America loves the hit TV show “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” That inspired me to ask “Is Obama smarter than a communist?” Raul Castro, the leader of communist Cuba, just announced that Cuba is laying off 500,000 government employees. Bravo! It’s about time. Cuba is finally reforming their economy and headed in the direction of capitalism. Like China and the Soviet Union before it, Communist Cuba has finally figured out that everyone cannot work for government- at least not if you want your people to prosper, or your economy to avoid insolvency and bankruptcy.
I only wish we could say the same for America. Incredibly, President Obama is headed in the opposite direction. Under Comrade Obama, America is expanding the number of government employees and the size of the welfare state. Obama must not have noticed that after years of government control of the economy Cuba is an economic basket case, with its citizens living in abject poverty and misery. If he has noticed- and it’s kind of hard to miss- then why is Obama aiming America towards this disastrous Cuban model? Is it purposeful? Or pure idiocy, arrogance and ignorance?
Let’s compare Communist Castro’s economic ideas to our own leader, Comrade Obama’s:
While Communist Castro admits that having the government do more to control the economy and create jobs is a horrendous failure, our very own Comrade Obama has added over $4 trillion in debt to grow government, reward his Democratic cronies (with stimulus and bailouts), and control the economy to “create and save jobs.” Castro can only sit in stunned silence as Obama makes the same mistakes that ruined Cuba's economy and left his citizens in poverty and misery.
While Castro explains his cuts of government employees by saying “We can’t keep supporting inflated payrolls”, and is now encouraging entrepreneurship, small business creation and capitalist reforms, Comrade Obama steals from future generations to save government jobs, hire more government employees, and preserve the obscene raises, pensions and benefits of government employees (that are 70% higher than comparable jobs in the private sector). Only days ago Obama spent $26 billion more to save teacher union jobs for the very people that are presiding over the disastrous failure of government-run education. Where does Obama get the money to pay for all these government employees? By redistributing income from private sector taxpayers who are losing their jobs and small businesses due to Obama’s oppressive regulatory and tax burdens. Don’t forget that Obama exempted only one group from the rules, regulations, and taxes of Obamacare - government employees! Castro is shaking his head in disbelief.
Communist Castro is busy privatizing businesses - giving taxi licenses to entrepreneurs, giving land to free market farmers, and selling government-run barber shops to small business risk-takers. Communists are embracing free enterprise, free markets, entrepreneurship, small business creation, and fiscal conservatism. Meanwhile, Obama is busy punishing and micro-managing banks, Wall Street, and credit card companies, while orchestrating government takeovers of healthcare, automakers, student loans, manufacturing (through cap and trade), and everything else he can grab through Chicago-style intimidation and communist goon tactics. Castro can only shake his head at the tragic mistakes being made.
Communist Castro says, “Stop expecting too much from government.” He hints that there will be even more economic reform- perhaps ending or cutting back on government subsidies for housing, transportation and food. Meanwhile our Comrade Obama asks government to provide ever more- from student loans, to lifelong free healthcare, to asking government to subsidize delinquent homeowners. Under Obama we see record increases in Americans accepting welfare, food stamps, and free breakfasts and lunches at school. Castro is mortified- he already knows where heavy-handed government control leads.
Communist Castro says the free lunch for Cuban workers is over. He speaks of government employees who do little or nothing all day. From now on Castro says, “Workers will be paid according to results.” While Castro understands this is the only way to bring prosperity to his people, Obama is hiring more government employees to stand around and do nothing, while he supports government employee union demands for lifetime jobs, early retirement, and obscene pensions- none of which are available in the private sector. Hand in hand with his shameful bias towards government employees, Obama keeps extending unemployment benefits towards infinity. Why not? Afterall, next to government employees, Obama’s most loyal voting bloc is Americans receiving handouts from government.
Communist Castro is firing his Czars, while Obama names a new one on a daily basis- including only days ago, “The Asian Carp Czar” (No, this is not a joke). Did you ever think we’d see the day where Castro is shocked at the size of America’s government?
While Communist Castro says, “We must increase the number of jobs where Cubans can go into business for themselves,” Obama is punishing entrepreneurs and small business creators with gigantic income tax increases, healthcare taxes, capital gains taxes, dividend and savings taxes, and any other taxes he can dream up (such as a new VAT tax and possible new raises in FICA taxes for the self employed). It’s all enough to make Fidel Castro get up off his deathbed to shout “Viva La Revolucion!”
Communist Castro knows from experience why we have no new jobs in America. While Cuba moves away from communism with capitalist-style reforms, Obama leads America away from capitalism and towards Fidel Castro’s utopia of starvation, deprivation, levels of poverty never imagined in America (not yet anyway), and of donkeys pulling broken-down carts on the streets of Havana.
