Thursday, September 17, 2009

Cash for Clunkers Fun

This is courtesy of my father:

A vehicle at 15 mpg and 12,000 miles per year uses 800 gallons a year of gasoline.

A vehicle at 25 mpg and 12,000 miles per year uses 480 gallons a year.

So, the average clunker transaction will reduce US gasoline consumption by 320 gallons per year.

They claim 700,000 vehicles – so that's 224 million gallons / year.

That equates to a bit over 5 million barrels of oil.

5 million barrels of oil is about ¼ of one day's US consumption.

And, 5 million barrels of oil costs about $350 million dollars at $75/bbl.

So, we all contributed to spending $3 billion to save $350 million.

How good a deal was that ???

They'll probably do a great job with health care though!!

Respect Decorum

We live in an age where mutual respect and common courtesy toward your fellow man, at least to me, appears to be at an embarrassing low. I would make the contention that it is as much a national crisis as any other issue facing this nation. The disrespect we harbor toward each and especially toward those in authority is a microcosm of many of the larger policy debates going on in Washington and across the country. From observing many individuals, many unqualified to give their opinion much less their policy input, their beliefs and ideologies have exited the realm of politics and entered the realm of a pseudo-religion.

As a fiscal conservative I always try (don't always succeed) to take an objective approach to my political views and policy considerations. The pseudo-religious fervor I speak of is prevalent among the liberals and liberal Democrats, but to see it coming from the supposed "conservatives" and among Republican members of Congress is disheartening to what it means to be a true conservative. Of course I am excluding social cons from my definition (theocratic rule has no place in the GOP) and big government Republicans that have misguided our party, domestically, since Bush Sr. The pseudo-religious action I speak of is the emotional outbursts coming out of certain factions in the right wing speaking out against the current Administrations policies.

Now, I am against almost every policy President Obama has proposed, pushed through, and believes in terms of ideology. But to answer the President and the Left with simple rhetoric, popular catch phrases, and subjective emotion only takes conservatives down to their level. How short are our memories when we forget how liberals and the left have always responded to policy they don't like...shouting, protest, name-calling (racist, sexist, extremist, etc.)? These responses are not qualified counters to policy, offering reasonable alternatives, it isn't even a cognitive intelligent thought that could qualify as debate. The Right has always criticised the Left for its subjective emotion and lack to remain objective in policy debate. This is nothing more than hypocrisy at its utmost.

"Oh but the left called Bush a lier all the time." So what if they did? Two wrongs don't make a right. They are liberals , when they act that way it proves what we have been contending all along. When we respond to the Left with the religious fervor and subjective emotional outbursts that have sprouted since President Obama's election, it makes you no better than the people that called President Bush a "lier" or "war criminal" or the dirty ignorant hippies that protest the Vietnam War, not because of true concern but because it was hip. You are going down to their level when you act this way.

I ask, especially if you hold yourself out to be a conservative. Carry yourself with the pride, class, character, and respect you feel your views should merit. Meet all opposition of ideas with the virtues of true conservatism. If anyone, liberal, democrat, guy who cut you off on the highway, whoever it is, attacks your actions or views with subjective rhetoric maintain your composure and objectivism. Don't sink to their level, make them come up to yours. This is a tenant of personal responsibility. You don't have to be right, you just need to show to others that they are wrong. Remaining stoic, reserved, and respectful to opposition will take you much farther and give you much more respectability.

The direction of the Republican Party and the fiscal conservative movement can't afford to be equated to the simple ignorant rantings of the liberal left. Let's move the party forward, if you can't handle being a man about things and want to keep shouting, well, that is your right but get the hell out of our party. Your actions only affirm the stereotypical contentions of the left toward the right.

No one person is the pervayer of Absolute Knowledge and Truth (please, please, no one say 'well Jesus is'), so, go into every conversation, debate, meeting, or interaction with that in mind. Remember you don't need to be right, they simply need to appear wrong. Hey, I get to bring up Jesus again. In times like these he said "turn the other cheek." An emotional subjective action vs. emotional subjective action has no winner. Emotions are unique to the individual feeling them, so our only option to legitimate debate and finding common ground in our human interaction is to offer objective reasoning.

In summary, it is fine to disagree with the President. I am ardently oppossed almost everything he stands for, however, everyone disagrees. Disagreement or a difference of views should have very little effect on a man's character. Character is flawed when they physically force your agreement (some try to say thats what the left is doing, but I disagree) instead of through persuasion. Obama won the office through persuassion and the democratic process (so was Hitler...that was a joke!).

You may disagree, I definately disagree, but he IS our President, at least to 2012. We all need to respect that office. Any man that takes on that responsibility deserves our respect, if not at least for the commitment that takes. Could you do it? Could you be the CEO of the largest empire to ever exist in our societal evolutionary process? There are 300,000,000 people in this country. It is amazing if a small group could agree on various policy. Now, imagine that group is our populous and you were elected to act in the best interest of all. Do you respect the office yet?

Lets lead the GOP forward. I believe fiscal conservatism, personal repsonsibility, and the virtues of ardent followers that adhere to its tenants will take the party farther than we could ever imagine. Barry Goldwater followed this way. Ronald Reagan definately followed this way, and so should we.

