The Violence Worker!

The Fiscal Cliff Was Long Ago

You've heard of the so-called "fiscal cliff" by now. It's when all of the Bush tax cuts expire and taxes will increase markedly at that moment – that moment being midnight on December 31^st. Some say it's not a cliff, but a nice even downward slope. We have lots of time to figure this out. If we pass the date, so be it. Besides, the Republicans can and will be successfully blamed if it really is a cliff.

The truth is, we've already fallen off that cliff. We fell off that cliff long ago. It really wasn't a cliff. It is more like a really steep slope and we are hurtling down it in our big red wagon. What we are about to do is speed up our decent. Rock bottom is closing in and our figurative wagon has no brakes that we can find. That handle, over there that says "tax increase", if we pull on it a little, we might slow down a tiny bit, but it won't be long before we are going faster than before.

There is another handle that says spending cuts. It won't do much either.

We are broke. We are beyond broke. If we were a family or a company, we would have been forced into bankruptcy years ago. If nothing substantial is done, we are on track to meet financial Armageddon sometime after 2030. That will be when our revenue will not even be able to fund the interest on our national debt, Social Security, or Medicare Those three things will consume all of our revenues and then some.

Here's some numbers:

These are 2013 expenditures:

Non-discretionary spending:
$820 billion (22%) Social Security payments
$811 billion (21%) Medicare/Medicaid/SCHIP payments
$246 billion ( 6%) interest on the National Debt
$583 billion (15%) other ‘mandatory’ payments (including TARP)
Discretionary spending:
$700 billion (18%) national defense
$565 billion (15%) other ‘discretionary spending’
$ 97 billion ( 3%) Overseas Contingency Operations (war supplemenetals)

This is projected revenue:

$1,294 billion (34%) individual income taxes
$990 billion (26%) social insurance (FICA/Medicare)
$365 billion (10%) corporate income taxes
$234 billion ( 6%) other taxes & duties

Do the math here.  It ain't pretty.  Obama's tax on the rich will hardly make a dent.

There is no way we can keep this up. There is no way we will not crash and burn at some point and if you think there will be police or an army, think again.They won't exist.

We need to do what Congress and this President is unwilling to do. Spending must be slashed. Social Security needs to be means tested and certain entitlements must be cut back. It will be painful but we will survive it.

Here's the deal. Our economy has increasingly been shredded. Corporations have fled oppressive taxation, regulation and unionization. Blame is universal. The Republicans are at fault as much as the Democrats. Our economic base has eroded and we have not compensated for it with our government spending. We have a shrinking economic base and an expanding entitlement base. We will have to support more seniors with fewer younger workers. It's pure arithmetic. Fewer workers, an even smaller economic base and more takers (to include the poor) will not end well.

I suggest you take steps now, because in a few years, it will be too late.

We have fallen and we may not be able to get up.

VW

The Military And Free Speech

Marine Sergeant Gary Stein is in trouble.  Sgt Stein used his Facebook page to publically criticize his boss.  Specifically, President Obama.  I'm guessing that for the most part, Obama is not very popular in the military, and that is not a problem.  Most keep it to themselves.

Corporal Jesse D. Thorsen got into some hotwater for showing up and speaking at a Ron Paul rally a few weeks ago. 

It is against the law for the military to be openly involved in Presidential Politics.  I think Sgt Stein is wrong and I think Cpl Thorsen was wrong. 

If you are in the military, it is your right to be informed.  It is your right to participate, in a limited way, in the political process.  You can donate money, you can donate time.  You are encouraged to vote. You cannot openly campaign for specific Presidential Candidates - at least not in uniform.  You cannot create a Facebook page and tell the world that you are not willing to follow the lawful orders of your superiors.  You just can't.

The reasons why should be obvious to you, but let me explain if you can't figure it out.

The hallmark of the United States Armed Forces has been the concept of a civilian Commander-in-Chief.  The military, from day one, has remained outwardly neutral and subordinate to whoever moved into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.  There have been a few cases in our history where someone, most notably an officer, have gotten into trouble for speaking out against the President.

