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Fox News *IS* the mainstream media. →
When a channel is the most viewed cable news channel for 10 years, its viewers don’t get to call everyone else “The Mainstream Media”.
YepI completely agree. Conservapedia says its not and they are completely wrong. Fox News, like ABC, MSNBC, NBC, CBS and CNN are the mainstream media (msm) whether self-proclaimed conservatives like it or not.
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Vison of America criticizes the war machine
A long line of movies, video games, and enlistment promos betray the final transformation of the American perspective on war — what was once considered a specter is now a spectacle.
The war machine, driven by power-hungry corporate and political interests, glamorizes the American military as the epitome of freedom-fighting gallantry while branding peace-loving Americans as cowardly or even unpatriotic. Support our troops is often sufficient to silence any opposition to American imperialism.
No one, including the majority of well-meaning Christians, seems to consider that the best way to actually support American soldiers consists in returning to a biblical doctrine of war.
In The Bible & War in America, Joel McDurmon issues a blistering indictment of the current American war ethos, tracing its roots all the way back to the Constitution, and showing, through rigorous biblical exegesis, how far we have strayed from God’s precepts for national defense.
The book does not end with critique, however.
As an expanded chapter of Joel’s book Restoring America One County at a Time, it provides practical measures for returning America to the decentralized ideals of local militia, just war, and international non-intervention. All Christians and all Americans who love this country and her troops should read this book and follow its advice. Our blood-purchased freedoms hang in the balance.
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What is the current percentage of working-age Americans, eligible to participate in the civilian labor force, but not currently working? Answer: 36.3 percent…This would always be a much higher number than the BLS unemployment statistic, even when the economy was humming along at maximum power. There are always going to be working-age people who drop out of the labor force, for reasons that have nothing to do with the nation’s overall economic health. The labor force participation rate hasn’t exceeded 67 percent in the past decade, so we would be looking at a true “unemployment” number that bounces between roughly thirty and forty percent. The difference between good and bad percentages is relatively small, which makes the true “unemployment” figure less sexy for news coverage, and therefore less useful to politicians… but it’s more logical to measure small changes in a large, accurate number than big changes in a small, largely fantastic number.
– Human Events (http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=49644). Do you agree with this ideology? -
While Congress and the White House work out a debt ceiling solution, Republicans will also be fighting for the one thing that will ensure that Washington gets its house in order and compels future Congresses to live within their means – a Balanced Budget Amendment that forces Washington to balance its books.
– Senator Mitch McConnell. Do you agree with him? -
On a recent “Real Time” episode Maher laments what a shame it will be to mark “four years of Democratic rule without having really tried any Democratic policies”…Maher’s big complaint is that, in his mind at least, Obama merely pursued the Republican agenda which he distills down to extending the Bush tax cuts and the continuation of the Mideast wars.
–Big Journalism’s article about Mr. Obama losing his base (via hermannview)
Conservative Brew sez: Let’s see: Record unemployment, check! Record number of food stamp recipients, check! Largest number of unemployed African-Americans in 25 years, check! Socialized medicine, check! Socialized car industry, check! Socialized Studen Loan industry, check! Pushed through the epic fail Stimulus Package, check! Apologized for America’s greatness, check! Wants gay “marriage,” check! Got two left leaning Justices on the Supreme Court, check! Devaluated the dollar, check! Let American citizens visit communist Cuba to spend dollars, check!
What is Bill Maher so upset about? It seems that he has fulfilled the dream of ever leftist that ever lived.
(via conservativebrew)
First off, I respect your opinions, but I believe that some of what you said is wrong on the facts. There was some facts that I believe were correct:
- There is a record number of food stamp recipients (http://www.zerohedge.com/article/record-number-foodstamp-receipients-and-near-record-low-volume-market-melt-guaranteed)
- He did let American citizens visit Cuba. “Finally, all Americans can now travel to Cuba, so long as they go with a licensed tour operator performing “people-to-people” trips. Although the Treasury Department still requires travel to Cuba to be “purposeful,” you no longer have to be pursuing a degree program or be a journalist to go there, thanks to policy changes made by the Obama administration earlier this year,” according to: http://blog.budgettravel.com/budgettravel/2011/07/we_can_now_travel_to_cuba.html#ixzz1TAK3cJat. I see no problem with people going to Cuba. Please tell me how is it a problem.
