Author Archives: krisman2013

Musings on Freedom

     Today was an interesting day.  Our family is fighting the remnants of a sinus infection and we are not feeling the best that we could.  In a perfect world (or at least one without massive government regulation) I could call my doctor and discuss with him my treatment options.  I might give him a credit card over the phone so he could be paid for his time.   He would then tell me to go to the pharmacy and to pick up an antibiotic,an anti-histamine and a decongestant. (Sudafed)  I would then (after sniffling, sneezing and clearing my sinuses.) get in my vehicle and drive to the pharmacy.  I would then walk up to the section on the shelf that said  antibiotics, select the one he suggested, then do the same for the anti-histamine and decongestant.  I would then take them to the counter, pay a reasonable price for them and then go home.

     But this is not a regulation free world, nor is it free in any way.  Let’s compare the scenario above to today’s reality.  If I call my doctor, more often as not because he is worried about law suits, he will not just recommend a medicine.  Instead I have to go in and see him.  Actually he can’t recommend the medicine, he has to call the pharmacy and tell them to let me have the medicine he wants me to take.   The government does not trust me enough to pick the correct medicine from the shelves as I might pick the wrong thing, take to much or too little or even worse, I might get high on Keflex. We can’t have our sick people getting high on over the counter antibiotics  that would be terrible.  So instead we have this whole system where we pay people to approve a drug, then pay them to dispense the drug, and then pay them to track how much of the drug was used.  What a waste.  I wonder how many lives are lost because access to simple prescriptions has gotten so convoluted? I wonder if that information is kept out of the news.  Already the FDA has started to try to limit access to the more expensive cancer drugs.

    What about the Sudafed.  It used to be I could walk up to the shelf an select an anti-histamine that contained Sudafed.  Now I have to go to the counter, show my drivers license and have the pharmacy check and see if I will be concocting methamphetamine from the Sudafed.  If I am sinusy more than 20 days this month I will be cut off because I am clearly a criminal.  Of course, traffic in methamphetamines  has not decreased, it just gets brought in from Mexico.  I however am treated like a criminal.  The next time I apply for a driver’s license they are going to look at me and say. “Sorry sir,  you tried to buy more than your allotment of sinus medicine.  We are going to have to deny you a license.  Please return next year and show that you are clean.”

    Oh my gosh, I have a Sudafed record.  They are going to lump me in with those old people smuggling cheap blood pressure meds and Plavix from Canada.  No wonder our jails are filled with drug abusers.  

    Actually, the point is that this whole infrastructure designed to protect us from ourselves is costing us a fortune while actually limiting the legitimate use of drugs.  How many terminal cancer patients have been denied pot, morphine, or codeine just because the physician was afraid of what the government would say.  His prescribing habits are being tracked and monitored.  Once again I can here the doctor explaining the issue.  “Yes, I know you are in pain and will die in the next few months.  There is nothing I can do to heal you and the government is worried that you might get addicted to codeine so we are not going to give you any pain relief.  You could end up a junkie and on the street.  You will addict your family members.  No we would rather you die a slow, horrible painful death. We are the government and here to help with your every health care need.”

    The current system already costs us, the consumer far more than a system that was truly free of government regulation.   The problems associated with inappropriate use would work themselves out with far less problems than the government thinks.  The cost savings would be tremendous.  Right now, the opposite is occurring.  Government regulation is impacting the legitimate distribution of drugs.  Life saving drugs that cost too much are being limited.  The motive for drug companies to develop new life saving drugs is being stripped away and less R & D is already happening.  Instead of a system that brings the best care, where the vast majority have better access to care than anywhere else in the world we are moving to a system that dispenses medical care the same way we dispense Sudafed.  If you use to much care, you will be denied.

     The government won’t have to kill its enemies, just forbid them to get ambulance rides when they need one, or cut off their medical device allowance.  We are going into a brave old world.  This is a world where freedom exists only for the powerful that can escape the system.    It’s why Congress does not have the same rules applied to them as the rest of us.  Where is the Constitution when you need it?

The Law is the Law — a Terrifying Truth

The President has gotten out his pen and announced a whole host of Obomacare waivers, delayed implementations and exceptions.  The problem is, he did not have the power to actually implement any of them.  Perhaps he can prevent the IRS from going after the unions and businesses he provided waivers to.  Since he did not have the ability to provide those waivers, any fees, taxes and costs associated with Obomcare are still accrueing.  The question then becomes, when does the IRS decide that those back fees weren’t really waived, but are due immediately, plus penalties?

