Today is Christmas day. For Christians it’s the time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Christ. For others who observe this day, it’s a time of fellowship and giving, and for those who don’t observe Christmas, it’s a day off or holiday pay for working. One week from today it will be January 1st, New Years Day. While it may be a time for reflection, it is primarily a day for looking forward with hopeful anticipation, So in the spirit of Christmas and with the hopefulness of the New Year, here is my list of gifts for others.
For the U.S. House, Senate and Administration: I hope they get a clue.
For The Ohio State University football team: A smashing Rose Bowl victory.
For the citizens of the United States: Knowledge and awareness about the true costs of huge government.
For my friends and family: Good health and great joy.
For my readers: May I provide you with better material that makes you think.
For my grandchildren: A nation that cherishes personal freedom and individual opportunity. Plus, may grandpa share that vision with you.
For the Libertarian Party of Ohio: More than 10% of the 2010 vote with some significant victories.
For my wife: a more sane me (extreme longshot).
For me: Increased energy and passion to fight for freedom and follow Him.
For you: Merry Christmas and a blessed 2010.
As always, you can comment or email: cnpearl@woh.rr.com
Friday, December 25, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Delayed gratification
Delayed gratification is the topic for today. It seems quite appropriate as the little ones anticipate Christmas morning, but I want to use the topic as a launching point for another (sigh) discussion of the massive (up to 2700 pages) Heathcare Reform Act. Consider that theoretically speaking there is no public option included in this latest version, and yet, they nevertheless manage to bring forth a bill that is more than twice the length of “Atlas Shrugged.” With that many pages and no public disclosure of the contents, one must assume that there is enough crap buried in the legislation to fertilize the entire African continent. We, our children, their children and generations as yet unborn will be unraveling the nuances and side-effects of this behemoth for decades. President Reagan once told a story of a young kid who got up on Christmas morning and found the room with the tree was full of horse manure. When his parents awoke and found him digging through the excrement, they asked little Johnny what he was doing. “There’s gotta be a pony in here somewhere!” the little guy exclaimed.
Regretfully, I suspect that we will never find the pony in this pile of crap, or if we do, it will be a dead horse by the time we uncover it. The last statement that I read regarding the implementation of this Trojan Horse was that the new taxes, the 111 new agencies or bureaus, and many of the restrictions and rules will be implemented next year (2010), but the “benefits” will not begin taking effect until 2014. Assumedly, the taxes collected would be earmarked and accumulated for the four-year start up period. I think I just spit up in my mouth. Right, Congress will allow billions of dollars to sit in an account without spending them. If you believe that, then you are a candidate for the Gullibility Hall of Fame. Back to delayed gratification…the benefits (if any) will be delayed, but the government desire for more to spend will be gratified. The politicians get the gold mine, and we get the shaft.
So what actions are available for short-circuiting this freedom-crushing legislative noose? Clearly the Republicans lack the power and the will to fight this thing. Even if they lack the votes to derail it, they should be dragging their heels while kicking and screaming. The Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell, decided to play nice with Harry Reid and allow the vote for Thursday morning rather than Thursday evening as originally scheduled. Great, the senators will get home for Christmas while the people dig lumps of coal from their stockings. Because the Dems want this power grab, and the Repubs are too cowardly to shed blood to stop it, the next line of resistance is the states. At least seven states are considering relying on the Tenth Amendment and the Constitutional challenge embedded there to address some element of “nullification.”
Will a nullification strategy work? It didn’t work out too well for South Carolina in 1861, but there are more recent examples of states and localities that choose to consciously ignore federal heavy handedness. Several cities throughout the country have declared themselves to be “sanctuaries” for undocumented aliens. Other governmental entities have passed laws that contravene federal drug laws…such as medical marijuana. These local efforts have generated some sputtering from the feds, but as a rule have been allowed to stand without much federal resistance. To be effective against the healthcare monster, a significant number of states will have to band together to shut down the government express. To do it in a piece meal fashion would prove to be ineffective and fruitless.
