Tag: Founding Fathers

America, We have a Problem!

G’Day!

Yes, if we can still call it our country, America has a problem and it is Obama’s continuing push for “Big Government.” The results of his socialist policies are increasing dependency on government, more central control over our lives, slow economic growth, higher taxes, and unsupportable debt financing for the increased spending and expansion of government. Obama, Congressional Democrats, and the liberal media are promoting this unnecessary federal enlargement primarily for political purposes. Simultaneously, they are trashing the Republican Party for trying to do the right thing for our country by offering intelligent fiscal policies to correct the liberals’ addiction to spending and debt. All of these left-wing groups are ignoring the results of their policies and believe they know more about what is best for us than we know for ourselves. These liberals are very wrong and are hurting our country. Obama and his supporters are transforming America from a nation of “makers” into a nation of “takers.”

Our great country was created by people who came here desiring religious and individual freedom, economic opportunities, limited government, a fair legal system to protect their rights, and a democratic process that prevents development of the autocracies from which they fled. They left everything behind in the hope of a better life for their families and themselves. Our Founding Fathers and the American patriots risked their wealth and their lives to establish our independence from tyranny and create the freedoms our ancestors wanted and which we have enjoyed for over 200 years. Liberal and especially Obama’s socialist policies are undermining the country our Founding Fathers created. America’s historic virtues are being replaced with left-wing policies that are slowing job & economic growth, are rapidly expanding a dependency class that relies on wealth-transfer from the success of others, and exploding and unsupportable debt. Currently, there is no end in sight to this potential result. Is this the future you want for yourself and your children?

For the last century starting with Woodrow Wilson, these so-called “progressive” policies have been systematically undermining our individual freedoms, our Constitution, our capitalist economy, and the very fundamentals upon which our country was founded. FDR, Lyndon Johnson, and now Barack Obama have expanded these economically destructive policies in major ways. Perhaps more importantly, these policies have accelerated with Obama and are increasing the probability of our financial failure as a country. America cannot continue to support our current entitlement programs and government, let alone their enlargement. Throughout history socialism has not succeeded and, over time, nearly always results in oppressive central government, a debt crisis, and economic collapse. Under Obama in only five years our National Debt has increased by 70% from $10.0 trillion to $17.2 trillion. Make no mistake; these liberal groups really do want to control every aspect of our lives from cradle to grave and are apparently willing to risk bankrupting our country to accomplish this. If we do not stop them, the America in which you and I grew up and loved will likely be lost for our children and ourselves.

It is totally beyond my comprehension how we twice elected an inexperienced, unqualified, aloof, and imperial-minded President with few, if any, managerial skills to lead the greatest nation on earth. Obama’s singular skill is to be an impressive “talking head” by reading from a teleprompter. He has shown little interest or ability in effective leadership. The list of Obama’s economic failures and his foreign & domestic policy disasters is extensive; of which Obamacare is just the most recent. History will be the ultimate judge of Obama’s two terms in office and it is not likely to be favorable.

One of the few things Obama got right was when he said in a recent speech, “Republicans need to win an Election!” Absolutely true! The only way America can change Obama’s failing liberal policies that are continuing to damage our country, is to vote out the “tax, spend, and borrow” Congressional Democrats in the 2014 election and in 2016 elect an unbiased and qualified President who understands economics, foreign policy, supports our Constitution & individual freedoms, and truly believes in American exceptionalism. Obama has not been that leader.

Yes, America, we have a big problem and the problem is Obama and his left-wing supporters of “Big Government.” As noted above, on one thing Obama is right, if we want to correct the problem, “Republicans need to win an election.” Are you ready to do your part?

The Old Guy PhD

Decision Time in America – Which Future do You Want?

G’Day!

