Whatever she decides to do, I say,
"GO SARAH!"
Friday, July 3, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Obama, the African Colonial
By L.E. Ikenga
June 25, 2009
Had Americans been able to stop obsessing over the color of Barack Obama's skin and instead paid more attention to his cultural identity, maybe he would not be in the White House today. The key to understanding him lies with his identification with his father, and his adoption of a cultural and political mindset rooted in postcolonial Africa.
Like many educated intellectuals in postcolonial Africa, Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. was enraged at the transformation of his native land by its colonial conqueror. But instead of embracing the traditional values of his own tribal cultural past, he embraced an imported Western ideology, Marxism. I call such frustrated and angry modern Africans who embrace various foreign "isms", instead of looking homeward for repair of societies that are broken, African Colonials. They are Africans who serve foreign ideas.
The tropes of America's racial history as a way of understanding all things black are useless in understanding the man who got his dreams from his father, a Kenyan exemplar of the African Colonial.
Before I continue, I need to say this: I am a first generation born West African-American woman whose parents emigrated to the U.S. in the 1970's from the country now called Nigeria. I travel to Nigeria frequently. I see myself as both a proud American and as a proud Igbo (the tribe that we come from -- also sometimes spelled Ibo). Politically, I have always been conservative (though it took this past election for me to commit to this once and for all!); my conservative values come from my Igbo heritage and my place of birth. Of course, none of this qualifies me to say what I am about to -- but at the same time it does.
My friends, despite what CNN and the rest are telling you, Barack Obama is nothing more than an old school African Colonial who is on his way to turning this country into one of the developing nations that you learn about on the National Geographic Channel. Many conservative (East, West, South, North) African-Americans like myself -- those of us who know our history -- have seen this movie before. Here are two main reasons why many Americans allowed Obama to slip through the cracks despite all of his glaring inconsistencies:
First, Obama has been living on American soil for most of his adult life. Therefore, he has been able to masquerade as one who understands and believes in American democratic ideals. But he does not. Barack Obama is intrinsically undemocratic and as his presidency plays out, this will become more obvious. Second, and most importantly, too many Americans know very little about Africa. The one-size-fits-all understanding that many Americans (both black and white) continue to have of Africa might end up bringing dire consequences for this country.
Contrary to the way it continues to be portrayed in mainstream Western culture, Africa is not a continent that can be solely defined by AIDS, ethnic rivalries, poverty and safaris. Africa, like any other continent, has an immense history defined by much diversity and complexity. Africa's long-standing relationship with Europe speaks especially to some of these complexities -- particularly the relationship that has existed between the two continents over the past two centuries. Europe's complete colonization of Africa during the nineteenth century, also known as the Scramble for Africa, produced many unfortunate consequences, the African colonial being one of them.
The African colonial (AC) is a person who by means of their birth or lineage has a direct connection with Africa. However, unlike Africans like me, their worldviews have been largely shaped not by the indigenous beliefs of a specific African tribe but by the ideals of the European imperialism that overwhelmed and dominated Africa during the colonial period. AC's have no real regard for their specific African traditions or histories. AC's use aspects of their African culture as one would use pieces of costume jewelry: things of little or no value that can be thoughtlessly discarded when they become a negative distraction, or used on a whim to decorate oneself in order to seem exotic. (Hint: Obama's Muslim heritage).
On the other hand, AC's strive to be the best at the culture that they inherited from Europe. Throughout the West, they are tops in their professions as lawyers, doctors, engineers, Ivy League professors and business moguls; this is all well and good. It's when they decide to engage us as politicians that things become messy and convoluted.
The African colonial politician (ACP) feigns repulsion towards the hegemonic paradigms of Western civilization. But at the same time, he is completely enamored of the trappings of its aristocracy or elite culture. The ACP blames and caricatures whitey to no end for all that has gone wrong in the world. He convinces the masses that various forms of African socialism are the best way for redressing the problems that European colonialism motivated in Africa. However, as opposed to really being a hard-core African Leftist who actually believes in something, the ACP uses socialist themes as a way to disguise his true ambitions: a complete power grab whereby the "will of the people" becomes completely irrelevant.
Barack Obama is all of the above. The only difference is that he is here playing (colonial) African politics as usual.
In his 1995 memoir, Dreams From My Father -- an eloquent piece of political propaganda -- Obama styles himself as a misunderstood intellectual who is deeply affected by the sufferings of black people, especially in America and Africa. In the book, Obama clearly sees himself as an African, not as a black American. And to prove this, he goes on a quest to understand his Kenyan roots. He is extremely thoughtful of his deceased father's legacy; this provides the main clue for understanding Barack Obama.
