Wednesday, November 07, 2012

Reckoning

    My friend was being too pessimistic - I thought.

    Months ago he said the country will continue its downward slide because those who depend on government have become the majority, and will always vote to keep those government benefits coming no matter what.

    Yes, those people who depend on government for everything are increasing, I acknowledged then, but even most of them weren’t stupid enough to believe those benefits would keep coming forever. They understood the simple arithmetic that we could not continue indefinitely borrowing 42 cents of every dollar we spend. If conservatives only pointed out that - even if we took all the income of the richest Americans - we could only continue funding our nanny state for a few months, people would understand. They’d know the whole thing would collapse if we stayed on the road we’re on and they’d vote for fiscal sanity instead of four more years of President Obama’s pie-in-the-sky promises.

    No they won’t, he said. Most Americans are not that smart, he insisted - and he was right. Tuesday’s results proved him right. They proved me wrong and I have to adjust my thinking.

    The wagon-riders have become the majority. Most Americans don’t want real liberty - the liberty to succeed or fail on their own - they want to remain attached to the government umbilical cord and stay home watching “Dancing With The Stars.”

    For quite a while now, commenters on my blog have been deriding me as out of touch with mainstream Americans. I guess I am. I’ve overestimated the common sense of the average American voter.

    Thirty years ago I got to know a wealthy family as I took care of their property. The matriarch’s grandfather made a fortune in shipping during the late nineteenth century, but by the fourth generation, it was all gone. Rags to riches to rags in four generations. How long has it taken the United States to go from the richest nation in history to the biggest debtor nation in history? About four generations.

    My father-in-law is on his death bed as I write this. He’s a twice-wounded veteran of World War II and went on a morphine drip Tuesday - election day. The family is around his bed waiting for the end.

    What strikes me is how analogous that is to our nation’s condition. We just reelected a president who has promised to continue for another four years with the policies that have increased our national debt by 50% and stagnated our economy. Whereas the family waiting for my father-in-law’s death is fully cognizant that he’s dying, the electorate that put President Obama in for another term Tuesday doesn’t understand that America as we know it is dying too. My father-in-law will be gone inside a week, but our country may limp along for months or even years.

    The fiscal cliff looms for January. That budget problem our government put off dealing with? It’s coming up soon. Does President Obama realize that he’s inheriting a much bigger mess for his second term than he did for his first?

    Who is he going to blame it on this time?

38 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ha! Tom, looks like your atlas shrugged!

aliledar said...

He made the mess and it's what he has intended. He does not like this great country and because he's BLACK, people won't face that fact and have discarded the opportunity to have a truly capable, good and PATRIOTIC man as their/our president. It's sad, so very sad.

Texas Transplant said...

This is no longer the country to which I pledged my allegiance back in 1953 when I became a citizen. My first presidential vote was for Dwight Eisenhauer.Today, I remember how the Fascists marched in London in 1936, and the Prime Minister came back from Munich in 1938 declaring "Peace in our Time".
We were at war a year later. We who are old have lived history. Those who are young ignore it, and repeat its mistakes. With the re-election of an avowed Marxist we will join Europe in socialism, which has proven unworkable.

My sympathy to your family at this time. My sympathy to America.

Eric said...

lol......I couldn't wait for this column in which you would blame dumb Americans for Obama winning!!! So predictable.

The Genius Elitist speaks!

Yes, the genius who was played for a fool by Right Wing Media that the real polls were "skewed", and Romney was really ahead. And you drank you Kool-Aid, Tom! Face facts, they lied to you about the polls, as they lie to you about most everything. But suckers like you keep biting.

Oh, what a glorious day....America has spoken!

America listened to Romney and called "bullshit".

Too bad you had to throw your other column in the trash. You know, the one gloating about the 'landslide" you have been working so hard on. It must have been torture slapping this short little bit of nonsense together.

Jean D. said...

