Ann Coulter is at it again and this time she is taking on the supposed "victims" of the left. Liberals have long considered themselves the protectors of the downtrodden but how accurate is this portrayal? Not accurate at all according to Coulter.
Far from speaking for victims, liberals use victims or even create victims to inoculate themselves against criticism. As if showing the face of someone suffering makes it impossible to argue against what the liberal believes is the best way to help that person.
Coulter shows how liberals claim to be victims even when they are rewarded for what they do, like when Hollywood celebrities talk out against Bush. She explains how by celebrating victim status, such as women having children out of wedlock, damage is done to the second generation and dependency is created. She gives example after example of liberals receiving fawning media attention for their anti-war protests while claiming victim-hood.
A book review of an Ann Coulter book might even be largely unnecessary. You either love Coulter or you hate her. There is very little middle ground. Ann is an unabashed conservative who mixes in humor all while destroying liberals arguments. She doesn't pull punches or let the chance that she might offend someone get in the way of a great punchline.
Guilty is definitely not the book to get your liberal friends to try to get them to turn their beliefs around but she certainly could be appreciated by rock-rib conservatives as our answer to Bill Maher.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
Healthcare Reform Is The Real Christmas Turkey
Most weeks, Congress does not work Fridays. Most holiday seasons, congressmen and Senators are home with their families long before the average worker starts his vacation. So why is the Senate in session on Christmas Eve? As Mark Twain put it, “No Man's Life Liberty or Property is Safe…While the Legislature is in Session.”
The Senate is in session on Christmas Eve for the same reason the House was in session during the wee hours of the morning on a Saturday, because they hope you don't notice what they are doing. The passage of the dueling healthcare bills in Congress will force Americans to do something they have never had to do up until this point, buy a service or risk fees and jail time.
Worse still, no one really knows what's in these bills. The House version has a public option and a ban on public money spent on abortion. The Senate version has no public option but allows federal dollars to be used on abortion. What comes out of the reconciliation process of these bills might very well be the worse of both worlds.
Items like individual mandates requiring every man, woman and child to buy a "state-approved" plan are a given. Community rating, charging the same rate regardless of health condition, destroys the incentive for the young to buy coverage by overcharging them to account for the elderly. Even with these provisions, the CBO says 24 million of the 46.3 million uninsured will remain so.
The money spent just to cajole congressmen and senators to vote for this bill is breaking all records. Mary Landrieu from Lousiana got 300 million dollars in earmarks for her vote. Ben Nelson of Nebraska got a state exemption that his state will never have to contribute to new Medicaid patients. All these bribes are really drops in the bucket when you consider the bill will cost 1 trillion dollars just in the next ten years, if anything they didn't get enough for their vote.
There is still time to stop the bill. Either the House will vote on the Senate version or the bill will go to reconciliation and need to be voted on again by both bodies. We are not done yet! A Rasmussen poll taken Dec 22-23 found that 41 percent favored the health care bill but 55 percent were opposed. If that number rises and we become more vocal about throwing the bums out of office who vote for this monstrosity, many Democrats may decide the political price is too high and change their vote.
Tort reform, buying insurance across state lines and health care savings accounts are all good solutions that would cost the American taxpayers nothing. Health care needs to be reformed but they know this Frankenstein monster of bad ideas and bribes for congressmen is NOT the way to get it done.
The Senate is in session on Christmas Eve for the same reason the House was in session during the wee hours of the morning on a Saturday, because they hope you don't notice what they are doing. The passage of the dueling healthcare bills in Congress will force Americans to do something they have never had to do up until this point, buy a service or risk fees and jail time.
Worse still, no one really knows what's in these bills. The House version has a public option and a ban on public money spent on abortion. The Senate version has no public option but allows federal dollars to be used on abortion. What comes out of the reconciliation process of these bills might very well be the worse of both worlds.
Items like individual mandates requiring every man, woman and child to buy a "state-approved" plan are a given. Community rating, charging the same rate regardless of health condition, destroys the incentive for the young to buy coverage by overcharging them to account for the elderly. Even with these provisions, the CBO says 24 million of the 46.3 million uninsured will remain so.
The money spent just to cajole congressmen and senators to vote for this bill is breaking all records. Mary Landrieu from Lousiana got 300 million dollars in earmarks for her vote. Ben Nelson of Nebraska got a state exemption that his state will never have to contribute to new Medicaid patients. All these bribes are really drops in the bucket when you consider the bill will cost 1 trillion dollars just in the next ten years, if anything they didn't get enough for their vote.
