The Real Fight

Government-Enforced Racism and Sexism by Jeff Thomas

Intolerant Left Attacks UNC's Fedora

Fire North Carolina's Larry Fedora if he can't acknowledge dangers of CTE
--by DanWolken, of USA Today

King Dollar

Larry Kudlow

Larry Kudlow will take the job of top economic advisor to President Donald Trump.

President Trump named Larry Kudlow as the replacement for the departed Gary Cohn as National Economic Council director.

From our perspective, this is an excellent choice!

We have been longtime fans of Kudlow, reaching back through his long tenure with CNBC back to his days with the Reagan administration.

Certainly, while we are in agreement with much of Kudlow's free market and strong dollar advocacy, there are areas where we disagree. Without question, Kudlow will not always see things as President Trump does, and the recent topic of tariffs is one of them.

What Trump will find in Kudlow is a smart economist who has been around the block, a man steadfast in beliefs having witnessed their successes over decades. Additionally, Trump will benefit from Kudlow as a respectful and honest broker in debate, which will serve President Trump and our nation well.

As Kudlow is famous for noting, "Free Market Capitalism is the Best Path to Prosperity."

Left Purposely Forgets The Forgotten Man

"The Forgotten Man President Trump often references should never be forgotten.

At CPAC 2017, a speech from Amity Shlaes, author of the brilliant work "The Forgotten Man," introduces him to you. He is an individual the left forgets in orchestrated fashion, as he serves as a vehicle for their social engineering projects.

Ronald Reagan once said government is not the solution to the problem; government is the problem.

Amidst confusing economic and governmental policy, understanding the plight of the forgotten man develops the knowledge that potentially morally sound efforts at intervention come with heavy costs on free markets and individual freedom through excessive taxation and regulation.

As such, while the forgotten man bears the costs associated with government provided entitlements, which strip away the freedom and dignity of the individual recipient, one should never forget there is no free lunch.

Free Market Capitalism remains the best path to liberty and prosperity!

Risk Opportunity Lost Under Dependency

Most Americans are on the road to serfdom, and they don't even know it.

The young folks who think the system is screwing them are turning in large measure to Bernie Sanders, but his brand of socialism is sure to box them in, squelching the opportunity to risk, or bet on themselves, effectively ending their dreams, if they have them, of becoming independently wealthy and free.

The ramifications of the progressive march over the past decade, with orchestrated efforts to discredit churches, private companies, agencies and organizations while creating divisions between classes through race, gender and economic status, has resulted in the Millennials embracing of big government rather than free market capitalism.

Therefore, sadly, the position taken by the Millennials would certainly be considered reasonable. It is all they know. The economic systems are in large measure broken, full of manipulation and corruption, but the answer is not expansive government or a kingmaker.

The answer is free market capitalism, the best path to prosperity, liberty and freedom.


Why The Masses Remain Poor by EconMatters.com

All They Know

An excellent piece over at the tremendous website Zero Hedge provides detailed analysis as to why millennials are supporting Bernie Sanders & Donald Trump.

The ramifications of the progressive march over the past decade, with orchestrated efforts to discredit churches, private companies, agencies and organizations while creating divisions between classes through race, gender and economic status, has resulted in the Millennials embracing of big government rather than free market capitalism.

Therefore, sadly, the position taken by the Millennials would certainly be considered reasonable. It is all they know.

The Coming Storm

By a slew of market data, a crash in the capital markets appears imminent. The market is extremely toppy, and as Doug Ross notes in analysis of John Hussman's weekly letter, "When weak participation, rich valuations and scarce bearish sentiment accompanied a record high in the same week, the handful of instances diminish to surround the precise market highs of 1973, 2000, and 2007, as well as 1929 on imputed sentiment data – and the week ended July 17, 2015".

From earlier instances of The Hindenburg Omen, to a recent death cross formation and an increasing disconnect between the worlds of equity and fixed income, multiple and increasing signals within the capital markets indicate trouble on the horizon.

Interest rates should have been hiked over ten quarters ago, even with the putrid economic status.  The raising of the rates would have had a serious negative ripple effect on the overall economy, but this would have been healthy, an opportunity to cleanse the market of excesses and establish true points of equilibrium.

It will not happen now, as multiple, far more significant issues have arisen that threaten to torpedo the not only the capital markets, but the overall economy as well. Of particular note in this well crafted piece is the collapse in the price of oil, which would not be happening in a healthy environment with normal and reasonably efficient supply and demand levels. Rather, it signals great weakness, which in this case, could be catastrophic.

Historical Oil Chart/InvestmentResearchDynamics.com

The collapse in oil is documentation of a contracting economy. Despite the propaganda and data manipulation, as eloquently stated in the Investment Research Dynamics piece, "It’s hard to hide the truth when there’s still checks and balances around to counter-balance the Orwellian fog that is engulfing our system."

