Less Time To Flatten

Emotion – not reason - drives policy. Reason only serves in support. If we are to understand policy, we must first understand emotion. We use a variety of terms to describe emotion. Often such terms are misapplied. It happens quite innocently in the course of common occurrences: The wife asks, “Do you want okra or green beans for dinner?” I say, “Green beans.” She responds by saying, “I know, you hate okra.”“So why did you ask?” I say, and we’re off to the races.

In truth, I’m indifferent to both. Just because I have voiced a preference does not mean I have strong feelings either way. Yet, the word “hate” has been introduced into the conversation.

It’s no secret that Obama does not have a firm grip on the details that define the Middle East. He sees all Muslims as Muslims and all infidels as infidels - black and white. Simple. It is the same view “The Nation of Islam” here in the U.S. holds. Given such scant knowledge would be enough for any average American president to conduct foreign affairs. Unfortunately, Obama is on the wrong side.

Hatred is often mislabeled as ‘fear’. Islamists in the ME fear the West. They see their culture in danger of being diluted by western ways. That’s why they fight. Islam in the West hates the West as an expression of its own self-loathing. There is a difference.

Islam takes fear and envy and wraps them all in the same cloth and sets it on fire. For simplicity’s sake we call it ‘hatred’. They constantly misrepresent the enemy; to make him out worse than he appears. It is for this reason that Islamic nations do not welcome guests – and if they do, these are treated separately – all to maintain the ridiculous notion that all guests are pollutants.

Israel is seen as a pollutant on what Islam perceives as its land. They do not fear Israel (as Israel poses no existential threat); they fear the influence of a modern, successful, western nation in their midst. They fear not being able to maintain close theocratic control over their own, whom they view as chattel – easily distracted from the straight and narrow and apt to chase anything that glitters. They feel their hold slipping. As such, they will go to increasing lengths to see to it that their sheep, goats, camels and women stay in line.

The frustration that mounts within their populations is building to explode. Even that - by careful, systematic manipulation - can be directed to serve the theocratic regime. All the rage is channeled against Israel and the West (for protecting Israel). In this way the Islamic theocracy shields itself from having to answer for its own failures.

On Aaron Klein’s radio show today, not much was made of NABKA Day. It’s a day like any other for a nation under constant siege. What was interesting, however, was Aaron’s exchange in his last segment with Hussein. Hussein finds it inconceivable that anyone would question Obama’s legitimacy. He asks, how it could be possible for every one of America’s official high legal authorities (plus the media) to give Obama a pass without an adequate background check and takes umbrage at Aaron’s suggestions? He went on to accuse Aaron of fueling hate for hate’s sake.

We have seen other hoaxes before. Some have exploded (‘global warming’), some have not and are ongoing. Maybe freedom and liberty; rule of law; capitalism; a nod to representative governance all are hoaxes. But these are our hoaxes - hoaxes that Americans have chosen to live by. Obama’s hoaxes are entirely different. These are unwelcome. These were introduced into the body politic by stealth. They seek to tear down and destroy everything we’ve ever held dear. All we have to do is just look around: economy is in tatters, foreign policy in tatters; education in tatters; Constitution in tatters; government in tatters; etc.

The long knives are out for talk radio as well. Avlon’s article is one of these. Smerconish’s show is another. Both seek to pour oil on troubled waters. Unfortunately, I have heard, there’s not enough oil. (Can’t you just picture us throwing windmills and batteries into the drink?)

Emotion drives policy. If you hate that sandcastle on the beach with the penis shaped towers, you go over and you level it. It’s that elementary (my dear Watson). Chances are that it will take you a lot less time to flatten it than it took to build.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Sleepless in Chatham (NJ)

Obviously, not everyone agrees. There must then be more than one side to the story. Russia, China, India, et al were maneuvered into ‘agreeing’. They agreed by voting ‘present’ – which is a way of saying, “Do what you want, but we’ll have no part of it.”