On November 6 we will face an election that will decide our nation’s course for many years. This election will be the most important election in our lives and will decide not only our immediate future but also the future for our children and grandchildren. After 3 ½ years of the Obama Administration, the Senate Democrats, and over a year of campaigning, our choices have never been more clear. At stake is the success or failure of our economy, the relationship between our government and ourselves, federal fiscal and debt solvency, taxation levels, America’s role in the world, and the legacy we are endowing to future generations.

The key issue we must face is which Presidential Candidate and political party offers the best opportunity for economic & job growth, wealth creation, supportable social safety nets & entitlements, sustainable National Debt, and a higher standard of living for the American people. It is vital that each of us take the time and make the effort to understand the potential consequences for our culture, our freedoms, and the potential survival of our country from these two widely different visions of government’s role in our society and vote accordingly.

Choice 1

Fundamentally, Romney/Ryan and the Republican Party support smaller government, free market capitalism, a strong national security, and individual liberty. They believe in the Constitution as written by the Founding Fathers, individual & business freedoms, private property rights, sound fiscal and monetary policies, lower taxes for business and individuals, a government limited to the powers granted in the Constitution, and equality of opportunities for all citizens.

Specifically in this election, Romney/Ryan and Republicans support overturning government run Obamacare, which significantly increases healthcare costs, adds central bureaucratic control over healthcare, and erodes our freedom of choice in the doctor/patient relationship. They support overturning the Dodd-Frank financial legislation, which has stagnated our financial industry and economic growth and adds layers of still to be written rules and regulations and additional costs over banking. As protection from mounting problems in the Middle East, Romney/Ryan and Republicans support the construction of the Keystone Pipeline and the opening of public lands and offshore exploration for expanding and achieving North American energy independence.

Republicans further believe in a clear and resolute Foreign Policy supported by a strong economy and military and free trade with other nations. They believe that a reasonable but not unlimited social safety net is desirable for those truly in need and welfare as a temporary situation with the objective of being a transition to independence. Romney/Ryan advocate major tax reform by lowering the rates and broadening the base for individuals and businesses in order to promote economic growth. They further advocate major entitlement reform to bring the Federal Budget into balance, while insuring that Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid will be sustainable for future generations.

Regarding the economy, Republicans believe that prosperity and job growth is derived from entrepreneurial business activity free from excessive government interference and is advanced by minimizing regulations, having lower taxes, and maximizing freedoms and opportunities. Individual and business success is praised, honored, and rewarded. Free markets determine winners and losers and wealth is distributed based on objective “achievement” through persistence, intelligence, and hard work.

Choice 2

Primarily, Obama/Biden and the Democrat Party support bigger (unlimited?) government, centrally planned European-style neo-socialism, reduced national defense, and bureaucratic control of individual and business freedoms. They believe in a “living” Constitution to be interpreted and modified by the judicial system as desired, control over private property use, and unsustainable fiscal policy and National Debt. They advocate open-ended entitlements, welfare, and government spending, higher taxes on businesses and individuals but especially the successful “rich”, and forced wealth transfer to achieve “fairness”. Opportunities for success (or failure) will be largely determined by central government administrators.

Specifically in this election, Obama/Biden and Democrats approve of and are committed to retaining government run Obamacare and Dodd-Frank financial legislation. They have no practical national energy plan and are against the Keystone Pipeline, offshore exploration, and expansion of fossil fuel development on public land. As is well documented, Obama currently favors “Green Energy” as the alternative to fossil fuels and, through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Energy (DOE), has used billions of taxpayer money to subsidize and support his belief. Through the EPA and DOE, The Obama Administration is waging a “War on Coal”, which is preventing the country from exploiting a cheap and plentiful fuel source and will result in the loss of thousands of jobs in the Coal Industry. All of this makes America weaker and more dependent on foreign energy from the troubled Middle East Area.

