Obamacare - Loss of Freedom?

Jeffery Anderson, at National Review, has a thoughtful article on the impact of Obamacare will have on personal freedom.

Remember back in June, in President Obama’s major address to the AMA, when he said the following? “No matter how we reform health care, we will keep this promise. . . . If you like your health-care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan. Period. No one will take it away. No matter what.” In the six months since, there seems to have been a change.

Obamacare would require Americans to buy government-approved health insurance. It would make it illegal to offer choices in insurance plans beyond the handful of very similar ones that the government would allow. It would become illegal to offer new and innovative plans. Under any of the government-approved plans, it would become illegal to pay your doctor directly for more than a certain percentage of your care. Higher deductible, consumer-driven plans would be severely altered or eliminated. By law, a greater percentage of money would have to be paid in insurance premiums, rather than directly for care. Competition and choice would diminish tremendously. One-size-fits-all conformity would rule the day.

At its core, what Obamacare really means is a loss of freedom.

Obamacare would significantly diminish Americans' freedom to control the fruits of their own labors and to spend them as they choose and as they think best. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reports that American taxpayers would be on the hook for approximately $2.5 trillion for Obamacare in its real first ten years in operation (2014 to 2023) — about triple the false number of $871 billion that the Democrats are spreading. As the CBO conveys, $871 billion only covers the cost of insurance coverage expansions, which is only a portion of the bill. Furthermore, less than 2 percent of the costs for what the Democrats are calling the bill's "first-ten-year costs" would hit prior to the fifth year of that period. So the Democrats are really giving the six-year costs — for insurance coverage expansions alone — and calling them the ten-year costs for the whole bill. Either the Democrats know this and are being deliberately deceitful, or else they don't understand their own bill and are in over their heads even more than it appears

I don't know HOW the United States Government can legally mandate us to purchase PERSONAL health insurance from a PRIVATE corporation, but then I didn't think Eminent Domain could take PRIVATE property and give it to a corporation either. Are they going to whip out the old and tired Commerce clause in the constitution? This covers interstate transactions, but due to anti-trust status of the health care insurances, many are limited to intrastate commerce. If that's the case, the Commerce clause would not be applicable. However, what will happen is Obama will transfer $1.0 trillion from American taxpayer to the insurance companies... Talk about redistribution of wealth! Is this REALLY a surprise? How many people know that Obama more than doubled the contributions for McCain from the health care industry during the 2008 election? He received a record $389.4 million!!!!

The CBO also reports that, in its real first twelve years in operation (2014 to 2025), Obamacare would transfer $1.0 trillion from American taxpayers to private insurance companies. Ever wonder why insurers back Obamacare — even though they would no longer be free to control their own product-line? The answer is plain: Obamacare would mandate that Americans buy insurers' product. And to make that mandate more feasible, it would transfer a trillion dollars of Americans' earnings to insurers over a dozen years. That trillion dollars would be funneled through the government and used to help individual people comply with the mandate, but the money would be required to be spent on insurance, and it would therefore end up in the hands of insurers.

The Democrats are not only making disingenuous claims about the costs of their proposal, they are making similarly disingenuous claims about its effects on the deficit. Democrats claim that this massive expansion of government would somehow reduce the deficit. But the CBO says otherwise. The CBO says that unless Democrats follow through and cut doctors' pay under Medicare by 21 percent next year and never raise it back up, the bill would increase the deficit by over $200 billion in its real first decade. How many people think that the Democrats would really cut doctors' payments by a fifth? Certainly the Democrats know that they won't, and yet they are shameless enough to pitch Obamacare as deficit-neutral, despite the CBO’s plain findings to the contrary.

What is to happen next? I guess we start paying now for the future prospect of "reward". Kinda like Wimpy's "I'll gladly pay you next Tuesday for a hamburger today." Not only will we pay, but our children will pay as well as our grandchildren will pay. I have no doubt health care needs to be revamped, but this monstrosity along with the anticipated collapse of Medicare will only bring us pain with little reward. The 20th century will be remembered as the halcyon days of America...

Peace

Healthcare Bill Changes Senate Rules - Illegally

Something amazing is happening with the disastrous ObamaCare bill about to be passed. Reid has sneaked in a Senate rule change under the guise of it being a procedural change. This is significant. Any Senate rule change requires a two-third approval, not just the filibuster proof of 60 votes.

Sen. DeMint (R-SC) brought it to the floor of the Senate trying to get parliamentarian clarification, but was informed it was merely procedural and not really a rule. How does this sound to you?

Section 3403 of Senator Harry Reid’s amendment requires that “it shall not be in order in the Senate or the House of Representatives to consider any bill, resolution, amendment, or conference report that would repeal or otherwise change this subsection.” The good news is that this only applies to one section of the Obamacare legislation. The bad news is that it applies to regulations imposed on doctors and patients by the Independent Medicare Advisory Boards a/k/a the Death Panels.

What this means is the IMAB, the Medicare review board (I won't call it the Death Panel...) will now be permanently entrenched with no future Senate able to amend or dissolve it.

While I don't believe the IMAB will actively be something like the so-called Death Panels, I do believe they will be active in deciding what is the preferred treatment or what is considered acceptable treatment and will not allow payment to treatment they don't prefer. Remember the outcry recently concerning mammograms? These folks will issue guidelines along this line. Granted, there is always some 'rationing'. The insurances do that NOW. But to have it written into law that the IMAB cannot be amended is frightening.

Is this constitutional? If this goes through it will truly be frightening! Imagine the next Republican Senate inserting language that prohibits future Senates from modifying or amending a permanent tax rate of 10% or prohibiting (insert ANYTHING here) from considering any bill, resolution, amendment, or conference report that would repeal or otherwise change this subsection.

The dissatisfaction with Congress is at an all time low and rightly so. These folks are using our money as Monopoly money, spending it like there's no tomorrow. Know what? If we don't get these people under control, we'll NEVER pay off the $14 TRILLION we now currently owe. Our children's lifestyle will be considerably lower than ours and that's a sad testament to our responsibility to provide for them to the best of our ability.

