By Wayne Allyn Root, Chairman of the Libertarian National Congressional Committee and 2008 Libertarian Vice Presidential Nominee
Remember Seinfeld? It was one of the most successful TV series in the history of American television. The show revolved around Jerry Seinfeld and his buddy George Costanza. George was the ultimate loser. Everything he did was a colossal failure.
One day that all changed. George was hired by George Steinbrenner and the world champion New York Yankees. He had hit the lottery -- important job, big money, and beautiful women. Seinfeld was in shock. “George how did you do it?”
“Simple,” George said. “One day I woke up and realized I was the world’s most pathetic loser. So I decided to do the opposite of everything I’ve ever done. Every thought, opinion, decision -- I now do the opposite. And suddenly… I’m a winner!”
As one of America’s strongest critics of President Obama, I am constantly asked “What would you do differently if you were President?” The answer is simple -- EVERYTHING! It’s the Seinfeld solution. Obama is George Costanza. Every decision he makes poisons America. Obama is killing the American Dream. To save America we have to do the OPPOSITE of everything Obama is doing.
Obama’s agenda of big government, big spending, big unions and big debt are driving the American economy to never-before-imagined levels of economic disaster, debt, unemployment, and small business failure. The answer to how we save America and turn around this economy is simple: Do the exact opposite of EVERYTHING Obama has done. Let’s go down the list:
Obama has spent almost one trillion dollars on a failed Stimulus Package and trillions more on bailouts. Now he wants more. We should ban stimulus, bailouts, and earmarks. They are nothing more than pork barrel spending to buy votes and reward the political class’s cronies.
Obama is imposing on everyone the biggest income tax increase in history. And in a Chicago-style mafia shakedown he is placing most of the tax burden on small business owners. We should do the opposite. Taxpayers and small business owners are the heroes of our economy -- they create most of the jobs and taxes. We should reward the taxpayers and job creators with a one-year Income Tax Vacation. The cost would be about the same as Obama’s failed stimulus fiasco and would turn this economic Armageddon into one of the great economic booms in world history. It would be Reagan’s tax cuts on STEROIDS.
Obama has named czars to oversee every aspect of American’s personal and business lives. We should fire them all and ban the word “czar” forever.
Obama has dramatically increased the size, scope, power and spending of government, including with his health care and so-called financial reform bills. We should repeal them both and do the opposite -- dramatically decrease the size of government and put more money and power in the hands of the citizens. We should cut overpaid government employees by the millions, stop all raises, and cut their obscene salaries and pensions that are bankrupting America.
Obama doesn’t believe in “States’ Rights,” ordering the U.S. government to sue the state of Arizona. We should kill the lawsuit, secure the borders, enforce immigration law, and respect States Rights’ -- as the Constitution demands.
Obama is spending billions on our failing public education system solely to reward his teachers’ union campaign contributors. We should eliminate the Department of Education and transition government out of this area. In the interim we should move education funding to the state and local level, and encourage vouchers to give parents the freedom to pursue alternatives such as home-schooling, private, charter, and religious schools. We should abolish public employee unions and restore to administrators the ability to hire, fire and grant raises based on performance.
Obama supports the Federal Reserve and asks them to print ever-more money, devaluing our currency and stealing every American’s savings. We should audit the Fed, and make it transparent and accountable to the people -- with an eye to eliminating it as soon as possible.
Obama responded to the Gulf oil disaster with an oil-drilling moratorium costing 100,000 jobs. Obama’s tragic solution destroys the Gulf economy and makes America more dependent on foreign oil. We should do the opposite, by encouraging more offshore drilling -- and allow it closer to shore, where disasters can be more easily prevented.
Obama is adding 18,000 new I.R.S. agents and demanding more tax filings for small business owners. We should aim to eliminate the I.R.S. and streamline bureaucracy for small business.
Obama supported the release of the Lockerbie terrorist bomber. We should have demanded his release to the U.S. so we could give him the death penalty and justice to the families of 270 victims, 190 of whom were American citizens.