There is still time to stop the bill. Either the House will vote on the Senate version or the bill will go to reconciliation and need to be voted on again by both bodies. We are not done yet! A Rasmussen poll taken Dec 22-23 found that 41 percent favored the health care bill but 55 percent were opposed. If that number rises and we become more vocal about throwing the bums out of office who vote for this monstrosity, many Democrats may decide the political price is too high and change their vote.
Tort reform, buying insurance across state lines and health care savings accounts are all good solutions that would cost the American taxpayers nothing. Health care needs to be reformed but they know this Frankenstein monster of bad ideas and bribes for congressmen is NOT the way to get it done.
Christmas Day Massacre Averted
As many people were gathering together with friends and family and celebrating the Holiest day of the Christian calendar, a terrorist was plotting to use a new kind of explosive device on a plane arriving in Detroit.
The cost of freedom is eternal vigilance but the bomb composed of a powdery substance was designed to bypass TSA security. Hopefully, appropriate countermeasures will be taken in the future to account for this new threat.
It is a Christmas miracle that this unforeseen tragedy was averted thanks to the quick thinking of several passengers who subdued the man.
I sincerely hope that when Obama addresses the nation about what is being done with this terrorist, we hear that he is being interrogated and his associates are being rooted out. I hope that we don't hear about how this man is read his Miranda rights or how he is being given a lawyer. I hope that we hear about how this only strengthens the resolve of the American people to crush terror wherever it exists. I hope that we don't hear liberals trying to rationalize this as retribution for the troop surge in Afghanistan.
In short, I am hoping for a second Christmas miracle.
The cost of freedom is eternal vigilance but the bomb composed of a powdery substance was designed to bypass TSA security. Hopefully, appropriate countermeasures will be taken in the future to account for this new threat.
It is a Christmas miracle that this unforeseen tragedy was averted thanks to the quick thinking of several passengers who subdued the man.
I sincerely hope that when Obama addresses the nation about what is being done with this terrorist, we hear that he is being interrogated and his associates are being rooted out. I hope that we don't hear about how this man is read his Miranda rights or how he is being given a lawyer. I hope that we hear about how this only strengthens the resolve of the American people to crush terror wherever it exists. I hope that we don't hear liberals trying to rationalize this as retribution for the troop surge in Afghanistan.
In short, I am hoping for a second Christmas miracle.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
I Hate Huckabee
Mike Huckabee came very close to winning the Republican presidential nomination in the last election. The "Huck-a-boom" as it was called happened too early in the race to lead to victory but certainly raised his political capital enough to be a front-runner for 2012.
All that evaporated the Sunday after Thanksgiving. On November 29th, Maurice Clemmons walked into a cafe in Washington state and killed four police officers. Clemmons received a reduced sentence that lead to his parole from Huckabee, his original sentence was 95 years in prison. This is not the first time Huckabee has been embarrassed by a pardon. A convicted rapist, Wayne Dumond, went on to commit rape once again after a Huckabee clemency. In fact, Huckabee granted more than 1,000 clemencies during a 10 year period as governor of Arkansas.
The forgiving governor's law-and-order bona fides are nonexistent. We have trials for a reason. It is laid out in the Constitution that a panel of one's peers after hearing the charges and evidence against one is in the best place to pass judgment. When a governor or President commutes or pardons a criminal, that system's verdict is ignored.
Huckabee's clemencies are too numerous to be the result of poor judgment, it is a pattern for the governor. This pattern of government knows best is exemplified by his positions on such issues as trans fat bans, SCHIP, smoking bans and the environment.
There should be no place for progressives like Huckabee in the Republican party. Yet, Huckabee led in the straw poll for 2012 candidates just months ago. His status as a Baptist minister seems to have created a die-hard religious-right base that is willing to overlook his stance on the issues for his personality. However, after last Sunday it will be much harder for the evangelicals to stand by their man with the specter that maybe four cops would still be walking around today if Huckabee had held to the conservative law-and-order values that his party is known for.
Note: The title of this column is a parody of the movie "I Heart Huckabee." I do not hate Mike Huckabee although I think he is unfit to be elected dogcatcher. He would probably release the hounds that had previously bitten old ladies.