I can only conclude that Obama is NOT smarter than a communist. Communists at least learn from their mistakes. And if Obama isn’t smarter than a communist, then he’s most certainly not as smart as a 5th grader either.
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( 3 / 7201 )We are in midst of an economic Armageddon. For months I have described it as “The Great Depression II.” The politicians that run our country and economy are useless idiots -- although some might find that comparison offensive to useless idiots. Each move they make, the economy gets worse. Each dollar they spend to “save the economy” results in more economic decline, fewer jobs, and lower tax revenues. No coincidence.
Speaking of useless idiots, enter Joe Biden. As job reports get bleaker and businesses fail by the thousands each month, Vice President Biden repeats endlessly, like a Stepford wife, that the stimulus is working just fine and has “saved” and created millions of jobs. Perhaps Biden believes if you repeat a lie enough times, it becomes the truth. Or at least you keep your job as Vice President.
Obama repeats endlessly that it’s Bush’s fault, even though we have lost millions of jobs, while adding over $4 trillion to the nation’s debt since Obama become CEO of the economy. Recently the nation’s debt increased by more in one day than the entire annual deficit in 2007. I am no fan of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but according to the Congressional Budget Office, Obama’s one-time stimulus program enacted during his first month of office cost $100 billion more than the entire 8-year Iraq war.
Then there’s Ben Bernanke- the hopeless, hapless, clueless Fed Chair who should be CEO of the Keystone Cops. He never saw the recession coming, then denied it existed, then announced it was over, then denied we could experience a double dip recession, and now acknowledges that the economy is deteriorating so rapidly the Fed might need to intervene to prevent a double dip. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear our Fed Chief had morphed into Sgt. Schultz on “Hogan’s Heroes” responding to every question with, “I see nothing!” This useless idiot spends so much time in denial, you’d swear the Great Recession was hiding in the Witness Protection Program.
What we have is an incompetent Fed Chief, working for a Stepford-wife Vice President, working for a detached, golf-playing President, who bases his economic plans on the wisdom of Karl Marx. It is a deadly combination for the American economy.
But are they useless idiots, or is this a plan? As I’ve written before, I believe that Obama’s goal is to purposely overwhelm the economy, pile up debt to the point of collapse, redistribute wealth, and fatally damage capitalism. This plan has given government the opportunity to take over vast swaths of the economy (automakers, healthcare, banking, student loans), and made historic numbers of Americans dependent on government assistance and government jobs. Enter Socialism from Stage Left.
How do we know this is a purposeful plan? Because no one could be so ignorant of basic economics and business to not know the following:
*Redistributing money from one group (small business owners, taxpayers and job creators) to hand it to your Democratic voters doesn’t improve GDP or create jobs -- it destroys them.
*Extending jobless benefits endlessly doesn’t create jobs. It guarantees that those who pay the bill (small business owners) will not create a single job, while those receiving the benefits have no urgency to look for one.
*Handing billions of dollars out in “Stimulus” and bailouts to government employee unions and Democratic campaign contributors doesn’t fix an economy. It just makes millionaires out of your cronies.
*Spending $26 billion to protect government employee union jobs doesn’t help the economy recover. It just adds $26 billion more to the national debt, and makes our children’s future even bleaker.
*Asking the Fed to create endless fake debt-based money has never created a single real job.
*The largest tax increase in history that takes effect on January 1st will not increase tax revenues -- it will cause small business failures, lower consumer spending, and put millions more in the unemployment line.
*The financial reform bill demanding “affirmative action” loans to minority small businesses puts the entire economy at risk. Isn’t this the same requirement Congress imposed on banks that resulted in sub-prime home loans leading to the collapse of the real estate market?
*The multi-trillion dollar Universal Healthcare bill won’t help the economy recover, but it will raise all of our healthcare costs and taxes. The cap and trade bill they so desperately want to pass will double or triple our utility and gas bills. The moratorium on oil drilling has cost 100,000 jobs. Could any President be this ignorant or reckless by mistake?
Critics are complaining that Obama spends too much time playing golf and taking vacations. But I see a solution to our economic crisis. Please, Mr. President, stay on vacation and away from the economy. Perhaps you could explore the far reaches of Siberia or Antarctica? How about a safari in South Africa? Or better yet, tee it up night and day Mr. President. Don’t be guilty. We desperately need you to develop your inner game of golf. Name Tiger Woods your Golf Czar. Work on your putting stroke. Get that handicap down to zero. Practice makes perfect. Play 36 holes every day- minimum. The more time you spend on the links, the less time you have to think about Karl Marx. As your golf score goes down, the U.S. economy can only go up.
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( 3 / 4140 )Why Now? Violating the Constitution Never Bothered Him Before?
