Last week old pappy and I were hoping that the attacks in Paris might become a catalyst for unifying our divergent political parties here in our good old U.S. of A.
Apparently, FOX “News” is having none of such folderol. While France and the US militaries have increased bombing ISIS targets, and President Obama is in Turkey attempting to unify the Group of Twenty nations in response to the ISIS threats, good old FOX has stepped up their attacks on the Prez and Hillary! Nice reaction from the fount of media truth, “Take your unity and shove it!”
Especially since the horrible attacks in Paris, Fox seems to be basking in a glorious surge of misinformation dissemination, attempting to spread fear (Gosh, that’s an ugly way to make a living). They are dragging up their stable of “retired” military and intelligence operatives to frighten our public about how badly the current Commander-in-Chief is not protecting us. This morning they even had good old Sarah Palin uttering a steady stream of Alaskan witticisms, and explaining that, “…. the President is naive, OK?” She just happened to be there, we imagine, promoting her book, “Sweet Freedom: A Devotional.”
Well, submitting to politics as usual, we still want to comment on the “Debates.”
Probably tempered by the terrible attacks, the Demoblicans on Saturday night presented a somewhat more civilized tone than that of the crowded staging of Republicrats earlier in the week. However, Bernie and Marty, seemingly without specific malicious intent, wound up pointing out the inconsistencies in dear old Hillary’s ever-evolving positions. Then, Hillary wasn’t particularly helpful to her own cause by attempting to use the 9/11 attacks to explain her special “sympathy” for Wall Street.
Good old Fox, of course, claims that all three of these candidates, due to the despised “political correctness,” are too hesitant to even use the term “radical Islam,” which makes them incapable of being Commander-in-Chief. Would those politically incorrect Fox folks also have us call attacks on Planned Parenthood clinics “radical christianity”?
Fox also astutely pointed out that old Bernie thought that Global Warming was a more imminent threat than ISIS, resorting to their modus operandi of delivering quotes completely out of context.
Good Grief, old pappy and I lead a relatively quiet life out here in the boonies of Boiseeeee, Idyhoe, but last week we got to watch first the JV and then the Varsity Squads in great big “Love-ins” with the Media Branch of the Republicrat Party, appropriately, the day before Veterans Day. Good old Fox did a splendid job of showcasing the Republicrat Prez Aspirants beginning with our dear old National Anthem being sung beautifully by a nice gal who was surrounded by a very military looking Honor Guard. Lots of Patriotism!
Bernie later tweeted that our Vets were not even mentioned during the Republicrat “Debate,” but, au contraire, we believe it was that legal eagle, Ted, who mentioned our Veterans. He allowed as how those VA rascals who faked the “wait list” numbers should go to jail. He did fail to mention that he and his colleagues in the legislature, by cutting the VA budgets had set the stage for the “scandal” to happen. Faced with impossible directives for seeing patients in a timely manner, the under-funded and over-worked grunts probably felt the only recourse was to fudge the numbers.
Goodness, that sort of leads us to one of A RAFT OF BAD IDEAS more or less unanimously espoused by this esteemed group of Aspirants to the Presidency:
SPEND MORE ON OUR MILITARY, maybe as much as another $Trillion, or so. Obviously out of step with the rest, Senator Paul questioned this bright idea, reminding the others that we already are spending as much as the next ten countries combined! While the Donald remembered the “wetback” deportation which occurred during the Eisenhower Administration, he apparently is unaware of old Ike’s warning about the Military/Industrial Complex (See Blog #18 – Our Military & “Defense” Industry – posted on July 4, 2014).
My old pappy insists we remind our younger readers of the origin of “Veterans Day.” After WWI (the War to end all wars), November 11 was designated “Armistice Day” to commemorate the end of hostilities. The name seemed fine even after WWII which has been later dubbed “The Good War” by old Studs Terkel, but soon as we found ourselves involved in war after war, someone decided to change the name to honor all our Veterans.
