The Enormous Fear of Nothing

This latest exercise in creating Hysteria around the “Sequester” otherwise known as “decreasing the growth of spending” is fascinating.

Sitting on an airplane at 30,000 feet I had the luxury of listening without interruption to two individuals and a soldier talk about sequester behind me.  I gather one of the women was the mother of the soldier and the other was a contractor out of San Diego who handles military contracts as a profession.

Let me explain… it is typically not my desire to spy on those who don’t deserve it, but I left my copy of Wealth of Nations with some friends when we parted ways, and I was bored.  Idle hands and all…

So there I was listening to why the sequester was going to end the world.  Or at least destroy the hopes and dreams of our soldiers.  Seriously.

The young man sitting between the two women, after talking about some gun, and explosive, related issues that would have had him removed from the plane if it were still parked at the jet-way (I thought this was funny.  I have no problem with anything he said, I only cringed slightly at what reaction he would have received had they been able to do anything to him.  Too late at that point though.) went on to say how pay was being cut for the National Guard because deployment was being decreased “due to the sequester”.  This is when I really took notice.

There was a time not so long ago that the deployment of the National Guard into an active combat zone was being decried as some sort of heresy.  In fact, many of us had to remind those around us… and especially those on the evening news… that National Guard troops were used in combat situations as a matter of course, Vietnam being a relatively recent example. Then I realized that we are reacting to a “new norm”.  A normal that says National Guard troops are active soldiers and any reduction in their deployment is a “cut” in pay, not returning to the status they are supposed to experience.  Bizarre.  I will offer up the detail that these two women were old enough to know this, and both should have enough experience with the military to understand this as well.

The young soldier then went on to say that “the sequester” would probably ruin his chances to get promoted and he would have to go into civilian life… even then he thought the sequester was a bad idea because he was looking forward to a job he had lined up, should he have to get out, as a contractor supplying infrastructure consulting to the Afghanistan population.

The mother of this soldier felt that sequester was a bad idea because we should “never cut defense”… “ever”.  “Ever.”

The contractor said she thought we simply don’t pay our soldiers enough and all of that money should never be removed from the budget because it’s reducing the pay of our service people.  (While it is profound how quickly in relative terms “entitlement” becomes the norm… even among those we respect, that’s not my point in this post.  So I’m bypassing it for now.)

This behind my back conversation went on for about 30 minutes.

Never once was there a discussion about the “cuts” simply being a reduction in spending… on an already bloated area of government.  Bloated exactly because of the above attitudes leaving it in a place of leisure where it never must do more with less.

Never once was there Reason inserted into the exchange of the proper function of National Guard troops and the difference between them versus active duty personnel.

Never once was the observation made that the money being “cut” had nothing to do with the rate of pay our soldiers receive.

Folks, if you don’t think that the Mass Media has an effect on the opinions of those sitting on their couches as well as those young people serving our country you are deluding yourself.  As we all know, Denial is not a river in Egypt, Denial is what prevents us from getting out there and engaging these people in cogent conversation.

(As a disclaimer… I did not take my own advice here as I was directly in front of these three.  Had I been in a position to gently intrude I would have, in fact, I often do.)

All of this is important because any one of these three would have the “credentials” to be held up as authoritative by ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, FOX, CNN, etc.  One was a soldier… one was the mother of a soldier… and one was a military contractor. Holy Crap!

Their conversation ended as we got off the plane with the young soldier stating “I wish our politicians would just all get along and get things done.” To the nodding agreement of the other two.  I just felt sad inside.  Very sad.  I desperately want to explain why that is exactly what they should not do… to explain Bipartisanshitt to them all, but it was time to get off the plane.  Too bad.

It is these types of “points of view” which have elected people like McCain et al, and have brought us to the brink of catastrophe we now find our selves in.  They are what passes for “well-educated” on The View.

When Democrats are complaining about the Debt Clock being displayed during budget debates it cannot be any more evident that there are few left who care about pulling us out of this fiscal nose dive.

It’s time to rally… and reach out.  Now!  before the next set of elections.

It’s exactly the opportunity that “the sequester” offers which must be used to explain where we are and what is happening to us.  And most importantly the “how and why” it has happened.

I might actually have to set my beer down.

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Things I Want to Take Back

All too often I say things that I wish I had not. I do things I wish I had not. I think things I wish I had not.

This is not what this post is about.  Because a post like that would be far, far too long.

What this is about is my desire… my demand… that we take back that which has been stolen from us. Some of these things are small. Some of these things are big. But all of them represent our seeming willingness to allow others to determine what we think and how we view the world. We have abdicated our thinking to others. We have given up our control over ourselves and in doing so we have allowed those who oppose us to abscond with our symbols and definitions… our identity and reality.  We have made them powerful indeed.

I will no longer tolerate a bunch of frustrated Monarchists who because of their disenfranchisement have chosen to foist upon the proletariat a political model designed to foment class stasis and keep themselves in power co-opting that which has meaning.

Following is a list of that which I expect to be returned.

The Color Blue.

The fact that we have allowed the old Main Stream Media to decide what color best represents what party is ridiculous.  Red has historically been the color of Socialists.  It should remain so… that is if they want to be honest.  Frankly, I don’t care what they want.  I want Blue back as it is the color of Valor.  I propose those constitutional conservatives and libertarians that see what the media is trying to do by continuing to confuse the public simple begin wearing nothing but blue ties, dresses, scarves etc.  They’re not going to give it back… so it must be taken.  Let McCain wear Red… seems appropriate.

The Name “Liberal”.

