Quotes of the Month: June 2014

Quote of the Month: "Mr. President, you love to trade people. Why don’t we set up a trade? But this time, instead of five Taliban, how about five Democrats? I’m thinking John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi; couldn’t we send them to Mexico? "It was a joke. Except for Nancy Pelosi, I was serious about her."

-Rand Paul

　
Stupid Quote of the Month: "We need to consider whether we can talk about trying to reduce population growth and whether that’s compatible with the very reasonable concerns people have about women’s right to control their life decisions and their reproduction."


-Professor Peter Singer on controlling women to stop climate change.

　

and the rest...
"We all say stupid stuff when we're mad."

-David Price on David Ortiz

"There were times—there are still times—when I turn on the TV and I wish they'd just beheaded him on TV and gotten it over with."


-One of Sgt. Bergdal's would-be rescuers
"You see that there's that unfortunate bubble in the White House where they are too often isolated on something like this."


-Bob Woodward on The Obama Administration
"They [the Obama administration] have no idea what they actually did. Even those of us who might grudgingly accept the cost of that swap would understand that this is a defeat for the United States."

–Charles Krauthammer

"But there will be hell to pay if we find they go on to kill Americans."


-Senator Mark Kirk
"Where’s the dishonesty in the portrayal of Bergdahl so far? I haven’t seen it. What’s been misconstrued about him so far?"


-Chris Matthews
"If [President Obama] just tried to empty that jail, people would be calling for his impeachment,"

-Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

"This is the coward's way out, in my opinion."


-Owner of California Chrome on his competition not running in the Kentucky Derby
"We came out of the White House not only dead broke, but in debt."


-Hillary Clinton
"Rarely has a U.S. President been so wrong about so much at the expense of so many."


-Dick Cheney
'History has proven that you got it wrong in Iraq'


-Megyn Kelly to Dick Cheney
"I don't believe you."


-Paul Ryan to the IRS Commissioner
"I hate that man Obama more than any man I've ever met, more than any man who ever lived."


-Bill Clinton
"Not only does the president regularly ignore the law, he brags about it and brags about his willingness to change it unilaterally."


-John Boehner

Quotes of the Month: May 2014

Quote of the Month: "I, myself, deeply regret what happened between me and President Clinton. Let me say it again: I. Myself. Deeply. Regret. What. Happened."


-Monica Lewinsky
Stupid Quote of the Month: "i guess there are some out there who dont like to think that a holocaust survivor had a leg up over a black/brown person due to skin color."


-Oliver Willis
"Basically, I was against all white people."


-Michael Jordan on growing up
"Thirty days in the hospital? And when she reappears, she's wearing glasses that are only for people who have traumatic brain injury? We need to know what's up with that."


-Karl Rove on Hillary Clinton
"What has he done, big Magic Johnson, what has he done?" -


-Donald Sterling
"We must lead."


-Chris Christie on American foreign policy
"I will not stand for it."


-Barack Obama on the VA Scandal
"If there’s ever been evidence that a government-run system of health care is a disaster, it’s here. It’s rationing. It’s waitlists and corruption and laziness, as you get when people are salaried rather than working in the free market."

–Charles Krauthammer on the VA


"I mean, is that how we're now setting the strategy of the United States of America in a war zone, where so many have died and so much treasure and blood has been spent, so a president can leave office looking good?"


-Charles Krauthammer
"It is absolutely true that in the 21st century, American isolationism is not an option."


-Barack Obama

History Shorts: Muslims invade Spain (711 A.D.)

Islam expanded dramatically after Muhammad’s death. Eventually, their empire ran from Afghanistan to Portugal and Spain. During the first century of the religion’s existence, Muslims conquered Arabia, the Middle East, parts of India, Afghanistan, parts of Africa, and invaded Spain. The invasion of the Iberian Peninsula marked Islam’s attempt to convert the world by sword. They eventually conquered most of modern Spain. The Spanish did not liberate themselves until 1492.