New Evidence Against Iran

Sorry for the lack of posting. There have been MANY topics to comment on but I've just not had the desire to give my two cents worth.

However . . . after having just read this article from Times (UK), I felt I had to post something.

Unlike a lot of people, I believe what the Mad Mullah says when he talks of the destruction of Israel. For some reason, many folks just poo poo it as rhetoric. But I truly believe he'd like nothing better than to be known as the one to wipe Israel off the map, regardless of the consequences.

The latest in Iranian nuclear armament shows their desire to acquire or build the nuclear trigger require to detonate their bomb.

Confidential intelligence documents obtained by The Times show that Iran is working on testing a key final component of a nuclear bomb.

The notes, from Iran’s most sensitive military nuclear project, describe a four-year plan to test a neutron initiator, the component of a nuclear bomb that triggers an explosion. Foreign intelligence agencies date them to early 2007, four years after Iran was thought to have suspended its weapons programme.

An Asian intelligence source last week confirmed to The Times that his country also believed that weapons work was being carried out as recently as 2007 — specifically, work on a neutron initiator.

The technical document describes the use of a neutron source, uranium deuteride, which independent experts confirm has no possible civilian or military use other than in a nuclear weapon. Uranium deuteride is the material used in Pakistan’s bomb, from where Iran obtained its blueprint.

[...]

The documents have been seen by intelligence agencies from several Western countries, including Britain. A senior source at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that they had been passed to the UN’s nuclear watchdog.

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokeswoman said yesterday: “We do not comment on intelligence, but our concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme are clear. Obviously this document, if authentic, raises serious questions about Iran’s intentions.”

Responding to The Times’ findings, an Israeli government spokesperson said: “Israel is increasingly concerned about the state of the Iranian nuclear programme and the real intentions that may lie behind it.”

The revelation coincides with growing international concern about Iran’s nuclear programme. Tehran insists that it wants to build a civilian nuclear industry to generate power, but critics suspect that the regime is intent on diverting the technology to build an atomic bomb.

Wonder what the IAEA will say about this new development? Will the toothless enforcers try to brush is aside as inconsequential or try to get the Security Council involved?

Publication of the nuclear documents will increase pressure for tougher UN sanctions against Iran, which are due to be discussed this week. But the latest leaks in a long series of allegations against Iran will also be seized on by hawks in Israel and the US, who support a pre-emptive strike against Iranian nuclear facilities before the country can build its first warhead.

Mark Fitzpatrick, senior fellow for non-proliferation at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, said: “The most shattering conclusion is that, if this was an effort that began in 2007, it could be a casus belli. If Iran is working on weapons, it means there is no diplomatic solution.”

The Times had the documents, which were originally written in Farsi, translated into English and had the translation separately verified by two Farsi speakers. While much of the language is technical, it is clear that the Iranians are intent on concealing their nuclear military work behind legitimate civilian research.

The fallout could be explosive, especially in Washington, where it is likely to invite questions about President Obama’s groundbreaking outreach to Iran. The papers provide the first evidence which suggests that Iran has pursued weapons studies after 2003 and may actively be doing so today — if the four-year plan continued as envisaged.

Ultimately something must be done otherwise the Mad Mullah will have The Bomb, which means Hezbollah and Hamas wield more power against Israel. God help Israel because no one else will.

Shame on you, UN

This week was a circus of madness with Gadhafi and Ahmadinejad. I didn't catch Gadhafi's 90 mins of rambling nonsense but did manage to catch Ahmad's vitriol. He rambled on about Israel and the US. what crap!

I also watched Benjamin Netanyahu's address to the UN. My stance on support for Israel is clear and his call out to the UN, "Will you stand with Israel or will you stand for terrorists?" is plainly spoken and unambivalent.

Support for Israel is so important. It can't be minimized. Their very existence depends upon our support.



Part 2

Part 3

Part 4


May Peace be finally come to Israel.

h/t LGF

Pres. Carter Jumping the Shark

Up front, I'll admit I have NO love for Pres. Carter. It's not his effort with Habitat for Humanity, which I admire nor is it his work on fair elections around the world that cause my disdain. It's his anti-Semitic words and actions toward Israel and his blind faith in Palestinian causes. But that's not the purpose of this blog...

Has Pres. Carter jumped the shark? The phrase comes from an old Happy Days episode where all who watched knew the moment Fonzi jumped a shark while water skiing that the show was over. Is this Carter's moment? I sure hope so.

Carter went on NBC Nightly News and proudly proclaimed that those who currently oppose Pres. Obama are racist. This does not take into consideration the merit of his proposals nor plans, but only supposes opponents are automatically racist. Can you believe it? Almost 53% of America voted for Obama. He enjoyed a 70% approval rating six months ago. Yet, if you oppose him you are branded a racist...

Granted, there are probably at least 10% of America who are out and out racist. This can't be helped. Some people are just plain stupid and nothing you can say or do will change that; probably another 15% are 'uncomfortable' with certain aspect of race issues. I don't know this for a fact, but in my life I've met some fine people who occasionally were a bit squeamish in certain environments or circumstances. However, this does not make them automatically racist, just outside of their comfort zone.

But, Carter goes well beyond comfort zone issues. He paints a broad brush saying:

"I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he's African-American," Carter told "NBC Nightly News." "I live in the South, and I've seen the South come a long way, and I've seen the rest of the country that shares the South's attitude toward minority groups at that time, particularly African-Americans."

Now, I'm not naive enough to think some people oppose Obama because he's African-American. Bigot abound. But please, there of us who oppose the man for his political beliefs and not for the color of his skin.

My issue is massive, unsustainable spending and increasingly engorged government. The moment you have a populous that is a majority working for the government (national, state or local) is the moment we lose our true republic. It will be a government-employer for life...And this doesn't even begin to talk about the healthcare issue!!

I just wish Carter would retire on his porch in "his" racist South and fade away...

Peace

Freedom Towers?

Today marks the 8th year since the disaster of Sept 11th. I can't call it an 'anniversary' since that connotates a celebration. I remember turning on the TV getting ready for work that historic day. Being on the west coast, it was around 10:00a ET when I saw what was going on. What a shock! A day I will truly never forget.

