Thanks for your article.  The way to get less of just about anything except more government is to increase taxes.  Our Democratic led congress is an expert of Tax and Spend!

Ah, yes, the TRUTH WILL OUT inconveniently, it seems. First, our vaunted Congress refuses any/all domestic oil drilling while freely jetting around the world in fuel guzzling transportation reserved for “important national ‘security’ mandates” while sucking Joe Blow Citizen’s pockets dry as he walks, and secondly, get-outta-town-quick for an extra month’s uninterrupted sleep in bed rather than at a desk. Wait until the declining USA’s Save the Planet Socialistic phase soon embeds ever deeper! Approval rating of some 17%?! More like 2% by the wildest stretch of imagination!

I have seen JIM DEMINT being on the RIGHT side of MANY issues lately and think that MCCain ought to consider him for VP!!  OR even better – let’s nominate DEMINT for President.  This guy has some common sense when it comes to legislation and protecting the taxpayer pocketbook.  Too bad there aren’t more like him.  And from what I read Vitter and Sessions are just like him.  Let’s get some of these guys in charge in Washington!!

This is an excellent article.  I would like to see, in addition, an article about how we have hampered ourselves by ostensibly “going green.”  In this, of course ethanol is a part, but the biggest crime is the rise in diesel fuel prices, supposedly because the low sulfur fuel is more earth friendly. Just like ethanol added to gasoline, the new low sulfur diesel fuel gives 10-15% less gas mileage.
Just when diesel engines had improved technologically that they might have been a universal source for conserving oil resources, diesel fuel became more expensive than premium gasoline, wiping out any adherent advantage.  I sense that something is not right with this picture.

You SENSE that something is NOT RIGHT with this picture??  I think you KNOW something is not right and it has to do with the $$$$$$ pouring into congressional pockets from the lobbyists and the greens who like Al Gore are making millions and WE PAY!! 

Please…instead of preaching to the choir here, write AND call your congressional representatives and let THEM know about YOUR anger and tell them YOU will NOT vote for them at the next election if they don’t start doing something about our problems! Get your friends to do so also.  Email ALL on your list and send the phone numbers and addresses of your reps:  SENATE:  http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm\

HOUSE: http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.shtml

WE have LET THEM get away with their wasteful spending!  It is NOW TIME to stop congress!
CONGRESS is motivated by $$$$$$ and VOTES!  LEt’s get rid of the mainly worthless bunch of do nothings and start all over again – our problems couldn’t be worse than now especially if we get rid of the special interest groups that run congress!! 

Just think of what will happen if we have a DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT AN CONGRESS?  YOU THINK TAXES AREN’T GOING UP?? THIS ARTICLE MENTIONS JUST ONE!!

PC is where it is all done backwards. or wrogn verses right. Ethonal gives last mileage plus puts more carban in the air. wind mills are just hot air. All Gore is a madnam. do as I say, not as I do. Taking corn is causeing animals not to eat so farmers quit growing food for corn just to not go bankrupt. and America and the world is starving. How many know the drilling in Alaska is not even near amimals. We have oil in seven states, and we have more oil than Saudi or any of them have. Even so, to think animals are more important than people,,what insanity. To say nothing of the enemys drilling on our borders and old Russia planing to put their name on Alaska, and they all do not have equipment to keep oil spills from happening. And the banks and foreclosers..IF Government bails them out..morgages too, then you see government will own us. and look at the debt we owe just to China.. and behind our backs Clinton sold secrets to China and ports too, as so did Bush. We all voted to kick the UN out, off our soil. who we give more to human causes world wide than all countries put together and now obama hussein wants to give 845 billion to Africa..NO vote for us, that says WE the PEOPLE don’t count. How many of you look in the dictionary and see a Democracy they are all pushing is where the people vote and they do as they please,,gov that is. WE ARE a REPUBLIC,,where we vote and the government serves US….Mot everyone on both sides of the isle is hell bent on global,,and they need to see us fall so the EU can rule from there. Go see what the dictionary says about a republic, and go read your Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Declaration of Independance. We have 545 people in government ruling us. We need to truly throw them out, impeach them and put real Americans in. TODAY..they all want a one world government, no borders and they want to be rich to rule the poor. Proverbs 22:7. Believe it or not, both sides are working together, media is paid off, and I can still remember when caught on tape, the clints and busses , kissinger etc were laughing during the voting for Bush. they all know who will be president long yrs before. The bible says men do not learn from history, we all need to do it. No one wanted to believe Hiler was evil either. but too late they did, and we are letting it happen. Between out sourcing our jobs, gas, food and debt, open borders while they keep minds on stupid news and anything to keep our minds away from what is happening !! Forget the praties, go INdependant. and McCain who signed and sealled the papers so we cannot get the rest of our troops out of Nam..even was going to become a democrat.In truth, he is as bad as any left…What a choice, look beyond the two parties,, both are wrong. Go Independant. or kiss our country bye. Throw Al Gore off the train. what a phoney. All these freaks think they know better than G-d. Take a good look around. and remember when Russia got big, the US , UK and Saudi got together to make Russia feel threatend by Afghan, so finally Russia attacked..jihad trained by the UK, Saudi and US and others sent Jihad there to kill Russian troops..Most of us know the big nations , will rule all of us, and world war is coming. We should have hit Saudi where our barracks were hit, the Cole and 9/11. ever ask why we didn’t. do your homework, we are in danger. Supporting illegals is dead wrong. there is only one way to do anything the Right way. not to forget G-d told us all governments are ran by the god of this world. How much do you have to see and feel, before you wake up..look back to the sixties, then the eighties, gas lines. this is a gaft,,we are fools ..Some wanted to drill over 30 yrs ago, takes ten yrs to build a refinery. And right now, sisty % of our own oil is being sold off shore, forty goes in reserves. HELLO..this doesn’t have to be. folls are falling for the lies on both sides. Do you want gov to own you..lock stock and barrel? to have IRS is against our Constituion. We are nation building , training the enemy, aiding them too. HELLO,,,all the things our forefathers and even Reagan warned of is coming true, and we are letting it. Wait till you get hungry,,or your kids. and for one example.Ford who layed of and closed plants..are over seas getting richer than all get out. ever see the big planst there?? shame on us for bowing to anyone and anything and throwing G-d out. Got to turn it around NOW…Just to deport the illegals and those in prisons and jails, put our tanks on the borders..and bring back our jobs. or you won’t have a country..this would pay off debt which Islam and China owns..and they also bought out most stocks and guess who buys the land, the UN…of course..Hitler would be so proud..best think hard of who you want in the white house. so many are hurting now they believe gov will save them..not so..Wake Up America…and remember it is gov that shoots missiles and trys to change weather. they like to think they can and see what we have…We are letting madmen destroy us..and we have to stop them…wake up America

Another good article pointing out Democrats’ hypocrisy on so-called Drill Responsibly in Leased Lands (Drill) Act:

http://online.wsj.com/article_print/SB121728846656591485.html

…and one on Obama’s recession-bringing tax “policies”

http://online.wsj.com/article_print/SB121728762442091427.html

To wsummerford806:

“Our Democratic led Congress … ” has only been a so-called Democratic led Congress for the past 19 months or so.

Before that … it was a Republican led Congress for 12 years … and … that very same Republican led Congress … from 2000 to 2006 … engendered the greatest budget deficits (and the greatest increases in the national debt) of all time.

And, note, today’s national debt is somewhere around 12 times the amount it was when Carter left office … and almost all of that increase came during the administrations of Reagan, Bush I and Bush II.  (Clinton actually balanced the budget in the last few years of his term and Bush II inherited somewhere around a $450-$500 billion SURPLUS from Clinton.)

I will agree that Mr. Bush II didn’t “tax” and spend – - he only spent!  And, of course, by so doing, he will have tripled the national debt by the time he leaves office … and, by so doing, he will have driven down the value of the American dollar to (I believe) its lowest point ever.

Somewhere along the line here, we are most certainly going to have to be taxed mightily in order to pay for Bush II’s profligate spending. 

(Of course, eliminating tax breaks, incentives and subsidies for Big Business would help.)

AHHHHH it is amazing how one forgets history isn’t it?  And before 2000, the Democrats were in power for 40 years!!  The biggest and worst program perpetuated by the Democrats was LBJ’s Great Society!  He turned this country into the most socialistic, lazy and entitled society that existed. 

Rather than cast aspersions on Republicans, research your own liberal history in the book, LIBERAL FASCISM by Jonah Goldgerg, and see that both parties have been profligate spenders!!

ALL on both sides have wasted so much money we could be debt free andhave the strongest economy in the world!

In the book, look at the “heroes” you hold up as paragons of economic administration such as FDR and JFK.  These men were not the paragons of virtue you think they were.

For example, Kennedy who helped get through civil rights also said that “he wouldn’t leave sleep over the problem of the negro!” 

And what about FDR wanting to get rid of the 18th amendment which gave the BLACK MAN the right to vote tells volumes about him also!!  He was also a believer in Eugenics as was Hugo Black the Supreme Court Justice!

Further lets take a look at current spenders of our taxpayer money! DID you know that OBAMA was rated as # 2 PIG in terms of spenders of taxpayer money and Hilliary was # 1?  Their PORK BARREL spending alone would cancel about three years of interest on our nation debt if it had been used to pay down the debt!
  For every fact you come up with I can counter with one about the Democrats. 
 
Stop with the name calling and the blame game and other stupid things people discussing politics do!!  INSTEAD, come up with solutions to solving our problems including stopping pork barrel spending and the wasteful legislation that ALL of congress do today!!

