by Thomas E. Brewton
Since the 1930s, most Americans have come to believe in a fairy tale that has no happy ending. Democrats' victories in the recent elections have revived the fairy tale.
Washington Post staff writer Dan Balz, in a November 13, 2006, article explores the unresolved questions and internal debates remaining after the recent congressional elections.
One of those questions, as he sees it, is:
Equally important is the question of which party can adequately address the twin problems of keeping the United States competitive in a global economy and restoring the social contract that has helped provide economic security to workers and that has been shattered as a result of the corporate restructuring that globalization has brought about.
Mr. Balz is working under a false assumption: the expectation that the Federal government controls business, as well as the idea that it is possible to have a "social contract" under which government can effectively provide economic security to workers.
That assumption originates in the religion of socialism, which presumes that councils of intellectual planners, backed by technocratic administrators, are capable of managing businesses better than businessmen. Intellectuals and technocrats theoretically are motivated solely by the common good, not by private greed for profit. Businesses therefore, in theory, will be more efficient and be able to support full employment at all times when under government control.
In practice, this hasn't worked well, a typical example being the collapse of the socialistic EU's technocratically-managed AirBus and the resurgence of Boeing.
The term "social contract" was most famously used by John Locke in 1689 and by Jean-Jacques Rousseau in 1762. Locke's conception, not Rousseau's, was the basis of our War of Independence in 1776.
Locke erected a theoretical framework for a government of inherently limited powers. Even the king is subject to God's higher law of morality, which embraces the natural-law rights of individuals. Individuals, when they entered a social contract to create political society, retained inalienable rights to life, liberty, and private property. Hence our 1776 slogan, "No taxation without representation."
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Posted by Walt in Politics, Socialism, US Constitution categories at 8:07 AM EST
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by Jeff Lukens
Thanksgiving is a chance to gather with loved ones and share in a time-honored American tradition. For some, it is an excuse to stuff themselves with turkey and football. For others, it is a special time of "giving thanks" for blessings in their lives.
One may ask, "thanks to whom?" Well, thanks to God, of course. Never before has the question been difficult to answer. Perhaps we should consider that America's blessings of prosperity, freedom, justice, peace and opportunity. They are gifts from a mighty and gracious God. These days, however, the preeminence of God may look more like a matter of opinion.
Clearly, this was not the Pilgrims' view. They had come to this land in 1620, not to escape God, but to find Him in His fullness. They bowed their heads in acknowledgment of His power and grace. To them, He was the one and only truth.
In front of them was a desolate wilderness in a harsh Massachusetts winter. Behind them was a vast ocean that separated them from the rest of civilization.
Before starting their new lives, they made a covenant with God written in the Mayflower Compact. They had come to form a colony for the "glory of God." In return, they would receive His protection and blessings in this new land. That bond, of their faithfulness and His blessings, would be the key to their survival.
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Posted by Walt in Christianity, General, Thanksgiving Day categories at 8:05 AM EST
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by Thomas Lindaman
With the recent Democrat victories in Election 2006, political analysts and commentators are talking about what the Democrats did right or what the Republicans did wrong. Along with that, they're trying to predict what the new Congress will do or not do.
Lost amid this chatter is a real threat to the two-party approach to American politics. I'm not talking about terrorism, factionalism, or the possibility of seeing Ted Kennedy running a Senate committee dealing with anything more complex than what wine goes with pancakes. (Word is Kennedy's position is that no wine goes with pancakes, but scotch goes with everything.) I'm referring to the possibility of a third party arising from the ashes of this election.
I know what you're saying. I know because I have your computer rooms bugged. Anyway, what you're saying is, "You're just saying that because you're a former Libertarian and want a third party to rise to prominence when we know they won't." You're mostly right, but right now is as good a time for a third party to rise as any since we saw Ross Perot and the Reform Party appear on our radar in 1992.
First, I think many commentators are missing the real message coming out of Election 2006. It wasn't an anti-Bush or anti-Republican sentiment by any stretch of the imagination. If it were, the Democrats wouldn't be holding onto such a slim margin in both houses of Congress and there would be a lot more Republicans submitting resumes on Monster.com.
In reality, what the voters were saying is that they want representatives who actually listen to them and weren't abusing power for personal means. The Democrats did a better job in making that argument than the Republicans did, especially when the former worked hard to connect all Republicans to Bush, even if the only thing they did was wave at him across Pennsylvania Avenue. But that in and of itself isn't an indication that voters prefer Democrat ideas to Republican ideas. After all, 8 out of 9 states voted for a gay marriage ban, which is not something Democrats support.
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Posted by Walt in Politics categories at 10:31 PM EST
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by Bob Parks
I apologize for my writing volume slippage. I’ve been kind of focused as of late, but here we go….