I can envisionsion several scenarios.  Perhaps those fees and penalties will suddenly just apply to conservative businessowners.  If you gave to a conservative candidate you will now owe all your waived penalties with interest.  Your employees will no longer have health insurance coverage.  Your business will be placed in receivership.  

Perhaps the accrued fees will be used to create a need for a single payor system.  The arguement will be made that since businesses are not paying as they should the employees are at risk of losing their coverage so we need to get rid of all employer paid coverage.  In either situation the waivers may well be a huge ruse designed to further the goals of this administration and to centralize their power.

Beyond the obvious, using the waivers to protect democrats in 2014’s midterm elections,  they are part of a more sinister plan.   Their eventual enforcement will be used to cowtow their enemies and to further destroy health insurance markeplace.  

If you own a business, run and insurance company, manage a pharmaceutical company, or provide medical services in any way you best stop this train now.  Your livelihood is about to be destroyed.  Already more people have lost their insurance because of Obomacare than have gained new insurance.  The administration cares only for its agenda.  They are willing to kill or disrupt the lives of as many citizens as it takes to implement their vision.  Lenin, Stalin, Castro, Chavez, and Mao all had the same approach. Implementing the vision was more important than human life, freedom, or liberty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Massive Tax Wasted In Pursuit of Leftist Agenda (NASA)

Why is NASA studying the rise and fall of civilizations?  Perhaps I missed something.  How does the National Air and Space Administration justify spending our tax dollars on a study of the rise and fall of civilizations?  Do we know of any alien civilizations out there in danger of imminent demise?  Do we have a colony on the moon that is about to become the next great empire?  Just the existence of the study suggests that this administration will do anything to justify further limits on what people can own, eat  breath and consume.

The fall of Rome was about a lack of resources.  Yep, not rocket science.  The barbarians did not have the resources and Rome did.  So the barbarians took the resources from Rome.  Putin did not own the Crimea, so he took it.  The fact that the US has had increasing food production for the last 100 years and a population that  grows at a snails pace means nothing when you want to take what people have and give it to people that did not earn it.  How on earth did NASA become a tool for propaganda?  Is anyone else appalled by this?

NASA and the federal government are taking our tax dollars and using it in studies to take away more of our hard earned income.  It is shameful. It has nothing to do with the mission of NASA.  If they really want to know what kills societies, it is bad leadership.  Perhaps whoever ordered this study should look in the mirror and resign before bad leadership kills our great nation.  Our leaders need to spend less time in never never land and come back to earth.

STASI — KGB — NSA

     While the Russians are laughing and mocking President Obama because of his complete impotence and inability to prevent their annexing of the Crimea the President continues to employ the NSA to spy on US Citizens and on the phone calls of complete countries.    He disarms the US and wonders why Russia is grabbing land with no concern about repercussions.  While he completely disregards the constitution’s protections against government intrusion he is powerless to stop that intrusion when done by other countries.

   The world’s formerly most stalwart bastion of freedom and protector of freedom around the world has become pitiful, powerless, and inept on the world stage.  We may know about everyone’s phone calls but we can’t stop them from doing anything. We gave the Muslim Brotherhood Egypt and Libya and that backfired.  We are giving Iran the ability to make nuclear bombs.  We pulled out of Afghanistan  and are handing it back to the Taliban who were behind 9/11.

    Thanks to President Obama, who values persecuting conservative groups inside this country more than protecting freedom here or anywhere else, we are a joke.  We are unwilling to use real military power.  We pull back our missile defenses because the Russian ask us to.  We use selected drones but the real bad guys roam free and take over country after country.    With the policies now in effect, it is just a matter of time until more American die because Obama has abdicated his responsibility to protect this country from all threats foreign and domestic.  

    Actually, he should resign since he is the greatest threat this country has ever faced.  

Propaganda — Living with Nazi’s

Perhaps you think that comparing today’s political and social environment to that of the German Nazi’s is unfair.  You say, as so many in the past have said, “It will never happen here!”   I will admit, at least to my knowledge, our government has not implemented death camps, but there are a lot of similarities that are worth exploring.  Nazi atrocities began when basic freedoms, those guaranteed by our constitution, were no longer protected by the German government.  This is occurring in the US today, specifically regarding the freedom of the press, the freedom from unreasonable search and seizure, the freedom of religion, and the right to free speech.   These freedoms are all being eroded and their dismantling is being aid by a not so free press corp.

