Thor’s Hall

Here’s one that got my blood simmering this morning.

It seems that some of the good folks at the University of California at San Diego have determined that the folks who cross our southern border without going through official channels need a bit of survival help.  To that end they have devised a toll to assist them in locating water stations.

Now this is all very humanitarian of these researchers and so forth, and having run across many bands of these folks wandering the deserts and the orange groves down in Yuma, it is a problem.  On the flip side, if these immigrants are to pursue the “American Dream” let them come through the appropriate border crossings.  If they are “political refugees” and are fleeing something specific then let’s put together the appropriate refugee care centers, and get them the care and protection that they need.  While the “crisis” is resolved.

However, the use of government funding to produce a device that aids in illegal border crossings is wrong.  Additionally, it is a symptom of what is failing in this great republic of ours.

The scary season of Halloween is rapidly approaching, and all of the little ghouls and goblins are preparing for the event.  The decorations are coming out in the neighborhood, with tombstones, and skeletons rising from the front lawns of suburbia.

In other areas of the world,  folks are looking at an even scarier scenario.  The Belmont Club is a put together a frightening look at what could be in our future.

In 2007 Think Progress happily announced that “a new National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) released today concludes with ‘high confidence’ that ‘in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program.’”  But in 2009 Barack Obama announced to the world that Iran had been secretly operating a nuclear enrichment plant.  What a difference two years makes. Perhaps the better report to read from that vintage year is Anthony Cordesman’s 2007 study for the Center for Strategic and Independent Studies examining the outcomes of a hypothetical nuclear war in the Middle East between Israel and Iran. Cordesman concluded that once a conflict got started it would tend to escalate to where both countries were destroyed.

There are some frighteningly real worst case scenarios that come up.  Even with all of the domestic issues that we currently have, our interests and domestic prosperity is tightly coupled to the events in the middle east.  This is not a peril that we can blithely ignore.

We have an opportunity to change (reform) our health care approach in this country.  We have always had this opportunity but, now the National leadership of this country is in a position where they feel that they can mandate this change.  In doing so, effectively removing the concept of “free markets” and replacing it with Nationalization.

Below is a really interesting seven minute interview with a member of the European Parliment on the British NHS.  Some extremely interesting history of the program, and some of the issues that have evolved with it.

So tell me. Is this the kind of program that you want in place to take care of you, your family, your aging parents, etc? These are frightening facts. Yes there are always counter arguments but when I speak with folks in Canada or Britian or other European nations they are all saying the same thing that these facts illustrate. Quality of life and care under a socialized medical program is not good.

Do your research, and make your voices heard on this issue. Encourage your representatives to vote with your voice and do not make political deals on this bill. There are some bills that are too important for “politics as usual”. This is one of them

Another health care post just for grins.

We are rapidly approaching a point of social revolution and civil strife.  On the one hand you see what may have previously been the “silent majority” no longer being silent.  On the other hand you see organized groups of people that are brought together for a specific role, of opposing that silent majority.

In the past several days we have seen physical clashes between these opposing viewpoints.  We have seen congressional leaders dismiss the people trying to talk to them as disingenuous, and to the point of calling the people that they are supposed to be representing, “Nazi’s”.

In some circles, we are seeing “Chicago Style” politics across the US.  Physical intimidation of those that oppose your views, etc.

Folks, if the government of this nation does not pull their heads out of the fantasy realm that it is in, I am afraid that we are going to be seeing some events the like of which have not been seen in this nation since the 1960’s.

My advice to Washington:  Debate is healthy.  Let it happen.  Listen to what the people are saying…and act accordingly.  The health care reform program as currently envisioned is not acceptable to the majority of Americans.  Back off and take another approach.

BTW :

• Cap and Trade, same thing.  stop that one now and take another pass at that.
• US Constitution – read it and live by it

I have stayed away from commenting on the Healthcare reform debate going on in the US right now.  I think people are finally getting the point about what the potential fallout of nationalized medicine is.  Just in case you have not figured it out, here are a couple of really great short videos that drive the point home.

The DMV comment is priceless.

I have commented before about how there is so very much that takes place subliminally in images.  Things that we may not conciously be aware of that play on our perceptions.  In one camp there are those that actually research these things and then stage the image appropriately to match.  In another camp there are those that don’t really notice.  Finally there is the camp where, someone does notice and take some sort of action.  Perhaps you have seen this image before.

Now, I am not at all certain why someone would feel the need to associate themselves with Hilter, or Nazi Germany but, there you have it.  Draw your own conclusions.

And it came to pass in the Age of Insanity that the people of the land called America, having lost their morals, their initiative, and their will to defend their liberties, chose as their Supreme Leader that person known as The One. He emerged from the vapors with a message that had no meaning; but He hypnotized the people telling them :

“I am sent to save you. My lack of experience, my questionable ethics, my monstrous ego, and my association with evil doers are of no consequence. For I shall save you with Hope and Change. Go, therefore, and proclaim throughout the land that he who preceded me is evil, that he has defiled the nation, and that all he has built must be destroyed.”

And the people rejoiced. For even though they knew not what The One would do, He had promised that it was good; and they believed.

And The One said “We live in the greatest country in the world. Help me change everything about it!”

And the people said, “Hallelujah!! Change is good!”

Then He said, “We are going to tax the rich fat-cats,”—-

And the people said “Sock it to them!”

“—- And redistribute their wealth.”

And the people said, “Show us the money!”