Just look at the 60 BILLION bill passed by The DEMOCRATS in the last two days where earmarks of 27 million dollars went to the “raising of orchids!” 

Instead of castigating those who are of the opposite party,  write and call YOUR congress person TODAY and DEMAND that they do not on vacation until we have an energy bill!!  Make your time useful instead of wasting it on name calling.

“… (Of course, eliminating tax breaks, incentives and subsidies for Big Business would help.)”

Nice try, TK. Increasing taxes will suppress GDP growth and increase the percentage of GDP that government spending takes. Spending is the problem, not too little taxation.

I agree that subsidies are one symptom of the dysfunction of big government, but that isn’t Capitalism: that’s crony capitalism. Big government is bad government in addition to being expensive.

To Ms. Sabin:

If your post is referring to mine, immediately above yours, I sure didn’t hold anyone up as paragons – - other than stating that Clinton had a few balanced budgets during his term.

I stated the simple fact that more than 90% of the current national debt occurred during the administrations of Reagan, Bush I and Bush II – - and that the national debt is now approximately 10-12 times higher than it was when Carter left office.  End of case.  Fact.

90% or more of our current national debt has accumulated over the last 28 years – - and neither Reagan, Bush I or Bush II EVER had a single balanced budget in their 20 tries.  Clinton had a balanced budget in several years of his tenure.

And, I simply reminded wsummerford806 that the current Democratically-controlled Congress has only been in existence for some 19 months – - and that from 1994 through 2006, Republicans controlled the Congress.  And, from 2000 to now – - the national debt is about another three times higher than when Clinton left office.

The truth of the matter is that the entire, historical national debt that accumulated from George Washington through Jimmy Carter (some 190 years and more than a half-dozen or more wars) – - was nearly tripled during Reagan’s eight years.

And, since, that astronomically rising national debt has been destroying the value of the American dollar – - which may well lead us (and maybe the world) into another serious Depression.

And, of course, the President has to sign off on the budget. So …

And, of course, insofar as budget earmarks and pork are concerned – - there are giant PIGS (as you put it) in EVERY poke – - including your Republican poke!

And, I have no clue as to why you decided to rant on about FDR, JFK, LBJ, The Great Society, Hugo Black, etc., other than pure, ideological partisanship and hatred of Democrats (???)

In the last 56 years – - since 1952 – - if my memory serves me right – - there have only been FOUR Democratic Presidents serving a grand total of 20 years – - and SIX Republican Presidents serving a total of 36 years.  So, it would seem, if you have gripes, complaints, and hissyfits to throw over the quality of governance in America during that period – - it would seem those hissyfits should be directed at the guys who were actually in power and responsible for leadership for the vast majority of time during that period ???

And, by the way, my comment was about the previous poster’s “tax and spend” comment referring to the here and now.  How do you convolute that all the way back to 1960 and the negro, the Black Man, and The Great Society?  Are you still ticked off because a Democratic President ended segregation???  Far out, man!

Note:

Mr. Bush’s War is costing approximately $150,000,000,000 (that’s “Billion”) per year in direct costs – -about $3,000,000,000 per week (that’s “Billion”) – - about $425,000,000 per day!  (That’s “Million” – - PER DAY!

In 2008 dollars, the cost of our military engagement in Iraq has appraoched or surpassed the total cost of our involvement in Viet Nam from 1954 through 1974.  Thus far, since it’s beginning, total costs in Iraq are near the $1,000,000,000,000 (that’s “Trillion”) – - and with the final de-escalation, continuing necessary military health care and related benefits afterward, plus interest on the whole mess – - the total cost is estimated to be at least $3,000,000,000,000 (that’s “Trillion”).

In the last 28 years, the accumulated national debt works out to about somewhere around $35,000-$40,000 for every man, woman, and child in the country – - and the Bush War total costs may well ultimately double that.

But, hey, he CUT taxes!

Idiotic!

“…In the last 56 years – - since 1952 – - if my memory serves me right – - there have only been FOUR Democratic Presidents serving a grand total of 20 years…”

TK, how many years of your last 56 have Democrats been in control of Congress? In case you forgot, it is Congress that creates the bills the President must sign and the taxpayers must pay.

I don’t disagree that Republicans have been just as bad on the spending side, but blaming deficits on the President (Republican or Democrat) is disingenuous, since Congress can (and has) override any veto of spending the President does.

One reason Clinton ended up with BUDGET surpluses is that the Republican-controlled Congress of that time restrained spending while the tax cuts increased investment and GDP growth which resulted in greater revenue collections.

Your rants are based on only half the facts.

“…The truth of the matter is that the entire, historical national debt that accumulated from George Washington through Jimmy Carter (some 190 years and more than a half-dozen or more wars) – - was nearly tripled during Reagan’s eight years…”

Nice talking point based on a totally meaningless fact. Try comparing national debt to Gross Domestic Product and adjust for inflation for a realistic and meaningful dollar-to-dollar comparison, TK.

Before the “voting stimulus bill” that was passed earlier this year, the deficit was ~$180B: after it passed the deficit was ~$400B. That is, the deficit was doubled by our feckless Congress and President in a blatant attempt to “do something” about the slowdown of the economy.

Government (and politicians) cannot control the economy. The “planned economies” of the former Soviet Union and Communist China provide all the proof needed.

Try these facts, TK. (Figures from first quarter `08 reports I read in the Wall Street Journal.)

Total federal government spending is around 40% of GDP.

Total tax revenue collections (government income) is around 29% of GDP.

Total military spending (including Afghanistan and Iraq war costs) is around 4% of GDP and 16% of total government spending.

Entitlement spending and debt service (interest paid on government bonds and notes) is around 78% of total federal government spending. “Entitlements” (wealth redistribution through welfare programs including Social Security) alone are around 66% of total federal spending.

(Don’t call Social Security an insurance program—it’s welfare under a different extortion scheme.)

Which area presents more “pork” in terms of GDP and should therefore be targeted for trimming?

Increasing tax rates and the burden on taxpayers and employers will only exacerbate the distortions caused by government spending. Check out the Laffer Curve for an explanation of why increasing tax rates result in lower revenue collections:

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Taxes/bg1765.cfm

STOP!!  I think we ALL agree that BOTH sides have been bad in spending and wasting our tax dollars!!

We could gve each other facts and figures ad nasuem but that is getting us nowhere!! 

The question is….what are WE..WE..going to do about it?  Sit here and argue with each other or…start using our energies to CALL And WRITE congress and DEMAND that they stop wasting our money?

I for one am absolutely furious over pork barrel spending where they make their cronies or their personal business investments grow through using our money!

Not one comes out of congress less than a multi millionaire and that doesn’t happen by being honest and putting America first! 

Obama was # 2 in the pork barrel spending category and you can bet one of his fat cat donors is now millions of dollars richer due to it. Reverend Wright perhaps?  No one questions where the money went that the church collected for Hurrican Katrina victims – where did that money go?

HE also didn’t get that low interest no point no fee below market super super jumbo loan for his speaking ability!!  And Rezko’s wife didn’t lose money on her investment just so he could enrich the value of his house for nothing!

We can find instances of where they ALL enrich themselves through wasteful legislation or pork barrel spending. But what are YOU going to do about it?

I want each one of you to pledge that you will do the following:

CALL congress and tell them NO MORE PORK BARREL SPENDING

CAll congress and tell them to stop legislation that enriches all but America.  For example, take a look at Obama’s Global Poverty Initiative which he was trying to get passed in February and is waiting in the wings until he thinks he will be president!  $845 BILLION dollar boondoggle that not only ignores the poverty in this country, but ignores the terrible economy we are facing.  It also funds the RUSSIAN MILITARY!!  http://www.aim.org/aim-column/obamas-global-tax-proposal-up-for-senate-vote/

IF we took that $845 BILLION dollar boondoggle and used it properly, we could build 282 nuclear plants or refineries to refine the OIL and GAS we have here now but congress will NOT allow to be extracted!  How many jobs would that create?

If we took that $845 BILLION dollars we could fund research into clean coal technology which gives us the most energy for the dollar cost and is plentiful -we could use coal for 300 years as we are plentiful in it!

IF we took that $845 BILLION dollars we could fund research into using our garbage and grass clippings for bio fuel and stop using FOOD crops to get energy! 

For those of you frothing at the mouth at me for telling the truth about Obama, I say, McCain is almost as bad.  His Kennedy McCain immigration bill was another wasteful legislation for which we would pay both financially and nationally! 

What we need to do is put our petty arguing aside and get politically active!  You can start calling the worthless pieces of crap we call congress people and “encourage” them to act on our energy policies and stop wasteful speding!

IF they don’t, start agitating against their being chosen again for the office. Don’t re-elect them!  If we stop re-electing these people, they would stop their greed as they wouldn’t have access to our pocket books!

NOW – your reaction?  Are YOU going to do something other than blog on this site? OR do something for your country and our economy?

WE put these worthless self serving people into office and we can take them out – but YOU need to start doing that by letting THEM know how we feel – both Democratic and Republican!

Good one Helen!

The problem is that one man’s pork is another man’s entitlement.

Since “entitlements” are the biggest hunk of pork in federal spending, the collectivist foundation of our welfare state, and a blatant violation of individual property rights, lets attack collectivism, the welfare mindset, and crony capitalism.

Remind our politicians that the government’s primary and only legitimate Constitutional duty is protecting the lives, liberty, property, and pursuit of happiness of its citizens.

When you demand your well-being from the government, the government demands your enslavement in return.

JOHN -Thomas Jefferson had the same thought many years ago: 

“A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have.”

