Hollywood’s Conservative Effort

     I don’t usually have much to say about movie length features. It’s not that I don’t enjoy some of the offerings out of Hollywood, but, generally, as much thought goes into a film as goes through the mind of a ninth grader with a handful of condoms.   But the latest offering from Canadian James Cameron is one that has some valuable insights that might just have been missed by the typical reviewer.

The strong central theme of the film is that a peaceful and nature loving people will inevitably be called upon to fight and protect themselves. This is a new plank in the liberal mindset, and may come as a surprise to those accustomed to the surrendering posture of the left. Essentially, the message is that it’s crucial to keep your guard up, because you never know when those nasty Americans might cross the borde . . . I mean, you never know when they might come across the galaxy, expending tons of carbon into the universe, just to rob an indigenous population of it’s closely guarded, but unused, resources. And, yes, in case you’re wondering, apparently Cameron does see war as the answer! I’m telling you right now, if there are aliens in the universe who see soiled diapers as a resource, come and get ‘em cuz we ain’t using ‘em! No need to hit me with a death ray!

But the most comforting message from Cameron is the setting of the film in the year 2154, a clear indication that he see the arguments of so called “expert climatologists” as pure bunk. Although, setting the film in, say, the year 2014 would have been useful to get Barack Obama’s face in front of the Na’vi and give him another chance to apologize for American exceptionalism, we did, afterall, master interstellar travel even if we are a warlike species! There could have been a fadeout ending with the Na’vi moving into public housing and Obama receiving the Intergalactic Peace Prize he so deserves. Who knew there were so many peace-loving species?

I think the most disappointing aspect of Cameron’s message is the inherent weaknesses of a peaceful and nature-loving species.  And, history repeats itself when victory is achieved only after a noble white man rises to stop the surge.  But hey, maybe al-Qaeda will see the movie and begin kidnapping white non-combatants to act as something other than a sacrifice in the name of peace!

So what should we take from this film? Live a peaceful existence or be ready for pirating aliens out to scoop up our scarcities? Maybe we should look deeper and understand that even liberals are conflicted with their own vision of the future. Though they loathe us, they want us on that wall, they NEED us on that wall. While stopping short of apologizing for liberal attempts to dismantle this, the world’s greatest nation, this movie goes a long way towards reinforcing the idea of “speak softly and carry a big stick.”

Theodore Roosevelt would be proud, now if only we could bag one of those Na’vi for the Smithsonian.

 

Pearl Harbor

I’d had a busy weekend and was about to turn in when I glanced at the date and recalled that today is the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Though it was an age ago and I cannot claim that day as mine, it is etched into my experience just the same. It is a prominent remembrance in the American psyche and, today, I will remember those who died in the attacks.  But I will not mourn them, I will, in the words of Gen. Patton, “thank God that such men lived.”  May we always stay vigilant, and may we always be ready.

Andy

 

It’s a Christmas Miracle!

For those of you who have already started your Christmas shopping, I have just the thing for that someone special on your list. You can’t get it at Wal-Mart, or Target, or even Goodwill, but don’t despair because Uncle Sam is going to be there to help with the shopping this year and all you gotta do is get in line. Get in line now for Government provided and run healthcare! There’s no time to debate, no time to argue, you need to get in line right now or you won’t be able to get your own!

Now, that wasn’t so bad was it, did you get your number? That’s right, your number, you got one right? You’re gonna need that because this is THE gift of the year. Yes, yes, I hear your objections but give me a moment because while Harry Reid’s vision may not be out on shelves yet, make no mistake, demand is going to be strong! You’re going to be impressed, you’re going to love it, there’s nothing like it, you’re kids are gonna thank you for doing the right thing!

Why do you need a number? Well, anything worth getting at this time of the year requires a number! You know that! You can’t go out and just pick up this sweet of a deal without getting a number! Besides, only the first 31 million people get a number and you didn’t see anything in that vision that restricted anyone on this planet from getting this sweet deal, now did you? No, I didn’t think so, you’re a smart one, yes you are! And we gotta count up these 31 million somehow. People are getting in their cars, their boats, their balloons even as we speak to get down to their closest Federal office to get this deal.

