The Conservative Edge

In some of my previous posts, I have likely mentioned the word “malaise” and the name “Jimmy Carter” in the same sentence. I have also been of the opinion that America is heading toward an economic freeze that will mirror that of the late 1970s. The reason for our stagnant economy is simple: we are led by the same sort of failed economic policies instituted by then-President Jimmy Carter and other Democrats.

I’m not the only one noticing the similarities. Former hedge fund manager and now talk show host Jim Cramer has written an excellent piece about a 21st-century malaise that is gripping American society. Cramer asserts that Carter’s infamous “malaise” speech sounds like something Barack Obama could have crafted. That’s not surprising. Both the former and the current President share decidedly anti-business, high-tax, big-bureaucracy ideals.

Here are some of Cramer’s remarks, as posted on Yahoo! Finance: “Malaise. The recognition that things are out of control and there is no getting better. The recognition that the president and Congress can’t create jobs and that we can’t stop the spill. The recognition that things are out of our hands. One true presidential historian/arbitrageur invoked the “pitiful helpless giant” speech, a true throwback, a miserable speech by Richard Nixon green-lighting the disastrous Cambodian incursion in order to defeat the indefatigable and ultimately undefeated North Vietnamese. Given our inability to subdue the Taliban, though, maybe the analogy’s not that off-base. It sure feels like we are stuck in a malaise and have been reduced to a pitiful helpless giant, hobbled this time by high debt, huge taxes, an anti-business agenda that is freezing job growth and an intractable economy.

To me, the coincidences are leading to what you see on your screen — a collective sense of ennui and ‘it isn’t worth it’ because things aren’t getting better, they are getting worse.”

Cramer further states: “This malaise, like the Carter malaise, starts from the top, although Carter’s speech was a thinly disguised attempt to blame the American people for the malaise and their unwillingness to sacrifice. I think it has to end at the top with a recognition from the president that jobs have to be created, uncertainty removed, the agenda shelved. He obviously has no intention WHATSOEVER of doing that. And I am not saying this as someone who favors or is opposed to Obama, I am saying it from the litmus I always use: Is something or someone good for stocks or bad? Obama’s bad.”

Cramer’s words are powerful, yet true. Americans were promised that the economy would be a priority. But the priority became, instead, the passage of liberal/leftist/socialist legislation, and subsequent growth of the federal bureaucracy. Financial reform, for instance, sounds great, but means absolutely nothing if Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac escape federal scrutiny. Health care reform sounds good too, but has caused uncertainty for many employers who fear the rising costs for providing employee health care plans.

So, the Democrats, led by Barack Obama, can continue to tax and regulate American businesses into submission, but there is one word that describes the result: malaise.

The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has led to a host of environmental zealots trying to make us all feel guilty about using oil. As the director of legislative and public affairs for Ohio’s Environmental Council put it, “You turn the key to the car, you’re part of the problem, and you’re part of the solution.” Undoubtedly, there is a short-term toll on the Gulf ecosystem. The results would be even worse if not for the efforts to contain and dispose of the oil that has already reached the shorelines. However, the guilt, and blame, lies squarely with BP and whoever else might have been responsible for the accident.

One of the primary reasons that oil companies have been drilling in the Gulf of Mexico is that the environmentalists have successfully convinced enough people in Washington that there should be no oil drilling on the U.S. mainland. Nearly all of the areas of the country that hold any substantial oil reserves have been deemed off limits. As a result, much of our domestic oil production comes from offshore drilling. Furthermore, while other countries are busily securing oil supplies wherever they can, the United States has neglected to develop its own resources.

Which doesn’t make any sense at all. There is always someone on television talking about the need to “reduce our dependence on foreign oil.” That’s tough to do if we insist on buying our oil from other nations. Even Adolf Hitler realized the need for a steady supply of petroleum that would keep the German army mobilized. By the time World War 2 had started, Germany was able to make hundreds of thousands of barrels of synthetic oil, reducing the need to find a supply of fuel from distant sources. These synthetic fuel factories were prime targets for Allied bombers. When the factories were destroyed, it devastated the German mobile army.