Barack Obama Sr. was an African colonial to the core; in his case, the apple did not fall far from the tree. All of the telltale signs of Obama's African colonialist attitudes are on full display in the book -- from his feigned antipathy towards Europeans to his view of African tribal associations as distracting elements that get in the way of "progress". (On p. 308 of Dreams From My Father, Obama says that African tribes should be viewed as an "ancient loyalties".)
Like imperialists of Old World Europe, the ACP sees their constituents not as free thinking individuals who best know how to go about achieving and creating their own means for success. Instead, the ACP sees his constituents as a flock of ignorant sheep that need to be led -- oftentimes to their own slaughter.
Like the European imperialist who spawned him, the ACP is a destroyer of all forms of democracy.
Here are a few examples of what the British did in order to create (in 1914) what is now called Nigeria and what Obama is doing to you:
Convince the people that "clinging" to any aspect of their cultural (tribal) identity or history is bad and regresses the process of "unity". British Imperialists deeply feared people who were loyal to anything other than the state. "Tribalism" made the imperialists have to work harder to get people to just fall in line. Imperialists pitted tribes against each other in order to create chaos that they then blamed on ethnic rivalry. Today many "educated" Nigerians, having believed that their traditions were irrelevant, remain completely ignorant of their ancestry and the history of their own tribes.
Confiscate the wealth and resources of the area that you govern by any means necessary in order to redistribute wealth. The British used this tactic to present themselves as empathetic and benevolent leaders who wanted everyone to have a "fair shake". Imperialists are not interested in equality for all. They are interested in controlling all.
Convince the masses that your upper-crust university education naturally puts you on an intellectual plane from which to understand everything even when you understand nothing. Imperialists were able to convince the people that their elite university educations allowed them to understand what Africa needed. Many of today's Nigerians-having followed that lead-hold all sorts of degrees and certificates-but what good are they if you can't find a job?
Lie to the people and tell them that progress is being made even though things are clearly becoming worse. One thing that the British forgot to mention to their Nigerian constituents was that one day, the resources that were being used to engineer "progress" (which the British had confiscated from the Africans to begin with!) would eventually run out. After WWII, Western Europe could no longer afford to hold on to their African colonies. So all of the counterfeit countries that the Europeans created were then left high-and-dry to fend for themselves. This was the main reason behind the African independence movements of the1950 and 60's. What will a post-Obama America look like?
Use every available media outlet to perpetuate the belief that you and your followers are the enlightened ones-and that those who refuse to support you are just barbaric, uncivilized, ignorant curmudgeons. This speaks for itself.
America, don't be fooled. The Igbos were once made up of a confederacy of clans that ascribed to various forms of democratic government. They took their eyes off the ball and before they knew it, the British were upon them. Also, understand this: the African colonial who is given too much political power can only become one thing: a despot.
L.E. Ikenga can be reached at leikenga@gmail.com.
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By L.E. Ikenga
June 25, 2009
Had Americans been able to stop obsessing over the color of Barack Obama's skin and instead paid more attention to his cultural identity, maybe he would not be in the White House today. The key to understanding him lies with his identification with his father, and his adoption of a cultural and political mindset rooted in postcolonial Africa.
Like many educated intellectuals in postcolonial Africa, Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. was enraged at the transformation of his native land by its colonial conqueror. But instead of embracing the traditional values of his own tribal cultural past, he embraced an imported Western ideology, Marxism. I call such frustrated and angry modern Africans who embrace various foreign "isms", instead of looking homeward for repair of societies that are broken, African Colonials. They are Africans who serve foreign ideas.
The tropes of America's racial history as a way of understanding all things black are useless in understanding the man who got his dreams from his father, a Kenyan exemplar of the African Colonial.
Before I continue, I need to say this: I am a first generation born West African-American woman whose parents emigrated to the U.S. in the 1970's from the country now called Nigeria. I travel to Nigeria frequently. I see myself as both a proud American and as a proud Igbo (the tribe that we come from -- also sometimes spelled Ibo). Politically, I have always been conservative (though it took this past election for me to commit to this once and for all!); my conservative values come from my Igbo heritage and my place of birth. Of course, none of this qualifies me to say what I am about to -- but at the same time it does.
My friends, despite what CNN and the rest are telling you, Barack Obama is nothing more than an old school African Colonial who is on his way to turning this country into one of the developing nations that you learn about on the National Geographic Channel. Many conservative (East, West, South, North) African-Americans like myself -- those of us who know our history -- have seen this movie before. Here are two main reasons why many Americans allowed Obama to slip through the cracks despite all of his glaring inconsistencies:
First, Obama has been living on American soil for most of his adult life. Therefore, he has been able to masquerade as one who understands and believes in American democratic ideals. But he does not. Barack Obama is intrinsically undemocratic and as his presidency plays out, this will become more obvious. Second, and most importantly, too many Americans know very little about Africa. The one-size-fits-all understanding that many Americans (both black and white) continue to have of Africa might end up bringing dire consequences for this country.