Here is HOW YOU can DO SOMETHING ABOUT HIGH OIL PRICES: GO TO THE WEBSITE BELOW AND SEND A LETTER TO CONGRESS!
https://secure2.convio.net/cagw/site/Advocacy?JServSessionIdr009=kwzys6fgc1.app20a&cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=541

President Bush on July 14 lifted the executive ban on drilling for oil on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).  But Congress has its own moratoria on drilling on the OCS and in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR), and lawmakers must act to open up more domestic sources of energy to bring down gas prices and decrease America’s dependence on foreign oil. 

High energy prices are not only costing every American at the pump, they are increasing the cost of food, electricity, travel, and virtually every other daily expense. 

What’s more, soaring energy prices are weakening our economy, fueling inflation, and contributing to the near-record federal deficits as the government’s cost of purchasing gasoline for our military and other uses has nearly doubled.

The recent hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico proved that drilling offshore can be done in an environmentally safe way.  There were no significant oil spills from the battered rigs off the coasts of New Orleans and Houston.  In addition, the Prudhoe Bay oil field has demonstrated that a trans-Alaska pipeline can exist in harmony with nature.  As Alaska Governor Sarah Palin told Investor’s Business Daily, “Talk about coexistence:  We’ve got grizzlies roaming on the pipeline, and caribou migrations passing underneath it.”

Some in Congress are pushing for “use it or lose it” legislation that would force oil companies to drill on federal lands they are already leasing.  With the national average price of a regular gallon of gas above $4.00, energy companies would be drilling like crazy if there were enough oil to be found on their current leases.

Others are pushing for legislation to go after speculators, which will do nothing to increase the supply of oil and natural gas, the only real way to bring down energy prices in the long term.

Still others have argued that it will take years for new domestic drilling to have an impact on energy prices.  But just as even the threat of turmoil in the Middle East can cause a spike in oil prices, the expectation of new oil and gas reserves coming on the market would help drive down speculation and reduce prices.

Recent polling suggests that more than 60 percent of the American public supports domestic offshore drilling for oil and natural gas.  The problem is that all the politicians see are the no-drilling extremists who lay siege to their offices and howl on the news outlets every night.  Congress must hear from the silent majority of Americans who support more domestic energy production to drive down costs and relieve our dependence on foreign oil!

Fight back against $4.00-plus-per-gallon gas and all the other higher prices you’re paying.

Mr. Galt:

“Your rants are based on only half the facts.”

And – - of course – - you own the other half of the facts – - and – - of course – - your half of the facts are the correct and “good” facts!

See what I mean about abject ideological partisanship?

To you, the other guy ALWAYS has only half of the
facts and his half are ALWAYS WRONG!

Here’s my half: 

This president and his administration are absolutely the worst in my lifetime of 12 presidential administrations.  Even Nixon and the boobish Ford were FAR better.  And, the deficit spending of this administration after insituting tax breaks is the most absurd plan for financial well-being I have ever seen.  And, spending $450,000,000 a day (for over 5 years) in some third-world country, and on some erroneous or falsified pretense, should be grounds for prosecution of all the top officials involved. 

Rightwing zealots can get themselves unhinged about “commies”, “The Great Society”, “socialism”, “entitlements”, “liberals”, black presidents, woman presidents, Clintonism – - or whatever else their darling dark hearts can come up with to sling at the wall – - but the fact is – - recent economic philosophies and policies, beginning with “Reagonomics” and continued by the Bush I, Clinton, and (the worst) Bush II administrations, favoring Big Business, Wall Street, and “the investor class”, have led us to the precipice of national bankruptcy and another Great Depression – - very similarly to the way Coolidge and Hoover led us to the last one!

And, to me, the candidacy of McCain/McBush portends only more of the same.

And, the hypocrisy of Republican zealots ostensibly being “anti-communist” – - while at the same time supporting the subordination of American interests to free trade with Communist
China while promoting China’s financing of our budgetary deficits – - is astonishing.

Today’s young marrieds should recognize that their kids will have to learn to speak Spanish in the neighborhood and Chinese on the job!  The Mexicans are on their way to taking back the American Southwest without firing a shot – - and the Chinese are on the way to taking over the American economy without firing a shot!

And, say “Goodbye” to the Chrysler Building and the General Motors Building in NYC – - which have just become additional properties in the portfolios of Arab sheiks from the Emirates!

Dueling choirs, their directors, and the preachers who preach to them should go the way of the Dodo.  Screw Republican and Democratic partisans and extremists. Somebody else needs to take over and stand up for “America First”!

TK – (MY FONT IS LARGE TO DISTINGUISH MY WORDS FROM YOURS WHICH I COPIED AND RESPONDED TO- I AM NOT SCREAMING AT YOU )

I AM GOING TO RESPOND TO YOUR POST TO MR GALT AS YOU ARE NOT AWARE OF YOUR OWN LIBERAL PARTY HISTORY WHICH TELLS ME YOU ARE YOUNG AND DO NOT KNOW THE SUFFERING AND POOR JUDGMENT THAT TWO DEMOCRATIC PRESDIENTS IN PARTICULAR DID TO THIS COUNTRY – JIMMY CARTER AND LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON.  (Never mind WOODROW WILSON and FDR!!)  IT WAS THEIR ACTIONS THAT PRECIPiTATED MANY OF THE PROBLEMS WE FACE TODAY! 
I WILL TAKE YOUR POINTS ONE BY ONE:
Rather than INSULT MR Galt’s opinion with terms such as “rant” why not dispute him with fact instead and remove the emotion behind your post?
FACTS are FACTS and are not owned by anyone – but the way they are spun are!  YOU cannot accuse him of what YOU are doing TK – that makes YOUR arguments weak and not relevant. 

And you are not one of these partisanship people which you claim Mr Galt to be?  Come on – TK just the tone of your postings say you are.  You do NOT present BOTH sides of an issues which tell me YOU are as Partisan as you claim MR Galt to be.

TK -You are young -PROBABLY UNDER 30? am I right?  The reason is that the worst President we had was Jimmy Carter!  Under his watch we had 18% interest rates and gas rationing.  We also had the issue of his NOT dealing with Iran taking hostages of many members of our nation prisoner!

He was also the FIRST PRESIDENT TO GIVE SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS TO ILLEGALS without them having paid into the social security trust fund. This was the start of ILLEGALS getting FREE everyting from the US!!

Another president and one of the worst was LBJ who took social security out of the trust fund and put it in an account where congress could spend it – thus the great society and the biggest welfare boon in our nations history! 

That move alone has threatened ALL of us in the United States.  Congress raids that money as if it is going our of style and for what?  PORK to give to their cronies!  Obama is rated as # 2 PORK spender and Hilliary # 1.  What is so important about having a Woodstock memorial TK? 

Does the nation need that?  DO you even know what Woodstock was? A bunch of druggies running around smoking dope and telling the world how bad off they were!! 

How important is that when we have so many other problems to deal with including the national debt – yet these two DEMOCRATS spend PORK money as if we had no problems to face!

You notice that ALL CONGRESSES of both parties since that fatal move have stolen money from social security and that’s why YOU probably will NOT have a fund on which to draw when YOU get to be of retirement age?

The Democratic party eliminated the deduction for Social Security even after FDR PROMISED Americans that they would NEVER be taxed on this money.

  Then the DEMOCRATIC party with Al Gore casting the deciding vote, voted to TAX social security!! 

THEY are the reason YOU may not have retirement when YOU are older TK – not the Republicans!

WANT ME TO GO ON about the excesses of your party?

How about EUGENICS – did you know that MOST Democrats from the 1880-1950’s believed in the “fittest of the races” and wanted to remove all handicapped, mentally ill, defectively born individuals from society? 

Under Democratic watches women who were mentally defective were sterilized against their will illegally. 

FDR wanted to remove the 18th amendment from the constitution.  And look at the sedition act and its effects on society? 

Even Nixon and the boobish Ford were FAR better.  (Your opinion but NOT backed up with FACTS here TK) and Nixon was disgraced in history but his agregious behavior was not as bad as Jimmy Carters or FDR and the others mentioned above.

And, the deficit spending of this administration after insituting tax breaks is the most absurd plan for financial well-being I have ever seen.

JFK also cut taxes when he came into office TK and the economy rebounded.  IF you vote for OBAMA you are going to regret it financially for the rest of your life as YOUR taxes are going to skyrocket!  While the Republican and Dems on both sides have been awful and corrupt and worthless as far as being good stewards of our country and its finances, Obama who sees the debt that Americans are struggling under, voted TWICE this past month to spend 60BILLION dollars MORE in PORK and entitlements! 

In February 2008 he proposed an $845 BILLION DOLLAR global poverty initiative that would send that money OVERSEAS and NOT keep it here!!  That bill alone TK will cost YOU and YOUR family $8500. per year in TAXES!! 

And to you this makes sense?  Come on TK – open YOUR eyes.  HE is as bad as Bush in spending but at least we don’t have attacks here from al queda. Bush’s job as defined by the constitution is to keep the nation safe!  He has done that. 

But Clinton didn’t!!  Look at the FIVE attacks under Clinton TK – for which he did NOTHING!  The FIRST Trade Towers attack was under his watch – and the Kobar towers and the bombing of the USS COLE were under his watch. 

If he had acted to get Bin Laden when he had the chance TK – we might not have had 9/11! CLINTON had THREE chances to get BL and refused to act!  So don’t blame Bush for something that sits in Clintons drawers!