For nearly four years Obama has followed a Foreign Policy of appeasement, apology, and withdrawal emphasized by planned reductions in the military and controlled trade with other nations. Obama and Democrats believe in regulated and even hostile control over businesses and the use of Administrative Executive Power (especially EPA, DOE, Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), and Department of Labor (DOL)) as desired to accomplish this. They believe in and have encouraged entitlement expansion and welfare dependency supported by a $6 Trillion increase in the National Debt in four years.

Obama/Biden and Democrats believe that economic and job growth is derived from central government planning not free markets, high taxes on successful individuals & companies, and taxpayer funding through grants and subsidies to bureaucratically selected companies and industries. Individual and business success is envied, derided, and penalized through regulations and wealth transfer. The government determines winners and losers based on administrative subjectivity and wealth is redistributed based on an arbitrary determination of “fairness”.

For months we have heard impressive speeches from our President promising more of the same “Hope and Change” supported by increasing government restrictions (Obamacare, Dodd-Frank, the EPA, the DOE, etc.), unsustainable entitlements, higher taxes on the “Rich”, and ballooning National Debt. But no volume of skillful oratory by the President can disguise the fact that Obama and the Democrats have no new ideas for the next four years and Romney/Ryan and the Republicans do. Romney has articulated clearly his 5-Point Plan to get America back on track to a prosperous growing economy with job opportunities for those who want to work: 1) Energy Independence, 2) Free Trade, 3) a Balanced Budget, 4) Improved Education, and 5) Tax Reform to support Small Businesses. While no one party or individual is perfect or will solve all problems we must select the alternative that provides our best opportunity to save our country from financial disaster and economic chaos that uncontrolled government deficits represent. The survival of our great nation depends on making the right choice.

OK, it’s decision time! Which future do you want? Please take the time and make the effort to study the alternatives, the potential outcomes from each, consider what is at stake for yourself, your children, and our great country, and vote wisely. The choice will be yours on November 6th.

The Old Guy PhD

The Presidential Debates – Romney Wins Round One!

G’Day!

Finally the American people were able to see both the real Romney and the real Obama on the same stage, at the same time, unfiltered by spokespersons or the biased Liberal Media. The debate was informative and enlightening and a huge victory for Presidential Candidate Romney.

Romney was enthusiastic and passionate, decisive, well prepared, well organized, and armed with better specifics of both his own proposals and those of Obama. Romney was more confident and professional in his delivery, firm but friendly in responding to the questions of the moderator, Jim Lehrer, and those of Obama, and quick to stand up for his principles and to correct the misinformation presented by the President. Romney stood solidly in favor the basic tenets established by our Founding Fathers in The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, and The Bill of Rights. The most significant of which is a government limited to protecting national security, individual freedoms, private property rights, free markets, and providing fair and impartial justice. In his debate remarks Romney laid out a five part path to future growth and prosperity: Energy Independence, Free Trade, a Balanced Budget, Improved Education, and Tax Reform. I’m in – are you?

On the other hand, Obama was not well prepared, poorly organized (even rambling at times), and appeared uncomfortable in the setting and especially with Romney’s challenges and corrections of his misinformation. He was lackluster, hesitant, and vague in his presentation, repeatedly relying on the familiar “bumper sticker” slogans used during his campaign – “fair shot, fair share, same rules”, “failed policies of the past”, “saved us from the biggest recession since the Great Depression”, etc. How many times do we have to listen to this misinformation? During the debate President Obama looked bored, did not seem to want to be there, and became increasingly uneasy. Obama has not been seriously challenged since the primary against Hillary Clinton and even then the Liberal Press “had his back” as they have persisted in doing since his election. When everyone around you, including most of the Press, fawns over your very presence and you win the Nobel Peace Prize for actually doing nothing other than being elected, it is difficult, especially without a “teleprompter” or agents to spin the issues on your behalf, to be publicly challenged by an opponent who is equally or better educated, has far more experience, and has high religious and moral standards. It makes you wonder just how capable Obama is in serious negotiations with other world leaders? Obama did make it clear again that he believes Big Government, higher taxes, more regulations, less personal freedoms, and more spending are the answer to our economic, fiscal, and debt problems. Do you?

