EGYPT - Another Foreign Policy Failure !!

The U.S. should have been pressuring Mobarek to work towards offering a "middle class" reform version of government in Egypt all along-over the last 10 years or so.

Now, its a bit too late....the people have gotten tired of waiting.


So now, .........the only alternatives are a military coup, or a relatively unknown IAEA rep.....either of which will not be able to resist the more-organized and widely spread influence of the Muslim Brotherhood! Just look at Tunisia & Lebanon! So, there goes "the neighborhood".....all because we are pre-occupied with our quest in Afghanistan and other such worn-out & ill-managed objectives!
So where do we go NOW ???

Another example of politics & foreign policy run amuck!!!
Give OB and Hillary another "F" for Failure!

The FIRST step in "Obamacare Bill" REPLACEMENT

For clarity....Here is the Bill submitted in 112th Congress by M. Blackburn on Thurs 1/20/2011.
This is where we should concentrate our efforts:

"In September, Republicans pledged to repeal ObamaCare if elected to the majority in the House. In Novemeber you spoke clearly. This week, we passed a repeal bill.

Repeal was only the first part of our pledge. We also made a promise to replace ObamaCare with patient-centered reforms that would reduce cost and expand access to health insurance.

Yesterday, I introduced the Health Care Choice Act. The bill has the support of Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton and the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, Joe Pitts. Over seventy other Members of the House have joined me in co-sponsoring the bill.

For decades, state borders have created artificial barriers to competition in the health care market. By allowing consumers to purchase health insurance across state lines, the Health Care Choice Act helps to dissolve those barriers.

Here is how the Health Care Choices Act will work to bring down the price of health insurance: Today, when Tennesseans buy health insurance, they are paying for all the coverage requirements that the state insurance commissioner mandates insurers doing buisness in Tennessee must offer. Those mandates vary from state to state.

If you are a young person out buying insurance for the first time, you probably don't need a plan that covers hip replacements. Likewise, if you are a retiree looking for a good policy, you wouldn't be interested in one that offers neonatal care or covers in vitro fertilization treatments. However both the young professional and the new retiree must carry those benefits if the state where they live mandates them.

The Health Care Choice Act allows you to to go online, or to an insurance agent, to shop for a policy that meets your needs- even if that policy is offered in another state. That policy might also have addtitional coverage you need that isn't mandated in your home state.

The Health Care Choice Act expands the health insurance marketplace beyond state lines and gives insurance companies an incentive to compete for your buisness. We all know that competition reduces cost, expands options, and increases efficency.

Competition is what makes the Health Care Choice Act a better approach than ObamaCare. ObamaCare creates national mandates for all health insurance policies, driving up costs for everyone. At the same time ObamaCare mandates that everyone carry a health insurance policy- even if they don't need or want the coverage offered.

The bet ObamaCare makes is the near-term expenses incurred through these mandates will be made up by the long-term savings once everyone is in the insurance pool. Tennessee tried that approach through TennCare and it nearly bankrupted the state.

The Health Care Choice Act introduces competition instead of mandates. That competition will reduce costs and expand access. It will give Americans the coverage they need at a price they want to pay. That is a promise that ObamaCare won't ever deliver on."
My Best
Marsha
January 24 at 6:40am

The TIME HAS COME !!!

It all boils down to interpretations of the various clauses of the Constitution.


As Antifederalists, often led by Patrick Henry, had grave reservations that certain clauses in the Constitution like the "general welfare" clause would be too "liberally" interpreted, and eventually lead to a tyrannical government in the hands of the wrong people..... the Bill of Rights and subsequent amendments came to being.


Even the First Amendment where Congress "shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof".......is entirely twisted around to essentially prohibit one's exercise of any religion in a public manner...despite the fact that Christianity was the most important factor in shaping the Colonies.
When the country was founded....it was essentially made up of Puritans, Quakers, and Virginians (or Aristocrats). All three were certainly quite diverse, and yet each colony was quite adamant (and vigilant) against the interference of their religious rights (and freedoms) by the other! So, began the quest to formulate a government which would allow each to openly practice these rights without restriction or interference from each other nor from any "central" government. Hence the insistence of STATES RIGHTS !! In other words, it did not grant powers to the central government to interfere in the church-state relations as decided upon by any of the states individually.

Even the Civil War (or War Between the States ...as it more accurately was).....was not over slavery, but over the States Rights to secede.
The legal basis for secession (or States Rights) is found in the Tenth amend. which leaves any powers not delegated to the States....to the States.....thus, since there is no power given to suppress secession; so it remains a right reserved to the States.

Look at the Commerce Clause.....how all encompassing they have tried to make this become!! Just ridiculous!!

Even the 14th Amend....giving US citizenship to babies who "just happen" to be born on U.S. land....EVEN ILLEGALLY!!
How crazy is that!!!.....no one seems to pay attention to the words "and under the jurisdiction of"; nor do they look to the original intent under which this Amendment was adopted.

As you can see, constitutional interpretations, today, have long been slaughtered, mutilated, and essentially disfigured to protect powerful politicians, special interest groups, etc. It is destroying our Republic and the "freedoms" we once had !!


Mostly due to the creation and development of the "Nanny State" arising from a gradual deterioration of Individual responsibilty, morality and family values!!

YES ....the TIME HAS COME !!!

2011..... HERE WE COME !!!!

I'm posting this editorial from Ken Huber which depicts the dire situation we faced leading up to and throughout 2010.....

The question now is where do we go from here ????
With some promise of hope showing on the horizon as a result of Tea Party and Conservative Patriotism gains in the Nov 2, 2010 elections, we have reason to be CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC !!!






pix by J. Scott Applewhite, AP

The tea party became a political juggernaut as sympathizers showed up at rallies, called in to talk radio and, most importantly, turned out at campaign events. Here, tea party activists demonstrate against government spending on Sept. 12 in Washington.