The world of reality TV has replaced REALITY.Those who expect entitlements are taking their ques from the administration.They'll continue cashing the checks until they stop arriving in the mail. They watch this administration go to the bank of China,they think it's an endless ck book.

Gary said...

Any talk that "the majority of Americans depend on the government" show that you are even more out of touch with reality than Romney, who put the number at "only" 47%. What an obnoxiously ignorant statement.


Being out of touch is what lost you the election. How can you not admit how out of touch you are after your ludacris prediction? Step out of your bubble and join reality.

Dumb American said...

Yes Tom, why not pack your bags and move somewhere where the people are not so "dumb", and you can live by getting trickled down upon by the the rich.

Lies and hatred lost!!!!!

I'm lovin' it!!!

Judy Hamby said...

Tom, you do a great job. I'm sorry there are ignorant people out there who feel they have to post things that make them feel important. They're probably all liberal pigs who love Obama and all his free stuff. And I expect none of them have jobs either. They just wait for Obama to give them their free stuff. While the rest of us work for a living they just wait for Obama to give them their free stuff. Too bad. So sad.

Anonymous said...

"Do not blame Caesar, blame the people of Rome who have so enthusiastically acclaimed and adored him and rejoiced in their loss of freedom and danced in his path and gave him triumphal processions. Blame the people who hail him when he speaks in the Forum of the 'new, wonderful good society' which shall now be Rome, interpreted to mean 'more money, more ease, more security, more living fatly at the expense of the industrious.'"

– Marcus Tullius Cicero


http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=461949963843245&set=a.112478365457075.7231.107705785934333&type=1&theater

Anonymous said...

Quite a History Lesson !!! And to think of What Khrushchev said; "we will bury you...from within...and it will take place without a shot fired" (paraphrased)

but the war aint over yet "SKIPPY". Some things are worth fighting for and as John Belushi said in Animal House "Were Just the Guys to do it"

Doug N said...

For weeks Right Wing Talking Heads have been claiming that the "mainstream" polls were skewed, that dishonest pollsters were trying to make it look like Obama was way ahead so that Republicans would be discouraged from voting.

So, WHY were they claiming that? Either they had a horrible grasp on both the American population and the mathematics of polling.....OR....they lied so that Republicans wouldn't get too discouraged by the facts to vote.

It's one or the other. Out of touch or liar.

You tell me, Tom....which is it?

Stephen said...

I'm hearing more and more about the segment of the population that lives disconnected from real facts. I saw it for myself on a blog where a guy was stating that in the presidential debate Crowley held up the Rose Garden transcript for display. Oh, he later mentioned that you can only see this in the "undoctored" video. People still fall for the "socialism" and "entitlement" scare tactics!!

There are people that will never get their news from any source that deviates from this twist on reality. I really do believe that some people were genuinly shocked that Romney lost. They never stepped out of the bubble to get a sense of the voting jugarnaut they were going to face on election day. They didn't see it coming because the left is not as shrill, not as loud and obnoxious.

But, wow, are they smarter!

Just joking, Tom, I'm sure you're smart. Just busting your balls for calling most Americans dumb.

Anonymous said...

Eric , To some of us , you sound really dumb.

"Laugha while you can, monkey boy." ..... Dr. Lizardo

Sami said...

Tom, may I offer you some tears of impotent rage to wash down those bitter grapes?

Rhonda said...

First, condolences to your family, these matters are never easy. Second, I just skip on by the anonymous posts. If they don't have the guts to post their name, then their posts aren't worth reading. Third, do you ever read "Canada Free Press"? Their motto is "Because without America, there is no free world". Wow! A recent article is titled "Lights went out in America on November 6, 2012". It mentions "the most anti-American president to ever hold office". And then there is the Tweet that has made the rounds on Twitter tonight. "Benjamin Netanyhou is now leader of the free world."

Patrick said...

"just skip on by the anonymous posts. If they don't have the guts to post their name, then their posts aren't worth reading."