It remains unclear why our government can’t use similar foresight. Instead, the liberals and Democrats resort to their core ideological beliefs. They believe that the individual has no right to succeed or fulfill any self-interest. The well-being of society takes precedence over the development of the person. As a result, we are all made to feel guilty for our normal and daily activities. We must not acquire wealth, because it is to be dispensed to the poor. We must not own firearms, because we might injure or kill another person. We should not enjoy the automobiles we own, lest we selfishly destroy the environment by burning fossil fuels. We must measure our self-worth by how much money we send to impoverished people in faraway countries. Meanwhile, as we suffocate our self esteem, the government grows larger in size and authority, and puts us under its dictatorial rule.

Nobody should feel guilty for using the gasoline that allows them to keep a job, feed a family, and maintain a home. Neither should any American feel remorse for using this country’s natural resources that would prevent us from being so dependent on a foreign supplier of energy. We should only demand that the producers of energy be efficient and responsible in their operations. And we should demand the same from our government.

Apparently, the road to economic recovery runs through Washington, D.C. The federal government seems to be the only recipient of the “quick jolt” promised by Barack Obama and the leading Democrats in Congress. According to the Associated Press, the latest employment figures show that 390,000 government jobs were added in May, aided by temporary Census-related positions. This number far exceeds the 41,000 private sector jobs added during the same period. Furthermore, there were 35,000 jobs lost in the construction industry, 12,000 jobs lost in financial services, and 6,600 jobs lost in retail trade.

Is this what economic recovery is all about? The White House can try to take credit for some uptick in job creation, but the fact remains that the government is adding jobs at the expense of most other industries. It is also true that both the percentage increase in unemployment, and the length of time from peak employment, surpass those from every recessionary period since World War 2.

McClatchy Newspapers reports that the full-time federal civilian work force (except postal workers) is expected to top 2.1 million in fiscal year 2010. More than 560,000 new workers will be hired in the next four years. Moreover, average compensation for federal civilian workers increased nearly twice as much as for the private sector from 2000 to 2008. Their average annual compensation is $119,982, including earnings and benefits. This ranks federal civilian workers seventh among 72 occupation categories, behind only high finance, energy and company management professions.

The problem is, 98 percent of working Americans are not federal employees. While many people keep losing their jobs—incidentally, another manufacturer here in southwest Ohio closed, putting 57 folks out of work—there is a growing number of people who wonder why the government isn’t cutting back like every other employer.

The answer is relatively simple. The government keeps expanding because it keeps adding layer upon layer of services and programs, with commensurate increases in federal bureaucracy. It will soon get to the point at which our economy will grind to a halt under all of the new taxes, laws, and regulations. Companies trying to conduct business here at home will soon find an economic climate favoring government oversight instead of productivity. We may, by the end of Obama’s first (and hopefully only) term, revisit the economic malaise brought on by the Carter administration: double digit unemployment, high inflation, and escalating interest rates. Even if inflation and interest rates never reach those levels, economists aren’t expecting the job market to reach pre-recession hiring levels until 2015.

It comes down to this: if you want to prosper, get a job working for Uncle Sam. Otherwise, get ready for an extended rough ride.

Just when everyone thought that the foreclosure crisis was easing, new data shows that the housing market remains in turmoil. This has contributed, in part, to the stock market’s recent slide. Investors are concerned that Europe’s financial problems, combined with the United States’ stagnant economy and continuing housing crisis, will delay any global economic recovery.

Here in Ohio, the Dayton Daily News reports that the state is on a record pace for foreclosure filings through the first quarter of 2010. In an eight-county region in southwest Ohio, foreclosures have gone up 8.8% over the same period from last year. The paper blames Ohio’s Republican-controlled Senate, and its failure to pass legislation aimed at helping distressed mortgages. However, there is a federal program that will likely be responsible for giving lenders a green light to seize troubled properties, further accelerating the foreclosure pace.

The HAFA (Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives) program that began in April of this year was supposedly designed to alleviate mortgage delinquencies through the short sale process. Borrowers could potentially receive cash bonuses for agreeing to either a short sale or deed-in-lieu-of-foreclosure procedure that would allow lenders to take the troubled property without resorting to foreclosure. That sounds good, in theory. But the reality is, the financial firms that own most of these mortgages aren’t even participating in the HAFA program.

