I want to say a special thank you to all the men and women of the US Armed Forces. Our country is the greatest in the world because of what you do. Thank you for your sacrifice, your honor, and for doing those things which make us proud.
Check this out, FOCers:
http://oneminute.rationalmind.net/capitalism/comment-page-1/
Take a look at some of the other links as well. Some good reads there.
From CNSNews.com:
The congressional Democrats’ cap-and-trade plan to tax carbon emissions could cost every American family as much as $3,100 a year and is equivalent to a “declaration of war on the Midwest,” Republican lawmakers told CNSNews.com this week.
But Democrats disputed the Republicans’ cost figure and said the plan can be accomplished without imposing a net cost on the American people.
In general, under cap and trade, the amount of carbon that energy producers emit is capped. They can exceed that cap through the purchase, i.e., “trade,” of carbon permits. The money for those permits would be collected by the government and presumably redistributed under a system still being crafted.
“The reality is the cap-and-trade legislation offered by the Democrats amounts to an economic declaration of war on the Midwest by liberals on Capitol Hill,” Chairman of the House Republican Conference Mike Pence (R-Ind.) told CNSNews.com.
Congressman Pence is one of the few leaders we have in Washington who is willing to stick his neck out there and actually lead. Congressman Pence never wavers from his principles and is a true conservative. If we were to ever run for President, I can’t think of anyone who I would vote for over him. He is a true Fly Over Country hero!
One thing they probably didn’t think of:
Now that there’s a pandemic, the public will be leary of using mass transportation. Who wants to ride in a train/bus/subway packed in like sardines when there’s the danger of the swine flu?
It took a catastrophy to nationalize the auto industry and the banks. Next in line is national health care. A crisis is needed to help push it along.
From the Syndey Morning Herald:
A member of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has dismissed claims that more than 150 people have died from swine flu, saying it has officially recorded only seven deaths around the world.
Vivienne Allan, from WHO’s patient safety program, said the body had confirmed that worldwide there had been just seven deaths – all in Mexico – and 79 confirmed cases of the disease.
I don’t understand this at all, but maybe I’m missing something. Would some either comment or email me and let me know what I’m not getting here? According to the CDC, approximately 36,000 people in the US die from the flu every year in the US. 7 confirmed dead from this swine flu and the world is in a tizzy. Until someone explains this to me in a way that even those of us in Fly Over Country can understand, I can only assume that there’s some other reason the media is reporting this so heavily; such as the desire for nationalize health care.
Anyone want to clue me in?
I really like the band Queensrÿche. I’m not a huge fan or anything, but I love the album Empire. My favorite song on the album is called “Anybody Listening?” I was listening to it today in the car on my way to work and I was thinking how appropriate it was for today’s society. With apologies to Chris DeGarmo and Geoff Tate, I’d like to walk through the lyrics of this song and relate them to today. I have no idea what Chris and Geoff’s political leanings are, but if they aren’t conservative then sorry for stealing your song. 
You and I long to live like wind upon the water
If we close our eyes we’ll maybe realize
There’s more to life than what we have known
And I can’t believe I’ve spent so long
Living lies I knew were wrong inside
I’ve just begun to see the light
This part reminds me of a joke. I originally heard it about Bill Clinton and Al Gore during Gore’s presidential candidacy and as I have told it through the years I usually update the people. I’ll retell it here as I first heard it.
Al Gore is walking down the street being followed by reporters and he is looking for a good photo op. He sees this little boy carrying a box and sensing a good moment goes to him and asks, “Hey little guy, what’s in the box?” The kid replies, “Kittens.”
Al asks, “What kind of kittens are they?”
The boy replies, “Democrat kittens.”
The photographers snap away and the reporters write away and everyone is happy. A couple of weeks later Al Gore is walking down the same street with Bill Clinton and sees the same boy with the same box. He says, “Hey, Bill, watch this. This little boy is so cute!” He walks over to the boy and asks him, “Hey, there! What do you have in the box?”
The boy replies, “Kittens.”
Al Gore then asks, “What kind of kittens?”
The boy replies, “Republican kittens.”
Al is shocked! He says, “A couple of weeks ago you said they were Democrat kittens!”
The boy looks at him and says, “Yeah, but they’ve got their eyes open now.”
::insert rim shot here::
Long ago there was a dream, had to make a choice or two
Leaving all I loved behind for what nobody knew
Stepped out on the stage
A life under lights and judging eyes
Now the applause has died and I can dream again…
Is there anybody listening?
Is there anyone that sees what’s going on?
Read between the lines, criticize the words they’re selling
Think for yourself and feel the walls
Become sand beneath your feet
Is there anyone who’s paying attention out there? We are so caught up in 5 second sound bites and unfortunately most of our country gets its news from the media who has turned from their “watchdog” role into a role where they are selling us a bill of goods. They have an agenda and it’s not a good one. You have to think for yourself and not enough of us do that.
Fell the breeze?
Time’s so near you can almost taste the freedom
There’s a warm wind from the south
Hoist the sail and we’ll be gone
By morning, this will all seem like a dream
And if I don’t return to sing the song, maybe just as well
I’ve seen the news and there’s not much I can do…alone
This is my favorite verse. At the very end of it, the line that says “I’ve seen the news and there’s not much I can do” is exactly what most people feel like, especially here in Fly Over Country. The great thing about it is that Geoff (the vocalist for the band) holds out the word do for quite awhile, long enough to let “There’s not much I can do” sink in so you think, “He’s right. There’s not much I can do.” Then, just as you’ve given up to that thought he sneaks in the word “alone”. It’s almost too subtle. But wait! I can do it, I just need those who think like me and agree with me to come with me and stand up with me!! That’s what the tea parties last week were all about. There’s not much those people can do alone, but together they are strong! Together they can change the course of history, and boy does it need changing right now!!
