Former Community Pisser-Offer Pressing for Internet IDs

Via cbsnews.com:

STANFORD, Calif. - President Obama is planning to hand the U.S. Commerce Department authority over a forthcoming cybersecurity effort to create an Internet ID for Americans, a White House official said here today.

It's "the absolute perfect spot in the U.S. government" to centralize efforts toward creating an "identity ecosystem" for the Internet, White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Howard Schmidt said.

That news, first reported by CNET, effectively pushes the department to the forefront of the issue, beating out other potential candidates including the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. The move also is likely to please privacy and civil liberties groups that have raised concerns in the past over the dual roles of police and intelligence agencies.

The announcement came at an event today at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, where U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Schmidt spoke.

The Obama administration is currently drafting what it's calling the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace, which Locke said will be released by the president in the next few months. (An early version was publicly released last summer.)

"We are not talking about a national ID card," Locke said at the Stanford event. "We are not talking about a government-controlled system. What we are talking about is enhancing online security and privacy and reducing and perhaps even eliminating the need to memorize a dozen passwords, through creation and use of more trusted digital identities."

The Commerce Department will be setting up a national program office to work on this project, Locke said.

Details about the "trusted identity" project are unusually scarce. Last year's announcement referenced a possible forthcoming smart card or digital certificate that would prove that online users are who they say they are. These digital IDs would be offered to consumers by online vendors for financial transactions.

Schmidt stressed today that anonymity and pseudonymity will remain possible on the Internet. "I don't have to get a credential if I don't want to," he said. There's no chance that "a centralized database will emerge," and "we need the private sector to lead the implementation of this," he said.

Inter-agency rivalries to claim authority over cybersecurity have exited ever since many responsibilities were centralized in the Department of Homeland Security as part of its creation nine years ago. Three years ago, proposals were were circulating in Washington to transfer authority to the secretive NSA, which is part of the U.S. Defense Department.

In March 2009, Rod Beckstrom, director of Homeland Security's National Cybersecurity Center, resigned through a letter that gave a rare public glimpse into the competition for budgetary dollars and cybersecurity authority. Beckstrom said at the time that the NSA "effectively controls DHS cyber efforts through detailees, technology insertions," and has proposed moving some functions to the agency's Fort Meade, Md., headquarters.

Fear Green Energy, and the Creeping Tyranny Coming With It

Via cnsnews.com:

Washington (CNSNews.com) - Assistant Energy Secretary Cathy Zoi said Thursday that the U.S. Department of Energy has a “mandate” to issue regulations to determine what household appliances are available to Americans in the future.

Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the recently reestablished Secretary of Energy Advisory Board (SEAB), Zoi pointed to four tactics the Obama administration intends to use to advance the “deployment of clean energy.”

The first three include government subsidies for private-sector green energy projects; special tax incentives for green energy projects; and low-interest government-backed loans for green energy projects.

“The fourth one, which the secretary and I love,” said Zoi, “is where we have a mandate. Where we can actually just issue regulations and do market transformation.”

Zoi was referring to authority the department has under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, as amended by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. That law gives the DOE the power to set efficiency standards for energy-consuming products.

You will find the rest at this link.

Cathy Zoi is just the sort of government bureaucrat that scares the Hell out of me.

I can just see it now - refrigerators that don't chill, freezers that don't freeze, stoves that can't bring water to a boil, ovens that can't even bake cookies, microwaves that can't melt ice, washers that don't wash, dryers that don't dry, showers you cannot even get wet in, HVAC systems that freeze you in winter and cause you to sweat through summer, and probably another round of Gore toilets that require multiple flushes - until the feds notice on your remote flush-meter that you are flushing too much and remotely disconnect the flush lever.

And just try selling your humble abode without having ripped out and replaced every single appliance that does not meet with the government's approval. My guess is you would be facing a level of unpleasantness that would turn even the most fervent HoA NAZI green with envy.

This is just more creeping tyranny from an out-of-control federal government run amok.

Perhaps, just maybe, this will be among the Obamanista regime lunacy that will be added to the GOP's supposed "de-funding" list I keep hearing so much about.

We must run these hideous people out of power before they have destroyed every last vestige of freedom and liberty remaining in America. 

A Notepad Mea Culpa Regarding the A.C.L.U.

