Political Risk Taking

“Let me tell you this as a politician. Politicians will not take some risks unless the people push them to take some risks.” – Barack Obama 032113, Jerusalem.

(Aside from the ridiculous logic behind such a statement… if “the people” are demanding it then where is the “risk”?  That’s not the point.)

This message was, I believe, a genuine observation. It is a disappointing observation from a Socialist who has not had a recent run of luck fomenting unrest and the “grassroots” swell of discontent over extremely important Leftist issues like ridding the United States of guns… convincing the population that slowing the growth rate of government spending is a “cut”… having the message that “the United States does not have a spending problem” being received with anything but laughter if not outright disbelief that such a disconnect can exist in government.

The Editor of the Jerusalem Post is quoted as saying “We do not know why he is here…”

Allow me to help the esteemed Editor out. President Obama is in Israel because he needs “a victory”. He needs to get away from so many recent failures and “do something big and worldly”. He needs to re-establish is “cred’s”.

Israel is being used to take the focus off of a failed Gun Ban, His Sequester Plan that could not be blamed on Republicans, Cuts that are anything but… and no open protests from the streets demanding anything close to Socialism.  Where is Occupy?  Where are the mass protests in front of “Big Banks”?  Where are the riots, aside from the mean streets of Chicago… and then only minorities killing minorities?

This is theater. A distraction presented to you from a President that is fully aware time is running out for his Fellow Travelers to push through their horrible ideas.

This is an attempt at a “Reset” domestically so he can return from the Middle East as the “President of the World” and hope that we have forgotten what he has been up to for the last several years. He desperately desires a blank slate… or at least softer resistance, with the aim to get some of his Progressive goals codified.

We are coming into summer… A time for comfortable protest.

This is it folks. The time is now.  If it’s going to get done, on his watch, it must happen this summer and fall.  The upcoming elections demand it.  Political Risk Taking demands it.

Expect to see your local community organizer arranging civil unrest on a street near you.

Expect to see extra tight camara shots of a few people while being told of “huge protests”.

Expect to hear interviews of “people on the street” who, out of a healthy sense of self-preservation, you would never get close enough to hear in any other circumstance.

And of course… Expect to hear Liberal politicians who are not up for re-election in the next two years.  (Like, Bloomberg and McCain…  Don’t look for Senator Susan Collins as she is up in 2014.  She’ll  suddenly be embracing “Conservative” issues that don’t really challenge the Establishment… oh wait, Breaking News…  She has decided to jump on the Benghazi Bandwagon now that the public has forgotten, the Secretary of State has changed and the Republicans have zero leverage to get real answers.  Timing is everything.)

Anyway… They (Obama) only have a little over six more months to get it all done.  Or at least as much as possible.

Break out the cooler and lawn chairs.  Should make for cheap entertainment.  This crap is fun to watch.

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Taking it for Granted

So there I was… sitting at my kitchen table having a glass of wine with friends.
We found ourselves talking about a recent news story about a young man who shot his entire family.

After everyone agreeing that it was a tragedy I shifted gears and asked why anyone would need to “spin” such a story… or modify it since plainly told it was horrific?

The context was that this event was held by the press as a reason to Ban “Assault Weapons”.

What I pointed out was that the weapon used by the individual was a .22 rifle. A rifle that is not included in any currently proposed ban. But more importantly, a rifle that is still left out of any discussion of the murders. In fact, had I not been a curious person I would have been left with the impression that an AR-15 was used to kill this boy’s family. The truth is, the family owned an AR-15 but it was not used. Of course that does not fit the narrative of “Assault Weapons” being evil.

My simple assertion was that the fact the rifle used was a .22 and not an AR-15 was intentional.

This is when I was hit by a simple question.  “Why do you think that is?”

I found myself speechless.

I realized that I take the media’s lack of historical perspective and deficit understanding of what this country was founded upon combined with their Leftist philosophy as a simple matter of fact.  I take it for granted.

I couldn’t believe that my friend didn’t find this common knowledge.  At first I thought she must be joking.  But then I quickly understood this to be an honest question.