- The idea that Mr. Obama got two “left leaning” Justices on the Supreme Court is actually correct. It’s not that surprising. LA Times said: “But the tenor of the debate has changed in recent months, now that President Obama’s two appointees to the court, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, have joined the fray and reenergized the liberal wing.” The idea is implied in an another article I read: “[The NRA boss] tells [Washington] Whispers that 2012 might be an even more critical year for the NRA. That’s because the president, if re-elected, might have a chance to appoint more left-leaning Supreme Court justices who could undo Second Amendment protections and allow more gun control.” (http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2011/06/27/nra-boss-obamas-gone-in-2012). In addition, Spectator.org has the same idea: “Obama’s two Supreme Court appointees, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan [are] two lefties [who] after all, had scant and unimpressive legal records prior to their ascent to the high Court. In fact, as legal eagle Jennifer Rubin explained over at Contentions, Sotomayor never impressed the left-wing legal elite.” (http://spectator.org/blog/2011/03/04/the-judicial-right-rules#).
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But, many of those ‘facts’ were incorrect:
- You talked about record unemployment under President Obama’s leadership. That is wrong. I do not support Mr. Obama at times but the fact that we have record unemployment is false. Unless it is clarified further, this is too vague. The unemployment rate may be in reality about 15% to 16% now, but “during the worst years of the Depression (1933-1934) the overall jobless rate was 25% (1 out of 4 people) with another 25% taking wage cuts or working part time. The gross national product fell by almost 50%. It was not until 1941, when WWII was underway, that unemployment officially fell back below 10%.” (http://facts.randomhistory.com/2009/04/12_great-depression.html)
- Largest number of unemployed African-Americans in 25 years is wrong, because its even more than 25 years. The records started in 1972, so 2011 minus 1972 is 39 years, 14 more years than you claimed. Quite Normal: “Indeed, the percentage of African-American men with a job has dropped to its lowest level since records began in 1972, according to the government’s monthly jobs report released last week…Just 51.5 percent of African-Americans across the board — compared to 59.5 percent of whites — have a job, the numbers show. That’s the lowest level for blacks since 1984 [which is still 27 years from now].” Maybe you should check your facts before saying something that’s untrue.
- Socialized medicine is a matter of opinion, not a fact. Sometimes I agree with socialists, sometimes with people like yourself (balanced budget amendment, cuts to entitlements up to some point and a possible cap on government spending). I thought for a while that Mr. Obama was a socialist, but that is not the case. The supporting of the Big companies with the $700 billion bailout in later 2008 (Troubled Asset Relief Program [TARP]) and the nominating of Ben Bernanke, a Federal Reserve chairman that supported deregulation proves that he is more free market than most people would admit.
- Socialized car industry is not correct either. It was never completely ‘socialized’ according to few sources I read. “The Obama administration decided it would provide GM with financing in return for a [restructuring] of the company. Specifically, the U.S. government would own 60% of what once was a private enterprise,” as wrote on http://lifeexaminations.wordpress.com/2011/03/13/was-the-government-takeover-of-gm-justified/. I looked at all the companies that got bailouts from the government and these were included: “Chrysler Auto Company Mich. $7 B returned / $11 B disbursed / $13 B committed [/] $1 B [in revenue to government]…[Ford did not get a bailout from the government]” However, the Economist wrote something implying more bailouts: “The Big Three are already complaining that it will take too long to dish out the money, and they want the process speeded up. They also want a further $25 billion, possibly attached to the second version of the Wall Street rescue bill.” But, Ford NEVER got a bailout:
The companies are independent from federal control, as the economy controls the government not the other way around, as you are implying. Since the car industry in the U.S. includes foreign cars, you are incorrect.
- Socialized Student Loan industry is not true either. The Student Loan industry is funded by the government, but is not a socialist government program. Even in the stopgap bills leading up to the compromise in the government shutdown, student loans were cut by…President Obama!
- The idea that the Stimulus Package, called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has not lead to a recovery, but it has not been a complete failure. My parents got jobs because of act and it would have not been possible. Many people have benefited from this act, but it has not been an “epic fail” as you claim.
- Mr. Obama did not apologize for America’s greatness. I do not think America is the greatest nation in the world (America isn’t even really a ‘nation’, it is a country) anyway because of our shortcomings and policies that will lead to world war, not peace that will not benefit the people of the world. No country is the greatest. In another instance, in 2010, he said: “The bravery, resolve, expertise and commitment of American servicemembers proves that America’s best days lie ahead, President Barack Obama said at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan today.” (http://www.army.mil/article/49011/obama-servicemembers-prove-americas-best-days-lie-ahead/). The next piece of evidence I have is: “We are a better country because of these commitments. I’ll go further – we would not be a great country without those commitments.” (http://www.theblaze.com/stories/obama-america-would-not-be-a-great-country-without-all-our-entitlements/) In the end, I believe that Mr. Obama didn’t apologize for greatness, but he trumped up America, to make Americans feel patriotic, mostly for horrible ideas like the PATRIOT Act, a global war on terror and a national security state that doesn’t really care about the people.