All that evaporated the Sunday after Thanksgiving. On November 29th, Maurice Clemmons walked into a cafe in Washington state and killed four police officers. Clemmons received a reduced sentence that lead to his parole from Huckabee, his original sentence was 95 years in prison. This is not the first time Huckabee has been embarrassed by a pardon. A convicted rapist, Wayne Dumond, went on to commit rape once again after a Huckabee clemency. In fact, Huckabee granted more than 1,000 clemencies during a 10 year period as governor of Arkansas.
The forgiving governor's law-and-order bona fides are nonexistent. We have trials for a reason. It is laid out in the Constitution that a panel of one's peers after hearing the charges and evidence against one is in the best place to pass judgment. When a governor or President commutes or pardons a criminal, that system's verdict is ignored.
Huckabee's clemencies are too numerous to be the result of poor judgment, it is a pattern for the governor. This pattern of government knows best is exemplified by his positions on such issues as trans fat bans, SCHIP, smoking bans and the environment.
There should be no place for progressives like Huckabee in the Republican party. Yet, Huckabee led in the straw poll for 2012 candidates just months ago. His status as a Baptist minister seems to have created a die-hard religious-right base that is willing to overlook his stance on the issues for his personality. However, after last Sunday it will be much harder for the evangelicals to stand by their man with the specter that maybe four cops would still be walking around today if Huckabee had held to the conservative law-and-order values that his party is known for.
Note: The title of this column is a parody of the movie "I Heart Huckabee." I do not hate Mike Huckabee although I think he is unfit to be elected dogcatcher. He would probably release the hounds that had previously bitten old ladies.
Monday, November 30, 2009
TV Review: Penn and Teller's Bullsh*t!
During the last few years of his life the famous magician, Harry Houdini, dedicated his life to debunking the mysticism and the supernatural. Penn and Teller, the famous Vegas magicians, are now following in his path with a libertarian bent. Penn and Teller's Bullsh*t! is a program that tackles such topics like Walmart, the drug war, obesity, prostitution, the death penalty, etc. It's billed as a documentary series with an entertaining take on the issues. Think South Park with a bit more substance. Sure Penn often retorts against prerecorded interviews and always gets the last word, but if you want a truly scholarly approach, you're probably not watching a show called "Bullsh*t!"
A few caveats before you watch the program or rent the season on my recommendation. Penn and Teller's biggest problem was that their opposition to certain groups or people could be construed as slander. So rather than calling a program a scam or calling a person a con man, they resort to the tried and true "MFer," "a**hole," and of course, "bullsh*t." Apparently calling someone a scam artist is actionable, whereas calling someone a "MFer" is just provocative TV. Another questionable aspect of the program is the near-constant parade of naked women on the show for seemingly no reason. The show airs on Showtime and one gets the feeling that Penn and Teller take full advantage of the ratings system their pay-channel. Still not enough to scare you away? My only other problem with the show is the bashing of religions, the religious and the upholding of issues such as gay marriage. Penn and Teller are confirmed atheists and don't see much use for the church. I disagree with their view but it's one I'm used to dealing with in libertarian circles. Ayn Rand was also an atheist so it's hard to attack Penn and Teller on that considering what ideological camp they reside in.
"Bullsh*t" is not for the faint of heart and probably won't provide knowledgeable libertarians with much more information. However, if you're libertarian-curious or just want to be entertained and are not easily offended, Bullsh*t is a raucous good time.
Bullsh*t airs roughly whenever they feel like it on SHO. Click the link for upcoming episodes.
A few caveats before you watch the program or rent the season on my recommendation. Penn and Teller's biggest problem was that their opposition to certain groups or people could be construed as slander. So rather than calling a program a scam or calling a person a con man, they resort to the tried and true "MFer," "a**hole," and of course, "bullsh*t." Apparently calling someone a scam artist is actionable, whereas calling someone a "MFer" is just provocative TV. Another questionable aspect of the program is the near-constant parade of naked women on the show for seemingly no reason. The show airs on Showtime and one gets the feeling that Penn and Teller take full advantage of the ratings system their pay-channel. Still not enough to scare you away? My only other problem with the show is the bashing of religions, the religious and the upholding of issues such as gay marriage. Penn and Teller are confirmed atheists and don't see much use for the church. I disagree with their view but it's one I'm used to dealing with in libertarian circles. Ayn Rand was also an atheist so it's hard to attack Penn and Teller on that considering what ideological camp they reside in.
"Bullsh*t" is not for the faint of heart and probably won't provide knowledgeable libertarians with much more information. However, if you're libertarian-curious or just want to be entertained and are not easily offended, Bullsh*t is a raucous good time.