Bank of America recently revealed that mortgages owned by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as FHA/VA mortgages, are not subject to HAFA guidelines. These loans make up the vast majority of home mortgages. As a result, many short sale packages previously submitted to lenders are being rejected, with no new short sale proposals being accepted. This frees lenders to swiftly foreclose on distressed properties with no fear of reprisal from the federal government. Many real estate professionals expect foreclosures to increase dramatically through the rest of this year.

To make matters worse, the federal government, and the Democrats in particular, still seem reluctant to make job creation a top priority. The Labor Department said that the number of mass layoffs (which involves 50 or more people) rose by 228 in the month of April to a total of 1,856. So, despite the notion that an economic recovery is underway, it is clear that manufacturers are continuing to eliminate jobs. This will only aggravate the housing crisis, as more Americans lose their incomes.

Sadly, the Democrats have suggested that their big legislative push is over until the 2010 election. After passing huge bills to reform health care, provide insurance to children, restructure (downsize) auto companies, regulate financial institutions, and increase tobacco taxes, the Democrats now want to take it easy. They are fearful of voter backlash. They forget, however, that voters will be mindful of what the Democrats didn’t do, rather than what they have done to this point. The longer it takes for the Democrats to address job growth, the bigger the backlash will grow.

I recently found the results of a poll that was conducted by Harris Interactive between March 1 and March 8. The poll attempted to reveal how Americans view President Barack Obama. The responses break down as follows:

* 38 percent say he wants to take away Americans’ right to own guns.
* 32 percent say he is a Muslim.
* 29 percent think he wants to turn over the sovereignty of the United States to a one world government.
* 29 percent think he has done many things that are unconstitutional.
* 27 percent say he resents America’s heritage.
* 27 percent say he does what Wall Street and the bankers tell him to do.
* 25 percent say he was not born in the United States and so is not eligible to be president.
* 25 percent say he is a domestic enemy that the U.S. Constitution speaks of.
* 23 percent say he is a racist.
* 23 percent say he is anti-American.
* 23 percent say he wants to use an economic collapse or terrorist attack as an excuse to take dictatorial powers.
* 20 percent say he is doing many of the things that Hitler did.

While some of those views may seem radical to many, there are some grains of truth to be found. The most obvious: he is an ardent liberal who is likely to be a proponent of gun control. I’m surprised only 38 percent of those polled could say so. The least significant response: Obama is not a natural-born citizen. It really doesn’t matter whether he was born here or not. His actions are making him unfit for office.

Here is another interesting statistic: 14 percent of Americans say President Barack Obama may be the AntiChrist. When split by political party, 24 percent of Republicans and 6 percent of Democrats viewed the nation’s leader in this way. Again, there is a grain of truth. The Biblical description of a deceiver, whether he be in our generation or not, is consistent. He must be a skilled speaker, able to move his followers with style, but no substance. Meanwhile, the real power is exerted in other subtle, unseen ways, until it’s too late for anyone to stop. Then, power is ruthlessly and decisively exerted over the people.

But the Bible speaks of a multiple of AntiChrists. It is a naive and shallow interpretation of Biblical writings that would have so many people believe that there can only be one AntiChrist to rule the world. Believers are warned that it is the appearance of “many antichrists” that might indicate the arrival of the last (end) time. Just look at the liberal side of American government. There, a whole nest of AntiChrist personalities can be found.

I didn’t watch President Obama’s State of the Union address. That was no accident. I didn’t tune in for two reasons: first, I knew the speech would be extensively published and reviewed, so I wouldn’t be missing anything; second, I didn’t care to witness Obama’s lack of accountability (from himself, his party, and the media) in defaulting on his campaign promises.

It seems that Obama spent roughly two-thirds of his speech explaining what he intends to do about the sputtering economy. Of course, he is not the only one responsible for crafting economic policy. However, the Democrats have always campaigned on their economic expertise. They claim to know what it takes to either cure a recession or accelerate economic growth. Bill Clinton became President by affirming his plan to pull America from the mild recession of the early 1990s. Obama was no different in 2008. He vowed that his administration would give a “quick jolt” to the economy, and that lots of new jobs would be made as green energy technology flourished.

