Rewarding Bad Behavior!

One can not refute the fact that we are in a recession currently, and that jobs have been harder to come by. I have read several articles discussing one issue in particular. Apparently, teenagers have found the job market for summer jobs almost completely closed to them. This is due to several factors; the biggest of which is adults with degrees are applying for these same jobs. To his credit (and this is possibly the only positive comment I will ever make about this man) Mayor Tom Menino (D-Boston) has aggressively tackled this issue. Over the past few years he has allocated funds to create summer jobs for teens living in Boston. This program has worked positively, because it serves to not only help out the economy, but, it teaches kids a good work ethic and skills they will need for the future.

With that said, I was recently reading the Boston Herald when I ran across this article. According to the article, your tax dollars are going to help "at risk kids" to find summer jobs. The Department of Transitional Assistance has gotten its hands on some cash from the federal stimulus bill to give jobs to people who should not be given priority. It includes jobs for: court offenders (i.e. criminals), school dropouts, pregnant teens, and people who don't speak English. The kicker to it all is that this is available to kids whose ages are between 14-24. Since when is someone over 18 (or even 21) considered to be a kid?

While these people do need help in some form, there are two issues I take with this. First, shouldn't this go to kids who deserve it first? This is a program which rewards bad behavior. These "kids" made a decision to be deviant in some form and they should be punished for it. Even if that punishment is being pushed to the back of the line. Second, why are my taxes paying for people who I feel don't deserve it? You and I had no say in this program, at all, and many of us do not support these decisions. It's just unacceptable!

The final issue here is that the jobs are disappearing in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Many local pools are closing (due to budget cuts), many local parks are hiring less, and many public works can't afford to employ as many. Given this and the issues of adults taking summer jobs, what are teens suppose to do this summer? Those who deserve these jobs are not getting them and your government is now saying "too bad, these poor kids who made deviant decisions need more help." Its sad when we reward those who don't deserve it and punish those that do. Good job Massachusetts.

VAT is Ridiculous!

President Obama himself, the other day, stated that we are out of money. Yet, he continues to tout and talk up his "Universal Health Care" reform. A program which will cost Americans trillions of dollars. I know what you are thinking! How can we afford a program worth trillions of dollars if we are out of money Mister President? Good question and here is the answer; its called a VAT.

In a story that the media has mysteriously not covered in depth or at all, lawmakers and experts are looking into the idea of imposing a "Value-Added Tax" (VAT). What is a VAT, you might ask? Well, its a federal level tax that you will pay on everything you purchase. The idea has been gaining momentum in the United States as deficits continue to grow out of control. President Obama and Congress want a report by 4 December 2009 to come up with ideas as to how to pay for everything we can't afford. This VAT is a globally accepted idea of which over 130 countries use. Academics are saying that a VAT of anywhere from 10% to 25% would be needed to pay for all of the programs Democrats and Republicans are putting forth. That means that you will now be paying a "sales tax" on top of a "sales tax" (for those states that have them).

This is just infuriating! The first question is, what implications would this have on the sovereignty of states? Many states (to include New Hampshire to my north) have no sales tax and do not want a sales tax. This is how they attract people to come live and stay in the state (unlike Massachusetts to its south). This would be a tax that the people would have no say in. It would be a power move by the federal government to show who's the boss and to expand well beyond what it should.

Also, why is this being thought of now? I don't know if those in power have noticed, but, we are in a recession. Our buying power is smaller than it was even a year ago. This could completely diminish our buying power. Yeah, it would be great to have health care; which oh by the way I already have, but, I would rather like to be able to go to the grocery store and ummm buy food. We can't buy as much as we could so we the people have tightened our belts and are doing that thing called buying less. Why can't our government do the same? Why not wait until we are out of a recession to look into these programs? Why not ask the American people by letting us vote on the ideas of a VAT or Universal Health Care?

