How a Simple Line Can Improve Your Trading Success

Elliott Wave International’s Jeffrey Kennedy explains many ways to use this basic tool
January 19, 2011

By Elliott Wave International

The following trading lesson has been adapted from Jeffrey Kennedy’s eBook, Trading the Line – 5 Ways You Can Use Trendlines to Improve Your Trading Decisions. Now through February 7, you can download the 14-page eBook free. Learn more here.

“How to draw a trendline” is one of the first things people learn when they study technical analysis. Typically, they quickly move on to more advanced topics and too often discard this simplest of all technical tools.

Yet you’d be amazed at the value a simple line can offer when you analyze a market. As Jeffrey Kennedy, Elliott Wave International’s Chief Commodity Analyst, puts it:

“A trendline represents the psychology of the market, specifically, the psychology between the bulls and the bears. If the trendline slopes upward, the bulls are in control. If the trendline slopes downward, the bears are in control. Moreover, the actual angle or slope of a trendline can determine whether or not the market is extremely optimistic or extremely pessimistic.”

In other words, a trendline can help you identify the market’s trend. Consider this example in the price chart of Google.

That one trendline — drawn between the lows in 2004 and the lows in 2005 — provided support for a number of retracements over the next two years.

That’s pretty basic. But there are many more ways to draw trendlines. When a market is in a correction, you can draw a trendline and then draw a parallel line: in turn, these two parallel lines can create a channel that often “contains” the corrective price action. When price breaks out of this channel, there’s a good chance the correction is over and the main trend has resumed. Here’s an example in a chart of Soybeans. Notice how the upper trendline provided support for the subsequent move.

For more free trading lessons on trendlines, download Jeffrey Kennedy’s free 14-page eBook, Trading the Line – 5 Ways You Can Use Trendlines to Improve Your Trading Decisions. It explains the power of simple trendlines, how to draw them, and how to determine when the trend has actually changed. Download your free eBook.

Uh-Oh: Hazbollah forces the collapse of the Lebanese Government

This is  seriously not a good thing. 😯

Via The NYT:

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Hezbollah and its allies forced the collapse of the government here on Wednesday, deepening a crisis over a United Nations-backed tribunal investigating the assassination of a former prime minister.

Eleven of the cabinet’s 30 ministers announced their resignations, a move that dissolves the government. They said they were prompted to act by the cabinet’s refusal to convene an emergency session to oppose the tribunal, which is expected to indict members of Hezbollah.

Ten of the ministers announced their resignations just as Prime Minister Saad Hariri was meeting with President Obama in Washington. The opposition had hoped that all 11 ministers would resign together, to bring down the government at that time and expose Mr. Hariri to the maximum embarrassment.

But the 11th minister, Adnan Sayed Hussein, announced his resignation in a statement later in the evening, the National News Agency reported, after the meeting in Washington was over.

The collapse of the fragile government is the worst crisis in Lebanon since 2008, when an agreement reached in Qatar achieved a truce to end sectarian clashes that killed 81 people and brought Lebanon to the brink of a renewal of its 15-year civil war, which ended in 1990.

“We were committed but they were not,” said Ammar Houri, a lawmaker with Mr. Hariri’s bloc. He added that Mr. Hariri’s allies were meeting to decide the next step.

Hezbollah and its foes have wrestled over the direction of the small Mediterranean country since the former prime minister, Rafik Hariri, was killed in a bombing along Beirut’s seafront in 2005. Twenty-two other people died in the attack. Since then, the tribunal has investigated his death and is now widely expected to indict members of Hezbollah, the country’s powerful Shiite Muslim movement.

Hezbollah has denied involvement and denounced the tribunal as an “Israeli project.” It has urged Prime Minister Saad Hariri, the slain man’s son, to reject its findings. Mr. Hariri, who has so far resisted the pressure, cut short his visit to the United States in order to return early to Lebanon and deal with the widening political crisis.

There has been a sense of inevitability to the resignation by cabinet ministers allied with Hezbollah. For months, Hezbollah has warned that it would not stand by as its members were accused of involvement in the assassination of Mr. Hariri’s father. Though it is technically part of the opposition, Hezbollah joined a unity government formed after elections in June 2009. It has emerged as the single most powerful force in the country, aided by its alliance with a powerful Christian general and the fracturing of its foes.

This should be an interesting story to follow, I just wonder how long it will be before bombs start falling in Israel again?

Personal Advice from ME: If you are small time stock investor, GET OUT NOW!

…and here is why….

This comes via Gateway Pundit, who is one hell of a great blogger:

The story via the U.K. Telegraph:

US Treasuries last week suffered their biggest two-day sell-off since the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008. The borrowing costs of the government of the world’s largest economy have now risen by a quarter over the past four weeks.

Such a sharp rise in US benchmark market interest rates matters a lot – and it matters way beyond America. The US government is now servicing $13.8 trillion (£8.7 trilion) in declared liabilities – making it, by a long way, the world’s largest debtor. Around $414bn of US taxpayers’ money went on sovereign interest payments last year – around 4.5 times the budget of America’s Department of Education.

Debt service costs have reached such astronomical levels even though, over the past year and more, yields have been kept historically and artificially low by “quantitative easing (QE)” – in other words, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s virtual printing press. Now borrowing costs are 28pc higher than a month ago, with the 10-year Treasury yield reaching 3.33pc last week, an already eye-watering debt service burden can only go up.

Few on this side of the Atlantic should feel smug. The eurozone’s ongoing sovereign debt debacle has pushed up Germany’s borrowing costs by 27pc over the last month – to 3.03pc. The market has judged that if Europe’s Teutonic powerhouse wants the single currency to survive, it will ultimately need to raise wads of cash to absorb the mess caused by other member states’ fiscal incontinence…

Some say that growing signs of a US economic recovery are positive for stocks, which means money is being diverted out of Treasuries, so lowering their price, which pushes up yields. That’s wishful thinking. Sovereign borrowing costs have just surged in the US – and therefore elsewhere – because a politically-wounded President Obama caved-in and extended the Bush-era tax cuts, combining them with a $120bn payroll tax holiday…

The market is increasingly alarmed at the rate of increase of the US government’s already massive liabilities. America’s government debt is set to expand by a jaw-dropping 42pc over the next few years, reaching $19.6 trillion by 2015 according to Treasury Department estimates presented (amid very little fanfare) to Congress back in June. Since then, government spending has risen even more. So US debt service costs, like those of many other Western nations, are expanding rapidly in terms of both the volumes of sovereign instruments outstanding, and the yields on each bond.

You know what that means? It means that if you are a small time investor; that you need to get out of the Market NOW! This could have a huge impact on the market, and you could lose very big. I do virtual trading and so far, I have done well on my trades. But I am not about to lose my shirt, so, I ordered a sell off of everything. Now the big time guys will be able to afford to ride this out, because they have the wealth to spare. But the small time people will get burned. The best thing I can tell you small times investors, is to dump your shares and put it all into Gold. That would either be into EFT‘s or real actual Gold.

Disclaimer: I do not claim to be a expert on the subject of stocks, trading or even Gold. However, it does stand to reason that when such news as this is report, that it will affect the U.S. markets and the United States financial system. I do however, promote a great investment advice service called Elliotwave. You might want to check it out.

Video: Representative Ron Paul on Wikileaks “Lying is not Patriotic”

Guest Voice: Jack Hunter on The Conservative Case for WikiLeaks

(Via The American Conservative)

Transcript:

Lovers necessarily keep or share secrets. Being in a healthy relationship means achieving a certain level of intimacy, where shared knowledge of each others’ weaknesses and insecurities is protected by a bond of mutual trust. Sometimes lovers might do devilish things that outsiders wouldn’t understand, or shouldn’t be privy to, and this is fine. But by and large, what they do is simply no one else’s business.

