CONSERVATIVE POLITICAL COMMENTARY
Pro-Constitution, Anti-Globalist, Anti-Socialist, Anti-Communist, and usually with an attempt at historical and economic context ************************13th Year ----- 2009-2021*****

Friday, June 30, 2017

What's Happened to America's Founding Principles?


 

Has America improved over the years in light of its Founders' intentions and the founding documents? With the founding of a nation unique in the world in its governing philosophy, has the nation been faithful to its ideals? A compelling explanation of what has happened over these years to the American Founders' vision is discussed in Angelo Codevilla's three-part series called “Progression – or Degeneracy?” These essays discuss philosophical and practical topics, and their message commands attention.

The essays appear at American Greatness.

The above link is to the first part, where you will find links to the second and third parts. It is worthwhile reading and valuable food for thought. I had not been aware of this website until today, and I have added it to my list of “Interesting Links.” Enjoy and think.
–  E.H.
 



Illustration: Declaration of Independence, by John Trumbull, 1819 (Wikipedia)

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Bernie Sanders on Trump: It's Sanders Who Shouldn't Be Believed

By Eddie Howell

Michael Walsh of Yahoo News reported on Bernie Sanders' remarks during a discussion at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C., on June 22.

Is Senator Bernie Sanders correct that President Donald Trump's “authoritarianism” is a threat to American democracy? Hardly. American democracy, in terms of people saying and doing what they like, voting as they like with honest results, and worshiping as they like, indeed the whole Bill of Rights appears to be in quite good shape. Of course the Tenth Amendment hasn't been respected by government in the last century, and more, with few exceptions. But Trump has had little influence on that.

Sanders obviously prefers the policies of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to those of Donald Trump.

Sanders says no president has told as many “outrageous and blatant lies” as Trump. Really? It would take quite a few misstatements of fact to equal Obama's blatant lie, “If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. Period.” He used that one to sell a destructive health care power grab that a majority of Americans never wanted. Plenty of other lies came from Obama, enough to make Trump look like a faithful Boy Scout.

A few more of Obama's many lies, as listed by Western Journalism in an article by Derrick Hollenbeck, dated September 4, 2012, are the following:

Obama said there has never been a better friend of Israel in the White House, and also “In May 2011, Obama asked G8 member nations to fund the Arab Spring counties who are clearly on their way to planning an all-out attack on Israel.”

“Obama lied and said that there would not be public funding of abortions under Obamacare.” Further,
Remember Obama telling us there would be no earmarks in his 2009 stimulus package? He lied. The bill had over 9,000 earmarks in it; and of course, it failed to deliver even a small improvement for our economy.
And those are just in his first term.

Authoritarianism? When a president uses his legitimate authority, which is considerable, that is not authoritarianism. If you want examples of authoritarianism, consider Democrat presidents. Woodrow Wilson made it illegal to criticize the government or the World War I effort. Barack Obama legislated immigration policies contrary to statute, after previously stating, correctly, that he lacked the authority to do so. His pen and phone were used to usurp congressional authority, but Congress made no real attempt to stop him. They simply criticized him, and filed a few lawsuits.

Trump's efforts with executive orders are mostly aimed at undoing Obama's abuses and keeping his own campaign promises, within existing law, in the fields of immigration, regulations and others.

Largely by his own authoritarian policies, Obama had America set up to suffer his “third term” in the presidency of Hillary Clinton, had she been elected as expected. Fortunately, the election of Trump has, in my opinion, saved America from globalism and a calamitous collapse, at least temporarily.

Also, contrary to Mr. Sanders' statement, President Trump's statement that the “mainstream media” is “fake news,” not to be believed, is quite true in the realm of political news, especially in “reporting” on Donald Trump. It is blatantly obvious that much political “journalism” from the MSM these days is actually anti-Trump propaganda. Also,
[Sanders] said Trump’s outbursts at judges are not simply “temper tantrums” but a blatant disregard for the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution — attempts to delegitimize a coequal branch of government so it cannot constrain his power.
But the courts brought criticism upon themselves by playing politics and ignoring the president's constitutional power to limit immigration. If the president wanted to, he could legally stop any and all immigration, which has been done for long periods in previous years. If the president believes limiting immigration is necessary, he can do it, no matter what he might have said during his election campaign.

Sanders thinks Trump's criticism of judges is a danger to constitutional separation of powers, but Democrats have a poor record in that regard. Sanders thinks Trump is trying to “delegitimize a coequal branch of government.” But he's simply expressing reasonable opinions. And the courts have constrained his power, though not, in my opinion, legitimately. Meanwhile, Democrats and leftists are trying to delegitimize the Trump presidency, i.e., that of the Chief Executive of the coequal Executive Branch of government, which to Sanders is apparently OK.