As stated in my last article, “The November Election-A National Intelligence Test for America!”, this election IS the clearest choice between two different visions for America: sound fiscal policy vs. unsustainable fiscal policy, less government vs. more government, more individual and business freedom vs. less individual and business freedom, lower taxes vs. higher taxes, free market capitalism vs. centrally controlled neo-socialism, stronger national defense vs. weaker national defense, private doctor-based healthcare vs. central government mandated healthcare, strong foreign policy vs. weak and apologetic foreign policy, and, perhaps most importantly, more support for The Constitution vs. less support for The Constitution. These are the real issues from the debate and which we will be voting for or against in November. Do not make the mistake of letting Obama’s campaign rhetoric and a prejudiced Liberal Media systematically brainwash and deceive you into failing to think for yourself and to vote for what is right for our county.

As I have stated in previous articles, our nation was established on the fundamental principle that government is the servant of the people, not vice versa. It’s time to take back our country. Vote in November!

The Old Guy PhD

Obammunism – What is “Fair”?

G’Day!

Everyone believes in “Fairness” but what is it? Is “Fairness” equal opportunity to succeed based on your own efforts and decisions, free of government intervention? Or, is “Fairness” government dictated equal sharing of the success of others independent of personal effort and decisions? Consider this, who determines “Fair Share”? Under Capitalism, “Fair Share” is objectively determined by the choices of free people in a free market. Under “Obammunism”, political bureaucrats subjectively and arbitrarily determine “Fair Share” and impose it on the people. Regarding tax alone, what is to protect you from the “Bureaucratic Elite” changing the wealth threshold from $1 million, to $250,000, to $100,000, to $75,000 or lower? If you support Obama’s policies, nothing can protect you from the Government arbitrarily changing “Fair Share” to adversely penalize more and more successful people. If you work hard and succeed in improving yourself and your family, what is to prevent the government from penalizing you for becoming “Rich”? Under Obama, “Fair Share” cannot be satisfied until everyone is economically equal. This is not “The American Dream”.

To our Founding Fathers “Fairness” is our personal “Entitlement” to national security, individual freedom, and free market capitalism with limited fiscally-sound government based on equality of opportunities and private property rights. To President Obama and the Democrats it is “Obammunism”, which is based on the government’s “Entitlement” to regulate and control the American people and businesses to accomplish subjectively determined income and wealth equality. “Obammunism” is achieved through higher taxes, bigger government, forced income and wealth redistribution, expanded welfare dependency, and unfunded entitlements to an unnecessary and undeserved portion of the population. It further requires excessive environmental restrictions on the use of private property, regulations and controls over selected industries, and use of taxpayer funds in the arbitrary selection of industrial “winners & losers”. So far Obama’s big government approach to economic equality has resulted in slow economic growth, a net loss of approximately 4 million jobs, and an energy policy that has killed jobs and leaves American security more dependent on imports of foreign oil. “Obammunism” has also resulted in a 60% increase in our National Debt (from ~$10 trillion to ~$16 trillion) and a huge fiscally unsustainable federal deficit that has exceeded $1.3 trillion in every year of Obama’s Presidency. Erskine Bowles of the Bowles-Simpson Debt Reduction Commission stated earlier this month on the subject of our National Debt, “It is like a cancer. Over time it will destroy the country from within.” Alan Simpson simply referred to it as, “Madness”.

The founders of our great country also believed in equality, the equality of opportunity implemented through personal freedoms, private property rights, and free markets. They believed in minimal government and established a Constitution and subsequent Bill of Rights to guarantee and protect the individual liberties of all citizens from the oppressive policies of the foreign governments from which our ancestors fled in search of a better life. Is it moral or ethical or “Fair” for the government in a land of equal opportunity to engage in wealth redistribution from those who worked hard, made good decisions, and earned their success to those who did not? While nearly everyone believes and supports a reasonable social safety net for the truly needy, the trends since the Great Depression have increasingly been to increase welfare and entitlements far beyond reasonableness and absolutely beyond sustainability.