Something just ain’t right. It’s late October during an off-year election. Where’s the old DWI report or some document supposedly created with a Smith Corona? Is al Qaeda waiting until next Monday afternoon?
Enough’s been said about Michael J. Fox, the Cardin-Steele race, the St. Louis Cardinals, and Reese Witherspoon’s breakup. Other things have bumped the good stuff off what should be a last minute, ditch effort by someone to tilt a national election. That’s where we’re headed….
A World With Whitney, Again
You know life is good when you’re finally free of Bobby Brown, you’ve got some skin on your bones, and Osama bin Laden wants to make you his main squeeze.
I don’t know about you, but there came a time when I grew sick of over-played Whitney Houston. And like most egotistical superstars, she strayed from the mentor who made her what she was, and her career sunk like a cinder block in the South Pacific. Whether it was Michael Jackson walking away from Quincy Jones or Whitney turned her back on Clive Davis in favor of Bobby Brown, one must admit the world seemed a bit empty without their feel-good music.
But we may be seeing one of those famed Hollywood comeback stories.
Last week at the 17th Carousel of Hope Ball in Beverly Hills, the Whitney Houston we all grew to love appeared at a benefit event for the Barbara Davis Center For Childhood Diabetes at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, and she was looking good.
You go, girl!
Now You Went And Did It…
Betcha’ Katie Couric won’t be leading with this.
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Posted by Walt in Politics categories at 11:36 PM EST
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By Alan Caruba
When the President decided to bring about regime change in Iraq, I thought it was a good idea. Saddam Hussein was among one of the world’s worst dictators, widely credited with slaughtering large numbers of Iraqis and using chemical warfare against both the Kurds of northern Iraq and during his eight-year war in the 1980s against Iran.
However, I couldn’t shake the notion that his animus toward Saddam was personal. His father, Bush41, had been the object of a thwarted assassination attempt attributed to Saddam, and had lost his bid for a second term despite the successful execution of the first war to drive the Iraqis out of Kuwait.
Bush came into office with a promise to cut taxes and then 9/11 completely altered whatever other plans he had. What followed was a brief, successful incursion into Afghanistan to drive out the Taliban, but it was a war largely fought by local warlords whose assistance was purchased with gobs of money and by the application of American air warfare. The result, however, is that the Taliban are back. I doubt anyone wants to take any bets on how long the Bush-backed government in Kabul will last.
In retrospect, one is forced to ask if democracy, American-style, can be implemented in places where there never has been any true democracy? It’s a question I should have asked myself back then.
Within a year of the Iraq war’s inception, some warnings regarding its prosecution were being issued, but few were listening. In January 2004 the Army War College issued a report that criticized the Bush administration’s global war on terrorism as “unfocused.” Its author, Jeffrey Record, said that the war in Iraq was “unnecessary” and “a detour” that diverted attention and resources from the threat posed by al Qaeda.
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Posted by Walt in Middle East, Politics categories at 11:01 PM EST
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Last week Michele Malkin reported of the attack against the Pledge of Allegiance at a California college. The Orange Coast student trustees decide to drop the Pledge as they felt no need to to recite the Pledge to God and Country.
But a true American, 18-year-old political science major Christine Zoldos still loudly recited he pledge in front of the board on Wednesday night in defiance of the rule. She also promised to attend every meeting and to proudly Pledge Allegiance to the Flag
Our country is quickly sinking into a post-modern state where allegiance to one's country is no longer considered politically correct.
Posted by Walt in Education, Patriotism categories at 9:55 AM EST
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Ron Wexler, Commentary
Ten Commandments Day
The situation in Israel today is amazingly similar to the European climate in and around 1938. The policy of appeasement that existed in Europe prior to World War II with British Prime Minister Chamberlain meeting with Hitler¹s cronies in a so-called peace treaty; even sacrificing Czechoslovakia did not end the tension and winds of war that blew throughout Europe.
Just a year later, this mockery of a peace treaty between England and Germany resulted in the most catastrophic war in the history of humankind. Some 60 million people perished, among them six million Jews. Friends, I can assure you without hesitancy that if Israel had been an independent nation during the years leading up to World War II, there would never have been a Hitler, nor would there have been a war.
Hitler's book, My War, (aka Mien Kampf), describes a plan not unlike that of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's Though Ahmadinejad is the leader of a sovereign nation, and a member of the UN, he has repeatedly and openly threatened Israel and the Jews, as well as deny the holocaust outright; yet he is allowed to remain a UN member. Hitler's My War was a blueprint for World War II, for the destruction of Europe, and the death of millions.
In a similar way, Ahmadinejad¹s rhetoric is leading to the same climate that existed in 1938. But instead of putting a stop to his antics while there is still time, a policy of appeasement is, in effect, illustrating that the world has learned little from that terrible time in our past.