Furthermore, in recent years I have accused Democrats (especially in Massachusetts) of just following the idea of tax and spend, tax and spend, tax and spend. My friends have always rebutted, "No... We don't do that anymore!" Thus, we elected Governor Deval Patrick, President Obama, and our current Congress. Yet, what is the idea of a VAT which would pay for a program we don't want? Oh yeah TAX AND SPEND! Its time you tell your government to stop it before you are paying an extra $20-$50 for groceries everytime you go!

And by the way, didn't we start a war over being over taxed? I don't know I'm bad at history!

The Washington Post has a great article on this issue.

Must Read for the Weekend.

Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, from Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning by Jonah Goldberg.

Honestly, this book might be a must read for two weekends. At times it can be a bit dense, but, there is an abundance of sound arguments to overcome this slight issue.

Jonah Goldberg has written for the likes of the Wall Street Journal and the Times of London and is currently a columnist for the Los Angeles Times.

The basic argument that Goldberg focuses on is that of "do liberals, or the left, also display fascistic tendencies?" The idea that conservatives are often labeled as "Fascists" and not the left is the impetus for the book. Goldberg argues that Fascism is not simply a left or right ideology, it is all encompassing. Modern day progressives are just as fascist as those on the far right.

The first half of the book focuses on the historical trends in history which have led to fascistic regimes. It explores times in which the American government has been or has put forth fascist programs. It then compares them to periods in time which led to the rise of Hitler and Mussolini. Overall, the first half of the book is amazing for anyone interested in political history.

The second half of the book takes a critical look of the modern day progressive movement. A whole chapter is dedicated to Hillary Clinton bashing (which isn't a bad thing). It serves as a warning for what can become if one follows "feel good politics." At times this half of the book can become a bit conservative, but, the overall message being put forth is worth thinking about. In the end, it is an eye-opening book written in an intelligent and often times witty manner.

You can buy this book here.

The Evil View!

I seem to talk about Glenn Beck on this blog a lot as of late. The reason is simple. For moderates he is the voice. He is not afraid to say what he is thinking and he never holds a punch. Glenn Beck is even willing to jump into the lion's den every now and then.

Well, earlier today Glenn Beck decided to show up for a discussion with the ladies on "The View". The night before he acknowledged that he was jumping into an ambush and that little to nothing would actually be discussed. Long story short, he was more than right. From the onset Whoopi and Walters (or as I like to call them "Tweedle Dumb" and "Tweedle Dumber") gave Glenn the stink eye and set their claws to "deploy". Nothing but what I can describe as hilarity ensued during the first seven minutes. Both of our "lovely" ladies attacked Beck for lying about an incident involving who said "hi" to whom first a few weeks prior. Seriously, this, to "The View", is stimulating political debate.

After the commercial break, Glenn Beck was allowed to speak for a few seconds every now and then without the dimwit duo cutting him off. The crowd at times even applauded his remarks. However, claiming to not have a platform or stance, the ladies made the whole interview into a debate about Republicans and Democrats. Honestly, it was just quite sad and I applaud Glenn Beck for even thinking about going on that show, let alone actually showing up.

The sad part about this story is the effect this show has on America. These ladies have a platform in which they can affect the political views on many Americans. I know of a lot of people who watch this show and thus, at times, only get one side of a political argument. This show does have one conservative on it, yet, she is often attacked for her views. To me, the name "The View" portrays something totalitarian. It's scary and no wonder why Democrats have seen a major shift in numbers towards their party.

If you want to see the interview you can check it out on Glenn Beck's website here.

Your Taxes Pay for...

... the "click it or ticket" program. For those of you not familiar, this program requires police forces to issue a ticket for those of you who don't wear your seat belt. In some states cops can even pull you over for not wearing a seat belt as a primary offense. In Massachusetts, thank god, it is only a secondary offense. However, this program raises two fundamental issues.

First, according to the program's website, the "click it or ticket" is funded by a federal highway safety grant. This means that your taxes are paying for this program, in which you have no say as to whether or not you approve of it. I could not find specific dollar amounts as to the cost of the program, but, all one needs to do is drive around or watch television to see their taxes being spent "wisely". You are paying for all of those commercials! You are paying for all those signs on the side of the road which say "click it or ticket"! You are paying for all of those posters and billboards! So, why is this an issue? Well that brings me to my next point.