Obama has treated friends such as Israel harshly, while treating evil rulers that support terrorism (Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba, Venezuela) with kid gloves, even bowing down to some. We should do the opposite -- treat friends with respect, and not give enemies the time of day. We should also do what should have been done decades ago -- eliminate foreign aid to despots and adversaries of America across the globe.
Obama is expanding the war in Afghanistan. We should do the opposite. This is a no win war. The original purpose and goals have been long since forgotten. Bring our brave troops home.
Obama loves career politicians such as Pelosi, Reid, Rangel, Dodd and Barney Frank. We should support term limits and throw all the bums out of D.C. It’s time to start over.
Finally, Obama has continually violated the Constitution, highlighted by his hate for guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens. We should respect and follow the Constitution -- the greatest document ever created.
Yes, Obama is our very own George Costanza, the lovable loser of Seinfeld fame. Except that Obama is a Marxist, and he’s not lovable. Obama is leading America towards tragedy, insolvency and bankruptcy. The answer to saving America is clear, simple and effective -- DO THE OPPOSITE OF EVERYTHING OBAMA DOES.
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( 3 / 2042 )As one of America's leading Libertarian thinkers, perhaps I’m always expected to give the "Libertarian answer" to every issue. But sometimes one has to speak not as a Libertarian, Republican or Democrat, but rather as an American- preferably a common sense American. The issue of allowing a mosque to be built in the shadow of the 9/11 terrorist tragedy is one of those times.
The answer is simple for a common sense American- I support religious freedom, as all Americans should. But this is not a case of religious freedom. Yes, Muslims can build their mosque virtually anywhere in America- despite 9/11...despite the Times Square bomber...despite plots by Islamic extremists to blow up the New York subway system...despite everything happening in Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan. That's what makes our country great. We do in fact support religious freedom. You can build a mosque virtually anywhere in America.
However, there are also the rights and sensibilities of others to consider in a free society.
Does "religious freedom" mean hate groups should build statues to Hitler in front of Jewish temples in America? Should Americans raise money to build Jewish temples and Christian churches at Mecca? Should Japan build a statue to the bravery of their pilots at Pearl Harbor? Should the U.S. build a statue to the bravery of our pilots at the site of Hiroshima? Aren’t those examples all about “freedom of expression,” "religious freedom" and property rights? Perhaps, but is it too much to ask for a little consideration and respect toward others?
This proposed building of a mosque on hallowed ground is an ATROSITY towards America. To build a celebration of Islam within steps of 9/11 does nothing to increase religious freedom...it inspires hatred, divides our cultures, and increases the odds of violence and hate crimes. Common sense suggests this mosque, being built in this specific location, is NOT being built as a sign of friendship between Muslims and Americans...but rather as a sign of the lack of respect...a belief in our weakness...and an attempt to embarrass and belittle us. The financial district of Manhattan is not a residential area with a large number of Muslim residents for the mosque to serve. Therefore common sense suggests that the only possible reason to build it there (rather than in Brooklyn or Queens where there are large Muslim populations) is to show Muslim contempt for Americans by building a monument to Islam in the shadow of the site of their greatest triumph over America.
It is an offense to build a mosque in that location- an offense to all Americans (including Muslim Americans), all Christians and Jews, all relatives of 3000 dead heroes at the World Trade Center.
Yes, private individuals and organizations have the right to build houses of worship with their own funds. But one has to wonder where the money is coming from to build a 15-story building on some of the most expensive real estate in the country. We Americans believe in the separation of Church and State. If it turns out that this project is sponsored by a foreign government -- either directly or through a state-sponsored organization that engages in terrorism -- than the idea of this being an issue of religious freedom is a sham and an argument can be made that our Constitution would actually prohibit this mosque from being built.
However, if this is privately funded by parties with no ties to a foreign government, I have to believe that we have enough people in this country who are offended by the prospect of a mosque at Ground Zero, that the money can be raised to buy this land at a fair price from the owners. I know I’d be the first to contribute to a foundation to keep this sacred land from ever being desecrated by a symbol of the very groups that attacked America on 9/11.
