Monday, September 22, 2008
Must read: The Drumbeat, by William Staneski
First of all, I agree with Staneski that liberals have thrust these attitudes onto the public: toleration, diversity, non-judgmental, egalitarianism, politically correct, multiculturalism, globalism, and collectivism.
Second, what I fear, and what Lawrence Auster has pointed out often, is that many so-called conservatives have bought into these same attitudes, to the peril of us all. True or traditionalist conservatives, however, forcefully reject these attitudes:
Toleration, when not reciprocal, becomes mere weakness.
Diversity, when referring to people or cultures, is only worthwhile when there is a solid and deep common ground, and shared values, to spring from. Diversity for its own sake is leveling.
Non-judgementalism is a copout to excuse the exercise of the above toleration and diversity. Good judgment is an attribute to be cultivated, not suppressed. One must exercise judgment for it to become a sharp tool.
Egalitarianism is meaningless: people are incommensurate in many dimensions, including mind, body, soul, culture, wealth, health, liberty, freedom, religious belief, energy, drive, i.e. every attribute I can think of, and they will remain so as they have for millennia. Equal opportunity is our heritage, but not equal outcomes.
Politically Correct: this is a curse born of over-toleration, extreme non-judgementalism, pervasive non-discrimination, and unreal egalitarianism. PC constraints inhibit clear thinking and clear debate.
Multiculturalism: we are in fact living in a multicultural nation, but its working vector should be towards assimilation, not maintenance of minority cultures for their own sake. Let the private minorities maintain their own cultures by themselves if they wish, but not to the detriment of our society, as Islam threatens daily, for example.
Globalist: after we have taken full care of our own nation, it is appropriate to lend a helping hand elsewhere.Charity begins at home, as does defense. The UN is not worth supporting further. There are global threats that must be met and vanquished in the name of self-defense--Islam, pandemics, and nuclear proliferation, to name a few. However, man-made climate change is not one of the threats: it is a man-made tempest designed to further seizure of power and promotion of global government.
Collectivist: In no political or economic sense does a true conservative ascribe to collectivism, but collective defense is an obvious truism.
Labels: Conservatism, hypocrisy, Liberalism
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Money Matters
Financial Crisis Looms Over Us All
Despite the late surge today, I believe we have not reached bottom yet, and we will witness a meltdown of cosmic proportions in the stock market.
I have made most of my preparations to defend my portfolio, including shedding every stock I had in the financial, retail, tech, and commercial construction sectors, and shifting to EFTs as a hedge as well.
Fully a third of my cash equivalents are now in gold securities, and I am arranging to buy bullion for a part of my holdings as well.
If I miss out on a huge uptick, so be it. I do not believe we will see such a thing for a long while.
So, I wish everyone success in protecting their assets, and in sliding through this recession successfully.
Labels: Money Matters
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Winning is the Right Path
Where the Conservative Cause has Traitors
It is incredible to me that a number of right-wing pundits are turning towards Obama. After giving their liturgy against McCain, they come up with this asinine rationale: Oh, the Right has to learn the lesson of a left wing government! Since we don't like McCain, let us vote for Obama and accept a leftist President and Congress! We don't need an eight year lesson of that kind, what with three Supremes to be replaced, Medicare to be repaired, the GWOT to be pursued, and the economy to be turned around. With the left in control, they will ensure a far longer term for their people in office, more like 30 or 40 years, if not longer.
How very stupid to go along with that, ostensibly to teach conservatives a lesson. By what mechanism will the lesson be drilled into conservatives who are just now in their teens? When they grow up, just how will they unseat the left? Far better to fight tooth and nail to win--now!
Labels: Conservatism, McCain, Obama
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
World Opinion be Damned
The UK Guardian Tries to Influence Our Elections
"The world's verdict will be harsh if the US rejects the man it yearns for"
The Guardian [UK], by Jonathan Freedland
It is time to take a look at this meme "world opinion" and America 's directions. Of course, the first thing to be said is that only American citizens can vote in the elections. The second thing to be said is that few Americans have the slightest desire to let foreign influences sway their opinions on voting.
The one segment that does seem to do so are Humanists, liberals, and their communist and socialist brethren who have an agenda to further internationalism for their own ends. This is an extremely elitist crowd that has a trivially small number of voters. They may well be quite influential in Democratic circles, but their ideas are not mainstream American by a long shot.
This is the fundamental reason that Obama will not be elected: Americans are basically conservative, both fiscally and socially, by over 65-70%. Being black does not have much to do with the decision process, but being conservative and not liberal does, and Mr. Obama is quite liberal indeed. Therefore, when all of the shouting is over, he loses. Some are predicting that it will be by a landslide.
So, if we believe the thesis that the world will be mad at the US for not electing Obama, it is obvious that the US will be even madder at the world for presuming to dictate to us who will run the nation against our majority set beliefs in a conservative government. Then, to attempt to punish us for our convictions will produce a backlash by us that many countries cannot afford to incur.
We are not in the service of other countries, although some nations think of us as "let the Americans do it (and pay for it!)" Their citizens are not of any significant influence inside America, except for those Americans that are struck silly and become bewildered by the hostile reactions of foreigners they encounter. In the heart of America today, there is far less UN or international support than in previous decades. Most Americans thoroughly resent much of the UN activities over the past 10 or 20 years as being quite contrary to our interests.