The first link is a brief overview of the Muslim occupation of Spain. The second is a NBC News report on modern Spanish Muslims.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91-NpyEKXWU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJMw0RBCFOM

The Top 200 Albums of All Time: The Police

Zenyatta Mondatta: The Police (1980)
Zenyatta Mondatta marked the end of the Police’s early period. It demonstrates the influence of reggae and punk and features two instrumental compositions. The Police also investigated current events with “Driven to Tears” (poverty) and “Bombs Away” (Soviet invasion of Afghanistan).

Key Tracks:
Don’t Stand So Close To Me
De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
Driven to Tears

Ghost in the Machine: The Police (1981)
The album was inspired by Arthur Koestler’s novel, The Ghost in the Machine. The book deals with the concept that the mind is not independent of the body and humankind’s tendency toward self-destructive behavior. Twelve years after the album’s release, “Demolition Man” became a belated hit.

Key Tracks:
Invisible Sun
Spirits in the Material World
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

Synchronicity: The Police (1983)
The band moved away from reggae and their earlier influences creating one of the seminal albums of the 1980s. Synchronicity made The Police the biggest band in the world. The albums multiple hits made the band an omnipresent force on the radio and MTV for two years. Alas, Synchronicity helped destroy the band as tensions between Sting and Steward Copeland came to a head as the Police reached the peak of their popularity.

Key Tracks:
Synchronicity II
Every Breath You Take
Wrapped Around Your Finger
King of Pain

Predictions 2010

Here are my fearless predictions for the coming year....

Afghan War: Afghan surge is successful.


The Economy: China collapses the world economy. Hello 1932!!!

Iran: The Iranian Mullahs are overthrown. Goodbye Islamic Republic of Iran!

Europe: Tensions over immigration leads to race riots. Meanwhile, the economic downturn and government cutbacks lead to leftist rioting.

American Elections: GOP gains 30 House Seats and 6 in the Senate; California governorship, Harry Reid, Barbara Boxer, and Chris Dodd lose

Technology: Blu Ray collapses as a result of the economy, computer downloads, and old school DVDs.

Entertainment: Someone dies trying to get on a reality TV show. The genre will collapse this decade.

University of Michigan: Rich Rodriguez will be fired.

Sports: The NY Yankees will have one of the great seasons in sports history.

2009 Story of the Year: The Return of the Terrorists

While President Obama wishes to focus on health care and other domestic priorities, his administration is increasingly distracted by the specter of terrorism. The terrorists are coming out of the woodwork like cockroaches. Perhaps the terrorists feel safer to emerge now that Bush is out of office. Maybe it is coincidence. Whatever the reason, the terrorists seem to be back and in force both at home and abroad.

This year, the government has broken up terror plots in Texas, New York, and killed a radical Imam in a shootout in Dearborn, Michigan. Homegrown terrorists have sought help abroad. The Pakistan Military arrested five Americans that tried to join El Queda. They should be charged with treason. There seems to be an increase in domestic arrests with would be terrorists.

While the government has broken up terror rings at home, the country suffered the first terror attack since 911. On November 5, an Islamic terrorist attacked the Fort Hood. The alleged terrorist was a soldier that could not reconcile his faith with his career. This was not the actions of a deranged lone gunman. This was thought out rationally. He decided to go on a jihad and murdered 13 and wounded 30. It appears political correctness intimidated those that could have come forward to report this fellow’s behavior. He is currently charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted murder under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Unfortunately, Congress refuses to hold hearings on the matter in order to avoid possible embarrassment for the Administration.

While America suffered its first terror attack on the homeland in eight years, Iraq seems relatively secured. However, the terrorists have been on the move in Afghanistan. The Pakistan military has hammered them and they have probably moved back into Afghanistan. All the while, President Obama agonized for months over a decision to send more troops to combat terrorists. He eventually decided to increase troop strength, but does not seem to know what else to do. It is entirely probable that the delay in deciding to send troops cost American lives and perhaps wasted an opportunity to nail some terrorists.

Lastly, Obama has decided to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay and ship its prisoners stateside and elsewhere. There is some concern over what happens should some of these terrorists escape. Additionally, some detainees will be tried in civilian court despite pleading guilty in military tribunals. The administration has promised convictions even if the accused are found innocent. So, the integrity of the trials are questionable at best. Meanwhile, other detainees will stay in the tribunals. In both cases, the administration is making moves for propaganda purposes.