But imagine that the man in the relationship kept it a secret that he had other women on the side, kids, a criminal record, venereal disease, and basically betrayed his lover in every way imaginable, unbeknownst to her?

Now imagine a third party felt it was their moral duty to reveal it?

No one questions that governments must maintain a certain level of secrecy, including WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who told Time that “Secrecy is important for many things … [but it] shouldn’t be used to cover up abuses.” The entire premise of Assange’s whistleblower organization is this: To what degree is government secrecy justified? And when particular secrets could be damaging to the other partner in the United States government’s relationship — the American people — should these secrets be revealed in the name of protecting the public?

How often does our government use “national security” simply as an excuse to cover up questionable dealings? Reports Time: “in the past few years, governments have designated so much information secret that you wonder whether they intend the time of day to be classified. The number of new secrets designated as such by the U.S. government has risen 75% … . At the same time, the number of documents and other communications created using those secrets has skyrocketed nearly 10 times…”

To say that government must keep secrets is not to say that all government secrets must be kept.

As admitted even by Pentagon officials and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, none of WikiLeaks’ revelations do anything to compromise national security or endanger American lives — but they have wreaked havoc on political life in Washington, D.C. Americans are not supposed to know, for example, that their government bullied and threatened individuals and other governments that might have undermined the Copenhagen climate change summit in 2009. The federal government attempting to squelch anyone who might undermine global-warming dogma? Do WikiLeaks’ conservative critics believe revealing this is a “national security” risk?

Americans are not supposed to know, apparently, that behind the scenes Saudi Arabia has been encouraging the U.S. to take military action against Iran. But if we end up going to war with Iran shouldn’t it be in America’s national interest, and not simply as a subcontractor for another country? Asks Fox News’ Judith Miller: “Why should Americans not know that Arab states, often at the top level, have been urging Washington to take military or other drastic action against Iran, while they publicly oppose such action?”

And when did conservatives become so protective of Hillary Clinton? What happened to the days of the “Stop Hillary Express,” when right-wing talk radio portrayed the former first lady as Satan and theorized about all the devious ways in which, if in power, she might conspire to bring down the country? When WikiLeaks revealed that Secretary of State Clinton tried to obtain DNA, fingerprints, credit-card numbers, and other private information belonging to United Nations officials, we learned that Clinton’s style was every bit as mafia-esque as her conservative critics once warned. Yet conservatives now attack WikiLeaks for revealing what they once feared. It should also be remembered that the same conservatives now calling for Assange’s head either ignored or were sympathetic to Lewis “Scooter” Libby’s outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame allegedly at the Bush administration’s behest — a revelation arguably far riskier to our national security than anything ever released by WikiLeaks.

But the worst hypocrisy throughout this controversy has been in conservatives reflexively defending the government and attacking WikiLeaks. Since when have conservatives believed that Washington should be able to shroud any action it likes in secrecy and that revealing government’s nefarious deeds is tantamount to treason? Isn’t it government officials who might secretly work for corporate, ideological or transnational interests — and against the national interest — who are betraying their country?

Interestingly, Wikileaks’ founder espouses the traditionally conservative, Jeffersonian view that America’s constitutional structure limits and lessens government corruption. Reported Time: “Assange appears to believe that the U.S. has not become ‘a much-worse-behaved superpower’ because its federalism, ‘this strength of the states,’ has been a drag on the combination of the burgeoning power of the central government and a presidency that can expand its influence only by way of foreign affairs.”

Decentralizing government power, limiting it, and challenging it was the Founders’ intent and these have always been core conservative principles. Conservatives should prefer an explosion of whistleblower groups like WikiLeaks to a federal government powerful enough to take them down. Government officials who now attack WikLleaks don’t fear national endangerment, they fear personal embarrassment. And while scores of conservatives have long promised to undermine or challenge the current monstrosity in Washington, D.C., it is now an organization not recognizably conservative that best undermines the political establishment and challenges its very foundations.

—-

The “Southern Avenger” Jack Hunter is a conservative commentator on WTMA 1250 AM talk radio and columnist for the Charleston City Paper in South Carolina.

Jeff Kuhner takes it to another level: Kill Julian Assange

I figured someone in the Conservative media would say this sooner or later. I thought about it, but I really do not like the idea myself.

Jeff Kuhner at the Washington Times writes:

Julian Assange poses a clear and present danger to American national security. The WikiLeaks founder is more than a reckless provocateur. He is aiding and abetting terrorists in their war against America. The administration must take care of the problem – effectively and permanently.

The recent WikiLeaks document dump is the latest example of Mr. Assange’s dangerous behavior. His release of more than 250,000 U.S. diplomatic cables, many of them containing classified information, is a major blow to our foreign policy. The essence of diplomacy – especially that of a great power – is the ability to conduct negotiations and hold talks in secret. Foreign leaders will not be willing to engage in sensitive discussions with American emissaries if their words are going to be splashed across the front pages of the world’s newspapers. Officials in autocratic and Islamist states often risk their lives to cooperate with Washington, usually by providing vital information or advice. They now face a further disincentive to help us: The U.S. government can no longer guarantee the privacy and secrecy of their discussions.

American diplomacy has been crippled. So has our ability to conduct the war on terrorism. For example, the cables cache reveals that the United States is working closely with Yemen’s dictator, Ali Abdullah Saleh, in launching drone strikes against local al Qaeda bases. Al Qaeda has spread to Yemen. Its insurgency is growing. Yemen risks becoming what Afghanistan was before Sept. 11, 2001: a vast sanctuary for jihadists. Mr. Saleh insists that Yemeni public opinion – insular, xenophobic and increasingly Islamic – will not support the U.S. military presence on domestic soil. Hence, he says the pretense must be maintained that Yemen is firing the missiles, not America. This pretense has been shattered – and with it, perhaps, a key ally in the struggle against al Qaeda. Mr. Assange is helping chase the American infidel out of Yemen’s desolate deserts.

[………]

The United States is paying a severe price for Mr. Obama’s negligence. This is the greatest diplomatic crisis since the late 1940s, when communist agents in the U.S. government provided atomic secrets to the Soviet Union. The world is witnessing the absurd, almost surreal spectacle of the American superpower standing helpless in the face of a lone hacker. Her diplomatic secrets are no longer safe; her allies and friends are being betrayed; and her cyber-enemies are free to roam with impunity. America is no longer feared or respected.

Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. vows that he is looking into possible criminal charges against Mr. Assange. It is too late for tough talk. At this point, we are beyond indictments and courts. The damage has been done; people have died – and will die because of the actions of this puerile, self-absorbed narcissist. News reports say the WikiLeaks founder is hiding out in England. If that’s true, we should treat Mr. Assange the same way as other high-value terrorist targets: Kill him

Okay, here is the question that I feel the need to ask. Are we going to kill someone every time some whistle blower decides to speak out and expose some corruption in Government? Because if that is where we are headed, that is a slippery slope we can never recover from. Like anyone else, I am for open Government, I am also for seeing elected officials held accountable. However, if the United States Government and more importantly the United States Military is being put at risk, then by all means, arrest this guy and put him away.

I have no idea what Julian Assanges motivation is; whether it is conspiracy theory, politics or if he is just a pompous ass.  But the idea of KILLING someone, just because decide to release some confidential information is not something, as a Conservative; who believes in rule of law and not Governmental treachery, that I can support. Because once you unleash that monster onto the American and World Wide Community, it cannot be stopped.

I would think that Jeff Kuhner would be a bit smarter than that. However, when you are working for a paper that basically was a cheerleader for the Bush Administration during the lead up to and during the Iraqi Invasion, one can expect only so much.

