Category Archives: Opinion

LIBYA – OBAMA’S WAR

Posted on June 20, 2011 | 2 comments

The New York Times had the following to say regarding the Commander in Chief’s ordering of U.S. participation in the Libyan hostilities.

President Obama rejected the views of top lawyers at the Pentagon and the Justice Department when he [Obama] decided that he had the legal authority to continue American military participation in the air war in Libya without Congressional authorization.

Jeh C. Johnson, the Pentagon general counsel, and Caroline D. Krass, the acting head of the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, had told the White House that they believed that the United States military’s activities in the NATO-led air war amounted to “hostilities.” [that] required Mr. Obama to terminate or scale back the mission after May 20.

Presidents have the legal authority to override the legal conclusions of the Office of Legal Counsel and to act in a manner that is contrary to its advice, but it is extraordinarily rare for that to happen. Under normal circumstances, the office’s interpretation of the law is legally binding on the executive branch.

It was strictly a matter of copy and paste from NY Times to the RandomThots post other than minor editing, within the brackets, for clarity.  You can read the original article by clicking here.

My question is – what would you have written for a headline?  Perhaps “President Defies Legal Opinion of Government Counsel’? Or how about ”Obama Acts Contrary to Law According to Department of Justice and Pentagon Attorney”.  As a former headline copy writer, I can see that’s too long.  Here’s my choice, “Obama Decline to Obey the Law”.

The Times headline — “2 Top Lawyers Lost to Obama in Libya War Policy Debate”.

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WHAT IS IT THAT COMPELS AMERICAN COMPANIES TO GO OVERSEAS ?

Posted on June 14, 2011 | 1 comment

The reason manufacturing and jobs are going overseas is as plain as the chart in front of your face.  As you can see from the chart, corporate tax rates have been trending down in OECD countries while U.S. corporate tax rates have remained among the highest in the developed world.

A business can absorb the cost of a little higher tax than its rivals and still remain competitive – – up to a point.  But when the difference is as much as 50%, it starts to become a matter of survival, not just the ability to compete.  At 39% the U.S. rate is exactly 50% higher than the average rate in the OECD countries.

The OECD is the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.  It is a group of 34 nations, mostly but not all, located in Europe.  These are not third world countries.  Typical members and their current corporate income tax rates include Germany (15%), Switzerland (8%), and the United Kingdom (26%).  Our rate (39%) is the absolute highest on the entire list of OECD countries.  The only other nations that exceed the 30% level are Belgium and France.

It is no secret which political party is acting to keep it that way.  It is the same party whose constituents complain the loudest about U.S. corporations sending jobs overseas.  It is the same party whose shibboleth is tax the rich.  It’s the party that penalizes achievement and supports indolence.  It is the party with the least understanding of how wealth is created and the best skills for appropriating it to spend in the furtherance of central planning agendas.  It is the Democratic Party.

Onerous domestic taxation is not the only reason companies choose to go overseas.  Laws and regulations are another.  It is not that regulations are more liberal in foreign lands, although that is often the case for certain industries.  The relative attraction is that you can plan and deal with the devil you know better than you can with one you don’t.  If there is one word that describes the business policies coming from the Obama administration, that word would be uncertainty.  Given the President’s position on Card Check, health insurance price controls, drilling moratorium, corporate executive salary controls and eagerness to partially nationalize companies in the name of bailouts it would be foolish to assume the uncertainty would unfold to the favorable side.

While the ever socialistic Europe is moving slightly to the right, the bastion of free market society that is America, is rushing hell-bent for leather to the left.  Eastern Europeans know where we are going.  They have been there and it wasn’t good.  We need to change course before we find out what they already know.  If we continue on the present course, believe me; it won’t be good.

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Posted in Economy, Opinion, Political philosophy, Regulation

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SAVE YOUR MONEY. YOU WILL NEED IT TO BUY ELECTRICITY.

Posted on June 13, 2011 | 2 comments

Electricity costs are projected to rise between 11 and 24 percent over the next 2 ½ years.  The rate of increase will vary according to where you live.  American Electric Power is one of the largest generators of electric power in the United States.  Taking AEP as an example we find that five of their coal fired generating plants will be unable to meet new EPA standards and will need to be shut down.  Six more generating plants are in jeopardy of the same fate, but might be saved with expenditures of 6 to 8 billion dollars.  In some regions the cost of production will rise by 35% by the end of 2014, according to a statement by AEP.