2009 will be remembered as the year terrorism reemerged. Every couple months it seemed the government was busting up another terror ring. The country also experienced the first terror attack since 911. On top of this, Afghanistan dominated much of the news as Obama dithered on whether or not he wanted to win the war there, if the war was winnable, and what victory meant. The administration even played politics with terrorists in captivity. If 2009 is any indication, there will be an upswing in terror violence on American targets over the next couple of years.

Presidential Legacies: The Post Cold War Executives 1989-2009

The world remained full of challenges after the Soviet Union fell. The Balkans exploded in a fury of ethnic cleansing. China and India were joining the ranks of industrial nations. The Middle East was an even more dangerous place as Islamic nations sought nuclear weapons and harbored terrorists. Additionally, the world's economy destabilized and de-industrialized. Technological advances changed communications, journalism, commerce, warfare, and everything else. The greatest challenges for American presidents during this period turned out to be the Middle East, the changing economy, and themselves.

George H.W. Bush was not the first president to have to deal with the Middle East. Jefferson had to fight a war there in the early nineteenth century. Like Jefferson, Bush led America to war against a lawless force. Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990. This violated the post-war international consensus against offensive wars of conquest. President Bush went to the United Nations and garnered support to remove Iraq. Despite diplomatic initiatives, Saddam Hussein dragged his feet and dug in. The American-led coalition launched an air campaign lasting four weeks. Then, ground forces routed Iraq in 100 hours. It was a dramatic victory. Shell-shocked Iraqi soldiers surrendered to news crews. Today, most view the war as necessary to stop aggression. Hussein invaded Kuwait, threatened Saudi Arabia, and had to be removed. If the world allowed the conquest to stand, others might decide to launch offensive wars. Historically, the Gulf War and Korean War are the only instances where the United Nations stopped aggression. Bush’s approval rating hit 91%.

Bush’s popularity peaked too soon. A mild economic downturn and a third party candidate doomed the Bush Administration. Bill Clinton came out of nowhere to win the presidency. The Clinton Administration faced a new enemy born out of the Gulf War. El Queda began launching attacks against American interests. At first, Clinton treated it as a law enforcement issue. Eventually, he launched missile attacks on suspected El Queda bases (and an aspirin factory). However, by that point, he was mired in scandal.

The Clinton Administration was the most scandal-ridden in history. The biggest scandal led to his impeachment. At first, an independent counsel investigated a land deal in Arkansas. The attorney general expanded the independent prosecutor's mandate to include a wide range of improprieties. Eventually, those improprieties led to Monica Lewinsky. Clinton could have escaped had he admitted the affair immediately and apologized. Instead, he lied under oath. The cover up led to his impeachment. The House of Representatives voted to impeach Clinton on the charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. Two other charges, abuse of power and perjury in a civil case, failed to pass the House. Clinton was tried in the Senate in 1999 and escape conviction and removal. However, the United States was rudderless for about a year as Clinton fought the charges. Had the president admitted the affair earlier or resigned, the country would have been better off. Instead, the battle polarized the country and allowed El Queda time to prepare for attacks on the USS Cole and 911.

Clinton’s peccadilloes severely damaged the Gore campaign. Gore did not know whether to use Clinton or to run and hide from him. The indecision doomed the campaign. Gore lost to George W. Bush. The country entered a recession in 2000 and Bush was determined to combat it. He cut taxes and then came the 911 attacks. El Queda and Osama bin Laden slaughtered 3000 people as airplanes leveled the World Trade Center in New York, struck the Pentagon, and crashed in Pennsylvania. Bush’s response to the crisis was widely lauded. His address to congress following the attacks echoed Roosevelt’s Pearl Harbor speech and his visit to Ground Zero with the bullhorn just about ensured re-election.

After a brief buildup, American forces moved into Afghanistan to battle the Taliban and El Queda. The Americans secured a temporary victory in short order. Unfortunately, Osama bin Laden escaped. Then, began to dawdle unsure what to do next. American policy in Afghanistan remains unclear to this day. Meanwhile, the Administration began focusing its attention on Iraq.