Then, of course, someone, seems it was good old Mike Huckaby, mentioned the 1 percent, not the 1 percent with all of the wealth, but the 1 percent fighting our wars now-a-days in the all volunteer military. There wasn’t a lot of discussion on this particular matter, and, of course, absolutely no mention of maybe bringing back the concept of conscription to make the whole “going to war” thing a bit more “constitutional!” Regarding the other 1 percent — don’t ya just love it when they say, “Thank you for your service?” Old pap even got one of those sweet sentiments from his auto insurance company recently!
THEN, NATURALLY, THERE WAS LOTSA TALK ABOUT TAXES, specifically the need to reduce and simplify them. This ranged from suggestions of flat rates of 10% or 15%, and a 3 page tax code to mailing in your taxes on a post card. Many suggested eliminating most or all deductions, and closing all those delightful “loopholes.”
OF COURSE, THIS DISCUSSION INCLUDED DEMANDS FOR ELIMINATING THE IRS. This may just be the dumbest idea these financial wizards have thought up yet – when you are 20 Trillion Bucks in the hole, get rid of your revenue collectors! This just in (as they say on your Telly): we heard those slick congressional Republicrats are trying to slip a provision forcing the IRS to hire private debt collectors into a highway bill. This type slight of hand for sliding junk laws into “must pass” bills is long past needing elimination!
The Donald, apparently not thinking as rapidly as usual, didn’t pick up on using all those unemployed lawyers, accountants, and IRS agents to round up and transport the illegals way down in Mexico. We’re sure he’ll remember them soon!
DID I MENTION HAULING 11 MILLION IMMIGRANTS BACK TO MEXICO?
Even a few of those staunch “conservatives” thought this one was a tad wacky.
LAST, BUT NOT LEAST – THE ECONOMY!
Editor’s Note: This is exactly where the Varsity’s financial acumen really shone.
The very first question was, “Would you raise the minimum wage?” Well, you would have thought they were asked to drop their pants right there on the stage!
Then, the moderators led the discussion into the national debt, job creation, how to “grow” the economy, and the poor old Fed. Well, the strongest agreement seemed to be that all the problems were caused by the big, bad Federal Govamint led by that awful Obama Administration.
Without doubt in the collective mind of this group, cutting taxes is the answer, expanding economic activity and lifting all boats. This plan assumes the tax savings will be plowed back into productive activities, providing jobs galore. Unfortunately, the fact is the savings will just increase the level of wealth and income inequality in our good old U.S. of A. The jobs created, as has been the case for way too long, will be in foreign lands, not here!
The morality-challenged Bankers came in for some discussion with old Ted standing firm on not bailing them out next time. That there will be a “next time” was accepted as a given; old pap and I are guessing it will be set in motion by the current wild speculation in rental properties. When you get right down to it, why would an industry which borrows money for virtually nothing and charges 30 percent (well, 29.99%) to loan it back out even need “bailing out?” Could they need better regulation, say, reviving good old Glass/Steagall to slow down their gambling proclivities?
Carly brought her CEO experience, no doubt steeped in such much heralded (and now all but completely forgotten) big corporate innovations as Reengineering, New Paradigms, etc. to bear on the matters at hand. Zero-based Budgeting is the magic elixir she’s recommending for changing our spending habits at this stage. We are left wondering how successfully she utilized this one before her dismissal from H-P?
Carly did allow as how Crony Capitalism has been sort of skewing our great “Free Market” system. Sounded a tad like old Bernie, lambasting the “Beltway Bandits” (that’s the Lobbyists for you folks not living near Washington D.C.)
WHAT A REALLY FUN NIGHT THESE “DEBATES” PROVIDE! Old pappy and I try very hard to remain nonpartisan, but the dear old Republicrats tend to be so comical (at least the ones who are not trying to resemble the Genghis Khan), you can’t help but love them!
Cheers y’all, Buster.
Buster's Two Cents 