Contrary to the way it continues to be portrayed in mainstream Western culture, Africa is not a continent that can be solely defined by AIDS, ethnic rivalries, poverty and safaris. Africa, like any other continent, has an immense history defined by much diversity and complexity. Africa's long-standing relationship with Europe speaks especially to some of these complexities -- particularly the relationship that has existed between the two continents over the past two centuries. Europe's complete colonization of Africa during the nineteenth century, also known as the Scramble for Africa, produced many unfortunate consequences, the African colonial being one of them.
The African colonial (AC) is a person who by means of their birth or lineage has a direct connection with Africa. However, unlike Africans like me, their worldviews have been largely shaped not by the indigenous beliefs of a specific African tribe but by the ideals of the European imperialism that overwhelmed and dominated Africa during the colonial period. AC's have no real regard for their specific African traditions or histories. AC's use aspects of their African culture as one would use pieces of costume jewelry: things of little or no value that can be thoughtlessly discarded when they become a negative distraction, or used on a whim to decorate oneself in order to seem exotic. (Hint: Obama's Muslim heritage).
On the other hand, AC's strive to be the best at the culture that they inherited from Europe. Throughout the West, they are tops in their professions as lawyers, doctors, engineers, Ivy League professors and business moguls; this is all well and good. It's when they decide to engage us as politicians that things become messy and convoluted.
The African colonial politician (ACP) feigns repulsion towards the hegemonic paradigms of Western civilization. But at the same time, he is completely enamored of the trappings of its aristocracy or elite culture. The ACP blames and caricatures whitey to no end for all that has gone wrong in the world. He convinces the masses that various forms of African socialism are the best way for redressing the problems that European colonialism motivated in Africa. However, as opposed to really being a hard-core African Leftist who actually believes in something, the ACP uses socialist themes as a way to disguise his true ambitions: a complete power grab whereby the "will of the people" becomes completely irrelevant.
Barack Obama is all of the above. The only difference is that he is here playing (colonial) African politics as usual.
In his 1995 memoir, Dreams From My Father -- an eloquent piece of political propaganda -- Obama styles himself as a misunderstood intellectual who is deeply affected by the sufferings of black people, especially in America and Africa. In the book, Obama clearly sees himself as an African, not as a black American. And to prove this, he goes on a quest to understand his Kenyan roots. He is extremely thoughtful of his deceased father's legacy; this provides the main clue for understanding Barack Obama.
Barack Obama Sr. was an African colonial to the core; in his case, the apple did not fall far from the tree. All of the telltale signs of Obama's African colonialist attitudes are on full display in the book -- from his feigned antipathy towards Europeans to his view of African tribal associations as distracting elements that get in the way of "progress". (On p. 308 of Dreams From My Father, Obama says that African tribes should be viewed as an "ancient loyalties".)
Like imperialists of Old World Europe, the ACP sees their constituents not as free thinking individuals who best know how to go about achieving and creating their own means for success. Instead, the ACP sees his constituents as a flock of ignorant sheep that need to be led -- oftentimes to their own slaughter.
Like the European imperialist who spawned him, the ACP is a destroyer of all forms of democracy.
Here are a few examples of what the British did in order to create (in 1914) what is now called Nigeria and what Obama is doing to you:
Convince the people that "clinging" to any aspect of their cultural (tribal) identity or history is bad and regresses the process of "unity". British Imperialists deeply feared people who were loyal to anything other than the state. "Tribalism" made the imperialists have to work harder to get people to just fall in line. Imperialists pitted tribes against each other in order to create chaos that they then blamed on ethnic rivalry. Today many "educated" Nigerians, having believed that their traditions were irrelevant, remain completely ignorant of their ancestry and the history of their own tribes.
Confiscate the wealth and resources of the area that you govern by any means necessary in order to redistribute wealth. The British used this tactic to present themselves as empathetic and benevolent leaders who wanted everyone to have a "fair shake". Imperialists are not interested in equality for all. They are interested in controlling all.
Convince the masses that your upper-crust university education naturally puts you on an intellectual plane from which to understand everything even when you understand nothing. Imperialists were able to convince the people that their elite university educations allowed them to understand what Africa needed. Many of today's Nigerians-having followed that lead-hold all sorts of degrees and certificates-but what good are they if you can't find a job?