Author's Disclaimer

I feel I should explain the way I operate and the things I say sometimes. I realize I can say some far out there (right-wing) things at times. It is mostly done in an attempt to spur debate and conversation on an issue, to test an individual's conviction and commitment to an idea. With that said, my posts here will be polarizing at times and maybe even offensive to some. But please note it is never intended to offend.

If you know me...I am sorry :). No, if you know me, than you know that I enjoy playing Devil's Advocate and I just love debate, politics, and conversations. Many of my best, most enjoyable conversations come from those I have little in common with in terms of policy and ideology. That is the only way to have your ideas and beliefs tested and tried. I am a non-Absolutist, I recognize that I am no more right than anyone else. However, I do know that I don't need to ever be right, that's not the point, I just need to prove that you are wrong to enough people. That's how politics works, that's why it is dirty, in the mud fighting at times, but that is why America is the greatest country on the face of the Earth.

The GOP: The way it once was and the way it has to be again.

No matter how loyal a Republican you are, one must admit our Party and movement is in need of a drastic image revival. Since, the fall of communism the party has slowly lost its free market-less government ideology. That is the ideology I would love to see control the GOP again. I hear the critiques of Reagan and the policies of the GOP from the left. You lefties are usually right, on appearances we were not 'fiscally conservative' nor for 'small government.' With that said though you are completely wrong and missed the real reason for why we did anything during that time. Learn your history and your political science and it is pretty easy to see. If you are still on the left after an objective historical critique of the policies of the time than I would love to discuss this with you. But if you are still on the left and still believe the reasons sold to the masses for why the government acts the way it does sometimes, well...maybe you should go color in the corner with the other kids. Now, I am going to continue my piece and attempt to offer a 'real' conservative critique of the times, as well as combat common liberal criticism of the greatest President this country has had...at least in the past one-hundred years. I hope you all enjoy. (Please note this is a historical/political critique, I am using objective reasoning, so please respond likewise).

ATTENTION LIBERALS: At this point, the common response from the left is 1) Reagan had a $200 Billion budget deficit, 2) the expansion of the Fed under Reagan was far from 'little government ideology, and 3) The War on Drugs was a complete expansion of Federal control and a dismal failure. That's fair, but please recognize the global situation at the time. WE HAD TO WIN THE COLD WAR. It was a war for economic control and influence of the world. To the winner, Alpha Status over all the rest. Reagan's policies of securing free market proxies to buffer the influence of Communism, the expansion of the military, the promotion of American business through global expansion, and the resulting increase in Federal spending, was promoted by Reagan and the Fiscal Cons in complete synchronous harmony to ensure that Capitalism and Democracy won the War against Economic Centralization and Communism. To the winner literally went the world, relatively complete economic hegemony for the next generation. To me the cost is immaterial when compared to the alternative.

I have to ask all liberals, Dems, Social-Cons, Libertarians, Hippies, & and ignorant college kids with inflated unsupported opinions; Do you really believe that the 'War on Drugs' was a moral altruistic battle to fight the evils of drugs and addiction? Likewise, do you believe that all the Wars we fight are just or unjust, moral or immoral, based on some subjective higher calling for America to intervene and help the weak and oppressed? If so, WOW! There always exists the subjective reasons for 'why' we go to war. However, everything we do is an attempt to position America's influence and seek a benefit...or why else fight. If we actually fought wars to solely save the oppressed we would be in Africa and probably BANKRUPT! (Traditional Democrats and Republicans know this game...its the fringes that don't get how geo-politics works, if anythin at all).

The 'War on Drugs' had nothing to do with a fear to protect America from the evils of drugs. Just like the Iraq War had nothing to do with WMD's or fighting for Judeo-Christian values. We fought those battles for one central idea: SECURE UNITED STATES HEGEMONY & CONTROL, TO ENSURE FREE MARKET PROXIES & ALLIES, AND ENSURE OUR EMPIRE WINS. What do you think our country did with the massive amounts of cash and drugs we seized coming from Mexico and South America...burn it?

We should all know not to listen to our televisions, of course the President will sell a push to the masses without all the facts in place, or state the true reasons for an action. Don't be so naive. The President of the United States is essentially the CEO of the greatest empire to exist, so far. Not to mention, hopefully not a suprise to you, but not all the 300 million or so Americans are very bright or can handle complex geopolitical manuevering. How well do you think a President would be if he explained the REAL reasons he was doing a policy a certain way? The masses can't handle the truth, so they fib. Left and Right are guilty of this, however this is how it is done.

The GOP messed up after the fall of communism. At that time we needed to draw back the mechanisms we put in place to defeat the USSR. Unfortunately, Bush the First did not draw back the Fed, and that was our chance. As a result we were given Clinton. The policies of the 80's made the boom and growth of the 90's possible. If it weren't for the Republican Revolution in 1994 led by Gingrich, the Boom would have NEVER occurred. The technology & the economic growth are all connected to our military spending, capitalist push against communism, and beneficial corporate and individual tax adjustments that often require 8-10 years to truly take hold. It was also very unfortunate that Clinton and the Dems decided to force banks and lenders to offer loans and mortgages to people they knew could not truly afford them. No suprise than the housing bubble and banking industry collapsing within 10 years of that LIBERAL idea.

So, go ahead and thank Reagan today for what he and the fiscal cons did. Secured America has the perennial power for generations. We won the chess game. Currently, there is no one even close to competing with the influence this country has. We need to ensure it stays that way.