Watching Glenn Beck tonight brought forth something I've had in the back of my mind but never really thought too much about. Why after 8 years do we NOT have something built on the Twin Towers site?? Are you telling me that we can't either build this 'Freedom Tower' or some special memorial monument?

Why? How can we NOT have done SOMETHING to honor those who perished on that tragic day? Didn't the politicians 'promise' to rebuild something called the Freedom Towers? What happened? Was it the political correctness calling for "Freedom" Towers to be changed since it might offend the Chinese, the primary renter of the previous Twin Towers? Or is it just ineptness?

I can't believe it's really ineptness, can you? If the Empire State building could be built in 400 days, why would it take over 2,000 days (and counting) to even start something on this national treasure site??

I really do think this is an example of the our entire system, be it political or economical. Our ineptness is palpable. It's in the air. It's something we can feel everyday! 'Normal' people question daily what our elected 'leaders' are doing, but unfortunately we find that while we question what 'other' US Representatives are doing (Pelosi, Frank, Rangel et.al.), we feel 'our guy is OK'. Pathetic.

If the politicians can't agree on what to build on the site, then just pave it and make it a memorial park. Just put something to honor the fallen and stop all the game playing/power tripping.

We owe the fallen more than this...

Peace

AP photo of mortally wounded soldier

I'm torn on what AP published today of a mortally wounded soldier, Lance Cpl. Joshua "Bernie" Bernard, 21, who died in a grenade ambush in Afghanistan on Aug 14th. They published a photo of Bernard as he lay dying while being triaged by fellow soldiers. AP had a reporter and photographer embedded with his unit.

While I don't hold the media today to the stature they once held, I feel they need to be free to delve into areas that make us think. Unfortunately, they have not done so for several years, especially in recent years. I'm not overly concerned when they buck the government since that's their job (although they can't seem to do that today!). However, when a family first 'request' them not to publish their dying son, then later, in 'stronger terms' ask the photos not to be used, I'm torn and tend to lean towards the family.

While the story was being written, an AP reporter visited the home of John and Sharon Bernard to learn more about their son. The couple was shown Jacobson's pictures, and requested that they not be used. In a later fact-checking phone call, John Bernard asked in stronger terms that the photos not be used, Daniszewski said.

We're not talking about a flag covered casket, but an action photo of their son dying.

Secretary Gates contacted AP to express his disappointment, too:

Gates wrote a strongly worded letter to AP President and CEO Tom Curley on Thursday, saying it was a matter of "judgment and common decency" not to use the photo. A Pentagon spokesman said Gates followed up with a phone call "begging" Curley not to use it.

It seems some of the newspapers have picked this time to express their views:

The Newark, N.J., Star-Ledger ran a picture of Bernard's memorial service on its front page and the ambush picture inside. Editor Jim Willse said it was "not a difficult decision for us," and said it would have run the ambush picture out front "if the story had been presented differently."

The Wheeling, W.Va., Intelligencer ran the photo inside and an editorial explaining why it did "after hours of debate."

"Too often, we fear, some Americans see only the statistics, the casualty counts released by the Department of Defense," the newspaper wrote. "We believe it is important for all of us to understand that behind the numbers are real men and women, sometimes making the ultimate sacrifice, for us."

At least the Portland (ME) Press-Herald showed some courtesy:

The Portland (Me.) Press-Herald ran an editor's note with the story saying it had received the photo but believed it would be in "poor taste" to publish it. Bernard was raised in New Portland, Me.

Ultimately, AP tried to balance the family vs. what they felt was news:

Although the family was shown the pictures ahead of time as a courtesy, "we did not ask permission" to use them, Daniszewski said.

"There was no question that the photo had news value," he said. "But we also were very aware the family wished for the picture not to be seen. That created a difficult choice between our job to document the war and our respect for the suffering of the corporal's family."

During lengthy internal discussions, the family issue was the most difficult, he said. Ultimately, the AP concluded that "the photo itself is a part of the war we needed to cover and convey."

While I've never disagreed with going into Afghanistan, I think 'nation building' in that country is doomed to failure. Believe it or not, not every country/civilization is ready for democracy. Our mission was/should of been to destroy the AQ/Taliban infrastructure with the idea of keeping an eye of their future developments.

Once again, I'm torn on how to report Lance Cpl. Bernard's tragic death. While it is relevant, the family's wishes should be respected. I live within five miles of Ft. Lewis, a major departure Army base, and just this last week, 10 soldiers stationed here will not return home to their families. I see their photos in the paper along with their mourning family members. The anguish is tough to view. I cannot imagine them having to see a photo of their son as he lay dying.

Peace, Lance Cpl. Bernard. Thank you for your service and ultimate sacrifice

No Peace without Syria

Michael J. Totten has once again written an excellent article in Commentary on the realistic chances of peace in the Middle East. Needless to say, it's not a very optimistic view given the Assad regime's tenuous hold over the Sunni majority.

Syria’s fundamentalist Sunnis have long detested his Baath party regime, not only because it’s secular and oppressive but also because its leaders are considered heretics. The Assads and most of the Baathist elites belong to the Alawite religious minority, descendants of the followers of Muhammad ibn Nusayr, who took them out of mainstream Twelver Shiite Islam in the 10th century. Their religion has as much in common with Christianity and Gnosticism as it does with Islam, and most Syrians find it both bizarre and offensive that the Alawites are in charge of the country instead of the majority Sunnis.

The greatest Assad fear would be the Sunni charge of treason if peace between Syria and Israel ever came to fruition. So there will be no peace between Syria and Israel as long as Assad is in power, but then...there would probably be no peace with a Sunni fundamentalist government, either.

Media Bias

James Taranto at WSJ blog has an excellent example of the media bias that drives sane people crazy. The bashing of Bush even at the beginning is reflected in a NY Times piece in the summer of 2001, yet Obama rightfully is allowed his Martha' Vineyard vacation with little questioning.

