You Didn’t Build That!

Some time back I sent a local talk show host an e-mail in reference to the topic of freedom and jobs. I commented on how laws and regulations hinder one from simply going out to make a buck hawking goods out  in the streets. (I hope I haven’t lost all younger readers with my dated vocabulary, and dated lifestyle) If it can be outside the law to simply go out and try to sell some goods, wares or objects of personal amusement out among your own community from store to store or residence to residence you can imagine how obtuse and obstructive regulations can be if you are considering more complex and far reaching ventures.

So I wrote something along these lines “It is not like I can just pick up an ax and a long gun and trek out into the wilds to cut a life out for myself from the wilderness.”

Of course according to Obama, whatever I would build, carve out with my own hands, shedding blood sweat and tears in the process, out there in the wilderness, I would not have built that. Without that ax and long gun, most likely eventually a horse and plow among other tools and wares, I could not have built what I built. I needed those tools which through some perverse logic was provided by the government and the environment of advancement it supposedly provides.

And, after many like mind individuals as myself gathered, forming a community out there in the wilderness, and some capitalist decided to take a risk and build a railroad in hopes of profit through bringing us needed goods we would buy and transport the excess goods we were producing to markets where they are in demand, that railroad baron did not build that either. It was the government that inspired, promoted and allowed such advancement not the profits that could be gained by promoting sound trade; according to Obama.

How our concepts of hard work, industry and liberty itself have changed over time. We can attribute that change to the loss of true and easily accessible wilderness or frontier. The expression of freedom takes different forms. A free refined productive and diverse society allows pursuits in areas such as the arts and recreation that are not directly linked to survival or the direct advancement of society. It also allows mankind to investigate the mysteries of the universe and literally reach for the stars. What hasn’t changed over time however is overbearing government as the greatest threat to freedom that has ever existed, something our forefathers clearly understood.

By Obama’s standard, everything we may accomplish we didn’t really accomplish because we were dependent upon something provided by others; or rather ultimately what Obama describes as government. That implies that since the first man that split a rock and found he could use the sharp edge he created to cut and pierce that no one has genuinely built anything.

And here is the crux of the matter. This is what begs the question that divides the right from the left; or rather right from wrong. Where did the rock come from? The free world built upon Judeo-Christian ideals most completely encompassed in this nation of the United States acknowledges where that rock came from. Religion honors the origins of creation as benevolent, all powerful and good (the left’s image of government) leading man, if only he would listen, to embody and advance the highest of God’s ideals as our responsibility. We accomplish this through our free will. Our free will, freedom, allows us to build upon what exists and expand it to greater heights, sharing with God in the wonders of His creation and exalting Him in the process. So we praise and offer gratitude to God for the wonders of His gifts embodied in the creation and in like manner build upon what God has given us; to “have dominion over the creation”. We engage in the world as God desires in ever growing joy and prosperity not only for ourselves but for the greater society and for those yet to come. The cycle goes on and on where “we each did build that” as an individual unique expression of God’s creation; God’s child.

In the Obama world seeking a socialist utopia, the origins of all fore-mentioned materials and ideals came about by chance, happenstance, from an accident; the common label for an unwanted pregnancy. God and religion is the opiate of the people; for the unenlightened. The government oversees all material, biological or otherwise, as the highest evolution of all that exists. There is nothing higher than government. There is no higher source of power, knowledge or determiner of right and wrong.

This is what tomorrow’s election is about.

Grafton, Wisconsin

My wife and I had just exited the expressway and had turned into Grafton, Wisconsin.

“Wow,” my wife exclaimed “this is a nice city!”

Yes, exclaimed is the proper descriptive and punctuation.

I always feel good driving into Grafton. I had a remodeling acquaintance on a project there last year. The man I was helping had a bright smile on his face as he told me he had a job in Grafton I would be helping him with.

I had been to Grafton often in the past and a few other times in more contemporary times. I found visits to this formerly small village, now a sparkling island of business and commerce, a bright spot in my day. Grafton always looks clean and orderly. It looks prosperous. You just feel …bright and good to be there.

On this one particular afternoon we were heading to a funeral. The man was a near life long friend of my father and our family. He served in the Navy and worked as an accountant, a businessman most his life. He was an outdoorsman, a hunter, and a good family man.

He and his family supported a Vietnamese family, what we of middle age years know as boat people, after the fall of the South. His family hosted many foreign exchange students. He participated in a hunting youth camp. He was a good man. A family man who was never without the support of his wife. When they talked about one they talked about the other.

He was the kind of man that fit the qualifications for leadership in the Church as described in the Bible. The Priest at the local Catholic Church testified how at the annual Church budget meetings he would always raise his hand and grill the Church on any item or allocation that he didn’t understand. He was a man who demanded everything be on the up and up. A man with the character, personality and moral fortitude that few if any could or would want to contest in his demands for excellence.

