Friends,
Will you please take the time to read this, and if you think it worthwhile, pass it along to your email list, and ask them to read it? Even if they voted, with all good intentions, for Mr. Obama?
I am a student of history. Professionally. I have written 15 books in six languages, and have studied it all my life. I think there is something monumentally large afoot, and I do not believe it is just a banking crisis, or a mortgage crisis, or a credit crisis. Yes these exist, but they are merely single facets on a very large gemstone that is only now coming into a sharper focus.
Something of historic proportions is happening. I can sense it because I know how it feels, smells, what it looks like, and how people react to it. Yes, a perfect storm may be brewing, but there is something happening within our country that has been evolving for about ten - fifteen years. The pace has dramatically quickened in the past two.
We demand and then codify into law the requirement that our banks make massive loans to people we know they can never pay back? Why?
We learn just days ago that the Federal Reserve, which has little or no real oversight by anyone, has “loaned” two trillion dollars (that is $2,000,000,000,000) over the past few months, but will not tell us to whom or why or disclose the terms. That is our money. Yours and mine. And that is three times the 700B we all argued about so strenuously just this past September. Who has this money? Why do they have it? Why are the terms unavailable to us? Who asked for it? Who authorized it? I thought this was a government of “we the people,” who loaned our powers to our elected leaders. Apparently not.
We have spent two or more decades intentionally de-industrializing our economy. Why?
We have intentionally dumbed down our schools, ignored our history, and no longer teach our founding documents, why we are exceptional, and why we are worth preserving. Students by and large cannot write, think critically, read, or articulate. Parents are not revolting, teachers are not picketing, school boards continue to back mediocrity. Why?
We have now established the precedent of protesting every close election (now violently in California over a proposition that is so controversial that it wants marriage to remain between one man and one woman. Did you ever think such a thing possible just a decade ago?). We have corrupted our sacred political process by allowing unelected judges to write laws that radically change our way of life, and then mainstream Marxist groups like ACORN and others to turn our voting system into a banana republic. To what purpose?
Now our mortgage industry is collapsing, housing prices are in free fall, major industries are failing, our banking system is on the verge of collapse, social security is nearly bankrupt, as is medicare and our entire government, our education system is worse than a joke (I teach college and know precisely what I am talking about)–the list is staggering in its length, breadth, and depth. It is potentially 1929 x ten. And we are at war with an enemy we cannot name for fear of offending people of the same religion, who cannot wait to slit the throats of your children if they have the opportunity to do so.
And now we have elected a man no one knows anything about, who has never run so much as a Dairy Queen, let alone a town as big as Wasilla, Alaska. All of his associations and alliances are with real radicals in their chosen fields of employment, and everything we learn about him, drip by drip, is unsettling if not downright scary (Surely you have heard him speak about his idea to create and fund a mandatory civilian defense force stronger than our military for use inside our borders? No? Oh of course. The media would never play that for you over and over and then demand he answer it. Sarah Palin’s pregnant daughter and $150,000 wardrobe is more imporant.)
Mr. Obama’s winning platform can be boiled down to one word: change.
Why?
I have never been so afraid for my country and for my children as I am now.
This man campaigned on bringing people together, something he has never, ever done in his professional life. In my assessment, Obama will divide us along philosophical lines, push us apart, and then try to realign the pieces into a new and different power structure. Change is indeed coming. And when it comes, you will never see the same nation again.
And that is only the beginning.