What the present administration cannot accomplish by legislation it does through regulation.  In 2008 Obama pledged to bankrupt the coal industry with Cap and Trade legislation but was not able to get Cap and Trade through Congress.  That left the job to the Environmental Protection Agency, hence these new proposals.

Here is what the National Economic Research Associates had to say about the new regs.

Using government data for its assumptions, NERA found the rules would increase costs for the electricity sector by more than $184 billion total or about $17.8 billion per year. Average electricity prices would increase by 11.5% and in some areas of the country, the increase could be as high as 23% in states such as Tennessee and Kentucky, according to the study.

The rules would also impact employment, with an estimated loss of 1.4 million job-years by 2020. A job-year is one job for one year, according to [the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity].

“The analysis by NERA shows that these would be some of the most expensive EPA rules ever imposed on coal-fueled power plants – costing more than $180 billion, causing double-digit rate electricity rate increases in many states, and leading to substantial job losses nationwide,” ACCCE President and CEO Steve Miller said in a statement Wednesday.

Details about the NERA study are available here.

And that’s not all.  Home heating costs would rise for those who use natural gas to heat their homes.  The NERA estimates the necessary conversion of some generating plants from coal to gas would increase the demand for gas by 26% causing natural gas prices to rise about 17% by the year 2016.

That’s the bad news.  The good news is that the bad news is a proposal.  Proposals are not inevitable.  Congress does have the power to intervene but has shown little inclination to do so.  This is an important issue that needs more attention.

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Posted in Energy, Opinion, Regulation

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WHO IS LT. COLONEL ALLEN WEST ?

Posted on June 4, 2011 | 1 comment

Col. West was stripped of his Command and forced to resign from the U.S. Army for the tactic he used to save the lives of a battle unit of American soldiers in Iraq by scaring an enemy combatant into revealing the information the Colonel needed to effect the rescue of his men.  He didn’t use torture.  He didn’t injure the enemy.

The enemy was sitting in a chair.  According to one report, Col. West took out his service revolver, aimed it in close range at the man’s genitals and demanded an answer to his question.  The combatant refused.  Col. West pulled the trigger.  But he intentionally missed.  The bullet went harmlessly into the floor.  The Colonel then aimed his revolver in a similar manner as before. He asked the question again.  This time he got the information he needed.  His gun went back into the holster.  The other version differs only in that the pistol was held closely to his head (the one on his shoulders).

He may be the next thing to a criminal to some, but he is a hero in my book.  On the battlefield an enemy can be shot and killed.  But in an interrogation room the same enemy cannot even be frightened?  Since when is it more acceptable to allow some of your own brothers and sisters to risk being killed than it is scare a person who tried to kill them and would would try again if given the chance?

In the wake of the incident, Col. West received more than 2,000 letters of support from many quarters, including a letter signed by 95 members of Congress.  Enemy ambushes in his are of responsibility ceased. They resumed again when he was relieved of that command.

Col. West is now Rep. West, having been elected to Congress in 2010 by the people of Florida’s District 22, which includes Broward County.  The man is impressive.  Click the video to see him at work.

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NETANYAHU PRAISES WHAT OBAMA DEPLORES – AMERICA

Posted on May 31, 2011 | Leave a comment

When Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke before a joint session of Congress he received numerous standing ovations.  This is what he had to say about America.  He opened his speech with:

Israel has no better friend than America.  And America has no better friend than Israel.  We stand together to defend democracy.  We stand together to advance peace.  We stand together to fight terrorism.  Congratulations America, Congratulations, Mr. President.  You got bin Laden.  Good riddance.

And he closed with these sincere remarks:

 My friends, the momentous trials of the last century, and the unfolding events of this century, attest to the decisive role of the United States in advancing peace and defending freedom. Providence entrusted the United States to be the guardian of liberty. All peoples who cherish freedom owe a profound debt of gratitude to your great nation. Among the most grateful nations is my nation, the people of Israel, who have fought for their liberty and survival against impossible odds, in ancient and modern times alike.

I speak on behalf of the Jewish people and the Jewish state when I say to you, representatives of America, Thank you. Thank you for your unwavering support for Israel. Thank you for ensuring that the flame of freedom burns bright throughout the world. May God bless all of you. And may God forever bless the United States of America.