Action involves risk. Risk must be balanced by benefit. For far too long American foreign policy has excluded any notion of ‘benefit’. It has been unbalanced. In Iraq we never insisted on payback. Its oil is now going to our rivals. As the chaos and killing there continues, we cannot even claim ‘victory’ on that front. Neither do we insist on Libya’s oil in exchange for our effort. And indeed, Libya’s oil is already spoken for and going to those who voted ‘present’.

You would think that Obama, of all people, would understand the benefits that accrue by voting ‘present’; that voting otherwise engenders risk which, in turn, invites loss. It has been my contention that Obama – whether by way of retribution or an affinity for victimhood - deliberately invites loss. Neither revenge nor national suicide are attractive to anyone but himself.

Saw the French film “Of Gods and Men” last night. As my friend and I settled ourselves outside afterwards to discuss the merits of the film, a woman approached us. She clearly had been disturbed by it. She said it was the worst film she had ever seen. She said it was good to have someone to talk it out with and hoped that she would not have bad dreams.

It was basically an anti-war film. In addition, it blamed the West. As such, it entered the realm of propaganda. Propaganda can never rise to the level of art. It targets those lacking any clear cut principles …and leaves them sleepless.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Raise High the Roof-Beam, Carpenters

The only thing that the Left and the Right actually agree on is that growth alone will fix the economy. From there on, however, their approaches differ. Whereas the Left favors opening wide the back doors of the armored truck and heaving fistfuls of dollars out into the street, the Right says it’s time to keep the trucks locked up at the depot. This fundamental difference also colors our approach to foreign policy. As liberals are presently in charge of nearly everything, consider the following likely conversation between our State Department and the PA regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict:

U.S. State Department: “We want you to reach a peace agreement with Israel during this term of the Obama administration. What would it take for you to accomplish this?”

PA: “Impossible. We do not recognize the existence of the Jewish State.”

U.S.: “We will give you money - as much as you want. And we will give you more afterwards to help make you into the most prosperous nation on earth.”

PA: “We will take your money, but we will only buy guns and knives so we can slit the throats of the Israeli Jews.”

U.S.: “So you see, we’re making progress. You now recognize that there actually are Israeli Jews. We will give you an initial down payment and much more after you agree to come back to the table for further negotiations.”
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Or, imagine our conversation with the King of Saudi Arabia:

U.S.: “We will give you money so that you will keep the oil flowing to Europe and America.”

SA: “We have more than enough money. Money means nothing to us. Another Rolls Royce or two will not make a difference. We already have plenty. These only serve to remind us that we are nothing. We do not produce Rolls Royces. It does not improve our self-esteem to drive them. It is you who should feel proud for having produced what is arguably the finest land vehicle the world has ever known. We, on the other hand, simply use them as we would toilet paper.

“We produce nothing. We have no skills, no imagination - only resources. It is these resources - our resources - with which you spin your magic: building great industries and communication networks, creating timeless art and philosophies, etc. We simply allow you to pump oil out of our wells. Although you pay us handsomely, it’s only money, which is essentially worthless to us because we do nothing to earn it.”

U.S.: “But we’re prepared to pay you even more.”

SA: “Save it. It will help neither us nor you. You have done more than enough to inflict us with a fatal case of ‘Dutch disease’ (as defined by your own economists). The only way we will be helped is for us to destroy you. Because every day you continue to exist on this, our shared, planet reminds us of our humiliation before God.

“We have therefore decided to pronounce everything you do as evil. And thus we have discovered our power over you. We are now in the position to drain the very blood from your veins. And only this (by the grace of Allah) will restore our self-esteem and bring us back to some semblance of life. In other words, we must kill you.”

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Governor Scott Walker: Not Intimidated

Wisconsin is the clearest indication yet of a game that has been unfolding for some time. The object of the game is to win. Thank God, in Scott Walker we have a governor who is intent on winning this battle! He seems not to be about kicking the can down the road; he is not easily intimidated; and he appears to remain focused on the job at hand despite threats and ungainly public displays (by vocal minorities).