On January 27, 2010, after one full year in office, Obama promised that he would make job growth his top priority. This begs the question: if job growth was NOT a priority, then what WAS his top priority? And why has it taken so long for him to give attention to the American economy?

Sadly, there were priorities that Obama and the Democrats had in mind. Some of the highlights: in January of 2009, they slapped additional taxes on tobacco products; they decided the government should own General Motors; Obama felt the need to apologize to foreign countries for America’s previous behavior; the Democrats reneged on Obama’s promise of transparency as they tried to pass health care legislation without debate, discussion, or acceptance by the American people; Obama “called out” Glenn Beck and Fox News; Obama traveled to Europe to plead for the Olympics to be held in Chicago; Obama pocketed a million bucks for winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Those were just some of the items on the Democrats’ “to-do” list.

So, it becomes apparent that job creation never was a top priority. For all their self-proclaimed expertise, the Democrats do not understand that reducing unemployment is the key to economic recovery. Rebate programs like “Cash for Clunkers” mean nothing to people who are struggling to buy groceries or pay their mortgages. Obama’s chastisement of “fat cat” bankers may make us feel good for a while, but feelings don’t pay the bills.

Let’s hope that Obama and the Democrats really do get serious about fixing America’s economic problems. If they do not give heed, there will surely be more losses for the Democrats in upcoming elections. And they won’t have anyone to blame but themselves.

There are a couple of words that have become more prominent in my vocabulary, and I would like to introduce them to readers of this blog. The words are statists and collectivists. Both words actually refer to the same group of people. You might otherwise know them as socialists, Marxists, and liberals. Not coincidentally, most of these people belong to the Democratic Party.

Statists and collectivists believe that the individual is only a part of a greater whole, that is, national or global society. You might view statists as people who think that the State (the Federal government) is all-powerful, capable of directing and controlling all individuals for the benefit of society. The collectivists hold a similar view; they believe that goods and wealth should be collected and redistributed, so that no individual should be more prosperous than another. In either case, the individual essentially has no rights, especially those that pertain to the attainment of wealth, and the procurement of self-defense.

John Holden, science adviser to President Obama, has been quoted as saying that America “must design a stable, low-consumption economy…redistribution of wealth both within and among nations is absolutely essential.” This is why the government has been most active in time of economic crisis. The Obama administration, with cooperation from the liberals, has swiftly implemented laws and regulations that will bring about the desired redistribution. For instance, there is now a cap on the earnings of doctors and corporate executives. The salary of Bank of America’s president is now zero. Furthermore, the government has also displayed its ability to fire private-sector executives, such as Rick Wagoner of GM. It is interesting, too, that GM had at least 8 separate divisions before Obama was elected; but soon, GM will be reduced to only four, as Pontiac, Hummer, Saab, and Saturn will likely be shut down.

Apparently (and unfortunately), the message that capitalism has caused our economic problems is being accepted by American society. In a Rasmussen Reports survey conducted in April 2009, only 53 percent of Americans believed that capitalism was better than socialism; another survey of adults under 30 showed that 37 percent favored capitalism, while 33 percent preferred socialism (30 percent was undecided). The federal government would no doubt like to improve on that 33 percent figure. That’s why President Obama continues to demonize the financial institutions, referring to bankers as “fat cats.” The more that capitalism and free enterprise ideals are discredited, the more likely it is that American citizens will accept a socialist, totalitarian dictatorship implemented by the statists and collectivists of the Democratic party.

It is almost unimaginable that a third of young American adults would prefer a socialist government. Even the mighty Soviet Union collapsed under its totalitarian communist/socialist regime. The American economic system of free enterprise has resulted in a high standard of living for its people that has far surpassed that of any other nation. The men who framed our system of government realized that it was individual rights, not state rights, that would ensure a free and prosperous nation. We should support the economic engine that has secured the rights we do have, secured the country against foreign powers of evil, and virtually saved the world twice in the twentieth century. Long live capitalism!