I have to admit that I am not a real big fan of the A.C.L.U. I understand what they claim to be, but they have always seemed to me somewhat biased and selective when it comes to speaking out in defense of certain individuals or groups. My sense has always been, with a few notable exceptions, they tend to lean a little too far to the left for my comfort, but that is not to say they don't get it right on occasion.

Back on February 10th, I posted this article about the feds and police spying on pro-lifers in Wisconsin, and in which I wrote the following:

I doubt we will hear so much as a peep out of the A.C.L.U., either. Of course, we all know if George W. Bush were still in the White House and the feds were investigating, say, C.A.I.R., the people at the ACLU, among other lefty-oriented organizations, would be spinning on their eyebrows and spitting nails over it.

Apparently I was a little hasty in condemning the ACLU for its "lack of action" in this matter, as this comment was posted by Chris Ahmuty of the ACLU of Wisconsin:

Anonymous said...

Dear Dave,
The ACLU objected to this instance of domestic spying the day Wisc. Pro Life issued their media release. Below is our tweet with a link to the AP story in which we condemn the govt. And we have not stopped here. There is a lot going on which might surprise you.

"ACLU WI asks are the feds spying on you? http://bit.ly/9xBHvf "

Chris Ahmuty, ED
ACLU of Wisconsin

The link provided by Mr. Ahmuty lead to this Wisconsin State Journal story:

It concluded the report was unlikely to "have any impact on civil liberties or civil rights" given its limited dissemination. But anti-abortion groups and the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin on Monday both criticized the federal government's collection of information on law-abiding protesters.

You will find the whole story here.

I hope the attention this matter has generated will cause the DHS, and other law enforcement agencies, to consider their actions carefully the next time around. After all, our federal government has, in a sense, acquired the power of life and death over us, and power of that nature needs to be watched closely. Very closely.

-And it matters not whether the people running said government have a "D" or and "R" behind their names.

I also hope the scrutiny will result in those responsible for this hideous incident to be called on the carpet, but that is probably asking a bit much given the current environment in D.C.

Ed. note: The Notepad thanks Mr. Ahmuty for pointing its error out, and for teaching this blogger a lesson.

DHS & Police Illegally Investigate Pro-Lifers in Wisconsin

Via LifeNews.com:

Obama Administration Admits It Wrongly Tracked Abortion Groups in Wisconsin

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 8, 2010

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Madison, WI (LifeNews.com) -- The Department of Homeland Security admitted today that it improperly conducted a threat assessment on pro-life and pro-abortion groups in Wisconsin. The assessment came before an expected rally last year in response to the University of Wisconsin Hospital board decided to allow abortions.

In February 2009, pro-life advocates planned to protest the hospital's decision to open up a new Madison Surgery Center doing abortions.

The Associated Press reported today that the department said in a memo that it "destroyed all of the copies of the assessment after an internal review found it violated intelligence gathering guidelines about 'protest groups which posed no threat to homeland security.'"

AP indicated the assessment was reportedly only shared with the director of Wisconsin's intelligence-sharing center and local police in Middleton, Wisconsin, the site of the rally.

Today, a pro-life organization in Wisconsin informed LifeNews.com of its concerns.

In response to an open records request by the Alliance Defense Fund and Pro-Life Wisconsin, the Middleton Police Department and the Wisconsin Department of Justice, along with the Department of Homeland Security all refused on February 4 to release copies of the threat assessment.

Pro-Life Wisconsin officials told LifeNews.com that the assessment was "inappropriately shared" and should never have targeted pro-life groups.

“The majority of Americans identify themselves as pro-life, and the Middleton Police Department has shown they are out of touch with this peaceful majority,” said Peggy Hamill, state director of the pro-life group. “Pro-lifers are not a minority of the population, nor are they second-class citizens. We refuse to let our First Amendment rights be silenced.”

A few months later in 2009, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Civil Rights concluded the investigation was an improper use of department resources.

The conclusion said the department inappropriately directed against activities protected by the First Amendment, in which law enforcement inappropriately engaged in “the collection, retention and dissemination of U.S. person information regarding protest groups which posed no threat to homeland security and… violated [DHS] Guidelines.”

Hamill said DHS destroyed its copies of the report, but the Middleton Police Department retained its copy.