While waging war in Afghanistan, the Bush Administration prepared for another conflict. Since Saddam Hussein failed to live up to the Gulf War cease fire, the United States had the legal right to re-engage. The administration used several arguments for war including the spread of democracy and stopping the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The greatest firestorm since Vietnam ensued. At this point, war could have been avoided had Hussein allowed weapons inspectors back into the country. He didn’t and Bush launched the Second Gulf War. Hussein was later captured and executed. No weapons were ever found despite Saddam’s past use. Hussein later admitted plans to continue a program once the heat was off.

After the invasion, Bush declared victory. However, an insurrection broke out. American policy failed to confront the insurgents. The military did not have enough boots on the ground and the American government dissolved the only entity that could have helped, the Iraqi military. The war grew increasingly unpopular. Bush remained stubborn and patiently waited for victory. Finally, in 2007, Bush launched the surge. This, combined with diplomatic initiatives, defeated the radicals. As his term expired, Bush announced American troop withdraws.

Before Bush left office, the economy collapsed. A decade old government plan required banks to lend money to low income borrowers. Congress blocked reform attempts earlier in the decade. One senator opposing those reforms was Barack Obama. Ironically, Obama’s opposition to reforms that could have stopped the meltdown, helped his election in 2008.

Upon taking office, Obama began the greatest spending spree in history. The Bush Administration and Republican Congress had created massive deficits as a result of two wars, the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit, and insane spending. Upon assuming office, Obama turned into Bush on steroids. Instead of being pragmatic and dealing with the economy and two wars, he has been a blind ideologue. The Obama stimulus plan failed to fix the economy and cost $700 billion. He plans more spending while the dollar collapses. Unless some fiscal sanity overcomes Obama and/or the Pelosi Congress, then the Misery Index (hyperinflation and double digit unemployment) will be the result. One influential economist compared Obama’s economic policy to that of Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. However, Obama’s Administration is just beginning and perhaps reality and common sense may strike before he can turn the U.S. into a third world country.

It is harder to discern a legacy for recent presidents. Sometimes, things ignored now become important later. For example, Clinton Administration rules forcing banks to lend to borrowers unable to repay loans led to a worldwide economic collapse. While he was in office, people celebrated Clinton's economic brilliance. Now, he is often cited as one cause of the economic collapse. In Obama’s case, he has not been in office a year yet, so he has a very limited body of work. This last grouping of presidents also provide an interesting psychological study. Clinton's inability to tell the truth and predilection for women, Bush's stubbornness, and Obama's blind adherence to a failed ideology handicapped these three chief executives. With that in mind, each president in this group dealt with the Middle East, the ups and downs of a changing economy, and with the possible exception of Bush 41, their own personality failings.

Bush 2008

Struggles continued between Bush and Congress over the War on Terror, Iraqi War, and presidential power. The Congress rightfully outlawed torture. Bush vetoed the bill because it banned water boarding. One definite stain on the Bush Administration is the use of such tactics, euphemistically called “aggressive interrogations.” Information obtained from such tactics is unreliable. Therefore, the use of such is unnecessary.

Bush did win a couple of victories. The wiretap bill passed. This angered the left which complained that it monitored Americans. However, it is a strong tool that can be used to nail bad guys. The left may have helped the terrorists in this battle. Their initial complaints about the monitoring of people in Afghanistan that happened to call America tipped off the terrorists.

In addition to the wiretap bill and water boarding veto, Bush also won the battle on war funding. Democrats threatened to defund the Iraq War. Many on the left begged and pleaded for it. The Democrats were caught in an interesting quandary. They could take money away from American troops in the field or they could anger their base. The troops got their funds thereby ensuring the continuation of the Iraq War. At present, the war is won. So, those that voted for the funding did the right thing.

While Bush was winning his final political victories against the Democrats, the Supreme Court handed him a defeat. The court cancelled Bush Administration guidelines at Gitmo. The detainees could appeal their detentions. Legally, this is probably the correct decision. Practically, it is moot. Obama has promised to close the detention facility.

On the foreign policy front, Russia invaded Georgia. The Russians were looking to flex their muscles and regain super power status. So, they picked a fight with their smaller, weaker neighbor. They used the same logic that Hitler used to invade Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Poland. (For some absurd reason, many on the left argued Georgia was as responsible for the conflict as Russia.) Bush handled the situation as well as could be. American troops began to appear in the region which forced Moscow to back down after their initial war aims were met.