I agree, all those anon posters that are trying to defend Tom are have no guts....

lol

Rhonda, you really walked into that one!!

Typical Conservative....blabber on before checking the facts - 3 out of 4 anons were on her side...

This is great!!!!!

Showboat said...

Mr. McLaughlin, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family in this time of sorrow for your father-in-law.
Thank you for a candid assessment of the election. I agree with you - "peer pressure", the need to maintain the "feeling" of the status-quo, etc. have produced a generation of citizens in the USA who want to keep the entitlements coming. They have sold out our country for their own selfish interests. Shall I say that they want the benefits without the responsibility?
In God we trust, then we must buckle down and work to recover the country that our Founders established.
Thank you, Mr. McLaughlin, for your insights.
Dan P.

RL said...

The "They just want free stuff" line of attack failed. Get over it. Think of some new lies. Or better yet, join the majority of Americans (the ones Tom call dumb) and enjoy reality. 1

Anonymous said...

Live free or die. Not anymore.

Those who would sacrifice liberty for safety deserve neither.

This phrases mean nothing to americans and it is sad.

Greg Benton said...

Tom,
Polls taken up here in the showed that a majority of Canadians, like most Britons and Europeans, wanted Obama to win. This partly because the quasi-socialist ambitions of Mr. Obama echo much of the status quo up here. I say this in spite of the fact that Canada remains a capitalist country with a solid banking system able to withstand the shocks of recession better than most.

I see some parallels between the Obama phenomenon in your country and the Trudeaumania that radically changed Canada in the late 60s and early 70s. Pierre Trudeau, a Fabian from the LSE, but also Jesuit educated (of the old kind) was created into a larger-than-life mythical hero in much the same way as Obama has been regarded as Anointed from above and an Apostle of central planning, aka, the redistribution of the working people's wealth.

The girls and women, and the so-called 'youth of Canada', aka, the Boomers, adored Trudeau.
In 1968, as in 2008 in the USA, he swept to power with an enormous majority. He then proceeded to demolish our armed forces, nationalised industries,
closed the door to European immigration and opened it to the Third World then instituted the radical policies of bi-lingualism and multiculturalism by law.

By 1974, he had done so much damage to the country through massive debt, high taxes, and obtrusive government programmes, that most of the country voted to throw him out. He survived (in our Parliamentary system) by two seats...saved by the votes in Quebec who stuck with their 'native' son.

Like so many whom I have heard since Tuesday's election where there seems to be some shock, disbelief, anger and confusion among so many, the same was true in Canada for more than two decades since Trudeaupia. The Liberals perpetuated the handouts-for-votes to special groups and even identified that funding from the government shall go preference to those same groups.

The quasi-socialist policies of Trudeau became deeply entrenched in the civil service and the political culture. Even the so-called 'Progressive Conservatives' had to embrace what waa so often discovered to be corrupt and utterly discrimantory practices by government.

When I first joined the Canadian Army in 1964, we were tough, disciplined and universally regarded as the best-trained soldiers, along with the British and your commandos, in the world. We shared exercises with the USMC and it was always competitive and full of mutual respect. That standard was virtually destroyed by Trudeau and the Liberals by the time I returned to the Army to serve as a Padre. Morale was at an unrecognisable all-time low.

For many of us, it was difficult to see any light of hope of recovery for our forces, our institutions and our country. The Liberals had a solid grip on power as they had for most of the 20th century.

Then, along came this plain economist named Stephen Harper who incredibly brought together all the 'conservatives' from all all across Canada and created just one 'Conservative Party of Canada'.

Stephen and this party not only defeated the Liberals but in the course of two elections have made them a poor rump in Parliament.

In the meantime, they have have restored many of our institutions, our traditions and our armed forces who have acquitted themselves with guts and valour in Afghanistan.

Although, as I have said, some of Trudeaupia remains in certain places, for all intents and purposes much of our Country has been restored; yes with a mixed economy, including national medical healthcare, but with a more robust sense of ourselves thought long dead.