As Jim Quinn, who runs truly outstanding blog The Burning Platform, points out, department store sales are imploding, noting "What is revealed when you look under the hood of this economic recovery is that it is a complete and utter fraud. The recovery is nothing but smoke and mirrors, buoyed by subprime auto debt, really subprime student loan debt, corporate stock buybacks, and Fed financed bubbles in stocks, real estate, and bonds."

Add in the massive expansion of the FED balance sheet increasing inflation, and you indeed have an unsustainable mirage of a recovery.  No doubt; the storm is coming ashore.

In the aftermath of this impending collapse, engulfed with smoldering evidence of failure of a slew of centralized government programs, most notably Dodd-Frank, perhaps it will dawn on the minds of those placed in command of governance to all to unwind the centralized government programs, reduce taxation and regulation, unleash the great entrepreneurial spirit of America and embrace the power of free market capitalism, which in the words of noted economist Larry Kudlow, is the best path to prosperity.

Boxed In

Bernie Sanders, I:VT

The Foundation for Economic Education, (FEE), shot a post across Facebook this evening noting that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I:VT), who is seeking the Democratic nomination in 2016, thinks the middle class is deteriorating. FEE says he is wrong.

Sanders, a socialist, is at least someone who calls it like he sees it, even recently exposing the unemployment numbers presented by the Obama administration and their propagandist partners in media as false. Salon claims FOX News (?), Hillary surrogates and Wall Street are all terrified of Bernie and his ultra left followers.

The FFE article quotes Sanders as saying the following:

The long-term deterioration of the middle class, accelerated by the Wall Street crash of 2008, has not been pretty. Since 1999, the median middle-class family has seen its income go down by almost $5,000 after adjusting for inflation, now earning less than it did 25 years ago.

The FFE disputes Sanders conclusions, presenting a video with highly respected George Mason University Prof. Don Boudreaux discussing wage stagnation.  Boudreaux seems to be refuting a conclusion of former Labor Secretary Robert Reich.



Boudreaux collects a number of hits in his presentation, focusing on a period of approximately 30 years, citing a number of correct notes. However, there are areas missing in his conclusions, as there often are when trumping out statistics. Furthermore, at no point in my lifetime have economic statistics suffered such high levels of manipulation.

With a formal education in the field of economics, I could produce voluminous statistics stating whatever case I wish to make, but I can tell you from the street that income has been stagnant since the crash of 2008. In addition, virtually all of the implemented programs, while some producing temporary gains, have resulted in long term failure.  To place it in simplistic terms, the economy seems "boxed in", with constraints placed upon it by a government seeking to seize increasing control over the citizenry.

The middle class is indeed staggered by orchestration under Obama, with real median household income decreasing and the pathway to wealth exponentially more difficult. But, it is not more progressivism or Bernie Sanders and his platform of socialism the country needs, it is getting government back within its means, individual accountability, adherence to the law and free market capitalism, with a reduction in taxation and, in particular, regulation.

Commander in Communism

The transformation of America is sadly well underway, and the road we are traveling from a free market capitalist system to not only socialism, but ultimately communism, is being hidden for all to see in plain sight.

See the following tweet earlier this week from our Commander in Communism himself, spoken like a true communist in effort to mask the true ambitions while presenting it in plain English. 

The citizens of this nation are not children of the government. What the government will give back to everybody is the hard earned production it confiscates from the working citizen. Does that sound familiar? It should.  It is communism; state ownership of the means of production. From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs! 

It would be far time for the electorate of this nation to sober up from the intoxication of irrelevance and take notice of their freedom and liberty being taken from them by government leadership claiming to support them in all ways possible. 

For those who have forgotten their history, Thomas Jefferson once said "A government big enough to give you everything you want, is a government big enough to take away everything that you have." 

At such point they take away your entitlement, the freedom needed for you to rectify the situation will be lost.

Right on Rush. Like Rush, I have no idea what the majority of the GOP stands for or the basis of their principles as many of their decisions are in opposition to limited government and free market principles, which is what I consider to be part of the foundation of the Republican party.

Rush Limbaugh

False Argument of Minimum Wage

Facts are indeed stubborn.  Given the economic facts we have seen continuously seen for decades regarding the minimum wage, it should be clear the argument is not about "working families"; but rather a political agenda. Once again, the minimum wage is not a wage designed to support "working families" and raising it reduces employment.

Over at Zero Hedge today, a chart showing retail trade offers a notable emerging difference between states that recently hiked the wage and those that held firm. Retail is most telling, as the indusrty has among the highest level of these type of workers.

