Chris Matthews: West Point is the “Enemy Camp”

Chris Matthews on West Point as \’the enemy camp\’

In what can be considered a fairly poor choice of words from the notably bombastic Mr. Matthews; the host of Hard Ball points to West Point as the “enemy camp” because the cadets were not overly enthusiastic with the President’s speech there.?

To be fair, Chris “Chilly Leg” Matthews was not referring to West Point as the enemy camp with regard to his own relationship to the place.? However, the man is political to the core and a very firm adherent to the friend/enemy description of the political.? He sees everything through his political goggles and when doing his analysis, made a comment that can be considered disgusting to say the least.? But this shows how many liberal (and Conservative) pundits think.? It’s US versus THEM.

-rj

“Question Authority”

“Question Authority” is a popular slogan often pasted on bumper stickers that came out of the late 1970′s famous protests around the United States. The phrase is a statement refuting the logical fallacy of “because I said so.” In other words, statements made by “authority figures” are not necessarily factual just because the individual making the statements have rank over others.

“You will always find that those are most apt to boast of national merit, who have little or not merit of their own to depend on…” -Oliver Goldsmith

From Vietnam to George W. Bush, questioning authority has been the policy of the left, especially when Republicans have been in office. And to be fair, there has always been an assumption that it is the duty of citizenry not to blindly accept what they are being told by a government. Especially when that government was appointment by the very people it assumes it has authority over.

“It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority.” -Benjamin Franklin

But for the Left, this mantra of sorts has quickly come to a close with the election of a Progressive administration. Questioning authority is unacceptable. And it is confusing to the Left why conservatives would ever question the policies of the administration. Furthermore, the generation that invented the “Question Authority” movement, now the authorities themselves, have entered into numerous double standards.

Mark Lloyd was brought into the administration as the Chief Diversity Officer. A position that is designed to verify that a strategy of diversity and inclusion policy is taking place across the nation. Yet the administration has attempted to shut down and shut out Fox News as of late. A very diverse move.

I for one was never taught in school that asking questions was a thing of ignorance.

-nick

We’re All Racists Now…

Apparently we’re all racists now. Jimmy Carter told me so.

I’m from Dixie. The land of labels. The area of the country were if anyone has a problem with anything that anyone else of the opposite skin color does it’s always attributed solely to racism. The accusation usual comes from Liberals. It’s frustrating. It’s equally as frustrating to listen to Carter proclaim his excitement of the South’s progress in race relations like he is sitting on some cloud as a deity encouraging his Southern brothers toward some goal that he had already achieved ages ago.

Jimmy Carter, please go away. You aren’t President, you aren’t anything. You have failed so many times I cannot even think of a time you succeeded other than somehow tricking the country into voting for you. Oh, and congrats on that Nobel Prize for keeping North Korea free of nuclear weapons. As a Georgian, if I could kick you out of my state I would. You bring the Empire State of the South nothing but shame.

I was happy to see Robert Gibbs shoot down Carter’s assessment. It may be the first truthful and logical thing I’ve ever heard the man say.

When Maureen Dowd wrote her hate column to Joe Wilson last week she went after his affiliation with the Sons of the Confederacy. Anyone reading this without knowledge of what the SCV is would immediately associate this with some sort of secessionist or racist organization, which is what I’m guessing since it was in the New York Times. The more accurately named Sons of Confederate Veterans is a veterans organization. How dare he be apart of a veterans organization!

SCV was formed in union with the Grand Army of the Republic, which is the veterans organization of Northern soldiers during the Civil War. These groups M.O. is to research and preserve the history of the war, establish battle sight memorials, and help individuals locate information on relatives that fought in the war. The SCV has received commendation from both Republican President George Bush (Bush, George W. “Letter of Commendation.” Confederate Veteran, June, 1996: p.6.) and from Democratic President Bill Clinton (Clinton, Bill. “Letter of June 21, 1994, from Bill Clinton.” UDC Magazine, Sept. 1994: p. 9.). But how dare you be a member Joe Wilson! That makes you a racist!

It must be noted that Obamacare will cover illegal immigrants. Ed Morrissey covered this on HotAir.com when the neutral Congressional Research Office announced this a few weeks ago. I was told recently by a blue crusader that Joe Wilson was a racist because he yelled, “You lie” after Obama mentioned illegals. That somehow because Obama was lying about coverage of illegal immigrants, and Wilson called him on it means that Wilson is a racist because the lie he uncovered pertained to illegal immigrants. Seriously? Informal fallacy perhaps?

Does anyone realize what’s going on here?

That’s right Admiral, it’s a trap. Democrats want us to be having this conversation. They want us to be stirred up and talking about race relations, and our thoughts on the black president. Which is completely ironic in itself considering the fact that WE HAVE A BLACK PRESIDENT! White people had to vote for him too.