A huge example of this is when, during the Korean War, Truman relieved General Douglass MacArthur of command for what was tantamount to insubordination.  Regardless of who was right or wrong about the political problems in Asia, Truman had to fire MacArthur. 

The bottom line is that a very distinct line should always be drawn between those in uniform and Presidential Politics.

When you join the military, your rights and your status is explicitly explained to you.  Sgt Stein needs to man up and accept that what he did was wrong.  He knew the rules.

VW

Europe Is Crumbling - Are We Next?

Much of Europe is teetering on financial collapse.  The amount of money needed to sustain their socialist welfare systems is exceeding their ability to generate enough taxes to feed the beast.  Simply put, their alligator diet far exceeds their lizard ability to provide.  Free healthcare, extravagant public pensions systems and generous welfare benefits are crushing the productive class.  The gravy train is coming off the tracks.

That's Europe, you say.  Well just how far behind them are we? 

Social Security is broke.  They are paying out more than they are taking in.  There is no lock box with your money safely stashed away.  That money is long gone.  Spent years ago.  There isn't anything left but an IOU in a binder in some office somewhere that says the government will pay it back.  The only money that Social Security now has is what you are contributing today.  LBJ opened up the lock box to fund his great society.  I read a good way of putting it once.  The government gives you an IOU buy printing a piece of paper and telling you they have the funds.  Sort of like you writing yourself an IOU for ten million dollars and then declaring yourself to be a millionaire.

Folks, we are tapped out and Washington and your state's only answer is to demand you pay more and more. 

Conservatives are often accused of being negative.  We are, if you listen to some on the left, against all of this progressive stuff they keep coming up with.  Oddly enough, one of their usual canards extolling the virtues of the socialist way is to bring up Social Security. We've tried to offer up solutions for the Social Security mess.  When we did, the liberals shot it down saying the system was fine. 

The bottom line to all of this is this:  We are approaching (if we haven't already reached it or even surpassed it) the point where our debt is unsustainable.  And by that I mean they can't tax us enough to pay for it.  My grandchildren already have a tax liability in the tens of thousands of dollars and they are seven years old and under.  Greece, Spain, and Ireland are already on the verge of collapse.  I suspect we are closer than we'd like to think.

We need to reduce spending.  Most of our spending is in the way of entitlements and frankly, we need to cut as much  as we can.  That even means me, I guess, since I get a government pension.  If that means it gets reduced, then so be it.  I'll take the pill with everyone else.

Our only real answer is to reduce the size of government and not just in nibbles, but huge bites.  When government employees are making thousands more than their civilian counterparts, we have a problem.  We also need to find a way to rein in this imperial Congress.  When Nancy Pelosi's liquor bill is more than I make in several years, we have a problem.  My company doesn't fund my beer tab, yet we apparently think it's necessary to keep Pelosi and her entourage well oiled with expensive hootch.  The Republicans are just as guilty at times thinking that we owe them all of their perks. 
The job was never meant to be a career.  Congressional pensions should be eliminated in favor of a cash payout equal to one year's pay at the end of two terms to compensate their retirement fund for their service.  If they stay after that, they get a base salary, no more retirement. 

At some point, you become a serf to the government.  You already are to some extent. Do you own your home?  Not really.  I don't care if you have a clear title and deed, you don't own it.  Don't pay your property taxes and see how quick the government takes it away from you.  The lord expects the serfs to pay tribute to live under his protection.

There ain't no free lunch, folks.  The government doesn't have its own money.  It has YOUR money.  It spends YOUR money and it takes YOUR money with the force of the law and a waiting jail cell if you don't give it to them when they ask.

The party is over and we just haven't left yet.  The hangover is coming.  Socialist Europe is crumbling and yet there are a lot of people who seem to want to push us toward that end.  Santayana admonished us that the lessons of history are often repeated if not learned.  Socialism has never worked and it won't work just because Barack Obama is now President.

VW

Send In The Clown

The 2008 election is now officially over.  The last candidate will finally be sworn in and seated.  The Minnesota Supreme Court declared that Al Franken won the election.