This drama is bound to repeat itself in other state capitols as well. It’s good that this happened first in Wisconsin where, I predict, Walker will win in the end.

The game pits public service unions against taxpayers. Any reasonable observer must know that, in our system, the taxpayer cannot simply be shunted aside. States, unlike the federal government, cannot print money to gloss over fiscal carelessness. The good health of the private sector taxpayer remains essential to the good fiscal health of the state. Inequities must be addressed.

Democrats, their union supporters and welfare clients, continue to be ill informed about basic economic principles. They seem equally ill informed about the job they were hired to do. Teachers, for instance, are supposed to teach our children. I suspect that most are trying to make an honest go of it, but are constantly undermined by a bureaucracy whose only aim in life is to fleece the public, protect its turf, and promote agendas. In essence, you have the tail wagging the dog. Despite all the money spent, Wisconsin’s record of achievement in public education remains far from exemplary.

Democrats, too, seem uninformed about the basics of the democratic process. As such, elections mean nothing to them. They are quite willing to block any legitimate legislative process by outlandish tricks. We’ve seen the same on the federal level.

It struck me today that I’m not in the habit of counting my change before sticking it in my pocket. I realized that’s because it never made much difference to me. Now I wonder how many times I’ve been cheated; how much money I might have thrown away in this fashion over the course of a lifetime? Had I ever had to budget carefully (as most do), I might not have been so flippant.

Our governments have been doing the same. They’ve played fast and loose with our money for years. Now, suddenly, the wolf is at the door. A million here, a million there - it all adds up when you no longer have a million.

Wisconsin represents an important milestone in the fight to return to some semblance of fiscal sanity. There’s a minority among us who do not agree that this has now become important. They may be ignorant; or, they might well believe themselves to be operating under a system that has not yet been adequately explained. A third possibility is that they are deliberately trying to collapse our existing system and create chaos.

No matter who ultimately wins in Wisconsin, at least one thing will be clear: the players on both sides have had to show their faces. POTUS has demonstrated a definite preference. Might this not also explain our current approach to foreign policy?

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Wikileaks Proves It

"To the extent there are gaps in our laws," Holder continued, "we will move to close those gaps…"

Where I used to work, the mistake my company (armored cash transport) consistently made was that every time somebody did (stole or lost) something, they issued new rules that applied to everybody. The rulebook got to be so unwieldy that it ended up with nobody following any rules. What we should have done is hold the bad eggs responsible, punish them, and set an example.

In this case, the new rules will be designed to tighten the weave of the net to catch more people doing what the government determines as 'bad'.

The truth is, that as far as our foreign policy is concerned, there is no coordination in Washington. The various foreign policy arms continue to operate without leadership. Obama has likely told each one of his foreign policy czars to continue just as before, and indicated that he has no personal interest in any foreign policy matter (aside from Muslim outreach). As a result, these departments are now in disarray and nobody knows precisely what they are supposed to be doing.

While it is true that nothing new has been revealed (by Wikileaks) that those paying attention do not already know, it is equally true that there is no single rational objective as far as our foreign policy is concerned. (Emphasis on ‘rational’.) The administration continues to rhetorically pound the view that Israel is to blame for all the trouble in the Middle East. The leaks present a different, far more complex picture.

What are we to glean from this? Who is to be believed? The administration that seeks to demonize Israel (and America) at every turn? or operations who monitor the situation daily? The silver ball comes to rest on red. Power is the only player, no matter what the facts. Obama has the power. He does not like Israel. Politically he can do very little directly to cause Israel harm. But by letting the clock run down, keeping the pressure off (or putting it on), he can wrap layer upon layer of deceit around the issue and keep Israel hanging until it makes a mistake.

