To The Metal

Yesterday I linked to a story which pointed out that the new crop of Apple iMac’s were apparently made in the USA, and that Apple is planning to relocate and/or expand its manufacturing presence within the borders of the USSA.  I surmised that one of the possible explanations for why Apple would move back to a country with such high taxes and prohibitive regulations was due to the landslide of negative PR they received due to the publicity over conditions that exist at their manufacturing plants abroad.

Today I link to another story which reports that Darden Restaurants, who had initially planned on rolling back employee hours in order to avert the additional costs of the Affordable Care act – has apparently decided to scrap that plan because of the negative PR they received.  They also state that restaurants work better with full-time employees, but I digress.

So while we continue to see a slew of activity as businesses look for ways to minimize the damage done to their bottom line by new taxes, regulations, and the Affordable Care act – new stories come out where businesses are deciding to pay the PR tax which is a win for big government…for now.

It’s no secret that we need more jobs.  The new numbers came out today which show that the unemployment rate has dropped another .1% from 7.8% to 7.7% alongside data that shows the labor participation rate ALSO dropped from 63.8% to 63.6%.  So more people are employed, but less people are working because they dropped out of the work force.  Anyone touting the drop in unemployment as a GOOD thing is ignoring the obvious.  If you’re no longer looking for employment, you don’t count as unemployed!  The unemployment rate drop should be driven by job creation, not retirement!

I wouldn’t be surprised if over the coming months we see more stories from the mainstream media that focus negative PR on companies which have outsourced or that are making adjustments to their practices so they can survive despite the ridiculous costs associated with running a business in this country.  Sure, on the surface it means more jobs for Americans – but consumer spending isn’t going up.  Profits aren’t going up. Growth in our GDP is pretty much flat.  These companies are sacrificing profit in the face of negative PR, and for the short term it might instill some false hope and give the media as well as the Obama campaign (it’s not an administration, it’s a campaign, and has been since before 2008) talking points to illustrate that their policies are working.

In reality – less profit will translate to less expansion and less opportunity to invest in research and development, which will result in greater stagnation – not growth.

Personally, I’d rather live in shame than die to applause.  Increased tax revenue doesn’t matter if the money is spent before the ink dries.  No civilization has ever been taxed into prosperity, and no government as big and wasteful as ours can survive forever especially while trying to maintain the illusion of freedom and the American dream

I personally believe that the fiscal cliff was a calculated move from the start.  In 2010, Republicans regained control of the House of Representatives.  This put the writing on the wall that Obama could be facing a repeat of what took place in 1994 and forced former President Clinton to moderate his goals and realistically work with the other side of the aisle.  Obama is incapable of actual decision making or compromise.  He simply states a goal that he wishes to achieve and relies on those beneath him to do the dirty work.

Generally speaking, any time Obama says something in public which I actually agree with I can be sure that his actual intentions are the polar opposite…  Spending over the past 4 years has been an acceleration of the Bush era fiscal policies which in themselves jacked up our national debt significantly.  The problem is that the threat of Republicans neutralizing his own fiscal policies could not be ignored, so a plan was devised which would take advantage on the predictable gridlock that would occur between a Republican House and a Democrat Senate.

The first goal of this plan was to create the appearance of concern over spending and debt, thus a ‘super-committee’  was created with the task of creating a plan to reduce the deficit.  The fine print here was that should no agreement be reached, immediate across the board spending cuts would take place which would total about $1 Trillion over 10 years.

The second goal of this plan was to shift blame for the fallout to the Republicans.  Most fail to realize that the Republicans have only been in the majority in the House of Representatives since January of 2011.  For 2009 and 2010, the brunt of Obama’s fiscal policy had been enacted by the previous congress, so at best when the Republicans took the House in 2011 all they could do is attempt to stop further increases.  The die had already been cast with billions upon billions of so called “stimulus” spending and the passing of the Affordable Care Act.

The final goal was to disenfranchise supporters of the House Republicans by carefully guiding them into a no win situation. The Republicans do not want to increase taxes on anyone.  The Democrats do not want to cut spending or entitlements.  Should we hit the fiscal cliff, the media as well as the administration will immediately blame Republicans for putting the top 1% ahead of everyone else.  This will feed into the class warfare attack model used by the modern Left to redirect culpability to anyone but themselves.  Should we avoid the fiscal cliff but allow tax increases – any tax increases – the Republicans will be seen as weak by their supporters and I’m sure someone has calculated the effect this will have on the 2014 congressional election cycle.