And, spending $450,000,000 a day (for over 5 years) in some third-world country, and on some erroneous or falsified pretense, should be grounds for prosecution of all the top officials involved.  AHHHH and what about Clinton, Albright, Berger and company saying the following a FULL TWO YEARS BEFORE BUSH TOOK OFFICE?  ABOUT WMD’S?  EAT YOUR WORDS TK –
FEB 4 – We are determined to stop Saddam from developing weapons of mass destruction and will even use missels if we have to!
FEB 17, 1998: CLINTON SAID…IF Saddam rejects peace, we will have to use force to seriously diminish Saddams’ use of Weapons of Mass Destruction!
FEB 18, 1998:  MADELINE ALBRIGHT STATED:  Iraq is a long way from here, but what happens there affects us here. For leaders of rogue states to use WMD’s against us is the greatest security threat we face here in the US! 

Shall I go on TK?  These are proven facts, documented, heard around the world, written down in the congressional records, etc etc or in other words FACTS -TK! BUSH came in AFTER CLINTON did nothing to stop the earlier attacks and INHERITED CLINTON’s inaction. 

AND these are those liberal Democrats you say are so peachy keen?

Rightwing zealots can get themselves unhinged about “commies”, “The Great Society”, “socialism”, “entitlements”, “liberals”, black presidents, woman presidents, Clintonism – - or whatever else their darling dark hearts can come up with to sling at the wall – - but the fact is – - recent economic philosophies and policies, beginning with “Reagonomics” and continued by the Bush I, Clinton, and (the worst) Bush II administrations, favoring Big Business, Wall Street, and “the investor class”, have led us to the precipice of national bankruptcy and another Great Depression – - very similarly to the way Coolidge and Hoover led us to the last one! 

AND Democrats didn’t have a hand in this?  NO Democrat voted to increase taxes or do foolish spending and wasting of our money TK?  And what about FDR who moved the country from INDIVIDUALISM (like my grandparents were who relied on themselves and NOT on the government) to collectivism which expanded the welfare state?  HE made AMERICANS dependent on government and his actions started the entitlement programs that we are faced with today!! 

Further his interventionism in the economy prolonged the depression – he was as much to blame as HOOVER for the poor economy!  EconomistThomas Di Lorenzo, says “FDR’s New Deal made the Great Depression longer and deeper. It is a myth that Franklin D. Roosevelt ‘got us out of the Depression’ and ‘saved capitalism from itself,’ as generations of Americans have been taught by the state’s education establishment.”

Historian Jim Powell, in FDR’s Folly, points out that the median joblessness rate throughout the New Deal was 17.2 percent and never went below 14 percent. He says the Depression was worsened and prolonged “by doubling taxes, making it more expensive for employers to hire people, making it harder for entrepreneurs to raise capital – just as the DEMOCRATS have done and are planning on doing. 

And, the hypocrisy of Republican zealots ostensibly being “anti-communist” – - while at the same time supporting the subordination of American interests to free trade with Communist
China while promoting China’s financing of our budgetary deficits – - is astonishing.  UMMMMM have you read that OBAMA was “tutored by” and read the poetry of Frank Davis -  a COMMUNIST?  And free trade has been good for the US TK – NOT bad.  However what we need to do is improve the imbalance of TRADE!!

Today’s young marrieds should recognize that their kids will have to learn to speak Spanish in the neighborhood and Chinese on the job!  (AND who is to blame for allowing immigrants in to the country in the first place and giving them social security for which they didn’t pay?  The DEMCRAT JIMMY CARTER!!) 

And while I think ALL Americans should speak at least one other language, it is OBAMA who wants this – did you hear his speech on this topic TK?? 

he Mexicans are on their way to taking back the American Southwest without firing a shot – - and the Chinese are on the way to taking over the American economy without firing a shot! 

(Yes and it is our worthless congress including BUSH who are letting them!!  ILLEGAL IMMIGRTION is out of control and MUST BE STOPPED!!

our DEBT to China is astronomical and we MUST DEMAND that congress ON BOTH SIDES stop wasting our money on earmarks such as the WOODSTOCK MEMORIAL and the BRIDGE TO NOWHERE IN ALASKA and pay it down!  BOTH sides TK are to blame here!

And, say “Goodbye” to the Chrysler Building and the General Motors Building in NYC – - which have just become additional properties in the portfolios of Arab sheiks from the Emirates! 

And they used to belong to Japan and if YOU WILL WRITE AND CALL YOUR CONGRESS PERSONS AND TELL THEM TO START DOING THE JOB THEY ARE PAID TO DO AND GET US AN ENERGY POLICY –WE WON’T BE SENDING DOLLARS THERE ANY MORE!  WE CAN KEEPTHOSE DOLLARS HERE! 
Dueling choirs, their directors, and the preachers who preach to them should go the way of the Dodo.  Screw Republican and Democratic partisans and extremists. Somebody else needs to take over and stand up for “America First”!

  YEAH AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE ABOUT THIS TK?  HAVE YOU BEEN AN ACTIVIST?  WRITTEN OR CALLED YOUR CONGRESS PERSON TO COMPLAIN? 

UNTIL YOU DO TK – YOU ARE JUST ANOTHER AMERICAN WHO COMPLAINS AND DOES NOTHING ABOUT THE TERRIBLE AWFUL NO GOOD VERY BAD HORRIBLE CONGRESS WE HAVE TODAY! 

AND IF YOU VOTE FOR OBAMA WITHOUT RESEARCHING HIS POSITIONS, THOUGHTS , ETC YOU ARE AS BAD AS THE PEOPLE YOU RAGE AGAINST!

TK, I would simply recommend you read “Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal,” a collection of essays by Ayn Rand. I would also recommend you read Federalist 10 by James Madison discussing factions and how to control them: http://federali.st/10 and Federalist 12 by Hamilton about the proper revenues (taxes) http://federali.st/12

Much of the discord in politics these days is because each side DEMANDS the other side COMPROMISE their belief and philosophy in order to get a bill passed and sent to the President. Those COMPROMISES are typically focused on various larding attached to the basic bill.

For example, the President asked for a bill to fund the troops in Iraq. That is a single issue that needed to be addressed, but various politicians saw it as a “must pass” bill and larded it up with their special projects: e.g., extension of unemployment welfare to the tune of “only” $5B or $6B.

The Congress decided they “must do” something about the credit and mortgage crisis, so they set up a $300B (!!!) bill to bail our Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but certain politicians insisted there be an additional $4B – $5B to fund ACORN housing and voter registration projects!!

You see where this goes? Republicans didn’t want the welfare but did want the military funding, so they had to COMPROMISE their belief and vote for the welfare. Republicans didn’t want to be funding political agitation groups like ACORN who exclusively benefit Democrat candidates, but they wanted to bail out Fannie and Freddie, so they had to COMPROMISE.

What is needed is COLLABORATION that is narrowly focused on a specific issue. In the current jargon, that means no spending earmarks or additional spending attached to a bill. Bills should be single-issue without amendment and with yes/no roll call voting.

What is also needed is smaller bureaucracy (i.e., fewer people on the government payroll) as what happens is certain bureaucrats survive changes in administration and continue pushing their own agenda, as they ultimately control how and where the money is spent. Minor functionaries put in place as political favors tend to hang around forever: there is no better example than the current dysfunction in the State Department and CIA. While the top bosses are appointed by the current Administration, those bosses bring in their own cronies who survive the Administration. Bush’s Administration is chock full of “lifer” bureaucrats who were brought in by previous Administrations.

The only solution I see is a radical cutback of Federal power and bureaucracy. The only way to do that is to stop feeding the beast and repeal most of Federal taxation and eliminate most regulatory bureaucracies and departments.

JOHN – Amen to all you say.  We need a totally different government on BOTH sides to get rid of the corruption, stagnation, lack of ideas and energy apparent in congress today. The nonsense that Nancy Pilosi is spouting about “saving the planet” shows me she is seriously mentally ill!  We don’t need a savior, we need some people in congress who will do something about our problems. 

I hope TK and others listen and think about the FACTS presented and really take a close look at history, what is happening today and how dangerous the inexperienced Senator Obama will be for the country if elected. 

MCCain while imperfect is a few steps above him:  The three “things” that MCCain has going for him is his military service – he won’t be so rash to send troops out and start another war – I hope;  his “promise” (for what its worth) to shrink government and not raise taxes – although he is said to be “backing away from that” on social security, and his refusal to do PORK! 

Both candidates are NOT what we need now but we are stuck with them or the choice of voting for Bob Barr.  aaarrrgggghhhhh

Where are the “good” people who could manage this country hiding?

Say your prayers that who ever is elected hires good advisors who are knowledgeable – not like those that Jimmy Carter had on his staff!! 

Pray for our country!

However, again I think we must write him and let him know that we will NOT tolerate

Mr. Galt:

Many years ago, I taught history and am quite familiar with the sources you cite.  In truth, I’m more of a Jeffersonian-Jacksonian than a Madisonian-Hamiltonian sort.

If we NEED to get down to making distinctions between “bipartisanship” and “compromise” vs. “collaboration” – - then I certainly agree, to one degree or another, with your position on that issue.  I certainly agree wholeheartedly that bills should be single-issue.

In regard to your coments, I believe the congressional system, as it currently operates, is set up to benefit “politics” and “politicians” – - NOT “The People” nor “The Nation”.  And, of course, I believe every reasonable person is against expanding “governmental bureaucracy” – - except those who might believe that in a few short years – - “the government” will be the only entity hiring in this country!