And I thought I would never be able to experience what the ordinary, moral German felt in the mid-1930s. In those times, the savior was a former smooth-talking rabble-rouser from the streets, about whom the average German knew next to nothing. What they did know was that he was associated with groups that shouted, shoved, and pushed around people with whom they disagreed; he edged his way onto the political stage through great oratory and promises. Economic times were tough, people were losing jobs, and he was a great speaker. And he smiled and waved a lot. And people, even newspapers, were afraid to speak out for fear that his “brown shirts” would bully them into submission. And then, he was duly elected to office, a full-throttled economic crisis at hand [the Great Depression]. Slowly but surely he seized the controls of government power, department by department, person by person, bureaucracy by bureaucracy. The kids joined a Youth Movement in his name, where they were taught what to think. How did he get the people on his side? He did it promising jobs to the jobless, money to the moneyless, and goodies for the military-industrial complex. He did it by indoctrinating the children, advocating gun control, health care for all, better wages, better jobs, and promising to re-instill pride once again in the country, across Europe, and across the world.
He did it with a compliant media–did you know that? And he did this all in the name of justice and . . . change. And the people surely got what they voted for.
(Look it up if you think I am exaggerating.)
Read your history books. Many people objected in 1933 and were shouted down, called names, laughed at, and made fun of. When Winston Churchill pointed out the obvious in the late 1930s while seated in the House of Lords in England (he was not yet Prime Minister), he was booed into his seat and called a crazy troublemaker. He was right, though.
Don’t forget that Germany was the most educated, cultured country in Europe. It was full of music, art, museums, hospitals, laboratories, and universities. And in less than six years–a shorter time span than just two terms of the U. S. presidency–it was rounding up its own citizens, killing others, abrogating its laws, turning children against parents, and neighbors against neighbors. All with the best of intentions, of course. The road to Hell is paved with them.
As a practical thinker, one not overly prone to emotional decisions, I have a choice: I can either believe what the objective pieces of evidence tell me (even if they make me cringe with disgust); I can believe what history is shouting to me from across the chasm of seven decades; or I can hope I am wrong by closing my eyes, having another latte, and ignoring what is transpiring around me.
Some people scoff at me, others laugh, or think I am foolish, naive, or both. Perhaps I am. But I have never been afraid to look people in the eye and tell them exactly what I believe–and why I believe it.
I pray I am wrong. I do not think I am.
Best regards
tps
71 comments:
Ah, I see.
It's just like Lydia's place only in reverse...
And the posters there are just like you guys only on the other side...
So, they compare American politicians to Hitler? Well, that's just plain wrong. Right, Clif?
You know what's really funny Will? (or scary depending on how you look at it...)
If you simply state you disagree with them on an issue, they claim you're trying to stifle their right of free speech.
Yet people on their ideological side write things like "hate speech" and "hate crimes" into LAW, in an outright attempt to ban free speech and creating "thought" crimes.
They preach tolerance when they mean complete acceptance, and they don't "tolerate" an opposing view.
Prop 8 in California is a good example. Their side is now defacing churches and using racial epithets. You may not agree with prop 8, but the people spoke.
They call the police and military Bushes "brownshirts", yet say nothing about Obama wanting to create a civilian force equal to the military. (and for exactly what purpose?)
They tell themselves scary stories about the right wing trying to turn our country into a police state while their liberal friends in congress slowly write the laws that will make that happen.
The mainstream media did everything in their power and more to make sure Obama won this election, and they refer to them as the "reichwing" media.
A fascist state IS coming Will. Don't kid yourself. But it's coming from THEIR side and they refuse to see it.
I'm not a fan of Bush, Clif. And I protested continuously and vociferously to his invasion of Iraq. But HIS goals weren't to take over the world and exterminate an entire race of people. And while he should have made it more clear that not all Muslims are terrorists, I don't seem to recall him saying that they were. And now that his term is mercifully over, he will now slide equally mercifully into the woodwork. Don't seem to recall Hitler being willing to do that. Clif, you really should be angry at Bartlebee. He's on record as saying that he voted for GWB twice. Wow, huh?
Hey, I just saw Obama on 60 Minutes tonight. Sounds like he wants to govern as a centrist (or at least he wants us to think that). Me, I'm rooting for him. As I've said before, I'm hoping that he's smart enough to have learned from Clinton's mistakes ('92-'94). If he hasn't (and, yes, I hate to say this, Clif), I think you can probably expect a quick turnaround in 2010 (not the 20 year reign that Mikey seems to have predicted).