Retail Trade/Chart via Zero Hedge

Again, raising the wage hurts the very people the propaganda tells us it will help.  In the macro, it reduces the efficiencies of firms, raising costs and restricting their abilities to add workers, which is an overall drag on economic production regionally and thus nationally.

Fast food workers recently went on strike to obtain higher wages, not due to their hard work on the job, but because of the perception that they deserve it and the corporate employer can afford it. In an interview with Business Insider economist, Paul Krugman thinks the overall costs of raising the wage would not cause as many issues as most think.  Krugman fails to recgonize the adminstration he advocates for has no right to direct the capital of private firms through social engineering. Economically, why cause any issues? Why not reduce encumbrances firms face limiting the obstacles faced in advancing growth? 

Unless, of course, you have other objectives.

Common sense would dictate that government intervention in this arena is designed to help the workers and help the economy grow, but that is a farce.  Government mandated wage levels, along with price controls, are impediments to growth.  Therefore, the goals are not economic, but politically driven, with the plans set forth in the Cloward and Piven Strategy the objectives.

Free market capitalism, with limited governmental restrictions on business, is without question the best path to prosperity.  Under the current administration, fees, taxes and government regualtions have increased while freedom and prosperity have decreased.

In the form of the old argument regarding the minimum wage, now you have an example of why.

Time To Man Up

Glenn Beck once again knocks it out of the park.



America needs an attitude adjustment in the worst way.

We need to encourage our youngsters to value the ethos we embraced; those of character, work ethic, responsibility, and perhaps, currently the most elusive of them all, common sense.

If the job needs done right, do it yourself. Don't wait for the other guy to do it, tackle control of the effort. Individuals with a dream and a never say die attitude built this country. Certainly, teamwork of individuals with common goals can achieve great things, including, of course, touchdowns.

Failure is not toxic, but rather a learning opportunity through identifying weaknesses to be built upon.

In addition, it is noted luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.  Indeed, preparation wins in sports and in life.  Visualizing success is also an effective tool, projecting the realization of achieving outlined goals.

Today, many Americans are living the Obama dream, many unemployed, waiting and hoping for someone else, or the massive apparatus of the government, to help. 

Help yourself, dammit man, for nobody cares more about your future success than hopefully you do.

It is time to man up, indeed.  Thanks for the reminder Glenn.

A Real Rotten Core

Early in June, The Central Florida Education Summit, hosted by the Central Florida Partnership and sponsored by the Orlando Regional REALTOR Association, took place at the Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport focusing on the implementation of Common Core State Standards in Florida's K-12 Education System. 

The Central Florida Partnership, an organization backed by heavy political and business leaders in greater Orlando from both sides of the political aisle, join an astonishing number of their counterparts across the country in seemingly blinded support of this rather deceiving and cruel initiative.

Nationally, the Common Core Standards, which have been adopted by 45 states, are supported by The Obama administration, former Florida Governor and potential 2016 GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush, the National Parent Teacher Association, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mike Huckabee and the National Education Association, who have previously informed us their goals center around their power and NOT the children.

While Common Core is a brainchild of the Progressive movement, many Conservative individuals and groups have backed the initiative.  The National Review came out in favor of Common Core, and in an educational presentation of the evidence, Glenn Beck of The Blaze offered a rebuttal of note.

Companies including Microsoft, General Electric, Intel, Boeing, Aetna and State Farm Insurance are on board in full support.  Exxon-Mobil, who run a petroleum company under harsh scrutiny from the Obama administration, are proud supporters who felt compelled to venture outside of their corporate initiatives entering in educational advocacy and through purchasing expensive ad time for a thirty second national ad, which you can see HERE.

Although the Common Core Standards are not federally mandated, the federal government strongly encourages participation.  For those states that refrain from participation, the federal government will offer financially layered incentives and support in effort to provide entitlements masking as assistance. Ultimately, the federal government can and will withhold financial grants, aid and program assistance should a state opt out of the initiative.  We have seen the same tactics manifest themselves with regard to Obamacare.

The advertised goal from the implementation of the Common Core Standards centers around placing common standards aiming to make curriculum standards consistent across the nation aligning the standards and measuring student achievement while measuring and holding accountable teachers and schools.  Well, that does not sound so bad.  After all, we want our students nationally to excel.

Certain states have been documented as routinely failing to meet the standards demanded by the citizenry as noted by The Fordham Institute, who has received sizable grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the implementation of the Common Core Standards will likely force improvement in these states.  However, will states currently highly achieving is this arena experience regression to the mean and have their accomplishments decrease?

 As noted in an article in the Tallahassee Democrat, Florida Education Commissioner Tony Bennett said the 2013-14 school year will be “the year of Common Core” in Florida public schools, as the new standards make their way into classrooms at every grade level.

