Warren Buffett – White Privilege Calling!
The View from the Middle
It makes me sad to see the level to which our political debate has devolved over the last 10 or 20 years. The United States is not perfect, and our founders knew that. They put in place two documents to guide us forever more towards our basic values and principles, and that is individual freedom and personal responsibility. In the long run these cornerstones would deliver equal opportunity for all and prosperity for our nation. It would lead us to a place where a person would not be judged by the color of his or her skin, but by the content of their character.
Despite the wisdom of those words and the obvious progress that we have made as a country, it has become acceptable, even vogue and fashionable to demonize, ridicule and dehumanize hundreds of millions of people just because of the color of their skin, as long as that skin is white. The “white privilege” smear campaign is designed to do two things. First, it suggests that if you are white and successful, you don’t deserve it and in fact should be ashamed of what you have. And second, your success has in fact caused others to fail. All the poverty and misfortune of others is actually your fault.
It’s a bit depressing that we have allowed one set of prejudices to replace another so easily. In this new era of “white privilege” demagoguery, Warren Buffet, Sam Walton, Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos must be the most despised men in America, right? Combined, these four men and their families have amassed fortunes totaling about a half trillion dollars. That’s half of a trillion, with a “T” or $500 billion dollars. They must have inherited billions or at least hundreds of billions, right? They must have grown up in the lap of luxury with armies of servants, limousines, private jets and of course the proverbial silver spoons, right?
No. It almost couldn’t be further from the truth. All four of these gentlemen grew up in families that offered modest to moderate resources. They did share, however, a common thread of experiences. They all took their education seriously and got a good, if not great, education. They all took risks and all had legendary work ethics. So now, should they or anyone else who followed that formula feel ashamed of their success? Should our government feel free to take 70, 80 or 90% of their annual incomes? Should our government have the power to even confiscate their wealth?
America today is very different than it was in 1865 and even different than it was in 1965. Every child in America has access to primary and secondary education for free. Should we continue to improve the quality of those educations? Sure, and I have already written about a few ideas that could accomplish that. Also, with athletic, academic and need scholarships, most of our young people have access to a college education. We have come a long way in providing equal “opportunity” for all who desire to exercise the “personal responsibility” to take advantage of it.
The message should be clear to all the young people growing up in this great country. Take your education seriously. Take educated, calculated risks especially early in your life, and work hard. Don’t have a child before you get married, and certainly not when you are in high school. If you do those simple things, the likelihood of your success goes up exponentially. And when you achieve that success you won’t want any greedy, narcissistic, corrupt and inept politician to take it away from you. In fact, you will probably do what all four of these men are also famous for. All four are giving back to the community in which they grew up and to the country that enabled their success through the freedom to pursue their dreams. Their generosity is often targeted at causes that empower the next generation to strive for and achieve their dreams.
Or we can teach our children to be jealous of the success of others. We can teach them that they deserve an equal “outcome” even if they choose not to take their education seriously and not to work hard. This, however would have at least two devastating effects on our society. First, it would punish and disincentivize the successful. Second, it would encourage millions not to work hard and not to take risks. If that were to happen, the idea of America, the land of opportunity, would cease to exist. We would crumble into the abyss of history only to be replaced by the economic, moral and even physical decline that will surely fill our void.
P.S. to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – Even if you confiscated all the wealth of the Fortune 400’s richest people, not taxed their income at 70% but actually confiscated all of their assets, it wouldn’t run our bloated, inefficient, corrupt government for nine months. And it wouldn’t run the government YOU are planning for even four months. The answer isn’t a bigger, inept, corrupt, inefficient government. It is a smaller one.
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Washington, Home of the Zax
Washington, Home of the Zax
The View from the Middle
Dr. Seuss has a great story about extreme stubbornness. It is the story about the Zax, which is sort of a brown hairy Grinch. It is a story of a North Going Zax, who will never take a step to either side, coming face to face with a South Going Zax, who will not move an inch to the east or the west. You can imagine the stalemate that occurs. They both stand there with their arms crossed, eyes closed and chins jutting out day after day, week after week and year after year. Of course, the world does not stop along with them. The days go by and the seasons change and they eventually build a highway over and around these disturbingly obstinate politicians, I mean Zax.
Last night, the country was treated to watching three Zax collide in our nation’s capital. And, just for good measure, these three Zax slathered their intransigence with a healthy dose of incompetence. While I think the President had a good message, we all must admit that he stumbled his way through the delivery. It could only have served as a distraction to his thesis.
And then Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer couldn’t have looked, sounded and acted more ridiculous. They were instantly compared to The American Gothic, the painting by Grant Wood of the stern, pitch fork wielding farmer and his equally gloomy wife. You really must admit that they were bad when they got mocked by MSNBC anchor, Brian Williams and Bill Clinton’s hatchet-man and Democrat commentator, James Carville.
I hope everyone has realized that we aren’t in the middle of a Trump shutdown, or a Pelosi shutdown or even another Schumer shutdown (although you have to admit that “Schumer Shutdown” just rolls off your tongue). This shutdown is owned by 536 anal-retentive politicians in Washington D.C. (The House, The Senate and the President), and what’s more disgusting is that this is being driven by an issue that the American people could resolve in about five minutes.
Nearly 80% of Americans believe we have either a crisis or a problem on our southern border. If you break that out along party lines, 91% of Republicans believe it is a crisis or a problem and even 71% of Democrats do. Those numbers line up almost perfectly, as you might imagine, with the percent of Americans who want better border security. So, this is yet another example of politicians intentionally confusing the “what” with the “how”. 80% of Americans agree on the “what”. We need better border security. What these third grader impersonators are throwing a tantrum about is “how” to deliver on that agreed to goal.