There was a time when America had presidents who appreciated their homeland like that. There was a time when our presidents knew America was a force for good in the world. That time will be back. We made a mistake. We were led astray. We elected a man most of us did not know. We are wiser now. When the leader of a foreign nation like Israel has not lost faith in the American people, by what measure should we?

Every nation has had its failings. A leader’s responsibility is to see those failings are not repeated; it is not his place to air them before the rest of the world. Caroline Glick had this to say about Obama in the Jerusalem Post:

Since he assumed office, Obama has been traveling the world apologizing for America’s world leadership. He has been lecturing the American people about the need to subordinate America’s national interests to global organizations like the United Nations that are controlled by dictatorships which despise [America].

Suddenly, here was an allied leader reminding them of why America is a great nation that leads the world by right, not by historical coincidence.

And Netanyahu showed real pride in his own people.

In an unstable Middle East, Israel is the one anchor of stability. In a region of shifting alliances, Israel is America’s unwavering ally. Israel has always been pro-American. Israel will always be pro-American.

My friends, you don’t need to do nation building in Israel. We’re already built. You don’t need to export democracy to Israel. We’ve already got it. You don’t need to send American troops to defend Israel. We defend ourselves.

The comparison between the two leaders is saddening. In fact it is painful.

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VOTER FRAUD AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Posted on May 30, 2011 | Leave a comment

“[V]oter fraud remains a significant component of the Democratic Party’s electoral strategy.” 

Those bold words were written by John Hinderaker in a Power Line article titled Dayton Vetoes Voter ID Law.  It is a strong statement to make, but how else can you explain the consistent opposition to voter ID programs by Democrats, and only by Democrats, in state after state? 

Indiana Democrats opposed to tighter voter identification requirements took the issue all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court where they lost in a 6 to 3 vote in April 2008.  The court rejected the argument that requiring reliable identification from voters would deter poor, older and minority voters from casting ballots.

Deter the poor?  Voter ID cards are free.  In fact most people already have acceptable ID cards.  Here is a typical list of what is generally accepted. Any one will do.

The photo ID of any employee of any department of the federal government.

Any photo ID of any employee of any municipal board, authority or other entity of any state.

Any photo ID issued to non-employees by any municipality, any state or by the federal government.

A valid Driver’s License, even if expired.

A special Voter ID Card issued without charge by the voter registrar’s office.

This list happens to be from the State of Georgia.  But every bill proposed has included special provisions to meet the needs of the indigent and handicapped.  The only ones disenfranchised are your dog or cat or names taken from gravestones.  There simply is no honest reason to oppose the requirement of reliable identification in order to vote.

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WHY DID BARACK OBAMA GO TO IRELAND?

Posted on May 25, 2011 | 1 comment

 Rush Limbaugh, in one of his anti-Obama tirades, threw out the line “Now he’s on a trip to Ireland. Who knows for what?” Well I know for what. Rush probably knows too. Because, for all his bombast and irreverence, Limbaugh is still worth listening to for the benefit of his insights. President Obama went to Ireland to reshape his image. It was a campaign stop.

Feelings like these expressed by Dorothy Rabinowitz writing for The Wall Street Journal have taken ground.

[It has become evident that] this president—single-minded, ever-visible, confident in his program for a reformed America saved from darkness by his arrival—was wanting in certain qualities citizens have until now taken for granted in their presidents. Namely, a tone and presence that said: This is the Americans’ leader, a man of them, for them, the nation’s voice and champion.

Those qualities to be expected in a president were never about rhetoric; Mr. Obama had proved himself a dab hand at that on the campaign trail. They were a matter of identification with the nation and to all that binds its people together in pride and allegiance. These are feelings held deep in American hearts, unvoiced mostly, but unmistakably there and not only on the Fourth of July.

A great part of America now understands that this president’s sense of identification lies elsewhere, and is in profound ways unlike theirs. He is hard put to sound convincingly like the leader of the nation, because he is, at heart and by instinct, the voice mainly of his ideological class. He is the alien in the White House, a matter having nothing to do with delusions about his birthplace cherished by the demented fringe.