My personal objection to the current state of affairs is two-fold:

(1.)  Over the past 15 years, I believe both political parties came under the control of an extremist minority element which does not represent the Traditional values once held by the parties, but, rather, represents monied special interests whose financing supports the party extremists.  As a result, neither party represents nor is responsive to the broader interests of the general, middle-of-the-road American public.  Additionally, both parties have promoted a sense of blind partisanship that, to me, is little different than Serbs vs. Croats or Sunnis vs. Shiites or South vs. North.  It’s only possible end-result is destructiveness.

(2.)  By observation during the 12 presidential administrations of my lifetime – - I believe the most dangerious problem facing this country today is the poor result coming from the political choices made as regards domestic and international economic policies over the last 25 years.  I believe today’s economic problems began with Reagan and have been compounded by each administration since.  Most simply, I believe “Reaganomics” took the focus of American economic policy off “fair trade” and placed it wholly on “free trade” and “deregulation”, while simultaneously also taking the focus off “the American workers” and placing it on “the investors” (American or not), i.e., from Main Street to Wall Street.  And, of course, I sure as hell cannot logically recognize how deep and repetitive tax cuts and record-breaking deficit spending go together!

Personally, while I’m registered as an Independent, today, I would be embarrassed to allow myself to be labeled as either a Democrat or Republican – - or a liberal or conservative, for that matter.  I’m an Independent Traditionalst in the Mid-Century Modernist style! 

Politically, I detest “Wall Street Values” AND “San Francisoc Values” equally – - and as long as that kind of extreme partisanship and ideological gulf exists – - we’re going nowhere but downhill.

I’d like to see Congressional processes changed as you suggest – - but I think the only solution to the current mess is for an activist, grassroots, populist and popular, “collaborative” third party to develop which will refocus governmental priorities back onto Main Street, while re-emphasizing States Rights and state government over federal government.  Except for their support of unregulated free trade (I’m definitely a “fair trader” and an “America First” person), I suppose I might be able to become a Libertarian.

I could have voted for John McCain in 2000 – - but, now, he’s too damned old, too slow on the draw, and he’s definitely wandered off the McCain trail and is now blindly following the Bush trail to who the hell knows where?

And, flipflopping?  McCain was against tax cuts before he was for them; he was for campaign finance reform before he was against it;  he was for a path to citizenship for illegals before he was against it; he was not concerned with an open border before he was against it, etc., etc., etc.  And, he’s apparently also had some unpleasant problems in a tumultuous first marriage – - an involvement with the Keating Five in the criminal savings and loan scandals – - and some lobbying conflicts of interest(???).

And, the Dems?  Geez!  In ‘64, Dem Johnson beat GOP’er Goldwater by the largest margin ever in a presidential election – - 64% to 36%!  After the debacle of the election of 2000 and eight years of The Texas Ranger and El Dicque – - I thought the Dems would most certailny beat that plurality record in this election!  But they go and put all their eggs in the basket with a woman that all GOPs love to hate – - and an very young, inexperienced, and unknown black guy!  (And – - I believe there are still PLENTY of people out there who would NEVER vote for a woman or a black guy – - regardless of party or political persuasion!)

Back in ‘04, more people voted for The American Idol than voted for G. W. Bush!  Maybe that’s how we should pick the next president?

To be honest, as I recall, there were originally 18 individuals who offered themselves as candidates for this election?  Of those 18 – - none really impressed me.  Pretty sad commentary.

TK – Glad to see your response to Galt’s posting:

You make some EXCELLENT POINTS as does Galt – thanks for responding.

But instead of blaming one Economic policy or President, I ask what you done besides blog to alleviate problems?  And do you present BOTH sides when teaching? 

I am a college professor myself -recently retired- and I have seen most of my colleagues spout nonsense based on NO FACTS whatsoever and tell students the incorrect history of their country!!
They do NOT tell students the reasons behind why Liberals are the modern day equivalent of Fascists from the past and why Obama should NOT be elected! LIke you, I don’t like MCCain either but he or Obama are our choices at this time.  McCain has it hands down over Obama for many reasons and Ob’s stance against drilling here is one of the reasons why he again shows he doesn’t know what he is talking or voting about! 

But – have you written to your congress people and demand they shrink government, reduce spending, etc?  Or do you just debate on forums like this one without actively seeking a difference in Washington?

To Drill or Not to Drill? 
By Dr. Mark W. Hendrickson
FrontPageMagazine.com | Thursday, July 31, 2008

High fuel prices have produced a tectonic shift in the United States’ political landscape. Recent polls indicate a strong surge of support for Uncle Sam lifting government restrictions against domestic drilling for oil. Blocking the development of domestic energy resources was a luxury we used to be able to afford. At current prices, though, the calculus has shifted. The reasons for proceeding full-speed-ahead with domestic drilling are compelling. They include:

1) Compassion toward relatively poor Americans. Those who oppose domestic oil production often are those who claim to champion “the little guy.” They can prove the sincerity of their professions by permitting increased domestic production of oil, thereby exerting downward pressure on the market price of the fuel that consumes a growing share of Americans’ incomes.

2) Reducing the merchandise trade deficit. For years, politicians left and right have decried the United States’ enormous trade deficit. Since imports of oil now account for more than half of that deficit, one of the most effective policies for reducing it would be to produce more oil domestically.

3) Creating more jobs, especially high-paying blue-collar jobs. Why does the party that aspires to be known as the friend of labor suppress the creation of thousands of high-paying jobs for American workers?

4) Showing more respect to the rest of the world. There is something pathetic about the president of the United States traveling to Saudi Arabia to plead for them to increase production while we refuse to increase our own. Liberals are uncomfortable with any manifestation of American exceptionalism, yet aren’t we practicing exceptionalism when we expect the rest of the world to produce our energy for us?

5) Increasing national security. Who benefits the most from today’s astronomical oil prices? Ideologues reflexively point the finger at “Big Oil,” but the major beneficiaries are the House of Saud—the sponsor of Wahhabism—and such mischief-makers as Venezuela’s Chavez.

6) Keep taxes on middle class Americans from being raised. If fuel prices stay high, don’t be surprised if Congress proposes new, costly federal energy assistance programs for poorer Americans. Shades of agricultural subsidies and food stamps! Once again, the American taxpayer will take it on the chin twice—first, by having to pay more for gas and heating oil as a result of government’s suppression of domestic production; second, by tax dollars being channeled to those hurt most by those unnecessarily high prices.

The following objections to a pro-drilling policy are weak and clearly untenable under present circumstances:

1) Oil and gas wells are not aesthetically pleasing. True, but neither is human hardship. Are well-to-do “green” sentimentalists willing to see an occasional derrick in exchange for millions of poorer Americans gaining critical relief from high fuel costs?

2) An accident could occur. No fooling? But if we are going to outlaw risk, why not ban driving? Automobile accidents claim over 40,000 American lives annually. The environmentalist assertion that oil companies won’t take sufficient precautions to prevent oil spills is a prima facie absurdity. Oil is valuable, and if American oil companies are half as greedy as their critics claim they are, then they will strive mightily to prevent spills which hurt them in two ways—loss of valuable product and incurring the huge cost of cleanups. Those fearing oil spills should take heart from the fact that a thousand oil and gas wells were smashed by Hurricane Katrina, yet no spills occurred. Technology has improved.

3) Oil company profits are “obscene.” Why discriminate against oil companies? We don’t think twice when other businesses—cell phone, beverage, retail , software, etc.—earn greater profits when they provide more of what people want. In you really resent oil company profits, you should favor opening up drilling to all comers, because increased production puts downward pressure on prices and increased competition squeezes profit margins.

4) Increased drilling won’t boost supply right away. True, but pointless. It is because people accepted this myopic premise years ago that we are in our present predicament. Let’s do a better job of planning ahead. Future oil prices will be lower with increased supply than without it.

5) We need to develop alternative energy sources to replace oil. Okay, but what will we do if those technological breakthroughs don’t occur as early as we hope? We will need affordable energy regardless, so it would be prudent to increase the supply of oil, just in case we find ourselves still needing it.

The time for drilling is now. Let’s get on with it.

wsumerford806
July 29 at 8:16 am |  #1 |  Link
Thanks for your article.  The way to get less of just about anything except more government is to increase taxes.  Our Democratic led congress is an expert of Tax and Spend!

Sure beats the Borrow/Squander and dump the Payback on Your Grandchildren of the Trotsky Commie GOP! Bite Me.

BITE yourself and do some research – DEMOCRATS got us into WWI, WWII Korea and VIETNAM!!  IF CLINTON Had done his job of going after bin laden when he had THREE chances to do so – BUSH wouldn’t have had to go to war!

AND…bite yourself again, oh blind one – consider that if CLINTON had NOT spent down the military and Intelligence budgets and reduced the military to the point where they were so strained we would not have had to REBUILD the military!!

He was attacked five times under his watch and did NOTHING!!  The first TRADE TOWERS attack was under his watch – so go BITE YOURSELF AGAIN!!

Does anybody find it humorous or horrifying to consider Obamassiah’s latest ploy on gasoline prices? He wants to give everybody (everybody who doesn’t pay taxes, that is) $500 or $1000/couple to “help” defray the impact of $4/gallon gasoline. He will “pay” for the largess through “windfall” profits taxes on the oil companies!

Hmm—gasoline costs too much, so increase the tax burden on those who produce gasoline. That way we’ll all be paying $5 – $6 /gallon for gasoline to “pay” for the relief from $4/gallon gasoline!!

Rob Peter to pay Peter, eh? What a dork!

To John Galt – #29:

Regarding your comment:  “Does anybody find it humorous or horrifying to consider Obamassiah’s latest ploy on gasoline prices?”