Obama is Aligned Against Police Union, Mafia, the Village People…AND Harry Reid!
This would be funny if it wasn’t so sad and hypocritical. When it comes to the Mosque at Ground Zero, Obama is suddenly concerned with the Constitution? Why now? This mosque will never be built. When you have the police, mafia, Village People, AND Harry Reid all aligned against it, it’s safe to say it’s not going to happen. And I think it’s also safe to say Obama just waded into the biggest mistake of his political career. He just cemented his fate as a one-term President by ignoring the opinions of about 70% of 300 million common-sense, deeply-offended Americans.
Let’s take a look a look at just a few of the cases where Obama has ignored or violated the Constitution as President:
Obama didn’t care about the law or Constitution when he threw the bondholders, shareholders and secured creditors of GM and Chrysler under the bus so he could hand majority ownership to his union cronies that bankrupted and destroyed them in the first place. But hey, what’s a little violation of the Constitution when you can pay off your biggest campaign contributors?
Obama didn’t care about the law or Constitution when he passed universal healthcare and forced American citizens at gunpoint (with the help of 18,000 new IRS agents) to buy healthcare, pay a fine, or go to jail. But hey, what’s a little violation of the Constitution when you can pay off your big healthcare and health insurance contributors? And don’t forget the biggest beneficiaries of Obamacare- the trial lawyers. Obama made them billions by refusing to allow tort reform in the healthcare bill.
Obama didn’t care about the law or Constitution when he raised taxes on everyone to pay for universal healthcare- EXCEPT union employees. But hey, Lincoln saved the union. Obama has pledged to do everything in his power to save the union too- the government employees union, even if it means violating the rights of every non-union employee and taxpayer in America.
Obama didn’t care about the law or Constitution when he asked the United States Justice Department to sue Arizona for simply enforcing U.S. immigration law. Obama broke the rule of law and violated the Constitution when he asked the United States Justice Department to sue Arizona for simply enforcing U.S. immigration law already on the books. Don’t forget who joined the side of Obama and the U.S. in the lawsuit versus one of our own states- MEXICO. Here’s an idea. What Obama should have done instead is secure our borders and sue Mexico for the billions of dollars America’s taxpayers are forced to pay annually for the welfare, education, medical care, Medicare and Social Security of Mexican citizens here illegally. Where is THAT lawsuit, Mr. President?
Obama didn’t care about the law or Constitution when he demanded an end to an entire industry- offshore oil drilling- in response to the first accident in more than 40 years. So far two courts have overturned that temporary ban. Eventually the Supreme Court will overturn it as well. But those violations of the Constitution, costing over100,000 jobs and bankrupting hundreds of oil industry and main street small businesses, never bothered Obama- not when his violations make his big campaign contributors in the environmental lobby happy and keep their wallets full.
Obama didn’t care about the law or Constitution when he bailed out banks and Wall Street firms with trillions of dollars of taxpayer money. But hey, what’s a little violation of the Constitution when you can reward your biggest campaign contributors on Wall Street? Or were you not aware that Senator Obama was among the biggest beneficiaries of contributions from AIG, Goldman Sacks and the banking industry?
Obama didn’t care about the law or Constitution when he named “Czars” to oversee the entire U.S. economy, thereby bypassing Congressional oversight. If the people that run our lives are called “Czars,” doesn’t that make us “serfs?” I doubt that’s what the Founding Fathers had in mind when they wrote the Constitution as a document that limited the powers of the federal government?
Obama didn’t care about the law or Constitution when he included a clause in the just-passed financial reform bill that mandates affirmative action when banks give out small business loans. Or, don’t you think forcing banks to loan shareholder’s money to one racial group, regardless of their assets, credit history, or ability to repay, might be a violation of the Constitution? But hey, what’s a little violation of the Constitution when you can reward one racial group that votes 90% for Obama with other people’s money?
All these violations of the U.S. Constitution didn’t bother Obama (a former Constitutional law professor), yet now when the issue involves Muslims building a mosque steps from Ground Zero, where 3000 American heroes died, Obama suddenly cares about the Constitution? Interesting how our fearless leader doesn’t hesitate to fleece or violate taxpayers, small business owners, corporations, shareholders, investors, secured creditors, States, and law-abiding Americans, but when the situation involves an issue or group he supports, suddenly the Constitution matters.
On November 2nd Obama, the entire Democratic Congress, and a record-setting number of incumbents of both parties, will find out how all this selective violation of the Constitution and the rights of certain Americans plays out with the (no longer so) Silent Majority of American taxpayers and voters. Here’s my prediction- Obama’s larger-than-life ego is about to be violated in ways he cannot even imagine.
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( 3 / 4205 )Why George Costanza is the Anti-Obama Role Model
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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