Let’s look at free press first.  The majority of Americans get their news from the major press outlets, ABC, NBC, and CBS.  Although their share of the market has dwindled because of the internet, their influence remains dis-proportionally large.  Whether from the morning daily shows, the evening news, or from the network interjection into radio news throughout the day, Americans are subjected to a primarily one size fits all broadcast.  When each network did its own investigations and discovery there was a certain variety in those broadcasts.  At that point it was possible to get differing views of world events.  Over the past several years, the networks no longer investigate many of the stories they broadcast. Instead they repeat, almost verbatim the press release they get from the White House or its affiliates.    What the consumer hears is the same exact words that started with a speech writer in the White House.   Key phrases are repeated across stations and venues.   There is no investigation, no questions, and no determination as to whether the information is true.  When that occurs, whether the press is formally controlled by force or not, it is propaganda and the press is no longer exercising free speech.    Even worse, the constant repetition of catch phrases is a blatant attempt to brain wash the populace.    I am not sure which is worse, that the media is trying to brain wash its audience or that it thinks it can.

Actually, our government and its affiliates have it even better than did the Nazi’s.  When someone in the mainstream press disagrees on air with the White House/Governmental message, that person is drummed out of the press corp.  (Juan William, Sharyl Attkisson).  Those that disagree are marginalized.  Those that seek the truth are purposely pushed out or to the side.  It appears that the culprit is the press corp itself which in order to promote an agenda has abdicated it role as the keeper of truth.  They have voluntarily become the persecuting arm of the government.  You can even see this in how they approach politicians they disagree with such as Sarah Palin or Michele Bachmann.  A press that is no longer interested in the truth is one that is no longer free.

The right not to have your personal effects searched by the government without a specific and personal warrant no longer exists.  As part of the effort to prevent terrorism, data on everyone’s cell phone calls, the from who, the to who, and the when and where made from is collected.  A government that is tracking the location of the majority of its citizens and that records each citizen’s associations has more power than one that just gets neighbors to spy on neighbors.  It is more intrusive that the KGB or Nazi’s, yet this is not stopped.  Even when it comes out that the CIA is spying on Congress, it is not stopped.   As long as these activities continue there is no privacy and no protection from unreasonable search and seizure.  It is happening every day to pretty much every US citizen.

One of the arguments that has been made to justify the collection of data about every citizen is that the data is not used to target anyone other than terrorists.  No one state the obvious.  If the data is being used to identify terrorist, they sift through everyone to pluck out the suspected bad guys.  Everyone is guilty until the computer says otherwise. Additionally, Tea Party groups, conservative groups,  and some Jewish groups were admittedly targeted by the IRS for harassment and in such a way as to limit their effectiveness.  That targeting, described by many of the victims,  included not just IRS audits, improper questions, and tax considerations, but also, OSHA inspections, ATF investigations, and FDA involvement.  From this it is clear that government is targeting those that if feels are its enemies.  It is trying to intimidate them into not speaking up and to keep them at home during elections.  The requirement in the constitution  that the law be applied equally to all is gone.  They can round you up, destroy your business, and limit your activities at will.  Where is ABC, CBS, and NBC while this goes on.  They are complicit in this and are not protecting freedom.   The less we watch those channels and outlets the less viable their adverting will be.   The best way to get these organizations to do their job is to stop watching.  That stops the advertising.  At that point either they become factual and relevant or expire.

Lastly, lets discuss freedom of religion.  Even though the constitution guarantees the government shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, recent court cases, the implementation of Obamacare and the unequal application of this provision to enhance the position of Muslims and atheists have eroded the religious freedoms guaranteed by the constitution.  The government through Obamacare is trying to enforce its view that everyone should be able to get a paid for abortion through the law even though it violates the religious beliefs of millions of individuals.  Moments of silence have been banned in some schools while Muslim student have been given an opportunity to pray 5 times a day in others.  The bottom line is those with Judeo-Christian beliefs are under attack and the government is actively trying to marginalize their right to believe as they would.