Like it or not, whether it¹s politically correct or not, what we are currently facing is cultural and spiritual warfare. This was the contest of Elijah on Mount Carmel; we are witnessing a modern day contest between the Baal and the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
But God is a faithful God! God created a modern day miracle. It may astonish many and make others rather uncomfortable, but the miracle I am referring to is the actual war with Lebanon that took place several weeks ago. I strongly believe that God allowed this war for a reason; to wake us up before it is too late.
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Posted by Walt in Middle East, Religon categories at 8:33 AM EST
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Auburn, AL - After two open forums held over an eleven-month period, the Auburn University Student Government Association (SGA) announced that the former "Holiday" tree lighting event will now be called "Holiday Celebration featuring the Lighting of the Christmas Tree."
The event had been called the Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony since its inception in 2000. The former president of College Republicans, Laura Steele, started a petition to rename the event shortly before last year's tree lighting ceremony. Liberty Counsel worked closely with Ms. Steele to support the effort she spearheaded. According to the Associated Press, over 20,000 e-mails were received over the issue. Thanks to the efforts and persistence of Laura Steele and other student leaders, the stir caused the SGA to review the event, as well as the entire program. "I am so happy that the SGA has decided to call the tree what it is, a Christmas Tree," said Laura. "They have the support and thanks of the thousands of students, alumni and fans that joined the effort to bring the name Christmas back to this wonderful University. We are all very happy to have this resolved and thrilled that we can continue to positively promote Christmas and the real meaning of the season this year at Auburn."
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Posted by Walt in Christmas categories at 8:04 AM EST
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by Bob Parks
So Nancy Pelosi says the Democrat Party will not seek impeachment proceedings against President Bush IF the Democrats take control of the House and Senate.
Coming from a Democrat, that's a big IF. Remember, Democrats seldom tell the electorate what they plan on doing after Election Day, because to do that would spell doom. Just ask Bill Clinton where that middle-class tax cut that got him elected President the first time went…?
The position Pelosi now takes can't be rubbing terrorists worldwide the right way. Their current strategy of ramping up murder in Iraq is working. Democrat pundits are using the deaths of American soldiers as a marketing tool to energize the liberal base and give them a reason to point their fingers at Republicans and scream "See…?"
Liberals are now pulling out all the stops. The only way they can will next month is to blame the up-tick in Iraq violence on a failed military campaign. The only reason it's failed is because our military has been forced to fight with their hands behind their backs.
Let's not be taken out of context: war is hell, which is why it should be only used as a last resort. But when we do opt to send in the troops, it should be balls-to-the-wall, kick ass, win the damn thing and get out.
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Posted by Walt in Politics, Terrorism, Treason categories at 8:28 AM EST
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by Christopher Adamo
Despite all of the hype the media have spawned from the Mark Foley controversy and the direction in which they want to take it, a critically important facet of the 2006 elections should not be overlooked. With few notable exceptions, this campaign cycle once again focuses chiefly on the issues of importance to conservative America. And this pattern has remained unchanged for more than the past two decades.
Admittedly, the War on Terror, and in particular, the ongoing situation in Iraq, provide aspiring liberal politicians with an occasional opportunity to pander to their far left, "cut and run" base. But even when attempting to appeal to that fringe constituency, liberal candidates often pull their punches, seeking to establish themselves as "cut and run" candidates who do not really endorse the idea of cutting and running.
Outside of the Terror War, in which the GOP still holds a commanding advantage, the two biggest issues on the minds of the general public are congressional pork barrel spending and immigration. Here, the Republican majority has unfortunately left the door open to justifiable criticism, except that those doing the criticizing are inarguably in favor of an agenda that is much worse for the nation.
It is altogether amusing to listen to California Democrat and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, attempting to portray her party as one of "fiscal responsibility." Yet that is the very case she must make if she is to have any hope of victory.
The other major "wedge" issue that the Democrats are attempting to use for leverage is illegal immigration. However, their flagrant track record of promoting "diversity," "multiculturalism," and special "rights" for every minority group, essentially abandoning America’s traditional heritage, does not equate to a believable Democrat stance in favor of border security. So again they must tap dance.
Returning to the Foley scandal, it is bizarrely amusing to see Democrats feigning indignation over a congressional page situation that mirrors what they demanded of the Boy Scouts. It far exceeds any boundaries of hypocrisy that they would now recoil at the prospect of young, vulnerable pages under the stewardship of homosexual authority figures. Yet this is the case that they must make, if they are to convince Americans who hold to traditional values that they are indeed the party of preference to champion such things.
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Posted by Walt in Politics categories at 8:21 AM EST
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