So what do I believe is “Fair”? What “Entitlements” should we expect from our government? First and foremost, I believe that we are entitled to a President who actually believes and supports the oath of office he declared at his inauguration, which is: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

I believe that we are entitled to a limited government that is business friendly and supports and protects our individual freedoms, free markets, private property rights, sound fiscal & monetary policy, economic growth, and the security and defense of our great nation.

I believe that we are entitled to a limited federal government that regulates and enforces only those activities that cannot be controlled by citizens through either individual freedom of choice under free market capitalism or by State and local governments.

I believe that, except for essential government services, we are entitled to keep what we earn and that wealth redistribution for the goal of economic equality, excessive welfare, and unsustainable entitlements is “Unfair”, unethical, and destructive to economic growth. I further believe that tax reform is essential. (See “Fiscal & Debt Crises – Tax Reform Essential!”)

I believe that, as the Founding Fathers intended, we are entitled to a government that protects our right to use our private property as we wish as long as it does not endanger or encroach on the value of our neighbor’s property AND that we should have the right to use our private property free of unnecessary environmental control and regulation by administrators.

Finally, I believe we are entitled to a President that supports and protects the rights of ALL American citizens and does not promote policies intended to enhance reelection prospects by dividing the country by income, gender, ethnicity, religion, political party, sexual orientation, or race.

Under Obama, our exceptional nation is on the precipice of a fiscal catastrophe and terminal decline in the world. It is not yet too late to correct the Obama’s neo-socialist trend for more taxes, more spending, bigger government, slower economic growth, and eventual collapse under a mountain of unsustainable debt. Throughout history, no nation has been able to sustain excessive spending by taxing, borrowing or “printing money” as a way out of fiscal insanity. All have failed. It is time for America to wake up and realize where this “Amateur” President is taking our country. Study the issues and vote accordingly in November.

The Old Guy PhD

Obama – The Ego has Landed!

G’Day!

When I started this Blog in February 2011, it was not intended to be political but, after a year of following our President and Congress carefully, I believe I have no choice. My overall assessment is that Obama and the Democrats, what I call the “Obammunists”, are determined to fundamentally change the culture, prosperity, and exceptionalism of America into a huge centrally governed socialist nation where hard work, innovation, achievement, and success are penalized and indolence, obedience, and dependence are rewarded. Obama is actively pursuing a “Race to the Bottom” policy of economic wealth redistribution where the general population and industry (except the chosen “Obammunist” elite) are equally poor and dependent on government for survival. As I have said before, it sounds like communism to me. The Republicans are not perfect but at least they are trying to save our Constitution and our country from becoming Greece or perhaps Russia. If the Obama Administration’s policies are pursued, America is on a path of potential self-destruction that is unnecessary, unwise, and undesirable. I call on all freedom-loving Americans to become politically active, to get out the vote, and to defeat Obama in November.

Obama is acting like a man who would be king and is displaying the ego to believe he can accomplish it. Perhaps the clearest indicator of excessive self-image is someone who blames everyone else for bad decisions and bad results and continues to actively pursue and promote his mistakes. So far he has blamed his failures on former President Bush, the Republicans, Congress, the Tea Party, millionaires and billionaires, Wall Street, Europe, and recently launched an advance attack on The Supreme Court over Obamacare. He has been campaigning with our taxpayer dollars to divide the country by economic class, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, and entitlements. Charles Krauthammer recently predicted this could be “The dirtiest campaign you’ve ever seen.”