Already the executive branch itself and through the regulatory agencies is implementing law far beyond the powers granted through the legislature.  Persecution is happening. Religious freedom and political discourse are being controlled. Is it Nazi Germany?  Not yet.  It took the Nazi’s 10 years to fully control the populace and to remove any vestige of freedom.  The assault on gun ownership is also a sign of the attempt by our government to discard the constitution.  We are at a point now, where if people do not stand up and say “No More.”  we are on that road.  It can happen here.  All it takes is the loss of one freedom, then the next.  Like the frog in the pot of water on the stove.  It does not know it is about to be boiled until it is too late.    It is time to get out of the pot before it is too late.

Letter to Jeff Sessions

Senator Sessions,

You can’t keep your group healthcare plan if the premium portion the employee pays goes through the roof. I am a heart patient and because of rate increases I will most likely lose the coverage I am happy with in two weeks. I don’t qualify for subsidies but cant afford more than I am already paying per month for my family. What right does government have in destroying a system that worked for the vast majority of Americans. President Obama lies to the American public and boldly states he will not uphold the laws of the United States, a clear violation of his Oath and not one Congressman or Senator truly works to bring articles of impeachment. The changes in the health insurance market place may kill me sooner than I would die otherwise. Many others have been put in more immediate jeopardy. The effort Congress and the Senate have put toward stopping this carnage is pathetic.

As much as I like so much of what you do, in this area, every member of both houses is responsible.

Our Failing Educational System

In all the hubbub about common core, which is already starting to create havoc in our schools systems, I seldom see anyone ask what type of product our school systems need  to produce.  To look at some of the exam questions today the answer might be that we are trying to produce avid environmentalists, or crusaders for social justice.  Instead of molding our youth to become successful career minded, conscientious, independently thinking positive contributing members of society we are inundating them with propaganda and government approved theories of how society ought to function.

Yes, education should accomplish specific things.  Below is a list of the things I see that should be part of a minimal education.  Judge for yourself, but I do not see our system as doing these things consistently.

1.)  Reading — every child should graduate high school and be literate.

2.) Writing — every child should be able to write coherently.

3.)  Arithmetic — every child should have master addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication and basic Algebra.

4.) American History — every child should know why we exist and the history behind out Constitution.

5.)  World History — every child should have a general understanding of world history, of empires and wars, atrocities, and governments.

4.) Science — every child should have a firm foundation in chemistry, physics, and biology.

5.)  Economics — every child needs to understand how goods and services are produced and how that results opportunity.

6.) Critical thinking and memorization  — every child should be taught critical thinking skills and be required to memorize substantial amounts of material ranging from history to multiplication tables.  The most important thing education can do is train children’s minds so that they can absorb the skills needed in an ever increasingly technological world.

You can teach someone a set of manual skills which when that process becomes automated those skills become out of date.  However, if you train someone how to manage the automation they can now work in multiple industries at a higher wage than when it was just manual labor.    Further, if schools will provide their students with basic set of work conventions and expectations skills then the graduates would be better prepared to support themselves and their families.

Education in this country has been on path where it is not meeting the goals outlined above.  Nevertheless it costs more than ever.  It is not about the money, it is about the curriculum and the time focused on having standards for the students.  Many of the processes in Common Core, although advertised as creating those standards, actually lowers the standards and dumbs down the curriculum.  That is why home-schooled children often outperform their in public school counterparts.  If the focus was education and met the goals above our society would reach new heights.

 

Abortion… Education.. Freedom

I do not understand why African-Americans are not furious about the abortion statistics in the State of Mississippi.  With only 37% of the population as African-American, 72% of the abortions are of African-American babies.  How is it that this population is being culled and no one speaks up.    During the 15 years between 1995 and 2010 over 39,000 abortions of African-America babies took place in Mississippi.  (Today the carnage continues even though in much of Mississippi there are no abortion clinics so pregnant women are going to Alabama and Louisiana)    How many successful, happy and productive members of society will not be there to support communities in Mississippi because of this?  Is this why so many in Mississippi live in poverty?

Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood was clear in her writings that her goal was to cull what she felt were undesirable genetic traits.  She personally believed that African-Americans were inferior.  Her quotes bear this out.    Even though some texts try to put a soft touch on this, some of the things she said could be interpreted as her wanting to eliminate “Black People”.   She known for her rabid eugenicist’s views.    No matter how you view the modern planned parenthood, it is clear from the results that Ms. Sanger’s views are being implemented in Mississippi.  Look at the placement of Planned Parenthood clinics.  In what neighborhoods are they most prevalent? The facts are irrefutable.  A whole generation of African-Americans does not exist it the State.  Although advertised as preventing unwanted babies, and a way to promote economic freedom, the result in Mississippi is more poverty than in almost any other state.