You know, this is the political season – - and the two major political parties are engaged in their usual middle-school-style hissyfitting – - all the usual puzzlewits – - and all this yapping by BOTH candidates and parties about “gas prices” and “the economy” – - is nothing more than the politicos’ version of Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction” – - in this case – - dueling, attention-grabbing, publicity stunts between McCain and Obama to garner precious soundbites and facetime on TV.

First, for my money, unregulated, crude-oil futures speculation (Republicans in Congress have refused to raise crude-oil margin-trading margins from the current 10% to 50% – - which would reduce the scope of the speculation) is the single biggest reason for the run-up in gasoline prices.  (Not unlike the run-up in residential real estate prices from 2003-2006 caused by the “no money down”, “easy money”, speculative “flippers”!)

Second, in my opinion, re-regulation of the oil companies and crude-oil futures trading (back to the pre-2000 rules), serious conservation (let’s start with re-instituting the national 55 MPH speed limit – - which is a PROVEN response), and a “Man on the moon this decade”-type committment to (1.)properly utilize EVERY doemstic source of oil and natural gas we have ASAP, and (2.) to find and perfect EVERY alternative source of energy that we can ASAP – - will immediately reduce the retail cost of gasoline by 40%-50% overnight!

Unregulated and, now, run amok capitalism has apparently convinced Big Business that it has no basic corporate or social responsibility whatsoever.  (Big Business needs to be restrained as much as it did at the turn from 19th to 20th century!))

Also note that the CEOs of the five predominantly “American” oil companies have annual salaries ranging from about $22 million to $82 million – - plus perks and benefits.  Obviously, this kind of excessive remuneration extends to other “top” management as well – - and, obviously, record-breaking profits undoubtedly result in record-breaking perks – - with the end result that as much money is being wasted in these oil companies as is wasted in government.  Probably more!

So, I’d talk softly to them at first – - and threaten “the big stick” – - with the idea that if they don’t willingly cooperate in an effort to reduce their overhead expenses – - and in turn reducing retail prices – - then we’re going to resort to punitive regulation and taxation while pulling out all the stops to find alternatives to their products – - even if we have to subsidize the development of alternatives – - and even if the price escalates while we’re doing it!

If we have to “suffer” (temporarily) in the process, e.g., rationing, higher prices, etc., so be it!

Also – - note that in terms of domestic oil exploration and drilling in ANWR and along the continental shelf and in the Gulf of Mexico – - those areas are ALL PUBLIC LANDS – - and – - “If you’re (the American oil companies) making profits off of publicly-owned resources – - you have a RESPONSIBILITY to give something back to the public!” – - would be my mantra. 

In reality, with both parties catering to Big Business for the last 25 years, we’ve got a situation not too unlike the situation that Teddy Roosevelt confronted with his anti-monopoly and “trustbusting” policies.  If we don’t get back to that – - Wal-Mart, Big Agriculture, Big Insurance, Big Financial Services, Big Utilities, Big Pharma, etc. – - will do the same thing to us as has the oil-producing cartel!  The result: Back to serfdom and economic slavery for the majority of us in the middle class!

As it is, Big Business has been running this country in ever-increasing degrees going back to their getting a foothold via “Reaganomics” and the business de-regulation of the ‘80s.  Frankly, in terms of their respective effects on the working middle class, extreme, unfettered and run amok capitalism (see: The Robber Barons) and communism are equally as bad (???)

I think the Obama and McCain campaigns are saying a lot of things off the tops of their heads (McCain’s “summer gas tax holiday”) just to get attention!  And, long ago, both major parties gave up serving the people:  now, they serve themselves, and the only objective is “winning”!

“… (Big Business needs to be restrained as much as it did at the turn from 19th to 20th century!)) …”

What restraint business “needed” at the turn of the 20th century was exactly NONE.

The whole tarring of J.D. Rockefeller by the appropriately named Ida Tarbell was based on populist pandering pure and simple. Rockefeller made the entire oil industry more efficient and productive. For example, Standard Oil reduced costs of kerosene from $0.50/gal to around $0.08/gal exclusively through efficiencies in production, transportation, and refining—that’s painted as bad for the consumer!!???

The railroads are another example of federal regulation and federal subsidies (in the form of free land incentives among other things) and crony capitalism gone bad and resulting in more regulation attempting to fix the problems of earlier regulation which caused problems.

BTW, the “futures speculation” you decry is the only reason Southwest Airlines was the only American airline to make money in the last 3 or 4 years. You really need to study some economics, TK rather than pontificating on things you know nothing about other than what the kool-aid mixers spoon feed you.

“… Unregulated and, now, run amok capitalism has apparently convinced Big Business that it has no basic corporate or social responsibility whatsoever. …”

UNREGULATED!!!??? Dude, you should look at the mountains of conflicting regulations that business contends with.

RUN AMOK CAPITALISM!!!??? You mean “Crony Capitalism,” the blatant power- and money-grabbing exhibited daily by our fine politicians and corrupt businessmen?

Why should business accept “social responsibility” when the gubmint has already claimed that turf?

If “windfall profits” are to be the target of government grabbing, why are the oil companies the target?

Average net profit margin in oil industry is about 8.5%

Average net profit margin in electronics industry is about 14%

Average net profit margin in software industry is about 16%

Google’s net profit margin was over 25%

Why aren’t the collectivists targeting those industries?

To John Galt:

Geez!  Talk about “pontificating”, Bub!  Wow!  According to you, even Teddy Roosevelt screwed-up – - despite having received a hundred years worth of credit from a lot of academicians in quite a few different disciplines. (???)

And, note, there are as many different economic philosophies as there are political philosophies – - and mine are obviously different from yours – - and, I must say, happily so!

Apparently your economic and political persuasion is Compulsive Contrarian.

It must take an awful personal toll on you being such an expert – - and such an unappreciated one, at that!

Hope to see you again, next time I visit your planet!

Homines quid volunt credunt!

this post really means a lot.

“… Apparently your economic and political persuasion is Compulsive Contrarian. …”

No, my economic philosophy is laissez-faire Capitalism. My political philosophy is Constitutional Republican.

The contrarianism you perceive is my dedication to facts and reason and opposition to pandering, obfuscation, and hypocrisy.

Sorry I don’t understand Latin.

“Homines quid volunt credunt”

Yes, that’s true, however facts and reason can demonstrate that what men want to believe is often wrong.

I think TK needs to read the book, Liberal Fascism, by Jonah GOldberg, to get his facts straight!!  TK – read it and then look at YOUR posts here.  You will see why you are quoting “politically correct” history – not the true history of the US.  I support your right to your opinon, but not to the facts which you are “spinning”, I think. 

You might also read the book, Robber Barons, about those who set up the railroads in our country!  This is an interesting book.

Also consider reading the book, STATE OF FEAR, by Michael Chrichton and look at his FACTS posted to support the point that government only rules by fear and crisis and the major or # 1 crisis which is phony and self serving is global warming!  Look at how our congress jumped on this issue and hopefully MCcain will wise up – I think he has in a post I saw today! 

AND TK – if you want, I will send you TWO links to articles from nations who have moved away from the Kyoto Treaty as they have discovered the faulty science and hype behind it along with the fact that the world has been cooling since 1991.

One is India and the other is Australia – the latter article being written by the man who is in charge of the GW project for his country!  He now states he was wrong!  Want the links?

Here is a post we ALL need to read from an Iranian protestor.  Look at the steps posted and see if this is something you would like to consider for our country. If so, post here and let me know your ideas.  Post on ALL blogs to which you belong or comment and post the “consensus” of their thoughts.  IF this can be done in Iran, it can be done here where we have more freedoms than they do: 

http://frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=78723809-820A-4D99-B720-7A7B033F4B2A

Some of you ask what can we do to get rid of our corrupt congress and to stop the socialistic trend we are heading in by our country and to stop OBAMA from bankrupting our country and putting it UNDER the auspices of the UN!!  Go read that article above and get back to me on the thoughts posted there. 

TK – if you read the book Liberal FAscism, -Obama is doing exactly what HITLER and MOUSSILINI did to take over their countries.  Look at the four steps HITLER took especially:  the great myth (Obama’s CHANGE), control of the media and communications (CNN, MSNBC< CBS etc are in LOVE with Obama and will not print his missteps, his flip flops, his statements that show he is a socialist, etc), Passionate and power oratory (Obama reads well off a teleprompter) and exciting rallies where people get pumped up!  Did you know that n GERMANY, two popular bands played for the crowd BEFORE OB spoke?  They weren’t all there just to hear him speak, TK!!

AND my great grandparents were in Italy when Moussilini was there and the country was brutal, violent, corrupt and restricting of personal freedom. That is why the emigrated here.  I remember my grandmother talking about almost starving to death as they wouldn’t join Moussilini’s farm collective!  He wouldn’t let them sell their produce to make money! 

AND TK – Don’t think it can’t happen here folks – they said that about HITLER also!  Look at our own countries responses to WWII and the internment of Japanese AMERICANS!!  My neighbors were imprisoned as children and their properties taken away – their parents DIED while in the camps!!  To all of you:  DON”T tell me it can’t happen here! 

And TK – if you bother reading the book and look at the documentation, you will see that it is mainly DEMOCRATS who have screwed up our country.

Republicans have had their excesses also, but we were started on the WRONG track by liberal leaders!! Wilson and FDR and LBJ with his welfare state – really read it carefully! 

AND if CLINTON had gone after Bin Laden as he should have, we wouldn’t have had the IRaq war! Consider that Bin Laden was a SAUDI and the SAUDI’s even today are paying CLINTON $$$$$$$$$$ for his “library” and speaking engagements!  A coincidence?  I don’t think so!! 

