I was reading a FaceBook post where a democrat/liberal/leftist commented about how much good the democrats have done for our great nation. (I added the part about “for our great nation”) Her diatribe just bolstered the arguments that public schools have been indoctrinating their students for years with revisionist history. Republican bad, democrat good. Conservative bad, liberal good. Free market capitalism bad, socialism good. If history was actually taught appropriately and honestly, just think about how well we could all get along. Anyway, here are the counterpoints to her misguided comments that credited democrats with everything from creating the cure for cancer (just kidding!) to inventing the internet (for real). This is a pretty extensive list, but to properly understand just how out of touch with reality people that vote “d” are, this is worth the read.
• Social Security – FDR’s unfunded Ponzi scheme that the democrats have used to fund their never ending social programs instead of actually funding the program. Going into insolvency in 2032.
• Medicare – Lyndon Johnson’s expansion of the welfare state
• Medicaid – Lyndon Johnson’s program that reimburses pennies on the dollar, which has led to the increasing cost of healthcare and insurance and the collapse of nursing homes nationwide.
• Healthcare reform – The ACA is such an utter failure, so much so that the democrats already want to change it to single payer, Medicare for all or whatever is the name du jour today. Puuu-leeze.
• FDA began on Theodore Roosevelt’s watch, a Republican.
• The New Deal – FDR’s foray into socialism. Coming out of the Great Depression, FDR spent more than the GDP on programs that paid for infrastructure repair and numerous other employment and projects at taxpayer expense. This administration begat the entitlement culture that so permeates our society.
• Great Society – Lyndon Johnson’s expansion of FDR’s social programs to ensure the continuing segregation of African Americans into the inner city, giving them just enough money to live with a few creature comforts and keep them voting for democrats that only want their vote to maintain power.
• Peace Corps – Good program serving those in need. President Kennedy signed Executive order 10924 to create the program.
• Vista, which was expanded by President Clinton in 1993 as AmeriCorps. Six years ago, USA Today called “AmeriCorps a wasteful flop” saying many members are serving as recess referees. The article also asked the question, do we really need playground monitors? In 2018 a CBS News investigation revealed that AmeriCorps programs, are rife with sexual misconduct and failed to meet federal standards and requirements.
• The Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964 with more than 50% of the democrats in Congress voting against it.
• Women’s right to vote or the 19th Amendment - Between January 1918 and June 1919, the House and Senate voted on the federal amendment five times. Each vote was extremely close and southern democrats continued to oppose giving women the vote.
• Motor Voter – You’ve got to be kidding, a democrat scheme to allow more fraudulent voting, including issuing driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants is a positive for who?
• Equal Rights – The Equal Rights amendment has not yet garnered ratification by enough states to be enacted into law.
• Voting Rights Act – Passed into law in 1965 with a 77-19 vote in the Senate, with 16 democrat southern state Senators voting no and all but 2 Republicans voting to approve.
• Equal Pay Act – Signed into law by President Kennedy in 1963. In 2020, women make only $0.81 for every dollar a man makes. How’s that working for ‘ya?
• Consumer protection – This includes a number of different agencies created under numerous administrations, both democrat and Republican.
• Funding for science, Medical and engineering research, space exploration, NSF and NIH - Wow where do I begin. Spending on the above programs increased $4.95billion in 2018. How does that fit the narrative that the Trump administration has gutted those programs.
• Support for public education, HeadStart school lunch and breakfast programs - As public school unions support democrats by the tune of over $30 million annually, democrats do support any and all programs that the teacher’s unions want. (See common core and the steady decline in our student’s scores as compared to the rest of the world.) Head Start was a program that began with Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society initiative.
• NLRB, 40 hour work week, overtime and unemployment compensation – Yep, all democrat programs signed into law by FDR.
• EPA, National Parks, and increased wilderness areas, aka federally owned lands – Richard Nixon, a Republican, signed an executive order creating The EPA. Theodore Roosevelt, a Republican, made conservation a top priority and established many new national parks, forests and monuments intended to preserve the nation's natural resources.
