Bail-out Plan is Recipe for Tyranny
Francois-Marie Arouet was better known by his pen name, Voltaire. A defender of personal, political, and religious freedom in 18th century France, this deep thinking man whose ideas helped influence the American and French Revolutions once opined that “Common sense is not so common.” Thus we arrive at America’s current financial crisis.
Let us consider some hard facts:
- The U.S. national debt stood at $9.7 trillion as of Sept. 24, 2008.
- Each citizen “owes” roughly $32,133 towards this debt.
- The debt has been increasing by $2.17 billion per day since Sept. 2007.
- As of April 2008, 25 percent of our debt is owed to foreign powers; $592.2 billion to the Land of the Rising Sun and another $502 billion to Red China.
Despite these facts, President Bush and the alleged economic geniuses running the country suggest that We, the People dish out another $700 billion to rescue banks from bad debt. Earlier this month the government chose to gamble away tens of billions of taxpayer dollars by acquiring potentially bad mortgages vis-à-vis the bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. All of this comes after the misguided plan to reward the irresponsibility of those who signed up for adjustable rate mortgages without ever assuming those rates may eventually be adjusted.
The moral of the story is that Voltaire was right and Bush is wrong. Common sense, which is sorely lacking in the Bush White House, would suggest that rewarding irresponsibility, piling on to the national debt, and spending $700 billion in a risky bailout scheme is a desperate political move that is unbecoming of a nation which fancies itself as the leader of the free world.
United States Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY) correctly identified the situation when he stated on Sept. 23 that “This massive bail-out is not the solution, it is financial socialism, it is un-American.” The very financial gurus who lacked the ability to see this meltdown coming are encouraging Congress to rush to a decision, pass an expensive bail-out plan, and get the job done quickly.
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Nathan Shrader’s Official, Unbiased NFL Preview: Belichick for the Gold
Face it folks. Nobody likes a winner, especially a perennial winner.
Back in 1993 during his triumphant return to World Championship Wrestling, all-time great Ric Flair appeared in a series of segments called “Flair for the Gold,” showcasing the former mutli-time world champion training and preparing for another run at the title. Flair, always a champion, was despised in the scripts by his competitors and generally jeered by fans not just because of his provocative nature, but also because he always found a way to win.
The New York Yankees, known by some as the Bronx Bombers and the rest of us as the Evil Empire have collected a record 26 World Series Championships, 39 American League Pennants, 15 Eastern Division Titles, and three Wild Card berths. The Pinstripers have retired so many numbers—17 to be exact—their current players are nearing the point of wearing fractions on their jerseys. Successful, yes. Beloved, no.
The same can be said of other flourishing, triumphant industrialists like Donald Trump, Andrew Carnegie, and Andrew Mellon: they always won, and they were usually despised while doing it. Same with certain politicians like Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon—they were either always winning or winning and then disgracing themselves only to become winners (and forgiven) all over again.
What does this have to do with the NFL in 2008 and why is this called an NFL preview? Perhaps because it leads to a logical explanation of the one and only item to bank on this football season: another season of dominance by the New England Patriots.
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Giuliani Selection Shames GOP as Convention Looms
Consider the Republican Party’s dilemma caused by record low approval ratings, McCain’s admission that he is fine with reinstating the draft, Democrats trouncing their candidates in Congressional polls, and fewer Americans claiming to be affiliated with their party than anytime in recent memory. It is hard to imagine that things could get worse for Republicans.
Think again. The New York Post alluded to the idea on Aug. 14 that former mayor and failed presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani would have a prime time speaking role at the Republican National convention which begins on Labor Day. Newsday confirmed the nightmare scenario on Aug. 20, announcing that Giuliani would in fact be delivering the convention’s keynote address on the evening of Sept. 2.
Following the Democrat Party’s announcement that former Virginia Governor and U.S. Senate nominee Mark Warner will deliver their party’s keynote address next week, the Republicans were placed in the situation of matching the inspiring, appealing, successful, and capable Warner. Instead, the Grand Old Party failed to rise the occasion by selecting a man who can best be described as egocentric, morally bankrupt, dishonorable, and the true antithesis of what the party needs to be in these turbulent times.
The keynote speech has been a time when Republicans and Democrats have put their best talent forward to articulate a firm vision of what the parties stand for and why Americans should entrust them with the highest office in the land. In 1984 the GOP chose Treasury Secretary Katherine Ortega and Jeanne Kirkpatrick while the Democrats saw Mario Cuomo leave a speech that left party members wished they would have nominated him. Other famous, talented keynote speakers have included Bill Bradley, Ann Richards, Susan Molinari, Tom Kean, Zell Miller, Barbara Jordan, and even Barack Obama.
While the selection of Mark Warner allows the Democrats to highlight the future and spotlight a youthful, former governor with a positive track record, the Republicans have made a selection who does not deserve such a high honor and would have been well-served if his invitation to attend the convention in any capacity would have been lost in the mail.
As I wrote on July 26, 2007 in a column at this very site lamenting Giuliani’s lead in an early Pennsylvania GOP poll:
“I cannot imagine Giuliani—a pro-choice, anti-gun liberal—winning the nomination. He will tear the party apart, distort the meaning of what it is to be a Republican and a conservative, and govern with an iron fist. Worse yet, Giuliani proclaimed in the June CNN presidential debate that he seeks to expand the failed doctrine of nation building.
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Top Items from Political Crunch
Top items from Political Crunch:
New Items:
- Unelectable
- A Yet Unpublished Fate: In 2008, History has a Favorite
- America’s Economic Plan: Ebaying our Future
Leaning Left:
- The Jeremiah Wright Contradiction
- The Healthy Americans Act
- Deficit for 2008 already at $311 Billion
Objective:
- Dept of Justice Review of Detainee Interrogations
- A vote for Clinton is a vote for Jeremiah Wright
- Somebody Needs to Kill the “Who Killed Obama” Line
Leaning Right:
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