Others: Reporters Sans Frontières, Hullabaloo, Harry’s Place, Guardian, New York Times, News: News blog and The New Republic

Arab Dog Helen Thomas reverses her apology and attacks rich Zionists

(H/T Yid With a Lid)

I put that headline up there intentionally, because Helen Thomas IS a Arab dog in my humble opinion. Anyone that would make an asinine comment like the one that she made, is a damn dog in my opinion.

So, what did this flea bag old biddy say now?

Via The Detroit Free Press:

Striking a defiant tone, journalist Helen Thomas, 90, said today she absolutely stands by her controversial comments about Israel made earlier this year that led to her resignation. But she stoked additional controversy with new remarks, claiming that “Zionists” control U.S. foreign policy and other American institutions. The local Jewish community strongly condemned her remarks.

“I can call a president of the United States anything in the book but I can’t touch Israel, which has Jewish-only roads in the West Bank,” Thomas said. “No American would tolerate that — white-only roads.”

Thomas, who grew up in Detroit the daughter of Lebanese immigrants, was in Dearborn today for an Arab Detroit workshop on anti-Arab bias. The Free Press asked her about her comments, which critics have said were anti-Israel.

“I paid the price for that,” said Thomas, a longtime White House correspondent. “But it was worth it, to speak the truth.”

“The Zionists have to understand that’s their country, too. Palestinians were there long before any European Zionists.”

Thomas claimed that “You can not say anything (critical) about Israel in this country.”

In a speech that drew a standing ovation, Thomas talked about “the whole question of money involved in politics.”

“We are owned by propagandists against the Arabs. There’s no question about that. Congress, the White House, and Hollywood, Wall Street, are owned by the Zionists. No question in my opinion. They put their money where there mouth is…We’re being pushed into a wrong direction in every way.”

Using this flea bag old biddy’s logic, Helen Thomas herself is indirectly responsible for 9/11. What am I talking about? Helen Thomas is a Arabic woman, she is Palestinian; so were the men who hijacked those planes on 9/11, so that makes Helen Thomas indirectly responsible for the terrorist attacks on 9/11. After all, if we are going to go the collective route and blame everyone for everything, why not blame Helen Thomas for 9/11?

In case, your one of those slow people; what I just wrote was sarcasm. Because it is, in fact, that stupid. But Helen Thomas has all that covered:

In the interview, Thomas talked about the problems that Palestinians face, saying that “Arabs are not terrorists.

Which is quite funny, because it is the Arab Muslims that are doing the acts of terrorism —- not Jews, not Hindus, not Buddhists, not Christians; but Arab Terrorists. What Helen Thomas is referring to is the fact that a good majority of Americans believe that ALL Arabs are terrorists. There is a reason for this perception, it is because the majority of peace loving Muslims in America and abroad steadfastly refuse to stand up against those who choose to engage in terrorism, and chose to take a extremist stance on the Koran. Now, there is a defense for that, and I know what it is; it is because if these peace-loving Muslims abroad do speak up, they could be killed by those who are taking the extremist position.

There is a solution to that problem —– numbers. That’s right numbers. There is an old saying, “There is strength in numbers.” Peace-loving Arab Muslims in mass numbers need to rise up and take their Religion back from these cold blooded killers who have hi-jacked a Religion away from those who simply want to practice their religion in peace. Which is why the good majority of Muslims migrate here to American, so that they can do just that.

Now I could go on about what Helen Thomas has said, but I have to honestly ask myself. Is she worth it? The smart answer is no. Helen Thomas is just asking for the attention. I will not give it to her. She went on about the Iraq War, and repeated the liberal talking points about that war. Which is to be expected by her; as she herself, a liberal.

I called Helen Thomas an Arab dog, because that is what she is acting like — a Dog. This is not to say that I actually believe that ALL persons of Arabic decent are Dogs, as I do not. I believe that there are respectable persons of Arabic decent; I also believe that there are racist Anti-Semite Arabs as well. Helen Thomas is quite obviously one of those. Thus the reason why I called her an Arab Dog.

That is all….

Others: Weasel Zippers, NewsBusters.org blogs, Pajamas Media, Elder of Ziyon, Solomonia, The Daily Caller and FrumForum

Quote of the Day

Conservatives are rightly skeptical of much of what government does, and foreign aid has long been something that stuck deeply in conservatives’ craws, having a lineage of doubt going back to the John Birch Society and beyond. Mostly, it seems that hostility to the idea of foreign aid has centered around the fact that it involves taking money from honest, hardworking taxpayers and giving it to undeserving foreign governments. But there’s perhaps an even better reason for the abolition of foreign aid: far from helping, it actively hurts those it intends to help. So says the journalist Linda Polman in a new book, The Crisis Caravan: What’s Wrong with Humanitarian Aid?

Sierra Leone, the small West African state that was wracked by a brutal civil war – and where this writer lived many years ago working in, I now meekly report, humanitarian aid – is a classic example of the extremes which foreign aid has provoked. Foreign governments, along with various non-state actors, such as warlords and bandits, long ago learned that aid from the developed world and their various agencies is a fairly reliable source of cash. Being the shifty souls that so many of them are, they’ve learned to do whatever it takes to keep the cash flowing. In Sierra Leone, the appearance of amputation as a form of warfare and terror was somewhat mystifying; thoroughly brutal, it was hard to see for what purpose it could be used, other than terrorizing the civilian population – and they were seemingly already terrorized enough, being killed and maimed in the tens of thousands by roving bands of unspeakably violent marauders.

Living proof that John McCain is a typical warmongering Neo-Conservative

This also explains why I did not vote for him and that moronic bimbo Sarah Palin:

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, expressed concern Monday that some new Republican legislators would be defined by their “protectionism and isolationism,” two views that the Vietnam war veteran feared would result in a butting of heads within the party on Afghanistan and defense spending.

“I think there are going to be some tensions within our party,” McCain said during a conference put on by Foreign Policy Initiative, a DC-based think tank. “I worry a lot about the rise of protectionism and isolationism in the Republican Party.”

A prime example, McCain continued, was Rand Paul, Kentucky’s next U.S. Senator.

“I admire his victory, but … already he has talked about withdrawals [and] cuts in defense,” McCain said.

Indeed, Paul appears to have taken after the more libertarian side of foreign policy issues, much like his father, Texas Rep. Rand Paul (R).

via John McCain Attacks Rand Paul’s ‘Isolationism’ In Willingness To Cut Defense Spending.

They mean Ron Paul. I’ve cracked up watching the media calling Rand, Ron and Ron, Rand. It is quite funny. To review! Ron Paul is from Texas, and Rand Paul is from Kentucky.

The serious point to be made here is that John McCain is trying to follow the foreign policy path that was started by President George W. Bush. That foreign policy, which was Wilsonian in nature, proved to be disastrous for the Republican Party and caused them to lose the 2008 election.  The Republican Party, under chairman Steele, has been trying to remake the image of the Republican Party being the party of warmongers. As a Conservative, I believe that protecting and defending the Republic of the United States of America is paramount. However, I believe that forcing our style of Democracy on nations that do not necessarily want it; at the cost of our treasure, that being our Military; is a tragic mistake. This is what happened in Iraq and that will always be a black mark on our record throughout the World.

Someone needs to get the memo to John McCain that the Republican Party has moved on from the Bush era and that the Conservative grassroots has pretty moved on from the Bush era.

