Jay R. Thomas

Obama’s Katrina

Obama’s Katrina         

          President George W. Bush was excoriated (see WOW) for the better part of a year for the government’s response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  The manner in which the left wing liberals carried on in their attempt to discredit him left one thinking that they actually believed it was an inside job…that President Bush himself had caused the hurricane!  Now, the commission investigating the BP Oil Spill reported last week that the Obama Administration failed to act upon or fully inform the public of the amount of oil gushing from the well and failed to inform the American people of the full scope of the disaster.  Of course, the Obama Administration vehemently denied the allegations, although they did admit that the spill was the worst environmental disaster the United States has ever faced.  One of the commission’s preliminary reports stated that, “By initially underestimating the amount of oil flow and then, at the end of the summer, appearing to underestimate the amount of oil remaining in the gulf, the federal government created the impression that it was either not fully competent to handle the spill or not fully candid with the American people about the scope of the problem”.

          In August, spokesmen for the administration essentially declared, “Mission Accomplished!” with regard to their efforts to contain the oil.  They stated that the “vast majority of the oil is gone”, implying that ecological damage had been limited.  However, many independent researchers believe that half of the spilled oil is still in the ocean.  Allowing the blown-out well to spew oil into the ocean for three months will have a long term impact on the involved Gulf ecosystems, including extensive damage to marine and wildlife habitats.  And this doesn’t even take into account the disastrous effects that it has had on the fishing and tourism industries, to which Mr. Obama responded with the additional job-killing measure of suspending Gulf oil drilling.

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Who Knows What?

 Who Knows What?        

          President George W. Bush who graduated from Yale University was nonetheless often portrayed by the left wing liberals as a buffoon.  I have to admit, I did cringe every time he said ‘nucular’ instead of ‘nuclear’ and wondered why no one corrected him in the eight years that he was our president.  Now many of us long for the common sense, steady approach he maintained while he was at the helm and would trade away the reckless professors currently in charge in a heartbeat.  These same professors now look down on the Tea Party Patriots and all conservatives as a bunch of illiterate yokels and believe they need to tell us what to think and what to do. 

          The results of a Pew Research Center poll released last week tell a far different story, however.  The very subgroups that the Democrats depend on to get reelected fared considerably worse than the Republicans when asked some fairly basic questions.  To cite just one example, only 55% of Blacks, 36% of Hispanics and 49% of those ages 18-29 years old knew that Joe Biden is the Vice President.  Contrast that with the 65% of Republicans who knew…and I suspect the other 35% were just in denial. 

          I, for one, look forward to having the common sense, anti-elitist, non-intellectuals back in control of Congress.  The way things are going, it may be just in time.  In the last three weeks running up to the election on November 2, each one of us should contribute some time and money to the conservative candidates.  Walk a precinct, make phone calls, write a check…what ever you can do to help.  It’s just that important!

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Nobel Prize Not So Noble Anymore

Nobel Prize Not So Noble Anymore         

          As this year’s Nobel Prize recipients are announced, I find myself thinking, ‘ho hum, is this of any interest to me?’  Somehow it just doesn’t have the same meaning as it once had.  Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel made a fortune from his inventions, including dynamite, and established the award named after him in his will.  Since 1895 an undiversified group of self-appointed Scandinavian elitists has wielded tremendous power in the world through their ability to select individual scholars from universities of their choice and from among politicians who they want to promote.  One has to wonder how such a small, elite group has been allowed to wield such power for more than 100 years without challenge. 

          In the case of the Nobel Peace Prize, it is almost as interesting to look back at who has been excluded from this honor, most notably Mahatma Gandhi and Ronald Reagan.  But even more indicative of the liberal political agenda of the selection committee are winners of this now dubious distinction such as Jimmy Carter, Al Gore and Yasser Arafat.  The entire legacy of the Nobel Prize truly suffered a blow to its prestige in 2009 with the nomination and ultimate selection of Barack Obama for the Peace Prize only eleven days after he took office as President of the United States.  To be sure, there have been, and will continue to be many outstanding individuals who receive the Nobel Prize, but I’m just not as impressed as I used to be.

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Americans Poised to Reject Socialism

 Americans Poised to Reject Socialism        

          The term American socialist seems almost like an oxymoron.  Socialism goes against just about everything that America stands for, yet there is a significant minority in this country today, who have been surprisingly successful in advancing their socialist agenda in an effort to fundamentally change America.  But all indications point to a dramatic rejection in the midterm elections next month of this insidious element that crept into the U.S. government largely during the 2008 elections.  Our country is more divided now in terms of the two competing political philosophies vying for control than at any time in its history.  Many of us believe that the choices were just as clear in 2008, but that many were blinded by star power and the desire for change. 

          Let’s take a look at the definitions of socialism, communism and Marxism, so that we will know and understand the enemy within.  The German philosopher Karl Marx floated a theory in the mid-1800s that a utopian society, an economic and political system known as communism, could be created where there would be no social classes and no central state government.  This would be accomplished by promoting class warfare and eliminating private property in order to control the economic means of productivity.  In Marx’ own words, “From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs”.  Essentially, wealth would be redistributed by taking from the rich and giving it to the poor.  The terms Marxism and communism are often used interchangeably, but Marxism is essentially the theory while communism is the practical application.  

          Socialism is a stage of society in Marxist theory that is transitional between capitalism and communism.  In other words, it is just a temporary step on the way from capitalism to communism.  Socialism is an economic and in some applications a political theory advocating collective government ownership and administration of production and distribution of goods.  The government controls the means of production and the distribution of resources by the nationalization of key industries.  The concept of private property is eschewed and there is no freedom and power of the individual to make his own decisions.  The next step would be communism, where the entire economy is controlled generally by a single authoritarian party and there is no private property.

           Gee, does all of this sound familiar?  Since the elections of 2008, the federal government has taken over banks, investment firms, car manufacturers and the health care industry.  If, God forbid, the left-wing liberals hold on to their majority, they will be chomping at the bit to pass Cap and Trade, ostensibly (see WOW) to tackle climate change, but which actually is just a vehicle to redistribute wealth.  How much more do we need to see in order to recognize the motives of those currently in control? 

          It would appear that the professors who dot the Executive Branch landscape ‘don’t know much about his-to-ry’.  If they did they would know that none of this nonsense has worked in the past.  It didn’t work for Lenin or Stalin or Mao and it certainly isn’t working for Obama.  November 2nd could be our last opportunity to stop those who would obliterate the America that our Founders envisioned.  Every one of us must make sure we exercise our hard-won right to vote and support the candidates who are on our side.  And every one of us should be familiar enough with the issues that we can convince at least one additional person, perhaps someone who never votes or is on the fence, to vote along with us.  If the Founders were willing to put their lives and personal treasure on the line for these principles and if thousands of men and women in uniform were willing to give their lives in the ensuing years to keep them viable, then we can do no less.

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