Obama’s ego is off the scale. He appears to believe that he is always right and anyone who doesn’t agree with him is wrong. Obama appears to believe that Americans are so naïve and gullible he can continue to be “charming” and successfully blame everyone but himself for the failures and bad policies of his administration. I believe that the American people are smart enough to see through his organized propaganda campaign of blame and misinformation. He is following other self-centered historical European kings and dictators who believed that a distortion of truth repeated often enough and combined with the use of government force will be tolerated by sufficient population to acquire and retain authoritarian power. Do you want to reelect a man who has been so wrong and made so many mistakes and still believes in his infallibility? The “Obammunists” are very dangerous to our Constitution and our culture of free market capitalism, constitutionally protected individual freedoms, entrepreneurship, and limited federal government. These are the foundations that have made America exceptional for over 200 years and, with our help will keep it strong, free, and prosperous for the future.

The “Obammunists” are counting on a silent majority of Americans to be apathetic and to believe the politics of misinformation that is being proclaimed to divide our nation. Obama is expecting freedom-loving Americans to stay at home in November and allow the organized leftwing socialist (communist?) labor unions, those receiving entitlements, and their supporters determine the election outcome. We must not let that happen! We must become passionate about saving our country for our children. The Founding Fathers established the Constitutional principle that government is the servant of the people not vice versa. We have the opportunity in November to correct the course of our country and put it back on the right track of liberty, capitalism, economic growth, and limited government. Study the issues and candidates and vote accordingly.

The Old Guy PhD

Wake Up America – Obama is Hazardous to Your Health (& Wealth)!

G’Day!

Not only is Obama hazardous to your health and wealth, he is even more hazardous to our Constitution, our personal freedoms, our national defense, our foreign policy, our economic growth, our energy independence, and our very fiscal survival as a country. If Obama and the Democrats are left unchecked (pun intended), our capitalist freedom-loving nation, that has been a model for the world for over two centuries, could become a centrally mandated, entitlement state of mostly parasites living off the productive endeavors of fewer and fewer successful hard-working citizens. At worst, America could turn into a failed bankrupt state. Given the apparent Obama agenda of dictated economic equality and oppressive federal government control over all aspects of our social, economic, and personal lives, the freedoms and opportunities for the hard working Americans will continue to be eroded through increasing regulations, restrictions, and taxes. It appears that Obama’s intent is to engage the nation in “class warfare” in order to make us all equally poor and dependent on the federal government for our survival. Unfortunately, it sounds a lot like communism to me. As “The Economist” headlined in February: “Over-regulated America: The home of laissez-faire is being suffocated by excessive and badly written regulation”. Regrettably, this appears to be true!!

Regarding health, all I need to say is “Obamacare”. Approximately two-thirds of the country doesn’t want it. It has and will continue to increase both healthcare and business costs and will inhibit job and economic growth. It will penalize medical innovation, decrease incentives for doctors, and increase direct and indirect taxes for those who actually pay them. It is a massive increase in government’s intrusion in our lives and will ultimately result in government-rationed healthcare including end-of-life decisions by bureaucrats. Hopefully, the Supreme Court will correctly declare the act unconstitutional and we can return to a logical and rational free-market based system with reasonable government support for the truly needy. I lived in Europe for approximately ten years and can assure you even our current system, which can be improved, is far better than “Obamacare”.

Obama is clearly an “elitist” who does not support our Constitution. The Constitution is the foundation of our individual liberties and places strict limits on federal government power. Obama appears to believe that he and his administration are smarter than our Founding Fathers and are more qualified than Congress or the people to make decisions and rules controlling our lives and our economy. Obama’s agenda is found throughout his administration and especially in his policies for Energy, Environment, Labor, Defense, and the Department of Justice, not to mention his appropriately named “Czars”. Look at the damage these federal bureaucracies have done during his brief term in office. Obama is trying to force his socialist agenda of an all-powerful federal government on the American people. He is even trying to bypass Congress with excessive use of executive power through administrative mandates. This is not the way our Founding Fathers intended the three branches of our government to function and is not good for our country.