Your comments are appreciated, or email me: cnpearl@woh.rr.com
Regretfully, I suspect that we will never find the pony in this pile of crap, or if we do, it will be a dead horse by the time we uncover it. The last statement that I read regarding the implementation of this Trojan Horse was that the new taxes, the 111 new agencies or bureaus, and many of the restrictions and rules will be implemented next year (2010), but the “benefits” will not begin taking effect until 2014. Assumedly, the taxes collected would be earmarked and accumulated for the four-year start up period. I think I just spit up in my mouth. Right, Congress will allow billions of dollars to sit in an account without spending them. If you believe that, then you are a candidate for the Gullibility Hall of Fame. Back to delayed gratification…the benefits (if any) will be delayed, but the government desire for more to spend will be gratified. The politicians get the gold mine, and we get the shaft.
So what actions are available for short-circuiting this freedom-crushing legislative noose? Clearly the Republicans lack the power and the will to fight this thing. Even if they lack the votes to derail it, they should be dragging their heels while kicking and screaming. The Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell, decided to play nice with Harry Reid and allow the vote for Thursday morning rather than Thursday evening as originally scheduled. Great, the senators will get home for Christmas while the people dig lumps of coal from their stockings. Because the Dems want this power grab, and the Repubs are too cowardly to shed blood to stop it, the next line of resistance is the states. At least seven states are considering relying on the Tenth Amendment and the Constitutional challenge embedded there to address some element of “nullification.”
Will a nullification strategy work? It didn’t work out too well for South Carolina in 1861, but there are more recent examples of states and localities that choose to consciously ignore federal heavy handedness. Several cities throughout the country have declared themselves to be “sanctuaries” for undocumented aliens. Other governmental entities have passed laws that contravene federal drug laws…such as medical marijuana. These local efforts have generated some sputtering from the feds, but as a rule have been allowed to stand without much federal resistance. To be effective against the healthcare monster, a significant number of states will have to band together to shut down the government express. To do it in a piece meal fashion would prove to be ineffective and fruitless.
Your comments are appreciated, or email me: cnpearl@woh.rr.com
Monday, December 21, 2009
In the still of the night
My late father used to tell me that “nothing good happens after midnight.” When I was young, stupid and full of vinegar, I seriously doubted the wisdom of that statement. But now as I have grown older, his admonition rings true. This morning (Monday 12/21) at 1:00am EST, the U.S. Senate voted to override cloture and place the mystery Healthcare Reform bill on the fast track to adoption. The tentative schedule calls for a final vote for passage at 7:00pm Thursday night, Christmas Eve. In the spirit of the season I ask the following (with a little help from Johnny Mathis):
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3qd0o_johnny-mathis-do-you-hear-what-i-he_music
So, do you hear what I hear? I detect the thundering hoof beats of runaway government. We are about to be crushed under the stampede of the Nanny State. Some of you dear readers have recently chided me for being an alarmist or for exhibiting signs of extreme paranoia. Consider this…several polls have indicated that more than fifty per cent of the voters have expressed their reservations about the proposed plan for restructuring healthcare in the U.S. Yet, through a series of backroom deals involving hundreds of billions of taxpayer funds, Majority Leader Reid and his cohorts have stubbornly moved this noxious legislation forward. There are, admittedly, some who believe that greater government involvement in our personal healthcare decisions is a good thing. They either assume that care would improve or that a leveling of health services would be more equitable than the current system. For them I have this seasonal ditty:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xa4gpo_here-comes-santa-claus_music
Only if you believe in Santa can you embrace the notion that the federal government will be a superior source of healthcare than you could possibly arrange for yourself. If you are the type of person who lacks self discipline, then Uncle Sam’s denial of your daily Twinkie fix, the prohibition of Big Macs, and the flushing of all soft drinks may be the only avenue available to you. You must be one of those poor souls who have no will, no strength….no brains. It requires courage and thoughtfulness to make decisions that could have long term effects on your life. It may be easier to allow the government to call the shots, but at what point do you draw the line? Would you “feel” more secure if the Nanny established your bedtime and tucked you in at night? Of course not! You would begin to resent the overly intrusive involvement of the government. Your sense of your personal identity would be smothered by the good intentions of Big Nanny. You would chafe at lack of freedom and yearn for the opportunity to decide for you what is good…and what is not.