But the whole point of all of this is that we are now not talking about what we should be talking about: the health care and cap and trade bills. There is recent precedence for this if you don’t believe me. Remember how concerned we all were for the well fair of the voter in Iran? Then Michael Jackson died. Iran what? Sad but true.

What’s also sad but true is that race relations in this country may have just been set back 20 years. And at the fault of the liberals stirring up the controversy. Ironically the Democrats always proclaim to be the ones promoting minorities. But Robert Byrd is running around unafflicted by his own party for his massive involvement in the KKK. And it’s the Democrats that block conservative efforts to move minorities out of inner city schools to provide them a better education. It’s almost as if the liberals don’t want to see minorities succeed, be well educated, and find successful jobs or become business owners. I wonder why? Ask Herman Cain.

But I digress. Focus people, focus! Let’s get back to the real issue before those in power in DC try to play some sleight of hand while they have us busy with our heads in the clouds over an issue that’s not really an issue.

-nick

A Curse on BOTH Our Houses!

Our country seems mired in an important intellectual dialogue between two domineering factions of American government on the issue of ?torture? or ?interrogation.? Let?s scrupulously dissect what we mean when we use these two terms: well, the same thing depending on who you ask. I have been vivaciously devouring everything I can read having to do with this topic in an attempt to reconcile my Catholic conscience with my political and national security positions.

Obviously the differing sides use the terms that carry differing connotative weight; it?s easy to oppose something as cruel as ?torture? while we watch ?interrogations? every night on TNT when they air one of a baker?s dozen Law & Orders per day. I could go on for a very lengthy duration justifying not the ?administration?s use of torture? per se, but President Bush and his administration?s in depth pontification and legal justification for using interrogation techniques that are actually used on our own soldiers while attending SERE School in the military. As a matter of fact, how many people know that the techniques that were eventually employed by DoD (certain units) and the CIA were actually derived from this school and recommended by psychologists working in conjunction with the military.

I could go on at greater length regarding this and put what many would consider my Schmitt-ian view to paper here, but I am digressing from the point of my article. The aforementioned situation is one of morals in the end. I have heard people say ?well if waterboarding has to be used 183 times to elicit information, maybe we need a better method.? People are failing to understand that the duration IS the method. We use this to wear down the suspect slowly, as opposed to pulling finger nails which uses pain alone. A method like waterboarding is more about the psychological aspect of placing the suspect in an atmosphere where he/she has no control. In the end, it has worked.

However, the argument that ?it worked, it?s thusly justified? has allowed liberals to claim that Conservatives are being strict Machiavellians in that the ends solely justifies the means. This is not true, and the fact that the DOJ and CIA had numerous inquiries and memos discussing that not only was the ends justified, the means was not exactly unjust either.

Now we have reached a point where the duplicitous members of Congress, marching in step with President Obama?s administration, are looking into investigating Justice officials and other previous Executive branch officials. This is despite the fact that many members of congress were briefed about the procedures, of course. Like the inspector in Casablanca they are ?SHOCKED! Shocked I say!? to have found out about these procedures (and this goes for you Dick Armitage, as well).

In the words of our former President, Bring It On. Go ahead and establish this sickening precedent, perhaps Republicans were stupid for respecting the Executive prerogative and turning the page with every new administration (as we are supposed to). President Bush and the then-Republican congress could have gone after President Clinton, Janet Reno and the likes for Waco, Elian Gonzalez, or China-gate. Better yet, why didn?t we go after Jamie Gorelick for her role in tying the hands of our intelligence institutions in the 1990?s?
But the Republicans failed to act on this opportunity. No, as usual (with the exception of some pundits) we choose to accept that prior administrations rule how they rule, and our revolutionary prerogative as defined by John Locke, is fulfilled every four goddamn years.

If President Obama wants this fight, and establishes this precedent, then let him. I would then implore, ANY future Republican president to go after President Obama and his cabinet. Regarding what RJ? Well this issue of interrogation (and that is what it is, interrogation) is on a moral playing field currently. Then I would ask that President Obama and his cabinet be investigated for their abortion and health policies. For overturning the rule regarding aborted fetuses (ie Unborn children) and stem-cell research, despite the fact that adult stem cell lines have become far more beneficial when it comes to research. For taking away the right of parents of children under 18 years old to be consulted when their daughters are seeking morning-after pills.? And finally, for overturning the ?conscience rules? and forcing healthcare professionals to provide abortion services to patients despite their religious or ethical beliefs. Forcing people to perform abortions. This alone transcends whether or not a woman has a right to choose; one would think somebody calling themselves pro-choice would be for choice by the Doctor as well. ?