We can also put public pressure on the property owners to sell to this new patriotic foundation funded by Americans. We can organize massive protests, filling the streets surrounding this property with patriotic Americans concerned that the hallowed ground of 9/11 never be used as a political tool to taunt or embarrass the United States, or as a place to preach intolerance towards Americans. I, for one, am ready to fly 3000 miles to New York to join the protest.
These are the only rational answers for common sense patriotic Americans who still believe in a free society. In situations like this, none of us can afford to be Libertarians, Republicans, Democrats, or politicians of any stripe. We are all proud Americans.
Wayne Allyn Root was the 2008 Libertarian Vice Presidential candidate. He now serves on the Libertarian National Committee (LNC) and as Chairman of the Libertarian National Congressional Committee (LNCC). He writes for the Las Vegas Review Journal and is a regular guest on FOX News. His new book is entitled, “The Conscience of a Libertarian: Empowering the Citizen Revolution with God, Guns, Gambling & Tax Cuts.” For more of Wayne's views, commentaries, or to watch his many national media appearances, please visit www.ROOTforAmerica.com.
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( 3 / 4001 )I was Barack Obama’s college classmate at Columbia University, Class of ’83. We were both Pre Law and Political Science majors (although strangely, I never met him, saw him, or even heard of him). That gives me a unique understanding of his mindset. You see virtually every classmate I ever got to know at Columbia was either obviously or openly a radical socialist or marxist.
My classmates- virtually to a man and woman- hated America and considered capitalism to be evil. They loved unions, and hated business owners. They hated conservatives and capitalists most of all- because anyone who defended the system was an enemy to this group of radicals. Even more disturbing was their open hatred towards white people and what they called “this racist nation”- even though most of my classmates were white. Psychiatrists would have a field day with my Ivy League classmates- all spoiled brat, lucky-sperm-club members guilty at being born to white, privileged wealthy parents, and having every advantage and every door opened their whole lives.
Isn’t it interesting that I was the only blue-collar S.O.B. (son of a butcher) at Columbia, yet I was the one who loved America, valued capitalism, and knew that I’d one day become a successful businessman in this great country. Understand now? The young conservative started with nothing, yet knew in America anything was possible. And the leftist radicals were born with everything, yet hated America, and felt guilt and rage for their privilege.
Most importantly, they all had the same goal: to bring down the capitalist system and redistribute the wealth. They all read from the same playbook- written by Karl Marx. So when I heard one of my classmates was running for President of the United States, I knew instantly that America was in deep trouble. I knew that well-meaning, patriotic Americans would give the benefit of the doubt to a radical like Obama. I knew they’d be fooled by Obama’s smile, handshake, kissing babies, and claims to be a “moderate uniter, not divider.” They’d be impressed by his Ivy League pedigree from Columbia, Harvard Law School and U. of Chicago. I knew they’d never guess at his real agenda- to overwhelm the system, bring down capitalism, enrich the poor by destroying the rich, and destroy everything that made America great. If you hadn’t known these people up close and personal, you’d never guess that an Ivy League lawyer wearing a fancy suit could possibly believe in such radical anti-American Marxist madness.
But there’s something else you need to know about my classmates at Columbia- the dysfunctional rage and hatred they harbor towards anyone that disagrees with them. People like Obama hide it well, but it’s always there, simmering just below the surface. That’s why they so despised Ronald Reagan- he represented all the things they wanted destroyed: patriotism, conservatism and capitalism. My ultra-liberal classmates despised Reagan so much, they openly rooted for his death.
I was a witness to that abnormal hatred on the day Reagan was shot by a mentally ill assassin. A student burst through the doors to our Political Science class to breathlessly announce that “Reagan is dead. He’s been assassinated.” The reaction of my class? CELEBRATION. They jumped from their seats to cheer, high five, fist pump, hug each other, and even scream “Yes! Reagan is dead.” I was the only conservative in the class and Reagan was my hero. I couldn’t believe what I’d just witnessed. My classmates- who I wanted to believe were good people- were cheering for the death of my hero. His only crime was being a fiscally conservative, limited government, anti-tax advocate. To socialist Ivy Leaguers these views merit the death penalty.