An article in the Tallahassee Democrat outlined differences in the currently implemented standards versus those of Common Core, which you can reference HERE.

I found the high school example particularly illustrative, which is reprinted below:

High School Math:

Common Core: Recognize and explain the concepts of conditional probability and independence in everyday language and everyday situations. For example, compare the chance of having lung cancer if you are a smoker with the chance of being a smoker if you have lung cancer.

Sunshine State: Determine probabilities of independent events. Understand and use the concept of conditional probability, including: understanding how conditioning affects the probability of events and finding conditional probabilities from a two-way frequency table.

The Common Core example astutely recognizes the statistical probabilities that exist and draw conclusions from the data sample that hold sizable merit and would be noted as reasonably correct.  The Sunshine State example also examines those same statistical inferences and recognizes the findings as reasonably accurate.  However, the Sunshine State is not limited in scope by inference that the probabilities outlined in the data are mutually inclusive.  The Sunshine State allows for critical thinking, where opportunities to examine less probable chances and outcomes are possible.  Independent events, not necessarily tied together, occur, as evidenced by the number of citizens who have been diagnosed with lung cancer who have never smoked.  The chances of finding a cure will be strongly enhanced by the educational opportunities that exist in the Sunshine State example rather than the reasonably correct interpretations found from the boxed in and limited Common Core example.

It can argued Common Core Standards provide a sound educational platform from which to operate, one that will assist lower performances to reach higher levels.  That sounds good when you say it fast, but in a brilliant piece presented last week, the impact of the Common Core Standards being implemented in The National Football League is examined.  It is not good.

While the academic side of the Common Core Standards is concerning, a much more troubling aspect has been discovered centering around data mining.  This is big in the news right now, with the NSA spying on American Citizens through phone, cable and internet properties seemingly in violation of privacy rights of the citizenry.

If you are just learning of Common Core during this read, please be advised you are way behind the eight ball in your educational efforts.  Michelle Malkin has written extensively on Common Core, and has presented very troubling information regarding data mining.  Glenn Beck also covered the topic in great detail.

However, a real world example of how far along the government is in the implementation of Common Core is noted in the following news story.  In Polk County Florida, which nestled between the Tampa and Orlando markets, without parental notification, local school officials conducted illegal iris scans on students.  This program, labeled eyeswipe-nano, is a clear violation of the privacy rights of the children and their parents as outlined in the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution. 

It should be noted the lawmakers currently in charge do not respect the Constitution, the rights of the citizenry and the law of the land.  Therefore, we must conclude they are dishonest brokers who cannot be held in a position of trust, particularly when it comes to the education of our children.

A link to a governmental site outlining the data mining techniques to be utilized, inclusive of arm bracelets, iris scans and seating able to measure body heat and movement, has been taken down. However, I did read it in its entirety and can completely understand why it was taken down, as you would join me in being beyond alarmed if you read it.  Thankfully, Glenn Beck to the rescue.  Beck has an entire program dedicated to Common Core, where he actually shows you the pages which outline this material.  See the following:



The Common Core Standards place the curriculum in a box, curtailing efforts to advance beyond the scope of the designed curriculum.  By the way, who is setting the curriculum?  Perhaps those old members of the blame America first crowd?  An example of the curriculum in the literary arts is rather than classic literature an examination of executive orders, including one regarding strengthening federal environmental energy and transportation management, indoctrination right our of the UN Agenda 21 doctrine progressives seek to implement.  Sticking with the UN theme, Common Core emphasizes globalism, eliminating Americanism by removing value language.  Free market capitalism and entrepreneurship shifts to social justice, respect and fairness.  When learning of influential people in American history are children taught about Barack Obama, George Bernard Shaw, Margaret Sanger, and Doleres Huerta or Barry Goldwater, George Patton, Arnold Palmer, Billy Graham and Vince Lombardi?

While many are useful idiots who remain unaware of the evil nature of these standards, many supporters know exactly what the real reasons behind the effort are.  At the aforementioned summit, Orlando Regional REALTOR Association Chairman Steve Merchant offered "School quality is a powerful driver of property values, so anyone who owns property — or is considering purchasing property — in a community should have a strong economic interest in having good schools,” said Merchant. "Studies have consistently shown that properties near schools with higher ratings are far more likely to have higher values than those near schools with lower ratings often.”  Higher rated schools do positively impact property values, but under Common Core, the goal would be for all schools to score equally, thereby negating those higher values and eliminating incentives for under performing school districts to make effort to improve.  I will go with useful idiot on this one.

Similar to Obamacare, Common Core is much more about control of the citizenry that building a more productive public school system. It is the federal takeover of the education system, providing the basis for indoctrination of our youngsters. While robbing children of their free agency, it boxes them in and is prohibitive to critical thinking. 