In the end, I hope the Republicans take this seriously, not as a simple rant. This action that the President is taking has immeasurable ramifications for our republic, and if he wants to start down the road, let him reap what he has sowed in three years. I?ll be whistling the new DMB song waiting? Funny the way it is, when you think about it?

-rj

President Cubic Zirconia?

The following is a recent post by RJ, a colleague of mine. It’s a pretty straightforward look at what is happening to the fancy coat of glaze that was on our new president, and how in only a few weeks, his approval rating has dropped 15 points and people are already starting to question his ethics and approach. I hope you enjoy the piece, and we hope to have RJ back in the future.

Let’s imagine that we are in a sinking ship. Water is rushing in through the lacerations in our ships hulls, creating of course a situation that warrants immediate action from captain and crew.? Like any dramatic cinema, the captain will give a talk to every man (mate?) on the vessel and instill in him a sense of duty and transcendence over what many may call “Murphy’s Law.”? Of course we need the Overture from Wagner’s “The Flying Dutchman” to accompany as our proud captain stares onward into the maelstrom (now it is raining and lightning) and lectures on the importance of every man on the ship.

“Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real.? They are serious and they are many.? They will not be met easily or in a short span of time.? But know this, MEN ? they will be met.? On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.”

Bear with me.

Now the captain is going to appoint men to oversee the process of expelling the aquatic enemy from our ship, and everyone is handed a pale and told to give it your all dammit!? The pails get heavy with a lot of water so the guys left in charge of the many, whilst chirping orders and calling on us to fill the pales and throw buckets-full overboard, drilled holes into their own because, well the buckets get a tad heavy.? There would be a mutiny afoot should the men discover the lack of work done by the upper echelons echoing demands over the common sailors.

The Republicans have begun their mutiny of this bi-partison love-fest promulgated (falsely) by the media who is also losing their own infatuation with President Obama.? And yet, people are being led to believe that the Republicans are solely responsible for this breach in bipartisanship.? I will touch upon the subject of bipartisanship (a cockamamie delusion) some other day.? I hope to touch upon the do as I say and not as I do attitude of our anointed President.

We have been lectured and bombarded by the President for our lack of responsibility, our need to reform, our need to become better, and our need for a new type of politics that answers to the people.? I do not necessarily disagree with these sentiments; I disagree with having to feel like every time the man talks, I have to tilt my head back to look up at his pulpit which sits so much higher than others.? He transcended the game dammit!? He was different, he would change the landscape, call for accountability? and he has reminded many of us a) why we disdain people who practice the art of politics to begin with and b) that liberals are the first to raise taxes (easily carried out when you don’t pay your own).

NOW! I don’t want to hear about Former-President Bush and how much you hate him.? I don’t want people to dig up old records about hypocrisy on the ‘right’ and parade William Bennett (though what he did was not illegal) and Rush Limbaugh as if you have articulated a well thought-out counter.? President Obama and his supporters called everyone to go beyond partisanship and the “politics as usual.”? You lectured us about corruption and scorned us because we didn’t believe your message but t’was us old sticks in the mud clinging to “guns and religion” that were holding you back from this new utopia.? You made the argument based on morality and said you were superior; then practice it!

The above quote was from President Obama’s inauguration. He calls on us to do our part in this economic maelstrom. Then we see his appointments:

Timothy Gaithner: Failure to pay taxes.? And he will now be throwing people in jail when they? fail to pay taxes.

Tom Daschle: Failing to pay taxes.? On his limousine and driver among other things no-less.

Dr. Nancy Killefer: Failure to pay taxes.? I should be so forward as to deduce from this? a pattern!

Bill Richardson: Just happens to be under investigation (and was subpoenaed) for much of the same kinds of charges as Gov-turned-star Blagojavich.

William Lynn III: Pres. Obama had to get a waiver for his OWN ethics rules to appoint this man as DoD #2 because of lobbying ties (from the “anti-lobby” candidate).

Hillary Clinton: Not much for her, but her husbands receiving funds for his library, from other countries and dignitaries while she is being Diplomatic is a bit of a conflict of interest.

How does that saying go?? Don’t spit on my back and tell me it’s raining?? Or is that a warmer bodily excrement splashing on our backs while we are lectured on our ethics and our challenging the chosen one and in essence preventing the change we need (but we conservatives didn’t believe in).? Every administration has its problems, it’s politics, it’s what people claim to hate the most but we utilize everyday (those pay-for-play deal making 10 year olds trading football cards!).? It is not justified, but neither is supercilious rhetoric that belittles everyone but the transcendental character who claims to be overcoming the vices he constantly derides.? Get over it.? There will be no change in this administration.? Not in politics, and in after a few more stimuli, not in our pockets?

-rj