These classmates of mine seemed normal in every way- except for their obsession with killing capitalism, wanting big government to take over business, and redistributing (ie stealing) wealth in the name of “fairness.” Other than that you’d swear they were normal. They looked good, they were well spoken, they were brilliant intellectuals, and they possessed incredible resumes. To any normal person who met them they represented the American Dream. There was only one hidden defect- their goal is to destroy America.
Now here’s the problem. These are the people now running the country. My classmates with their unnatural hatred of fiscal conservatives, anyone who runs a business, or anyone who wants to keep more of their own money, have now gone on to great things. As I read of their exploits in Columbia’s alumni magazine, it is clear that my classmates now enjoy success in the most influential fields in this country- law, media and politics. One of them now runs the country and the economy.
There my friends is the crux of the economic disaster now facing America- virtually every problem in this country can be traced to the ignorance, arrogance, prejudice and dysfunction of lawyers, the biased liberal media, and politicians who understand nothing about entrepreneurship, capitalism, small business, or job creation. Worse than merely not understanding, they have an unnatural hatred of all the very things that make America great.
Now that you understand the REAL Obama agenda, is it any wonder our country is in crisis, our economy is in ruins, and our future survival as the world’s greatest superpower is threatened?
Wayne Allyn Root was the 2008 Libertarian Vice Presidential candidate. He now serves on the Libertarian National Committee (LNC) and as Chairman of the Libertarian National Congressional Committee (LNCC). He writes for the Las Vegas Review Journal and is a regular guest on FOX News. His new book is entitled, “The Conscience of a Libertarian: Empowering the Citizen Revolution with God, Guns, Gambling & Tax Cuts.” For more of Wayne's views, commentaries, or to watch his many national media appearances, please visit www.ROOTforAmerica.com.
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( 3 / 3891 )Pg 14 of July 19th edition of Time:
"It's time to call Obama what he is: The Great Jobs Killer. With his massive spending and tax hikes-- rewarding big government, and big unions, while punishing taxpayers and business owners- Obama has killed jobs, he has killed motivation to create new jobs, he has killed the motivation to invest in new businesses, or expand old ones. With all this killing, Obama should be given the top spot on the FBI's Most Wanted List."
Wayne Allyn Root
TIME Magazine July 19th Edition
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( 3 / 3801 )Welcome to “the Teleprompter Depression.” Each Time Obama Steps in Front of a Teleprompter, Another Business Dies.
As a common-sense small businessman, I have a front row seat to a slow motion economic Armageddon that will be written about, discussed and debated for decades to come. Big shot economists don’t listen to guys like me. They scoff as I keep predicting in commentary after commentary that small business is suffering a catastrophe of epic proportions- leading this nation towards levels of unemployment and economic crisis that will rival or surpass the Great Depression. Just last week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics quietly reported that the labor force dropped by roughly one million people during just the last two months. If those numbers were added into the unemployment numbers, it would shock and terrify the American people.
I do not believe the tragedy that is unfolding before our eyes is a mistake, coincidence, or due to incompetence. I believe my old college classmate Obama (Class of ’83 Columbia University) is a Marxist purposefully trying to destroy capitalism, by overwhelming the system, thereby creating a distraction giving him cover to redistribute America’s wealth to his voters (those who create no jobs, pay few taxes, depend on government handouts for survival, or work for government or unions). As a bonus, he gets to bankrupt the groups that contribute virtually all the money to his political opposition. This is truly a “Marxist Triple Play.”
Consider a few highlights of Obama’s reign of destruction:
#1) The biggest income tax increase in the history of America will take effect on Jan 1st, 2011. The new tax increase falls almost 100% on small business owners and high-income taxpayers (whose contributions happen to fund Obama’s political opposition). As a result, many more jobs will be lost and more businesses closed.