For all who are oconcerned about the direction our country is heading, The question is, what do we do about it?  Go to this link above and read the steps Iranian dissidents are taking to get a democracy set up and see if that is something we can do and get back to this blog with your opinion = TK – you especially I would like to see your responses.

(YOUR LAUGH FOR THE DAY) SEE BELOW ABOUT MCCAIN

August
Let’s get rid of it.
By David Plotz
Posted Friday, July 27, 2001, at 8:30 PM ET

August is the Mississippi of the calendar. It’s beastly hot and muggy. It has a dismal history. Nothing good ever happens in it. And the United States would be better off without it.

August is when the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, when Anne Frank was arrested, when the first income tax was collected, when Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe died. Wings and Jefferson Airplane were formed in August. The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour debuted in August. (No August, no Sonny and Cher!)

August is the time when thugs and dictators think they can get away with it. World War I started in August 1914. The Nazis and Soviets signed their nonaggression pact in August 1939. Iraq invaded Kuwait Aug. 2, 1990. August is a popular month for coups and violent crime. Why August? Perhaps the villains assume we’ll be too distracted by vacations or humidity to notice.

August is the vast sandy wasteland of American culture. Publishers stop releasing books. Movie theaters are clogged with the egregious action movies that studios wouldn’t dare release in June. Television is all reruns (or worse—new episodes of Sex and the City). The sports pages wither into nothingness. Pre-pennant-race baseball—if that can even be called a sport—is all that remains. We have to feign interest in NFL training camps. Newspapers are thin in August, but not thin enough. They still print ghastly vacation columns: David Broder musing on world peace from his summer home on Lake Michigan? Even Martha Stewart (born Aug. 3) can’t think of anything to do in August. Her Martha Stewart Living calendar, usually so sprightly, overflows with ennui. Aug. 14: “If it rains, organize basement.” Aug. 16: “Reseed bare patches in lawn.” Aug. 27: “Change batteries in smoke and heat detectors.”

You can’t get a day off from August, because it is the only month without a real holiday. Instead, the other months have shunted onto this weak sister all the lame celebrations they didn’t want. Air Conditioning Appreciation Week, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Week, National Religious Software Week, Carpenter Ant Awareness Week: All these grand American celebrations belong to August. Is it any accident that National Lazy Day, Relaxation Day, Deadwood Day, and Failures Day are commemorated in August?

August is the month of vagueness. October is the 10th month, March is the third month. What’s August—bet you can’t remember. Does it have 30 days or 31? You have to recite the rhyme to figure that one out. The great writers of history forget August: It rates three mentions in Bartlett’s Quotations, compared with a dozen for December and two dozen for March.

The people with August birthdays are a sorry bunch. Sure, Lyndon Johnson and Bill Clinton* were born in August, but the other presidential Augustans are Herbert Hoover and Benjamin Harrison. Film is represented by Robert Redford and Robert De Niro—but also by John Holmes and Harry Reems. Third-raters populate August: George Hamilton, Danny Bonaduce, Rick Springfield, and Frank and Kathie Lee Gifford were born then. August gave us Fidel Castro and Yasser Arafat. In art, August offers Leni Riefenstahl, Michael Jackson, and Danielle Steele. (To be sure, not everything that happens in August is so terrible. Raoul Wallenberg, Alfred Hitchcock, Herman Melville, and Mae West were born in August. Richard Nixon resigned in August. MTV launched in August. And Jerry Garcia died in August.)
August can’t even master the things it is supposed to do well. Despite its slothful reputation, it is not the top vacation month, July is. Nor is August the hottest month (on the East Coast, at least). That crown, too, is July’s. August is when the garden starts to wither, and when the long summer days cruelly vanish.

We should rage, rage against the dying of the light. The United States desperately needs August Reform. Purists will insist that we shouldn’t tinker with the months, that August should be left alone because it has done workmanlike service for 2,000 years. That’s nonsense. Calendars are always fluxing. August itself was a whimsical invention. In 46 B.C., as part of a broad calendar change, Julius Caesar added two days to Sextilis, an old 29-day month. In the reign of his successor, Augustus Caesar, the Senate voted to change Sextilis’ name to “Augustus” (as the Senate under Julius Caesar had renamed the month before, “Quintilis,” “Julius”).

August was created by politics, and it can be undone by politics. For too long, bureaucrats in Washington have been telling you how you must divide up your calendar. But these are your months, and you should be able to do with them what you like. Genuine August Reform will be hard. It will require tough compromises to protect the special interests of September and July. (And who better to sponsor this revolution, incidentally, than Sen. John McCain—birthday Aug. 29?)

Here is a framework for compromise. Cede the first 10 days of August back to July, thus extending holiday revelry for more than a week. September would claim the last 10 days of August, mollifying the folks who can’t wait to get back to serious work. Labor Day would come 10 days earlier, the school year would run longer, and the rush of fall activity could get jump-started. August itself will keep 10 days. That is just enough: Every summer we’ll be able to toot happily, “Gosh, August went by so quickly this year!”

And as for the 31st day, it will be designated a holiday independent from any month. It will fall after the 10th and last day of August, and it will celebrate the end of that most useless month.

I like summer and all, but August is ridiculous.

“… even Teddy Roosevelt screwed-up …”

ERRARE HUMANUM EST!

Rockefeller screwed up joining the South Improvement Company attempt at forming a railroad cartel (which by the way played an instrumental role in bankrupting Ida Tarbell’s father—her claims to having no dog in the fight to the contrary), but Roosevelt screwed up in going after the Standard Oil Trust in that the charges were wrong and unjust. Rockefeller was one of, if not the greatest businessmen and creators of wealth this country has ever seen.

His laser-like focus on efficiency and re-investment in production resulted in price reductions, never in price increases. His share of the kerosene market dropped from its highest point of about 90% to around 60% as his methods and improvements were copied by his competitors and oil was discovered in Texas and California. Contrary to popular pandering, most of the companies he bought sold willingly to him once he showed the owners his books and demonstrated that they could not compete against his COSTS of production and still profit. Many of those owners ended up joining Standard Oil (much like Warren Buffet’s model) and became extremely wealthy in the end.

So, yes. In my opinion, Roosevelt was wrong to target Rockefeller and Standard Oil.

To Helen Sabin – Re #38:

You know, reading Jonah Goldber’s stuff as an original source for your personal education in history and politics is like watching Star Trek and believing you’ve learned all there is to know about the U.S. space program.

The guy went to a girls’ college, apparently majored in English, and was his Mother’s secretary until the Clinton-Lewinski affair, when the old lady generated her 15 minutes of fame because she had told Linda Tripp to use a tape recorder and save any evidence!

The old lady went out of business as a “literary agent” shortly thereafter and little Jonah took her place among the talking heads, spouting a 29 year-old’s superficial and quite immature soundbites about the whole sordid affair.  He’s had no formal education in history, politics, law, foreign affairs, public administration, government – - and, possibly, even in basic civics.  He might have taught English in a grade school for a year or two – - and that’s the extent of his historical and political “expertise” – - which you apparently take as Gospel.

And – - now, he’s really kind of a joke as The Los Angeles Times token right-wingnut “expert” on all the superficialities and talking points of the far right extremists!

If you’re a retired college professor – - I think you should probably be a little more adept at locating accurate and objective source materials which are presented without any personal agendas being involved whatsoever.

However, you are also constitutionally-guaranteed that you may remain as narrow-minded and as poorly educated in the pursuit if your particular perspective as you may choose.

Jonah Goldberg.  Geez!

To John Galt – #36:

To me, you’re a nihilist.  At best, maybe an ordinary anarchist.

And, with regard to your comment … “dedication to facts and reason and opposition to pandering, obfuscation, and hypocrisy” – - as I stated in a previous post – - “And, of course, YOU own the other half of the facts and, of course, YOUR half of the facts are the CORRECT and “GOOD” facts!”

And a final note:  “Laissez-faire capitalism”, carried to its extreme, will result in enslavement of the working class as readily and to the very same extent as does Communism.  The run-amok capitalist planter-class in the American south and the run-amok new industrialsts of the Robber Baron era achieved their riches via the complete and total abuse of the workers who, while under one kind of economic slavery or another, made the capitalists extreme level of wealth possible without the workers receiving fair and just compensation and acceptable treatment themselves ( which is why, in both cases, the government, in a wholly rightful manner, did contravene both sets of these circumstances of “capitalism run amok”).

Whatever your perspective – - to me, it’s narrow-minded and extremist – - and you blithely reject the real world facts and persons which/who do not agree with your pre-determined conclusions.

And, of course, for the most part, this is a website dedicated to extreme right-wingism – - so it’s my own mistake to expect anything other here!

I do agree that “men will believe what they want” – - and, most certainly – - that many of them believe things that are wrong.  And this forum surely highlights many of the latter, including, I’m afraid, youself.

TK, you’re a laugh a post!

I think it was Tip O’Neil who said: “You are entitled to your own opinion, but you’re not entitled to your own facts.”

Only an ignorant fool or a cynic with a collectivist agenda would equate laissez faire Capitalism with slavery.

FACT:
Laissez-faire Capitalism is based on the FREE and VOLUNTARY exchange of value for value among people. If a worker doesn’t think he is getting a fair exchange of his labor, he is FREE to seek a more beneficial exchange elsewhere. An employer is FREE to set the value (wage) he is willing to pay for the workers’ labor.

FACT:
Slavery EXTRACTS value by FORCE from laborers. A slave is not FREE by definition. (It could be argued that Unionism is slavery of employers, forcing the employer to either grant the union officials’ demands or go out of business. It could also be argued as I have that the income tax system is tantamount to slavery, as it forces compliance under threat of imprisonment.)