I have absolutely no faith in elected Republicans to stand their ground here.  Generally, the establishment will play it safe (for themselves) and cave to the demands of the Democrats.  I would not be surprised if the plan is already drafted, and conspirators on both sides of the aisle are simply running down the clock in order to pass a plan at the last minute sometime before they recess early next week.  Personally I believe we should not only hit the cliff, but jump it.

Should the Republicans stand their ground and no compromise plan be made, everyone’s taxes will go up on January 1st as the Bush tax cuts expire.  Discretionary spending will be cut by $100 Billion dollars per year over 10 years.  That is the money spent by our Government that is not mandatory like Medicare – it requires Congressional approval.  The debt ceiling is going to increase dramatically (some articles I’ve read say upwards of $2 Trillion).  Now Obama is playing the long-con here.  His goal is to both increase spending for entitlements as necessary to support the millions of Americans who either actually need them, have earned them as a result of retirement or military service, or have become reliant on them due to the piss poor economy and its effect on the job market – as well as increase “revenue” by increasing taxes on anyone earning over $250k per year to the tune of $1.6 Trillion dollars.

By pushing us to the fiscal cliff and returning tax rates to where they stood during the Clinton administration, there will be an immediate bump in revenue as all taxpayers are forced to pay more… however higher taxes never generate higher long term revenue.  The wealthy (who contrary to popular opinion are not all Republicans) will find new ways to shield their income from taxes, and more businesses will quickly run for the borders with the yapping dogs of higher tax rates and the Affordable Care Act nipping at their heels.  The unemployment rate will skyrocket along with entitlement spending to soften the blow for the unemployed and working poor while enabling greater dependency on those entitlements.  All of this considered, the suffering endured – if played correctly by the Republicans – could yield majority control of Congress and quite possibly de-fang Obama’s agenda…albeit many years too late.

All things considered, if we hope for any real change to fiscal policy in this country that stands to improve the economy and persona liberty – it will only be done by embracing Conservative ideals and supporting politicians who espouse those principals.  Not only will the next generation of Conservative leaders have to overcome a massive media machine hell bent on supporting the status quo, they will also have to overcome the road blocks placed by their own establishment leaders who continue to put their own interests ahead those of our nation.  To be clear, 20 years from now this period will be lauded in history as the dawn of a Marxist era in the United States of America unless the testicles of Conservatism finally descend and we begin to try and make a nation that our great grandchildren could be proud of again.  There is absolutely no way that we can reclaim control of Congress without true Conservative leaders.  There is absolutely no way that we can reclaim control of the White House without a true Conservative candidate.  There is absolutely no way forward for us unless we are bold, take control of the debate, and free ourselves from the shackles of Socialist ideology one voter at a time.  We’ve fallen behind, we’ve not only lost ground, but handed it over to the other side without pause for far too long.

It’s going to have to get far worse before it gets better, and that may be the price we all pay for sitting back as the very ground beneath our foundation of liberty is washed away by the illusion of security so happily offered by our elected leaders.

So we’ve got at least 4 more years of the Neo-Socialist agenda to run unchecked in America.  Taxes will rise, spending will rise, everything is going to cost more, and the best chance we had at changing direction was wasted on a guy who blew his load in the first debate and spent the remaining time until election day playing it safe, moderate, and to lose.

Back in 2008, I predicted that the Republicans couldn’t win an election by running a moderate, and that they collectively lacked the balls to do anything but.

The only way Republicans have any hope whatsoever to win seats in the House, Senate, or Oval Office is to be bold.  They need bold and dramatic ideas.  They need to take the fight to the Democrats, stand their ground, and do whatever it takes to win.  I’ve heard a lot of the talking heads I generally agree with start to complain that the only way the Republicans can turn the tide is to take back the schools…  To go after the revisionist history being taught and the Liberal indoctrination permeating our educational institutions.

Talk about some really stupid smart people.

Before I get to what needs to be done to win, we need to accept some simple truths.  First, the media is lost.  The schools are lost.  The tide has turned and a majority of voting Americans are openly supporting Neo-Socialist, Progressive, Liberal ideas regardless of whatever truth is professed by the dissenters.  The American people have the attention span of a horny Beagle in a puppy farm and will gladly sop up whatever is reported by the mainstream media or taught by public and higher education.  Attacking the schools will be as successful as attacking the media… you can’t kill the messenger, however you CAN and MUST change the message.