Point two. This is a program which takes away an individual's freedom to think and choose. The government says it needs this program to "inform" people as to the dangers of driving without a belt. That's similar to them saying they need money to "inform" people about the dangers of smoking. If you don't know about the dangers then either you are a child or an idiot. In this day and age people do not need to be told that something is dangerous. We already know. Yet, the government uses this to take away your choices in life. They are telling you that they know better and you have no say in how to run or ruin your life. It is your right to not put on a seat belt and if you die in a car crash then that is the consequence of your decision. The government should have no say in this at all. I believe it was Jacob Hornberger who said, "if you are not free to choose wrongly and irresponsibly, you are not free at all."

So, to our government... please give us our money back and that thing called... ummm... oh yeah... FREEDOM!

Can Someone Please Tell Me...

... why we pay cops to do nothing. Before I get into this rant I would first like to state that our law enforcement officers do have a tough job. Often this goes unappreciated. Most officers do an out-standing job and should be commended for doing a thankless job for little money.

Yet, the other day I was driving home from a dinner and what I saw made me think of this question. On my two hour drive back home I took highways 95, 3, 495, and 290. On all of these highways there was construction occurring. At each construction site there were at least two and in some cases four police cars. Each car was idling with their flashy lights illuminating the night. I would drive by each squad car and look at the officer. In one, the officer was sleeping; in another, one was on his cell phone, and yet another, one was watching a DVD. Now, I understand that we need to warn people about possible construction ahead, but, don't those big flashy arrows and miles of fluorescent orange cones give it away?

The issue is that we are paying for these officers to sit there and do nothing. We are paying for the gas in those cars and eventually, the replacement alternators for keeping those lights on. What do we get in return? I honestly can't answer that because I have no clue. Wouldn't it be better if these officers were ummm... deterring crime? If you argue that they are there to stop speeders and dangerous drivers in order to protect workers. Then I would ask why do we need three or four officers. Why not just one? In the end, this is one issue in which the only way to make a change would be to write your local government.

Must Read for the Weekend.

Dead Aid: Why Aid is Not Working and How There Is Another Way For Africa by Dambisa Moyo.

I ran across this book in my local Barnes and Noble and suggested that my fiancée take a look at it. Her field of study is sociology and she focuses on development. After taking a brief look she walked up to the counter and purchased it immediately. She had it read in two days and then proceeded to hand it to me and told me that I had to read this book.

The book's author is Dambisa Moyo who was born in Lusaka, Zambia. When she was younger she chose to come to the United States for college. She studied at Harvard, where she got her Master's. From there she got her Ph.D in economics from Oxford. She worked for the World Bank and then Goldman Sach's.

The question Ms. Moyo raises is, "why is Africa, after over $1 trillion in aid, no better or even worse off than it was prior?" She does not stray away from the controversial argument that aid simply does not work and in fact makes Africa worse off. Instead of helping, it creates a society that becomes dependent on aid with no incentive to innovate. It also creates a society in which the government is rife with corruption. Essentially, aid does not work and it has been proven.

The first half of the book focuses on why aid fails; while the second half offers up possible solutions to the issues that currently face the continent of Africa. The only issue I had with this book was that these ideas are at times not fully developed and the author takes for granted that they will work. Overall, though this is a good read on a controversial subject.

You can buy this book here.

Muslim Demographics

A quick follow up to this weekend's must read. This video entitled "Muslim Demographics" discusses, briefly, the issues brought up in Bawer's book. This is a great video, but, it is slightly alarmist at times. Also, it serves as a call for action for... I have no clue. So give this a quick watch and read Bawer's book.

Must Read for the Weekend.

While Europe Slept: How Radical Islam is Destroying the West from Within. By Bruce Bawer

While this book has been out for awhile, I finally got around to reading it. Quite frankly, this book is amazing, I could not put it down for one minute. It is extremely well written and thought provoking.