Further, it must be noted that, while socialist Sanders complains of authoritarianism, socialism is the very acme of authoritarianism, which it has to be, in order to make its anti-freedom, paternalistic system work (for a while). Socialism leads to things like we see in Venezuela, as a relatively mild example. Lenin said, “The goal of socialism is communism.” Ludwig von Mises, libertarian economist said, “The goal of socialism is socialism.” It is not individual freedom or economic prosperity, and even if it were, socialists know no way of producing either.

Monday, June 19, 2017

Trump Is Right – The MSM Is the Enemy of the American People

By Eddie Howell

The “Mainstream” Media are no longer mainstream, but are, in fact, the enemy of the American people – along with their patrons the hysterical leftist politicians and globalist elites. There is no restraint in their propaganda any more. Anything goes, as long as it might contribute to the destruction of President Trump and his administration.

The elites and their brainless followers will allow no reasoned argument to get in the way of their seditious, often treasonous activities: paid rioting mobs, senseless attacks on defenseless people, violence against law enforcement, shutting down freedom of speech. Why aren't more of these people going to prison? Why aren't college campus crimes by students and others punished?

With the DC shootings, as Ann Coulter said, the “resistance” has gone live-fire. When media figures are excusing the shooting of Congressman Scalise, decency is going out the window. When celebrities can cheer the “Julius Caesar” Trump stabbing at a play, they probably would howl with delight if something like that actually befell the president. For my money, these folks are without moral standards, let alone journalistic standards, and are worse than worthless until/unless they repent.

Speaking of Ann Coulter, this is her appearance on Fox News' Tucker Carlson Tonight after President Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement, and Kathy Griffin released her infamous Trump beheaded video. Poor leftist victims!



Scott Pelley said the shooting of Scalise was “somewhat self-inflicted.” Does he wonder why his ratings are slipping? These media figures of the MSM are slowly putting themselves and their employers out of work. It is only to be expected that print media and broadcast news are losing readers and viewers. People know they can't be trusted. In fact, they suspect, with justification, that the MSM is actually not so much interested in informing them, but, like the elites, are more out to get them.

Trump can make a lot of sense with his tweets. The progressives don't like the tweets because he tells the truth about them. They obviously have only contempt for Mr. Trump and his supporters. Further, the globalists have contempt for all ordinary people, and wouldn't mind wiping many of them out through war and other means. War is one way they make their fortunes, ya know.

You can be sure that any liberals' calls for unity after the DC shooting was just lip service, and they know they will do nothing to promote unity and a lot to increase division.

Mr, Trump is criticized for his tendency to counter-punch when attacked, but that represents his best way of getting his message across and possibly exacting compensation for unjustified attacks.

To call Mr. Trump a racist, bigot, homophobe, Islamophobe, or anything similar simply shows that the left has no cogent arguments and knows nothing but name calling and innuendo. I would like to see the president throw their criticisms right back in their faces, fire Mueller, fire Rosenstein, and scrap the phony FBI Russia investigation. Perhaps he should file suit against some of his defamers and libelers. And most of all, fire all the Obama holdovers and get his own people in place. Then fire and prosecute all the leakers that can be identified. And get the DOJ to investigate the real criminals Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

Whatever the president's critics think he's doing that's bad for America, their own actions are a hundred times worse because they are striking at the very foundation of our country. Of course, if they don't care for America, they find that OK. They may think it would be OK to be ruled by Angela Merkel and her friends, and greatly increase our population of unvetted immigrants. If that's the case, it is treason.

Friday, June 2, 2017

President Trump's Wise Climate Decision

By Eddie Howell

The leftist/globalists are beside themselves with anger over President Trump's decision to pull America out of the Paris climate accord. If they just listened to his speech objectively, they would see that he would have been foolish not to do so. It was mainly a legalized extortion scheme to transfer American wealth and jobs to other countries. That's why the leftist/globalists are so upset.

A lot of the unhinged reactions to the decision are based on just that, but some are happening because people are simply ignorant of (1) the economic damage America would endure, and (2) the serious misconceptions and weaknesses of the accord. It's a political agreement designed to get American money, made by people who should know that if everyone involved did everything the accord required, it would have no positive effect on the climate, and a very negative effect on America. Mr. Trump explains –


The globalists and leftists, here and abroad aren't concerned with the bad results the accord would bring for the U. S., they just want America to sacrificially support the globalist agenda. Germany is especially upset, because they would not get to impose the accord on us, forcing a substantial surrender of American sovereignty. Like France, we would be ruled to a considerable extent by Angela Merkel. And they somehow can't understand Trump's decision.

Trump is wise to fulfill his campaign pledges about this and other matters pertaining to foreign entanglements that put our country at a distinct disadvantage. Bravo, Mr. President!


Further reading:

Melanie Arter, “Trump Pulling Out of Paris Accord: Amounts to Redistribution of Wealth to Foreign Countries,” 06/01/2017. CNS News

Ryan McMaken, “Studying the Climate Doesn't Make You an Expert on Economics and Politics,” 06/01/2017, Mises Wire