God Bless Shepard Smith at Fox News Channel

For this gem of a smack down of Donald Trump: (H/T to Mediaite)

https://youtu.be/weHjxfa4bvA

Shepard Smith is correct, we need NATO, no matter what people like Pat Buchanan might say.

President Trump orders a federal government hiring freeze

And it’s not going over well with the government workers union.

The New York Times reports:

WASHINGTON — President Trump on Monday ordered an across-the-board employment freeze for the federal government, halting hiring for all new and existing positions except those in national security, public safety and the military.

In the two-page order, Mr. Trump said the directive is a stopgap way to control the growth of government until his budget director recommends a long-term plan to significantly reduce the federal work force through attrition.

“In carrying out this memorandum, I ask that you seek efficient use of existing personnel and funds to improve public services and the delivery of these services,” Mr. Trump wrote in the memorandum, one of his first acts as president. “Accordingly, this memorandum does not prohibit making reallocations to meet the highest priority needs and to ensure that essential services are not interrupted and national security is not affected.”

The largest public employees union blasted the president’s action, saying it will force federal agencies to rely on more expensive contractors to deliver the services that Americans have come to expect from the government.

“This hiring freeze will mean longer lines at Social Security offices, fewer workplace safety inspections, less oversight of environmental polluters and greater risk to our nation’s food supply and clean water systems,” said J. David Cox Sr., the president of the group, the American Federation of Government Employees.

Mr. Trump’s memorandum addressed that point directly by saying that “contracting outside the government to circumvent the intent of this memorandum shall not be permitted.”

On one hand, I think it’s great that Donald Trump is trying to cut spending by doing this and slowing down the growth of government. On the other hand, I think that it’s going to cost some minor inconveniences and force people who do rely on the government for their services. This could cause problems in various areas, such as enforcement at the Federal Communications Commission. Enforcement of the Department of Transportation, namely the weigh scales. Things like that, it’s going to cause problems in the short-term. But, it’ll save a lot of money in the long term. I can see both sides of it and I can see the desire of those who want to see spending slashed; but I also can see the other side of it as well. So, it’s a double-edged sword.

Honestly, if I think Donald Trump wants to see our nation’s standing in the world. He ought to get to work to renegotiating NAFTA and TAFTA and all the other trade agreements and if those who were going to go negotiate with won’t accept our terms, we simply walk away and impose strict tariffs on those who want to import goods and or country. That will help replenish this country’s monetary supply; not doing what he’s doing now. That’s a short-term solution, but the long-term is to increase the revenue into this country. That will only occur if we begin to charge those who want to import their goods into this country.

Patrick J. Buchanan points out why there are no jobs in America

This is something that I have said for a while now too.:

America is something new in the way of world powers. We not only provide the legions to protect “allies,” but provide the tribute in the form of foreign aid, IMF and World Bank loans, and bailout billions.

Moreover, America has thrown open her home market, largest in the world at $17 trillion, to Europe, Japan, Canada, Mexico, and even China, and invited them to come and capture it from our manufacturers.

In a quarter century, these trade partners have run up $10 trillion in trade surpluses at our expense, eviscerating our industrial base to where Detroit looks like Dresden in 1945.

But while we preach free trade our partners practice protectionism.

The Chinese undervalue their currency to keep imports low and exports high. We are too timid to confront them. The Europeans put value-added taxes on imports from the USA, and rebate the VAT on exports to the USA.

The Japanese, who look on trade as a form of warfare, killed our TV industry and now own huge slices of our auto market.

Last year, Tokyo ran a $60 billion trade surplus at our expense. After our trade deal with South Korea, Seoul’s trade surplus at our expense shot up 25 percent to a record $20 billion. China ran a $318 billion trade surplus with us in 2013, up from $313 billion in 2012.

Our trade deficits finance both the growth of our allies and our adversaries.

via The Philanthropic Superpower – Patrick J. Buchanan – Official Website.

All of the above is a really good reason there are no jobs here. Pat has a very good point about Detroit too. The problem is, that there are two political parties here in America; the stupid party on the left and the war party on the right. Neither of them are committed to preserving the American worker and protecting jobs here. If anything, both parties are committed to keep the élite rich and the crony capitalists protected.

As a result of this, everyday American workers like myself, cannot find jobs at all. As a result of this, everyday Americans workers like myself are forced to sign up for state-paid Medicaid; as so not to be a burden on their families with medical expenses, because of ailments like diabetes, high blood pressure and A.D.H.D. It is indeed a new America — people, like myself; are unemployed and are on state-paid medicaid and are hardly able to get by — robbing them of the American Dream — all the while the President of the United States of America racks up a $40 million dollar vacation tab on the taxpayers dime. In a sane world, that alone would be grounds for impeachment.