Can't Seem to Get My Mind Off of You
Back Here at Home With Nothing to Do
Here's a blast from the past. The New York Times, July 9, 2001, reports on George W. Bush's first summer vacation as president:

On Friday, as new unemployment figures painted a newly troubling portrait of the American economy, Mr. Bush placed himself in the same scenes--golfing and fishing in a New England paradise--that once caused his father electoral grief.

Simply amazing.

Here's the Bureau of Labor Statistics report, dated July 6, that "painted a newly troubling portrait of the American economy":

The unemployment rate was little changed at 4.5 percent, five-tenths of a percentage point higher than the average for 2000.

As Barack Obama embarked on his first summer vacation as president last week--also in a "New England paradise," Martha's Vineyard--the most recent unemployment rate was 9.4%, more than double the summer 2001 figure. Covering the Obama jaunt, the Times offers no hint that there's anything wrong with a president taking a vacation during a time of genuine crisis. Indeed, it offers this justification:

Mr. Obama, whom aides described as being amused by all of the gloom-and-doom prognosticating over his health care agenda, did not even consider skipping his vacation. Last year, he talked about the importance of taking a break to avoid "making mistakes."

That makes sense--and in any case, it's not as if the president actually escapes his responsibilities when he goes on "vacation." But the Times's coverage of Obama is a useful contrast to the paper's petty partisan sniping against Bush.

World Soccer Daily - RIP

It was an amazing shock yesterday, when I went to listen to my favorite podcast and web cast, and found it off the air!! I was so disappointed. These folks, Stephen Cohen and Kenny Hassan, were like best buds. I would say like 'best mates' but that would sound too Anglophile.

We can thank the rat-bastards that support Liverpool FC for this loss of the only daily soccer show in America. It's always been known that Steven despises Liverpool fans for their historical hooliganism and he has never been shy about voicing his opinions on his show. But when he expressed his opinion on the Hillsborough tragedy (as factually incorrect as it may have been), all the Liverpool FC fan base went nuclear. They began a massive boycott effort against Fox Soccer Channel and against WSD. They succeeded in removing Cohen from Fox Football Fhone-in (FFF), but since WSD was co-owned by Cohen, it was more difficult.

When they couldn't get all the sponsors to stop supporting WSD, many of the 'fans' turned personal, attacking Cohen directly with anti-Semitic vitriol as well as attacking his family. It was these attacks on his family that became the last straw, so he pulled the show from the air.

While I didn't agree with Cohen's view of Hillsborough (in which 96 people died in a stampede caused by local officials), the thought that free speech has been gagged due to a few thugs is chilling. If you don't like a program on radio, TV or podcasts, then TURN IT OFF. What they have done is throw such a tantrum that ruined an otherwise excellent soccer program.

Here is an excellent post from Mark Sawyer who tried to mitigate a resolution btwn Stephen Cohen and Mel Abshier, the main drive behind the witchhunt. Even as a veteran of conflict resolution, he was disappointed with Abshier's actions.

I am truly sad about this loss...

Here is WSD's final show:

Healthcare

I am so f’ing tired of all the BS about the town halls currently taking place around the country. Does the media really think we have such a short term memory that we can’t even remember the 2008 election with Obama’s ‘grassroots’ movement? How about the `90s with Medicare reform?? It’s amazing how the US Reps are running or hiding from the meetings. Oh, and news flash, yes the little folks are a wee bit upset and don’t need to be ‘organized into mobs’.

On healthcare, since I work in the biz I naturally have an opinion!

Since healthcare was employer mandated during the `30s, it’s moved from personal responsibility to ‘someone else supplying it’. This takes the personal ownership away from the primary responsible individual to one of a view of becoming a ‘right’. While healthcare is not really a right, I do believe it can/should be classified as something of a sub-right, where responsible folks should not be penalized for things like pre-conditions or transportability.

First…this should concentrate on functionality currently able to be fixed such as fore mentioned pre-existing conditions and transportability, but also tort reform. I see doctors having to order a whole menu of tests just to cover themselves. Yes, I know some folks may think this is only ‘talking points’ but I’ve seen it in action… Blanket tests covers a shotgun approach for diagnosis.

Second, tort reform. How to handle this?? If a doctor, screws up an operation leaving a loved one as a vegetable, how do you compensate for this? Who takes care of this person for 30-40 yrs? Is the family penalized by sacrificing everything for care? Who pays? I don’t have the perfect answer to this very complex answer. I do know that doctors are brought before peer review boards and are slapped on the wrist for offenses you and I would be thrown in jail for. I would be in favor of a cap of ‘personal suffering’ with life time medical care by Social Security as long as the provider lost their license in ALL states. It’s not much but a start in the conversation.

Third. No one seems to talk about the MASSIVE influx of patients if a public coverage is instituted. Right now the ratio of patient to doctor is 1 to 400+. If you add 40 million, PLUS the 20+ million illegals currently the leading drain on hospital care, that ratio will sky rocket. Talk about a decrease in care!!! If Medicare dictates the reimbursements to providers, this will truly scare away some of our brightest. (believe it or not, not ALL doctors do it for the love of their patients…) Obama has already said part of the cost control was reimbursement. Contrary to what Obama said, if a doctor know he's going to be paid $.50 cents on the dollar, he's more likely to NOT order the procedure if it takes more effort to fill out the paper work than to pass the patient on to another provider...

Finally, I happen to work for a major healthcare institution, so I don’t have to worry about them ‘canceling’ my healthcare. But think about this ‘public option’, if the govt is in direct competition with private coverage, we already KNOW they compensate providers at a lower rate than what should be paid to doctors (see Medicare). So…a company of 100 has to pay out thousands of dollars for healthcare. BUT since there is a ‘public option’ they can discontinue their coverage and pay an eight percent ‘tax’ to have their employees be cover by the govt. Right now, we know by the metrics that a person earning $50,000 is REALLY earning about $60,000 with healthcare and matching IRA. So, WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY WILL DO?? They are going to drop the healthcare upon the govt!!!!!

This, with the massive influx of 'new’ patients (IE uninsured and illegals) will overwhelm our current system!!! It's doomed to failure. This with Medicare, and the monetized debt, will bring us down just like a lion brings down a gazelle on the Serengeti. While we may not suffer, know that I children will...