One thing that readers of this blog can expect to see is a new title for this site. I felt that January 1 was an appropriate day to change the name to “The Conservative Edge.” It seemed necessary to express a greater purpose for this blog, and to also imply that conservative and independent Americans should have a finer “edge” that can slice through the negative anti-American ideology of the liberal movement.

Conservatives had best be honing their blades with the whetstones of intelligence and objectivity. Hiding behind our more virtuous lifestyles is not enough to resist the coming of a totalitarian, party-based dictatorship. Conservatives MUST learn how to communicate effectively, especially in the realm of public speaking. We must write, speak, and make sure that our ideas are heard and known.

Conservatives must not be content to be pigeonholed and stereotyped into the uncouth, illiterate crowd that liberals have created for anyone who disagree with them. It is actually our patriotic duty to offer our dissenting views, especially when our ideals are based on reason and intellect.

Otherwise, we can expect a tighter noose that is now strangling the life out of the Constitutional principle of personal freedom, and the right to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. The liberal movement is implementing an agenda that is designed to make Americans so unhappy and despondent, that they turn to big government for very subsistence. And when that happens, the liberals will have control and will usher in an era of party dictatorship.

Remember this lesson from history: Adolf Hitler did not seize power in Germany all at once; he manipulated the political parties, and made coalitions with them, resulting in Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor by the aged German president. The Nazis’ motto was: “Dictatorship by Democracy.” We are witnessing the same development of absolute power in America. Conservatives—sharpen your “edge”!

It’s no wonder the Democrats don’t want us to read the health care legislation being rammed through Congress. If we were allowed time to peruse the hundreds of pages, we might find that gun owners could face higher rates for health insurance, thanks to the Centers for Disease and Control.

That’s right—the CDC is violating a congressional ban enacted during the 1990s, in which Congress forbid the CDC to conduct studies on any kind of relationship between gun-related injuries and health care costs. The reason for the ban was to prevent any taxpayer-funded “research” being done by a government entity that would endorse tighter gun control laws.

Apparently, the Obama administration isn’t too concerned with a government agency acting unethically. The CDC is continuing its “research” on gun violence and its impact on health care costs. The results of the studies are being included in the pending health care legislation that will be debated in the Senate after Thanksgiving. So, even though the Democrats are outwardly concerned with the plight of the uninsured, they are secretly finding new ways to discourage gun ownership by increasing every conceivable cost associated with legally owning firearms. Just think—soon your health insurance applications will have a section asking you how many guns you own, and if so, what kind. If you confess to owning one, you’ll be put into a “high-risk” category.

Is that what health care “reform” is all about? If you don’t like the deceptive tactics of the CDC and Congress, contact your Senators. You can also read more about this issue at the Buckeye Firearms Association website, by following this link. Don’t let our government destroy our constitutional freedoms!

Every once in a while, you read or hear something that goes beyond interesting, and instead either moves you to tears or to action. I recently had the privilege of reading a column written by Thomas Sowell, and published in the November 2 edition of the IBD newspaper. His essay stirred my conscious, but I also felt validated in a way, because I have written several times previously about the danger the current President (and his cohorts) can inflict on our great country.

I wish not to try and quote Sowell word for word. I think each reader of this post should follow the link above and read his column in its entirety. However, I will briefly summarize the main points of the column:

1. An unelected government official has been appointed by the President, with authority to cut the pay of private business executives.
2. A media “czar” may be appointed to subsidize (seize) media outlets, to provide the government with the authority to silence talk radio.
3. President Obama has spoken of creating a national police force.
4. A panel of “experts” may soon decide who gets life-saving medical treatments.
5. Look at the kinds of people Obama has been associated with, and who he keeps putting in positions of power—individuals who flatly reject American values.
6. Obama and the Democratic nest of vipers have tried to force two landmark bills through Congress. Both of them were more than 1,000 pages long, and neither of them were made available for public scrutiny.
7. This administration is showing a dangerous tendency to be nice to foreign thugs, yet ruthless toward American society.

It is amazing that many Americans are still infatuated with the Pied Piper of “Hope” and “Change.” It is inconceivable that people still send the likes of Pelosi, Reid, Schumer, Rangel, and others to Washington time after time. They are the ones sending this country down the road of destruction. We can no longer blame the previous administration for America’s growing maladies.