• Endangered species act and FEMA – The Endangered Species Act was signed into law by Richard Nixon, a Republican. FEMA was created by and executive order by Jimmy Carter, a democrat. I guess not everything Carter did was a disaster, no pun intended.
• GI bill, UN, NATO, Marshall Plan – Check, all democrat policies.
• Vehicle safety requirements and emission standards – Sorry, the Clean Air Act was signed into law by George HW Bush. Federal vehicle safety requirements were instituted on Lyndon Johnson’s watch.
• TVA, federal loan program, PBS, NPR and finally, the democrats are responsible for the internet – TVA-FDR, federal loan program aka FFEL, Federal Family Education loan, began issuing loans in 1965, Lyndon Johnson, until it ended in 2010. PBS-1970, Nixon. NPR-1971 Nixon. And now the internet-To credit the creation or even the inspiration for the creation of the internet is ludicrous on it’s face. Free enterprise and the free market created the internet and capitalism encouraged it’s growth. To even attempt to credit democrats for the internet is beyond the pale.
So, there you have it. I am certain that many of our “friends” on the other side of the aisle believe, in some form or another, exactly as the author of those “factoids about democrats” believes. Many democrat policies and programs are littered with unintended consequences and even more are deliberately and insidiously proposed with an expected outcome that benefits their base and benefactors. Be careful what you wish for when deciding to give credit for some of the legislation passed by democrats that accomplishes little or nothing for the majority of the people that they are charged to represent.
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Sunday, May 17, 2020
Once Upon a Time
Ronald Reagan said, “Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. Those who have known freedom, and then lost it, have never known it again.” Once upon a time there was a great city, shining on top of a hill. Once upon a time people asked, “How can we serve our nation?” and not demand, “My nation needs to serve me?” Once upon a time we were told that this nation would never become a socialist country. But, an opportunity has arisen that may destroy that shining city on a hill, create a generation of people dependent upon the government for everything and the reality of living under “democratic socialism” may only be an election away. These great United States may just be on the way to ruin as every other nation that has embraced this failed economic doctrine. This opportunity was not part of the leftist plan to “fundamentally transform our nation”, but any crisis can open that door.
The COVID-19 pandemic is that window of opportunity. The fear of COVID-19, stoked primarily by the mainstream media and the democrat party, has in a few short weeks transformed this great nation into a frightened, huddled mass, willing to give up Constitutional freedoms in exchange for the government keeping us “safe” from this invisible enemy. Many have accepted, without question, what should simply be guidelines, lockdown orders from our State governors. Originally, these “orders” were explained as a way to “flatten the curve” in order that our health system can manage the outbreak and not be overwhelmed by the thousands of persons expected to be infected if we failed to use mitigation methods. But, the goalposts continue to be moved. These orders mandate social distancing, wearing masks, washing and disinfecting our hands, counter tops, homes, etc., the closing of “unessential businesses, and to stay at home under penalty of law. And now these orders must remain in effect until the threat is gone and a vaccine is produced. The models that originally predicted 2.2 million deaths have continually been revised downward, more closely mirroring the mortality and infection rate as the seasonal flu, as we continue to collect data on this Novel Coronavirus.
Our fear and complete submission to the authority of the medical experts has created an economic downturn that makes the Great Depression seem like no more than a bump in the road. This economic crisis has in turn created much more devastation than the cost to our investments, lost jobs and closed businesses. Loss of income, loss of physical contact with family, friends and co-workers has led to an uptick in mortality rates, suicidal tendencies, mental disorders, changing eating habits and overuse of tobacco and alcohol products. Hospitals and medical clinics have discontinued in person medical visits and elective surgeries and procedures, leading to patients being denied continuing treatments of pre-existing conditions. And we accepted this on-going quarantine for the good of our nation and citizens.