Side notes:

Obama said during the primary campaign, he was in favor of single pay. Now he says he’s not….

He also said he’d ‘suggest’ giving the elderly patient a ‘pill’ to alleviate the pain instead of an operation. But when asked about his own grandmother, he said ‘he would pay’ for the hip replacement. Who would pay for your grandmother, if you couldn’t afford it?

His czars for health care and regulation (as well as Rahm’s brother) have advocated RASH ideas (aka eugenic). Deny this ALL you may, but it’s published and scary. As Obama said during the primaries, judge him by who he surrounds himself with…

If government dictates what you do and if they own major industries (auto, financial, energy), what form of government would you call it??? Is it Progressive? How about National Socialist? No matter how loud the Liberals cried out during the Bush II administration, what he had was not fascist. They just cried out about government intervention without knowing the true meaning of fascism. But with government control of major industry (auto, financial, energy), this will truly lead us down that path. God help us when the government institutes an emergency…

EPL Predictions 2009

It’s time for the annual Premiership (BPL) football predictions. As most know, predictions are truly a hit-n-miss proposition, especially concerning English football. Except for the Top Four, of course…

Last year, I had Chelsea over Man Utd (wrong) and missed fourth place (had Aston Villa over Arsenal). In the relegation battle, I lost the plot completely, with my second fav team, Newcastle Utd, being relegated… Oh the pain!! But with their abhorrent yellow away kits this year, I’m glad I don’t have to witness the yellow mess.

And away we go…

1. Chelsea – solid foundation hasn’t changed
2. Man Utd – Rindaldo and Tevez’s absence must be felt
3. Liverpool – hated but respected with Gerrard and Torres (both on my fan. team)
4. Arsenal - talented but too young, need toughness in the back
5. Everton – haven’t made moves but a solid team
6. Aston Villa – thin squad, tire towards the end of the season
7. Manchester City – the new deep pockets, spent tons!! But little cohesion and no defense.
8. Tottenham – offense but injury-prone on the back four
9. Fulham – decent team, no movement this year. Play for draws away.
10. West Ham Utd – Zola did a good job last yr. Financial uncertainty.
11. Blackburn – defensive, ugly but effective
12. Bolton – dependably mid-table
13. Sunderland –Bruce taking the helm with some new blood should help
14. Stoke City – scrappy team that showed they could hang, tough at home.
15. Wigan – new mgr may inject some life
16. Wolves – don’t know much about them
17. Birmingham City – relegation three of the last five years, may make it four of six!
18. Burnley – gave up a ton of goals last year in Champ league doesn’t bode well
19. Portsmouth – team in disarray, selling left and right
20. Hull City – early darlings last year, but Phil Brown lost the plot. Hope Josie does well!!

Let the games begin!! Go Chelsea!!

Ramblings

Once again, I'm just plain deliquent in posting... So, let's just free-form:

> MJ - I know he was a great entertainer, but the spectical of his death was just an overkill. I must have been one of the four people surfing cable TV looking for something other than MJ. I don't have much to say about his troubles. I think everyone can agree that he was a troubled soul, but I still wouldn't let my children near him no matter how innocent he was.

> Sarah Palin -I don't know WHAT to think of her. I think she really does march to her own drum beat and I like that. However, her resignation speech was one of her worst. It just ramble and didn't quite make sense. With all the frivolus lawsuits draining her family resources (I think I read during the `08 race that her wealth was less than $500,000 and that was mostly tied to her home), I can see why that alone would be enough to say 'screw this!'.
I really hope she doesn't run in `12 cuz that would be a disaster. Let's hope she's still as feisty in `20 as she is now. Love her independent streak and would love to back her even if I don't agree with her totally. I'm just sooo tired of all the negative press about her!! MSNBC is just amazing with the pitbull attitude towards her. Disagree with her politics but do it civilly.

> Obama picture in G8 - Don't know if any of you saw the picture floating about showing Obama and Sarkozy appearing to eye the nice ass of a 16 year old memeber of a delegation. The still photo looks great!! and quite convincing. See ALL men are hounddogs!!



HOWEVER... if you see the video of the scene, you can see that he is glancing down in anticipation of assisting the young lady behind him (black blouse). Now Sarkozy is a different matter, it show him clearly checking the young one out!! But to hear all the talking heads, it was just another example of skewed "journalism". Now, I'm no fan of the big O's policies, but when things are taken out of context, it shows just how bad things can get and BOTH sides are guilty.

> Sotomayor - next Supreme Court justice. I can't dispute her qualifications and think she deserves to be appointed. I think she'll get 86 votes. My point on this is while Repubs may disagree with her opinions, they don't dispute her judical judgement. This cannot be said of the Dems when faced with the same choice. They threaten a filabuster just to make a political point. Shamefull, just shamefull.

> Joe Biden - God love him, cuz I sure do!! Talk about loose lips ... he's always so entertaining!! Never a dull moment when he's in front of a microphone.

> Iranian protests - I was glued to Nico Pitney's Huff Post blog. I feel for them and hope the can achieve their freedom from the mullahs.

That's all for now.

Peace

Cap and Trade (Tax)

Boy, isn't this fun...
Ok, so we're now on the hook for the Dem's version of environmental engineering. One the environmentalist don't like and one that will become the largest tax increase in US history. This MAY be the undoing of the Dem domination in the Congress in 2010. It may (hopefully) usher them out of majority in the next election.

We should all expect our taxes to increase, but more sublime will be the cost passed on by manufacturers as their costs increases.

The complex bill mandates a 17-percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and a 83-percent cut by 2050, reductions that will be accomplished by putting a price on carbon dioxide through a cap-and-trade system. It mandates that 20 percent of electricity comes from renewable sources and increased energy efficiency by 2020. And the legislation gives electric utilities, coal plants, energy-intensive manufacturers, farmers, petroleum refiners, and other industries special protections to help them transition to new, less-fossil fuel-intensive ways of doing business.

Does anyone believe we can be at an 83% decrease by 2050 without a "Manhattan Project" style revamping of our energy? I hope this can happen, but no leadership has offered direction. So, we, as the middle class, will have to pay for this extravagance.