FACT:
The form of “capitalism” practiced in the Southern United States up until the late 1930’s was in fact SLAVERY, both acknowledged as such prior to the Civil War, and unacknowledged under the names of “indentured servitude” and “peonage” until the late 1930’s.

FACT:
Anarchy is NO government. I am in favor of a Confederated Republic form of government (as defined in the Federalist Papers). The problem I have with the current government is that I believe the Federal government has usurped too much of the powers that should be granted to the States and that it has usurped too much economic power.

FACT:
A nihilist is one who believes that existence has no objective meaning or value. I certainly do not fall into that category.

I am a person who makes judgments, but I am open to changing my judgments based on facts that show my judgment to be based on incorrect information or flawed reasoning. I suppose I’m “narrow minded” in that I demand facts and logic, not feelings or emotion, back judgment.

You would be surprised to find that I don’t fit the “right-winger” label in many of my judgments about individual rights and liberty. I would be closer to Jefferson than you think, although he was much closer to libertarianism and anarchy than I am.

“… I am in favor of a Confederated Republic form of government (as defined in the Federalist Papers). …”

Modification:
I am in favor of a Confederated Republic form of government (as defined in the US Constitution and described in the Federalist Papers).

JOHN – you are correct in that the government/courts including the Supreme one, usurped the rights of the states in many areas. 
We need to get a president into office who will stop the Supremes from acting as ACTIVIST judges and one who will reduce the size and scope of govenment.  Many areas need to be returned to the states control.  Our constitution has undergone much damage and changes to the idea of a republic by the MENWOMEN IN BLACK. 

I would suggest that we DEMAND that the new President put in strict constituionalists who will base judicial decisions on the constitution not on emotion or their political beliefs. 

We also need to reduce the entitlements and pork barrel spending done by a majority of congress. We can do this but we need to start writing, calling, demanding this be done!  IF we do this, we can make sure our anger and frustration are known.

Trent Lott once old his constitutents to STOP CALLING – “…That he knew what was best and he was going to do it.” Talk about arrogance!  THAT type of thinking is what we need to get rid of – including the one who uttered it. 

Yesterday on TV, I listened to Obama’s speech to some state or group and in ONE sentence, he contradicted himself twice!!  The topic was energy!!  THe man jumps around and flips and flops on topics as he doesn’t KNOW enough to take a stance.  I believe that most of us on this blog can do a better job of articulating positions as concerns our government than he does!! 

MCcain is almost as bad but I do think he has the “health” of the country at heart, while Obama has ownly his own health and wealth as his main goal. 

NOW – instead of discussing philosophy, again I ask, how many of you have written/called/emailed the President to DEMAND that congress be called back in session?  DO THIS TODAY!!

ONLY in congress can you get a 5 week vacation and go off and leave YOUR work undone!! 

DEMAND that congress come back and fund the following: 

1.  clean coal research and the use of coal of which we have over 300 years worth of product! The return on investment is the highest of any energy source we have – i.e. we get about 47% energy from coal.

2.  FUND Nuclear plants and get them going NOW!!
Consider that we could build 282 nuclear plants for the money that Obama wants to send overseas for “global poverty!”  His $845 BILLION dollar proposal would bankrupt the United States while enriching his cronies and countries in the United Nations including the Russian Military who would get some of this largess from the United States.
We could get some of these reactors up and running in about half the time stated if we worked round the clock to do so. 

3.  Allow the Extraction of oil and gas we have now but CONGRESS won’t allow to be extracted!!  DEMAND that the oil companies get on the ball and do this.

4.  Remove oil subsidies and insist that refineries be built or show reason why those subsidies should remain.  To show the stupidity of Obama’s energy plan which includes draining the reserves and replace the sweet light crude with the heavier crude is disingenuous as heavy crude is costlier to refine, has to be done in Canada or in some places here in the US (Nebraska has a few refineries like this I believe) and is not as efficient energy wise as sweet crude is.  Why do you think they call it SWEET LIGHT?

5.  Use more natural gas!  We have reserves here that we can call on to help us over the hump until more resources are built. 

6.  ALLOW drilling here and drilling now in the ocean, and in ANWR!  IF we had done this when the lazy and self indulgent Clinton was in office we would have access to that oil NOW!!

7.  DEMAND that the federal government not allow PORK to go to benefit themselves and if ANY congress person buys land or funds contracts to their cronies without competition that they be charged with FRAUD!!  OR like in the stock market, insider trading so to speak!  Pilosi is a master of this one and so is Obama. 

START with these steps and we could take back our country and make it good for US – not for the majority of worthless congress people we are allowing to tell us to “go to hell” while they vacation!

To John Galt – #44:

You know, I’ve pretty much tried to avoid name-calling and the typical extremist rightwinger tactic of demeaning the messenger – - which the rockheaded Republican radioheads do so well – - and in which you’re now engaging.  I’ll again avoid returning the same – - but only for this one last time!

Once again, as is usual in many of your posts, you create “YOUR” own so-called “facts” and “YOUR” own selective “semantics” to “prove” whatever politicized point you’re trying to spin and sell at that moment – - and, according to you, the rest of us are all expected to operate only in this “World According to Galt!”

Regarding your last listing of “FACTS”:

First, if you can’t see how “laissez faire”, unregulated, and run amok capitalism harmed the 1885-1910 workers (many of them newly-arrived immigrants) in the New York sweatshops and in the northeastern factories, in the Chicago slaughterhouses, the railroad line workers, the coal miners, steelworkers, and all those souls stuck in predatory “company towns” – - if you can’t see or understand “1 + 1 = 2” – - then I sure as hell can’t help you!

Two, and if you further can’t see that these workers were at least figuratively (and certainly economically) being abused, taken advantage of, and, for all intents and purposes, “enslaved” by these circumstances – - to which they had no other “free” nor useful economic alternatives – - then you’re either blind, thick, or faking it!  And everybody (I believe) knows unions came about to fight these circumstances and the run-amok capitalists who created them.  And, even more elementally, I think even the drop-outs know that every organized and orderly civilization in history has had some form of “taxation”, necessary to finance its “organization” and “order” – - but, then again, maybe you don’t (???)

Three, if you also don’t understand the similar economic elements of southern plantation “slavery” and the industrial-age “peonage” (your word) of late-19th-early-20th-century workers required to live in company towns, pay rent on company residences, shop for necessities in company stores, pay to have their kids educated in company schools – - and kept from all means of bettering themselves – - then, at best, you’re totally insensitive to the history of workers in this country and our historical economic realities – - or, once again, you’re simply either blind, thick, or faking it!

Fourth, you reiterate your anti-government persona so frequently that it’s difficult NOT to view you as an ordinary anarchist.  And while preferring a government based on states rights might be laudable – - you CONSTANTLY rant and rave about it being the sole fault of Liberals, Democrats, ignoramuses, collectivists, communists or some such that it’s not what we have!  It takes two to Tango – - and for EVERY negativity that you can generate and spout off about Liberals or Democrats (or whatever other names you spout) being the wrong-headed cause of EVERYTHING you dislike – - a similar such negativity can be very easily generated and similarly spouted off about Conservatives or Republicans (or whatever other names they may be called).  Lousy politicians and lousy political theory and philosophy are all EQUALLY and EVENLY spread throughout the political spectrum – - from far left to far right!

Fifth, again, you color a “fact” or a “definition” to suit your ostensibly all-knowing and obviously highly-spun point – - BUT – - the most common definition of “nihilist” is two-fold – - (1.) denial of all reality; and, (2.) opposition to government.  To me, this real world definition suits you very well.

There are plenty of pseudo-intellectuals, right of center, who are truly rockheaded, narrow-minded, self-centered, spinmeisters trying to impress others with how smart they are – - but, in fact, most are just ideological, talking-point-oriented, parroting, blowhards whose only talent is outshouting the opposition, attacking and demeaning its messengers, and engaging in the general sliming and negative-buzz-word-labeling of those who are not in lockstep with their reactionary and authoritarian perspectives.

As I’ve said, I am a registered Independent (I was registered as a Democrat 1964-1972 and a Republican 1988-1992 – - and Independent at all other times!) – - I am anti-partisan – - I am anti-extremist – - I despise the “Wall Street Values” of the Republicans – - I despise the “San Franciso Values” of the Democrats – - I believe in fiscal responsibility – - I believe in Fair Trade (vs. Free Trade) – - I would like to see States Rights prevailing over Strong Central Government – - I believe federal government has the responsibility to protect the general health, safety, and welfare of the citizenry – - I am “America First” oriented – - I believe Bush II is the worst president this country has ever had – - I believe illegal immigrants should be denied jobs and benefits and companies that hire them should be severely penalized – - I believe much of the military should be removed from abroad and placed at our borders and ports of entry to provide security – - I believe English should be our one-and-only official national language – - I believe “under God” should remain in the Pledge and the Ten Commandments should appear in EVERY courthouse – - I believe the worst problem facing the citizenry of this country today is wrong-headed economic policy – - and, although I’ve been a business owner for 46 years, I believe this country’s most valuable commodity, its finest resource, is its workers – - NOT its investors.

So, you can take your snarky “ignorant fool or a cynic with a collectivist agenda” and stick it up (I’m sure) your very tight and snarky ass!

And I really have no interest in any further conversation with “Galt Almighty”.

Sayonara!

We aren’t so different, TK. I share many of the beliefs you listed, and you share many of the traits you attack me for.

More taxes and higher gas prices – what a brilliant solution. How about cutting taxes and reducing drastically the size of the government?