Got a question. How long do you think Barack Obama (yes, Obama himself, I'm saying) could tolerate being in the same room (alone) with Cliffy? I'm not thinking very long.
Clif, you're comparing a non-profit educational think tank (granted, a misguided one) to the Third Reich? And did you know that one of their prize projects, The Iraq Liberation Act, was signed into law by, let's see, what was his name again, oh yeah, Bill Clinton? Very weak, Clif. Why don't you just knock this shit off and try and make our new president proud - you know, instead of being somebody that he'd never claim in a billion years.
Still a stretch, Clif. And a rather paranoid one to boot (let me rephrase what I said before - you're comparing a nonprofit educational think tank's policy staement to Hitler's magnum opus). Clif, there was an election and your guy won. Be happy. The "far reich" is gone. And it happened without bloodshed.
And, AGAIN, Clif, 27 Democratic senators voted to give this "far reich" president of ours a blank check, to do JUST THAT; attack a country that never attacked us. And what about Labor Party Prime Minister Tony Blair of England (whose intelligence still maintains that Saddam had WMD - something that I DON'T believe, by the way)? Is he a member of this "far reich" cabal, too? And what about Bill Clinton who passed into law, The Iraq Liberation Act (the prize project of PNAC? Is he also in on the conspiracy? And what about Barack Obama himself? He sat down with McCain today and said that he very much wants to work with this vanquished "far reich" member. Does that at the very least make him Neville Chamberlain?. Clif, say it was about oil. Say it was about avenging his father. Say it was that he wanted to make it look like he was fighting "terrorism", thought that Iraq would be an easy mark, etc. Say it in fact WAS a geopolitical maneuver of some sort. But Hitler? I don't know, Clif. You're a hell of a strange man. That's all I can really say at this point.
So, Mike IS admitting that Biden DID finish near the bottom of his class....but just not as near the bottom as McCain. Interesting. Oh, and Biden got into law school and graduated. Don't forget that, he says. Translated, he's a lawyer. I mean, come on. Do you know how many moronic lawyers there are out there? And, besides, if a Republican running for VP had such a ranking in law school (Syracuse, no less), those douchebags would be all over that fast. Look, I'm not the one who made the big deal over class-rankings. I personally think that they're over-rated. Just looking for a little consistency, that's all. P.S. I don't even know what a moo-moo is, you LC idiots. Sock-puppetry, that YOUR particular "fetish". My God!
Oh, and Biden apparently thinks that Article One of The Constitution deals with the executive branch. So much for that precious "law" degree of his.
I was too quick to challenge the incoming administration? Yeah, like you guys wouldn't be totally eviscerating McCain had in fact that poor slob been elected. Seriously, though, does not Mike see any of these double-standards of his?
Sorry, Voltron. I had to vent. Those cretins deleted the comment where I said I supported gays in the military. Can't have their trolls be saying that, I guess.
Will,how many times must you try to make sense with those idiots at LC before you realize there are four nitwits there who cannot or will not ever see a point of view that differs from their own.
They are like little children,last week Bart spent six hours behind his keyboard asking you to show three times you supported Obama....thats like a little kid on the playground and I think that dope is around 50 years old.
Clif is obviously borderline crazy and Mike is just a plain and simple nitwit.
A couple years ago I used to try and reason with them,that did'nt work.....now I just make shit of them,pointing out how ignorant they really are.
So Tony Blair is Mussolini then? And 73 Senators DIDN'T buy these "outright lies" (including Republican, Lincoln Chaffee), Clif. Were they clairvoyant....or just prudent? Clif, you often start off with a germ of an idea. And sometimes it's even a good idea. But you just don't know when to stop. I'd have to say that our friend Rusty is right here. In fact I think he may have even been soft-selling it with his "borderline" stipulation.