Let me also say this; I will avoid taking a swipe at Israel, as I believe that they do have right to exist. However, We Paleo-Conservatives understand why McCain feels like he does. McCain comes from that old Wilsonian school of thought — Protect Israel at any cost. We can see what that idiotic stance has gotten us in the past eight years, can we not? Again, someone needs to get that Memo to McCain; that the Conservative grassroots, being challenged by the Tea Party movement, has moved on from that stance and has totally rethought that whole idea. The idea of going to war now, to appease that Country is not popular any longer, among anyone — and that my friends, is a good thing.

Others: Hit & Run, Raw Story, Outside the Beltway, DoD Buzz and Talk Radio News Service

Bill O’Reilly interviews President George W. Bush

I have to give the man credit where it is due. Bill O’Reilly really gave Bush a good grilling here. Although, to his credit also, President Bush did stick to his guns.

Here part one and part two of the interview: (H/T Bill O’Reilly online)

Get the book:

Disclosure: I do make a little bit of money, if you order one of these books. You won’t pay any extra for it. It is capitalism, and I like capitalism, don’t you? 😉

My feelings on the Iraq War Wikileaks dump

I have one thing to say about the dump by Wikileaks of documents related to the War in Iraq.

War —— is pure hell.

I did not agree with the decision to go into Iraq and I always knew —- always — that this stuff would eventually come out.

It does hurt our guys over there now; which is the goal of the rat bastard that is running the site. I loathe him with every fiber of my being.

However, I believe that this should a be lesson to those who are in places of influential power—- that they should think long and hard, the next time they try to persuade a President to go to war with a Country to further your own political agenda or foreign policy vision that you support.  Going to war to support a Country with zero standing with the United Nations and who was illegally recognized by a sitting President —- always has disastrous results. You would have thought that these idiots would have learned that lesson during the Vietnam era — but, as they say, old dogs never learn new tricks. 🙄

It is a sad thing, but it was bound to happen — sooner or later.

Video: Gold and Silver Manipulation Exposed by GATA

An interesting video:

Get this DVD by clicking here

Invest in Silver and Gold, by Clicking Here

WOW: VFW dissolves PAC Board over endorsements

This is pretty wild here!

This comes via Blackfive, it’s a letter from the head honcho of the VFW:

I have reviewed the Political Action Committee (PAC) Board of Directors’ response
to our request to rescind this year’ s Congressional endorsements. I disagree with their
assessment.

It is now evident to most of the VFW leadership, both National and especially the
departments, that the VFW has been subjected to extreme negative publicity throughout
the nation, and the recent endorsement decisions have, in fact, harmed the VFW’ s
reputation and future ability to fulfill our mission.

I cannot let this erosion of public support for our great organization continue. The
apparent lack of the committee to address these concerns will lead to a proposal by me,
as Commander-in-Chief, to amend the by-laws at the 112th National Convention for
the purpose of dissolving the PAC. Meanwhile, under the authority granted to me as
Commander-in-Chief in section 619 of the VFW National By-Laws and under section
620 of the Manual of Procedure, I am withdrawing all PAC appointments effective
October 15, 2010.

Accordingly, I’ m asking the council for a vote of “ no confidence” in the VFW PAC as
indicated on the enclosed ballot.

To:  National Council of Administration
From:  Richard L. Eubank, Commander-in-Chief
Date:  October 14, 2010

You can read the PDF Here.

Wild… 😯

Blackfive has the scoop on this, go read it.

(H/T Gateway Pundit)

Here is a perfect reason why I will never vote Democrat again, ever

Some video clips, but first a little housekeeping —- sorry for the lack of posts. I passed out asleep and didn’t wake up till 12:00 midnight.

Anyhow, here are three video clips, all of which I saw over at HotAir.com:

The first one is where Bill O. is on the view and he makes the fetal mistake of ID’ing who actually attacked us on 9/11:

My friends, after 10 years, if we cannot say Muslim’s attacked us on 9/11 without having to add the radical part, then something is seriously wrong. We usually do not say, radical Japanese attacked us at Pearl Harbor, nor do we say that Germany under Hitler was radical Germany —- we just call them Germans. I ask you people, why the hell do we have to give the god damned Muslims in this Country some sort of god damned special treatment!?!?!?! Now the argument here is, that if you do not use the term “Radical Muslims”, that you imply that ALL Muslims are terrorists; to which I say, ever read their Koran? I am just saying….

Now this next clip is beyond belief, to add insult to injury, Joy Behar invites Jesse Ventura; Yes, Jesse “I think Bush and Cheney caused 9/11” Ventura:

Finally, here is the clip of Bill O. talking with Laura Ingraham ripping on Behar and Whoopie on the walkout and basically saying what I said; Now I know that I have ripped on Ingraham on here in the past, calling her a shrieking Harpy, when I thought it was due, I have also made fun of her, when she has done silly stuff, case and point, see here —  But this time, Bill O’Reilly and yes, Laura Ingraham are both right, the damned liberals, as usual, are straight up wrong and are trying to play some sort of political correctness game with 9/11, which I happen to know is straight up BULLSHIT. Anyhow, here’s the clip of Bill O and Ingraham:

Again, let me say, I agree with both of these people 100 percent; it was Muslims that attacked us on 9/11, it was not Christians, it was not Jews, it was not Hindus; it was Muslims. To say anything other than this, excuses the group that attacked us. What about so-called peace loving Muslims? Well, to that I say this, when the Muslim Community decides to confront, head on, the radical element within their own religion abroad and here in America —- then I might start making that distinction, until that starts happening, all bets are off.

Further more, let me get into something else here. This whole idea, by some, on the liberal left, that Bush did 9/11. Now to normal sane Americans; this idea that President George W. Bush caused or ordered the attacks on 9/11 is pure insanity. But to some of the left, it is a true fact. Honestly, only about 1% actually believe that Bush caused 9/11. The rest of the left, use that little line, out of anger — over losing the 2000 and 2004 elections. I ought to know, I used to vote Democrat, up until 2007, when I decided that the Democratic Party had went too far to the left for even my liking.

This whole idea that Bush caused 9/11 and Democrats calling for a formal investigation into events surrounding 9/11, and also the lead up to the Iraq War is nothing more than political retribution towards the Republican Party and towards George W. Bush —- because the Democrats lost 2000 and 2004. As you all know, in 2000, the Democrats ran an unelectable buffoon named Al Gore. In 2004, Same deal, different person. Losing both of those elections have burned Democrats for years. Hence the continued inferring that Bush caused 9/11. Plus, on top of that, there was the Iraq War; which was the liberal “cause” here, up until someone within the liberal establishment decided that the Iraq War was no longer worth making the entire liberal movement look stupid and they dropped it as a whole. Then there is the afghan war; which the opposition to it, has been rather muted. Because the liberal establishment knows that if they turn on that War that the Democratic Party to the rest of America, will look like the biggest bunch of hypocrites ever. Which they are, but I digress. Either way, these videos just show you; one, the hypocrisy of the liberals and two, how bad that the liberal movement has become, when it comes to freedom of speech.

Come November 2, I will either be voting for Libertarians or Republicans. I have no really decided which; at this point, I am most likely pulling the lever for the Republicans. Because we need to right the ship and the libertarians have never won anything at all, and I want to vote for a winner this time; especially here in Michigan. We have had enough of Democratic failure, me especially, being out of work since 2005, it does really suck. Instead of doing the normal blaming of the Republicans, like some people I know around here do, I am facing reality and saying that Granholm and her polices failed and am voting different.

…and I hope you will do the same….

Dr. Ron Paul’s Speech to the Virginia Tea Party

(H/T The Daily Paul)

This is from October 9, 2010.