In January 2010 the Alliance Defense Fund, on behalf of Wisconsin pro-life advocates, asked the Middleton Police Department for a copy of the report pursuant to Wisconsin’s open records laws.

The Middleton Police Department refused to disclose the report and further said that the DOJ similarly refused to authorize disclosure of the report, despite the fact that DHS had already determined that the report was an improper investigation of freedom of speech activities.

“This move by DHS illustrates the Obama administration’s goal of silencing pro-lifers. It is disturbing that a local police department has apparently tapped into the security apparatus of the federal government to potentially obstruct free speech,” Hamill concluded.

“Last year, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano unjustly included pro-lifers in a report on domestic terrorism, and here we see her words in action," she said.

-End

You can find Steve Ertelt's original article here.

Welcome to Comrade Chairman Obama's Amerika.

If we were living in a sane world, my hope would be that heads were going to ultimately roll over this travesty, particularly that of Janet "Reno II" Napolitano, but I shan't hold my breath waiting for it to happen, as the Holder "Justice" Department has shown itself to be somewhat, a'hem, lax in enforcing the law when it involves those they support.

I doubt we will hear so much as a peep out of the A.C.L.U., either. Of course, we all know if George W. Bush were still in the White House and the feds were investigating, say, C.A.I.R., the people at the ACLU, among other lefty-oriented organizations, would be spinning on their eyebrows and spitting nails over it.

As for the State Controlled Media, they are about as close to useless as it is possible to be.

I would love to see some serious federal lawsuits brought forth over this matter, as that is probably the only way those responsible for this blatantly illegal idiocy will ever be forced to explain themselves.

Clearly we are dealing with a rogue administration that considers itself immune from constitutional scrutiny of any kind, and is not above using federal and local law enforcement agencies to try and intimidate those who actively, or even passively, oppose the hideous policies of the Obamanistas.

It does not get any more hideous than wantonly murdering unborn children, or supporting those that do.

Given Obama's actions during the campaign in attempting to use the courts to silence his detractors, this should surprise no one. It most definitely does not surprise me.

Not even a little bit.

Government Skools: Recruiting Ground for the Far Left

I have long held the belief that government schools exist solely for the purpose of aiding in the growth and broadening the scope of government. These so-called "schools" work toward this goal in two ways - educating children just enough to be marginally employable, and indoctrinating them to believe that government can solve all of their problems.

The last thing government wants is to have true independent thinkers running around. After all, people who can think, as well as do for themselves, don't need government in their lives, and are often hostile to government intrusion into them.

That, of course, just cannot be allowed, as we all know government knows what is best for us.

But it runs much deeper than that, as Barack Hussein Obama is now tapping government schools to supply his far-left crusade with willing recruits to promote his freedom-destroying agenda:

Pamela Geller over at Atlas Shrugs posted this on Saturday:

An Atlas reader, Chuck, has a student in the eleventh grade in an Ohio High School. Her government class passed out this propaganda recruiting paper so students could sign up as interns for Obama's Organizing for America (OFA is the former mybarackobama.com site.)

Obama is using our public school system to recruit for his Alinsky-inspired private army. Organizing for America is (and I quote) recruiting in our high schools to "build on the movement that elected President Obama by empowering students across the country to help us bring about our agenda" ............of national socialism.

The Ohio High School is Perry Local in Massillon, Ohio.

This is incredible. And evil. Suffer the little children -- enlisted like SS youth. This is no accident. Obama is poisoning our public school system. He acts as if it's his own private breeding farm. Once again academic learning and achievement is hopelessly abandoned, and supplanted by radical leftist activism from the leftwing Alinsky indoctrinators in the perversepublic school system.

Children must be advised to expose this ugly propaganda. Children must tell their parents how they are being used and manipulated. Parents, warn your kids. Better yet, home school.

Check out the recommended reading list page 4:

>Rules for Radicals, Saul Alinsky
>The New Organizers, Zack Exley
>Stir It Up: Lessons from Community Organizing and Advocacy, Rinku Sen
>Obama Field Organizers Plot a Miracle, Zack Exley, Huffington Post
>Dreams of My Father Chicago Chapters, Barack Hussein Obama

You can read Pamela's entire excellent post here, and I strongly urge you to do so, as it is utterly chilling.

You can read more on this from Noel Sheppard at NewsBusters, who weighs in on this idiocy as well, as has my friend Gio at Giovanni's World.