I hope that your President chooses to take the high road and pursue policies that will not, like Trudeau's, cause irreparable harm to the body politic. Nevertheless, if it is any consolation to those whose vision of the USA is the more traditional one, it is that perhaps some 'plain leader' will arrive on the scene.

Cheers mate.

BTW, the only two world leaders to attend Trudeau's funeral were Fidel Castro and Jimmy Carter.

Tom McLaughlin said...

Thank you Greg for that perspective. I'm recovering, but slowly. It's so much worse than I thought. Obama even won the Catholic vote. Very depressing.

About the only bright light I seen so far is Mike Pence's victory as Indiana's new governor. He considered running for president, but changed his mind early in the process. A good man.

Interesting post script too. Castro and Carter. Fitting.

Winston Smith said...

OBAMA CONTINUES WAR ON WHISTLEBLOWERS.

Steve Watson
Prisonplanet.com
11/8/12

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange polarizes people. Some love him, some hate him, others believe he is, whether knowingly or not, a useful tool for the spy hierarchy in the US and elsewhere in the West. Assange’s reaction to the reelection of Obama is worthy of note, however. Not only because he is one of the only high profile dissenting voices in the public eye, but also because he has experienced first hand how Obama has instituted one of the most extreme under the radar crack-downs on dissenters in history.
In a telephone interview with AFP from his asylum at Ecuador’s London embassy, Assange urged that Obama’s reelection should not be any cause for celebration.
“It’s better to have a sheep in wolf’s clothing than a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” Assange said, adding that he expects the Obama administration to continue attacking and persecuting anti-secrecy activists.
“All of the activities against WikiLeaks by the United States have occurred under an Obama administration.” Assange said, adding that the Republican party has not acted to try and restrain such excessive activity.
“There is no reason to believe that will change — in fact, the Republicans will push the administration into ever greater excesses.” Assange noted.
“The re-election of Barack Obama coincides with the 899th day of Bradley Manning’s confinement,” Assange said, referring to the the soldier, currently being held in solitary confinement in a military prison, accused of leaking a thousands of classified military documents to WikiLeaks in 2010 relating to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Yesterday, a federal judge in Virginia ruled that a 2-year-old federal grand jury probe into WikiLeaks is still “ongoing,”.
WikiLeaks released a statement echoing Assange’s remarks, noting that Obama has forged a “state within a state” that is “replete with secret laws, secret budgets, secret bailouts, secret killings, secret mass spying, and secret detention without charge”.
“Four more years in the same direction cannot be tolerated.” the statement concluded.
It is a well documented fact that Attorney General Eric Holder, Obama’s top Justice Department official, has prosecuted more whistleblowers under the Espionage Act during his tenure than all of his predecessors combined.
In a very informative piece in September, London Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald noted:
“In 2008, candidate Obama hailed whistleblowing as “acts of courage and patriotism”, which “should be encouraged rather than stifled as they have been during the Bush administration”.
“President Obama, however, has waged the most aggressive and vindictive assault on whistleblowers of any president in American history,” Greenwald clarifies.
In addition, as journalist Peter Van Buren has pointed out,
Obama’s zeal in silencing leaks that don’t make him look like a superhero extends beyond the deployment of the Espionage Act into a complex legal tangle of retaliatory practices, life-destroying threats, on-the-job harassment, and firings. Lots of firings.
At the heart of Obama’s war on whistleblowers is protection of his continued undeclared and unauthorized secret drone war.
Yesterday it was revealed that within 24 hours of his reelection, Obama sanctioned yet another drone missile strike on Yemen.
The strike was said to have killed three militants and injured several others, including a child.....(con't)
----------------------------------------------
This is NOT a partisan issue. It's about liberty and freedom. Lets hope there is a journalist out there with enough clout, and the balls, to expose Obama as the evil fraud that he is! The height of hypocrisy! What's worse are his fans. These people are far gone.........