Lie to the people and tell them that progress is being made even though things are clearly becoming worse. One thing that the British forgot to mention to their Nigerian constituents was that one day, the resources that were being used to engineer "progress" (which the British had confiscated from the Africans to begin with!) would eventually run out. After WWII, Western Europe could no longer afford to hold on to their African colonies. So all of the counterfeit countries that the Europeans created were then left high-and-dry to fend for themselves. This was the main reason behind the African independence movements of the1950 and 60's. What will a post-Obama America look like?
Use every available media outlet to perpetuate the belief that you and your followers are the enlightened ones-and that those who refuse to support you are just barbaric, uncivilized, ignorant curmudgeons. This speaks for itself.
America, don't be fooled. The Igbos were once made up of a confederacy of clans that ascribed to various forms of democratic government. They took their eyes off the ball and before they knew it, the British were upon them. Also, understand this: the African colonial who is given too much political power can only become one thing: a despot.
L.E. Ikenga can be reached at leikenga@gmail.com.
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Saturday, June 20, 2009
Quote of the day:
"The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But under the name of 'liberalism,' they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a Socialist nation, without knowing how it happened."
Norman Thomas--6-time U.S. Presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America (1884-1968)
taken from Mark Levin's website Friday 6/19/09
"The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But under the name of 'liberalism,' they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a Socialist nation, without knowing how it happened."
Norman Thomas--6-time U.S. Presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America (1884-1968)
taken from Mark Levin's website Friday 6/19/09
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Once, We Would Have Called It a Scandal
by Newt Gingrich
There was a time when we would have called it a scandal.
In 1921, oil tycoon Harry Sinclair gave several prize head of cattle and around $269,000 to President Harding's Secretary of the Interior, Albert Fall.
In return, Sinclair got the exclusive rights to drill in an oil field in Wyoming. Sinclair's no-bid contract became the Teapot Dome scandal, the most notorious example of political corruption in America prior to Watergate.
Between 2000 and 2008, the United Auto Workers (UAW) union gave $23,675,562 to the Democratic Party and its candidates.
In 2008 alone, the UAW gave $4,161,567 to the Democratic Party, including Barack Obama.
In return, the UAW received 55 percent of Chrysler and 17.5 percent of GM, plus billions of dollars.
But nobody's calling this a scandal. It's time we start.
2000-2008 UAW Giving: $23.7 million to Democrats. $193,540 to Republicans
The almost $24,000,000 the UAW has given to Democrats since 2000 compares with the $193,540 the union has given to Republicans.
In the 2008 presidential election, President Obama was by far the biggest recipient of UAW contributions, raking in $27,340 compared to the $10,600 given to Hillary Clinton, the No. 2 recipient of UAW money.
And so it was no surprise to the cynical Washington political class when the payback began with the Chrysler bankruptcy.
In a rigged proceeding in which the federal government disregarded bankruptcy law in favor of the political outcome it desired, the Chrysler bankruptcy laid the predicate for the much larger General Motors bankruptcy to come. Against law and precedent, the unions were moved to the front of the line when it came to who would benefit from the bankruptcy.
The Obama Treasury Department strong-armed Chrysler's creditors into a deal in which the UAW was given 55 percent ownership of the company while Chrysler's secured creditors - investors who would have received priority in a non-political bankruptcy proceeding - were left with just 29 cents on the dollar.
On Monday, the Supreme Court Delayed the Completion of the Chrysler Bankruptcy
Some of these secured creditors, led by a group of Indiana retirement funds, are fighting back. They've charged in court that the Chrysler bankruptcy violated the bankruptcy laws and violated their rights as senior lenders.
On Monday, the Supreme Court put a hold on the Chrysler bankruptcy to hear their case.
We don't yet know which way the high court will rule, or if it will rule at all. But we do know what's at stake. Indiana State Treasurer Richard Mourdock put it well:
"The issue of secured creditors' rights is bigger than Chrysler. It's an essential foundation of our capital markets. And fundamentally, this is about the law."
"Never Has an American Union Done So Well At the Expense of Shareholders and Creditors"
But the Chrysler bankruptcy was just prelude to the Obama-Administration-brokered General Motors bankruptcy deal announced last week.
The GM deal is yet another example of rank, taxpayer-financed political favoritism.
Once again, the big losers are GM's bondholders, who include substitute teachers in Florida and retired tool and dye supervisors in Michigan. They hold $27 billion in GM debt but are receiving a 10 percent stake in the new company.
In contrast, the UAW, which is owed about $20 billion from GM, is walking away with 17.5 percent of the company and a cool $9 billion in cash.
According to one analysis, while the bondholders will be lucky if they recover 15 cents on the dollar, the UAW can expect to recover up to 60 to 70 cents on the dollar - four to five times what the bondholders will receive.
As Barron's Magazine wrote, "Never has an American union done so well at the expense of shareholders and creditors".