Surprisingly, I haven't seen much on this anywhere else as yet, but maybe that will change as this story spreads, and I hope it goes viral.

Of course, this lunacy is absurd in the extreme, and should in no way be tolerated by a society that truly values its freedom. And that brings up a question many seem to be afraid to ask these days: Do the American people really still value their freedom?

I was once perhaps naive enough to believe we did, but given my observations over the last twelve months regarding Obama's rapidly unfolding Marxist nightmare, and the maddening (to me, anyway) complacency being displayed by the bulk of the American people, I am no-longer convinced that we do.

America's Declining Economic Freedom

If, like me, you are one who pays fairly close attention to the level of freedom and liberty we still enjoy as citizens of the greatest experiment in freedom that has ever been conducted since the first historians began scratching figures into the walls of caves, you have no doubt noticed that we have been losing said freedoms at what I consider to be an alarming, as well as an unacceptable, rate.

Like me, you have probably wondered from time to time just exactly where we stack up against the rest of the world in this all-important area. Well, the people at the Heritage Foundation have been examining this, as they do each year, and have come up with some analysis that should send a chill down the spine of anyone who truly values their freedom, particularly that of the economic variety. One year ago, we were the sixth freest economy in the world, which was pretty pathetic. Now we have dropped to eighth place.

Via the Wall Street Journal (Bolds are mine):

The United States is losing ground to its major competitors in the global marketplace, according to the 2010 Index of Economic Freedom released today by the Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal. This year, of the world's 20 largest economies, the U.S. suffered the largest drop in overall economic freedom. Its score declined to 78 from 80.7 on the 0 to 100 Index scale.

The U.S. lost ground on many fronts. Scores declined in seven of the 10 categories of economic freedom. Losses were particularly significant in the areas of financial and monetary freedom and property rights. Driving it all were the federal government's interventionist responses to the financial and economic crises of the last two years, which have included politically influenced regulatory changes, protectionist trade restrictions, massive stimulus spending and bailouts of financial and automotive firms deemed "too big to fail." These policies have resulted in job losses, discouraged entrepreneurship, and saddled America with unprecedented government deficits.

In the world-wide rankings of economic freedom, the U.S. fell to eighth from sixth place. Canada now ranks higher and boasts North America's freest economy. More worrisome, for the first time in the Index's 16-year history, the U.S. has fallen out of the elite group of countries identified as "economically free" by the objective measures of the Index. Four Asia-Pacific economies now sit atop the global rankings. Hong Kong stands in first place for the 16th consecutive year, followed by Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. Every region of the world maintains at least one country among those deemed "free" or "mostly free" by the Index.

You will find the rest at this link. I strongly encourage you to read it in its entirety.

I have to believe the overall decline of America is reversible, even though it flies in the face of recorded history.

What helped get us here was the spread of the idea that people could use government to loot the property of others. That idea can be eliminated, even though doing so is an extremely tall order.

History does not have to repeat itself.

The Extreme Left's Plan for Amerika

Via John F. Gaski at American Thinker (emphasis is mine):

Poor Bill O'Reilly and Brit Hume. There they were on the O'Reilly show a few weeks ago, puzzling over why Barack Obama and the Democrats are doing so many things that are damaging to our country. Bill and Brit agreed that they couldn't possibly be harming the nation intentionally, because negative voter reaction would redound to them politically and electorally. Can't the Democrats see this? Did they suddenly get stupid politically? This is so unlike them. How to explain this anomaly?

Poor Bill and Brit, and many others, indeed. It is time to think the unthinkable and speak the ineffable. Apart from the troubling question of intent, or whether Obama-Pelosi-Reid just have a novel view of the public interest, the national Democrats are unnaturally and mysteriously sanguine despite growing backlash by the American people. Why? One reason: The Dems don't believe they will ever have to face a real election again. Is their plan not becoming obvious? It is very straightforward:

(1) Grant amnesty to the illegal aliens (the correct term for lawbreaking invaders, regardless of their natural and rational motives) which will create up to 30 million reliably Democrat voters -- especially after being registered at least once each by ACORN. That is cushion enough to carry any national election. Why else could Dems be so fixated on this agenda item?

You will find the rest of Gaski's excellent column here.