Eric said...

The election being worse than you thought shows how out of touch you are. There were no surprises heres. Look into a thing called polls. Oh, and a tip - the "mainstream" polls seems WAY more accurate than the right wing's fantasy polls.

As for the interesting postscript about the funeral - would it be as interesting if you knew it wasn't true? Because the President of Greece attended, as one other example.

But what is the truth to you?

Anonymous said...

Obama haters are even crazier and more out of touch with reality than I ever imagined.

Jean D. said...

Tom, Thank you so much for all that you do. The libs will soon see what's coming down the pike.obama knows he doesn't need them any longer, useful entitled idiots,your work is done!

Howard said...

Anonymous,

"Obama haters are even crazier and more out of touch with reality than I ever imagined."

Please explain.

Greg Benton said...

Yes Eric, quite correct. I forgot that Konstantinos Stephanopoulos was also at Trudeau's funeral in 2000. Still, the effect that Castro and Carter had in coming and sitting together as pallbearers, remains poignant.

Greg Benton said...

Tom said:


Yes it is Tom but it is no real surprise is it. Nominal Catholics substantially outnumber practicing Catholics, and since the radicalism of the post-Vatican II Church became the norm, even the episcopate and clergy became estranged from the faith and practice that was so readily abandoned. In addition, much of the American Church was hi-jacked by the all-consuming 'social justice' agenda with its initial intimate links to Marxist Liberation theology in the vineyards of California and this dovetailed with the protests and anti-war movement. The Catholicism of EWTN is not representative of the American Church and most nominal Catholics, I think, wouldn't know
a genuflection from a bow.

It is generally assumed that even nominal Catholics are at least faithfully pro-life. It's a nice thought but I don't think it is the case. Up here, statistically, most of the girls/women who get abortions are so-called 'Catholics'. It wouldn't surprise me at all if they were like that thing who said that Obama should be your 'first'. Even our so-called 'Catholic' schools are barely that.

Nevertheless, and in spite of such gloomy thoughts, I have noticed a resurgence of faithful Catholic practice in the American Church with a promising increase in vocations and ordinations and the revival of traditional relgious and monastic life. That is so encouraging at another and non-political level.

Ironically, the 'Latino' vote also largely went for Obama even though that community tends to be quite conservative when it comes to the family and the Church. The temptation of the candy supplied by a government that turns a blind eye to illegals seems to trump religious conviction. The Republicans could and perhaps should focus on these people with greater passion and concern and wisdom; not as pawns for votes but as a rich resource that might be nurtured and celebrated for an even better America.

St. Julian of Norwich famously said that <'All will be well, and all will be well, and all manner of thing will be well'> Oh, how we all hope that that is the case.
It certainly isn't for the people of Long Island and the Jersey shore who, even now, remain neglected by a government that showed up for a photo-op with empty promises. What an outrage.

Kevin said...

Howard asked for an explanation for why Obama haters are crazy and out of touch. I would say it is because they don't deal with facts, only feelings.

I think Obama haters tend to live in a bubble and ignore all other sources of information that don't mesh with their feelings.

There are people that voted against Obama because they were scared he would take away their guns! Based on WHAT? Not facts - Obama has done nothing to control guns and the Brady gun control group gave Obama an “F” on gun control. But the talking heads in their bubble continue to use this scare tactic because it works on ignorant people.

Then there is the rally cry inside the bubble that the United States is rapidly becoming an “entitlement society” in which social programs are undermining the work ethic and creating a large class of Americans who prefer to depend on government benefits rather than work. They make the claim that most poor people getting assistance PREFER this way of living! They envision all their tax dollars going out to a mass of lazy people demanding to be taken care of. Such beliefs are starkly at odds with the basic facts regarding social programs.. Federal budget and Census data show that 91 percent of the benefit dollars from entitlement and other mandatory programs went to the elderly, the seriously disabled, and members of working households.