Bawer takes the reader on a journey through his experiences while in Europe. From the Netherlands to Norway to Denmark and beyond, he shares his first hand accounts of an issue that has been arising for years in Western Europe. This issue is that of radical Islamization of European Society.

Bawer offers the opinion that the societies of tolerance have begun to tolerate intolerance. That governments have gone out of the way to help Muslims gain entrance into their countries. However, he discusses how it has become apparent that these new immigrants have not integrated into their nations and instead create their own villages. Within these villages Muslims enforce Shar'ia and not the laws of the nation. Ultimately, he argues through immigration and fertility rates Muslims will become a large enough minority to affect the politics and ways of a nation.

Yet, he also argues that these nations have been blinded by poor media and political elites. Their hatred for the United States of America and Israel has caused them to turn a blind eye to the real problems that they are facing. All of this is done through the telling of first hand accounts of Bawer or news articles/shows in said nations. While this is not a scholarly work it still is an amazing read which will open your eyes.

You can buy this book here.

Banned in the U.K.

Quick back story. When I first went to college I majored in Computer Science and Computer Information Systems. I quickly became disenfranchised with the department. I had a political science class one semester with a professor who was simply amazing. That same semester I read an amazing book called To End A War by Richard Holbrooke which convinced me to change my majors to History and Political Science. I wanted to catch up on current political arguments and views, so, I quickly bought a few books. The first one was by Sean Hannity, who I liked, but, found to be a bit too conservative. I then bought a book by Michael Savage which I could not put down. I then proceeded to buy his next two books and read them by the end of the week. Now, I didn't agree with Mr. Savage 100% of the time, but, I found his arguments interesting and the fact that he was not afraid to hold the punches to be amazing. Unfortunately, Michael Savage is no longer available on the radio in my area, therefore, I've not kept up to date with his works.

Fast forward to today. I'm reading the BBC news (because quite frankly it is the only good newsite) and to my amazement there is an article stating the Michael Savage has been BANNED from entering the United Kingdom. First, I would like to state that I firmly believe in sovereignty and the fact that the United Kingdom has every right to ban somebody for even no reason. Yet, Michael Savage, I mean come on! The Secretary of the Home Office (or whatever her title is) Jackie Smith published a list of twenty-two (22) persons whom she believes are a threat and should be banned from the country. Amongst those on the list are the former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, Russian Neo-Nazis, and Islamic Clerics. Some on this list deserve to be, such as those who have actually killed people or asked for people to be killed in their name.

So, the United Kingdom has lumped a radio talk show host in with killers. Makes sense! According to Ms. Smith all of these persons would cause "tension" within the community of Britain. Therefore, they are not welcome. Now, I can see a murderer causing tension or a cleric on his platform saying kill those infidels, but, a radio talk show host who questions the status qou? I mean come on. This is defintiely political and I have no clue why. I'm infuriated to see this man defamed because someone wants to make a political gain in her country.

Yet, in the end she has every right to do this. I just hope that Britains come to their senses and realize that there are others whom are more deserving to be on this list. Hmmm... lets think about this for a second...
1. Osama Bin Laden
2. Kim Jong-Il
3. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
... oh wait it is ok for these guys to travel to the UK even though they are responsible for the deaths or suffering of millions. But, nooooo not a radio talk show host.

Your Taxes Pay for...

...this guy! The National Spokesman for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (commonly known as ACORN) was invited onto the Glenn Beck show today. He was there to defend his organization and the recent series of charges it faced of voter fraud. For those of you not in the loop fourteen (14) different states have filed charges of "voter fraud" against employees of ACORN.

Now, one would think that a National Spokesman would handle himself with dignity and be fairly well composed while on a national cable news channel. Well if you watch the video you will see the hilarity ensue. Not once does the spokesman refute any argument with those silly little things called... ummm... errr... oh yeah "facts". Granted at times Glenn Beck talks over this guy, but, honestly this interview was a train wreck from the start.