I've been watching Bush lately. To me, it looks like he can't wait to get the hell OUT of Washington. Compare THAT to Hitler, Clif.
Will,why would you try to reason with this nincompoop?
These morons continue to try to revise history.Has he perhaps forgotten the U.S.Congress authorized a military option in Iraq?
For someone who claims numerous graduate degrees he really is, in fact quite ignorant.
The common party line for the far left loons is to shoot the nazi bullet.
Oh yea,the same intel the Brits,French and Russians had...did'nt Clinton and Gore both say (while they were in office)that hussein had WMD's.You mean that intel?That one?
Klink,you really are a moron,but I think you already know that.
What were those degree's you got off the matchbook?
Hotel/motel management,diesel repair,private investigator?
Maybe all the above.
He shot himself, Clif, because he was in a bunker and about to die anyway. And I'm sure he remembers Mussolini's carcas being dragged through the streets of Rome, and later pecked to nothing by birds. Bush, he's totally disengaged at this point? He just wants to go fishing.
Correction. I meant to say that 23 senators didn't buy these "outright lies". Sorry.
Actually, I'm surprised that Clif isn't a 9/11 conspiracy theorist. "Existentialist Cowboy" (perhaps the only dude on line who rivals Clif in terms of paranoia), he's been throwing that one around for months. Hey, Rusty, you really need to write a sit-com. That line on Cliffy's "majors" is killer.
Klink,for what I hope is the final time.....I dont care who won the presidential election and certainly dont care who won any state elections.
It does'nt matter to me if Obama,McCain or a flying monkey from Oz won.
My life is'nt going to change one iota.
I can understand your euphoria,you can possibly see more free stuff coming your way...hey,it could happen.Wait a minute,what if the libs put more money into retraining people like you...oh my god,the worst of the worst would happen to you.....yikes,work.Run Klink,run,work may be chasing you.
I read the other day there are over 22 million living veterans,my is'nt that a pretty big club you belong to.Do you exchange xmas cards? Do you do the secrete santa thing?
Is this your "word of the day?"
What happened to "chickenhawk","reichwing?"
"Irrelevent is as irrelevent does." My Klink thats one of your deeper thoughts.
What exactly is it that irrelevent does? Or does'nt do?
Did you get a headache thinking that one up?
You are quite the wordsmith.
Perhaps one of those matchbook cover degrees was in English prose.
I bet you wow em down in the hollar in Bumf&*k Kentucky.
Just for the record, Clif. I never said that WAS relevant. Ala you, I'm just a dude throwing some shit on the computer. No delusions of grandeur coming from this fellow. You?
Just to let you know, Clif, I never claimed to be an Obama "supporter". I only said that I voted for him (seemed somewhat more tolerable than the other guy, wanted to give the other party a chance, etc.). I've also retained the right to criticize him. Sorry if that offends you.
Klink,lets take a serious look at this so called waste of a life.
Me....work every day
You...Nope
Me....contribute to society
You...Nope again
Me....pay taxes
You...another nope
Me...actually have a life
You..All signs say nope
Me...have a sense of humor
You..not so much
Me...smart
You..damn,I hate to say it,nope
Whose life is wasted?
Did anyone see the story today about the #2 guy at al-Qaida calling Obama a "house negroe?"
He also lumped Rice and Powell in there.
The libs should organize a protest outside his cave.
Now Klink,I take umbrage at being called reichwing.If anything I'm libertarian...hell I did vote for Barr.
I'll take a page from your girlfriend worfs book.....show me three posts that proves I'm an irrelevent reichwing loser...come on show them to me...come on you worthless welfare queen.
Klink,what do you have against Will? Everything I read he tried to be cordial to you and your girlfriends at LC.
On the other hand Rusty here calls you and the others exactly what you are and you people worship me.I'm the man you wish you were.
Klink,I read somewhere this week that some retired army officers are asking Obama to do away with the dont ask dont tell policy.
If that happens will you be able to go back in the army?