Obama’s financial and economic policies have been and continue to be an accelerating train wreck for America. Suffice it to say that in only three years he has increased our national debt by over $1 trillion every year and in total by $5 trillion to more than $15 trillion (+50%), so much for electing a Community Organizer to run the country. Over the last year I have written many articles about how totally unsustainable and incomprehensible his financial and fiscal policies are. His Presidential budgets and the Dodd-Frank regulations are obvious examples of bad proposals and legislation. President Obama may be charming but he is a disaster for the future of our nation.

How many of you really believe Obama’s National Defense and Foreign Policies over the last three years have been favorable? Do you believe our country is safer and that our influence throughout the world has improved under Obama’s guidance? Do you feel that ignoring European desires, especially Poland and the Czech Republic, and caving in to Russia’s demands to eliminate the European missile defense shield has made Europe or the United States more secure? Has this concession to Russia resulted in any change in Russia’s willingness to cooperate with us on Iran, Syria, the Israel-Palestinian conflict or any important foreign issue? Has the abrupt withdrawal of armed forces from Iraq caused the Iraqi to experience less internal hostilities and regard us more favorably than before? Has the ill-advised announcement of a specific timetable for unilateral withdrawal from Afghanistan improved our relations with the Afghan government and the Taliban or resulted in a reduction of hostilities? Has his policy regarding Israel improved or worsened their conflict with the Palestinians in the West Bank? Have the unilateral defense cuts, including cancelling of the NASA Space Program with the immediate lost of thousands of highly trained technology jobs improved our ability to defend ourselves or compete scientifically in space with China, Russia, Iran, or even North Korea? Have our relations with China and Pakistan improved under Obama? And finally, how is the containment of Iran’s nuclear program going? Are these the policies you want continued by our government? I know that I do not.

Regarding Energy, the arbitrary Energy Department and EPA restrictions on fossil energy use, exploration, and development have made us more dependent on foreign energy sources from unstable regions of the world and increase our energy costs. Does the stoppage of the Keystone Pipeline from Canada and the associated loss of desperately needed domestic jobs make any sense to anyone other than radical environmentalists? Will the newly released emission standards on coal-fired power plants kill the coal industry and result in thousands of lost jobs. These administrative mandates will result in higher gas prices, higher energy prices, lower employment and less economic growth at a time when our country is struggling to recover. Obama and his administration should realize that our nation and the world will be dependent on fossil fuel energy for years and probably decades. We have abundant domestic sources of oil, natural gas, and coal available if our government would let us develop and use them. And, if we do not, the security of America will be in jeopardy and we will be at the mercy of unstable nations that do not like us. I for one am totally mystified. What is Obama thinking? I do not want to believe that Obama intentionally wants to destroy our country but his policies are certainly trending in this direction. This is not good.

As I said in last month’s article, “The growth of Western Civilization and especially the United States was fuelled by the expansion of individual liberties, property rights, and a free market capitalist society. Our nation was established on the fundamental principle that government is the servant of the people, not that the people are the servants of the government. It’s time to take back our country and return to the individual liberties, free markets, economic growth, and limited government we have long enjoyed.” WAKE UP AMERICA!

The Old Guy PhD

Election 2012 – America’s Choice Has Never Been More Clear!

G’Day!

Happy New Year! I hope your holiday season was enjoyable and successful and best wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2012!

This year we will face an election that will probably decide our nation’s course for many years to come. 2012 may be the most important election in our lives. Never have the choices been clearer than they are today: small government vs. big government – free market capitalism vs. centrally planned socialism – individual liberty vs. bureaucratic control of freedoms. At stake is the future of our economy, the relationship between our government and ourselves, federal fiscal and debt solvency, taxation levels, America’s role in the world, and the legacy we are endowing to our children. The key issue is which choice offers the best opportunity for economic & job growth, wealth creation, and a higher standard of living for the American people. It is critical that we each take the time and make the effort to understand the potential consequences for our culture, our opportunities, and our country from these two widely different visions of the role of government and vote accordingly.