And if such a man would be qualified as a leader of the church why do we far to often not demand such standards from our political leaders? In fact this man was a member of nearly every committee on the Grafton Village board in his 37 years of service. He was absolutely committed to his community.

When we talk about the United States as that shining city on a hill, we need to understand how that came to be. We must understand that a shining city is built by such men as my father’s close friend. A man who understood that how something is done, whether anyone is looking or not, is far more important than what is done. That good works are built upon and inherent with the goodness and integrity, the moral fortitude of those committed to the goal; a goal envisioned through one’s faith. These are the kind of men who build our shining cities.

The New Republicans and Scott Walker

Many took note that in the Republican Convention the old guard, outside of Mitt Romney, were kept from the podium. The young, the vibrant, not always completely conservative but loaded with common sense and an ear to the people, those were the republicans put on display at the convention.

Still, with odd rules changes and a healthy uncertainty over whether Mitt Romney is more inside the beltway than conservative, many of us are holding our breaths over what will really change under a Romney administration.

What can bring us solace is that we have a slew of very good and upright people leading the charge and that makes all the difference in the world. We heard many wonderful testimonies of the Romney family. We heard their care and attentions to the needs of those they find in their lives; their compassion and empathy. No matter what you think of Mitt Romney’s politics he will do all he can to bring this nation back as a world economic power, bringing back jobs and opportunity, the American Dream to all of us, because he really does care. I can believe in his goodness, that he desires our prosperity as much or more than his own.

Paul Ryan is also a man of exceptional character from all I’ve heard and seen.

We heard from many at the convention who’s parents had sacrificed deeply so they could achieve the American Dream, far beyond what their parents could have achieved in their time. The opportunities they created for their children is what America is all about. They are stories of good people leading good lives and this will truly be the salvation of this nation.

Along this vein of promoting good and virtuous people as a core requirement for those in government, if you want good government and the freedoms it protects rather than bestows, and being from Wisconsin let me tell you my experience with and views of Scott Walker.

I first personally came across Scott Walker at public meetings in the late 90’s after a flash flood struck our neighborhood and the neighborhood was fighting for its existence. A “Friends” group, “Friends of the Menomonee River” in this case, had plans for naturalizing the entire valley in which we lived. With flood mitigation plans standing front and center before local governments after two years of June deluges striking Milwaukee our neighborhood was threatened with extinction. Eventually a flood wall and pumping station was designed to not only protect us from a 500 year flood, but also putting us in a category where we no longer needed to buy flood insurance. It came with a vastly improved neighborhood park and a river walk.

Scott Walker was a State Assemblyman then, not for our district but for other neighborhoods in the same watershed facing the same issues. He became far more involved in the flood mitigation process than any other elected official. He listened with sincerity at all the after hours meetings he attended and he was at most.

With the “Friends of the Menomonee River” putting forth artist’s renditions of our neighborhood as beautiful wooded meadow reserved for fisherman and the worthy who appreciate nature rather than those whose homes were actually standing their; homes filled with home owners who cared for the neighborhood, paid their taxes and in many cases raised their families there, even growing up in the neighborhood themselves. In this environment I decided to give Scott Walker a book I had read for an honors class I had recently taken. The book was titled “Uncommon Ground: Rethinking the Human Place in Nature” by William Cronon. It expanded the debate on the environment into the realm of culture and history. That is, how different cultures viewed nature and man’s relation to it and how man’s views had changed throughout history.

After one of the public meetings on flood mitigation plans for our watershed I approached Scott Walker and gave him the book. I told him how I thought it was very enlightening on the various views of the environment versus the narrow view the “Friends” group was putting forward. ...The gratitude and humility Scott walker showed as he earnestly took the book into his hands, you would think I was giving him a gold watch. I was immensely impressed and moved and it is one of the reason I believe this man would some day make a remarkable President.

Later, after scandal swept Milwaukee County government, Scott Walker ran for County Executive. For ten years he offered balanced budgets and tax cuts. He was ridiculed and criticized for every step he took. Much of the cuts he made were overridden by the County Board to the detriment of the taxpayer. He always remained calm and respectful to all his adversaries through his entire term of office.

Scott Walker kept this same calm and respectful attitude through one of the most cruel and ridiculous political assaults in the history of this nation when public sector unions attacked him for his budget. He was required by the state constitution to balance the budget, though the former governor had based the past budget(s) on taxes to be collected in future years, had taken money from the gas tax collections meant for roads and illegally raided funds from a doctor’s malpractice escrow account that Scott Walker then had to reimburse.