Just a couple bones of contention with the above:

  • Paul’s assertion that unborn life should be protected by the Federal Government is absurd. I do not believe that the Federal Government has the right or the obligation to protect much of anything at all; except those things outlined in the United States Constitution — nothing more, nothing less. What Dr. Paul is doing here is repeating the nonsense of the Christian Right. Which is, as far as this writer is concerned, pure rubbish. If people believe the practice of Abortion is such a horrific thing, let them rise up and organize, and challenge the STATES to outlaw the practice of abortion.  Keep the Federal Government out of the business of the people’s bodies.
  • Paul’s idea that we should eliminate all Government programs like Social Security, is unrealistic; and it would hurt people — like my parents, who paid into the program for years. Does Ron Paul want to harm my parents? I would hope not.
  • Paul’s idea of trust and friendship with all Countries is naive at best. The inconvenient truth is that there are Countries and Regimes out there that want nothing more, than for the United States of America to be utterly and totally destroyed.  Even China is now worrying the Military leaders, as there seems to be those within the Chinese Military who see the United States as an enemy. This should worry many Americans, as we do borrow large amounts of money from this Country. Let us also not forget what happened to John Birch in that Country as well. There is also the terrorism argument as well; but I am fully aware that much of that, is due to our foreign policy decisions of the past. However, for us to foolishly assume that if we tell Islamic terrorists that we do not wish to harm them, that they will not attack us again, would be an exercise in extreme stupidity.
  • As a Paleo-Conservative type; I disagree with Ron Paul’s idea of unfettered Capitalism, AKA Globalism. I believe that globalism has hurt this Country, namely the economy here in the Detroit, Michigan area. TAFTA, NAFTA and all the rest of these idiotic free trade agreements should be repealed and heavy tariffs should be imposed on anyone that wishes to manufacture product outside of the United States of America and import it into this Country.

All of the rest, I pretty much agree with, especially when it comes to fiscal policy and the federal reserve.

I can relate Rick, I really can

Congrats to Rick Moran for six years of Blogging:

The parade is passing me by and I have fallen out of step with most of my conservative friends. When I write now, I write for my own amusement or to clarify my own thoughts about a particular issue – something that I have tried to do for the last six years. It’s amazing how shallow one’s thinking truly is unless you force yourself to justify yourself to yourself in writing. “Reading maketh a full man, conference, a ready man, and writing, an exact man” said Francis Bacon. I have tried, within the limits of my own feeble intelligence and failing will, to live up to those words, thus attempting to fulfill what philosophers refer to as “An Examined Life.”

Oddly, while my examination of the underpinnings of my conservative beliefs has led me away from what I suppose is the “mainstream” of what passes for conservative thought these days, the primary goal I set when I began blogging – becoming a commercial success as a writer – has been achieved beyond my imaginings. Ironically, far fewer conservatives read and agree with what I have to say these days then when I was making no money at all. There’s a cosmic lesson to found there – I just haven’t been able to determine what it is yet. Perhaps it’s that the gods have a cruel sense of humor and, like the elf Puck says in Midsummer’s Night Dream, they spend much of their time in rollicking laughter at “…what fools these mortals be.”

It’s lonely being a fool. As I have struggled to find a way to reconcile a robust, philosophically coherent, and consistent conservatism that has meaning for America in the 21st century with the riot of conceits, resentments, paranoia, and narrow mindedness that much of the right has become, I have found myself standing on the curb watching the clowns, the garish floats, the brass bands all roll by, marching toward the precipice and willingly – joyously – jumping over the cliff, trying to take the whole damn country with them.

“To what end?” I wail. “RINO!” they scream at me incoherently as they disappear into the maw of history. At a time when the tenets of conservatism, if applied intelligently and consistently to governance, can help revitalize the United States and this wonderful experiment in self government and individual liberty, the right chooses to eschew governance altogether in favor of a putrid ideological war “to save America.” Just how they intend doing so by trying to implement an agenda that’s 30 years old while immolating lawmakers who dare suggest that working with the opposition to come up with solutions to address our massive problems is necessary, I don’t see. I don’t believe they’ve gotten that far in their thinking yet.

via REFLECTIONS ON SIX YEARS OF BLOGGING @ Right Wing Nut House.

My God. I feel like I am reading my own writing. Rick, if you happen to read this; buddy, I can relate. I so can. I will put putting you back on the blogroll. I did take you out by mistake. Hang in there man, it will get better — I assure you of that.

How the left really feels about our Military

Here is another video from the leftist shindig up on the National Mall in Washington D.C.

This is a video of the World War II memorial in Washington D.C. after the leftist jackboots got done with it.

This makes me sick to my god-damned stomach. 😡

The Video: (H/T to HotAirPundit and it comes with a special thanks to Michelle Malkin)

Dear God…………………………… What is happening to my Country? 🙁 😥

Mrs. Malkin, I do not know if you will actually ever read this; but if you do. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for linking to that Video, and thanks to HotAirPundit for posting. This is an outrage. Something has to be done, these people do not love America; they hate it.

Update: Some of you might be wondering why this one bothers me so badly; Because it is personal, extremely personal. My Grandfather’s two brothers, both from Georgia, served in the United States Military during World War II. Both served in Germany, both made it back alive, both lost friends in the War. My Dad’s Father’s brother also served in the Military during War II. They were a part of the greatest generation ever; and these bastard communists treat that memorial like it is some park!?!?!? That is an outrage! Many people gave their lives for this Country, so that those idiot communists could have the right to march and believe in their idiotic dream of a socialist utopia and they treat their memorial like it is a place to leave their garbage.  There are no words to describe what I am feeling right now —- rage, anger, hatred, resentment, sadness, fear of what the Country is becoming —- all of that in one big ball of fury.

My friends, I apologize if my writing at the moment sounds damned disjointed. But god-damn it, I am angry. We must vote for a new slate come November 2, 2010. This is gone on long enough. There is just some lines that you do not cross; and the Democrats, the socialists, the left; what the hell ever you want to call them —- they crossed it yesterday. We must, must, must, let them know that the silent majority of us will not sit idly by and allow these jack-booted thugs destroy our nation any longer. It has to stop, before it is too late.

Again, sorry for rambling. But this one really bothered me.

Quote of the Day

We won’t win the war on terror simply by killing, capturing, and imprisoning al-Qaeda terrorists and Taliban fighters; but neither can we afford to let up on them. If we pull out of Iraq or Afghanistan before those countries have governments that are stable enough to keep a tight lid on our enemies, we’ll soon be right back where we started. We can use missile and drone attacks and covert forces to kill our enemies in Yemen and Pakistan; but what do you think will happen when the next Umar Abdulmutallab or Faisal Shahzad succeeds in killing hundreds or thousands of Americans? Will we not again retaliate?

The negative effects of permanent war on the U.S. armed forces, on the American people, and on America’s diminishing financial resources are obvious. When compared to the effects of a chemical, biological, or nuclear terrorist weapon going off in an American city, however, those effects become secondary considerations.

No matter how much President Obama or his successor may want to end the permanent war, there is no exit strategy in a war with an enemy that relentlessly attacks the U.S. homeland. We can’t negotiate our way out, like we did in Korea; nor can we simply decide it’s costing too much in lives and treasure and walk away from it, as we did from Vietnam. This time the enemy will come after us.

Whatever your views on America’s ongoing multi-front war, it is not going to end anytime soon. We’ll be fighting this war “for the rest of our lives and probably our kids’ lives.” The Pentagon, the White House, and the American people must come together on a strategy for sustaining that fight until we ultimately defeat our enemy.

UPDATED: On the Bob Woodward Book

I am poking my head back in again — to comment on the big Bob Woodward story, that is the top story on Memeorandum.

I am referring to this:

President Obama urgently looked for a way out of the war in Afghanistan last year, repeatedly pressing his top military advisers for an exit plan that they never gave him, according to secret meeting notes and documents cited in a new book by journalist Bob Woodward.