The Democrats say they want more drones, more people, more camera’s and more scrutiny at the ports of entry. Great! The vast majority of Americans would gladly agree with that. The Republicans want a physical barrier, not across the entire 2,000 miles, but about an additional 600 miles or so for a total of 1,250 miles. The cost for that in this budget is about five billion dollars. That is one tenth of one percent on our total government budget and I don’t believe that even needs to be additional spending at all. Remember, Nancy Pelosi’s current bill asks for $54 billion in foreign aid to other countries like Gaza, Syria and Pakistan. Pakistan? Really? This is $12 billion more than the President asked for. Cut this to $7 billion extra or a total of just under $50 billion dollars and we can build the wall and give money to people who would like to slit all of our throats.
63% of Americans, almost two out of three support a wall or some sort of barrier on our southern border in exchange for considerations for the DACA recipients. I’m sure this number is higher amongst Republicans than Democrats, but that is what real negotiations looks like. Democrats get something, like citizenship for two million DACA young adults, and Republicans get an extension of our current wall and badly needed repairs for the 650 miles of walls and fences already in place. No one has to lose in this compromise. We, as a country, only lose if the pigheaded, narrow-minded, obdurate, anal-retentive politicians can stop thinking about themselves and start thinking about the American people.
Oh, have I mentioned the term limits amendment for Congress that Ted Cruz and Francis Rooney are proposing? There may be a connection here!!
The View from the Middle
Dr. Seuss has a great story about extreme stubbornness. It is the story about the Zax, which is sort of a brown hairy Grinch. It is a story of a North Going Zax, who will never take a step to either side, coming face to face with a South Going Zax, who will not move an inch to the east or the west. You can imagine the stalemate that occurs. They both stand there with their arms crossed, eyes closed and chins jutting out day after day, week after week and year after year. Of course, the world does not stop along with them. The days go by and the seasons change and they eventually build a highway over and around these disturbingly obstinate politicians, I mean Zax.
Last night, the country was treated to watching three Zax collide in our nation’s capital. And, just for good measure, these three Zax slathered their intransigence with a healthy dose of incompetence. While I think the President had a good message, we all must admit that he stumbled his way through the delivery. It could only have served as a distraction to his thesis.
And then Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer couldn’t have looked, sounded and acted more ridiculous. They were instantly compared to The American Gothic, the painting by Grant Wood of the stern, pitch fork wielding farmer and his equally gloomy wife. You really must admit that they were bad when they got mocked by MSNBC anchor, Brian Williams and Bill Clinton’s hatchet-man and Democrat commentator, James Carville.
I hope everyone has realized that we aren’t in the middle of a Trump shutdown, or a Pelosi shutdown or even another Schumer shutdown (although you have to admit that “Schumer Shutdown” just rolls off your tongue). This shutdown is owned by 536 anal-retentive politicians in Washington D.C. (The House, The Senate and the President), and what’s more disgusting is that this is being driven by an issue that the American people could resolve in about five minutes.
Nearly 80% of Americans believe we have either a crisis or a problem on our southern border. If you break that out along party lines, 91% of Republicans believe it is a crisis or a problem and even 71% of Democrats do. Those numbers line up almost perfectly, as you might imagine, with the percent of Americans who want better border security. So, this is yet another example of politicians intentionally confusing the “what” with the “how”. 80% of Americans agree on the “what”. We need better border security. What these third grader impersonators are throwing a tantrum about is “how” to deliver on that agreed to goal.
The Democrats say they want more drones, more people, more camera’s and more scrutiny at the ports of entry. Great! The vast majority of Americans would gladly agree with that. The Republicans want a physical barrier, not across the entire 2,000 miles, but about an additional 600 miles or so for a total of 1,250 miles. The cost for that in this budget is about five billion dollars. That is one tenth of one percent on our total government budget and I don’t believe that even needs to be additional spending at all. Remember, Nancy Pelosi’s current bill asks for $54 billion in foreign aid to other countries like Gaza, Syria and Pakistan. Pakistan? Really? This is $12 billion more than the President asked for. Cut this to $7 billion extra or a total of just under $50 billion dollars and we can build the wall and give money to people who would like to slit all of our throats.
63% of Americans, almost two out of three support a wall or some sort of barrier on our southern border in exchange for considerations for the DACA recipients. I’m sure this number is higher amongst Republicans than Democrats, but that is what real negotiations looks like. Democrats get something, like citizenship for two million DACA young adults, and Republicans get an extension of our current wall and badly needed repairs for the 650 miles of walls and fences already in place. No one has to lose in this compromise. We, as a country, only lose if the pigheaded, narrow-minded, obdurate, anal-retentive politicians can stop thinking about themselves and start thinking about the American people.
Oh, have I mentioned the term limits amendment for Congress that Ted Cruz and Francis Rooney are proposing? There may be a connection here!!
Sunday, January 6, 2019
The Bankrupt Left
The Bankrupt Left
The View from the Middle
The purpose of this article is to help the Democrat Party regain some sense of purpose. I believe America is better off when we have two parties who are battling over principles and policies and then compromising in a place that is good for the American people. The Democrat Party of 2018-19 needs to decide what it is “for” and communicate their ideas to America.