I believe Gaski has it exactly right, and far too many conservatives are already chilling the bubbly in anticipation of a huge conservative victory next November that I am not at all convinced is coming.

There is no doubt in my mind that TARP and Porkulus were brought about for the sole purpose of ensuring a permanent defeat-proof socialist congress is put into place, and I expect the far-left to employ every dirty trick contained within its arsenal over the next two elections to make that a reality. They might even manage to invent some new ones along the way, such as Universal Voter Registration, which even a blind monkey could see as the vote-fraud scheme it obviously is.

Neal Boortz has been warning us for years about the far-left taking power and never relinquishing it again, and spelled out exactly how they are doing it.

Sadly, there are still too many among us who have yet to wake up and take notice. Yes, the Tea Parties were all well and good, but when you really think about it, they didn't get really cranking until the intricacies of ObamaCare began filtering out.

It's just too bad they didn't get up and going back when the bailouts and slush funds were being proposed and put into place. Those horses have now left the barn and bolted for God-knows-where, and rounding them up again my very well prove impossible.

The people of this nation have historically gotten away with waiting around to the last second of the last minute of the eleventh hour before realizing something was amiss in this country. I fear that we have now reached the point where, by the time most Americans put down their People Magazines, turn off American Idol, and finally began taking notice as to what is really happening to our republic, it is going to be too late to repair the damage.

I pray every day that I am wrong.

Changes

We are now one year into what I believe is essentially a communist coup. I know many recoil when the "C" word comes out, but as Lenin himself once said, the ultimate goal of socialism is communism.

Why beat around the bush?

Though I saw this takeover coming long before Barack Hussein Obama was elevated to the presidency, the speed at which it has been unfolding since has rattled even me, and I am not one easily rattled.

In the last year, we have seen the federal government almost complete its long-running takeover of the FMs, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which now give the government control of about ninety percent of the mortgage industry.

Obama & Co. have also seized two of our three automakers, snagged 1/6th of our free market economy with that hideous vote the Senate cast the night before Christmas, which will ultimately result in the federal government taking over our nation's health care industry. It may very well be that CommieCare will become law without even needing another vote by even a single congress-critter.

The far-left communists have also amassed a huge slush fund, filled with our very own money in the form of TARP and Porkulus I, and Porkulus II is already in the works. There is a reason the bulk of the money contained within them has yet to be spent.

There is an election coming up next November, and another one in 2012.

It is my belief the far-left intends to use that money, along with the help of ACORN, assorted union goons, along with amnesty for illegal aliens that will essentially allow them to vote in our elections, along with some voter registration trickery, to ensure that they retain their power next November, and beyond.

The far-left intends to bring about what in effect will be a defeat-proof communist congress, and I am not altogether sure they aren't going to get it, given the array of aforementioned resources they have available, and let's not forget the aid of a Main Stream Media that has been cheering this coup on from the beginning.

Personally, I believe the most important election in this nation's history will be taking place this November. It will be the election which will determine now and forevermore whether we are still going to be the United States of America our founders left us with, or we are going to be something decidedly different.

I believe the proverbial tipping point for our nation, in its current form anyway, lies somewhere between the unfortunate Senate vote last Christmas Eve, and next November 02.

Should the unthinkable happen, and the American people fail to rise up and vote the communists out of power ten months hence, the elections of 2012 will come too late to repair the damage, and the America we were born into, and that most of us know and love, will be lost forever.

After taking a break from the Notepad for a while, I have decided to change the focus of this blog to emphasize what I believe will be events taking place between now and November that will have a direct bearing on the survival of our nation. Sure, I will continue to post things about personal freedom and liberty along the way, as well as other things that I find interesting. However, the main focus will now be aimed squarely at the stories that may very well influence whether or not we will continue to be a "free" nation, or an increasingly tyrannical one.

Some say it is already too late to "fix" America through the ballot box, as our last real chance was in November of '08. I still believe we have one more chance - but one only.

We are now essentially a nation in distress.

I realize that the history of free republics is against us, but we owe it to the young people of America to at least try to buck this trend, and thus leave them with much the same freedoms and liberties we all grew up with.

With God's help, we will prevail, as failure is not an option.