Every one of our allies has been made to walk a tightrope while America’s enemies realize more and more that they’re standing on solid ground. Wikileaks all but proves it.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Why Bother?

It’s getting down to the wire. There are indications that nothing you hear from now on can be trusted; that things will be said solely for the purpose of manipulating the vote. It sometimes works. Exit results in the East have been known to suppress voter turnout in the West. Exit polls are not official. These can be, and often are, wrong.

Similarly, talk of a Republican landslide can work either way. It can keep both Republicans and Democrats from going to the polls. Talk of races tightening can have the opposite effect. Like it or not, turnout is key.

In short, do not believe anything you might hear. Go to the polls knowing nothing. Simply vote your conscience - but do vote.

There are some things we do know. We know that this is an important election for both parties. We know that our economy is not doing so well, no matter who may be at fault. We also do not see signs of things getting better. We’ve lost much of our 401 nest egg. Inflation is set to take the rest. And jobs are getting ever harder to find.

Internationally too - for those who follow world affairs - we’re in dismal straits. Our friends are distancing themselves and our enemies have taken to laughing out loud. We can accept Obama’s excuses and pretend he hasn’t been in office for two years, or we can make up our minds to do our share to change direction.

We also know that the media won’t tell us the truth. Make no mistake, the president is on the ballot. “D” = Obama; “R” = against. I myself have questioned just how much Republicans are willing or able to do after the election. None of that matters now. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, we must first get to the bridge.

One last point: Expect close results to be fought over. We don’t have a friend in the White House, nor at Justice. A close result means we lose.

It is my belief that there will be beaucoup surprises. When it’s over, the word ‘unexpected’ will likely be heard everywhere. The Tea Parties will know better. They know the 'force' is with them. The morning after, we’ll likely have the unmitigated pleasure of taking our foot off the gas, pulling into a 7/11 to purchase a NYT - just for a long and healing laugh.

On second thought - why bother? We already know what they're going to say.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

The Final Cut

I, for one, am getting tired of hearing about all the supposed failures - both internationally and domestically - of the Obama administration. We all act as if our present leadership and America are one an the same when, in fact, Obama’s goals and America’s goals are diametrically opposed. We now have a situation in which if America fails, Obama wins and vice versa. No where is this more apparent than in our sudden shift in foreign policy.

Obama's goal, simply put, is to destroy the United States. This is why he pays no head to what Iran is up to in the Middle East and in our own hemisphere. This is why he pays no heed to North Korea and its Chinese puppet masters. This is why he keeps undermining our economy. This is why he is deliberately choking off our energy supply. This is why he refuses to address our immigration problems. This is why everything - our traditional international policy commitments as well as our economy - is falling apart.

Our so-called president has a strategy alright. But it is not a strategy that bodes well for America. He thinks if he destroys America, all our traditional adversaries will fall on their knees before of him and accept him into their fold. It is clear that he considers America to have been an evil influence in this world. By destroying America, he believes, the world will be a place more to his liking and he will be proclaimed universally as hero and savior.

He fails to grasp the fact that no traitor can ever be regarded as a hero; that he will continue to be reviled around the world; that he will spend the rest of his days cloaked in infamy.

He will counter by proclaiming himself to have never been American. Only then he will produce his birth certificate which will show that he was never one of us; that he has always been a foreign agent. This, the world will reject. For every nation will be sucked into the vacuum left by America’s sinking and he will be singularly blamed. Every nation will burn in the chaos of hell caused by America’s drowning and wish for the return of a strong and honorable Atlantis to provide balance in a world torn from its roots and bleeding.

It is up to us to remove him from office before the final curtain falls.

http://pkoelliker.blogspot.com/

Small Things

Hey, we voted for the guy! Next time (if there is a next time) we’ll be more careful. Mr. Batchelor is only half right when he says: “POTUS disdains foreign policy. POTUS disdains domestic policy.” Obama distains foreign policy because in this he has already failed. His apologetic overtures and pathetic prostrations in foreign capitals have not had their desired effect. Nobody out there - in the real world - takes mere palaver seriously. It’s got to be backed up with something more substantial than small things and a preparedness to commit treason.