Such an image does not bode well for re-election. Obama needs to turn attention away from his Kenyan and Muslim roots. He will have the black vote in any event but cannot afford to lose the votes of other proud Americans. If too many voters agree with Rabinowitz or with Pam Geller’s assessment that Barack Obama is The First Post-American President it could cost him the election. The American people love the Irish. A trip to the Emerald Isle is the perfect facelift. It’s also good for a few extra votes from Irish Americans come 2012.

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HEALTHCARE, PROFITS AND INSURANCE

Posted on May 16, 2011 | Leave a comment

 The New York Times Business page reports:
“Health Insurers Making Record Profits”

Well I hope so.

Record profits lead to record jobs. Record profits means a greater positive contribution to a growing economy than ever before. Record profits support growth in dividends, the staple of retired people depending on the fruits of their personal life savings in their end years. Record profits increase the value of a company and its shares of public ownership. When those shares go up in price it increases the value of pension plans and retirement funds. The more companies there are reporting record profits, the more companies there will be paying record taxes. Record profits are a good thing.

What happens when there are no record profits? By definition, a company that’s not reporting record profits is not doing as well as it once did. The enterprise has fallen into a state of decline. Its contribution to the national GDP is less than it was. The general definition of a recession is three quarters of negative GDP. Companies reporting lower levels of profit tend to be a drag on GDP until profits start to grow again. When companies are in a slump they postpone expansion and temper hiring programs even when the decline is judged to be a temporary state. Lower profits are not a good thing.

Somehow I suspect the Times doesn’t see it that way.

Bob B

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FRANKIE GIRARD AND THE NAVY SEALS

Posted on May 14, 2011 | Leave a comment

From the town of Orange in the state of Massachusetts by way of Channel 22. Be sure to read the comments as well as the article.

The family of Frankie Girard is claiming that their son’s civil rights were violated after a teacher allegedly told him that hanging his picture of the American flag would offend another student.

A student’s drawing of the American flag posted on a bulletin board in an American school might offend another student? Clark Gable had the answer for that – “Frankly Scarlet, I don’t give a damn.”

Courtesy of the White House Dossier

Carney may also have wanted to avoid a public spat with Defense Secretary Gates, who yesterday appeared to be suggesting that White House officials broke an agreement to keep quiet about how the Bin Laden raid went down.

    “Frankly, a week ago Sunday, in the Situation Room, we all agreed that we would not release any operational details from the effort to take out bin Laden. That all fell apart on Monday, the next day.”

Gates added that Navy SEALs who performed the operation now have concerns for the safety of their families.

Leave it to the Obama administration!

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OBAMA BEATS BUSH AS ANTI-TERROR FIGHTER IN BLOOMBERG POLL

Posted on May 13, 2011 | Leave a comment

A clear case of ignorance.

In a Bloomberg poll of global investors, the overseas investors rated Obama as superior to former president Bush in fighting terrorism. Only 16 percent rated Bush as stronger. Back at home, 54 percent of American investors rated Bush as the stronger one.

At first blush one might think it was the killing of bin Laden that gave foreign investors the notion that Obama is the stronger horse in the battle against Islamic terrorism. After all, the killing of Osama happened on Obama’s watch and it is obvious he gave the order to kill, and not to capture. That was leadership. But the opinions rendered in the voting come from sources much deeper than that.

Ignorance, the press and prejudice played a part. In fact, I would guess they played the major role. Undoubtedly, overseas investors are an intelligent lot. But ignorance isn’t stupidity; it’s just lack of knowledge. On the subject of American politics and presidents knowledge comes from the press. The ideology of the European main stream press lies somewhere between that of MSNBC and The Nation magazine. Michael Moore is a hero in that world because he is regarded as one American who speaks the truth. Obama is admired because he’s the first president to take America down a peg or two.

The idea that the assassination of Osama was only made possible by Bush policies that Obama opposed is an argument that doesn’t even exist in the foreign press. Tidbits like his de facto denial that the Fort Hood massacre was a terrorist act go unreported in the foreign media. Neither are their readers told that interrogations regarding terrorism are no longer conducted by the CIA. Due to Obama’s policies such interrogations became the function of a domestic crime agency, the FBI.

It’s quite understandable why only 16 percent of overseas investors favor Bush’s response to terrorism. The real question is why 46 percent of American investors put more trust in Obama for his performance on security.

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