The only way this man could be elected is if the entire process was rigged.  If it was a fair contest, I could see where he might have been a contender given the fact that Minnesota is traditionally liberal.  On the other hand, it boggles the mind that they think this mean, angry, and unfunny man has the gravitas to be a United States Senator.  I believe the recount was as rigged as a mob run boxing match.

So now that the Al Makes 60, everything now is on the Democrats.  It more or less was anyway, but this pretty much cements the deal. 

Good Luck with Al, Harry.  You deserve him!

VW

ELOI Alert: File this under "YGTBSM"

Teacher placed on leave for questionable Facebook posting

http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9781795&nav=menu1362_10 

You know what?  Present-day parents, and especially modern teachers and media types never cease to amaze me with just their....Eloi-like outlook on things.  The fact that people, anywhere, are "surprised" by acts of violence, with that stupid, vacant puppy-dog look that says "What is this 'violence' of which you speak?" God Almighty! (this little bit was not inspired so much by the story  itself, but by the station editor's blog entry and the perspective of some of the parents).  I call people like this the "first to be eaten" when XYZ disaster  (Posleen, Zombies, whatever) happens, because that's what their mentality has made them perfect for.

Lt Col Dave Grossman wrote a book recently called "On Killing" and he's also one of the guys behind the "Sheep, Sheepdogs and Wolves" meme that runs around the net.  I've bought his book but haven't started reading it yet, but I think I already disagree with his fundamental thesis - I think EVERY human being walking the planet, or the vast majority at least, has it in them to kill, or commit serious acts of violence given the right motivation and set of circumstances.  Even the Eloi-parents mentioned in the story, I'm willing to bet, would go to ANY lengths necessary to protect the lives of their kids, and I'm willing to be the moms would be willing to commit acts 10 X WORSE than anything the dads could come up with, if push came to shove.

Now if you want to argue that the photo, with the teacher sighting up the camera, is a little over the top, I think that's just arguing semantics, something else that the three groups I mentioned in the intro seem really good at.

Here’s something else: I see this story as somewhat similar to this one.

And here’s the worst part.  This will NOT change unless people like the woman in the original story, or Carol Thatcher in the second one, FIGHT BACK.  As long as they keep taking the easy way out – the “it’s not worth it” approach to fighting back, it’s going to get worse, and worse.

I’ve had it with the damn Eloi running the show.  It’s why I mean it, if I ever have children of my own, I’m homeschooling them, or at least sending them to a private school, Catholic or otherwise, that ain’t “ate up” like this.

Jeez Louise on a Sunday.

And if I seem disrespectful towards parents or what have you, bite me.  Any parent who teaches their child to be a drone, not even capable of defending themself or naive enough to think they can kumbaya their way out of every situation is a failure.  Teachers who do the same are grossly negligent in my book too.

Satire? Yeah right....

Thanks Instapunk.

THE AMERICANS WITH NO ABILITIES ACT

Washington, DC - Congress is considering sweeping legislation that will provide new benefits for many Americans.

The Americans With No Abilities Act (AWNAA) is being hailed as a major legislative goal by advocates of the millions of Americans who lack any real ambition or skills...

'Roughly 50 percent of Americans do not possess the competence and drive necessary to carve out a meaningful role for themselves in society,' said California Senator Barbara Boxer.

'We can no longer stand by and allow People of Inability to be ridiculed and passed over. With this legislation, employers will no longer be able to grant special favors to a small group of workers, simply because they have some idea of what they are doing.'

In a Capitol Hill press conference, House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid pointed to the success of the Transportation Security Administration, which has a long-standing policy of providing opportunity without regard to performance. 

Approximately 74 percent of postal employees lack any job skills, making this agency the single largest U. S. employer of Persons of Inability. Private-sector industries with good records of non-discrimination against the Inept include retail sales (72%), the airline industry (68%), and home improvement 'warehouse' stores (65%).

At the state government level, the Department of Motor Vehicles also has an excellent record of hiring Persons of Inability (63%).

Under the Americans With No Abilities Act, more than 25 million 'middle man' positions will be created, with important-sounding titles but little real responsibility, thus providing an illusory sense of purpose and performance.

