Showing posts with label cap and trade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cap and trade. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Obama Promised to Fundamentally Change America

fun·da·men·tal :
Of or relating to the foundation or base; elementary: the fundamental laws of the universe.
Forming or serving as an essential component of a system or structure; central:




Five days away from fundamentally changing the United States of America! Look at all those happy people behind Obama as he tells them that he is going to change the very foundation of America, the bastion of freedom in the world, the country that stands up to bullies and dictators around the world, the center of economic growth, the most generous and charitable nation in the world, a place where everyone's dreams can come true, a mix of every nationality and religion, yet not plagued with hatred and terrorism. What are they smiling about? Why do they want to change the basic foundation of America?

What is it that those smiling people are happy to change? Is it the Constitution? The Bill of Rights? Freedom? Individual liberty? Innocent until proven guilty in a court of law by a jury of their peers? Amendments protecting citizens from "big brother"? Amendments prohibiting unreasonable search and seizure of citizens and their homes? Free elections? Self-government? Debate of the issues open to the public and broadcast on C-Span?

A two-term President rather than a life-time dictator or royal monarch? Freedom of speech? Everyone taking care of themselves and their families without government interferance? The right to own property, homes and one's own wealth? The right to travel the world? The right to worship our God as we see fit?

July 4th celebrations of the birth of our nation, our founding fathers, patriotic parades? Religious services on Sunday or Saturday, depending on your faith? Freedom to put your children in private, religious or public school or home-educate them? The right to spend your money any way you want, to invest it or save it? The right to drive whatever you want? The right to privacy?

Someone tell us which fundamental component of our country's foundation are they happy to change? Which basic element in the foundation of our country do they want Obama to change? I wonder if they will still be happy after the fundamental changes are made. I know I won't. I love the basic foundation of this country. Someone once said,

"No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope that it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen, if, entertaining as I do opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve.

This is no time for ceremony. The question before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty towards the majesty of heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.

Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren, till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation?

For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth -- to know the worst and to provide for it. I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided; and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years, to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves and the House?

Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received? Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with these warlike preparations which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love? Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation -- the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission? Can gentlemen assign any other possible motives for it? Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies?

No, sir, she has none. They are meant for us; they can be meant for no other. They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging. And what have we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything new to offer on the subject? Nothing.

We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves longer.

Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament.

Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne. In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope.

If we wish to be free -- if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending -- if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained, we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of Hosts is all that is left us!

They tell us, sir, that we are weak -- unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance, by lying supinely on our backs, and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot?

Sir, we are not weak, if we make a proper use of the means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us.

The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable -- and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come!

It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, "Peace! Peace!" -- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!"

Patrick Henry - March 23, 1775

Saturday, August 22, 2009

NOW IT'S A $9 TRILLION DEFICIT?




So it’s Friday afternoon and everyone’s anxious to get on with their weekend plans, especially the Obamas who are taking off for a vacation in “the tony Martha’s Vineyard”, as some reporters put it. They’ve rented a $20 million dollar farm from a wealthy Republican, which begs the question, “why did Michelle tell college students at their commencement ceremony to forego a corporate career and chose a life of service, essentially steering them away from making hefty salaries. It seems like a case of “do as I say, not as I do”, which is a typical Obama pattern.

What you might have missed in all the vacation talk, or your own scurry home for the weekend, is the little bit of news released by the White House amidst the Friday afternoon “no one is paying any attention right now” time slot. Obama’s administration has raised its 10-year deficit projection to approximately $9 trillion. They tried to stick with the former projection of $7.1 trillion (oh what’s a trillion or two?), but finally had to agree with the Office of Management and Budget Office on the higher figure.

This doesn’t include the universal health care bill that the Congressional Budget Office pegs at a cost of $1.6 trillion or the cap and trade bill that will wind up costing $2 trillion over eight years instead of Obama’s initial projection of $646 billion. As usual, the government underestimated the costs. Don’t be surprised if they raise the projection for the cost of the health care bill, too. http://www.usnews.com/blogs/capital-commerce/2009/03/18/will-can-andtrade-cost-2-trillion.html

So why do you think Obama’s people released the new $2 trillion higher figure on Friday afternoon as the President is capturing the news media’s attention with his vacation plans? Why do they always tend to release bad information on Friday afternoon during the “no one’s paying any attention right now” time slot?

With the Communist Chinese buying our debt instruments, at least for now, we could find ourselves in a peck of trouble someday. Where will the government get the money to pay these astronomical debt amounts if and when the Chinese call it in? They’ve got two places to grab a buck or a trillion bucks: print it or take it from our paychecks by hiking taxes to astronomically high rates. If they print it, the dollars in our bank accounts will be diluted to minimal value. A dollar that once bought a loaf of bread, now only buys one-fourth of a loaf. So it could take four diluted dollars to buy the same loaf. (Of course, I’m not trying to be accurate, just over-simplifying.) Either way, or a combination of the two, would be devastating to families, young people trying to get started in life and retirees on a fixed income.

It certainly seems that Obama is hell-bent on taking Americans to that unholy place of “flat-broke” at home and in Washington, D.C. Do you think the White House, the Congress and the Senate will give up their jets, cushy hotels, world travel, expensive restaurants and other perks to save money? Rather doubt it, don’t you? They never have!

We’re going to have to stand up and fight these bills and expenditures without growing weary. We can’t let up. Our future is at stake. Our chidren and grandchildren’s futures are at stake. America is a republic, and it should never be a banana republic.