States with democrat governors have arbitrarily decreed that these stay at home orders and a shutdown of our economy are in the best interest of their citizens, necessary to protect their safety. “If we end the stay at home orders, people will die!’ is their rallying cry. They will do nothing of the sort. The first confirmed case of COVID-19 was identified in Wuhan, China on November 17th, 2019. We now know that the vast majority of COVID-19 infections are asymptomatic, so this initial confirmed case may not be the first. International flights continued out of Wuhan and mainland China until President Trump banned them on January 31st. According to an article from April 4th in the New York Times, approximately 1300 flights and over 400,000 people traveled to the US directly from China, with over 4000 directly from Wuhan, during that time. Not included are those who departed Wuhan and China to other countries and then traveled to the US during that time. There was likely, at least two full months that COVID-19 was in the US and community spread had already begun. In essence, the lockdown of our population that occurred in mid to late March was well into the onset of the pandemic, not, as many would have you believe, before the community spread of the disease had begun.
So, how does a viral pandemic lead us to socialism? Is it such a long stretch to presume that it could be used to initiate a massive shift to an entirely new economic model? Not so much. As our economic downturn continues, democrats in Congress continue to mortgage our future by providing economic incentives to encourage people to rely upon government handouts. No longer are the welfare recipients the only takers, now those who work in non-essential businesses and are not allowed to work receive benefits. Even those who continue to work are eligible and receive those same benefits. Sweetheart deals, or pork as they were once defined, are included in these economic relief packages. Now, if you are fearful of returning to work, don’t worry, the COVID-19 relief package enables you to refuse to return to work and receive upgraded unemployment benefits for an additional 14 weeks. This enables those who refuse to return to work to receive benefits they would normally not qualify to receive. This incentivizes many to refuse to return to their place of employment. Additionally, another $3 trillion package that includes a version of universal income is being proposed by our democrat controlled House of Representatives as further economic relief to those adversely affected by COVID-19. The descent into socialism is already underway.
Should this economic downturn continue and democrats retake the presidency and the Senate, they will ride to the rescue and “fix” the economy by instituting government control of our economy. Corporate taxes will increase, leading to more jobs leaving again as did under former President Obama’s administration. To prevent a future pandemic, a single payer healthcare system would be the first order of business for this new and enlightened government. But, it won’t stop there. Student debt is the next order of business. That means the forgiveness of more than $1.5 trillion in outstanding loans, which leads to free college tuition. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the architect of the Green New Deal, is Joe Biden’s pick to oversee the climate change task force. Forget about a wall or any kind of enforcement of our border with Mexico. Uncle Joe opposes any wall and favors a kinder and gentler immigration policy which includes citizenship for the Dreamers. Sixty years ago Nikita Khrushchev made a prediction that communism and the Soviet Union would “bury” democracy, capitalism, and the United States. “Your children’s children will live under communism. You Americans are so gullible. No, you won’t accept communism outright; but we will keep feeding you small doses of socialism until you will finally wake up and find you already have Communism. We will not have to fight you; we will so weaken your economy, until you will fall like overripe fruit into our hands. The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.”
The Soviet Union has fallen, but those words ring far too applicable to what we are witnessing first hand. Wake up America, or it will be too late. If we fail to heed these warning signs, visible in plain sight, then the vision of the United States and the freedom it offers, may very well become a fairy tale.
The COVID-19 pandemic is that window of opportunity. The fear of COVID-19, stoked primarily by the mainstream media and the democrat party, has in a few short weeks transformed this great nation into a frightened, huddled mass, willing to give up Constitutional freedoms in exchange for the government keeping us “safe” from this invisible enemy. Many have accepted, without question, what should simply be guidelines, lockdown orders from our State governors. Originally, these “orders” were explained as a way to “flatten the curve” in order that our health system can manage the outbreak and not be overwhelmed by the thousands of persons expected to be infected if we failed to use mitigation methods. But, the goalposts continue to be moved. These orders mandate social distancing, wearing masks, washing and disinfecting our hands, counter tops, homes, etc., the closing of “unessential businesses, and to stay at home under penalty of law. And now these orders must remain in effect until the threat is gone and a vaccine is produced. The models that originally predicted 2.2 million deaths have continually been revised downward, more closely mirroring the mortality and infection rate as the seasonal flu, as we continue to collect data on this Novel Coronavirus.