#2) A dramatic 60% capital gains tax increase (from 15% to 23.8% effective rate, including new universal healthcare taxes) will accompany the big income tax increase above. More jobs will be lost, more businesses closed.
#3) Taxes on dividends will increase from 15% to 39.6%, and then another 3.8% by 2013 for Obama’s new healthcare taxes. Stocks will be crushed and older Americans will be devastated (because they live off dividends, investments, and bank interest). More lives ruined, more jobs lost.
#4) New taxes on income, investments, and even tanning bed users soon take effect to pay for Obamacare. Worse,18,000 new I.R.S. agents will be hired to enforce these taxes (at a cost of billions annually in new government employee salaries, pensions and benefits). More jobs lost.
#5) The pending Cap and Trade legislation threatens dramatic new taxes on anyone who owns a business, owns a home, owns an auto, or buys products manufactured or delivered through the use of energy. Once again, the more you own, the more you'll be taxed. More jobs will be lost, more manufacturing jobs sent overseas, more homes foreclosed.
#6) The pending financial reform bill threatens onerous new rules, regulations and taxes on banks and Wall Street. More jobs will be lost (and more banking and financial jobs sent overseas).
#7) The pending new jobs bill threatens gigantic new taxes on every Sub Chapter S corporation in America. More jobs will be lost and more small businesses ruined.
#8) The threat of a gigantic new national sales tax (VAT) on everything manufactured, bought and sold in America looms large. Fewer jobs, reduced consumer spending, more businesses closed forever.
#9) Obama is pushing for the reduction or elimination of tax deductions (such as mortgage or charitable contributions) for high income earners (mostly small business owners). More jobs lost, reduced charitable contributions, and the real estate industry damaged beyond repair.
#10) The threat of bans or restrictions on offshore oil drilling being put permanently into place. More jobs lost (and more jobs sent overseas where drilling is welcomed). As a bonus for Obama, he gets to ruin the Texas economy.
#11) All signs indicate that Obama will soon propose to take the income cap off FICA (Social Security) taxes. If this were to happen, a successful small business owner (if there are any left) could see his or her FICA taxes alone go from an already bloated and burdensome $15,000 per year to an unimaginable $150,000 (or more). In U.S. history, no taxpayer has ever seen a TEN TIMES tax increase in one year. This devastating nightmare will wipe out small business and cause people that Obama calls “rich” to lose their homes and businesses.
#12) A new I.R.S. law (with the passage of Obamacare) requires business owners to file thousands of new I.R.S. forms each year documenting virtually every expenditure made by their business. As a result of this blizzard of new paperwork, small business faces ruin.
#13) Let’s not forget the gigantic tax hikes on the state and local level for income taxes, sales taxes, property taxes and new taxes disguised as “user fees.” Local taxes are already at levels that taxpayers and small businesses can no longer afford to pay.
#14) Finally, Obama refuses to consider lowering the 2nd highest corporate tax rate (40%) in the industrialized world. As a result, more businesses will choose to leave the U.S. (and more jobs will be sent overseas).
And you wonder why there are no jobs? You wonder why there is no recovery? This is the “Teleprompter Depression.” Every time Obama steps in front of a teleprompter another business dies.
Each of these taxes and proposed taxes is a job killer. Taken together, the Obama regime’s policies are the equivalent of General Sherman’s march to the sea- leaving a tragic path of destruction in its wake. Obama has launched an unprecedented, overwhelming, death-by-tax assault on the groups that fund fiscally conservative causes and candidates: taxpayers and business owners.
There are only two reasonable explanations. Obama is executing a bumbling Marxist scheme to destroy capitalism, expand government to Soviet-like levels, and turn Americans into dependent serfs begging for government to save them, clothe them and feed them. “Bumbling” because the plan never works- eventually Obama will run out of taxpayers to rob, thereby bankrupting his own programs and bringing down his government. Or the other choice is that he is truly the most incompetent bumbling President in modern history. I’ll leave it to you to decide.
Either way -- God help America.
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