In the 2018 mid-terms they ran an almost completely negative campaign. We were told that they hated Donald Trump. We know that they were against anything that Donald Trump was for. We know they wanted to impeach Donald Trump. They didn’t even bother to lay out the grounds on which they would impeach him. They just don’t like him! He’s rude! He’s a bully! While I might even agree with some of these characterizations, they just don’t pass constitutional muster when it comes to impeaching a President. But don’t take my word for it, read or listen to Alan Dershowitz, Harvard constitutional law professor. You can even read his book, The Case Against Impeaching Trump.
They also ran against building a wall (or fence or barrier or whatever) on our southern border, even though they voted for it in 2006 and in 2013. They ran against I.C.E. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), but they might try to describe this as a positive position. They could say that they ran “FOR” abolishing I.C.E. Is running “for” abolishing something a positive thing? I’m going to say no because they never suggested what they would replace that enforcement agency with. They just followed their abolishment statements with some vague comment like, “we need to ‘reimagine’ I.C.E.” I’m not really sure what that means and neither do they.
They are not for the tax cuts, which Nancy Pelosi said would deliver “Armageddon” on our financial markets. I guess that forecast didn’t materialize. They are against moving the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, which they suggested would cause a volcanic eruption of violence there, but that didn’t happen either. They’re against reduced regulations which has helped ignite our economy and deliver both job growth and increase wages. I’m not sure why they like mountains of regulations, but they do. It probably has something to do with the polar ice caps.
They also like to call millions of Americans racists, bigots, misogynists and worse. This shows they are still clinging to the old Hillary Clinton “basket of deplorables” mantra, which I believe actually lost her the election. I guess they think that all of this negativity helped them take over the House in 2018, but let me give them fair warning. Republicans had a record number of incumbents (40) who did not seek re-election for the House last year and I believe that had much more to do with their success than their negative, no-vision, no-policy positions.
And now that they have taken over the House, what are their big legislative ideas? They want to impeach Donald Trump – of course. On what grounds? They think they don’t need any! They have also created legislation to abolish the electoral college. Yah! I’m ready to turn over the entire federal government to New York and California, how about you? I wonder what the Founding Fathers would say about that? They also have drafted legislation to limit the President’s power to fire the Special Counsel, Robert Mueller. The hell with the constitution, and who is even calling for the termination of Mueller? No one, but the dems keep talking about.
But, as if these efforts weren’t distant enough from the issues that Americans are actually concerned about, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is suggesting legislation that would ban fossil fuels and have our government move us to 100% renewable energy. Not only was this not in the top 10 issues among the American people, but her plan is as unrealistic, unmanageable, reckless and naïve as her economic plan to offer free college, free healthcare and guaranteed income to everyone. That will cost us all 20 to 30 trillion dollars over 10 years. That’s 20 to 30 TRILLION dollars!!! And she has zero plan on how to collect that extra 20 to 30 trillion dollars from we the tax payers, because, as I constantly point out, the government has NO money. Everything they spend comes from us or is borrowed in our name.
I encourage Democrats to come up with some realistic, positive plans that can be compared to Republican plans and then negotiated in a good-faith manner. Do they still want citizenship for the DACA kids? Trump wants a barrier on the southern border! Let’s start there.
I do have to applaud Ted Cruz and Francis Rooney, both Republicans, who are proposing a constitutional amendment that will invoke term limits on members of Congress. 80% of Americans are in favor of this amendment, and I believe it may be the key to bringing some integrity, civility and productivity to Washington. Just when I think we’re circling the drain, someone proposes some common sense idea that gives me hope again. Well done, Ted and Francis.
The View from the Middle
The purpose of this article is to help the Democrat Party regain some sense of purpose. I believe America is better off when we have two parties who are battling over principles and policies and then compromising in a place that is good for the American people. The Democrat Party of 2018-19 needs to decide what it is “for” and communicate their ideas to America.
In the 2018 mid-terms they ran an almost completely negative campaign. We were told that they hated Donald Trump. We know that they were against anything that Donald Trump was for. We know they wanted to impeach Donald Trump. They didn’t even bother to lay out the grounds on which they would impeach him. They just don’t like him! He’s rude! He’s a bully! While I might even agree with some of these characterizations, they just don’t pass constitutional muster when it comes to impeaching a President. But don’t take my word for it, read or listen to Alan Dershowitz, Harvard constitutional law professor. You can even read his book, The Case Against Impeaching Trump.
They also ran against building a wall (or fence or barrier or whatever) on our southern border, even though they voted for it in 2006 and in 2013. They ran against I.C.E. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), but they might try to describe this as a positive position. They could say that they ran “FOR” abolishing I.C.E. Is running “for” abolishing something a positive thing? I’m going to say no because they never suggested what they would replace that enforcement agency with. They just followed their abolishment statements with some vague comment like, “we need to ‘reimagine’ I.C.E.” I’m not really sure what that means and neither do they.
They are not for the tax cuts, which Nancy Pelosi said would deliver “Armageddon” on our financial markets. I guess that forecast didn’t materialize. They are against moving the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, which they suggested would cause a volcanic eruption of violence there, but that didn’t happen either. They’re against reduced regulations which has helped ignite our economy and deliver both job growth and increase wages. I’m not sure why they like mountains of regulations, but they do. It probably has something to do with the polar ice caps.
They also like to call millions of Americans racists, bigots, misogynists and worse. This shows they are still clinging to the old Hillary Clinton “basket of deplorables” mantra, which I believe actually lost her the election. I guess they think that all of this negativity helped them take over the House in 2018, but let me give them fair warning. Republicans had a record number of incumbents (40) who did not seek re-election for the House last year and I believe that had much more to do with their success than their negative, no-vision, no-policy positions.