Mandatory non-performance-based raises and promotions will be given so as to guarantee upward mobility for even the most unremarkable employees.

The legislation provides substantial tax breaks to corporations that promote a significant number of Persons of Inability into middle-management positions, and gives a tax credit to small and medium-sized businesses that agree to hire one clueless worker for every two talented hires.

Finally, the AWNAA contains tough new measures to make it more difficult to discriminate against the Non-abled, banning, for example, discriminatory interview questions such as, 'Do you have any skills or experience that relate to this job?'

'As a Non-abled person, I can't be expected to keep up with people who have something going for them,' said Mary Lou Gertz, who lost her position as a lug-nut twister at the GM plant in Flint, Michigan, due to her inability to remember righty tighty, lefty loosey. 'This new law should be real good for people like me,' Gertz added. 

With the passage of this bill, Gertz and millions of other untalented citizens will finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Said Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL): 'As a Senator with no abilities, I believe the same privileges that elected officials enjoy ought to be extended to every American with no abilities. It is our duty as lawmakers to provide each and every American citizen,   regardless of his or her adequacy, with some sort of space to take up in this great nation and a good salary for doing so.'

On Greed - Part II

Part the second of my thoughts on greed.

The other day, I started a discussion about the concept of greed.  Greed is considered to be one of the “seven deadly sins” by much of Christendom and committing them (according to some) will send our souls to eternal damnation.  The 14th century poet, Dante Alighieri, described to us in his “Divine Comedy” the various harsh punishments God had in store for us if we committed one or more of the seven deadlies and did not repent. It’s indeed a frightening vision.

I also reasoned that the desire to better one’s station in life was not necessarily an act of greed as long as your achievement is the result of honest labor and not from stealing it from someone else.

I gave Saint Thomas Aquinas’ definition and said that it didn’t necessarily work as a complete definition because people can prosper without someone else suffering.
I think we probably all agree that stealing or making money illegally meets the definition of greed.  However, I suggest that there is another dimension to the Cardinal sin of greed – a dimension that most people might not think of as greedy.  I would venture to say that many people might even think that what I’m about to write is usually thought to be more the antithesis of greed rather than its definition. 

Simply put, greed is thinking you are entitled to a share of the income of someone who is more successful.  Most people wouldn’t walk up to a successful person and demand a portion of their income; it’s against the law. However, if that person demands it under the aegis of the state through taxation, it suddenly becomes legal and even a point of morality.  One is legal and the other is illegal, but they are essentially two sides of the same coin.  Both are taking something by force and if you don’t think you are forced to pay taxes, stop paying them and see what happens.

Taxation is not a bad thing and using some of it to benefit  others is not entirely evil.  We all pay taxes to run schools even if we have no children because an educated people (theoretically) are less likely to require assistance.  I also don’t think a safety net for people is a bad thing.  Some may argue that everyone should be prepared for a job loss or a death or some other disaster and in a perfect world, I’d agree.  But this isn’t a perfect world and stuff happens.

Government welfare is not necessarily evil, but the dependency and entitlement mentality it creates is no different than trying to gain wealth just for wealth’s sake and trying to get it by cheating others.
There is no sin in being poor and there is no sin in accepting help when it is offered.  There are a couple of times in my life when help was offered and I gratefully accepted what was offered.  It wasn’t from a government source; it was from my church from funds that were donated specifically to help members in time of need.  Over the years, I’ve donated to that fund more than I ever received and it was understood that it was stopgap.  The sin would be to continue to expect the help and not seek ways to improve my circumstances.  I also understand that not everyone has access to that kind of help and I’ve long supported the idea of temporary aid to people in need. 

Greed, envy and covetousness are all based upon selfishness and so is socialism.  Socialism maybe wrapped up in some idea of fairness and compassion, but it is entirely based upon the idea that no one should have more than anyone else and if someone has more than me, I should expect a share. 

Essentially, socialism is just our old friend greed dressed in different clothes.  It’s not compassion, it isn’t fair and it isn’t justice.

VW

Beware coward....

  I LIVE.

This is MOGS. 