And then He said, “Redistribution of wealth is good for everybody”

And Joe the plumber asked, “Are you kidding me? You’re going to steal my money and give it to the deadbeats??”And The One ridiculed and taunted him, and Joe’s personal records were hacked and publicized.

One lone reporter asked, “Isn’t that Marxist policy?”

And she was banished from the kingdom!

Then a citizen asked, “With no foreign relations experience and having zero military experience or knowledge, how will you deal with radical terrorists?”

And The One said, “Simple. I shall sit with them and talk with them and show them how nice we really are; and they will forget that they ever wanted to kill us all!”

And the people said, “Hallelujah!! We are safe at last, and we can beat our weapons into free cars for the people!”

Then The One said, “I shall give 95% of you lower taxes.”

And one, lone voice said, “But 40% of us don’t pay ANY taxes.”

So The One said, “Then I shall give you some of the taxes the fat-cats pay!”

And the people said, “Hallelujah!! Show us the money!”

Then The One said, “I shall tax your Capital Gains when you sell your homes!”

And the people yawned and the slumping housing market collapsed.

And He said, “I shall mandate employer-funded health care for EVERY worker and raise the minimum wage. And I shall give every person unlimited health care and medicine and transportation to the clinics.”

And the people said, “Gim’me some of that!”

Then he said, “I shall penalize employers who ship jobs overseas.”

And the people said, “Where’s my rebate check?”

Then The One said, “I shall bankrupt the coal industry and electricity rates will skyrocket!”

And the people said, “Coal is dirty, coal is evil, no more coal! But we don’t care for that part about higher electric rates.”

So The One said, “Not to worry. If your rebate isn’t enough to cover your expenses, we shall bail you out. Just sign up with ACORN and your troubles are over!”

Then He said, “Illegal immigrants feel scorned and slighted. Let’s grant them amnesty, Social Security, free education, free lunches, free medical care, bilingual signs and guaranteed housing…”

And the people said, “Hallelujah!!” And they made him King!

And so it came to pass that employers, facing spiraling costs and ever- higher taxes, raised their prices and laid off workers. Others simply gave up and went out of business and the economy sank like unto a rock dropped from a cliff. The banking industry was destroyed. Manufacturing slowed to a crawl. And more of the people were without a means of support

Then The One said, “I am the The One – The Messiah – and I’m here to save you! We shall just print more money so everyone will have enough!”

But our foreign trading partners said unto Him, “Wait a minute. Your dollar is not worth a pile of camel dung! You will have to pay more…”

And the people said, “Wait a minute. That is unfair!!”

And the world said, “Neither are these other idiotic programs you have embraced. Lo, you have become a Socialist State and a second-rate power. Now you shall play by our rules!”

And the people cried out, “Alas, alas!! What have we done?”

But yea verily, it was too late. The people set upon The One and spat upon him and stoned him, and his name was dung. And the once mighty nation was no more; and the once proud people were without sustenance or shelter or hope. And the Change The One had given them was as like unto a poison that had destroyed them and like a whirlwind that consumed all that they had built.

And the people beat their chests in despair and cried out in anguish, “Give us back our nation and our pride and our hope!!”

But it was too late, and their homeland was no more.

I really like this.  Many people in America have never understood this fundamental definition:

I’d like to clarify something that some people seemed to be confused about.

Health care is not a right. (Neither is education, or food, or housing, or a job.)

How can I be so sure?

Anything that requires the labor of someone else cannot be a universal human right.

Our Constitutional, Natural Law rights require only that others leave us alone. They require no labor, action, payment, participation or sacrifice of anyone else on our behalf.

We have the right to NOT be interfered with when we speak, practice religion, gather, or bear arms. We have the right NOT to be imprisoned without due-process, to be searched without cause, to be made to testify against ourselves.

See how that works?

I have stayed away from the Sotomayor confirmation debate.  This is a battle that is not going to go the way that I would like it to.  There are too many in the Senate that need to play the political game of giving in on somethings and calling in those favors on other issues.

She will be confirmed, and it will be bad for the country.  I think Joe Huffman summarized one of the biggest things that has bothered me in the initial hearings.

Bitter and Sebastian has been pointing out just how bad nominee Sotomayor is on the right to keep and bear arms. This is probably the most damning.

She does not want to admit that people have a right to self-defense. She is smart enough to know it is a slippery slope to the acknowledgment of the right to keep and bear arms if she were to admit that. The British have learned that lesson sliding down the slope in the other direction–if there is no right to keep and bear arms then there is no right to self-defense.

Alan Korwin gives Sotomayor some pointers on what the U.S. Supreme Court has said about self-defense. It’s not a question mark at all. The conclusion:

The Supreme Court has recognized, addressed and answered all the most fundamental questions about self defense. The idea that they have never addressed this core American issue is completely false, as the numerous cases clearly demonstrate.

In my view, the woman may be very well qualified to be an attorney where she can argue the merits of a case from her particular view point.  The flip side of that is that because she brings those views to the bench, and applies them as her “wisdom” to her judgements she is disqualified from being a judge.  Much less a Supreme Court Justice.

Stats can be twisted however you want but, at first blush this one gets the “Why am I not surprised” reaction.

The number of knife deaths in areas targeted by an anti-knife crime scheme has risen, the Home Office has said.

The government’s Tackling Knives Action Programme started last July in 10 police areas in England and Wales.

In its first nine months, 126 people died after being attacked with a knife or other sharp object – seven more than in the same period the previous year.