And now that they have taken over the House, what are their big legislative ideas? They want to impeach Donald Trump – of course. On what grounds? They think they don’t need any! They have also created legislation to abolish the electoral college. Yah! I’m ready to turn over the entire federal government to New York and California, how about you? I wonder what the Founding Fathers would say about that? They also have drafted legislation to limit the President’s power to fire the Special Counsel, Robert Mueller. The hell with the constitution, and who is even calling for the termination of Mueller? No one, but the dems keep talking about.
But, as if these efforts weren’t distant enough from the issues that Americans are actually concerned about, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is suggesting legislation that would ban fossil fuels and have our government move us to 100% renewable energy. Not only was this not in the top 10 issues among the American people, but her plan is as unrealistic, unmanageable, reckless and naïve as her economic plan to offer free college, free healthcare and guaranteed income to everyone. That will cost us all 20 to 30 trillion dollars over 10 years. That’s 20 to 30 TRILLION dollars!!! And she has zero plan on how to collect that extra 20 to 30 trillion dollars from we the tax payers, because, as I constantly point out, the government has NO money. Everything they spend comes from us or is borrowed in our name.
I encourage Democrats to come up with some realistic, positive plans that can be compared to Republican plans and then negotiated in a good-faith manner. Do they still want citizenship for the DACA kids? Trump wants a barrier on the southern border! Let’s start there.
I do have to applaud Ted Cruz and Francis Rooney, both Republicans, who are proposing a constitutional amendment that will invoke term limits on members of Congress. 80% of Americans are in favor of this amendment, and I believe it may be the key to bringing some integrity, civility and productivity to Washington. Just when I think we’re circling the drain, someone proposes some common sense idea that gives me hope again. Well done, Ted and Francis.
Friday, December 28, 2018
A Sad State
A Sad State
The View from the Middle
Many a President has started his State of the Union speech by saying that, “The state of our union is … Strong”, and President Trump could use that same language in his upcoming address. The unemployment rate is under 4% and has hit record low rates for African Americans, Hispanics and women. The US economy is growing at annual rate of over 3% for the first time in ten years and North Korea isn’t testing nuclear bombs or launching missiles over Japan and ISIS is a shadow of its former self. With these realities in place, ANY President would say that the state of our union is strong. But I would argue that Trump should say that the state of our union is sad – disgusting – pathetic or at best dysfunctional.
It saddens me that as the market fell almost 4,000 points in December, I pictured Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi celebrating. And when the market set a record one day gain on Wednesday, you have to know that they were cursing. They have made it clear that they would rather see America, and thus the American people, suffer than to allow Donald Trump to succeed. Their hatred for this President is so rabid that they would rather have American citizens lose their jobs, lose their houses and even go hungry than have this President be successful or be the person who actually solves the illegal immigration problem.
When Mitch McConnell suggested that his most important objective in 2009 was to make sure that Barrack Obama did not win a second term, I condemned him. And when Rush Limbaugh declared that he wanted President Obama to fail, I rejected that idea, because if our President fails, the American people pay the price. This two person, single statement example, however, pales in comparison to the entire Democrat party who has proudly announced that they will resist and obstruct everything Donald Trump proposes no matter how good it is for the country and its people.
Not a single Democrat voted for Trump’s tax cuts, which all fair minded people would have to agree was good for our economy and job creation. Democrats not only didn’t support his foreign policy moves, but some, like John Kerry, actively tried to sabotage it. And now we have a second “Schumer” shutdown over Trump’s insistence on five billion dollars for a wall as part of his plan to secure our southern border.
It’s not about the money! Five billion dollars represents only about one tenth of one percent of our country’s budget. Hillary Clinton lost (or more graciously mismanaged) six billion dollars just while she was Secretary of State. According to Bob Woodward, the Pentagon wasted $125 billion over five years. Our government squanders over five billion dollars a week in waste, fraud and abuse according to some estimates. It’s not about the money. It’s not about a wall or even about border security. It is about a political calculation that Democrats and their co-conspirators, the main stream media, are making. As long as they believe they are gaining a political advantage they will gladly shower Americans with misery and suffering.
It’s also about an almost irrational hatred for this President. Some call it “Trump Derangement Syndrome”, but whatever you call it, it’s pathetic when our politicians actually cheer for the collapse of our markets and the failure of our country so that they can experience revenge or political gain. This is what makes the real state of our union – Sad!! What we need is term limits to force all of these selfish jerks out of office!!
The View from the Middle
Many a President has started his State of the Union speech by saying that, “The state of our union is … Strong”, and President Trump could use that same language in his upcoming address. The unemployment rate is under 4% and has hit record low rates for African Americans, Hispanics and women. The US economy is growing at annual rate of over 3% for the first time in ten years and North Korea isn’t testing nuclear bombs or launching missiles over Japan and ISIS is a shadow of its former self. With these realities in place, ANY President would say that the state of our union is strong. But I would argue that Trump should say that the state of our union is sad – disgusting – pathetic or at best dysfunctional.
It saddens me that as the market fell almost 4,000 points in December, I pictured Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi celebrating. And when the market set a record one day gain on Wednesday, you have to know that they were cursing. They have made it clear that they would rather see America, and thus the American people, suffer than to allow Donald Trump to succeed. Their hatred for this President is so rabid that they would rather have American citizens lose their jobs, lose their houses and even go hungry than have this President be successful or be the person who actually solves the illegal immigration problem.