Moreover, the vast bulk of that remaining 9 percent goes for medical care, unemployment insurance benefits (which individuals must have a significant work history to receive), Social Security survivor benefits for the children and spouses of deceased workers, and Social Security benefits for retirees. Seven out of the 9 percentage points go for one of these four purposes.

But those facts are ignored. Or not heard at all inside the bubble, where lazy run rampant, demanding handouts and destroying the fabric of America. Sure there will always be a minute minority milking and cheating the system. I'm against these people as much as you. Throw them in jail. But don't demonize the truely needy.

Obama haters do not base their hate, or their political opinions, on fact. Let’s not get started on the ignoring of science with global warming, which they disregard in the same way they disregarded all the evidence that Obama would win the election.

People that hold onto their beliefs despite facts and reality are crazy and out of touch.

Alex said...

Tom thinks that our country "may limp along for months or even years".

His best case scenario is a few years! Tom, and many of his ilk, have no faith in the USA and its people. They think the people are dumb and lazy and that we are nearing the end as a great nation.

Thank god this brilliant analysis comes from the same astute person who predicted a Romney rout.

The radical right tends to be very pessimistic, paranoid people who are always on the lookout for "enemies", boogeymen if you will, like poor people, gays, and anybody that wants to change the status quo. They have been griping that the country they grew up in is gone. Just like people that had the same gripe after the slaves were freed, after women were given the right to vote, etc, etc.

Yes, the world and our country change, often for the better. Deal with it. We no longer live in McCarthy days of the early 50's, or wherever your mindset is stuck.

America has many, many great years ahead. Bet against America if you want, Tom, but you will find out just how wrong you are - again.


Winston Smith said...

Kevin, it seems your way off. It's the Obama voters who are very very much out of touch.

For example, Obama promised to champion Whistleblowers! Guess what? He's prosecuted more than the three previous admins combined. His assault on our rights is more intense then W's. that is a fact. Ndaa anyone? Gitmo? Wiretapping. Not reinstating habues corpus. Fast and furious! You do realize he should be impeached for his role in running guns and drugs in Mexico, right?
But the worst, most egregious sins that this lying banker backed shill is murderimg people via drones. The day after the election he authorized a drone strike in Yemen that killed at lest one child. And he has authorized nearly three hundre others! Three hundred! Do you realize how many peopl, innocent women and children, have been murdered and maimed as a result of theis drone campaign? Anwar alwaki was a us citizen, so was his 16 year old son. Both killed via drone. No due process.
It goes on and on.

This is what matters! How can anyone possibly defend such actions?! And just because someone knows obamas true role in all of this don't assume the haters are right wing zealots! NO. I detest all these banker backed scumbags.

So , no , your wrong, these are all facts. What's more, they are vastly more important then entitlements and global warming arguments.

It is astonishing that people ignore this stuff. And it proves there is absolutely NO liberal media bias. That is bs.

Obama is heading what Ike warned us all about. The military industrial complex. And he says and does the exact opposite of what he says. Facts. All facts.

Anonymous said...

Obama isn't coming for our guns? Really? Hmmm.

10/17/12, 2:03 PM EDT ABC NEWS

President Obama tonight said he's interested in seeing an assault weapons ban reintroduced, breaking his silence on the legislation, which has persisted in spite of at least five mass shootings during his term.

At the end of a long answer to the question, "What has your administration done or planned to do to limit the availability of assault weapons?" Obama said this:

"My belief is that, (A), we have to enforce the laws we've already got, make sure that we're keeping guns out of the hands of criminals, those who are mentally ill. We've done a much better job in terms of background checks, but we've got more to do when it comes to enforcement.

"But I also share your belief that weapons that were designed for soldiers in war theaters don't belong on our streets. And so what I'm trying to do is to get a broader conversation about how do we reduce the violence generally. Part of it is seeing if we can get an assault weapons ban reintroduced. But part of it is also looking at other sources of the violence. Because frankly, in my home town of Chicago, there's an awful lot of violence and they're not using AK-47s. They're using cheap hand guns....(con't)"

More at

http://abcnews.go.com/politics/t/blogEntry?id=17496680

Tom McLaughlin said...