- The idea that he wants gay marriage is also wrong. Recently the White House pulled back and said that even though Mr. Obama supported same-sex marriage in 1996, that it doesn’t apply now (http://wwwwakeupamericans-spree.blogspot.com/2011/06/obamas-new-excuse-he-meant-civil-unions.html). Jariousorviano.com said in June 23rd article this year: “President Obama came to New York City to get the MONEY and VOTES of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans community. Obama has said his views are “evolving,” but for now he supports civil unions, not same-sex marriage. He wants the MONEY and VOTES, however he is NOT in favor of Marriage Equality.” (http://javiersoriano.com/blog/2011/06/23/president-obama-en-new-york-he-supports-civil-unions-not-same-sex-marriage/)
- Devaluated the dollar. Interesting, Mr. Obama dodged a question on this subject. “President Barack Obama has sidestepped a question of whether the Federal Reserve may have weakened the value of the dollar by purchasing $600 billion worth of government bonds to aid the economy,” as said on theblaze.com. In addition an editorial said that: “In my considered opinion the current use of government’s multi-trillion dollar stimulus program through the creation of dollars will certainly lead to a similar or even greater devaluation, so this is likely a net gain for the banks too… History teaches that inflation cures deflation. And one sure way to create INFLATION (ie to generate inflation) is via a sharp devaluation of the currency…US debt monetization = Dollar devaluation = Higher gold prices.” (http://www.financialsensearchive.com/editorials/vronsky/2009/0403.html). So, I conclude that your idea is not based in facts, unless you can find facts to prove what you are saying.
I look forward to your response.
(via conservativebrew)
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Paul Ryan and his budget plan: its gone too far →
I have said in the past that “I do support a more responsible govt. where waste should be removed along with limiting American bureaucracy”, but Ryan’s plan goes way to far. I do agree that we need to limit the deficit, but giving tax breaks to the rich (as Obama did by signing a bill in December 2010) and cutting programs such as social security will not solve our economic problems. If Republicans want to attack social security, they should listen to what FDR had to say about it after he signed it into law in 1935 as the Social Security Act (SSA) :
TRANSCRIPT:
“Today a hope of many years’ standing is in large part fulfilled. The civilization of the past hundred years, with its startling industrial changes, has tended more and more to make life insecure. Young people have come to wonder what would be their lot when they came to old age. The man with a job has wondered how long the job would last.
This social security measure gives at least some protection to thirty millions of our citizens who will reap direct benefits through unemployment compensation, through old-age pensions and through increased services for the protection of children and the prevention of ill health.
We can never insure one hundred percent of the population against one hundred percent of the hazards and vicissitudes of life, but we have tried to frame a law which will give some measure of protection to the average citizen and to his family against the loss of a job and against poverty-ridden old age.
This law, too, represents a cornerstone in a structure which is being built but is by no means complete. It is a structure intended to lessen the force of possible future depressions. It will act as a protection to future Administrations against the necessity of going deeply into debt to furnish relief to the needy. The law will flatten out the peaks and valleys of deflation and of inflation. It is, in short, a law that will take care of human needs and at the same time provide the United States an economic structure of vastly greater soundness.
I congratulate all of you ladies and gentlemen, all of you in the Congress, in the executive departments and all of you who come from private life, and I thank you for your splendid efforts in behalf of this sound, needed and patriotic legislation.
If the Senate and the House of Representatives in this long and arduous session had done nothing more than pass this Bill, the session would be regarded as historic for all time.”
Taking FDR’s speech into consideration, I do agree that entitlements do need to be reformed as Representative Ryan is referring to in his proposal. But making Social Security private as well as Medicare would destroy the social safety net that FDR talks about in the video I mentioned above. This is class warfare that has started because of the Republicans wanting to destroy unions and let their cronies, the corporations, rule the marketplace. We cannot let that happen. We as Americans must stand up to these people and if they won’t compromise to fix the budget then it is the fault of the Republicans because they didn’t try to compromise in a orderly manner (notably Democrats also have some blame because they never passed budget last year).