ACORN apparently takes the stance that it is not their organization that is being charged, but, instead "rogue agents". ACORN has nothing to do with these people who acted on their own volition. Now, I would buy this if it were one or two people being charged, however, the number so far is fourteen and quickly growing. This shows that the issue is rife within the organization. The spokesman merely poo-poos it and passes it off as nothing. The best part is when Glenn brings up the issue that ACORN is suppose to be non-partisan to be tax-exempt and asks him how many Republicans they have supported. Watch the video for the astounding response.

Honestly, if I were the CEO of a company and I saw my spokesman make an ass out of himself like this, he would be fired on the spot. I can imagine that this guy won't be.

So, whats ACORN being charged with:
1. Having a quota system for workers. This is against the law, but what makes it more ridiculous is the fact that ACORN used people on the furlough system. So, people who had been charged with identity theft could leave prison as long as they held a job. Well, ACORN said in order to keep you job and stay out of prison you need X amount of people. So, no wonder why these people made up fake names.
2. Giving out incentives to those who registered a numerous amount of voters. I'm not quite clear on this one, but, apparently, ACORN would give people BLACKJACK incentives if they met a certain number. I mean, come on, who would not cheat if they could get something for free.

Oh yeah, and your tax dollars fund this organization.

A Brief History Lesson.

Happy Cinco de Mayo! You might be hearing from drunken revelers throughout your area today. Its funny to see that many will take advantage of this day as an excuse to entertain bacchanalian delights and basically get smashed for no good reason.

I'm willing to bet that if you pull over random persons and ask them as to why they are celebrating, they will give you two answers. First, they will say that they have no clue. Second, they will drunkenly shout "Its Mexican Independence Day."

Well I hate to break it to you, Mister Obnoxious College Underage Drinker Guy, but, 5 May is not Mexican Independence Day! WAIT ITS NOT MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY? You might be asking tomorrow morning when you sober up and read this. That is correct today is not even a recognized holiday in MEXICO!

Today in fact marks the anniversary of the defeat of the French at the battle of Puebla on 5 May 1862. Long story short, but, during this period France ruled Mexico after the latter defaulted on its debt to Europe. On this day a vastly out-numbered and inexperienced army defeated (surprise surprise) the vastly superior French military (wow is that an oxymoron?). However, this did not lead to Mexican Independence and the French Emperor Maximilian remained on the throne for five more years. In fact, Mexican Independence Day is celebrated on 16 September not in recognition of the eventual French withdrawal in 1867, but, instead of the signing of the 1917 Constitution.

So, I ask what does all of this have to do with a bunch of college students getting drunk on coronas and pretending to speak Spanish for the day? I will never understand.

Bring Back Jay Severin!

Political Correctness (a form of accepted socialism in the United States) has reared its ugly head once again. Jay Severin, a radio talk show host on WTKK 96.9 (Boston), has been suspended indefinitely after comments he made recently.

The exact quote that landed him in trouble is unclear, however, during a radio broadcast he connected illegal Mexican immigrants to the swine flu. He called them "crimmigrants" or "crimaliens" and followed that up with comments that equated them to "primitives" and "exporters of mustached women with VD". Needless, to say this is a bit over the top for a person to state over live airways. However, he has the right to make this statements. In fact, WTKK, you pay him to be controversial and say these things so that you can maintain ratings.

I don't agree with Jay Severin 100% of the time, yet, I find what he has to say interesting. The funny part about this whole issue is that this is not the first time he has made these statements. WTKK all you have to do is go back a few days and almost every day in the past to hear him make these remarks. So, why is this such a big polemic right now? It is because of "Political Correctness"! God forbid we offend Mexicans during this period of time when there is the issue of the swine flu. Its almost as if certain groups looked for a reason to become offended all of a sudden and complain to get him off the air.

Seriously, if you are offended by what this man has to say, then you know what, TURN THE DIAL! If you don't like it then don't listen to it, but, don't take something away from those who care just because you don't like it. I think Penn and Teller said it best on their show BULLSHIT! (a great show I might add), "You have the right to be offended! You do not have the right to not be!"

So, WTKK 96.9 (Boston) don't bend over for a few fringe groups and BRING BACK JAY SEVERIN! If its an issue with his ratings then swap him with Michael Graham.