So, in essence, you agree that the Senate may be going too far, but you assume that there’s nothing you can do about it. You think are just one little grain in the litter box of life, and you’re used to Government dropping daily deposits in your world. As government has grown larger and larger, less responsive and more domineering, you may have become accustomed to the little droplets of excrement that shower you. You may loathe the way that insensitive bureaucrats treat you as if you were the turd floating in the punchbowl at the party celebrating the glorious government goodies for all. Oh, something stinks alright, but its not you. What smells is that the “leaders” of our nation have assumed that your life is of so little significance that they rather than you should determine how you live it.
Senator Tom Harkin (idiot-Iowa) stated that the Congress would pass this liberty-choking monstrosity in time for Christmas. In my view, if Harkin, Reid and others of their ilk represent the spirit of Christmas, then I prefer to take my chances with the Grinch. The message of Christ at Christmastime is one of salvation…not one of enslavement.
Always, always, always beware of politicians bearing gifts. They purchase them with your credit cards.
Please comment or email me: cnpearl@woh.rr.com
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3qd0o_johnny-mathis-do-you-hear-what-i-he_music
So, do you hear what I hear? I detect the thundering hoof beats of runaway government. We are about to be crushed under the stampede of the Nanny State. Some of you dear readers have recently chided me for being an alarmist or for exhibiting signs of extreme paranoia. Consider this…several polls have indicated that more than fifty per cent of the voters have expressed their reservations about the proposed plan for restructuring healthcare in the U.S. Yet, through a series of backroom deals involving hundreds of billions of taxpayer funds, Majority Leader Reid and his cohorts have stubbornly moved this noxious legislation forward. There are, admittedly, some who believe that greater government involvement in our personal healthcare decisions is a good thing. They either assume that care would improve or that a leveling of health services would be more equitable than the current system. For them I have this seasonal ditty:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xa4gpo_here-comes-santa-claus_music
Only if you believe in Santa can you embrace the notion that the federal government will be a superior source of healthcare than you could possibly arrange for yourself. If you are the type of person who lacks self discipline, then Uncle Sam’s denial of your daily Twinkie fix, the prohibition of Big Macs, and the flushing of all soft drinks may be the only avenue available to you. You must be one of those poor souls who have no will, no strength….no brains. It requires courage and thoughtfulness to make decisions that could have long term effects on your life. It may be easier to allow the government to call the shots, but at what point do you draw the line? Would you “feel” more secure if the Nanny established your bedtime and tucked you in at night? Of course not! You would begin to resent the overly intrusive involvement of the government. Your sense of your personal identity would be smothered by the good intentions of Big Nanny. You would chafe at lack of freedom and yearn for the opportunity to decide for you what is good…and what is not.
So, in essence, you agree that the Senate may be going too far, but you assume that there’s nothing you can do about it. You think are just one little grain in the litter box of life, and you’re used to Government dropping daily deposits in your world. As government has grown larger and larger, less responsive and more domineering, you may have become accustomed to the little droplets of excrement that shower you. You may loathe the way that insensitive bureaucrats treat you as if you were the turd floating in the punchbowl at the party celebrating the glorious government goodies for all. Oh, something stinks alright, but its not you. What smells is that the “leaders” of our nation have assumed that your life is of so little significance that they rather than you should determine how you live it.
Senator Tom Harkin (idiot-Iowa) stated that the Congress would pass this liberty-choking monstrosity in time for Christmas. In my view, if Harkin, Reid and others of their ilk represent the spirit of Christmas, then I prefer to take my chances with the Grinch. The message of Christ at Christmastime is one of salvation…not one of enslavement.
Always, always, always beware of politicians bearing gifts. They purchase them with your credit cards.
Please comment or email me: cnpearl@woh.rr.com
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