The worst of all this is the fact NO ONE read the 1300 pages -plus 3:00a amendments- of the bill. So much for transparency....

Iran

I went to high school for a couple of years at University High in west LA during the late `70s. This was at the height of the Iranian/Persian migration and knew quite a few Iranian students. We would sit around and smoke and talk about their plight. It was amazing. They didn't like the Shah but were terrified of what was to come. They were good people. So, like the Armenians, I've always watched with some interest on their travails.

So, I've been glued to the Huff Post's live blog by Nico Pitny. It's riveting...

Saturday will be the turning point after Khomeini's Friday prayer speech. Will they or won't they turn out... I hope they do.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

US Bonds found in Italy

I know I've been delinquent in blogging and have missed so much. I hope to have more on the Iran election later, but first this just jumped out at me.

If the bonds are real, it's more then all but three nations holding US bonds. If the are counterfeit, then talk about diluting our currency...

Italian prosecutors were trying to establish yesterday whether US bonds with a face value of $134 billion seized from two alleged smugglers were real or counterfeit.

The bonds were found when the two men — said to be Japanese but as yet not identified — were arrested while attempting to cross into Switzerland from Italy by train at the frontier town of Chiasso this month. Prosecutors in Como said that the two men had hidden the bonds in the false bottom of a suitcase.

Police said that Chiasso was a notorious crossing point for currency and bond smugglers but the sums involved this time were “colossal”. The amount of $134 billion would place the two travellers as the fourth most important investors in US debt, well ahead of Britain ($128.2 billion) and just behind Russia ($138.4 billion).

The bonds were described as being 249 US Federal Reserve bonds each worth $500 million, plus ten Kennedy bonds with face values of $1 billion, in addition to various other types. Police said that the two men had stayed at a hotel in Milan last Tuesday. Instead of taking the express train to Lugano, they had boarded a slow commuter train from a suburban station to attract less attention.

Although Switzerland and Italy adhere to the Schengen accords on frontier-free travel, customs officers from both sides who still watch travellers became suspicious, Italian reports said.

Police said that there was cause for concern even if the bonds turned out to be forgeries, since it would amount to a counterfeiting scam “on an unprecedented scale”.

Seattle Sounders' Keller

I've bought into the Seattle Sounders soccer team! Lock stock and goalie! Being an avid fan of the Braclays Prem League (commonly known as the English Prem League), I watch matches every weekend on FSC. The quality of MLS is well below that of the BPL which is to be expected. The BPL is the superior league in the world.

The joy now felt in Seattle by the 28,000 season ticket holders is unprecedented in MLS. The NW has been a hot bed of soccer for many years, but now it is expressed with fullt financial authority.

Here's an article on Kasey Keller which should warm the ol' cockles of the heart:

SEATTLE -- Bottom line: If you're a soccer fan living in America, you're doing yourself a great disservice if you don't make an attempt to take in a Seattle Sounders FC game. The overwhelming fan support, the sold-out crowds, the insane noise level inside Qwest Field -- it's enough to bring a tear to one's eye, as it did for MLS commissioner Don Garber.

Most affiliated with Major League Soccer expected a successful beginning for an expansion team with this kind of powerful ownership structure (many thanks, Seattle Seahawks) playing in the Emerald City. But few could have guessed the avalanche of noisy crowds the Sounders are getting in what has turned into perhaps the greatest homefield advantage in MLS history.

Count iconic goalkeeper Kasey Keller among the shocked -- and that's saying a lot. During a hugely successful 17-year career in England, Spain and Germany, Keller played in front of some of the loudest, most feverish crowds in the game. He always wanted to end his storied career -- which includes four World Cup appearances with the U.S. national team -- back in his home state of Washington. But never in his wildest dreams did he think Seattle conceivably could be the best market in MLS.

The Sounders are a surprising 4-2-0 just six weeks into the season and are in second place in the Western Conference. Perhaps even more impressively, they've only allowed three goals, and zero with their captain tending net.

SI.com caught up with the 39-year-old legend shortly after the Sounders' 2-0 victory over San Jose here this past Saturday, a game in which, by the way, Keller set a record by playing 389 consecutive minutes without conceding a goal to start a season. One of the best-spoken and most intelligent athletes you'll ever come across, he discussed his expectations for Seattle and had some strong words on what he believes U.S. national-team players deserve from MLS.

SI.com: Did you ever expect the support to be like this?

Keller: No. I knew that Seattle should have had an MLS team years ago. I knew there was a fan base here. But at no time did I ever think we're going to have 28,000 sold out or that we'd win our first three games without conceding a goal. It's our dream start. To be able to come home and finish my career in this atmosphere has been huge. Nothing would have been worse after experiencing the things I've experienced all over Europe and then to come home and hear crickets at games. This has been phenomenal. It very much reminds me of that European environment.

SI.com: After seeing this, are you sort of wondering what took MLS this long to get here?

Keller: Totally. At the same time, there's no good in hurrying something up just because you want to stick it in there. Timing could not have been better for this franchise. With the Sonics leaving, it left some openings in talk radio and in local TV sports coverage. Once they were able to see it was going to be done the right way, you had radio franchises bidding for the rights. In other cities, you couldn't give it away. When I got red-carded earlier this month, it was the talk of the town on sports-talk radio. That's cool. That's the way it should be.

SI.com: We talked in spring of 2007 right after Germany's Borussia Mönchengladbach cut you loose and you said you were too old to sit out a season to wait for an expansion team in Seattle. Yet that's what you ended up doing after one season back in England.

Keller: That was an interesting situation because 'Gladbach asked me to sign early on. And I just didn't think I could be motivated if the team got relegated. I can't just do something because of a check. I had a bunch of offers and I was being very picky. At the last minute, Fulham came along with the chance to move back to London. I had a tremendous run at the end of the year to keep the team up and have that experience. And then I had to make another decision: Do I stay there and maybe not play, maybe be a backup, maybe go back to Tottenham, drop down a division or two, go back to Europe? It was hard.