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The ‘Conservative Effect’: An exposé
I have been concerned about the direction of this country in a right leaning-direction (politically) since Ronald Reagan was president. I’m not a liberal or a conservative, but I am a progressive, so I can talk about this in a way that attacks both Democrats and Republicans. My parents are both liberals, but I have decided to not be completely like them because I’m a bit of a rebel myself. On my new facebook page I try to show this feeling of rebellion. During the Populist and Progressive Era from 1890 to 1920, the ‘conservative effect’ was almost non-existent. The earliest example of the conservative effect is when Teddy Roosevelt had to compromise on the Hepburn Act of 1906 which banned free railroad passes with conservative senators that opposed it so it could pass Congress (this got many progressives mad). Most of the 20th century, a sort of ‘conservative effect’ did not exist, but there was some sort of undercurrent of it. For example, even though Eleanor Roosevelt, FDR’s wife, pushed for an anti-lynching law, President FDR still didn’t pass an anti-lynching bill so he didn’t tick off those in the south, some who were conservatives. Conservatives almost derailed Social Security when it being passed in Congress as part of the New Deal reforms because they said it was ‘too much government.’ Also civil rights legislation was almost stopped as well because conservatives opposed it. It’s much worse nowadays.
In today’s world, the examples of the conservative effect are numerous including the whole scare with the death panels in the summer of 2009 which caused weaker healthcare reform which was tailored to get conservative support. The law passed on party lines and a slim Democratic majority in approved it in the House of Representatives and Senate. 2 years earlier in the Bush Administration, when John Bolton was America’s ambassador to the U.N., he called for radical statements such as the abolishment of the United Nations as shown in this youtube video. I respect his opinion, but this affected America’s reputation and made Americans look like a bunch of crazy idiots. Conservatives are so strong that they gather together in a cloud and attack anything the Obama Administration says or does like a bunch of locusts. During the release of WikiLeaks documents throughout 2010 from the Iraq War, War on Afghanistan and finally the diplomatic cables from the State Department, Obama wavered and did not defend press freedoms because he would look weak to conservatives. At one point, Obama hypocritically stated: “I’m a big supporter of non-censorship” which is exactly the opposite of what the U.S. government did, which was censor WikiLeaks by telling organizations to cut off funds, blocking access to the documents at every government level to governmental employees and saying the documents ‘endangered national security.’ By the last release of documents in November 2010 (in the codenamed ‘Cablegate’ by Wikileaks), Obama didn’t even say anything about it because he was probably scared of being vicously attacked by the conservatives. This bunch of locusts caused Obama to cave on a position he made in his presidential campaign on the Bush tax cuts. In the lame duck session last year, he signed a law that extended the tax cuts for the rich (highlighted by a 5 minute video by The Young Turks) as well the tax cuts to the supposed middle-class which was tied along with reauthorization of many of the tax cuts in the stimulus bill or ARRA. This was a horrible compromise because he gave in on one of the most important stances to the American people, which I will never forget. The ‘conservative effect must be stopped from affecting every part of life in America because that would cause division of our nation that Lincoln vowed to stop: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”
How can we stop the conservative effect? Having deliberate action can stop it. Not that long ago, with Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) repeal, shocked the conservatives and shook them to the core as showing in this article. Also during that lame duck session as highlighted in Obama’s message on the subject: the New START Treaty was approved and the 9/11 bill was passed through Congress (also the tax cut proposal was passed which I mentioned earlier). Supposedly, the government shutdown being discussed in the news media may be averted because Republicans backed down according to Open Congress: “House Republicans today unveiled their bill to extend government funding for two weeks… Reid spokesman Jon Summers said that he is ‘encouraged’ by the proposal.” This wouldn’t have happened if the Senate Democrats led by Harry Reid where Democrats have a majority* hadn’t stood up to the Republican ideas to cut funding that “include $1.24 billion in program terminations and $2.7 in earmark eliminations from last year’s funding bill… like defunding Planned Parenthood or blocking the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases.” We may need new political parties to solve this issue of partisan bickering (if the issue can even be solved) with third-parties such as the Progressive American Party and the American Progressive Party. In addition, we need to have the parties come together and have more similar beliefs because this division will result in one party becoming entrenched in their positions of power. Entrenchment can lead to corruption if politicians are in power too long, so American citizens should use the democratic system to elect new people every few years to replace the ones that have stayed in power. In conclusion, what we need is a new political system with stronger third-parties and a media that keeps the political parties in check, not a polarized media output with some shows cast as ‘liberal’ (ex: MSNBC, Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO, etc…) and others as ‘conservative’ (FOX News, FOX Business and all other Fox channels,etc…).
*= House Democrats were not numerous enough to stop a bill from passing in the House because the Republicans had a majority in the House of Representatives. Democrats have a slight majority in the U.S. Senate.
Note: PBS, C-SPAN, NPR, CBS, ABC, and Al-Jazeera do not fall into the ‘liberal’ or ‘conservative’ categories. They just report the news how it is, barely opinionated at all. Truthfully there is no such thing as non-opinionated news, but these channels keep it to a minimum. They are corporate giants, which is bad for the news industry but they are not tainted with ‘liberal’ or ‘conservative’ views.
By Burkely Hermann, Chief Correspondent for HermannView