Obama was RIGHT when he attacked Romney and the Republicans for running on old ideas.  It didn’t matter what the ideas were.  He said his piece repeatedly and the silence from his opposition was DEAFENING.  It was one of the common themes throughout the campaign season… The Obama campaign and its supporters made an accusation, and with very little exception – the Romney campaign took it and then pulled the string on his talking point See & Say which hadn’t been updated since 2008.

Taking a queue from the Romney campaign, I have my own 5 point plan for winning the elections to come.  We already know our ideas are better, but what nobody seems to grasp is that NOBODY CARES.

1. BE BOLD. During the election, Romney proposed tax cuts, spending cuts, balanced budgets that would take 20 years to achieve.  12 years ago, we elected a man who promised just that and regardless of extenuating circumstances set the stage for what we are enduring right now and will continue to endure long after Obama has constructed his presidential library and pads his coffers with paid speaking engagements.  Don’t cut income taxes, ELIMINATE THEM ACROSS THE BOARD.  IRS? YOU’RE FIRED.  Don’t cut spending, ELIMINATE IT.  Don’t allow big government to persist, EVISCERATE IT.  We need to flood the pool of human resources with unemployed federal workers.  ENTITLEMENTS?  ELIMINATE THEM.  Give a helping hand when its needed, but make it easier for the free market to lend that hand.  TAX BREAKS for businesses that provide free food, free education, free health care.  Take the ideas that are rooted in Conservatism, that work every time they’re tried, AND PUSH THEM TO THE LIMIT.  Oh yeah BTW – GET VOTER ID PASSED.  Every American has a Social Security number, every American has a face and a name, tie the 3 together on a *FREE* ID card and make sure that every vote cast in an election is VALID.  Votes should also be cast INSTANTLY, and each voter should get a RECEIPT for their vote.  It’s a transaction like any other.  Provide ID, cast your vote, confirm your choice, get a receipt.  ENHANCE ACCOUNTABILITY AT EVERY LEVEL!

2. CLEAN HOUSE.  John Boehner?  Please.  It’s BONER, not BAINER.  The guy is a moderate and needs to go.  The Tea Party acted boldly and managed to regain the House for the Republicans by loudly and unabashedly supporting the campaigns of Conservative politicians.  The Republican establishment responded by putting the biggest RINO since John McCain in charge.  There are many places online where you can find lists of RINO’s.  One such example is provided by the “Club For Growth” – a PAC which monitors the votes made by politicians and actually scores them based on their support of pro-growth (that’s economic, not Government) Conservative policies.  There are 33 seats in the Senate up for grabs in 2014, 5 of the 13 Republican seats are held by RINO’s.  That means that unless a true CONSERVATIVE candidate challenges them, it will either change hands to the Democrats or remain RINO.  With 20 Democrat seats up for grabs, I’d say at least 9 show enough of a split that they could go either way.  With Democrats already working to rewrite the Senate rules (which they enacted during Bush) so that a super-majority is no longer required to break a filibuster, they’re already stacking the deck and preparing for 2014.  SO SHOULD WE.

3. BE TRANSPARENT.  One of my biggest gripes about Romney, beyond my simple assertion that neither he or Paul Ryan were Conservative enough, is that he wasn’t nearly as transparent as he should have been from the start.  How much time did we allow the media and the Obama campaign to control the message by focusing on his tax returns, his history with Bain Capital, or that he explained his policy proposals with generalizations?  How much ground could have been gained if he’d been completely transparent from the start?  Perhaps enough to overcome the hesitation of voters due to his less than dyed-in-the-wool Conservative record?

4. REDEFINE CONSERVATISM.  The tenets of American Conservatism have not changed.  Limited government.  Free market.  Individual liberty and responsibility.  Ok, so you can get us 12 million new jobs in 4 years by cutting taxes and eliminating loopholes… HOW?  We can shout how every time Conservatism is tried, that it has worked from the rooftops until our vocal chords snap – unless we can clearly, concisely, and undeniably illustrate EXACTLY how that idea can work, why it will work, and how we can make it work from DAY ONE (bold ideas don’t take 20 years to reap results) – the Democrats will continue to control the message.  Bush gave us tax cuts, tax cuts that even Obama has been afraid to meddle with the past 4 years… WHY IS THAT, EXACTLY?