Schoolchildren Compelled to Sing the Praises of Dear Leader

I think we have seen this sort of thing before:

Inhofe Calls a Spade a Spade

As one who believes this nation is currently swirling much closer to the bottom of the loo (that's British for toilet) than most of my fellow citizens appear to realize, it is nice to hear from an elected representative that is actually plugged in to what is really going on in D.C. right now, as it goes far beyond just the attempt on the part of the Obama cabal to pull off a federal government seizure of our nation's health care system.

Myself, along with many others, took the time to study up on Barack Hussein Obama back when he first announced his intention to run for the highest office in the land. Needless to say, we did not like what we found. This man, who few outside the city of Chicago had even heard of  four years ago, had a list of family members, friends and associates that could have been lifted from the pocket of Hugo Chavez or Fidel Castro. Nowhere could we find anybody in his life that had any love for freedom and liberty, two words that have eluded use by our now 44th POTUS since he began campaigning for the office.

Obama ran on a platform of "hope" and "change," while promising to "transform" America. My question was always, "What does a person who has spent his entire life being influenced by Marxists and communists going to transform a nation into?"

Well, it sure as Hell wasn't going to be a bastion of freedom and liberty, now was it?

Today, nearly nine months into what I believe is essentially a Marxist coup (blitzkrieg?) being carried out against our country, a very clear picture of these people's true intentions is becoming crystal clear. Many of my conservative friends appear to still want to believe that the Obama administration is simply trying to turn us into another Canada or France. Wrong! We are being rapidly transformed into Cuba.

America's private sector economy is being dismantled with alarming speed, and its wealth is being systematically destroyed. Companies large and small are hemorrhaging jobs, or closing their doors. The federal government is moving in on many areas of the private sector economy they have no business, nor any constitutional basis for, being involved in.

It pains me to see that, even nine months into this lunacy, there are still members of the Republican Party who seem intent on aiding these hideous people in their efforts to "re-make" America. At least Sen. Jim Inhofe is not among them, who had this to say at a town hall that took place in Grove, Oklahoma on Wednesday:

“I never dreamed I would see an administration try to disavow all the things that have made this country different from all others,” Inhofe told more than 300 people at a town hall meeting in the Grove Community Center.

“I have never seen so many things happening at one time so disheartening to America.” Inhofe found a highly receptive audience. Many wore T-shirts of a local organization called Get America Back. Its Web site promises “a plan to eliminate the socialist government and return Americas (sic) freedoms.”

Neither did I, Senator. But here is the money quote:

“Those of you who think like I do,” Inhofe said, “hope this country can hang on another 16 months.”

Honestly, given the alarming speed at which things have been unfolding in this country over the last nine months, I am truly beginning to wonder if there will be enough of the America I grew up in left to save by November of 2010. What is happening isn't surprising to me in any way, but the pace of it all has shocked me to my core.

You will find the entire TulsaWorld.com article here.

Montana to Feds: Back the Hell Off

The State of Montana is calling BS on federal gun laws in a really big way, and it appears they are willing to invoke their 10th Amendment rights under the Constitution of the United States, if necessary:

The law provides guns and ammo made, sold and used in Montana would not require any federal forms; silencers made and sold in Montana would be fully legal and not registered; and there would be no firearm registration, serial numbers, criminal records check, waiting periods or paperwork required.


The idea is spreading quickly. Tennessee already has a similar law, and similar plans have been introduced in Alaska, Texas, Florida, South Carolina, Minnesota and Michigan. Lawmakers in nearly 20 other states have such plans in the works.

You can read the entire WorldNetDaily article here.

All I can say is God bless 'em and more power to 'em.

I just wish my home state of Georgia was on that list.

David Brooks Hits One Right Over the Fence

I am not a huge fan of David Brooks, as I consider him to be the editorial version of John McCain, the head RINO of my former political party. However, every so often he gets it right, as he has with this NYT column published yesterday:

It’s not that interesting to watch the Democrats lose touch with America. That’s because the plotline is exactly the same. The party is led by insular liberals from big cities and the coasts, who neither understand nor sympathize with moderates. They have their own cherry-picking pollsters, their own media and activist cocoon, their own plans to lavishly spend borrowed money to buy votes.

This ideological overreach won’t be any more successful than the last one. A Washington Post-ABC News poll released Monday confirms what other polls have found. Most Americans love Barack Obama personally, but support for Democratic policies is already sliding fast.