My kids are 11 years old and now they're in their fifth school in their fourth country. If I'm going to drag them around a bit more, it's got to be the right situation. Then it was even tougher when I committed to this team because it was, OK, do I take that little time off and be here from Day 1? Or do I come back in the middle of July? After that first game [a nationally televised 3-0 win over New York in front of 32,523], my wife said to me, "You know, it would have been a huge shame to have missed that experience." I fully agree that the choices have fallen into place.

SI.com: Would you have signed on no matter who the owners were?

Keller: No. I could tell from early on this group had it. Having the Vulcan organization, which owns the Seahawks -- let's be honest, what are we striving to be in this sport? We're striving to be on par with the NFL. We know we have to accept what our place is. But at the same time you have to have an ownership group that's forward-thinking, that's saying, we want to be in a stadium that holds 30,000 people. Hopefully at some stage it becomes 40,000 and 50,000. My experience in this sport is on that NFL level in Europe. Knowing that was what the aspiration was in what they were trying to achieve made it that much simpler.

SI.com: Over the past two years, you, Brian McBride, Eddie Lewis, Bobby Convey and Gregg Berhalter all have come home to MLS. That's five members of the '06 World Cup team. How big is that for the league?

Keller: That's key because we still are not quite as respected as much as I think we should be in our own league. Before I went to Fulham, I had an offer to come home and I had an offer to go to Romania that was three times what MLS was offering. At the same time, MLS has no problem paying a Mexican $2 million. That's the thing that still frustrates me. The better the Americans can do when they come home from Europe, hopefully the more respect they'll have from the ownership group and the fans to pay them what they deserve.

I had a conversation with a prominent coach here when I was on-again, off-again to coming home and he basically told me that I "owed it to the sport" to come home and play. I had to fight for everything I possibly could in Europe and now I have to fight twice as hard to come home and get a contract? That's not right. Look at the way the Dutch do it -- they understand. Ajax and PSV Eindhoven know they can't keep a hold of their homegrown stars. Someone like Phillip Cocu, who leaves PSV for Barcelona, wins everything under the sun, and what does PSV do when he's done there? They open their arms and say, "We might not be able to pay you what Barcelona can, but we're not going to pay you a fifth of what we're going to pay this Brazilian guy." It just doesn't work that way because the respect is there for him and what he has done. There are little things that need to change here.

SI.com: Six weeks into your first season, what do you think of the quality of MLS?

Keller: There's no question that it's in a great position. What we need now is to try to bump up that salary cap a little bit more, first of all, to reward those guys who do well. Too many times have I heard, "Hey, great season, but we don't think you have any options so we're actually going to lower your salary." That can't happen. At the same time, understand your place. No, you're not going to go compete with Chelsea. But the little bit more money you can pay, the little bit more quality player you're going to get.

SI.com: How close are we to catching up with Europe?

Keller: Twenty to 50 years. The NFL in 2009 is not what it was in 1959. You can't think after 14 years you're going to go compete with 120 years of history. It just doesn't work that way. But what you can do is steadily grow. And sometimes you have to take that little risk. When I first got to England in the early '90s, the Premier League was not what it is today for one major reason. That's because Rupert Murdoch paid a whole lot of money and started a TV company called Sky, bought the Premier League and gambled a big fortune. With that, the TV contracts shot through the roof and the clubs were able to pay more money to get the best players in the world away from Italy and Spain. Sometimes you have to make a commitment and hope that the more franchises we have like Seattle, the better it's going to be. It's a better game to watch on TV when it's a better game to watch in person.

SI.com: Do you see yourself staying here long enough to experience the Pacific Northwest rivalry with expansion teams in Vancouver and Portland in 2011?

Keller: That's why I've been hinting at maybe playing that one more year after my contract expires, to be a part of that. And to get as much stick as I'll get in Portland, having played in college and one year professionally down there. It'll be a lot of fun. We'll see how the body feels, we'll see how I'm playing. I could see myself squeezing another year out.

SI.com: Do you hope to be part of this organization after you hang 'em up?

Keller: That was a big part of the conversation I had in coming back. I said at my introductory press conference, I would love to be to this franchise what Franz Beckenbauer is at Bayern Munich, to go into coaching and into the back room and then still be here 30 years later.

Ahmadinejad and the Two State Solution

I'm going to pull completely from Barry Rubin's article on Ahmadinejad's responses to George Stephanopoulos' questions on the Two State Solution in the Middle East. However, I can't say I'm surprised on Mr. Madman's response. Since he denies the Holocaust, I can't ever imagine him allowing the existance of Israel, as Barry also noticed. I can't imagine a more vile person leading a country... Until Hamas agrees to the two state solution by agreeing to Israel's right to exist, nothing will ever change.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gave an interview to George Stephanopoulos of ABC. He knew what he was saying but others want to insist on refusing to understand him.

First the relevant exchange:

STEPHANOPOULOS: If the Palestinian people negotiate an agreement with Israel and the Palestinian people vote and support that agreement, a two state solution, will Iran support it?
AHMADINEJAD: Nobody should interfere, allow the Palestinian people to decide for themselves. Whatever they decide….
STEPHANOPOULOS: If they choose a two state solution with Israel, that's fine.
AHMADINEJAD: Well, what we are saying is that you and us should not determine the course of things beforehand. Allow the Palestinian people to make their own decisions.
STEPHANOPOULOS: But if they choose a two state solution, if they choose to recognize Israel's existence, Iran will as well?
AHMADINEJAD; Let me approach this from another perspective. If the Palestinians decide that the Zionist regime needs to leave all Palestinian lands, would the American administration accept their decision? Will they accept this Palestinian point of view?
STEPHANOPOULOS: I'll ask them. But I'm asking you if Palestinians accept the existence of Israel, would Iran support that?....
STEPHANOPOULOS: If the Palestinians sign an agreement with Israel, will Iran support it?
AHMADINEJAD: Whatever decision they take is fine with us. We are not going to determine anything. Whatever decision they take, we will support that. We think that this is the right of the Palestinian people, however we fully expect other states to do so as well.

And how did the Israeli online service of Yediot Aharnot newspaper, YNet News, play this? Here’s the headline: “”Ahmadinejad 'fine' with two-state solution.”