To do this retort justice, I would have to take up the idea of world opinion country by country, region by region, types of government, and the majority religions, plus a plethora of other factors--ad nauseam. To short circuit all of this, I believe that world opinion is not only fickle, but often bought and paid for, or ordered from on high. Much of it is, again, of elitist making, self-serving of the nation at hand, and not of the majority of the people. Then too, find the money trail. At the bottom of much unhappiness is a substantial lack of money. The US has money, even with the indebtedness we have foolishly incurred. Envy is a strong odor emanating from many, many nations and their people because of their impoverished state.
When envy turns to hate, it is difficult to be charitable.
Labels: Obama, World Opinion
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Talk-Talk
A recurring theme from the pacifist liberals is that we must talk to our enemies, talk some more, and then talk again. If that doesn't work, then we must talk some more. The usual quote is: Talk-Talk is better than War-War. We have been trying the Talk-Talk idea for many years to solve some knotty problems on the international scene, notably Iran and the NK and their nuclear ambitions, and Pakistan with its arsenal of nukes and turmoil in the government.
We have convened France, Germany, and Britain to go at Iran for over four years, with zip to report for progress, while the Iranians proceed with their development of nukes at a torrid pace.
We convened five nations--China, SK, Japan, Russia, and the US, to negotiate with the NK for them to halt their nuclear program. To date, the success of these talks has been abysmal, with the NK going ahead with their reactor program. this talk process has been going on since the Clinton Administration, with the only winner being the NK.
We have funneled billions of dollars to Pakistan to attempt to stabilize the government with a modicrum of democracy, and that nation is unravelling as we watch. Talks have not produced a single thing of importance, yet the danger of poorly guarded nuclear weapons in Pakistan is very clear. So is our supply line to Afghanistan across Pakistan in danger of being interdicted.
The time to talk has clearly passed for Iran. Their intrangency after these years of talking is well-documented. Iranian threats against the US and Israel are also well-documented. I had expected a more confrontational approach by Bush this year, but he seems to have backed off. The Israelis have been much more aggressive, but their current leadership is acting weak. Perhaps I am wrong, but it is my belief that after our election there will be a far greater pressure exerted on Iran to give up its nuclear weapons program, or else! They just might have two weeks to decide after November 2,, before we see hard action to deny them WMD.
There will be further negotiations with Pakistan in this period before the new president takes office in late January. If these talks do not succeed, there will be unilateral action by NATO and the US to 1) ensure our supply lines to Afghanistan; 2) to ensure that their nuclear weapons are under real security, and 3) to solve the AQ sanctuary problems and that our cross border attack rights into the tribal areas is approved. Again, with an "or else" attached, either directly or by strong implication.
The NK problem will most likely be left for the next president to work on.
Labels: Nuclear Weapons, Talk-Talk
Sarah Palin for VP
Where a pretty woman energizes the McCain ticket
More power to her! Sarah Palin comes across a genuine, conservative and nice person, which has the Dems running around in Alaska trying to find something, anything, to spike her candidacy. The Dems are backing themselves into a big corner! You go, Sarah!
Labels: Palin
Monday, September 08, 2008
Obama Slip
Obama: "Let's not play games. I was suggesting - you're absolutely right that John McCain has not talked about my Muslim faith."
Was this a gaffe or a slip of the tongue? A most important question.
Labels: Comments on the day, Islam, Muslims, Obama, Obamania
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Bad Timing
The Assault Begins:
0200: The front door crashes in with splintering and cracking sounds. The burglar alarm sounds off immediately, which, contrary to the publicity, does not deter the burglar. He recovers from his two-footed ramming handily, and races up the stairs, heading for the payoff places for a house burglary. He knows that he has at least 5 minutes to rob the house, since the police response time is that slow.
At the top of the stairs he meets with Jay, the homeowner. One look by the burglar and Jay stands aside, not willing to be pummelled to the floor or shot. Judy, his wife, joins him, and they watch, huddled in each other's arms, as the burglar ransacks their bedrooms for money or small valuables. The burglar turns to them and demands their hidden money...or else! Judy runs to the bathroom and recovers their vacation cash, then hands it to the burglar.
0205: The burglar, with a grin, runs out of the house and makes his escape.
0209: The police arrive and make a big show of searching the house and neighborhood and radioing in a description of the burglar, but they are far too late and they know it. The alarm company sends out a representative to soothe their feelings and to sell them additional and obviously useless alarm capability. The homeowners are out perhaps several thousand dollars in cash and jewelry, plus a new door for another thousand or so. Jay and Judy are very, very lucky that they weren't assaulted physically, and sent to the hospital as a result of their injuries. An assault occurs in about 1 out of 5 or so burglary cases, with serious injuries occurring, mostly head traumas, each time.
The Alternate Scenario:
0200: The front door crashes in, and the burglar runs through and up the stairs. Jay hears the crash, grabs his gun, and rushes to the head of the stairs and stands there with his 9mm pointed firmly with both hands at the burglar. The burglar, gun and all, turns and runs out faster than he came in. No one is injured; no one is shot; and there is a fair likelihood that the burglar will be picked up eventually and prosecuted.
0209: The police arrive and do their thing, and so does the useless alarm representative. The loss is one door, plus a good scare.
This scenario (and similar variations) is repeated many times per year and goes almost totally unreported by the media. John Lott estimated from reading police blotters that it happens about 3 million times all over the US per year. The simple message being that having a gun in the home saves lives, and injuries (and of course, property) far, far in excess of any self-inflicted gun injuries or deaths the gun's presence in the home may cause.
Thank God for the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution!
Labels: Guns