You will find his entire NYT column here.

It is well worth a read.

If the Russians Can See It, Why Can't the American People?

If there is one group on Earth that can testify to the disastrous failure Marxism truly is, it is the Russian people. After all, they spent over seven decades living under the most dignity-robbing, murderous, tyrannical, and freedom-destroying form of government the world has yet seen.

During that sad time, millions of their fellow countrymen died, either through starvation, overwork or outright murder. The more fortunate among them spent endless years rotting in the gulags. Aside from Albania and North Korea, the former USSR had to be one of the dreariest, drab, and most depressing places on this rock.

While our fellow Americans are currently busying themselves following American Idol and their favorite sports teams, Obama and his people are rapidly turning this nation into a totalitarian Marxist hell-hole, one that will be essentially financially bankrupt from day one.

What is more, they are doing it in broad daylight, right in front of God and everybody. They will eventually rob us all of the hard-won freedoms and liberties so many of us hold dear, yet most of the government-educated dumbMasses that populate this nation are seemingly oblivious to it.

Even Pravda has weighed in on what is currently happening to this nation with a warning most among us should truly heed (bolds are mine):

The final collapse has come with the election of Barack Obama. His speed in the past three months has been truly impressive. His spending and money printing has been a record setting, not just in America's short history but in the world. If this keeps up for more then another year, and there is no sign that it will not, America at best will resemble the Wiemar Republic and at worst Zimbabwe.

These past two weeks have been the most breath taking of all. First came the announcement of a planned redesign of the American Byzantine tax system, by the very thieves who used it to bankroll their thefts, loses and swindles of hundreds of billions of dollars. These make our Russian oligarchs look little more then ordinary street thugs, in comparison. Yes, the Americans have beat our own thieves in the shear volumes. Should we congratulate them?

Ouch!

You can read the whole thing right here.

If the people of America do not soon wake up and start paying attention, we are all going to wake up one morning in a country that many of us are not going to recognize, but will be all too familiar to those who were unfortunate enough to have to live in the hell that was the former USSR.

It doesn't have to happen.

Mark Steyn Says Only Thing Being "Stimulated" Is Statism

Mark Steyn is one of my favorite columnists, authors and commentators, as he rarely minces words when talking about the pressing issues of the day and where they may be leading (pushing?) us. Even if he doesn't always get things exactly right, he still makes a compelling, if not a little uncomfortable, argument to bolster his assertions.

Like me, he feels things are heading in a decidedly totalitarian direction right now, one that is going to negatively impact the prosperity, not to mention the freedom and liberty of future generations of Americans.

His writings are never going to give the reader a warm, fuzzy feeling about the world in which we reside. They aren't meant to, as cold, hard reality is neither kind nor sensitive.

The stimulus will do nothing for the economy, but it will dramatically advance the cause of statism (as Mark Levin rightly calls it). Last week's vote in California is a snapshot of where this leads: The gangster regime in Sacramento is an alliance between a corrupt and/or craven political class wholly owned by a public sector union-bureaucracy extortion racket. So what if the formerly Golden State goes belly-up? They'll pass the buck to Washington, and those of us in nonprofligate jurisdictions will get stuck with the tab. At some point, the dwindling band of citizens still foolish enough to earn a living by making things, selling things or providing services other than government-funded program coordination will have to vote against not just taxes but specific agencies and programs – hundreds and thousands of them.

You can read Mark's entire excellent column here.

As always, it is a most interesting read.

Obama Is a Statist, Not a Socialist; by Edward H. Crane (Cato Institute: Commentary)

Edward H. Crane, the founder and president of the Cato Institute, has offered up an interesting commentary on our 44th POTUS:

There is a reason sales of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged are going through the roof. The book is nothing if not prescient. The "Troubled Assets Relief Program" is straight from its pages. Monday's New York Times front page suggests Atlas may be starting to shrug. "Doctor Shortage Proves Obstacle to Obama Goals," laments the headline. Hmm. Wonder why there would be a doctor shortage in the face of nationalized health care? Perhaps bright young people considering a career don't want to work for the federal bureaucracy?

Click below to read the entire article, as it represents a point of view that is somewhat different than what you are probably familiar with:

"Obama Is a Statist, Not a Socialist" by Edward H. Crane (Cato Institute: Commentary)

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