Frustrated with his military commanders for consistently offering only options that required significantly more troops, Obama finally crafted his own strategy, dictating a classified six-page “terms sheet” that sought to limit U.S. involvement, Woodward reports in “Obama’s Wars,” to be released on Monday.

According to Woodward’s meeting-by-meeting, memo-by-memo account of the 2009 Afghan strategy review, the president avoided talk of victory as he described his objectives.

“This needs to be a plan about how we’re going to hand it off and get out of Afghanistan,” Obama is quoted as telling White House aides as he laid out his reasons for adding 30,000 troops in a short-term escalation. “Everything we’re doing has to be focused on how we’re going to get to the point where we can reduce our footprint. It’s in our national security interest. There cannot be any wiggle room.”

Obama rejected the military’s request for 40,000 troops as part of an expansive mission that had no foreseeable end. “I’m not doing 10 years,” he told Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at a meeting on Oct. 26, 2009. “I’m not doing long-term nation-building. I am not spending a trillion dollars.”

Woodward’s book portrays Obama and the White House as barraged by warnings about the threat of terrorist attacks on U.S. soil and confronted with the difficulty in preventing them. During an interview with Woodward in July, the president said, “We can absorb a terrorist attack. We’ll do everything we can to prevent it, but even a 9/11, even the biggest attack ever . . . we absorbed it and we are stronger.”

But most of the book centers on the strategy review, and the dissension, distrust and infighting that consumed Obama’s national security team as it was locked in a fierce and emotional struggle over the direction, goals, timetable, troop levels and the chances of success for a war that is almost certain to be one of the defining events of this presidency.

Obama is shown at odds with his uniformed military commanders, particularly Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. David H. Petraeus, head of U.S. Central Command during the 2009 strategy review and now the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan.

Woodward reveals their conflicts through detailed accounts of two dozen closed-door secret strategy sessions and nearly 40 private conversations between Obama and Cabinet officers, key aides and intelligence officials.

Tensions often turned personal. National security adviser James L. Jones privately referred to Obama’s political aides as “the water bugs,” the “Politburo,” the “Mafia,” or the “campaign set.” Petraeus, who felt shut out by the new administration, told an aide that he considered the president’s senior adviser David Axelrod to be “a complete spin doctor.”

During a flight in May, after a glass of wine, Petraeus told his own staffers that the administration was “[expletive] with the wrong guy.” Gates was tempted to walk out of an Oval Office meeting after being offended by comments made by deputy national security adviser Thomas E. Donilon about a general not named in the book.

Suspicion lingered among some from the 2008 presidential campaign as well. When Obama floated the idea of naming Clinton to a high-profile post, Axelrod asked him, “How could you trust Hillary?”

Okay, first off, has everyone forgotten that 90% of what Bob Woodward writes is just straight up, sensationalized Bullshit? The Neo-Cons sure did say that, when Bob Woodward wrote his book about Bush.  However, now the Neo-Cons are treating this book like the Gospel truth; because it is about a Democratic Party President. Of course, the warmongering Neo-Cons are eating the whole bit about the terrorist attack up and basically saying that President Obama wants another attack on America. Which is, of course, straight up bullshit.

Some of the other highlights are:

— Obama told Woodward in the July interview that he didn’t think about the Afghan war in the “classic” terms of the United States winning or losing. “I think about it more in terms of: Do you successfully prosecute a strategy that results in the country being stronger rather than weaker at the end?” he said.

— The CIA created, controls and pays for a clandestine 3,000-man paramilitary army of local Afghans, known as Counterterrorism Pursuit Teams. Woodward describes these teams as elite, well-trained units that conduct highly sensitive covert operations into Pakistan as part of a stepped-up campaign against al-Qaeda and Afghan Taliban havens there.

— Obama has kept in place or expanded 14 intelligence orders, known as findings, issued by his predecessor, George W. Bush. The orders provide the legal basis for the CIA’s worldwide covert operations.

— A new capability developed by the National Security Agency has dramatically increased the speed at which intercepted communications can be turned around into useful information for intelligence analysts and covert operators. “They talk, we listen. They move, we observe. Given the opportunity, we react operationally,” then-Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell explained to Obama at a briefing two days after he was elected president.

— A classified exercise in May showed that the government was woefully unprepared to deal with a nuclear terrorist attack in the United States. The scenario involved the detonation of a small, crude nuclear weapon in Indianapolis and the simultaneous threat of a second blast in Los Angeles. Obama, in the interview with Woodward, called a nuclear attack here “a potential game changer.” He said: “When I go down the list of things I have to worry about all the time, that is at the top, because that’s one where you can’t afford any mistakes.”

— Afghan President Hamid Karzai was diagnosed as manic depressive, according to U.S. intelligence reports. “He’s on his meds, he’s off his meds,” Woodward quotes U.S. Ambassador Karl W. Eikenberry as saying.

Again, I have to ask; how much of this is actual truth and how much of it is sensationalized bullshit?

Liberal Blogger No more Mister Nice Blog puts it correctly:

“It’s in our national security interest” “I am not spending a trillion dollars.” At least he understand that endless war is bad for America.

And the reason that’s important is that, if we’re still deeply mired in Afghanistan as of January 20, 2013, we’ll still be just as deeply mired four years later, because President Palin/Pence/Daniels/Thune/Huckabee/Barbour/Christie sure as hell ain’t gonna withdraw. But this semi-rationality on Obama’s part is going to be lost, and the bullet-point version of this entire book is going to be “Obama plans to surrender in Afghanistan to appease the evil traitorous voters in his party.”

I hate to say it; but he is absolutely correct. Because you all know that the Neo-Conservatives are all about perpetual war. But they call me a Neo-Nazi for pointing that out; and because I refuse to do the “Identity politics” for that particular warmongering class of people. I despise identity politics on the left and the right. That, according to the protected class, is being a Neo-Nazi. Which, like most of Bob Woodward’s writings, is just straight up bullshit.

Memeorandum Thread Here.

Update: But of course. That is the same idiot that said that Iraq was an imminent danger to America and the rest of the free world back in 2003. Which of course, like Bob Woodward’s books; was straight up bullshit. 🙄

Video: REALITY REPORT #60 – Obama’s Iraq Bushism

In this edition of the Reality Report:

Gary Franchi points out Obama’s latest Iraq War Bushism and welcomes We Are Change Founder Luke Rudkowski to the show.

Nina breaks down the headlines including Homeowners Associations restricting Gadsden Flags, the Blogger Shakedown of Righthaven LLC, the recent Emergency Declaration in North Carolina that suspended the 2nd Amendment and how Blackwater Security used shell corporations to acquire tax payer money.

The viewers answer whether or not the World Trade Center was a Controlled demolition in the mailbag and keep watching to see the viewer pick for this week’s Enemy of the State.

Two Sites to check out: http://RealityReport.TV | http://RestoreTheRepublic.com |

…and now the video:

Nativism, Conservatives, Bloggers, and Me

I feel the need to address something this morning that left me in a bit of foul mood last night.  It appears that I have finally found an issue that I just cannot reconcile, that is happening among the “Go along to get along” Conservative crowd.  Robert Stacy McCain, who is, as he put it, “A Neo-Con, Paleo-Con hybrid,” attended the 9/12 rally in Washington D.C.  I really did not cover it much, because frankly, the whole Tea Party rally idea has grown rather stale with me.  This is because the so-called tea party movement was co-opted by the Republican establishment and by those who are the protectors of the warmonger class.

Nativism is a term that the leftist media puts on people like me. I personally like to be called an American.  An American who is watching the America I grew up in slip away.  I am also an American who resents those of foreign birth dictating to me, as an American, about how bad my Country is or how horrible our Government leadership is.