When Mitch McConnell suggested that his most important objective in 2009 was to make sure that Barrack Obama did not win a second term, I condemned him. And when Rush Limbaugh declared that he wanted President Obama to fail, I rejected that idea, because if our President fails, the American people pay the price. This two person, single statement example, however, pales in comparison to the entire Democrat party who has proudly announced that they will resist and obstruct everything Donald Trump proposes no matter how good it is for the country and its people.
Not a single Democrat voted for Trump’s tax cuts, which all fair minded people would have to agree was good for our economy and job creation. Democrats not only didn’t support his foreign policy moves, but some, like John Kerry, actively tried to sabotage it. And now we have a second “Schumer” shutdown over Trump’s insistence on five billion dollars for a wall as part of his plan to secure our southern border.
It’s not about the money! Five billion dollars represents only about one tenth of one percent of our country’s budget. Hillary Clinton lost (or more graciously mismanaged) six billion dollars just while she was Secretary of State. According to Bob Woodward, the Pentagon wasted $125 billion over five years. Our government squanders over five billion dollars a week in waste, fraud and abuse according to some estimates. It’s not about the money. It’s not about a wall or even about border security. It is about a political calculation that Democrats and their co-conspirators, the main stream media, are making. As long as they believe they are gaining a political advantage they will gladly shower Americans with misery and suffering.
It’s also about an almost irrational hatred for this President. Some call it “Trump Derangement Syndrome”, but whatever you call it, it’s pathetic when our politicians actually cheer for the collapse of our markets and the failure of our country so that they can experience revenge or political gain. This is what makes the real state of our union – Sad!! What we need is term limits to force all of these selfish jerks out of office!!
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
The Truth About Walls
The Truth About Walls
The View from the Middle
I’m amazed at how our politicians in Washington can lie right to our faces and do it with “academy award winning” fake sincerity. The new line in Washington, especially on the left, is that, “Walls are a 15th century solution to a 21st century problem and they just don’t work.” Almost that entire statement is a lie except for the reality that we do have an illegal immigration problem in the 21st century. It’s like the “big lie” that Joseph Goebbels used in the second World War to peddle his genocidal, mass murder plans to the German people as a righteous response to what he suggested the Jews did in WWI. Don’t be fooled. Let me reveal some truths about walls that will shed light on the big lie.
First, the wall is not a 15th century idea. They were first used over 4,000 years ago or about the year 2,000 BC. They can’t even get that fact right. They have been used ever since for one big reason - they work, which we will demonstrate later. They also subtly suggest that if an idea is old, it can’t possibly work today. Another lie. The wheel, for example was invented over 5,000 years ago and still works remarkably well today. Anyone want to take the wheels off their cars, bikes, roller-skates or scooters today? The door lock was invented over 6,000 years ago and is still in broad use today. In fact, they are almost everywhere. Want to take the locks off your house? Probably not.
The wall, the wheel and the lock were classic, game changing ideas because they worked and they still work today. 65 countries around the world TODAY use walls on their borders to protect their sovereignty and help them manage their legal immigration programs, because they work.
Israel, for example put a 150-mile wall on their southern border to stop people from illegally entering their country. They saw an almost immediate decline in illegal crossings by 99%. Walls work. Hungary put up a wall on its border with Serbia in 2015 because illegal entries across that border had exploded to 391,000 per year. Within two years, illegal crossings had fallen to just over 1,000. That’s a 99.8% reduction. Walls work. Even in the United States, NPR reported that the wall between San Diego and Tijuana had reduced illegal entries into the US there by 95%. Walls work. It is a part of the “big lie” to deny this.
Another part of the big lie is that Trump is suggesting a 2,000-mile-long wall across our southern border. To the average person, that sounds excessive and even impractical. The reality is that we already have 700 miles of walls and or fences across our southern border and the current administration is only asking for an additional 550 miles in strategic places to bring that total to 1,250 miles of walls.
But let’s not listen to politicians concerning the need for this additional border wall mileage. Let’s listen to the people that do the work of protecting our border. According to The Washington Times, the National Border Control Council overwhelmingly supported Trump’s plan for additional wall systems in strategic places on our border with Mexico. In fact, 89% of the agents support this proposal while only 7% disagreed. Oh, by the way, this group also opposed our current “catch and release” policy.
There is another aspect of the “big lie”, and that is what politicians won’t tell you. Did you know, for example, that 26 Democrats, including Chuck Schumer, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, voted in favor of the 2006 Secure Fence Act, which approved hundreds of miles of additional fencing/walls along our southern border. That bill passed by a whopping 80 to 19 margin in the Senate that year. Schumer, Clinton and Obama also supported the 2013 immigration reform law that approved walls and fences along our Mexican border. Their objections today are purely political. Illegal immigration has been an issue for decades and they don’t want Trump to solve it, even if it will benefit the entire country to do so.
I’ll be the first to admit that walls and fences along our southern border are not the total answer to our illegal immigration problems. We need to embrace technology, stop catch and release, change chain migration, improve our work visa program and punish employers here who enable and even encourage illegal immigration. But, to suggest that a strategically placed wall system is not part (a big part) of the solution is a “big lie”. Don’t fall for the lies. The truth will set you free.
The View from the Middle
I’m amazed at how our politicians in Washington can lie right to our faces and do it with “academy award winning” fake sincerity. The new line in Washington, especially on the left, is that, “Walls are a 15th century solution to a 21st century problem and they just don’t work.” Almost that entire statement is a lie except for the reality that we do have an illegal immigration problem in the 21st century. It’s like the “big lie” that Joseph Goebbels used in the second World War to peddle his genocidal, mass murder plans to the German people as a righteous response to what he suggested the Jews did in WWI. Don’t be fooled. Let me reveal some truths about walls that will shed light on the big lie.