"At a Time When Some American Workers are Facing Stiff Pay Cuts, UAW Workers Gave Up Their Customary Paid Holiday on Easter Monday"
Of course, the Obama Administration has assured us that the United Auto Workers has made "substantial concessions" as part of the bankruptcies that have literally saved the union from extinction.
But as no less than the Washington Post put it, the "union concessions were 'painful' only by the peculiar standards of Big Three labor relations: At a time when some American workers are facing stiff pay cuts, UAW workers gave up their customary paid holiday on Easter Monday and their right to overtime pay after less than 40 hours per week. They still get health benefits that are far better than those received by many American families upon whose tax money GM jobs now depend.
"Union members also preserved their right to have six unexcused absences from work before they can even be considered to be fired.
Can you feel the pain?
The Unions Have Been Rewarded With Ongoing Subsidization by the Taxpayers
It is a sign of the degree to which raw politics has dominated its handling of Chrysler and General Motors that the Obama Administration has a 31-year-old who has not yet graduated from law school determining the fate of two multi-billion dollar companies.
For their political support of the Democratic Party, the auto unions have been rewarded, not just with ownership stakes in two giant companies, but with ongoing protection and subsidization by the U.S. taxpayers.
The President has said repeatedly that he wants to get out of the auto business as soon as possible. But does anyone seriously believe that he would accept an arrangement in which GM becomes profitable at the expense of the union and its gold-plated benefits?
Having spent $50 billion to "save" GM and the UAW, does anyone really believe that the Obama Administration will now allow economics and not politics to dictate its future decisions?
In the GM and Chrysler bankruptcies, the Obama Administration has trampled on the rule of law. It is using the taxpayers' money to pay back a political group for its political contributions.
There was a time when we would have called that a scandal.
see story here
by Newt Gingrich
There was a time when we would have called it a scandal.
In 1921, oil tycoon Harry Sinclair gave several prize head of cattle and around $269,000 to President Harding's Secretary of the Interior, Albert Fall.
In return, Sinclair got the exclusive rights to drill in an oil field in Wyoming. Sinclair's no-bid contract became the Teapot Dome scandal, the most notorious example of political corruption in America prior to Watergate.
Between 2000 and 2008, the United Auto Workers (UAW) union gave $23,675,562 to the Democratic Party and its candidates.
In 2008 alone, the UAW gave $4,161,567 to the Democratic Party, including Barack Obama.
In return, the UAW received 55 percent of Chrysler and 17.5 percent of GM, plus billions of dollars.
But nobody's calling this a scandal. It's time we start.
2000-2008 UAW Giving: $23.7 million to Democrats. $193,540 to Republicans
The almost $24,000,000 the UAW has given to Democrats since 2000 compares with the $193,540 the union has given to Republicans.
In the 2008 presidential election, President Obama was by far the biggest recipient of UAW contributions, raking in $27,340 compared to the $10,600 given to Hillary Clinton, the No. 2 recipient of UAW money.
And so it was no surprise to the cynical Washington political class when the payback began with the Chrysler bankruptcy.
In a rigged proceeding in which the federal government disregarded bankruptcy law in favor of the political outcome it desired, the Chrysler bankruptcy laid the predicate for the much larger General Motors bankruptcy to come. Against law and precedent, the unions were moved to the front of the line when it came to who would benefit from the bankruptcy.
The Obama Treasury Department strong-armed Chrysler's creditors into a deal in which the UAW was given 55 percent ownership of the company while Chrysler's secured creditors - investors who would have received priority in a non-political bankruptcy proceeding - were left with just 29 cents on the dollar.
On Monday, the Supreme Court Delayed the Completion of the Chrysler Bankruptcy
Some of these secured creditors, led by a group of Indiana retirement funds, are fighting back. They've charged in court that the Chrysler bankruptcy violated the bankruptcy laws and violated their rights as senior lenders.
On Monday, the Supreme Court put a hold on the Chrysler bankruptcy to hear their case.
We don't yet know which way the high court will rule, or if it will rule at all. But we do know what's at stake. Indiana State Treasurer Richard Mourdock put it well:
"The issue of secured creditors' rights is bigger than Chrysler. It's an essential foundation of our capital markets. And fundamentally, this is about the law."
"Never Has an American Union Done So Well At the Expense of Shareholders and Creditors"
But the Chrysler bankruptcy was just prelude to the Obama-Administration-brokered General Motors bankruptcy deal announced last week.
The GM deal is yet another example of rank, taxpayer-financed political favoritism.
Once again, the big losers are GM's bondholders, who include substitute teachers in Florida and retired tool and dye supervisors in Michigan. They hold $27 billion in GM debt but are receiving a 10 percent stake in the new company.
In contrast, the UAW, which is owed about $20 billion from GM, is walking away with 17.5 percent of the company and a cool $9 billion in cash.