Thanks again, Greg for the perspective. It's refreshing to read your posts amidst all these from the leftist harpies.

Must we pander to people base on ethnicity? Hispanics think of themselves as Hispanics first, Americans second, it would seem. Blacks too. Is this what multiculturalism has wrought? Well, exacerbated anyway?

Tom Wolfe has a new novel out called "Back to Blood." I'm not finished with it yet, but he makes the case that blood (or race, or ethnicity, etc.) rules. Was it always thus? I'm not sure, but I like to think not. When he says "back" to blood, he implies that we were in the melting pot for a while at least, but we're becoming tribal again.

Must conservatives pander to this group and that gender to win? Can we not just champion governing principles and policies?

Grist for future columns, I guess.

Seventh Son said...

It's all in the blood..or, blood lines more precisely. Just look at the major banking families, rothschilds, Morgans, warburtons, Rockefeller, etc. they still control it all!

The illuminati bloodlines control the world. Always have.

Ever wonder why all these presidents and congressmen are related? Look into the bush bloodline. You'll be surprised who he's related to. Hint, he is related to John Kerry.

They control it all, even the charade known as the election.

Seventh Son said...


..."In fact if you go deeply enough into the genealogical research you will find that ALL the presidents are from this line. Genealogical sources, like the New England Historical Genealogical Society and Burkes Peerage, have shown that 33 of the 42 presidents [up] to Clinton are related to Charlemagne and 19 are related to England's Edward III, both of whom are of this bloodline. A spokesman for Burkes Peerage, the bible of royal and aristocratic genealogy based in London, has said that every presidential election since and including George Washington in 1789 has been won by the candidate with the most royal genes. Now we can see how and why. United States presidents are not chosen by ballot, they are chosen by blood!

This same bloodline also includes key Scottish families like the Lords of Galloway and the Comyns; Marie-Louise of Austria, who married Napoleon Bonaparte; Kaiser Wilhelm II, the king of Germany at the time of the First World War; and Maximilian, the Habsburg emperor of Mexico, who died in 1867. On and on it goes into country after country. This bloodline connects into every surviving royal family in Europe, including King Juan Carlos of Spain and the Dutch, Swedish, and Danish royal lines."

Anonymous said...

The general consensus among Republicans seems to be that they lost because over 50% of the voters wanted free stuff.

Now, if you're real poor, that means welfare, and for the most part low to non existent income tax.

If you are borderline poor, that means, foodstamps, and low income taxes.

If you are working poor or a bit better, that means temporary unemployment insurance,child tax deductions, mortgage interest deductions, etc, etc.

If you are a church it means no taxes.

If you are a rich investor it means rock bottom tax rates.

If you are a corporation, it means subsidies and tax right offs.

We have both poor people and corporations paying 0% income tax.

Tom... You better look in the mirror, because it isn't just the Democrats dependent on free stuff.

Anonymous said...

Assault weapons?!!? Really? Would you say Obama is coming for our guns if he were against citizens having bazookas? Get real.

F. L. from Sweden said...

Tom,

As always you are on target. America is "dumbing down". Half of American voters were fooled by smoke and mirrors and they can be bought by big government providing entitlement handouts to those who are too dumb to comprehend where those dollars come from, nor do they understand the foundation of basic economics. "There is no such thing as a free lunch". Someone will need to pay.
Soon America will hit the tipping point where America will no longer be able to pay back its debt. This is what many have been hoping for.
For the past 30 to 40 years the left has slowly, meticulously worked towards this day where our country has the potential to set the foundation for a socialist mindset and now they have the Obama administration to do so.
Don't despair,this is our country too. Lets hope Congress can stall him.

F.L. from Sweden