Then they follow that up with a slightly changed chorus:
Is there anybody listening?
Is there anyone who smiles without a mask?
What’s behind the words
Images they know will please us?
I’ll take what’s real
Bring up the lights
I don’t want this bill of goods they are selling us!! I don’t want the soothing words from our President! I want the truth! I want what is real!!
Is there anybody listening?
Is there anyone that sees what’s going one?
Read between the lines
Criticize the words they’re selling
Think for yourself and feel the walls
Become sand beneath your feet
The song is finished with one more powerful chorus like the first. If you want what’s real you have to read between the lines. Don’t just take what they (they being the politicians, the media, or anyone else for that matter) say at face value. Learn to think for yourself and nothing will hold you back. The walls will become sand beneath your feet.
We need to embrace this sentiment today no matter what your level of political envolvement is. Don’t just follow what someone else says, think for yourself! It’s what living in Fly Over Country is all about.
I haven’t written in awhile and I really can’t seem to focus on one topic so I decided just to jot down some random thoughts as they come to me about things that have happened recently. Enjoy (or don’t.. as the case may be!)
Tea Parties
I was happy to see the turnout at the tea parties. I was even happier that they were peaceful and showed the radical left how you can protest but still be respectful. Spending is way out of hand and those of us who work our butts off to earn a decent living are going to take it in the shorts. It’s nice to see people standing up for themselves and not just take it lying down.
I was very unhappy with the media coverage of the events, though. CNN, who although biased, I never really thought of them as classless until this week. The whole “teabagging” thing was awful. Showing their true colors, I suppose.
I’m an Extremist
Apparently Fly Over Country is filled with extremists. Must be those same bitter people who cling to their guns and religion.
Covering Up Christ
If you are a Christian, and this story doesn’t scare you then something is wrong!
My wife and I were having a conversation last night in which she said something very profound. Now, it’s not to say that it’s unusual for her to say something profound. I think she is mostly a very intelligent person, except when it comes to politics. You see, she claims to be a “conservative democrat” and I claim that there is no such thing anymore. (Although Indiana Senator Evan Bayh may have given me a glimmer of hope that there may be some exceptions to that rule.)
So it was of great shock to me when I was watching the news last night and once again there was talk of the “shovel ready projects” that would be providing the “stimulus” that was needed to end the current economic woes, specifically the bridge in Missouri that everyone has touted recently. My wife, who I thought was asleep, mumbled that aforementioned profound statement, “What happens when it’s finished?”
What a great question! Such is the problem with government spending. When the private sector spends money, it produces wealth. When the government spends money, that money is soon gone into the great black hole of bureaucracy. Now, don’t get me wrong. I know we need bridges and roads and other infrastructure, and I’m not saying we shouldn’t spend money to do just that, what I am saying is that equating government spending with providing economic “stimulus” is similar to saying you can bring to life Victor Frankenstein’s monster with a 9-volt battery.
Creating wealth is a mystery to most people. It seems based on what I’ve read the last few months, that the majority of people think wealth is limited, a constant amount of money and assets, and for one person to gain money and assets requires another (or several) people to lose an equal amount. (This is referred to as a “zero sum mentality“)
Let’s go back to some basic economics:
First, let’s say we want a new home and we have $100,000 to have it built. To make it simple, let’s say we go to a home builder who has the land and everything we need and he designs a house on that land for the $100,000 that we have. The home builder purchases the materials he needs and sets out to build the house. Let’s say the land and the material costs the builder $75,000. After the builder is finished, we have a home that is worth $100,000, but only $75,000 of tangible items are represented in home. The other $100,000 has been created by the home builder. Therefore he has traded us $100,000 in cash for $75,000 of his material and $25,000 of his knowledge and skills. Our wealth has stayed the same ($100,000 traded for $100,000 worth of real estate), his wealth has increased ($75,000 in tangible material traded for $100,000 in cash). This happens not only with real estate but with TVs, computers, DVD players, lamps, cars, websites, soda pop, sofas, and anything else you can think of that is produced and sold. That is how wealth is created.
The problem with the government trying to stimulate the economy is that the “wealth” that would be created in the private sector is wasted on bureaucracy and inefficiency. Whereas the private company or individual makes choices based on sound financial principles, the government rarely does so. It is more inclined to make decisions based on politics, ignorance, and cronyism.
I’m watching the end of the State of the Union address by President Obama and the members of congress are lining up for autographs from the President. Has this ever happened before? Maybe I’ve just never noticed it. It’s a bit disconcerting. It seems as though these people should be the least affected by the messiah complex. How are you supposed to provide oversight and checks and balances if you are googly-eyed over him?
If anyone out there knows if this has happened before, will you let me know? Leave me a comment or drop me an email.
Anyway, the speech itself was nothing remarkable. More of the same.. blah, blah, blah, spending, blah, blah, blah, more spending, blah, blah, blah, socialism. Ok, he didn’t say “socialism” specifically. You had to read between the lines.
Governor Bobby Jindal is doing a good job with the response. I liked when he talked about making the country better by putting the power in the hands of the people and not the government. I wish more people felt that way.
With everything going on in the economy, and our double-time march towards socialism, I’ve been more and more frightened for the future of our country. This flash on the Drudge Report gives me a glimmer of hope:
At one point, when he talked about the costs of his stimulus plan, senior Maaike Albach and Daudfar looked at each other and said, “uh-oh.”
“Overall I think it’s a good idea, but he’s not addressing the issues of the economic crisis,” said Daudfar, a John McCain supporter who added he leans more toward being a moderate conservative. “The spending bill he just passed is just progressing the Democratic agenda rather than addressing the economic issues in the country.”
Is the messiah losing his touch?