Yet Scott Walker put forth a balanced budget under almost impossible odds. He offset cuts with savings that allowed school districts to demand a greater percentage of contribution to health and pension plans by their teachers. He allowed districts to shop among other health insurance providers rather than being required to buy from an insurance company run by the teacher’s union. The savings he created were actually greater than the cuts.

For this he faced not only accusation and smears, but threats to him and his family. Still he remained calm and respectful to all.

I have heard it said of Scott Walker that he does not compromise his conservative ideals. This is true in many respects. However I have noticed something slightly different. The left has attacked all of Scott Walkers proposals, and we know through experience that their accusations are grossly exaggerated. But every accusation is built off a grain of truth. From what I have gleaned from the news and interviews is that our governor finds these grains of truth and responds to them and them alone.

Many know that ending the pension system and going to personal 401K plans would bring further savings, yet it is not a popular idea among the public sector unions and studies have shown that the state can function fiscally responsibly with continuing the pension system, so Scott Walker has not proposed a change. This again is an example of the respect he has for all people no matter their views or their offenses against him.

I truly believe Scott Walker would make a great president. He is one of several outstanding governors who are working for the change we need. I would hope we would have even more outstanding governors in sixteen years when, after Romney/Ryan win the election, there will be an opening for a new candidate. Though each of our favorite and accomplished governors may never receive the opportunity to be president we need many such strong, capable conservative governors to bring about the change this nation needs. Governors who can restore state’s rights and support economic prosperity for this nation, which is always good for the entire world.

we can restore the American dream. We can bring this nation back to its founding principles. It is, will be possible if we continue to elect good and upright people.

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2016; Obama’s America

I heard that “2016; Obama’s America” would be leaving the theaters soon (though it seems now to still be out) and I asked my wife if she wanted to see it as I never have or will go to a movie alone.

“I really want to Know more about Obama!” she exclaimed in her not so slight Japanese accent. So we were off to the movies.

The audience was mostly seniors (so much for medi-scare) and by the way they were talking things up before the movie I got the impression they don’t go to movies much. There were about forty people there on a Tuesday Republican Convention night.

It is a movie that will upset leftist only if they fear the revealing of the truth or they don’t think they are really leftists. But the theme of an anti-colonialist Obama as the best fit for why and what he is doing is compelling but distracts from the larger danger. Obama is not a movement of one.

How did the tea party come about? Well, that silent majority and others happened to share common views on life and the world; common values. They are those who are old enough to have received a proper education in their day or went to private schools. That is, there was no organized or coordinate agenda to create this group of like minded individuals. When the dangers facing this nation became clear to all the tea party formed organically, naturally out of the grass roots.

And so it is with the left. The coordination by a foreign power in the coalescing of this Marxist/communist/socialist movement would be hard to prove. But the origins of the propagation of this ideology, that from its earliest days has been considered a threat to this nation, can be shown to originate from the Soviet Union in their designs to overthrow this country.

If you do an Internet search on “Joe McCarthy was right” you will find many sources that, with the release of Soviet files after the Soviet Union’s implosion, document that …Joe McCarthy was right. The problem was Joe McCarthy was a drunk who used a dull hatchet where a sharp carving knife was required to cut out the true threat.

We don’t arrest people or use the government to destroy people’s lives simply for what they believe, or at least that is what we would like to believe. We bring the power of the nation down upon those who seek to destroy it in specific and determined plans, and actions; illegal activities.

So when “2016; Obama’s America” isolates Obama from the larger picture we should not lose sight of the reality that the leftist that run the democrat party have there origins in what has been traditionally considered Un-American and even treasonous. And they are not simply practicing a political ideology, they have been breaking the laws of this land to subvert the Constitution and the rights of the people of this nation. (OK ….they are just practicing a political ideology)

From the campaign credit card fund raising fraud of 2008, Fast and Furious, the subversion of Constitutional processes through executive order, even asking those sworn to uphold the law not to uphold the law, and the list goes on and on, one can claim we are suffering under a tyranny; a ruling class that sees themselves above the law. If Obama were a republican he would have been impeached in his first six months.

And what of equal justice? Many cry over a double standard but what are we really talking about. Here in Wisconsin we have several well documented cases of democrats using public/government office space and resources to support various political campaigns. This is illegal activity and a republican Wisconsin legislator went to prison for similar activities far less obvious or damning. yet the democrats do not even warrant an investigation for their activities. Our now famous governor Scott Walker is implicated in a John Doe investigation (called John Doe because it is to be done in secret) that has gone on and on, and spread to issues far beyond the original scope of the original investigation. We know all this because it is all secret so as not to unjustly tarnish the reputation of those involved.

All this did not come about because an anti-colonialist, if you accept the well documented premise of the movie, suddenly gained the Presidency. We cannot lose sight of the larger picture, the dangers we face and what it will take to restore this nation.