Bullsh*t airs roughly whenever they feel like it on SHO. Click the link for upcoming episodes.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
First the Mainstream Media, Now Mainstream Science?
This blog, as well as many other conservative sources, has documented the shameful antics of the mainstream media. Focusing only on certain congressional races, demeaning conservatives through personal attacks, only presenting one side of the issues is a fait accompli for many news organizations. Books like Bias by Bernard Goldberg even show insider views and egregious examples from such respected networks as CBS, CNN, etc.
Some liberals describe conservatives as fossils that must sink their head in the sand to avoid the reality as reported by the media. Several books have been written maintaining that conservatives rejection of the media as well as modern science shows that they are doomed to die an ignoble death at the hands of present truths.
The greatest example of this supposed rejection of modern science is conservative's contention that global warming is not man-made and not as significant as advertised. The science is settled and the consensus has been reached, we are told. Anyone who does not believe in global warming is a flat-earther and worse than that, maybe even dangerous. Ellen Goodman stated that global warming deniers are on par with Holocaust deniers. Al Gore maintains fighting global warming is a moral issue.
To mock the media is one thing, polls have shown that people trust the media only marginally more than politicians or lawyers. Many even recognize a leftward tilt. Scientists, however, deal with hard facts; reproducible data that are peer-reviewed and rigorously tested. They do not editorialize, they objectively interpret the data. We recognize the wiggle room in journalism and deny any in science. Certainly this is a positive view of science because this is what true science should be.
Unfortunately, global warming scientists seem to have fallen far short of the gold standard that the American people believed them to adhere to. The UK Telegraph reports on the 61 megabytes of data that were stolen from the Climate Research Unit (CRU) and released by a hacker to the media. Private E-mails between scientists and the full spectrum of data suggests no less than a ideological agenda that was put above all dissenting evidence.
The Telegraph charges that examples of manipulation of evidence, suppression of evidence, fantasies of violence against warming deniers, attempts to deny the Medieval Warming Period, and squeezing dissenting scientists out of the peer review process are all present. The scientists even privately acknowledged being in a cooling trend while issuing press releases of continuous warming.
Climategate, as this scandal has been dubbed by many news outlets, threatens to relegate science to the same dubious position the media has occupied for the past several decades. This is an absolute shame for anyone who believes in the idea of ascertaining objective truth through the scientific method.
Some liberals describe conservatives as fossils that must sink their head in the sand to avoid the reality as reported by the media. Several books have been written maintaining that conservatives rejection of the media as well as modern science shows that they are doomed to die an ignoble death at the hands of present truths.
The greatest example of this supposed rejection of modern science is conservative's contention that global warming is not man-made and not as significant as advertised. The science is settled and the consensus has been reached, we are told. Anyone who does not believe in global warming is a flat-earther and worse than that, maybe even dangerous. Ellen Goodman stated that global warming deniers are on par with Holocaust deniers. Al Gore maintains fighting global warming is a moral issue.
To mock the media is one thing, polls have shown that people trust the media only marginally more than politicians or lawyers. Many even recognize a leftward tilt. Scientists, however, deal with hard facts; reproducible data that are peer-reviewed and rigorously tested. They do not editorialize, they objectively interpret the data. We recognize the wiggle room in journalism and deny any in science. Certainly this is a positive view of science because this is what true science should be.
Unfortunately, global warming scientists seem to have fallen far short of the gold standard that the American people believed them to adhere to. The UK Telegraph reports on the 61 megabytes of data that were stolen from the Climate Research Unit (CRU) and released by a hacker to the media. Private E-mails between scientists and the full spectrum of data suggests no less than a ideological agenda that was put above all dissenting evidence.
The Telegraph charges that examples of manipulation of evidence, suppression of evidence, fantasies of violence against warming deniers, attempts to deny the Medieval Warming Period, and squeezing dissenting scientists out of the peer review process are all present. The scientists even privately acknowledged being in a cooling trend while issuing press releases of continuous warming.
Climategate, as this scandal has been dubbed by many news outlets, threatens to relegate science to the same dubious position the media has occupied for the past several decades. This is an absolute shame for anyone who believes in the idea of ascertaining objective truth through the scientific method.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Obama to Troops: You Guys Make A Pretty Good Photo Op
Alot of people feel Obama acts cavalierly towards the troops. Lines like "You guys make a pretty good photo op" DO NOT help.
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