According to one analysis, while the bondholders will be lucky if they recover 15 cents on the dollar, the UAW can expect to recover up to 60 to 70 cents on the dollar - four to five times what the bondholders will receive.
As Barron's Magazine wrote, "Never has an American union done so well at the expense of shareholders and creditors".
"At a Time When Some American Workers are Facing Stiff Pay Cuts, UAW Workers Gave Up Their Customary Paid Holiday on Easter Monday"
Of course, the Obama Administration has assured us that the United Auto Workers has made "substantial concessions" as part of the bankruptcies that have literally saved the union from extinction.
But as no less than the Washington Post put it, the "union concessions were 'painful' only by the peculiar standards of Big Three labor relations: At a time when some American workers are facing stiff pay cuts, UAW workers gave up their customary paid holiday on Easter Monday and their right to overtime pay after less than 40 hours per week. They still get health benefits that are far better than those received by many American families upon whose tax money GM jobs now depend.
"Union members also preserved their right to have six unexcused absences from work before they can even be considered to be fired.
Can you feel the pain?
The Unions Have Been Rewarded With Ongoing Subsidization by the Taxpayers
It is a sign of the degree to which raw politics has dominated its handling of Chrysler and General Motors that the Obama Administration has a 31-year-old who has not yet graduated from law school determining the fate of two multi-billion dollar companies.
For their political support of the Democratic Party, the auto unions have been rewarded, not just with ownership stakes in two giant companies, but with ongoing protection and subsidization by the U.S. taxpayers.
The President has said repeatedly that he wants to get out of the auto business as soon as possible. But does anyone seriously believe that he would accept an arrangement in which GM becomes profitable at the expense of the union and its gold-plated benefits?
Having spent $50 billion to "save" GM and the UAW, does anyone really believe that the Obama Administration will now allow economics and not politics to dictate its future decisions?
In the GM and Chrysler bankruptcies, the Obama Administration has trampled on the rule of law. It is using the taxpayers' money to pay back a political group for its political contributions.
There was a time when we would have called that a scandal.
see story here
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
YOU SCARE ME!
AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA
By Lou Pritchett, former VP of Proctor & Gamble
Dear President Obama,
You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived and unlike any of the others, you truly scare me.
By Lou Pritchett, former VP of Proctor & Gamble
Dear President Obama,
You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived and unlike any of the others, you truly scare me.
- You scare me because after months of exposure, I know nothing about you.
- You scare me because I do not know how you paid for your expensive Ivy League education and your upscale lifestyle and housing with no visible signs of support.
- You scare me because you did not spend the formative years of youth growing up in America and culturally you are not an American.
- You scare me because you have never run a company or met a payroll.
- You scare me because you have never had military experience, thus don't understand it at its core.
- You scare me because you lack humility and 'class', always blaming others.
- You scare me because for over half your life you have aligned yourself with radical extremists who hate America and you refuse to publicly denounce these radicals who wish to see America fail.
- You scare me because you are a cheerleader for the 'blame America' crowd and deliver this message abroad.
- You scare me because you want to change America to a European style country where the government sector dominates instead of the private sector.
- You scare me because you want to replace our health care system with a government controlled one.
- You scare me because you prefer 'wind mills' to responsibly capitalizing on our own vast oil, coal and shale reserves.
- You scare me because you want to kill the American capitalist goose that lays the golden egg which provides the highest standard of living in the world.
- You scare me because you have begun to use 'extortion' tactics against certain banks and corporations.
- You scare me because your own political party shrinks from challenging you on your wild and irresponsible spending proposals.
- You scare me because you will not openly listen to or even consider opposing points of view from intelligent people.
- You scare me because you falsely believe that you are both omnipotent and omniscient.
- You scare me because the media gives you a free pass on everything you do.
- You scare me because you demonize and want to silence the Limbaughs, Hannitys, O'Relllys and Becks who offer opposing, conservative points of view.
- You scare me because you prefer controlling over governing.
- Finally, you scare me because if you serve a second term I will probably not feel safe in writing a similar letter in 8 years.
Lou Pritchett is a former vice president of Procter & Gamble whose career at that company spanned 36 years before his retirement in 1989, and he is the author of the 1995 business book, Stop Paddling & Start Rocking the Boat. Mr. Pritchett confirmed that he was indeed the author of the much-circulated "open letter." “I did write the 'you scare me' letter. I sent it to the NY Times but they never acknowledged or published it. However, it hit the internet and according to the ‘experts’ has had over 500,000 hits.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
The Swine Flu
EPIDEMIC? PANDEMIC?
Media misinforming public about so-called "epidemic"
William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.
Media misinforming public about so-called "epidemic"
William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.