5. TAKE CONTROL OF THE MESSAGE.  If I’m watching the news, and I don’t hear a report or an opinion which rubs me the wrong way – then I automatically KNOW I am being lied to.  I’m not talking about when Fox News tries to report on Fast & Furious or Benghazi, I’m talking about when they sit back as John Boehner and the Republican establishment pull our future out from under us by not standing up for the people.  I’m not talking about when ABCCBSNBCMSNBCCNNETC rant on about a War on Women, I’m talking about when months after a successful terrorist attack on our Embassy in Benghazi, they continue to sugar coat it and give the administration a pass.  The media should be the last line of defense between a government and its people, and not a shill for the party in power.  I *LONG* for the days of when they covered George W Bush, and every gaffe, every decision, every single aspect of that Administration fell under the microscope of media scrutiny.  Essentially – the media is a lost cause for Republicans and Conservatism.  The Left doesn’t take Fox News, or the countless other alternative media sources seriously, and the Right can’t hope for any accurate and objective journalism from the mainstream.  The Left sets the tone, creates the dialogue, and the media delivers that message like Moses on the mountain.  Education is a lost cause.  I had 1 openly Conservative teacher in all my years of schooling, the rest either happily prattled on with opinions rooted in Left Wing ideology or remained silent and just did their jobs.  We need to cut out the middle men here, make a bold statement, and back up that bold statement with dramatic action.  We need to take control of the message and deliver it straight to the people by any means necessary.  We need to flood the hearts and minds of our population with so much truth that by proxy the mainstream media INCLUDING FOX NEWS look like the manipulative and idiotic preachers riding the coattails of the very government they were provided constitutional authority to PROTECT US FROM.  Every time some talking point is delivered by an Administration (regardless of party affiliation) only to be echoed and amplified by a media megalith without contest, the first 5 words out of every American’s mouth should be “ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?”

The table we are sitting at today was prepared long ago by our apathy, by our propensity to settle for what we have been given without question, by the fact that every single day since our nation was founded we have collectively and willingly sacrificed the reality of our liberty for the illusion of security.  Politicians have cast aside the people in favor of preserving the state – and we all let them.  I believe that the only way to stop this American De-evolution is to be bold, to support Conservatism and truly Conservative candidates, to get up from the table, throw it aside, and start taking our liberty back.

End of sermon.

Like many others, I’ve been following the developments regarding the attack on our embassy in Benghazi, Libya and the slowly building firestorm surrounding how we let it happen, why we did nothing to stop it, and why the Administration kept pushing the idea that it was a spontaneous assault resulting from a now 7 month old video on YouTube.

I’ve heard from folks in the intelligence community, talking heads, pundits, etc… that we had assets ready to evacuate the embassy which could have been on site anywhere from 2-5 hours after the assault began… That the White House knew of the attack within minutes due to the alert being sent by ‘flash traffic’ which requires that the information rapidly ascends the chain of command straight up to POTUS…. That requests for additional security leading up to the assault had been denied… That we had a predator drone flying overhead which allowed the scene to unravel real time on monitors within the White House… as the attack escalated and sacked the embassy, as well as the “safe house” kilometers away… two Navy Seals went in against orders in a heroic, yet doomed attempt to rescue and protect our people.

It’s a nightmare, an absolute nightmare.  11 years after the largest terrorist attack on US soil, we have another coordinated attack on our embassy…  No straight answers from the administration which is still apparently waiting for the investigation to complete…  It just doesn’t make any sense to me.  Times like these are when I firmly attach my tinfoil hat and start to think of various scenarios…

Did this happen because the President was stumping on having Al Qaeda ‘on the run’ and Bin Laden sleeping with the fishes?  Did it happen this way so that the illusion Obama has been trying to construct for the duration of his campaign could endure?  I’d say that would be the most obvious, if not cynical explanation.

Did it happen because the administration was fearful of further mirroring the Carter administration with a failed rescue attempt similar to what took place in 1980 and cost the lives of 8 servicemen?  Obama has a record of voting “present” when a big decision comes up, but the President can’t vote “present” – he’s there to make the tough calls.  Where was his gutsy decision making ability on 9/11/12?

What’s the outcome here… Every day more information comes to light showing that the administration knew what was going on and had plenty of time to act… but didn’t.  Instead, brave Americans died under his watch and were left behind without support, while focus was shifted to the scapegoat on YouTube.  We shouldn’t be in the dark, yet we are – and we can’t blame it on Hurricane Sandy.

One thing I’m afraid of here folks, is that either we won’t get a clear answer on what transpired until after the election – or that Obama will complete his term, and the entire event will fade into our distant memories if/when Romney is elected to office.  Personally, I believe we as Americans deserve better.  I believe there will always be un-answered questions here, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t start answering them.

If the President had the information and the opportunity to do what was necessary to save our people if not stop the attack – and failed to act… I’d have more respect for him if he just came out and said it.  I’m not holding my breath.