So, back to your number, you know it’s gonna hold your place in line, but even better, it also gets you a place in next year’s line as we begin doling out procedures. You need a mammogram, that number gives you a shot of receiving one outta the budget for 2010. Sorry, only one per family til we know if everyone got one. You need an MRI, line up right away, because they’re going fast. You need an abortion? Exercise your reproductive rights and head to the front of the line. After all, it’s not reproducing if you don’t keep doing it!

But you need to start thinking about your choices now because some people, not you or your family of course, will be denied, it’s first come first served and if you wait, you will be charged!

And I got one final benefit you’re gonna love, it fits right into your tax bracket! That’s right, in fact, if you’re one of the lucky 31 million newly insureds, this gift just keeps on giving. Not only do you get subsidized healthcare paid for by your neighbors, but you also get to help lower the deficit, it’s like money’s growing on trees! It’d be criminal not to take this healthcare, you wanna leave your kids with higher debt? C’mon now, let’s get this thing rolling, let’s get you signed up, and just let good ole’ Uncle Sam take care of you!

 

www.WilliamsForCongress.US

Be sure to take some time and check out what’s new at WilliamsForCongress.US!  Drop me a line if you have any questions at Andy@WilliamsForCongress.US.  Look forward to hearing from you!

 

And the bobblehead says . . .

It was no surprise to see Representative Kagen lined up behind Democratic Party leaders to express disapproval for an incident that has reached mythical status. Joe Wilson’s forthright observance of the truthfulness of his President was a “the emperor has no clothes” moment not appreciated by most of the members of the House. It also set off a firestorm across the Internet that quickly took on a life of its own.

For his part, Mr. Kagen couldn’t, or wouldn’t, articulate why he voted for the resolution. When prodded for his take on the affair, he resorted to his talking points and noted that he was focused on healthcare reform. Are we to believe that this highly educated man cannot hold two points of interest at one time, and that he hasn’t an understanding of why he voted for the resolution? For Mr. Kagen, it was another instance of “I only go where they take me.” Except that here, it is party leaders pulling him by the nose into a vote that seeks only political advantage. Mr. Kagen’s comments plead ignorance and shed any responsibility for giving a forthright answer. It is becoming a noticeable pattern that Mr. Kagen is not privy to the reasons he does things nor even to his own schedule. We, as his constituents, deserve better.

I believe Joe Wilson was right and, further, he was right to challenge the blatant lies of his President. Much of the debate has deflected from whether Joe was right and I haven’t heard much, if any defense against his charge. What I have heard is that the outburst was not in keeping with the decorum of the setting. It’s as if we’ve become the Redcoats, marching in nice neat lines, bright red uniforms, and pounding on our drums. We stop occasionally for our tea and then ask the other side if they are ready for combat! We are now so orderly that the British Parliament is the unruly bunch!

Republicans must take the lesson of history, our very own history at that, and see that the winning strategy is to challenge the wrongs as they occur, rather than hold out hope for a better servitude. The attitude of “waiting to see” must go the way of the pony express. I’ve read nowhere that Benjamin Franklin, or George Washington, or Thomas Jefferson ever apologized to the British Crown for not following the decorum of the day. And they were, by far, much more disruptive than the Congressman from South Carolina.

It is time to speak up, and a little discord is not out of the question. Even Franklin, Washington, and Jefferson were confronted with loyalists in their midst. Men who would resolve to be more civil with King George. Men who would not appreciate an interruption of the King. If Congress cannot hear the rumblings amongst the States, and, if Congress is unwilling to hear the rumblings amongst its members, then we the People must ensure that our voices grow to an audible that can be heard. It is our country, and we are ruled only by our consent. We are reminded that the Declaration of Independence contains an understanding between the people and the government, “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.”

Joe Wilson is one of us. If we are to be heard, men such as he must speak. His silence will be the end of our cause.

Andy

 

Why am I running?

I am frequently asked why I’m in this race.  Naturally, folks are interested in what drives a politician to seek office.  Some are looking for a specific answer, some are gauging whether they believe the answer, and some are looking for only a coherent response!  If you sat with me and we talked about my reasons, my passions would continue the conversation well past initial intentions.  This is a letter I, today, sent to two gentlemen who are interested in the Eighth District race.