First, the wall is not a 15th century idea. They were first used over 4,000 years ago or about the year 2,000 BC. They can’t even get that fact right. They have been used ever since for one big reason - they work, which we will demonstrate later. They also subtly suggest that if an idea is old, it can’t possibly work today. Another lie. The wheel, for example was invented over 5,000 years ago and still works remarkably well today. Anyone want to take the wheels off their cars, bikes, roller-skates or scooters today? The door lock was invented over 6,000 years ago and is still in broad use today. In fact, they are almost everywhere. Want to take the locks off your house? Probably not.
The wall, the wheel and the lock were classic, game changing ideas because they worked and they still work today. 65 countries around the world TODAY use walls on their borders to protect their sovereignty and help them manage their legal immigration programs, because they work.
Israel, for example put a 150-mile wall on their southern border to stop people from illegally entering their country. They saw an almost immediate decline in illegal crossings by 99%. Walls work. Hungary put up a wall on its border with Serbia in 2015 because illegal entries across that border had exploded to 391,000 per year. Within two years, illegal crossings had fallen to just over 1,000. That’s a 99.8% reduction. Walls work. Even in the United States, NPR reported that the wall between San Diego and Tijuana had reduced illegal entries into the US there by 95%. Walls work. It is a part of the “big lie” to deny this.
Another part of the big lie is that Trump is suggesting a 2,000-mile-long wall across our southern border. To the average person, that sounds excessive and even impractical. The reality is that we already have 700 miles of walls and or fences across our southern border and the current administration is only asking for an additional 550 miles in strategic places to bring that total to 1,250 miles of walls.
But let’s not listen to politicians concerning the need for this additional border wall mileage. Let’s listen to the people that do the work of protecting our border. According to The Washington Times, the National Border Control Council overwhelmingly supported Trump’s plan for additional wall systems in strategic places on our border with Mexico. In fact, 89% of the agents support this proposal while only 7% disagreed. Oh, by the way, this group also opposed our current “catch and release” policy.
There is another aspect of the “big lie”, and that is what politicians won’t tell you. Did you know, for example, that 26 Democrats, including Chuck Schumer, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, voted in favor of the 2006 Secure Fence Act, which approved hundreds of miles of additional fencing/walls along our southern border. That bill passed by a whopping 80 to 19 margin in the Senate that year. Schumer, Clinton and Obama also supported the 2013 immigration reform law that approved walls and fences along our Mexican border. Their objections today are purely political. Illegal immigration has been an issue for decades and they don’t want Trump to solve it, even if it will benefit the entire country to do so.
I’ll be the first to admit that walls and fences along our southern border are not the total answer to our illegal immigration problems. We need to embrace technology, stop catch and release, change chain migration, improve our work visa program and punish employers here who enable and even encourage illegal immigration. But, to suggest that a strategically placed wall system is not part (a big part) of the solution is a “big lie”. Don’t fall for the lies. The truth will set you free.
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Media Coverage of Bush 41 - Pathetic
Media Coverage of Bush 41 - Pathetic
The View from the Middle
I don’t know about you, but I’m getting a little sick of the mainstream media’s coverage of our late President, George H.W. Bush. It isn’t the actual content that bothers me. Bush “41” was a very accomplished, principled and courageous man. It is the source of the coverage that makes me ill. Having the lamestream media gush over the late President is a little like listening to David Duke deliver the eulogy for Martin Luther King. Even as they celebrate his life and enumerate his accomplishments and praise his character, their coverage is tainted by their hypocrisy and bias.
Let’s do a reality check. The media crucified George Bush Sr. during his Presidency every chance they got. They called him stupid, out of touch and even went so far as to call him a “Wimp” on the cover of Newsweek magazine. And if you haven’t seen Dan Rather’s ambush of then VP Bush on national TV in 1988, look it up. It was disgusting.
But now, in death, he is beloved by the media who suggest that they had a great relationship with him and, of course, he would have never have called them the “enemy of the state”. He did say that they were fast and loose with the truth (fake news) and were constantly impugning the motives of both he and his son, “43”. He said that the mainstream media was arrogant, had lost its objectivity and had become advocates of the Democrat party. This rosy relationship between Bush Sr. and the media exists only in their imaginations.
Once we have washed off the stench of the mainstream media’s self-serving and completely insincere coverage of Bush Sr. we can take a truthful look at the former President’s life. This Yale grad and WWII fighter pilot was clearly not stupid and certainly not a wimp. He, in fact, may have been the most qualified person to become President unlike the false claim made by Hillary Clinton sycophants. After his military service he became a successful business man, Congressman, Ambassador to the UN, Chairman of the RNC, first envoy to China, Director of the CIA and Vice President of the United States for eight years under Ronald Reagan. Now those are actual qualifications for the top job.
He was a decent man who wanted a “kinder and gentler” country and advocated a “thousand points of light” solution to many of our national problems, tapping into the inherent generosity of the American people. He was also an honorary member of The View From the Middle for his ability to reach across the aisle and work with Democrats. His bipartisan legislation to reduce the budget deficit, the passing of The Americans With Disabilities Act and the Clean Air Act are just a few examples of his unbiased approach to governance.