They may be willing to forget about that little problem you had with the young second lt..
Klink,how about I take a poll of my family,friends and co-workers...wait a minute,I've got it I'll print out some of your postings show them to these people and let them make the judgement if I'm indeed irrelevent or if you're crazy as a bedbug.
I'll let you know how it goes.
How about we also poll Mrs.Klink and the munchkin while we're at it.
Hell,we could even ask some of your neighbors there in Bumf*&k.
Klink,you've always been just a one trick pony.
Dont you wish you were me?
Interesting...
"SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - California's highest court has agreed to hear legal challenges to a new ban on gay marriage, but is refusing to allow gay couples to resume marrying until it rules.
The California Supreme Court on Wednesday accepted three lawsuits seeking to overturn Proposition 8. The amendment passed this month with 52 percent of the vote. The court did not elaborate on its decision.
All three cases claim the ban abridges the civil rights of a vulnerable minority group. They argue that voters alone did not have the authority to enact such a significant constitutional change."
If not the voters then who?
You KNEW it was going to happen though right? Votes mean nothing to libs...
"Typical gutless reich wing yellow bellied pussy"
Oh hi Clif, sympathize with any deserters recently?
I kinda figured that since Obama won and all you guys wouldn't have anything left to whine about...
Guess I was wrong.
LOL
"Waste of human protoplasm"? Well, at least it's a new one. Yes, Rusty, I did try to be nice to him. Didn't get me very far, did it? Oh well, as Nixon said, "There may be people out there who hate you. But they don't win unless you hate them back. And then you destoy yourself."
Pity, though, that's another thing.
FYI, Clif, tomorrow I'm going to be honored by the Alzheimer's Association as one of the state's outstanding caregivers. If you give me a PO box, I'll send you a copy of my commondation. But you're right, though, I really need to stop wasting my life like this.
The association, Clif, is a professional one, not comprised of the patient's themselves. And, no, none of us feel that we're "wasting" our lives. I was being sarcastic about that.
As the economy continues its death spiral I'm in a tizzy as what to do with my investments.
I'm hoping the hooples over at LC will shortly reconvene their economic summit and once and for all solve the countrys problems.
Dingy Harry and Botox Nancy looked like someone shot their mothers today when they had to hold a press conference to say they could'nt toss mountains of cash at the failing auto industry.
They then had the bright idea of putting Chris Dodd and Barney Frank in charge of the problem.Now,is'nt Dodd the one who was kind of in bed with Countrywide and is'nt Frank the person who had Fanny and Freddie give loans to people who never could pay then.I feel so much more secure knowing these two nimrods are at the wheel.
Just a wild guess here but do you think the United Autoworkers are a bit pissed off at Harry and Nancy.
If the unions wont bend....we should'nt lend.
Rusty,
I don't think we should bend regardless. The big 3 have way too much overhead in legacy costs which prevents them from being competitive or turning much of a profit.
Better to let them go bankrupt and reorganize without the huge weight tying them down.
Maybe they could also come up with a design team that wouldn't make them all look like eggs and start making attractive cars that people actually want to buy again.
Yeah, Clif, I guess a lot depends on who tells the joke. Homophobic comment #1,392,410. The statistician's getting tired, dude!
Volt,I think you missunderstood my comment.
We should'nt allow one dollar of tax monies for the "big three."
All three companies have been mismanaged for the past 30 years,the've placated the UAW in each contract negotiation.
The average hourly cost,wages and benefits at GM is 78 bucks an hour....at Toyota and Honda plants in the U.S. its around $48.If we give these fools a bailout nothing in their business model is going to change.Limiting executive pay and bonuses is just a show by the libs...its a drop in the bucket.
If one of these companys shut down a plant they,by contract have to pay that plants employee's their full salary for three years.
Let them go into a prepackaged bankruptcy,renegotiate the union contracts and reorganize their businesses not to mention reducing the number of product lines.
Post a Comment