The other major issue in 2008 was the economy. Early in the year, gas prices spiked to over $4 a gallon as a result of speculators. Prices eventually collapsed as a result of the worldwide economic crisis. OPEC has vowed to cut production to raise prices. In the US, there was a lot of talk, but no action by the administration and congress. Bush appeared helpless, Republicans and some Democrats talked about a gas tax break, while the left opined that the timing was wrong for a massive gas price hike.

Obama was one of those in favor of price spikes. He wants to eliminate fossil fuels and move to alternative energies. That is fine, but price spikes hurt people. Despite his support for high gas prices, Obama won the presidency with 52% of the vote. The vote was anti-Bush, but more importantly, John McCain ran a terrible campaign, and the economy collapsed.

As the year ended, Israel launched air strikes on the Palestinians. The Hamas Government had been lobbing rockets into Israel which is an act of war. Israel responded with devastating effect. The Israelis probably felt pressure to retaliate before the new pro-Palestinian American Administration took power. All out war may have begun.

Moving into 2009, Bush is trying to punt where possible to give Obama some latitude in action upon assuming the presidency. Obama will be handling the worst economic situation since Jimmy Carter’s Administration. The situation has the potential of being as bad as the 1930s. Also, Obama will have to deal with Afghanistan and wind down the Iraq War.

Bush in Review: Afghanistan

One major event in 2001 was the invasion of Afghanistan and Fall of the Taliban. The Taliban are a modern day Islamic Nazi political/religious group. They committed many atrocities across Afghanistan. The U.S. overthrew them. They literally ran to the hills. Unfortunately, many Taliban and El Queda members escaped. Osama Bin Laden himself escaped heavy bombardment at the Battle of Tora Bora. On the plus side, the US and NATO overthrew a barbaric regime. On the other hand, many of them escaped.

In 2003, a counterinsurgency began. A stalemate has developed. However, there are some positives to report. Afghanistan has held free elections and will probably continue to do so. Also, some Taliban groups have opened negotiations to end hostilities.

The War in Iraq has pushed Afghanistan to the sidelines. However, with Iraq apparently winding down, Afghanistan should start moving back to the front burner.

As a side note, 911 was the first time the NATO charter had ever been invoked to defend a member nation.

Bush: Year 2 (2002)

Year two was dominated by the War on Terror. In January, Bush made the now infamous "Axis of Evil" speech. He tied Iran, Iraq, and North Korea together in the same fashion as Italy, Germany, and Japan during World War II. He was trying to be bold and Reaganesque. It was Bush's attempt at an "Evil Empire" speech. The problem was Iran and Iraq hated each other. There may be some connection between Iran and North Korea though.

The Bush Administration opened the Gitmo Detention Facility. Human Rights groups and liberals complained. However, where were these people to go? When the facility closes, where will the bad guys go? Originally, they were going to go through military tribunals. There is precedent for this. Nazis captured in the US had military tribunals. The courts have since ruled that they have constitutional rights. So, Bush has kept the nation safe. However, the courts overruled some of his methods.

Bush also opened the Department of Homeland Security. This was a pet project of Senator Joe Lieberman. Conservatives have talked about closing departments and downsizing government. Yet, Bush created a new cabinet department. On the downside, it creates a new bureaucracy and expands government. On the plus side, it should lessen interdepartmental squabbles and ease information sharing.

In other foreign policy matters, Bush withdrew from the ABM Treaty. The treaty goes back to 1972. The main sticking point was missile defense. This was a bit silly. The missile defense system could end up the American Maginot Line. Massive missile strikes or suitcase nukes render the system null.

Lastly, Worldcom went bankrupt. Again, mismanagement and Clinton era corruption at Worldcom and in the government led to this.

Year 2 was mixed. Withdrawing from the missile treaty was wrong. The Department of Homeland Security was not needed. Although, there was a need to end interdepartmental squabbles and increase information sharing. Gitmo kept bad guys out of the field, but made the US look bad. The Axis of Evil Speech was a bit silly.