While she views much of the world as I do, she enjoys listening to NPR and believes this “keeps her balanced”.  I would agree, that balance can be achieved by listening to as much as possible, but absent a strong understanding of governing theory one can easily get lost.  In other words, keeping your mind so “open” that your brains drip out your ears.

So I tried to explain that the Left controls the Media.  There are exceptions, but they are few and a consistent effort to marginalize those exceptions is well-funded and energetic.

I started with my personal experience in College and the exchanges with “Journalism” students and professors who were not at all interested in reporting facts, but “changing the world”.  These individuals were, without exception Socialists.  Being a Russian Studies Major made this observation less than difficult.  Of course, They would not have described themselves that way… but their actions and philosophies were demonstrable regardless of the label they chose to anoint themselves with.

In the end I was not satisfied with my argument offered to her which is why I’m writing this post.  I needed to include hard evidence to start the process of understanding… gleaned directly from those “objective” folks in the media who profess the super-human powers required to bring us facts sans any personal bias.

So here goes:

“Msnbc.com identified 143 journalists who made political contributions from 2004 through the start of the 2008 campaign, according to the public records of the Federal Election Commission. Most of the newsroom checkbooks leaned to the left: 125 journalists gave to Democrats and liberal causes. Only 16 gave to Republicans. Two gave to both parties.”

“You’ll never guess what he says he found — 235 journalists donating to Democrats while only 20 gave to Republicans for a total of $225,563 to Democrats and $16,298 to the the GOP-inclined.”

Can’t believe your favorite Media Personality could be a Leftist?  Can’t discern their bias simply by what they say and how they position the “news”?

Look them up…

Truth is often cold… and more pleasant when unknown.

I should know better than to take for granted others know what I have long understood.  Pleasant or not, I must remember to repeat that which I assume to be known by all.

Then I must demand the person I’m speaking with not trust me, and verify for themsleves what I’m saying.

Why? Because that’s how we learn… and frankly,

I don’t even trust me.

Keep it Vague.

So after you convince the useful idiots to go along with your “idea” you can later define the terms however you wish.

I expect to see this tomorrow.

But I might be wrong… if so…

I would like to see the press conference full of educated and well-informed individuals who lend gravitas to the discussion.  These individuals will most assuredly be scholars of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.

I’m sure there will be a suggestion we focus on the de-institutionalization that occurred in the 70’s and the detrimental effects it has had on our society in terms of homelessness, drug abuse and crime.

I should also like to hear solutions of curbing military suicides through stricter gun control.

During this conference I am hoping to hear how restrictions need to be placed on government purchases of firearms in the wake of the U.S. Government’s arming of Mexican Drug Cartels.

We might also be offered hundreds of examples where gun control has historically reduced violent crime all over the world.

In other words, we should all expect to hear an educated and well-informed presentation of specific solutions, full of precise definitions and verifiable examples of success from our President and Vice President who will be surrounded by learned individuals whose seasoned opinions and practical experience substantiates their proposals.

Let’s see.

(Update:  Nevermind.  I just read that Obama is going to surround himself with children…  wait!  May be those children are educated and well informed Constitutional Scholars.  I will hold out hope.)

We don’t want your guns!

…right now.

We just want you all on a list so we know where you are when we do.

If that takes a law requiring you to have your driver’s license scanned when you buy ammunition, go to the range etc. It’s okay.

If it means you have to get a license every 5-years… Who does it really hurt?

Should you sell your gun to someone else and we have new laws making you liable for their actions… All the better.

Nobody wants bad things to happen.

Just respect our authority to “slightly” limit what kind of guns you can own.

Accept that we can make “small” changes to the bill of rights without amending it.

Don’t you understand?

It’s all within reason.

The way we see it there is nothing to disagree with here….  you agree with us, right?  Of course you do.  You’re not insane…

We care about you… and your children.  Often, more than you do.

Shhhhhhh….

It’s okay.  It’s okay….

Go back to sleep.

 

(Tomorrow President Obama will disclose his solutions to gun violence… lets see how close the above is.)