As many bloggers are now busy forecasting the next events....
all Washington and the Nation waits to see whether "newly-elected Tea Party-supported" candidates, now duly-elected politicians, WILL change and DO WHAT THEY CAMPAIGNED ON?? They have been warned to act like "adults" on tough votes involving the federal debt, government over-spending, tax reform, Obamacare, entitlement reforms, upholding the Constitution and stopping government's "over-reaching" policies....(some are already showing weak stomachs under the onslaught of entrenched lobbyists). Others have already been called out as hypocrites for consorting with Wall Street types and/or indulging in continued pork-barrel spending.

So.....it won't be too long before we will see how far the "trust" goes!
Will the Republican Party find that true "energizing" leader that will keep them on track and performing up to hopes and expectations of the now "not-so-silent majority"??
or...

Will a THIRD Political Party be in the offing should the Republicans fail again and show signs of crumbling under the weight of a still-broken, poorly-performing Congress?

Perhaps, as some believe (and wish), that some kind of merger amongst Tea Party groups, moderate Libertarians, Right-leaning Conservatives and other Independents will be the default result!?




Well, we all know TAX REFORM is needed!
And for those willing to "turn the page" and think "Fairly" and not "selfishly"....the ANSWER IS THE FAIR TAX !!!

A Quick View of the FAIR TAX ...8 Reasons to Support it Now !! by Bernie Valentine
1. EVERYONE participates !!....even tax dodgers, illegals, criminals, visitors, etc. .....EVERYONE !!
2. YOU take home your full paycheck...NO TAXES !!!
3. The FAIR tax is a VOLUNTARY CONSUMPTION Tax, you decide when & where.... & only on NEW retail purchases !!
4. BUSINESS Taxes are eliminated, costs reduced; encouraging them to return to U.S. and bring JOBS back!!
5. Since business costs are reduced, competition & free markets will allow prices to come down.
6. Tax compliance costs are gone, by eliminating IRS as well as costs of filing returns.
7. The PREBATE sent to everyone ensures that no taxes are paid on goods up to the poverty level.
8. The tax is VISIBLE....collected by the States by vendors at point of consumption.

I can't talk enough about how desparately our nation needs this system! My understanding is that this Bill HR25 (and the Senate version S296) plus the companion Bill HJR16 repealing the 16th Amend. will be brought to the floor early on in 2011 for debate.
PLEASE....Read, learn and UNDERSTAND THIS BILL....WE NEED ITS PASSAGE ASAP!

OK....One last topic I must address...FOREIGN POLICY!!!
There are really MANY others, but I will deal with those in separate posts.

For God's Sake, bring our soldiers home !!!.. and give up this insane concept of "nation-rebuilding" as a means of fighting this "War on Terror"!!

If any of you honestly believe that terrorist efforts are being diminished by our sacrificing our military in Afghanistan, you are sadly mistaken. Even the Taliban are simply "waiting us out".
For heaven's sake, we all know there are as many "terrorists" in our own backyard as in Afghanistan!!! Yup....and apparently they are just satisfied with the idea of providing us with a "death by a million cuts"!
And so what are we doing in Afghanistan??... Over 9 yrs of chasing who?? Where? Really now!!!
Oh,yes...."Winning the hearts & minds of the people", huh!? I sure remember that broken tune....different singers now, that's all!!
Are we to expect that this same "unsucessful" strategy will next be carried out in Yemen, or Somalia, ...or some other forsaken "pothole" that breeds fanatical discontent with Western culture?? Give me a break!!


Yes, use our intelligence (if we have any left) and take actions (with our military, if needed) to protect our vital nation interests; but let's not play these stupid games that we have chosen to follow ever since the horrendous days of Vietnam!


LET'S GIVE OUR SOLDIERS THE RESPECT THEY DESERVE...BRING THEM HOME!!

More on "TRAGEDY of the COMMONS"

Let's try an OPEN discussion of the merits of this principle which John Stossel of the FOX Business Channel calls a "Tragedy of the Commons".
It's an interesting and, I believe, very important principle as to why SOCIALISM fails.
It brings out the all-important need of having an "ownership" or, at least, a "vested" interest in things.....even into such policies as "government entitlements".

His opening story explains it:
"I first heard that phrase in a story about shepherds who lived around a grassy area they called a commons. Since the shepherds shared this free, green grass, they grabbed as much of it as possible. They brought many more sheep to graze. Soon ... all the grass was gone.
The sheep died, and the shepherds had nothing. Then then they divided the commons into parcels. Each shepherd owned one. Each had an incentive to limit the number of sheep that grazed on his grass. Prosperity happened, and everyone lived happily ever after."


In actuality, we see this "tragedy" displayed with the mentality
of so many of our "entitlement recipients".

Take WELFARE for instance.....

How many times do you think someone on Medicaid will schedule a visit to the Doctor "in their office" as opposed to "just going to the ER" for convenience sake alone??

It's much easier to just call it an "EMERGENCY" isn't it?? The grass is still plentiful, huh??

So, let's look at FOOD STAMPS. When do you think someone gave back any "un-needed" or unused stamps?.....
or would you think that anyone would be dis-honest enough to sell, trade or give away those un-needed stamps to someone else?? Tough question, huh?






Read more

So, Who's to blame ???

Just finished working the Early Voting here......and, it always hits me at these times, just how "uninformed" most of our electorate is!! So many come in with "no clue", no prior knowledge or information as to what is on the ballot!! Just amazing !!!
And we wonder why things are screwed up!!??

10 Birther Facts - Still waiting for answers !!

So what do you think ?? Anyone hiding something ??