He, in fact, would have been a two term President if the media had given him any sort of fair coverage on the economy and if Ross Perot hadn’t sabotaged his second campaign. Even today, the media will try to convince you that Bush 41 passed on an economy in shambles to Bill Clinton. In reality, after the recession of 1991 the Bush Administration delivered an economy that grew almost 4% in 1992 which Clinton then rode for the next eight years. Fair coverage would positively impact Bush’s chances in that 1992 election.
However, the biggest reason the George H.W. Bush lost in 1992 was the fact that the conservative Ross Perot ran as an Independent candidate, syphoning off almost 20 million votes that would have largely gone to George Bush. Perot, a sort of 1992 version of Donald Trump, captured 19% of the vote, the most by any independent candidate since Teddy Roosevelt ran in 1912 with his “Bull Moose” Progressive party. Just as Teddy ruined President Taft’s chances for a second term and handed the Presidency to Woodrow Wilson, Perot handed the Presidency to Bill Clinton.
Yes, George H.W. Bush was a decent, accomplished person who may go down as the best one term President in our History. You just needed to hear from someone who actually liked him instead of the people who trashed him at every opportunity while he was in office.
The View from the Middle
I don’t know about you, but I’m getting a little sick of the mainstream media’s coverage of our late President, George H.W. Bush. It isn’t the actual content that bothers me. Bush “41” was a very accomplished, principled and courageous man. It is the source of the coverage that makes me ill. Having the lamestream media gush over the late President is a little like listening to David Duke deliver the eulogy for Martin Luther King. Even as they celebrate his life and enumerate his accomplishments and praise his character, their coverage is tainted by their hypocrisy and bias.
Let’s do a reality check. The media crucified George Bush Sr. during his Presidency every chance they got. They called him stupid, out of touch and even went so far as to call him a “Wimp” on the cover of Newsweek magazine. And if you haven’t seen Dan Rather’s ambush of then VP Bush on national TV in 1988, look it up. It was disgusting.
But now, in death, he is beloved by the media who suggest that they had a great relationship with him and, of course, he would have never have called them the “enemy of the state”. He did say that they were fast and loose with the truth (fake news) and were constantly impugning the motives of both he and his son, “43”. He said that the mainstream media was arrogant, had lost its objectivity and had become advocates of the Democrat party. This rosy relationship between Bush Sr. and the media exists only in their imaginations.
Once we have washed off the stench of the mainstream media’s self-serving and completely insincere coverage of Bush Sr. we can take a truthful look at the former President’s life. This Yale grad and WWII fighter pilot was clearly not stupid and certainly not a wimp. He, in fact, may have been the most qualified person to become President unlike the false claim made by Hillary Clinton sycophants. After his military service he became a successful business man, Congressman, Ambassador to the UN, Chairman of the RNC, first envoy to China, Director of the CIA and Vice President of the United States for eight years under Ronald Reagan. Now those are actual qualifications for the top job.
He was a decent man who wanted a “kinder and gentler” country and advocated a “thousand points of light” solution to many of our national problems, tapping into the inherent generosity of the American people. He was also an honorary member of The View From the Middle for his ability to reach across the aisle and work with Democrats. His bipartisan legislation to reduce the budget deficit, the passing of The Americans With Disabilities Act and the Clean Air Act are just a few examples of his unbiased approach to governance.
He, in fact, would have been a two term President if the media had given him any sort of fair coverage on the economy and if Ross Perot hadn’t sabotaged his second campaign. Even today, the media will try to convince you that Bush 41 passed on an economy in shambles to Bill Clinton. In reality, after the recession of 1991 the Bush Administration delivered an economy that grew almost 4% in 1992 which Clinton then rode for the next eight years. Fair coverage would positively impact Bush’s chances in that 1992 election.
However, the biggest reason the George H.W. Bush lost in 1992 was the fact that the conservative Ross Perot ran as an Independent candidate, syphoning off almost 20 million votes that would have largely gone to George Bush. Perot, a sort of 1992 version of Donald Trump, captured 19% of the vote, the most by any independent candidate since Teddy Roosevelt ran in 1912 with his “Bull Moose” Progressive party. Just as Teddy ruined President Taft’s chances for a second term and handed the Presidency to Woodrow Wilson, Perot handed the Presidency to Bill Clinton.
Yes, George H.W. Bush was a decent, accomplished person who may go down as the best one term President in our History. You just needed to hear from someone who actually liked him instead of the people who trashed him at every opportunity while he was in office.
Thursday, November 22, 2018
Happy Thanksgiving
Americans Have Much to be Thankful For
The View from the Middle
At a time when Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York, has said, “America has never been that great”, and other politicians see racism, bigotry and misogyny around every corner, it is important for us to give thanks for the blessing of being born in this great country.
I believe that Thomas Jefferson knew exactly what he was committing to when he said, “That all men are created equal” in the Declaration of Independence. At the time he wrote that famous phrase, that was definitely not true, but he was pledging that this new nation would make that promise a reality. From Jefferson to Lincoln to FDR to LBJ to today we have worked to make that dream come true.
In 1965 we had only five African American members of the House of Representatives and none in the Senate. In the 116th Congress which will start in January of 2019, we will have 54 black House members. This is not only more than ten times the membership of 1965, but will bring African American representation very close to their proportion of the general population (12.4% of the House – 12.6% of US population). This is hardly a sign of a racist America. In fact, it is an indicator of a promise being kept by generations long after the original pledge.
In 1956 there were only 17 women in the House of Representatives. In the 116th Congress there will be 100 or more when all the races are decided. Is this a misogynistic trend? I think not. There are many men who vote for women running for office. Remember, I voted for Carly Fiorina in the Presidential primary. This is just another sign of the self-correcting nature of the country that we should be proud of.