Once such case of this happening, was yesterday at this so-called 9/12 rally in Washington D.C.  A man by name of Tito Muñoz, also known as “Tito the Builder” who is a Colombian immigrant and supposedly a United States citizen; came to this rally as a speaker.  Muñoz came to the lectern and proceeded to assail the crowd verbally as to how bad the leadership is in Washington D.C. and how the socialist Government is destroying the foundations of which the Nation was founded upon and so on.  Here is my big problem with Mr. Tito Muñoz; I do not believe for one second that he is a United States Citizen, nor do I believe him to be here legally.

You ask why I would make such an accusation.  Because at one time, Muñoz and I were friends on facebook and after watching his postings on about how America was under attack; I took him to task on the subject of citizenship and ask him to post proof that he was a United States citizen, or at least to post his immigration papers.  Admittedly, I did mistake the man for a Mexican; I mean — it is hard to tell them apart.  However, what followed was my confirmation that Mr. Muñoz is nothing more than a petty phony, which is doing nothing more than milking the spotlight for all it is worth.  Mr. Tito Muñoz launched into a four-letter tirade against me; calling me a racist bigot, a Klansman, and a few other choice four-letter words that I shall not reprint here.  All because I requested that Mr. Muñoz prove that was a legal immigrant and a Citizen of this Country.

Besides all of the above, this is where I separate myself from the “go along to get along” Conservative crowd.  I, as a citizen of the United States of America; someone who was actually born in this Country — resent the fact that some man, of foreign born origin, coming to rally of this nature and assailing a crowd verbally by telling it, just how horrible our Country is.  Perhaps Mr. Tito Muñoz might want to remember that it was the progressives who came up with the idea, that if America did not open its borders to those who foreign birth, that our Country would somehow eventually cease to exist.  Someone might to remind Mr. Tito Muñoz that if it were not for this fact; that Mr. Muñoz would likely be picking coffee beans in his home country of Colombia to make a living; or more than likely in Muñoz’s case — would be picking coca plants.  If it were left to Conservatives, like me, Muñoz would be doing that this very day — instead of running a construction company, which was, more than likely funded by taxpayers, like me, through funding grants available to minorities; which were created by the very progressives that Mr. Muñoz rails on as horrifically evil.  Funding, by the way, that is not available to native-born Americas (or white Americans) like me.

Hate, you say.

Not Hardly.

It is called reality.

Pat Buchanan said it right.  We white Christian Americans are becoming a minority in our own damned Country.  Do you honestly believe that 50 years ago a Colombian immigrant would be lecturing white Americans on just how horribly bad our Country is?  I hardly think so. This is the result of progressives and these so-called Conservatives just accept it as normal.  My question is, since when is that normal?  Since when do Conservatives sit and allow a Colombian-born immigrant, of whom immigrant status is questionable at best — sit and lecture them on the condition of their Country?  Since when is that normal and acceptable?

Hate you call it — tell that to those in South Africa.  Because that is, what the United States is becoming — day by day, little by little.  The sick part is, the so-called Conservatives in America are aiding and abetting in that transformation.  That is what sickens me to my damn core.

UPDATED: I hate to say it: Nicholas Kristof makes a very good point

Rarely do I ever concede a point to a liberal. However, in this case; it is fair to do so.

This morning Nicholas Kristof writes in the New York Times, about the Mosque Controversy:

For a glimpse of how venomous and debased the discourse about Islam has become, consider a blog post in The New Republic this month. Written by Martin Peretz, the magazine’s editor in chief, it asserted: “Frankly, Muslim life is cheap, most notably to Muslims.”

Mr. Peretz added: “I wonder whether I need honor these people and pretend that they are worthy of the privileges of the First Amendment, which I have in my gut the sense that they will abuse.”

Thus a prominent American commentator, in a magazine long associated with tolerance, ponders whether Muslims should be afforded constitutional freedoms. Is it possible to imagine the same kind of casual slur tossed off about blacks or Jews? How do America’s nearly seven million American Muslims feel when their faith is denounced as barbaric?

This is one of those times that test our values, a bit like the shameful interning of Japanese-Americans during World War II, or the disgraceful refusal to accept Jewish refugees from Nazi Europe.

It would have been natural for this test to have come right after 9/11, but it was forestalled because President George W. Bush pushed back at his conservative ranks and repeatedly warned Americans not to confuse Al Qaeda with Islam.

As much as I hate to say it; Mr. Kristof is absolutely right. It should noted that Martin Peretz is, in fact Jewish and is, in fact, a rabid Zionist. In fact, Martin Peretz is known for the following comments:

Frankly, I couldn’t quite imagine any venture like [the Iraq War] in the Arab World turning out especially well. This is, you will say, my prejudice. But some prejudices are built on real facts, and history generally proves me right. Go ahead, prove me wrong. — Source

and:

But, frankly, Muslim life is cheap, most notably to Muslims. And among those Muslims led by the Imam Rauf there is hardly one who has raised a fuss about the routine and random bloodshed that defines their brotherhood. So, yes, I wonder whether I need honor these people and pretend that they are worthy of the privileges [sic] of the First Amendment which I have in my gut the sense that they will abuse. — Source

Like Kristof said; could you imagine if the above were uttered about the Jews or about the black race? There would a media frenzy about it. Believe me, I know; I have been attacked by those who are of the protected class and all for speaking my mind about them and how they attack those of whom they disagree.

The fact is, that this whole Mosque situation boils down to this; Islam versus Christian Nativists and Jews, Arabs versus Americans, whites versus non-whites. Am I calling those who oppose this mosque racists? Well, my question for you is this; do you feel that burning pages of the Koran normal acceptable practice? Would you feel the same way, if some Muslim took a page out of the  Christian Bible and began burning it? How about the Tanakh, the Torah, or The ?umash, the Siddur, the Piyutim or even the Zohar?

The point I am trying to make here is this; I realize that radicalized Muslims attacked the World Trade Center, The Pentagon and Flight 93. However, when you punish an entire religion for the actions of a few, you are practicing a forum of collectivism. That is not anything remotely Conservative, nor is it anything remotely American. Being vigilant against terrorism is one thing; but being idiotic is another, this situation with this Mosque is well beyond that — on both sides.

Update: On the Other hand… these are videos from 9/11:

There are two sides to every argument; one would suppose. There is also this here.

Video: Is this is the future of America in 5 or 10 years?

(H/T to Richard Spencer of Alternative Right)

I think it’s time we got real; before we lose everything.

Late-Night Thoughts

It is 4:00am and I cannot sleep.  I went to bed earlier, I was just wiped out; ate a big meal and got the old heavy eye thing going on; happens to me all the time.  On a bit of no-so-pleasant note: I woke up at 2:30 feeling like I had half of my supper coming up into my throat.  It was nasty!   A good bottle of water and I am much better now.

On a good note, this might help me out a bit, and I say might, because my sleeping habits as of late, have been totally jacked up.  Anyhow, I am up early and in a bit of a mood to write.  Yesterday was just not good.  I had a bit of headache, and I just was not in the mood for politics, much less anything else.  I get like that, this whole thing gets to be a bit mundane at times; and I just have to push it away for a few days.

Blogger Happenings

As you can most likely tell; No, I did not go to BlogCon that is being held up in Washington D.C.  For one, I am not a big fan of Dick Army; furthermore, I am not a big fan of the “Beltway” or the “Beltway Crowd.”  I will be the first to admit to you, that there were some bloggers there, that I am just not a big fan of, at all.  One in particular is a GOP operative, although, he likes to deny this, at all time.  This same moronic jackass; outright accused me of being a racist bigot on his blog; and then not long after that, made a rather unfunny “Osama Obama” reference on his own blog.  He promptly removed it, when I and several other bloggers complained about it. Robert Stacy McCain has a video of the jackass, if you really can stomach looking at the hypocritical asshole. Personally, I would not want to be in the same room with that asshole.