The movie is well worth seeing especially if you sincerely want to know more about Obama and his designs to destroy this nation, specifically through the national debt. Just remember it is not just Obama who wants to see this nation destroyed. He is just one of several heads.

A Bridge Too Far

In light of the 2010 midterm election, showing strong conservative results, and the continued resonance of tea party ideals among the general public, has the tea party, the conservative core of this nation gone a bridge too far? ‘A bridge too far’ taken from a quote attributed to General Montgomery in regards to Operation Market Garden and the title of a movie on Operation Market Garden.

Operation Market Garden was an ambitious plan to take a series of four bridges leading right to the border of Germany. At the time many were hoping the war would be over by Christmas. I believe we conservatives also can feel the potential for sweeping victories in the upcoming 2012 election despite the mainstream media propaganda to the contrary. But perhaps we to have been too ambitious, thinking the war will be over this November.

I am not speaking of the brilliant move by Romney in picking Paul Ryan as his running mate. I am speaking of the senate republican primaries in Wisconsin and Missouri. (the last two battleships ever commissioned)

My view of the best candidate in Wisconsin is explained in my previous post. Eric Hovde is a true conservative that has talents and abilities that not only fit what this nation needs but the world. But he lost in a four candidate primary of three conservatives and a somewhat moderate political dynamo, the former governor Tommy Thompson; the primary winner with 35% of the vote. If one of the other conservatives had dropped out Eric Hovde would most likely have picked up most of their votes and Wisconsin would again have supplied the Senate with a conservative private sector powerhouse.

I don’t know what the pundits or the republican party was thinking in not thinning the field. (actually the establishment types surely thought this was the best chance for Thompson) A prominent talk show host in the Milwaukee metropolitan area kept contemplating that the candidate losing big in the polls might come from behind and win, even though he voted for Hovde. So many others contemplated supporting a loser rather than making the rational decision. Did they think everyone could win? Did they think something magical would happen that one of three conservatives could beat out the moderate?

Yes, Thompson is a moderate but he will vote the party lines clearly drawn and understands we want Obama Care repealed, lower taxes and fewer regulations, including the reigning in of the EPA. But he is a political machine familiar with Washington. I fear he will build relationships with the massive number of unelected staff and bureaucrats rather than conservative and tea party congressmen, including his fellow senator, the manufacturer Ron Johnson.

And then there is Todd Akin, again winning with only one third of the vote in a field of three candidates, all conservatives. He quickly put his foot in his mouth and republicans abandoned him. Whether he deserved to be abandoned is not the question.

Just as in Operation Market Garden, where the British 1st Airborne suffered great losses and had to retreat from that bridge too far, those behind the conservative cause have let their hopes and ambitions overwhelm their common sense. We have suffered some setbacks and we can’t afford to keep thinking the war will be over in November. And I am not just talking about the multiple election cycles it will take to re-establish limited government in our nation.

Historians have documented parallels in history for some time. Patterns and trends are repeated in novels and movies as they seem to tap into something all can relate to; an archetype. Science fiction writers also draw on these  patterns and norms.

I believe that in the battle of good and evil for the soul of this nation we can make comparisons with the Second World War. As many believed the war would be over by Christmas, the reality turned out to be something very different. The Battle of the Bulge was yet to be fought, where evil mustered all they had to destroy the good. It was a battle of confusion and deception where the battle lines were lost and many fitted as US Military were actually Nazis. A comparison can also be made to the German advances in early 1918 in the First World War.

This election will become that battle. I believe few understand how far the left will go. And this battle will not be over until Mitt Romney stands before Chief Justice Roberts with his hand on the Bible in January. And much of the turmoil soon to manifest can be attributed to Justice Roberts. He handed the left their Holy Grail. He supplied the instrument, Obama Care, through which all their wildest dreams can be fulfilled. Why would the left ever give up now?

The left is united around an ideology that sees struggle, violence, as the dynamic through which all progress was achieved out of the chaos and void from which everything came about by chance. There are no absolute or even common values. It is a survival of the fittest where compassion and holding to ethical standards are considered weakness.

In this coming election we will see unprecedented accusations against republicans propagated vigorously by the media. We will confront great confusion. Violence will spread beyond the breaking of windows and slashing of tires on republican get out the vote vehicles as in previous elections. And if you think Biden’s statement that the republicans want to put our fellow citizens ‘back in chains’ was a gaffe, I say leftist tactics and goals suggest otherwise.

I plan to vote November 6th and be safe at home before the election results start coming in. I was out and about when the O.J. trial was out and can guarantee there will be violence when Obama loses.

If you think the left and Obama will give up after they lose the election, I disagree. We will see riots in our streets, accusations of massive  voter fraud to negate the election and attempts by the Justice Department to arrest Romney and or Ryan in an attempt to disqualify them from taking office.

But if we stay strong and righteous the good will win.