Dear Friend,
The swine flu "epidemic" is only a few days old, and Big Pharma is already plotting to make a fortune.
European drug maker Roche announced it was scaling up production of Tamiflu, giving a boost to its stock price and sending millions into the Roche coffers. GlaxoSmithKline, which makes the anti-flu drug Relenza, is also seeing its stock price climb, as investors hope this swine flu is the biggest thing since the bubonic plague.
There's only one problem here – it's not going to happen. You read the Daily Dose because I always give you the straight scoop, and because I'm not afraid to tell you when the mainstream has it wrong.
And they have it wrong on swine flu. It won't be an epidemic – it'll barely even be a ripple. I've run medical clinics in Africa – I know what an epidemic looks like.
And this isn't it.
The media is blowing swine flu out of proportion so it can feed its 24-hour news cycle – the same media, mind you, that had us convinced that avian flu was going to destroy the planet a few years ago.
But here are the facts about swine flu – it has affected so few people in America that it's hardly worth discussing. There are 64 confirmed cases in America as I'm writing this – not 6,000 or even 600. There are 64.
Of course, the media is fixated on the 100 or so people who have died in Mexico from the swine flu. But let me clue you into something that no one seems to be discussing – health care in Mexico is ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE. I know – I've been there more times than I can count.
Disease spreads rapidly through Mexico because large areas of the country lack clean water and basic sanitation. Seeing a doctor – let alone a qualified doctor – is a luxury unavailable to most of the population. Of course the flu is killing people in Mexico – so are a lot of other diseases that are successfully treated in America. People in Mexico still die from diarrhea, for Pete's sake!
Yes, they have apparently had some cases of bad swine flu in Mexico. They've had lots of dengue fever and chagas, too, but you don't need to stay up at night worrying about it. Beating the swine flu isn't any different from beating the regular flu. Wash your hands. Avoid large crowds if you can. Get plenty of rest and fluids if you start getting sick.
And don't be afraid to eat pork or any other meat, for that matter, as it's not the pigs who are getting sick. Of course, I'm not recommending you eat Mexican pork – or any food produced in Mexico, for that matter. Hopefully the tainted peppers outbreak of 2008 taught us that. But don't change your diet because of some so-called swine flu epidemic.
It's no epidemic. It's no public health catastrophe. It's good theatre – and nothing more.
Friday, April 24, 2009
bumper sticker shock
BUMPER STICKER SHOCK
by Stuart Shepard, director of digital media
Citizen Link www.citizenlink.org
The couple in the drive-thru apparently were oblivious to the story told by the stickers on their vehicle.
Usually, minivans don't trouble me.
But there it was, right in front of me in the drive-thru — a sad story told entirely in bumper stickers.
The first I noticed on the back glass was "Yes We Did!" Rows of silhouetted men and women stood with outstretched arms on an adaptation of Barack Obama's official campaign logo.
But, I've gotten used to the endless stream of always-new Obama merchandise, so that's not what troubled me.
Through the tinted window, I could make out a larger half-moon shape stuck to the inside of the glass with Obama and Joe Biden smiling at me. That didn't trouble me, either.
But then I saw the specialty license plate: "Respect Life." And next to that an ichthus — the ubiquitous Christian fish symbol.
And that is what troubled me.
There on the back of their modest minivan, the couple ahead of me offered expressions of what they hold dear: Their faith. Their issue. And their politician.
Now, I do not question their faith. Not in the least. I regard them as a Christian brother and sister.
And I'm glad they value the life issue so much they would purchase a license plate that shares that opinion with other motorists.
But here's what troubled me long after I finished my fast-food lunch:
As a candidate in July 2007, Obama pledged allegiance to Planned Parenthood's agenda. He promised significant changes in the White House, on the Supreme Court and in America that drew loud applause from the nation's largest abortion provider.
About abortion, Obama said firmly, "On this fundamental issue I will not yield, and Planned Parenthood will not yield."
And he has not.
As president, he quickly killed the pro-life policy that prevented our tax dollars from going to groups that promote or provide abortions overseas.
He re-established a flood of our tax dollars to the United Nations Population Fund. Some of that will pay for abortions in other countries. Some of it will pay for abortions that are not wanted by the mothers.
He chose Hillary Clinton as secretary of state. She voted against a federal ban on partial-birth abortions. Her abortion support is exceeded only by his [Obama's] own.
His choice to head up the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is Kathleen Sebelius. The Kansas governor has vetoed a long string of efforts by the Legislature to place commonsense restrictions on abortion. She's pals with notorious late-term abortionist George Tiller.
Obama chose Dawn Johnsen for a high position in the Justice Department. She was once the legal director for NARAL Pro-Choice America.