But we don’t live in a sane world anymore. We live in the Obama-World, flanked by the stupid party on the left and the war party on the right — and it’s not changing anytime soon. Pat ends his piece with this:

As China’s military power grows, and U.S. armed forces shrink, our allies had best prepare for the day, not too distant, when America decides she will no longer play the philanthropic superpower, and gives up the role and goes home.

As all world powers eventually do.

This time is coming sooner than many think; either that, or it will collapse on itself. God-willing, I will survive that collapse. The question is — will everyone?

John Podhoretz gets exposed for the intolerant Trotskyite that he truly is

This is great;  a Trotskyite Zionist goes for a debate; and the minute he sees that he is losing the debate — he storms off the stage, takes his marbles and goes home.

I am referring to the greatest Trotskyite, Zionist, Neoconservative of them all — John Podhoretz.

See here, here, here and here.

Money quote:

Bottom line: I’d had a long day and I didn’t see the point in spending more of it getting booed and shushed. So I left. So sue me.

If only we could sue you and your family for all the trillions of dollars — and the 4000+ lives that were  wasted in the Iraq War —- which you and your satanic Father were cheerleaders for, after 9/11. Actually, I would very much like to see criminal charges filed against you and few of your Trotskyite friends as well. However, as we realists know; that will never happened to a protected class as yourself.

You want to know what got wrong with Conservatism? You want to know why the GOP is in the shape that it is in? Look no further than this man here and his idiotic Trotskyite magazine that he runs. They are the true enemies of America; they are the ones who put us in the war that almost broke this Nation and ruined its standing in the world.

It is a pity that there is not true justice in this Nation of ours; otherwise, this man and his friends would be sitting in jail cells.

 

One of the best things written about the Tea Party yet.

What was I just saying about being a Paleoconservative? ConfusedThinkingI dont know

Well, here I go again, screwing up those credentials! Surprise

Peter Wehner writing over at, yes, Commentary Magazine (!) about those in the Tea Party that are feeling like the world is coming to end; in like the next few weeks:

This is not, from my vantage point, a particularly healthy approach to politics or one moored to reality. You can believe, as I do, that President Obama is doing great harm to America, that his agenda is having an enervating effect and that we face deep and serious challenges.

But some perspective is also in order. We are actually not on the verge of collapse and ruin. This period is not comparable to the Great Depression or the period leading up to the Civil War or the collapse of Ancient Rome. And tyranny is not just around the corner.

This is, rather, a difficult time in some important respects – one that requires sobriety and wisdom, public officials of courage and good judgment who are willing to act boldly but not recklessly. The truth is that our afflictions are not beyond our ability to address them, that our society is a complicated mosaic that eludes simple, sweeping characterizations, and America’s capacity for self-renewal is quite extraordinary.

Beyond that is the importance of understanding that the life of a nation, like the life of an individual, includes ebbs and flows; that almost every generation feels as though the problems it faces are among the worst any generation has ever faced; and that setbacks are inevitable and that progress is often incremental.

A final thought: There is no question that a great deal of repair work needs to be done. But the growing sense among some on the right that a curtain of darkness is descending on America is both unwarranted and can lead people to act in ways that are self-destructive.

Without understating our challenges for a moment, I rather hope a figure will emerge from within the conservative ranks who is not only principled but also winsome, who possesses an open and flexible mind and has not learned the art of being discontent. A person who doesn’t find fulfillment in amplifying anxiety and anger. Who doesn’t dwell in the lowlands because he’s too busy aiming for the uplands. And who knows that this fallen world is not a world without hope.

You see up there, where I underlined, that is important. We can be fiscal conservatives, but we do not have to be reckless about it. We want to slow down socialism, but we don’t want this to happen:

The biggest mistake the house Tea Party Conservatives made, was picking this fight so close to a debt ceiling deadline. Wrong battle, wrong strategy, wrong methods. This is why it failed. I wrote this before, but it does bear repeating again.

Good News for Seniors: Sen. Bernie Sanders Will Be On Budget Conference Committee

I think this is a good thing. Because I do not like the idea of the Republicans attempting to tinker with Social Security and Medicare.

Via The Huffington Post:

In what can only be seen as good news for people who like traditional earned-benefit programs like Social Security and Medicare, here’s one name that appears on the list of Senate conferees in the upcoming Paul Ryan-Patty Murray budget talks — Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders. This ensures that beneficiaries of these programs will, at the very least, have one strong, supportive voice in the room who won’t go down in a squishy heap of “grand bargaining.” (I’m sure Paul Ryan is thrilled.)