I’ve entered this race because I believe I have what the Republican Party has consistently lacked.  An aggressive, informed, and logical approach to what our government should and shouldn’t be doing to protect our freedoms and ensure our rights.  If you look around at those who believe as we do, you will see, with few exceptions, a cowed and timid response, bent on compromise, irregardless of the strength or weakness of an argument.  You will not find the same infirmity in my constitution.

While I am an unabashed Reagan believer, always seeing my country in the bright lights he cast on this city on the hill, I am much more a devotee of Theodore Roosevelt, whom, by luck, I had the great fortune to become exposed to when I served upon the USS Theodore Roosevelt.  Whatever happened to the men who stood with an unbending will?  Where is the American who causes the insincere and the inconsequential to break upon his wit and tenacity?  This party needs me, this district needs me, and our country needs more men who will stand as I do.  Proud and sure in defense of my country, everyday.

Dave passed your name to me because he believes you can help.  I trust him because of his associations and because I have not known him to be a man of less than his word.  The time for action is now.  I thank God for placing me here, for allowing me to live now, for giving me the strength to rise against a tide that would sweep our founders ambitions onto the dust heap of history.

Andy

 

Taking back our country

I had someone ask me how to change the apathy in our electorate.  The answer seems straightforward enough, educate them, but that ignores reality.  The truth is that if someone is apathetic, they are likely to think that the issues don’t affect them or that they are helpless to effect change.  Nothing, of course, is farther from the truth.  Word of mouth works in advertising and, politics is no different.  Here is my response:

To answer your question, how do you change apathy, I think it’s helpful to recognize it for what it is.  Apathy thrives where civic duty does not exist.  It is a betrayal of the very purposes upon which our country was founded and it would have defeated the cause of our founding fathers.  It eats at the very essence of what it means to be American and empowers those who oppose us.  It leads good people to the false promise of an all-powerful benevolent government.  It is the coward on the battlefield, unwilling to fight for his country, dangerous to those around him who proudly carry America’s banner into the battle.

As citizens of the United States of America, we each have the sacred duty to be educated, to be informed, and to vote.  Some do more, but nothing less is acceptable.  These duties are built on the inherent rights that our founding fathers instilled in our Constitution and Declaration of Independence.  George Mason, a Virginian, is quoted as saying:

[A]ll men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights, of which, when they enter into a state of society, they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.

When a citizen fails to be educated, to be informed and to vote, he has risked all that has been won since the day of our founding.  Failing to do his duty, he risks sending a representative to the local Council, the County Seat, the State Capitol, or Washington D.C., who does not hold beliefs central to our founding documents.  And, as more citizens fail their duty, the risk becomes greater.

Can you imagine an apathetic Ronald Reagan? Neither can I.  Civic duty exists to ensure that our freedoms are not fleeting.  Where civic duty is strong, its words thunder and resonate, and multitudes answer the call.  Apathy, in contrast, is much more sinister, slowly tightening the noose one citizen at a time.

How do you change the apathetic citizen?  Build the concept of civic duty.  Find the issues that he finds personally important.  Highlight the battle, show how the opposition seeks to win the day, enlighten him on the route to victory.  Above all, do not surrender.  It is America that is at stake.

Take care,

Andy

 

Obama comes up “short” again

In case you missed the first pitch for tonite’s All-Star game, don’t worry, you didn’t miss a thing.  Obama misread the sign from Pujols nearly as badly as he and ole “Say it ain’t so, Joe” misread the economy.  I just never thought we’d have a President who not only runs but also winds, kicks, and fires in a way reminiscent of Rodney Dangerfield.  This guy is about as ungraceful as these guys.

So where do we go from here?  The dogs days of summer are ahead of us and Obama’s popularity is falling faster than the myths concerning man-made global warming.  I suppose misreading the economy can do that to a guy, but the truth here is that the Obama Administration didn’t misread the economy, they intentionally refused to listen about  meddling with things best left to market forces and the invisible hand of Adam Smith.

Alas, the President and his party are not quite content to call it a summer, they have no desire to sit back and enjoy the penant race, and they most certainly haven’t learned from early mistakes.  Instead, they intend to use the month of August to move forward with Health Care reform.  So, if you weren’t paying attention to the billions of dollars going down the drain in the stimulus packages, you’ll need to use all your fingers and toes to count the trillions that will disappear into the vortex called socialized medicine, or alternatively referenced as basic care for every American (even those currently voluntarily passing on health insurance).