It is the same as the federal takeover of the health care industry, similar to the deep governmental intervention and control of the financial markets and environmental standards, which in short can be defined as the best practices of socialism.

Diligent Hands Bring Wealth

On this day, June 19th, a statue of Frederick Douglass was unveiled in the Untied States Capitol's Emancipation Hall. For Frederick Douglass, (1818-1885) a free market capitalist, entrepreneur and national hero as a champion of civil rights, freedom and justice for all, the recognition bestowed him today at the United States Capitol was long overdue.

 

It is clear that President Obama, from pronouncements that the Constitution is a flawed document to his actions, not only failing to uphold, but seeking to change the Constitution, does not adequately respect the Constitution or the divinely inspired Founding Fathers who created it. 

 

 

This is in stark contrast to Douglass, who said  "The American Constitution in s written instrument full and complete in itself.  No Court in America,, no Congress, no President, can add a single word therto, or take single word therefrom.  It is a great national enactment done by the people. and can only be altered, amended or added to by the people."

Florida Senator Marco Rubio and his gang of eight compadres feverishly work on an immigration bill that rewards those who broke the law and will create an overwhelming level of entitlements bankrupting our nation.

Rubio and his republican counterparts supportive of this legislation worry that without supporting amnesty for those illegal immigrants already here while paving a way to legal immigration, the democrats will generate a corner on the market for Hispanic votes moving forward.

First and foremost, disregarding the rule of law for votes is an appalling trade off void of the principles our nation was founded upon. Secondly, the whole premise is false and needs to be rejected.

The immigration bill is not about votes, or for the benefit of the immigrants who are supposedly living in the shadows; it is about control.

If the GOP fears issues finding enough voters to strengthen their relevance, beyond placing conservatives on the ballot drawing a significant distinction against the progressives, there is a clear pathway for the GOP to never lose another election.  Frederick Douglass is the answer.

Douglass, a republican, recognized that free market capitalism is the best path to prosperity, noting “If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters."

In aggregate, as evidenced by the voting record, the black population has let the evil of racism and vengeance cloud their perspective restricting the avenues of progress which lay before them. Many who are Christian have reconciled disarming these arbitrary handicaps from prohibiting their pursuit of happiness.

The Democrats, through enacting entitlements which are designed to rob individuals of their identity and leave them dependant on an increasingly oppressive government, get the overwhelming majority of black votes but are the cause of the greater majority of harm riddling the community. The issues range from the breakdown of the traditional family, a unspeakably low marriage rates, low educational progress and extremely high crime rates and drug usage.  There has been little improvement in recent decades, with regression under the Obama administration

If only those lost in the black community could have their eyes opened.  Recently down in Louisiana, State Senator Elbert Guillory changed to the republican party after fully comprehending what heroes like Douglass and Martin Luther King already knew.  Guillory explained "Why I Am a Republican", and this should be mandatory viewing for our friends in the black community.  Take a listen:



“This struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, and it may be both moral and physical, but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress,” said Douglass. 

As Guillory recognizes, blacks, and for that matter, individuals ill-informed of the history and government action engaging in various forms of oppression, often welcome governance that restricts freedom and liberty through control mechanisms disguised as entitlements.  Of course, there is no free lunch.  These governmental actions are generally driven by democrats, not by republicans.

Douglass noted that "Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth."  Through leaders like C. L Bryant,  KCarl Smith of The Frederick Douglass Republicans, Ken Hutcherson,  Allen West and fine new media outlets like The Black Quill and Ink blog, it is hoped word can spread alerting the black community their future belongs to them, with their successes encouraged and embraced by all Americans.

Hopefully, as quipped by Rabbi Daniel Lapin, focus can be accurately placed upon the big G, as in God, rather than the little g, as in government. Imagine the prosperity for all.  Douglass would be teared with joy!

Breaking the Boardwalk

There were such high hopes.

I became aware of Chris Christie from his frequent guest appearances on CNBC's Squawk Box and was thrilled when he announced he would run against incumbent New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine. After his tenure with Goldman Sachs, Corzine had run Jersey into the ground, and given both Obama and Biden often sought his economic council, is it any wonder our country is in economic peril. A wonderful opportunity to implement free market principles in a blue state exisited, and Christie was just the guy to take it on.

Christie understands free markets, and has no patience for the unions and their interference in the marketplace.  His tenure as Governor has brought New Jersey new found prosperity, even against the backdrop of the stagnant if not recessionary national economy.

The fever pitch for Christie came as the 2012 presidential approached.  Would Christie get in?  An exemplary speech at the Reagan Library brought a high level of enthusiasm, but Christie threw in behind Mitt Romney and would sit it out.