There is another blogger up there, who I am not a big fan of; she is referenced in that link.  I never liked her.  She publishes like 10 million photos of herself on that blog of hers.  I mean, I have heard of being narcissistic and all — but good grief.  One would assume that if she actually had something to be narcissistic about; I would understand that.  However, she seems to be lacking in that area.  I mean, if you like looking at pictures of fatty beached whales, more power to you, I suppose. (Yes, I can do Ann Coulter snark too. I tend a bit harsher about it than Ann does though.)

I also see that despite not having a car; Robert Stacy McCain found a way up to the BlogCon event, despite the fact that the harpies who put on that event refused to invite him.  I think I know why.  You see, a while back, I laid the smack down on two far-right wing zealots, who felt the need to attack Megan McCain.  Well, in the process of doing this, I went a bit overboard.  I did apologize, which was not good enough for the Semite-Baiting, Identity Politics trafficking crowd.  Having said that, these traffickers engage in what could be called McCarthy or Nazi-style tactics of intimidating other bloggers into not linking to me.  So far, Robert Stacy McCain has not given in to their demands that I am banished from the Conservative movement and be put on terminal ignore.  However, the lack of invite from the BlogCon group was somewhat obvious to me, as to why that happened. These people have some serious power and influence in the Blogosphere.  If you do not cave to their demands, they will destroy you.  They have gotten to a few bloggers that I actually do speak with; the not answering of e-mails was obvious that I was on blackout in the Blogosphere.

None of this really matters to me one lousy iota.  I did not get into this game to have to kiss up to anyone.  The original reason I began blogging was that I was angry with George W. Bush and the blatant incompetent handling of the Iraq War back in 2006.  Yes, I started in this game; as angry “Left of Center,” although I will admit that the far left totally turned me off.  As time when on, and as I continued to blog; I found myself disagreeing with more and more of the far left and even the not so far left as well;  especially when it came to the Military.  It was during this time also, that my blog was hacked.  I did start this blog, shortly afterward.  Finally, during the primary, I just decided that enough was enough; and during the general election, I voted Libertarian.

I will be very honest with you all.  I am not am not a Republican; I will most likely never be.  I find the majority of the people that hang in those circles to be arrogant people, especially the beltway crowd.  I have little or nothing in common with them.  Robert Stacy McCain is a very rare exception to that rule.  I find their attitudes towards blacks to be disgusting.  I saw a perfect example of that on the O’Reilly Factor on Fox News last night.  The completely condescending attitude towards the representative for the NAACP was vomit provoking at best.  Bill O’Reilly and that shrieking harpy Laura Ingraham both said that the NAACP has double standard, when it comes to race.  Newsflash Mr. O’Reilly and Miss Ingraham —- Just in case you forgot white people in America and yes, in England as well, used blacks as slaves!  I think that might just give them the right to be a bit biased against white people.  I dislike identity politics just as much as the next person does.  However, that display on Fox News last night burned my ass. I say this, not as some white person of grew up in the rich, white, Suburbs; but as someone who grew up in southwest Detroit.  I also say this as someone who grew up in a middle class family as well —- someone who grew up around whites, blacks, Latinos, and every other sort of race.

This is why I feel a bit uncomfortable being associated with the whole “Angry Rich White Crowd.”  I do not fit that damned mold at all.  I might be a white person; but I am nowhere near being “rich” or even having a lot of money.  Neither am I angry with Obama for being a black President.  I do not agree with all of his polices; but the disagreement with me, has never been about racism.  Sadly, it is with the majority of those on the far right.  Oh, they nuance it to death, and dodge and spin it.  However, it is there; I see the postings on Facebook and it sickens me to my core.

On the Koran burning

I think that the idiot who was planning on this; is not a Christian; at least not in sense that I believe Christians to be.  I also believe that Fred Phelps and his cult ought be rounded up and jailed.  I am all for freedom of speech; but when your speech or actions incites people to commit acts of violence towards our Military, I believe that is where your freedom ends.

On “Don’t ask, Don’t tell”

I believe that this overruling is a good thing.  I believe someone sexual preference is no one’s business.  I fear Muslims in the Military more than I would homosexuals.  I do not believe that Homosexuals would want to kill fellow Military personnel; which is more than I can say for the Muslims at this point.

On Palin’s Endorsement on O’Donnell

I do not much care for Palin; however, this might have been a good move.  The Republican Party needs to get the crooks, phonies, and warmongers out of that party.  If Sarah Palin can help do that, I am all for it.  Of course, some who believe that Sarah Palin is a part of that warmongering class.

The Obligatory Obama will not extend Bush Tax Cuts Posting

Well, duh, he is a liberal and a Democrat. He does believe in class warfare. Remember you Republicans and Libertarians that voted for him. (You know who you are…)

Via the NYT:

WASHINGTON — President Obama on Wednesday will make clear that he opposes any compromise that would extend the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy beyond this year, officials said, adding a populist twist to an election-season economic package that is otherwise designed to entice support from big businesses and their Republican allies.

Mr. Obama’s opposition to allowing the high-end tax cuts to remain in place for even another year or two would be the signal many Congressional Democrats have been awaiting as they prepare for a showdown with Republicans on the issue and ends speculation that the White House might be open to an extension. Democrats say only the president can rally wavering lawmakers who, amid the party’s weakened poll numbers, feel increasingly vulnerable to Republican attacks if they let the top rates lapse at the end of this year as scheduled.

It is not clear that Mr. Obama can prevail given his own diminished popularity, the tepid economic recovery and the divisions within his party. But by proposing to extend the rates for the 98 percent of households with income below $250,000 for couples and $200,000 for individuals — and insisting that federal income tax rates in 2011 go back to their pre-2001 levels for income above those cutoffs — he intends to cast the issue as a choice between supporting the middle class or giving breaks to the wealthy.

In a speech in Cleveland on Wednesday, Mr. Obama will also make a case for the package of roughly $180 billion in expanded business tax cuts and infrastructure spending disclosed by the White House in bits and pieces over the past few days. He would offset the cost by closing other tax breaks for multinational corporations, oil and gas companies and others.

While the speech will be centrist in its policy prescriptions other than the Bush tax cuts, Mr. Obama’s language will be partisan as he seeks to sharpen the contrasts between Republicans’ record and efforts by Democrats to create more jobs, aides said.

As much as I would like to jump up, holler and raise a fuss about this; I cannot. We all knew that this was coming. This should be a lesson to the Republican Party. That is, do not run weak or moderate Conservatives during elections. Because when you do; Conservatives, and I mean hardcore Conservatives will not vote — and this is what you get. I know that I, personally, will not be affected by this; neither will my family.

However, I am sure that there will be some families affected by this —  not to mention a myriad of business owners out there. This will, I am sure, cause a downtown in hiring by businesses; which will add to the huge downturn in the economy. It is all a domino effect, starts at the top and goes to the bottom.

Another thing to think about; we do have to eventually pay for these two wars. I believe that those who profited off of both of these wars ought to be targeted for taxing. I believe that a special “War Tax”, ought to be appended to anyone making over $500.000 or more a year. I would target multinational companies, like oil companies and so forth. Especially those in Iraq. Perhaps next time, the warmongering class will not be so eager to start a war next time. This taxing would reinforce the idea that those wanting said war, should they actually have to pay for it. Foreign Policy has a price tag; and those who want follow Woodrow Wilson’s steps, should be required to pay that price tag.

Memorandum Thread.