I understand the desire to cover everyone with Health Care.  Weve seen attempts to accomplish those ends  and they bear little, if any, fruit.  Take a look at Britain and Canada to get a better understanding of single-payer health care.  But understand too, that Britain and Canada are, among single-payer states, better off than the poorer nations of the world.  You know the ones, they’re the countries we send millions and billions of dollars to every year just to provide basic coverages.  The truly ironic part of this effort is that one needs to tear down the American system to reach the European model.  To mimic those countries that cannot and will not provide for the less fortunate of the world, we have to abandon the ability of the American system when it comes to innovation and invention.

Now, back to St. Louis.  Obama strode up onto that mound wholly unaware he was going to come up short on something so easy as a lob pitch.  Do you think he knew he would be short, or did he think he would make the glove crack with a “down the pipe” heater?  My guess, it was harder than he thought, and now, we’re being asked to trust him and his party with our healthcare.  Here’s hoping he doesn’t come up short again.

Andy

 

Al-Qaeda Suspected in Khobar Towers?

While researching a few items, I came across an interesting article in the Asia Times.  Maybe if just a few more dots were connected. . .

Andy

 

Command and Control “Opportunities” in Amerika

Having seen the productions released out of Washington in the past few weeks, I found myself referencing “command and control” in an internet search. You see, I had been reading the CBO report on the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, better known as the Climate Control Bill, and came across the term as applied to the nature of the cap and trade system.

Now, my memory had served me to the extent that I remembered the USSR as a prime example of a command and control economy. I also seemed to recall that economy collapsing during my lifetime. So, I was sure that my memory had failed to some extent. Surely our legislators wouldn’t be pushing legislation sending our country in that direction? You know, the direction recently advocated by a country that no longer officially exists?

Needless to say, I confirmed my suspicions. Command and control economies include the now defunct Soviet Union (Kudos to Ronald Reagan), China before its move to a mixed economy and a further move to a market economy, India (same story as China), Afghanistan (under the Taliban), Iraq (under Saddam), and the current states of Cuba, Libya, Saudia Arabia, Iran, North Korea, and Burma.

Just for some perspective, take a look at the list of the largest economies in the world. So given the lack of success of those states that still adhere to a command and control economy, and the fact that the American economy is three times larger than the next closest state, what are we citizens to make of our legislators adopting command and control policies? By the way, if you want to find out how your representative voted, here’s the vote.

Command and control policies curry favor for the perceived “benevolent leader.” Around the world, throughout time, the same sentiments are created among people when a leader becomes the provider. You need a loaf of bread, a pair of jeans, maybe a car before you die, the leader provides.  Of course, this type of economy always comes with the understanding that the leader knows what’s best for the people.  That the people cannot be trusted to make the proper decisions. 

Don’t believe me?  Take a look in the legislation offered.  Who is making the decisions about which appliances will be sold, which automobiles will be produced, how homes will be connected to the grid, which mortgages will be guaranteed at your expense, etc, etc.  The government will determine winners and losers irregardless of true efficiency and effectiveness.  The decisions will become political, they always do in command and control economies, and the American people will suffer. 

The inevitable failure of this legislation is that efficiency cannot be mandated.  Government intervention into the market place, to drive out inefficiencies, creates a new set of inefficiencies.  Government red tape cripples the economy, a lesson that should have been learned from the Soviet and Chinese models. 

There isn’t a perfect economic system; winners and losers will always exist and, inefficiencies will always be present.  But I would contend that history has repeatedly shown that command and control economies cannot compare favorably with market economies.  Even now, there isn’t one state with a command and control economy where I would choose to live.  I think that sentiment is shared by some of the citizens of Cuba and North Korea.

Alternatively, China has become a major competitor to America by moving to a market economy.  The American populace is teeming with innovators, inventors, discoverers, and entrepeneurs.  It is their spirit that has been the catalyst of the American economy.  It is their spirit that is being bartered for political gain.  If we don’t recognize that, we are in trouble.

Andy