Since that point, it has been downhill slide for Christie and his relationship with those on the GOP right. Christie spoke at the GOP convention, but rather than explaining why Mitt Romney was the properly experienced person to lead this country, Christie discussed his own successes and fell far short in touting those of Romney.

Then, New Jersey was hit by Hurricane Sandy, and shortly thereafter came a visit by President Obama.  Christie was far too welcoming to our sitting President, whose economic policies were combative to the goals set forth by Christie.  In the days after, Christie praised the leadership of Obama on his commitment for assiting the region, elevating his declining stature among the nations voters.  The compliments for Obama far exceeded what was required, particularly because there was no actual leadership implemented or enacted by Obama.

With much of the hurricane ravaged area still reeling, President Obama returned to attend a ceremony on the Jersey shore as the famed boardwalk re-opened for the summer.  Christie gleefully awaited Obama with open arms, and before the love fest was over, we pondered if Brokeback Boardwalk would become a movie sequel.

Obama, who media elites tell us would likely be playing in the NBA if he were not doing the heavy lifting in Washington, missed in four football tosses in embarrassing fashion.  Have no fear, as a blushing Chris Christie hit the target, winning Obama a stuffed bear a four year old would cherish. Oh, what a day?

Meanwhile, Frank Lautenberg (D), a long sitting New Jersey Senator, passed away the other evening, opening up his seat.  For someone not trying to score political points, the opportunity to appoint a republican to this seat should be promptly taken.

One would have to go back a long way to find a more critical time for the GOP, with our republic practically hanging in the balance.  There is the attack on the second amendment, potential immigration legislation, the train wreck of Obamacare, Islamic terrorism, nuclear weapons and God forbid the potential replacement of a supreme court judge.  While it is only one seat, that one seat can make a huge difference.

So with Christie throwing open the seat, in conjunction with the recent series of actions by the Gov, we can conclude that he is not all that worried about the destruction to the country his new found boyfriend is engaged in.  In fact, odds favor he is a progressive republican with many of the same controlling big government ideas of Obama.

For those who champion liberty and freedom, any opportunity to legally thwart Obama from achieving his goals should be exercised with precision.  With Christie failing to act in this regard, we have learned all we need to know prior to 2016.  Sadly, he is not one of us.

It might be all for naught, as by the time 2016 comes around, Rush Limbaugh would not be surprised if Christie ran as a Democrat.  Maybe former Florida Governor Charlie Christ could be his running mate.

The Heat Is On

You have no doubt heard the story about the frog and the boiling water?

As it goes, if a frog is thrown into a pan of boiling water, the frog will instantly jump right out of the pan. However, should you place the frog in the pail of water and then slowly bring the water to a boil, the frog will not recognize the change in temperature until it is too late and the frog will be boiled alive.

The story is usually descriptive in a metaphoric sense highlighting the inability of people to recognize significant changes that occur gradually until the point of no return has been reached. What is going on in America today has that same feeling, as a major transformation is underway with the greater majority of the citizenry oblivious to the changes.

Among the many instances of transformation currently at play are positions against the church, embracing reductions in military abilities and status, entrepreneurship, the lessening of the value of citizenship and American exceptionalism and individualism; gun control efforts, socialized medicine and American sovereignty.

The monetizing of the debt, expansive entitlements, bailouts, exponential stimulus spending, the devaluation of our currency, the departure from investor protocol and contract law, notable during the auto bailouts, wealth redistribution and the absence of the rule of law are among the economic examples.

That is quite a list; however, the lack of adherence to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights is by far the most troublesome example, as the arrogant progressive ruling class deems themselves grantor's of rights through government, in contrast to the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness from God as noted by our founding principles.

President Obama views the Constitution as a imperfect document with deep flaws of Colonialism; a document of negative liberties which limits what a government can do instead of outlining what a government must and should do.

These positions are in extreme contrast to the vision of our Founding Fathers as you might imagine.  But as the average citizen is working double to keep their family afloat amid the horrendous current economic conditions, and fails to adequately recognize the reduction in their freedom that is occurring.

The water is really getting warm!

Sometimes, we need an old friend to help us see the forest for the trees, a friend who is stern but friendly, a great communicator who is grounded in first principles and faith, a clear visionary who embraces freedom and cherishes the United States of America.

Enter Ronald Reagan:

Economic Freedom Regression

Given the terrorist acts in Beantown yesterday resulting in the deaths of three American citizens and injuries, some most significant, to potentially hundreds of others, Americans appropriately lost focus on what April 15 is commonly known for; the day individual income taxes are due.

With every American becoming a Bostonian in heart yesterday, the 100th anniversary of the income tax passed without fanfare.  It is hard to fume at Woodrow Wilson when you are on a seek and destroy mission after the ruthless terrorists who aim America harm.