Domestic policy is quite another matter. This is an area in which POTUS feels he still has some leverage. Indeed, domestic policy will be by which he will measure success. If he should succeed in turning his ship of state on a leftward course, all else can be expected to fall into place.

What has become clear is that the American people are jumping ship. Obama had hoped for - but did not expect - their support. As it is, only one arrow remains in his quiver: revolution. To this end he will continue to prod and poke, trying his best to whip the people up into a lather. Once this happens, he will have achieved his goal. He can then impose draconian measures that most will find preferable to chaos.

We saw the same MO employed with regard to the oil spill. Nothing yet as to its cause, which appears to be a closely held state secret. Though, speculation abounds. It provided the rationale to impose an oil drilling moratorium. Now that the threat is over, we don’t see the moratorium lifted. It will remain in place to put pressure on America’s lifeline (energy). Eventually prices will rise beyond what can be sustained, putting additional strain on an already faltering economy. When everyone begins shouting ‘collapse!’, Obama will have achieved what he set out to do.

November’s midterms will not change the script. Conventional wisdom has it that Obama will have been sent a signal and that he will change course. He will not. Besides being a committed ideologue, he is also a realist. He knows that what he has already put in place can not be reversed. He knows that economic collapse is at hand. Perhaps he’s getting cold feet. Perhaps he is already looking for a place to hide. All that is possible.

A suicide bomber seldom detonates his own vest. It is usually detonated remotely by someone watching from afar (just in case the bomber loses heart).

No War; No Oil; No America

The phrase, “politics stops at the water’s edge” is a now famous adage accredited to a number of American politicians, most notably (perhaps) to Arthur Vandenberg, a respected Republican senator from Michigan back in the 1940’s. It recognizes that the efficacy of the president should not be diluted by partisan parochial debate when it comes to foreign affairs or when our national security is challenged as during war. All this, of course, is assuming that the president has our best interests in mind.

Americans have been largely content to leave the execution of foreign policy to the ‘experts‘ - this, with the understanding that there is so much going on out there, much of it unfathomable to the average amateur weekend warrior; and some of it, no doubt, more than we’d feel comfortable in knowing. After 9/11, then President Bush told us to expect many changes; that some of these would affect us directly while others would pass beneath the radar, implying that the government was working on numerous levels to protect us. The proof was in the pudding: There were no further attacks on Americans, on American soil during the Bush presidency.

As the political climate within our own country reached the boiling point, the old adage was literally trampled underfoot. Portions of Bush’s clandestine policies overseas were deliberately leaked and hotly debated in Congress and out on Main Street. It was all done in a blatant effort by the Left to unseat Republicans. As such, military strategies became less and less effective. It is interesting to note that the WikiLeaks appear to deal with documents primarily from the Bush era, thereby (possibly) setting the stage for ‘crimes against humanity’ litigation and state-run show trials.

Obama is touched by WikiLeaks only insofar as he is seen as continuing Bush’s policies. In reality, though, he is simply letting the momentum of what Bush’s team started and maintained run down. It’s no secret that Obama doesn’t like war and means to end any possibility of it within his lifetime. It’s no secret that he views America as the one impediment to world peace that he himself can control.

Obama did not do too much to stop the WikiLeak document dump. In fact, unlike in the Pentagon Papers case, the University of East Anglia email revelations among other high profile surprise disclosures, there was plenty of warning this time around. It was almost as if Julian Assange was waiting for permission to leak his stuff. Outright permission never came, but neither did injunction.

Now we are told the president is wringing his hands about the whole thing, Don’t you believe it for a moment! Just like the oil spill, for him this was a welcome event. Let’s not kid ourselves; we know only too well where this man stands: no war; no oil; and, ultimately, no America.