After the “Debbie Downer” politicians have put the country in a state of depression, along comes the lame-stream media with their caustic, hyperbolic drivel to add rage to our already despondent psyches. They tell us daily that our country is in the middle of a crisis of our democracy. Even as they spew this rubbish, we complete yet another peaceful election which ushers in a transition of power in the House from the Republicans to the Democrats without guns firing, torches blazing and pitch forks raised. This is how our Republic is supposed to operate.
They cry that we are also experiencing an assault on the freedom of the press, while their coverage skews 90% negative against the person in power, Donald Trump. Wouldn’t that ratio be reversed if our press was truly being controlled or threatened by the government? Isn’t this actually a sign of real freedom of the press? Even Jim Acosta (let’s face it, he is a jerk) got his White House press credentials back. Only in America.
Finally, the press will suggest that we are also experiencing a constitutional crisis. They do love a good crisis, don’t they? They say that if the President fires Robert Mueller he will be violating our constitution. Unfortunately for the lame-stream media, they and the Democrats are the only ones talking about taking such action. Trust me, the President has no intention of firing Robert Mueller. My prediction is that Mueller will be allowed to deliver his report and the whole Russia collusion conspiracy will die with a whimper instead of a bang.
Don’t be duped by the detractors who will try to tell you that “America never was that great” or that we are the cause of the world’s problems and not the solution. America is the kindest, most compassionate, most powerful, most blessed, most generous country in the world. The American people are the most generous, most industrious and the most determined people on the planet. So, reject the politicians’ and news commentators’ suggestions that we should all hate at least half of our citizenry.
Yes, on this day of thanksgiving let us be thankful for this country and this people. Be thankful for our founders who established a government based on freedom and liberty and the idea that the state is servant of the people and not the other way around. Be thankful for the progress we have made through the years to make this country even better. Be thankful for our soldiers and police and first responders who put their lives on the line every day to protect our freedoms. Be thankful for your friends and family who bless you every day.
The list of things to be thankful for could go on and on, but on this day let us be most thankful for each other and for the blessing of being born in this great country. God bless you all, and may God bless America. It truly is a great country.
The View from the Middle
At a time when Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York, has said, “America has never been that great”, and other politicians see racism, bigotry and misogyny around every corner, it is important for us to give thanks for the blessing of being born in this great country.
I believe that Thomas Jefferson knew exactly what he was committing to when he said, “That all men are created equal” in the Declaration of Independence. At the time he wrote that famous phrase, that was definitely not true, but he was pledging that this new nation would make that promise a reality. From Jefferson to Lincoln to FDR to LBJ to today we have worked to make that dream come true.
In 1965 we had only five African American members of the House of Representatives and none in the Senate. In the 116th Congress which will start in January of 2019, we will have 54 black House members. This is not only more than ten times the membership of 1965, but will bring African American representation very close to their proportion of the general population (12.4% of the House – 12.6% of US population). This is hardly a sign of a racist America. In fact, it is an indicator of a promise being kept by generations long after the original pledge.
In 1956 there were only 17 women in the House of Representatives. In the 116th Congress there will be 100 or more when all the races are decided. Is this a misogynistic trend? I think not. There are many men who vote for women running for office. Remember, I voted for Carly Fiorina in the Presidential primary. This is just another sign of the self-correcting nature of the country that we should be proud of.
After the “Debbie Downer” politicians have put the country in a state of depression, along comes the lame-stream media with their caustic, hyperbolic drivel to add rage to our already despondent psyches. They tell us daily that our country is in the middle of a crisis of our democracy. Even as they spew this rubbish, we complete yet another peaceful election which ushers in a transition of power in the House from the Republicans to the Democrats without guns firing, torches blazing and pitch forks raised. This is how our Republic is supposed to operate.
They cry that we are also experiencing an assault on the freedom of the press, while their coverage skews 90% negative against the person in power, Donald Trump. Wouldn’t that ratio be reversed if our press was truly being controlled or threatened by the government? Isn’t this actually a sign of real freedom of the press? Even Jim Acosta (let’s face it, he is a jerk) got his White House press credentials back. Only in America.
Finally, the press will suggest that we are also experiencing a constitutional crisis. They do love a good crisis, don’t they? They say that if the President fires Robert Mueller he will be violating our constitution. Unfortunately for the lame-stream media, they and the Democrats are the only ones talking about taking such action. Trust me, the President has no intention of firing Robert Mueller. My prediction is that Mueller will be allowed to deliver his report and the whole Russia collusion conspiracy will die with a whimper instead of a bang.
Don’t be duped by the detractors who will try to tell you that “America never was that great” or that we are the cause of the world’s problems and not the solution. America is the kindest, most compassionate, most powerful, most blessed, most generous country in the world. The American people are the most generous, most industrious and the most determined people on the planet. So, reject the politicians’ and news commentators’ suggestions that we should all hate at least half of our citizenry.
Yes, on this day of thanksgiving let us be thankful for this country and this people. Be thankful for our founders who established a government based on freedom and liberty and the idea that the state is servant of the people and not the other way around. Be thankful for the progress we have made through the years to make this country even better. Be thankful for our soldiers and police and first responders who put their lives on the line every day to protect our freedoms. Be thankful for your friends and family who bless you every day.
The list of things to be thankful for could go on and on, but on this day let us be most thankful for each other and for the blessing of being born in this great country. God bless you all, and may God bless America. It truly is a great country.
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