Should the events in Boston not have occurred, the Progressives would have spent the day rejoicing at the ever increasing levels of taxation they have levied on working Americans.  Ronald Reagan once half sort of joked that "Republicans believe every day is the Fourth of July, but the democrats believe every day is April 15."

How true. The Progressives under President Obama, exponentially increasing what was already a bloated national debt upon their election, find nothing that cannot be taxed.

Just in the past week, we find Obama seeking to find ways to tax the 401K accounts of individual citizens and under the Progressive leadership in Maryland, under the false premise of global warming, comes word of a complete absurdity; a rain tax.

The progressive elites claim knowledge superior to the rest of us, but somehow, obviously slept during economics class.  Standard economic theory indicates when you tax something, you get less of it.  As the Progressives seek to continuously raise revenues, oh excuse me, taxes, it is clear every American should have a thorough understanding of The Laffer Curve.

As such, please see the following short tutorial from Prager University:



The Progressives leadership has a fundamental understanding of this, so therefore, their policies are illogical and in full scale violation of basic economic theory.  But why?

The reasons are found in the concepts put forward by Cloward and Piven, basically centering upon crashing the current system to have it replaced by a form of socialism which prohibits individual economic growth and entrepreneurship. Obama is doing a fine job achieving this goal thus far.

When over half the country is dependent upon government assistance, those footing an increasing bill will ultimately collapse, allowing an all too welcoming government to take control.  The individualism of the citizenry is lost when your wages and benefits are not rewards for your hard work and accomplishment but rather controlled hand outs from those in governance, ultimately unelected technocrats.

Increasing taxation is restrictive to economic freedom.  It should be remembered that free market capitalism is the best path prosperity. Always.

Health Care Mirage

Unfortunately, due to arrogant elected officials, who shoved down the throat of the American people a take over of one sixth of the American economy without one Republican vote, and the inability to accurately interpret the Constitution by Chief Justice John Roberts, we are likely stuck with The Affordable Health Care Act, or Obamacare.

The roll out of Obamacare is running into all sorts of issues, inclusive of much higher than anticipated costs, increased regulation and difficulties in implementation.  The architects of the Health Care Act, written before Obama got elected by The Tides Foundation, know exactly what the future holds with respect to the plan.  The majority of the politicians, who never read the bill, are useful idiots playing the political game.

And of course, there is the extreme propaganda of false, incorrect and deceitful information the American people were handed by the politicians who supported the effort. 

*Premiums will fall
*No Death Panels (Sarah Palin was correct as usual)
*You can keep your Doctor

Perhaps the most deliberate omission in the description presented the American people was that, although the ACA itself is not a single payer plan, it was a necessary stepping stone, or trojan horse, because the architects deemed jumping to a single payer plan would be met with anticipated public disapproval.  The people must be nudged that direction over time, with the elimination of choice, and freedom, along the way.  Make no mistake, a single payer plan is the ultimate objective, although the mainstream media did their best to conceal it.

However, many have publicly stated the intentions, including former Senator Barney Frank (D:MA)and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D:CA).  Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D:CA), not only admitted to the ACA being a precursor to a single payer plan, but gleefully spoke of her intention to destroy a private sector industry.  Imagine the arrogance.

Over at Verum Serum, Robert J. Samuelson has a great piece on the public plan mirage, although it fails to examine the extension beyond health care.  For example, as an investor in capital markets and real property, I found particularly interesting the portion of the health care bill that hits capital gains and real estate with an investment income tax of 3.8%. 

How does capital gains on investments or real estate relate to health care?  Well, obviously, it is not about health care.

As Ronald Reagan warned us back in 1961, a government method to impose socialism or statism on the people is through socialized medicine as a vehicle for increased taxation, regulation, surveillance and control. 



Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius really insulted the intelligence of the American people this week when she opined that the implementation of the law was much more difficult than previously thought.

“Probably no one fully anticipated when you have a law that phases in over time, how much confusion that creates for a lot of people. So that has been difficult,” Sebelius said. “When the law was signed and people immediately did not get affordable health insurance, they were surprised and a lot were disappointed but now understand that this was a gradual phase-in.”

Really? Who is she trying to kid? 

The planners recognize that most Americans do not follow closely enough to decipher the lies being told them on a consistent basis, not to mention changes to the language, and therefore are not privy to the inside baseball of the plan.  Since when are revenues tax increases?

Those of us who understand free markets and the importance of individual choice knew full well what a monstrosity of misery the law would be. We also understood the false premise the whole movement was based upon.  Charts like the one presented below would have been pure comedy if it were not sadly real and poised to wreak havoc on our liberties.

 

Unfortunately, the more the planners plan the more the plans fail. Governments don't tax to get the money they need but find needs for the money they get.  Every area of freedom will be invaded by the tentacles of bills of this nature, and with each victory the progressive elite planners achieve, the more freedom we the people lose.