Well, not exactly. He refused to say that. All Ahmadinejad said was that he would support what the Palestinian people decided. What does that mean?

First, he personally believes that they would never accept a two-state solution so there’s nothing to worry about in that respect.

Second, of course, he knows that Hamas would never agree to such a thing and Hamas already controls how people vote in the Gaza Strip. One might presume that if a referendum was held there, the vote would be “100 percent” against a two-state solution. In addition, Hamas and others opposing a two-state solution would get between 30 and 70 percent of votes in the West Bank. A lot of Fatah supporters would also vote against it. The exact numbers aren’t important because whether the number is the higher or lower figure such a proposition would always be defeated.

Third, any two-state solution would only be made by Fatah. Iran supports Hamas. If Fatah and the Palestinian Authority were to make a deal with Israel, Tehran would still back Hamas in overthrowing that government, using the deal to portray its rival as treasonous. Once Hamas took over the state of Palestine, it would tear up all the agreements and invite in the Iranian military.

So in effect Ahmadinejad just said that he would never accept a two-state solution but why put that in clear words when the dumb Westerners can be left to interpret it as they wish.
But Ahmadinejad also put a little bomb in the interview which no one seems to notice. Let me repeat one of his answers:

AHMADINEJAD; “Let me approach this from another perspective. If the Palestinians decide that the Zionist regime needs to leave all Palestinian lands, would the American administration accept their decision? Will they accept this Palestinian point of view?“

What’s he saying here? “All Palestinian lands” might sound like saying the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem to Western ears, but everyone in Iran and among the Palestinians knows this means: all of Israel plus all the territories it captured in 1967.

So here’s what the Iranian president is saying: Suppose the Palestinians vote that they want all of Israel, would the United States accept that? The answer, of course, is “no” and so, Ahmadinejad is saying: I’m the one in favor of democracy and you’re against it.

(According to him, of course, Israelis have no rights to a state so they don’t get to vote.)

Ahmadinejad has built his own career on regarding the West as extremely stupid, cowardly, and easy to fool. Many or most of his colleagues in the Iranian regime agree with him.

I could write at this point that the one exception was when in the mid-1980s the United States was appearing ready to attack Iran unless it ended the Iran-Iraq war. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini did so but I think he was misreading American intentions (albeit to the credit of U.S. policymakers in pulling off that bluff).

Still, I’m tempted to say that up to now that the Iranian leaders’ assumption has never proven to be wrong.

h/t augean stables

Halliburton vs. GE

Glad to be back!!!! Sorry, but haven't been in the mood to blog. Although, there's been a shit load of crap to blog about. I know it's been a couple of months and I've chosen to pass on commenting. Obama's admin has been a worthy subject as has been MSNBC's abject 'reporting' of the new administration. But how do you quantify crap . . . Lord knows the rabid Left tried during the Bush admin. And this was rightly so! After all, crap is crap. But what is so righteous is when the Left is called out on their righteousness by the Right!!

Look, Halliburton was the poster child of the Right's military industrial complex during the Bush admin. Now guess who is the poster child of the Left's eco industrial complex?? Well, that'd have to be the fine folks at General Electric!! While they push the eco agenda, they gather government chits on eco credits!! Who is going to benefit from the 'cap `n trade' more than GE with their wind turbine program??

And where is the Left on this corporate sponsorship of government programs?? Silent of course...

The Right has many faults, but the Left has them too. They just refuse to own up to them....

Hamas and the U.N.

Well, new router is in place and I'm back!!

Ok, so now we hear about some Hamas atrocities directly from the U.N.

JERUSALEM – A U.N. spokesman says Hamas police in Gaza have seized thousands of blankets and food parcels meant for needy residents.

Spokesman Christopher Gunness says Hamas police raided a U.N. warehouse in Gaza City on Tuesday evening. He says police snatched 3,500 blankets and more than 400 food parcels.

The aid is vital now because Gazans are facing hardship after Israel's three-week military offensive against Hamas.

Hamas has ruled Gaza since it seized control of the territory in 2007. Gunness said Wednesday this is the first time Hamas has seized U.N. aid.

Israeli officials have charged that the militant group routinely confiscates supplies meant for needy Gazans.

A Hamas government spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

But wait there's more!!

Seems the supposed Israeli bombing of the U.N. school wasn't what it was alleged. Remember, the Israelis, at the time, said they were fired upon by Hamas, but no one believed them. Well, it now seems it was all true! Of course, that's because the U.N. says so....

The United Nations has retracted a claim that an Israeli strike which killed more than 40 people in northern Gaza city of Jabaliya last month hit a school run by a UN agency.

"The humanitarian coordinator would like to clarify that the shelling, and all of the fatalities, took place outside rather than inside the school," the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in its latest weekly update on the situation in Gaza.

It stressed that its initial report of the January 6 incident correctly stated that Israeli shells hit outside the school run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA, but that it later referred to "the shelling of the UNRWA school in Jabaliya."

The Israeli military initially said its forces had responded to hostile fire from within the UN school but later reportedly retracted that statement.

The attack sparked widespread outrage in the midst of Israel's deadly offensive in Gaza

I do believe the principle of the United Nations is noble. However, it's be usurped and rendered impotent by the chamberlains and the rampant anti-American attitude. This with all the money the US provides...too bad.

h/t LGF

Mother of All Quagmires

Sorry for the slow blogging. I've had router issues.

Once again Michael Totten has written an excellent expose on the Middle East. There is no easy answer to the Israel/Palestinian issue.

Posting

Sorry for the lack of postings, have been having router problems.

Quick thoughts:

Israel is pounding the shit out of Gaza. Good! They need to pound Hamas. I've seen YouTube vids of the heroic Hamas fighters using children as shields as well as firing rockets from schools. Sorry, but can't link due to router problems.

Obama's inauguration - I'm filled with hope. I want to see what this man can do!! I may not have voted for him, but I still wish him to succeed. Bush was a wanker. He may have protected us from a security prospective, but he was not a true conservative. His 'compassionate conservatism' was nothing but bunk...