute, simply because they exist. A political wing that believes in bailing out the rich in the name of keeping jobs for the middle-class, jobs the market place is trying to purge from existence like my stomach purges booze after drinking too much vodka. A political wing that promotes peace, and at the same time supports a president who wants to place 40,000 troops in Afghanistan. Apparently the troops that have been there for the past 8 years haven't helped the opium trade boom enough. A political wing that fights passionately over the right for a mother to slay her child before birth, and completely ignores the existence of the child; changing and manipulating the definition of human life to support this position. A political wing that doesn't understand rights are owned by an individual, not dependent on others. A political wing that likes to create rights, such as "health care", irregardless of the existing rights that are being trampled. A political wing that rails against bigotry and racism and yet, loves to define people based on class, affiliation, location, income, job, education, or anything else they can think of that separates people instead of bringing them together. A political wing that imagines a government that can provide for all and works hard towards this end, all of the while doing more harm than good and trampling those who get in their way.

This is a reaction to reading this.

I understand the linked article does not represent the opinions of every individual that would associate themselves with the left-wing.

This is also not a defense of the right-wing, as the right-wing line of thought is just as disturbed and misguided. This right-wing/left-wing stuff needs to become a thing of the past. Neither wing should be allowed to interfere with the way an individual chooses to live his or her life.

US goes to middle-east, Hat-In-Hand

Yahoo! has published an article online referencing Kuwait's daily Al-Seyassah. Its reported that the US is seeking approximately $300 billion in loans from the middle east to help support loaning the money out to failing American businesses.

The hypocrisy of this is amazing. The main reason being argued by Obama and his supporters for removing America's dependence on Middle Eastern oil is to protect national security and prevent future wars. Hopefully Obama manages this goal so that the US will only be indebted to the middle east for BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. As they are with China and Japan.

Of course, this would be a real good deal for the US if they are provided the loans, as Bernanke can just continue printing the money to pay off the debt. If the arabs are smart, they'll request repayment in gold only.

Man of the Hour: Peter Schiff

Lew Rockwell and Peter Schiff talk about the collapsing American economy and how the US government is following the lead of Hoover and Roosevelt.

Talking heads listen and ask questions as Peter Schiff lectures them on how the world works:



I especially like the guy that calls the Chinese commies and refers the Russians as crummy. I almost laughed out loud when he started talking.

The Left Has No Monopoly On Political Music

In response to this

First of all, the below song by Ash Soular is not AGAINST change. The song is obviously against Obama's change because it is not change. She pegs him as a hypocrite and Obama proved it during his campaign as he spoke out against FISA and then voted for it. He's for more war, more murder.

The attack on this amateur song-writer is solely fueled by one line in which she communicates some conservative thoughts against big government spending and high taxation. I guess its our job to randomly tear apart individuals who voice their opinions on YouTube? Very constructive.

Music from the 60s was not against conservatism generally. It was against big intrusive government causing wars that harm millions of people. It was against corporatism and big government. See: American Woman.

Remember, Barry Goldwater was the peace candidate as a conservative in 64 and lost by a landslide. George McGovern was the peace candidate as a liberal in 72 and lost by a landslide. Whether on the left, or the right, these types of candidates will never be elected because the powers at be profit from war and big government. This has nothing to do with socialized health care or a social safety net. The profits gained by big corporations from weapons sales and military contracts will always ensure the president is on the side of war.

This music comes out against the state. Yes, some of these artists lean more left than they do right, but that doesn't not mean the left has a monopoly on political music.

Here's a tune both those on the left and the right could find common ground with from 1967:

A Compelling Argument to Bail-Out Auto

Declan McCullagh has written a great article, Rewarding Failure: Why Stop With Big 3?, supporting the $25 billion bail-out of the failing auto-makers in Detroit.

I could not have said it better myself.

Ron Paul On The Fed

This is cool.

g-speak overview 1828121108 from john underkoffler on Vimeo.

Change Has Come

Environmentalism the New Religion?

I do not take a hard stand on the issue on environmentalism, but this is an interesting perspective:

The Old Lie

I was first introduced to this poem in grade 9 english, and then again when I moved to Amherst in Mr. Bauld's grade 10 english. I wrote a horrid 6 page essay on it in grade 9. I thought it was supposed to be 3 pages, back to back, so when I ran out of substance, I made some up and stretch out other thoughts as much as possible to fill the space. After I got the essay back, my teacher advised it was only supposed to be 3 pages, but he gave me an A for the effort.

Anyhow, I stumbled upon it today, and it seems to be fitting for the occasion.

Dulce et Decorum Est
Wilfred Owen (1893–1918)

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.

Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! – An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling,
And floundering like a man in fire or lime . . .
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est
Pro patria mori.

Lew Rockwell and Naomi Wolf

Libertarian Lew Rockwell interviews progressive leftist Naomi Wolf. Its a 40 min interview in which the two talk about the changing political landscape and on how the most important issues facing America can not be drawn along current political lines; new political lines need to be drawn between those that want to live free, and those that support the fascist American state.

LISTEN HERE