Statement via Sen. Bernie Sanders Official website:

Sen. Bernie Sanders was appointed to a Senate and House budget conference committee to create a long-term budget plan by Dec. 13 to avert another government shutdown. A member of the Senate Budget Committee, Sanders said he looks forward to developing an alternative to the stopgap, sequestration-level budget that Congress approved late Wednesday as part of an agreement to reopen the government. “I am excited about being a member of the budget conference committee and I look forward to working with my Democratic and Republican colleagues to end the absurdity of sequestration and to develop a budget which works for all Americans. In my view, it is imperative that this new budget helps us create the millions of jobs we desperately need and does not balance the budget on the backs of working people, the elderly, the children, the sick and the poor,” Sanders said.

The conference committee was assigned to try to reconcile differences between separate budgets passed earlier this year by the Senate and the House.

[…]

The Senate budget protects Medicare while the House version would end Medicare as we know it by providing coupons for private health insurance. Unlike the House budget, the Senate resolution does not repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would prevent more than 20 million Americans from getting health insurance. The House version would eliminate grants for up to 1 million college students while the Senate plan protects Pell grants. The House version would kick up to 24 million Americans off of Medicaid while the Senate budget would protect their benefits. The Senate budget calls for new revenue while the House version would provide trillions of dollars in tax breaks mainly for the wealthiest Americans and profitable corporations offset by increased taxes on the middle class.

Progressive Blog Corrent has the full list:

House Democrats:

Rep. James Clyburn (S.C.)
Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Md.)
Rep. Nita Lowey (N.Y.)

From Senate Democratic Caucus:

Sen. Patty Murray (Ore.)
Sen. Ron Wyden (Ore.)
Sen. Bill Nelson (Fla.)
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (Mich.)
Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.)
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.)
Sen. Mark Warner (Va.)
Sen. Jeff Merkley (Ore.)
Sen. Chris Coons (Del.)
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (Wis.)
Sen. Tim Kaine (Va.)
Sen. Angus King (Maine)

In case anyone cares, here’s the list of Republicans:

House Republicans:

Paul Ryan (Wis.)
Rep. Tom Cole (Okla.)
Rep. Tom Price (Ga.)
Rep. Diane Black (Tenn.)

Senate Republicans:

Sen. Jeff Sessions (Ala.)
Sen. Charles Grassley (Iowa)
Sen. Mike Enzi (Wyo.)
Sen. Mike Crapo (Idaho)
Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.)
Sen. Rob Portman (Ohio)
Sen. Pat Toomey (Pa.)
Sen. Ron Johnson (Wis.)
Sen. Kelly Ayotte (N.H.)
Sen. Roger Wicker (Miss.)

The reason why I say that Bernie Sanders is good addition to the group is this; Bernie Sanders is an independent populist type. He is not a Obama loyalist, and he will not be afraid to stand up to the Obama Democrats.

I have always said on this blog, that the solution to America’s debt problem is not the ripping out of Social Security or Medicare. The solution is to get rid of the so-called “Free Trade” deals and the pork barrel spending, which both parties partake in. Furthermore, tariffs for all imports would pay down our debt and fund the social safety net.

Either way, it is good to see someone like Bernie Sanders fighting for the seniors and the disabled in this Country; like my aunt, who is developmentally disabled.

Taking Religion out of the Military?

I have mixed feelings about this one:

“Soldiers with minority religious beliefs and atheists often feel like second-class citizens when Christianity is seemingly officially endorsed by their own base,” American Atheists president David Silverman told Fox News. “We are very happy the Pentagon and the Army decided to do the right thing.” A military spokesman told Fox News the cross was literally dismantled and will be removed from the base to be in “compliance with Army regulations and to avoid any misconception of religious favoritism or disrespect.” “After a Christian prayer, the cross was removed from the roof of the chapel,” the spokesman said. “During the removal, the cross was dismantled; however the cross was reassembled and currently awaits transportation to a larger operational base.” The military told Fox News the cross will only be brought out during Christian services and will be designated as a “non-permanent religious symbol.” Silverman said a Christian chapel on an Army base in Afghanistan could have put American troops in danger. “It inflames this Muslim versus Christian mentality,” he said. “This is not a Muslim versus Christian war — but if the Army base has a large chapel on it that has been converted to Christian-only, it sends a message that could be interpreted as hostile to Islam.” An Army spokesman said all chapels must be religiously neutral. “The primary purpose of making a chapel a neutral, multi-use facility is to accommodate the free exercise of religion for all faith groups using it,” he said. “We take the spiritual fitness of our Soldiers seriously and encourage them to practice their faith and exercise their beliefs however they choose.” Retired Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin, of the Family Research Council, told Fox News a Christian cleansing of the military is under way. “I don’t think you can categorize it any other way,” he said. “There is a strong effort, led partially by the Administration as well as by atheist groups to destroy the identity of who we are as a nation and that means robbing us of our history.” —- Military: Crosses Removed ‘Out of Respect for Other Faiths’ | FOX News & Commentary: Todd Starnes

