Monday, December 29, 2008

Give Me Liberty--Not Obamanomics!

From the Los Angeles Times, 12/29/08:

"Reporting from Washington -- President-elect Barack Obama's top advisors said Sunday that they wouldn't back away from a promise to cut taxes on the middle class and raise them for the wealthiest Americans, as they made the case for a massive new stimulus package geared toward reviving the slumping economy.

"Speaking on Sunday talk shows and in a newspaper opinion piece, Obama aides stepped up a drive to build a broad political consensus behind Obama's core economic proposals: a two-year spending package that could exceed $775 billion, coupled with tax policies weighted in favor of the middle class."


It's pretty obvious that Obama has sense enough to know that raising taxes for the wealthiest (as now defined) Americans only will not come close to making up tax revenues lost by cutting taxes for the middle class (as now defined); and that to cut tax revenues in the face of a major recession is crazy, particularly when he is proposing a $775-billion-plus spending package that some say will end up being $3.5 trillion (yes, trillion).

So what does he have up his sleeve? He simply will redefine "wealthy" to mean anyone who has an income, and "middle class" to mean those who do not pay taxes. Thus, taxes will be increased for everyone in the U.S. who is productive, and taxes will be "cut" (meaning government payouts) for those who are not productive.

Of course, it will not be so stated; but through complex legislation added to our arcane tax code, it will be easy to accomplish such a redefinition of income classes. Implementing such a scheme will amount to a major redistribution of wealth, slyly and cynically accomplished while claiming to help the middle class. The effect will be the final nail in the coffin of the American Republic, and the culmination of what Democrats have been trying to do since LBJ, building on FDR's unconstitutional New Deal measures: Transform the U.S. into a socialist state.

Look for this to take place at the beginning of Obama's second term, for there still is a remote chance that Americans would resist the plan and not elect Obama to a second term should it be proposed during the first term. But we'll see signs of preparation beginning Jan. 20.

Can it be stopped? Yes, if Americans will wake up, learn something about the constitution, read the Austrian-School economists, listen to Ron Paul, and demand liberty from the government that is supposed to guarantee it to us. Patrick Henry said it best: "…as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Libertarian Blog

I just read a very well-written and politically refreshing blog, Pro Libertate, by William N. Grigg of Payette, Idaho, USA. Read it. You'll find it to be first rate. Here is a tantalizing clip from the blog:

While it cares little for customary piety, our ruling Nomenklatura displays the intolerant fervor of Paradise-bound Jihadis in defending the sanctity of the Almighty State and its avatars. In that pantheon there is none holier than the martyred founder of the Second (or People's) American Republic -- Abraham the Almighty, whose sacred likeness sits in stoic majesty in the Imperial Capital's most celebrated pagan cathedral.

Here is the link:

http://freedominourtime.blogspot.com/2008/12/lincoln-gambit.html

Friday, May 23, 2008

Stop Verbing Your Nouns!

Why do folks have to create new verbs from nouns, when there are perfectly good verbs available? There are nouns that have corresponding verb forms, like toast, made from toasting bread, and dog, as in "dog one's footsteps." But it's becoming increasingly popular to create verbs from nouns. One that I particularly dislike is, "He gifted us salvation." Why not "He saved us?" or "He gave us the gift of salvation?" I suppose an alternate way to say that is "He salvationed us." Doesn't one give a gift? Or does one now gift a gift? Yes, English is a dynamic language that changes, which is it's strength. But is all change good? I'll thought about that.

Another thing: Why do so many restaurants serve "fry chicken," rather than fried chicken, "bake potatos," rather than baked potatos, "slice tomatoes," rather than sliced tomatoes, and "ice tea," rather than iced tea? Me, I like devil crabs.

FOGGY DAY

FOGGY DAY
On the Neuse