Iron Leadership Lost

The Iron Lady, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, passed away this morning at age 87.

Lady Thatcher, joining Pope John Paul II and Ronald Reagan, shined the light on freedom and were instrumental leaders in defeating the Soviet Union, without firing a shot I might add.  She had said she entered politics because of the conflict between good and evil, hoping she could help good triumph.  Only in rare instance has a collection of leadership been so effective defeating evil and in the promotion of freedom for the people and free market economic liberty.

 

Thatcher believed that free marker capitalism, rather than the socialism Europe embraced as she took office, provided the best path to prosperity. She took on all those who challenged her, stating the case from her heart with stern eloquence.

"And I will go on criticising Socialism, and opposing Socialism because it is bad for Britain — and Britain and Socialism are not the same thing. (...) It’s the Labour Government that have brought us record peace-time taxation. They’ve got the usual Socialist disease — they’ve run out of other people’s money".

Sadly, those in government these days seem to have forgotten this lesson, if they ever understood it at all.



A statement from The Reagan Ranch may have said it best, Lady Thatcher made profound contributions to liberty and freedom in Britain and throughout the world.

In an era where the left has abandoned any reasonable level of civil discourse, I am reminded of a telling quote from Lady Thatcher: "I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left."

Indeed. 

God Bless You Lady Thatcher!

The Eagle Will Fly

As most Americans were preparing for Super Bowl Sunday, as reported by Bloomberg, Goodyear (GT:NYSE) the largest U.S. tiremaker, will close its main French plant and cut its workforce in the country by 39 percent amid labor disputes and plunging auto demand in Europe.

Why Goodyear has a plant in France is puzzling, but given the five years of negotiations with workers to resolve labor disputes with union leaders, the closing of this plant could not come as a shock.  Imagine that, unions making unrealistic demands and killing jobs.  Who could have seen this coming?

On the heels of regrettable slavery issues and some rather disturbing worker relations as the industrial revolution was emerging in our country, there can be no doubt that union representation played an important role in our history.

The French are notorious for hardly working, as evidenced by union victories against employers inclusive shortened work weeks and increased vacation. It would be great to hang our all the time, but nothing constructive comes from an inefficient work force handicapped by uncompetitive workers demands.

As such, Titan International, (TWI:NYSE) who specializes in tires for farm equipment and off-highway vehicles and acquired the Goodyear North American farm tire assets in 2005, was rumored to potentially be a purchaser of the plant.  No so fast!

Maurice Taylor, Chairman of Titan, wrote a letter to the French industry ministry informing them the company would not be purchasing the plant, citing French workers as "lazy" and "overpaid".  Taylor, it was reported, noted the French work force get "one hour for breaks, talk for three hours and work for three."  No doubt, that workforce will be unable to compete our global economy.

In America, unions have completely infiltrated and infested many large work forces, and the evidence of destruction is truly staggering.  More money is spent on our public school system than just about anything else with very poor scholastic results, alarming indoctrination and inhibiting political correctness.

Union bosses collect fees to line their pockets, elect progressive democrats and increase control over those they have fooled.  Can you imagine being forced to donate money our of your paycheck to thugs who distribute those funds to groups, associations or politicians who are at odds with your beliefs?  Unions are opponents of the free market system, as they establish wage and benefit packages for their workers that exceed common variance of similar packages in the private sector and create inefficient markets. Corporations who have lost these negotiations pay a heavy price and struggle to compete in the marketplace due to their bloated overhead. 

Their socialist objectives, inclusive of wealth transformation, fly in the face of the freedoms our country was based on.

Oppose these union bosses at your own peril, because these thugs do not operate on the same playing field you do. You may recall James Hoffa, Jr. threatening Tea Party members, who advocate free markets and fiscal sanity. The ends do justify the means with this group.

Meanwhile, this was a good decision for Goodyear.  The customers of Goodyear are hard working individuals and families all across the fruited plain, and the tires they travel on are very important. 

But the most demanding customers of Goodyear are the good ole boys who travel NASCAR's Sprint Cup, Nationwide and the Camping World Truck Series on tracks across America.  NASCAR provides a great testing center for research and development, helping Goodyear provide their everyday customers with the best product possible.



This type of excellence in an extremely competitive environment does not allow for the infiltration of impostor representatives who think they know better how the Goodyear workforce should be treated and compensated than the company itself. 

The market will dictate, and as such, that France plant will in fact be closed as opportunities for a more efficient plant location can be identified.

I continue to be a longtime shareholder of Goodyear Tire & Rubber (GT:NYSE),  having once ridden in the famous Goodyear blimp out of Pompano Beach, FL, and International Speedway Corporation (ISCA:NASDAQ).