Category: General

I told you so…

Turkey’s Erdogan declares three-month state of emergency following failed coup

Erdogan, who said the measures were put in place to “take all steps needed to eliminate the threat against democracy,” stopped short of declaring full martial law. He said that the state of emergency was “strictly a measure taken to overcome terror.”

Why is it that acts of oppression by leaders are so often claimed to be in the name of preserving democracy? (and why do we so often believe it?)

Turkey detains more judges and military officers

Already, nearly 10,000 people have been arrested while hundreds of schools have been closed. And nearly 60,000 civil service employees have been dismissed from their posts since the failed coup Friday.

Does this sound like democracy and freedom? I didn’t think so…

Fear Grips Turkey Amid Government Crackdown After Failed Coup

“These are the families of the traitors,” a passerby whispers to his friend.

Fear is a powerful weapon. It is frequently used by despots and terrorists.

Charley Reese…

… was, in my opinion, a crotchety old bastard. I like that.

The column referenced below has been purported to be his last. However, most legitimate sources disagree. I am not willing to spend much time investigating this assertion, as it is unimportant to me. What is important is that I agree with some of what he has to say.

The link below is to the article at the Orlando Sentinel, where he is purported to have worked during this time. This gives credibility to the column, but not to its designation as his “last”. Still, it is a good read.

Charley Reese

Obama the Scientist

I received this link to an interesting op-ed piece in the LA Times from a friend:

Obama is not a scientist. JAMA shouldn’t pretend he is.

I am perfectly comfortable with the President submitting editorials on his beliefs or accomplishments; being President should not be an impediment to the dissemination of ones ideas. I also believe in a free press. But op-ed disguised as a peer-reviewed research paper… ? Peer reviewed research papers from prestigious journals such as JAMA are frequently cited as fact, as I’m sure this one will be by supporters of President Obama’s policies. However, under the circumstances I think that a significant disclosure preamble would be in order as to the true nature of the article.

It’s just another tax, people…

This time, it’s a sugary beverage tax.

Whenever a government proposes a tax that will punish an unpopular subset of the population while claiming to benefit a more popular cause, it’s just a ruse. The goal is a tax, nothing more. And while it may appear that the tax will go towards a good cause that needs additional funding, there is usually nothing to prevent the government from reducing existing funding by an amount equal to the new tax. This has the effect of putting the tax revenue into the general fund, leaving the government free to spend it on whatever they like – including things for which you would not have approved a new tax. Beginning to see how this scam works?

And next time, it might be you who is the unpopular subset of the population being taxed.

Well, at least this makes sense.

Ex-Presidents usually become wealthy as a result of speaking engagements, books, etc., yet we still continue to pay them a pension as well as expenses (staff, travel, office materials). Seems silly when they make so much money; the Clintons, for instance, have made more than $30 million dollars between January 2014 and May 2015. The Bush family has done quite well, too.

So, Congress has comes out with a bill to limit the taxpayer’s share of these expenses, based on earnings by the ex-President.

It’s about time. Let’s see if Obama signs it.

The answer: More gun control, of course.

It is sad that political activists have already begun to call for more gun control in the wake of the assassination of five Dallas police officers last night. But before we jump to the conclusion that taking guns from law-abiding citizens would have prevented this carnage, let’s take a look at how this event was different from others  (or from what could have happened), and how driven killers such as this one will always find a way no matter the restrictions placed on law-abiding citizens. Continue reading “The answer: More gun control, of course.”

The middle class may be shrinking….

… but it seems that more people are moving up rather than down.

From a NPR article today:

Nonetheless, the overall trend is upward: The middle class may be shrinking, but two-thirds of those who leave have moved up, while one-third have dropped to a lower income group.

“There is actually more progress than regression,” says Rakesh Kochhar, who studies the middle class and is associate director of research at the Pew Research Center.

So when the government says that they want to restore the middle class, it’s actually a bad thing…

“Make my day”

From CNN:

“Make my day. Make my day.” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi replied, daring Republicans to call more attention to the protest, with a comment reminiscent of Clint Eastwood’s famous “Dirty Harry” character.

Do you think “Dirty Pelosi” realizes that she’s using what arguably could be considered a pro-gun call to arms (pun intended) in her quest to eliminate guns? And doesn’t “Dirty Pelosi” sounds like a cheap drink you find at a beach-side party bar? Two parts rum, one part grain alcohol, and 3 parts Rohypnol. Oh, well; I expect that accounts for the dysfunction we find permeating Congress – I’ll bet this is a popular drink with the D.C. crowd.