Choice 1: Overall, the Republican Party generally supports small government, free market capitalism, and individual liberty. More specifically, they further believe in the Constitution as written by the Founding Fathers, individual & business freedoms, sound fiscal and monetary policies, tax reform for business and individuals, a government limited to protecting the legal rights of individuals, property, and the security of our nation, and equality of opportunities for all citizens. They believe that a reasonable but not unlimited social safety net is desirable for those truly in need. Republicans believe that prosperity and job growth is derived from entrepreneurial business activity free from excessive government interference and is promoted by minimizing regulations and maximizing freedoms and opportunities. Individual success is honored and rewarded. Free markets determine winners and losers and wealth is distributed based on objective “achievement”.

Choice 2: Overall, the Democrat Party supports big government, centrally planned European-style socialism, and bureaucratic control of freedoms. They support a “living” Constitution to be interpreted and modified by the judicial system as desired, regulated individual & business freedoms, unsustainable government spending and entitlements, higher taxes, and forced wealth transfer from the successful to the less successful. Democrats and especially the current President believe in regulated and even hostile control over businesses and the use of Administrative Executive Power as desired to accomplish this. They believe that economic and job growth is derived from government planning, controls, and subsidies to bureaucratically selected companies and industries. Individual success is envied and resented and should be corrected through wealth redistribution. The government determines winners and losers based on fiat and wealth is distributed based on an arbitrary determination of “fairness”.

For months we have heard impressive speeches from our President promising more “Hope and Change” supported by more government regulations, unsustainable entitlements, and higher taxes on the “Rich”. No doubt we will hear many more. But no volume of skillful oratory by the President or his eventual Republican contender can disguise the fact that the two fundamental choices above are the issues in the forthcoming election.

Do you believe that big government, centrally planned European-style socialism, and bureaucratic control of freedoms with increasing control over your lives and businesses are best for you? Do you believe that government administrators can make better decisions for us than we can make for ourselves? Do you believe that these bureaucratic decisions are the best approach to economic growth, job creation, and a higher standard of living? If you believe this, vote for Democrats.

On the other hand, do you believe in small government, free market capitalism, and individual liberty with the freedom to make our own decisions about our lives and businesses? Do you believe that we can make better decisions for ourselves than the government? Do you believe that individual decisions under free markets are the best approach to economic growth, wealth creation, and a higher standard of living? If you believe this, vote for Republicans.

President Obama’s position on the above choices is precisely clear and soon we will have a Republican Presidential Candidate to compare. Please take the time to study the choices, the potential outcomes from each on your lives, consider what is at stake for our nation and our children, and vote accordingly. The choice will be yours in November.

The Old Guy PhD

The Declaration of Independence

G’Day!

Next week we will celebrate our nation’s birth! This is a time for both rejoicing and reflection on the reasons for, characteristics of, and principles that have made America the greatest country in the history of the world.

When this blog was established in February, it was and continues to be dedicated to the support, promotion, and preservation of the foundations upon which our Founding Fathers and our ancestors/countrymen risked and gave their lives to create our country. These basic principles are individual freedom, free markets, sound fiscal and monetary policy, economic growth, and limited government. In other words, it is dedicated to the principles for which this country fought the Revolutionary War and which were subsequently established in our Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Presented below is “The Declaration of Independence” as originally written. This document summarizes succinctly and completely the reasons for our Founding Fathers’ increasing dissatisfaction for a government that was remote, not representative, and not responsive to the needs and desires of the people being governed. I commend each of you to take a brief amount of time to reread and reflect on these reasons and the decision our former countrymen made to risk their lives to establish a new nation.

“The Declaration of Independence”

“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. –That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”

Please join me in celebrating the anniversary of the birth of our great nation!

The Old Guy PhD