Somewhere in the sixties the Leftists began reading Alinsky.  They saw the wisdom of co-opting the oppositions symbols and labels in hopes of confusing the masses.  Confused Masses are Useful.  Enough is enough.  It’s time to apply the correct definitions to words and reclaim the labels that are rightly ours.  A Liberal is one who promotes Liberty… not a proponent of oppressive Socialist governing theory designed to solidify class stasis and mass slavery to the State.  So it’s time to remove it from their many names.

The Victory Sign.

I’ve had enough of the “Iconic” picture of Winston Churchill flashing the Victory sign and being told it’s a “peace” sign.  It is not.  It is a “Give War a Chance, Peace through Victory” sign.  The sign is a “V” for Victory.  Period.

Logic.

The voters in this country need a never-ending dose of Logic.  Critical thinking is absent from the electoral process.  Few can describe the difference between Causation and Correlation.  We desperately need to replace, retake and reaffirm what “logic” actually is.  Logic is not about “feeling” your way through life.  Reality does not care how you FEEL about it.  Truth is not relative any more than 2+2=4 is relative.

Public Schools.

An appropriate follow-up to the need to take back “Logic” is where logic is supposed to be taught.  I want back our Schools/Colleges/Universities.  Exactly because everything but Logic is taught.  It’s not beneficial to the Left… and certainly not the Teachers Union and Professors that think their well being relies on feeding the Progressive Communist ranks with the newly indoctrinated.

The Constitution of the United States.

Given the effort expended on the Left to demean, discredit, and ultimately dispose of the U.S. Constitution nothing could be more important that taking it back from those who hate it.  The reason they hate it is it is the largest obstacle they have blocking their way to their Social Utopian Dream.  I’m not interested in their dream…

The expression “Equal Rights”.

I believe in Equal Rights.  It’s that simple.  I believe in EQUAL rights which are inherent to every INDIVIDUAL.  The Left has hijacked the term and is trying to convince you that it means “Special Rights” for certain groups of people… groups defined by them in order to bolster, through leverage, their ability to seize control over this countries government.

The expression “Pro-Choice”.

I believe in “Pro-Choice”… for all things.  The Left loves “Pro-Choice” so long as it is limited to what they approve of.  Who are they to decide what choices I should have?  And, isn’t that the crux of the disagreement between the Socialists and the rest of us?

The definition of Capitalism.

When the Pope is espousing diatribes in opposition to Capitalism it is clear the definition has been lost.  The Left has made every effort to not allow Capitalism to be taught in schools.  If pressed, those in charge of explaining the governing theory of Free-Markets and Voluntary Trade instead substitute Fascism (A variant of Socialism) in its place.  And, because we are all products of public schools we sit idly by and allow it to happen… because we don’t know either.

The Press.

I’m not sure we ever had this institution.  However, the only thing that will provide for truth is fractionalization of the press. The press has far too long enjoyed control be means of a limited number of outlets.  One of the first areas (as Lenin advised must happen) to be taken over by Leftists was the Journalism Schools throughout the higher education system.  Subsequently, over time these “properly” educated graduates took over the institutions deciding what news was fit to print.  and view… and hear…  This has changed is a very small way and we must promote more massive change.  It does not means taking down the “old” outlets, nor expecting them to change.  What it means is supporting those outlets which we find to be most truthful… objectively… by applying critical thinking and reason.  If you’re a Progressive Socialist then MSNBC might be the place you most identify with.  The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem.

The idea that Sen. McCarthy was wrong.

Sen. McCarthy was a Bully… he was an A-Hole… he might have even been possessed by the Devil himself… but he was right.  Hollywood is and has been a bastion for Socialist Progressives.  Communism/Socialism/Progressivism/Liberalism is all the same crappy Leftist Ideology.  And it all stands in direct opposition to Free-Market Capitalism and the Democratic Republic the U.S. Constitution stands for and the Individual Freedom It protects.  There are many people in Hollywood overtly trying to destroy the very system they profit from and dismantle that which provide the Freedom they enjoy.  While Stunningly Stupid, they’re Actors…so…  Anyway, The list of specific Hollywood Leftists is so long as to prohibit it in this key pounding post.

The idea that the Iraq war ended and Bush put us back in there.

The Left LOVES war when it’s their guys conducting it.  They also LOVE the idea that they are the party of “peace”.  I know… but Leftists have never let a contradiction get in their way.  If they did they would have to come up with a whole new political philosophy.  But the lie that Clinton “ended” the Iraq war is so egregious that it hurts my head.  Folks… the Iraq war started under George Bush and is still going on as I type this.  We did not “get out of Iraq” under Clinton.  We were actively shooting down airplanes, blowing up radar stations and destroying Embassies under Bill Clinton.  We had “boots on the ground” doing all sorts of things from calling in artillery and spotting for Tomahawks to every other kind of forward reconnaissance.  We were killing people… in Iraq… under Bill Clinton… the whole time.  So how is it “we” have forgotten this?  How is it “we” think the war ended and was “re-started” under GW?  If you’re not thinking “Holy Crap the media is powerful!” then you’re not paying attention.  And judging by many of your stated opinions… you’re not.

Finally, The Fiscal Cliff.

The Left and their “language experts” believe they have won a significant battle by assigning the term “fiscal cliff” to the spending negotiations over the 2012/2013 holiday season.  They think they have effectively retired this phrase… and they’re very happy about it exactly because it was accurate and easily understood.  I want it back… primarily because we did nothing to avert our headlong course to fly off the Fiscal Cliff.  Nothing.  We are actively, energetically and enthusiastically spending our nation into fiscal oblivion.  Our demise is imminent if nothing is done.  And if we are anything, we are professionals at doing nothing.  The Fiscal Cliff is alive and well, and looms large for all those willing to stare straight ahead.