On one hand, I would hate to think that having Christian symbols on a battle front could be putting our Military at risk. On the other hand, I would hate to see Christianity being removed from the Military entirely. However, we are in a Muslim Nation is Afghan region; one would think that the Military would want to be respectful of those people and their culture.

It is a mixed bag, and all the more reason why we really need to get out of that Country. Our mission is done there; we killed Osama and we need to leave. We do not want to make the same mistake the Russians made there. Besides all that, Al-Qaeda has moved into other regions and is much more a threat to other interests in other parts for the world now.

So, to this Independent, the quicker we leave, the better.

Sunday Thoughts: Phil Gramm was right, we are a Nation of whiners, thugs, and idiots

I just happen to be reading this over at InstaPundit and following the links; and I have come to a conclusion: Phil Gramm was absolutely correct, we are a Nation of whiners.

Compare and Contrast the following quotes:

New York Hurricane Sandy Victims:

“We’re going to die! We’re going to freeze! We got 90-year-old people!” — “You don’t understand. You gotta get your trucks down here on the corner now. It’s been three days!”

Said on twitter before Hurricane Hit: (Via InfoWars)

“Bout to do some looting when this hurricane finally hits….gonna get a new laptop and tv…this hurricane might be the best thing to happen.” (SOURCE)

“If this hurricane gets real bad I’m looting stores ! i always wanted to do that.” (SOURCE)

“I’m gonna go looting once this hurricane hits Utica.” (SOURCE)

“Has #HurricaneSandy made landfall yet? My bitch ass is ready to go looting!” (SOURCE)

“helllll yeah I’m gonna go looting after the storm hits.” (SOURCE)

“Who wants to go looting with me when Sandy hits?! I need some new shit! (SOURCE)

….and you know what? They did too, Check out this report here, of people looting after Hurricane Sandy Hit.

In contrast, check out what Nashville Resident wrote after the Nashville Flood of 2010: (via FreeRepublic)

Allow me a moment to step away from the usual voice of this website.

What I am about to write has absolutely nothing to do with hockey.

If you live outside of Nashville, you may not be aware, but our city was hit by a 500-year flood over the last few days. The national news coverage gave us 15 minutes, but went back to focusing on a failed car bomb and an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. While both are clearly important stories, was that any reason to ignore our story? It may not be as terror-sexy as a failed car bomb or as eco-sexy as an oil spill, but that’s no reason to be ignored.

The Cumberland River crested at its highest level in over 80 years. Nashville had its highest rainfall totals since records began. People drowned. Billions of dollars in damage occurred. It is the single largest disaster to hit Middle Tennessee since the Civil War. And yet…no one knows about it.

Does it really matter? Eventually, it will…as I mentioned, there are billions of dollars in damage. It seems bizarre that no one seems to be aware that we just experienced what is quite possibly the costliest non-hurricane disaster in American history. The funds to rebuild will have to come from somewhere, which is why people need to know. It’s hard to believe that we will receive much relief if there isn’t a perception that we need it.

But let’s look at the other side of the coin for a moment. A large part of the reason that we are being ignored is because of who we are. Think about that for just a second. Did you hear about looting? Did you hear about crime sprees? No…you didn’t. You heard about people pulling their neighbors off of rooftops. You saw a group of people trying to move two horses to higher ground. No…we didn’t loot. Our biggest warning was, “Don’t play in the floodwater.” When you think about it…that speaks a lot for our city. A large portion of why we were being ignored was that we weren’t doing anything to draw attention to ourselves. We were handling it on our own.

Some will be quick to find fault in the way rescue operations were handled, but the fact of the matter is that the catastrophe could not have been prevented and it is simply ignorant beyond all reason to suggest otherwise. It is a flood. It was caused by rain. You can try to find a face to stick this tragedy to, but you’ll be wrong.

Parts of Nashville that could never even conceivably be underwater were underwater. Some of them still are. Opry Mills and the Opryland Hotel are, for all intents and purposes, destroyed. People died sitting in standstill traffic on the Interstate. We saw boats going down West End. And, of course, we all saw the surreal image of the portable building from Lighthouse Christian floating into traffic and being destroyed when cars were knocked into it. I’m still having trouble comprehending all of it.