On top of all that, Obama lifted President Bush's restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research. That opens the door for more of our tax dollars to be spent on embryonic stem-cell research. In the process of harvesting their stem cells, those tiny humans will be destroyed. Every one.
I could go on, but that should be enough to help you understand why the minivan troubled me.
Over the next four years of the Obama presidency, there are little boys and girls around the world who will not get to walk on the Earth, to breathe the air, to grow up to marry and drive minivans and put stickers on the back — all because of Barack Obama's pro-abortion choices.
So, where the minivan people saw rows of happy people on their "Yes We Did!" sticker — it looked to me like rows of crosses for all the boys and girls who won't be with us in 2012.
What troubles me most is that the pro-life minivan couple were fooled by a crafty marketing scheme into voting for persona over policy. They helped elect a pro-abortion president. And they apparently don't realize what they've done.
But here's my hope: That drivers of minivans and compact cars and pickup trucks and luxury cars all across America will soberly consider whether the stickers on their vehicles are so wincingly self-contradictory.
And that they vow not to be fooled again.
FOR MORE INFORMATION--see video: President Obama has said he "wrestles" with life issues, but his recent statements to the media contradict what he has said to Planned Parenthood.
***SEE BUMPER STICKER HERE***
by Stuart Shepard, director of digital media
Citizen Link www.citizenlink.org
The couple in the drive-thru apparently were oblivious to the story told by the stickers on their vehicle.
Usually, minivans don't trouble me.
But there it was, right in front of me in the drive-thru — a sad story told entirely in bumper stickers.
The first I noticed on the back glass was "Yes We Did!" Rows of silhouetted men and women stood with outstretched arms on an adaptation of Barack Obama's official campaign logo.
But, I've gotten used to the endless stream of always-new Obama merchandise, so that's not what troubled me.
Through the tinted window, I could make out a larger half-moon shape stuck to the inside of the glass with Obama and Joe Biden smiling at me. That didn't trouble me, either.
But then I saw the specialty license plate: "Respect Life." And next to that an ichthus — the ubiquitous Christian fish symbol.
And that is what troubled me.
There on the back of their modest minivan, the couple ahead of me offered expressions of what they hold dear: Their faith. Their issue. And their politician.
Now, I do not question their faith. Not in the least. I regard them as a Christian brother and sister.
And I'm glad they value the life issue so much they would purchase a license plate that shares that opinion with other motorists.
But here's what troubled me long after I finished my fast-food lunch:
As a candidate in July 2007, Obama pledged allegiance to Planned Parenthood's agenda. He promised significant changes in the White House, on the Supreme Court and in America that drew loud applause from the nation's largest abortion provider.
About abortion, Obama said firmly, "On this fundamental issue I will not yield, and Planned Parenthood will not yield."
And he has not.
As president, he quickly killed the pro-life policy that prevented our tax dollars from going to groups that promote or provide abortions overseas.
He re-established a flood of our tax dollars to the United Nations Population Fund. Some of that will pay for abortions in other countries. Some of it will pay for abortions that are not wanted by the mothers.
He chose Hillary Clinton as secretary of state. She voted against a federal ban on partial-birth abortions. Her abortion support is exceeded only by his [Obama's] own.
His choice to head up the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is Kathleen Sebelius. The Kansas governor has vetoed a long string of efforts by the Legislature to place commonsense restrictions on abortion. She's pals with notorious late-term abortionist George Tiller.
Obama chose Dawn Johnsen for a high position in the Justice Department. She was once the legal director for NARAL Pro-Choice America.
On top of all that, Obama lifted President Bush's restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research. That opens the door for more of our tax dollars to be spent on embryonic stem-cell research. In the process of harvesting their stem cells, those tiny humans will be destroyed. Every one.
I could go on, but that should be enough to help you understand why the minivan troubled me.
Over the next four years of the Obama presidency, there are little boys and girls around the world who will not get to walk on the Earth, to breathe the air, to grow up to marry and drive minivans and put stickers on the back — all because of Barack Obama's pro-abortion choices.
So, where the minivan people saw rows of happy people on their "Yes We Did!" sticker — it looked to me like rows of crosses for all the boys and girls who won't be with us in 2012.
What troubles me most is that the pro-life minivan couple were fooled by a crafty marketing scheme into voting for persona over policy. They helped elect a pro-abortion president. And they apparently don't realize what they've done.
But here's my hope: That drivers of minivans and compact cars and pickup trucks and luxury cars all across America will soberly consider whether the stickers on their vehicles are so wincingly self-contradictory.
And that they vow not to be fooled again.
FOR MORE INFORMATION--see video: President Obama has said he "wrestles" with life issues, but his recent statements to the media contradict what he has said to Planned Parenthood.
***SEE BUMPER STICKER HERE***
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