You know, formerly of the soon to be late, great Diary of the Mad Pigeon.

VeeDub has graciously allowed me to hang out here and every once in a while throw down my own "unique" perspective on things.

I'm not entirely sure that he (nor the rest of the crew) quite know what they've gotten themselves into here....

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No seriously for a second, thanks to the Violence Worker and his gang.  Like I mentioned on the Pigeon, my contributions will likely be appearing somewhat randomly, but I hope to contribute to the discussion in any way I can. 

 RUN COWARD, RUN!  You can't get rid of me that easily! ;) 

I'll Bet They Voted For Obama!

In about three weeks, Barak Obama will be inaugurated as our 44th president and he will do so with all the usual pomp and circumstance, if not more so, as every other President.  The bulk of the inauguration is paid for by donations.  The only public money involved is security, construction, etc.  The ceremony is tradition for the most part.  The script, except for the oath of office, is entirely up to the incoming President.  If he wants a prayer, he gets a prayer.  He hires the prayer sayers.  While the inauguration is a public event and the government provides the backdrop and security, who does what is a private matter.  The fact that there will be prayers has some atheists incensed.

The head of an atheist group that has filed a lawsuit against prayer at Barack Obama's presidential inauguration says the government is picking a winner between "believers" and "those who don't believe" and subjecting atheists and agnostics to someone else's religious beliefs.

Dan Barker, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, has joined with Michael Newdow, who fought to have the words "under God" removed from the Pledge of Allegiance, in a federal lawsuit seeking to enjoin the Presidential Inaugural Committee from sponsoring prayers at the official inauguration.

I'm constantly amazed at how easy it is to offend some atheists.  The mere mention of deity is enough for some of them to run away screaming, hands over ears, for a lawyer and this appears to be the case. 

The ironic part of this is I'm willing to bet that all of these people probably voted for Obama!

I'm thinking they won't be too successful this time, but wait for 2012 after Obama has had a chance to pick a few judges. 

VW

The Next Day

I kept seeing the optimistic predictions of some folks saying that McCain would win in a squeaker, but I was never so bold.  I had hope, but deep in the pit of my gut, I knew Obama was going to win.  I thought it was going to be a little narrower, but I figured Obama would win the night.  I was prepared for it.  I bought a bottle of ale on my way home from work whose name just seemed appropriate:  La Fin Du Monde!  It means "The End of the World".  It's also one of the most delicious ales to ever come out of anyone's brewery!  It helped ease the pain a bit - anything that good will make anything seem better. 

Now it's the day after and like most folks, I've had a some time to think about the election and what it means to be a Republican/Conservative after the win by a socialist Democrat.

As I've scanned through a couple hundred blog posts today, I've seen the concept of "re-branding" bandied about a little.  I've seen "bigger tent" tossed around.  I've seen all sorts of "woe is me" posts all over the right side of the web.  Forget it.  Conservative isn't a soap.  You don't re-brand it.  Changing our name or adding the words "new and improved!" will not change anything.  We don't need a "bigger tent" - we have a pretty darn big one already.  I don't even know how you'd make it bigger.  All conservatives and lovers of America are already welcome.  If we make it any bigger and accept liberalism, we would not be a distinct party, we may as well call ourselves "Democrats Lite".  And for the "woe is me crowd", get over it.  Yeah, we all cried in our beer last night.  We all were disappointed.  But if you persist in weeping, let me tell you, you are right where the Democrats want you - defeated!  We are not defeated.  We lost an election so we move on to the next fight.  We start gearing up now for 2010.

We need to keep on Mr. Obama and Democrats.  We need to hold their feet to the fire and if they are corrupt, go after them.  We need to do so, not out of hatred or emotion for that is what they do.  That is how they operate.  We need to use facts and their own words to trip them up.

We need to keep reminding the public through our blogging, Twitter, facebook, letters to the editor, etc. of Obama's threat to the coal industry and other extremist convictions. Don't give up on the Ayers and Wrights.  Keep their particular evil at the forefront.

Most importantly, continue to challenge and to support good conservative candidates.

Again I leave you with the words of Winston Churchill:

Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.

VW