And yet…life will go on. We’ll go back to work, to school, to our lives…and we’ll carry on. In a little over a month, I’ll be on this website talking about the draft. In October, we’ll be discussing the new Predators’ season with nary a thought of these past few days. But in a way, they changed everyone in this town. We now know that that it can happen to us…but also know that we can handle it.

Because we are Nashville

 
Now, I know what happened in New York was horrible; but I just cannot help but think that Phil Gramm was right. We are nothing but a nation of whiners, who expect the Government to cater to our every whim. It is a sick and sad, however, I do not place the blame directly on the people of New York City. I blame the media, and conditioning of people from their youth by public school systems. People these days are not taught self-reliance and how to survive, if something like a Hurricane comes up. They are taught from a young age, that the Government is your big protector and nanny and will keep you from harms way, and if you end up a victim, the Government will give you everything you need. This sadly, was never the intended role of any sort of Government at all.

Quite simply, it is simply a matter of common sense, if you know a Hurricane is coming up, you grab all of your personal items that you wish to keep; and you get the hell out of the path of the Hurricane! Now for the elderly, the common excuse is that they could not leave. There is always a way to get out, someone somewhere could have gotten those people out, and helped them get their important stuff out too. The truth is, either they did not want to leave or no one wanted to be bothered with them at all.

I know that I said that I was not going to politicize this, but the way I see it; if the NYT does not mind doing it and if the NY Governor does not mind doing it, neither do I. It is sick and sad that people are conditioned to rely on the Government for everything. I could get into a discussion about race and self-reliance, but I do not want to get called a racist, by the Frankfurt School types on the left and the right.

What gets me, is all the money that will be spent, in the name of “Humanity.” Money that we do not have, it is amazing, we talk about being broke; until a disaster comes and all of the sudden, the money comes out of thin air! My question is, where is all this money coming from? What programs are being raided, just so some idiot person, who was too stupid to get out of the storms path can feel taken care of?

It sounds heartless. But it is the truth.

Announcement: I am fundraising for the blog, care to help? (There’s a big different between Government being a nanny, and Conservatives helping each other out, for the benefit of the unlearned.)

GM’s jobs news is nothing more than a ruse

Great and wonderful news, right? Wrong.  Just another bogus headline from a company that is about ready for bankruptcy.  This story comes via MLive.com.

General Motors Co. and the state are expected to announce today that GM will create 2,000 new jobs in Michigan, beginning with up to 1,500 at a new information technology innovation center in Warren.

The automaker and the Governor’s Office are expected to make formal announcements later today.

It’s unclear where GM would add the other 500 jobs, but the state says the innovation center is the first of three projects the company will announce.

GM will invest $300 million combined for the three. The state said GM plans no major investment spending on the information technology center; it will be housed in an existing building undergoing renovation on the Warren Tech Center campus.

The center will hire 1,500 new employees within four years and will add to information technology employment already in Warren, Randy Mott, GM’s vice president of information technology and chief information officer, said in a Friday interview.

via GM to add 2,000 jobs in Michigan | The Detroit News | detroitnews.com.

This is where I am going to get accused of sounding like a Democrat or something worse.

This headline is the biggest stinking joke, since the election Barack Obama. These jobs above here? There are not jobs that anyone could do, you know, like me? These jobs are one that would need some serious degrees —- none of which I honestly have at all. So, these are not 2000 jobs for the public, like labor jobs; as the labor jobs are protected by the unions. These are tech jobs that will end up being filled by immigrants, legal or otherwise from foreign countries; who have the degrees to get these jobs. The rest will go to protected minorities, who happen to have those degrees as well.

I just have to ask aloud; how much of this investment, came from the taxpayers dollars that ended up bailing out this failed business? I really do not know if I really want to know the answer to that or not. However, what I will say is this here; the local Detroit media needs to stop with the dishonest headlines and get out of tank for the big three.  I mean, do not get me wrong, I want to see General Motor succeed, as their success personally affects my family, namely my Father, who retired from that company after 31 years. But, when I see dishonest headlines like this, it disgusts me. People scanning through, think GM is mass hiring workers for the plants. Which they are not, they are hiring salaried employees, that they really do not need and doing this, will most likely make them go broke again.

It is time, that the local Detroit media started telling the complete truth about the big three.

Chart: Obama’s Spending versus Bush

It is an updated one, via InstaPundit. Show this to Democrats when they try to blame our budget problems on Bush’s wars. This will prove that they are, as always; full of crap.