Our fear and complete submission to the authority of the medical experts has created an economic downturn that makes the Great Depression seem like no more than a bump in the road. This economic crisis has in turn created much more devastation than the cost to our investments, lost jobs and closed businesses. Loss of income, loss of physical contact with family, friends and co-workers has led to an uptick in mortality rates, suicidal tendencies, mental disorders, changing eating habits and overuse of tobacco and alcohol products. Hospitals and medical clinics have discontinued in person medical visits and elective surgeries and procedures, leading to patients being denied continuing treatments of pre-existing conditions. And we accepted this on-going quarantine for the good of our nation and citizens.
States with democrat governors have arbitrarily decreed that these stay at home orders and a shutdown of our economy are in the best interest of their citizens, necessary to protect their safety. “If we end the stay at home orders, people will die!’ is their rallying cry. They will do nothing of the sort. The first confirmed case of COVID-19 was identified in Wuhan, China on November 17th, 2019. We now know that the vast majority of COVID-19 infections are asymptomatic, so this initial confirmed case may not be the first. International flights continued out of Wuhan and mainland China until President Trump banned them on January 31st. According to an article from April 4th in the New York Times, approximately 1300 flights and over 400,000 people traveled to the US directly from China, with over 4000 directly from Wuhan, during that time. Not included are those who departed Wuhan and China to other countries and then traveled to the US during that time. There was likely, at least two full months that COVID-19 was in the US and community spread had already begun. In essence, the lockdown of our population that occurred in mid to late March was well into the onset of the pandemic, not, as many would have you believe, before the community spread of the disease had begun.
So, how does a viral pandemic lead us to socialism? Is it such a long stretch to presume that it could be used to initiate a massive shift to an entirely new economic model? Not so much. As our economic downturn continues, democrats in Congress continue to mortgage our future by providing economic incentives to encourage people to rely upon government handouts. No longer are the welfare recipients the only takers, now those who work in non-essential businesses and are not allowed to work receive benefits. Even those who continue to work are eligible and receive those same benefits. Sweetheart deals, or pork as they were once defined, are included in these economic relief packages. Now, if you are fearful of returning to work, don’t worry, the COVID-19 relief package enables you to refuse to return to work and receive upgraded unemployment benefits for an additional 14 weeks. This enables those who refuse to return to work to receive benefits they would normally not qualify to receive. This incentivizes many to refuse to return to their place of employment. Additionally, another $3 trillion package that includes a version of universal income is being proposed by our democrat controlled House of Representatives as further economic relief to those adversely affected by COVID-19. The descent into socialism is already underway.
Should this economic downturn continue and democrats retake the presidency and the Senate, they will ride to the rescue and “fix” the economy by instituting government control of our economy. Corporate taxes will increase, leading to more jobs leaving again as did under former President Obama’s administration. To prevent a future pandemic, a single payer healthcare system would be the first order of business for this new and enlightened government. But, it won’t stop there. Student debt is the next order of business. That means the forgiveness of more than $1.5 trillion in outstanding loans, which leads to free college tuition. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the architect of the Green New Deal, is Joe Biden’s pick to oversee the climate change task force. Forget about a wall or any kind of enforcement of our border with Mexico. Uncle Joe opposes any wall and favors a kinder and gentler immigration policy which includes citizenship for the Dreamers. Sixty years ago Nikita Khrushchev made a prediction that communism and the Soviet Union would “bury” democracy, capitalism, and the United States. “Your children’s children will live under communism. You Americans are so gullible. No, you won’t accept communism outright; but we will keep feeding you small doses of socialism until you will finally wake up and find you already have Communism. We will not have to fight you; we will so weaken your economy, until you will fall like overripe fruit into our hands. The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.”
The Soviet Union has fallen, but those words ring far too applicable to what we are witnessing first hand. Wake up America, or it will be too late. If we fail to heed these warning signs, visible in plain sight, then the vision of the United States and the freedom it offers, may very well become a fairy tale.
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