According the Annie E Casey Foundation 23.5 percent of the population lives in poverty and the median household income in Mississippi is just over $20,000.  The mantra from the pro-abortion folk has been that abortion increases woman’s freedom, makes it possible for her to get an education and keeps her from being held back by the burden of having a child.  Looking at Mississippi, which is just a mirror of the change happening across America, would anyone conclude that the promotion of abortion is improving the lives of anyone in Mississippi.

What about the argument that more women are gaining access to education because of abortion?  It is true that the percent of Mississippians with college degrees has gone up in the years from 1995 to 2006.  At that point only 18 percent of the population had a college degree.  The result is paltry and the education promoted in not leading to more stable lives and lifestyles.

It seems to me, that if I saw my community being whittled away by the encouragement of abortion, I would step up and say that this approach to our young women is not working.  They are not enjoying stable, prosperous family lives.  Their economic opportunity is not exploding into something that resembles success.  Their children are not growing up and adding to stable families and extended families. I would look at the message that killing babies is good for the community and I would look at the facts.  If the two do not match, change the message.

Planned Parenthood and much of the government today does not promote stable families.  Stable families destroy poverty and the abortion industry. They are not dependent on government and are less influenced by those in power.  They support their members getting an education and their members as they work their way toward prosperity.   True freedom comes from economic success.  Abortion does not provide that, it provides the opposite.  It drags the whole community into long term poverty.

Congress — Rubber Stamp Stooges

     OK, today is a bit of a rant. Lois Lerner once again took the fifth amendment in front of Congress. It took about a year to get her back on the stand to do that. Everyone knows the IRS targeted conservative groups and that Ms. Lerner has information pertaining to that. Further, her bosses have information regarding that. The Republican Congress is so weak and ineffective that they can’t get the facts about who ordered  and orchestrated the political oppression of the Tea Party and other conservative groups. Government power is being used in a way no different than power is used in Russia and Congress can’t stand up and uncover the source of the abuse.  Its pathetic.

      Has Congress just given up? Are they part of the oppression happening to groups they don’t like? Do the Congressional Republicans support the oppression of the Tea Party? Once Government starts down the path of allowing any group to be singled out or persecuted it is not long until any group with a different view becomes the target. 

     How long until we have internment camps? In Germany it started with the Jews, then the Catholics, and then anyone who disagreed with the Nazi’s became a target for extermination. History is clear that the road to an oppressive state starts with allowing any group to be oppressed.

     Why does the media not pick up on this? Those that don’t just repeat party line will find their taxes audited, their homes bugged and their families followed. Charles Rosen was just the first example. If this oppression is not stopped now, government control and repression will extend to each person the government does not like. Democracy in the US will fail as democracy can’t survive without free will.

     So, why is Congress no more than a rubber stamp body? Why are they powerless to protect American citizens from the abuses of their government? All I have is questions and no good answer. Call your congress person and ask them why they can’t get to the bottom of this. If you think your life will be better letting our system be destroyed, look around the world at places that have no freedom. They are all poorer and life is much tougher. If that is what you want, don’t put pressure on congress.

Super Power No More…. Victims All

On the world stage today we have two super powers, Russia and China. But what of the United States you may ask?  Doesn’t the United States have the strongest military in the world? Yes, it does, on paper, but that does not make the United States a super power. Instead we have become the world’s greatest victim.

We can’t stop mean old Iran from getting a nuclear bomb, our economy has fewer people working now than it has had the last 70 years.  Mean old North Korea has its missiles targeted at us.  Our water is dirty. Our air is unbreathable.  Our industry leaders are greedy and worthless. We have invited terrorists all over the world to blow us up as it is our fault they hate us.  We have reset our relationships with the Arabs, and the Russians and they still want to kill us.  This is Barrack Obama’s America, weak, faithless and indefensible.    Oh, poor us.  We are the cause of the worlds ills and because of that the United States will disarm and be everyone’s victim.  Then our President, the man who should be the most powerful man in the world will apologized for our defending ourselves.

In order to be a true superpower,  we would need a leader who believed in and smartly exercised both the current capability of the military and its deterrent threat. Our President believes in dismantling the military and leaving us open to an increasingly dangerous world. The proof is in his actions. By announcing to our enemies the Taliban just when we were leaving Afghanistan Barrack Obama removed any capability of a deterrent threat and gutted any possible current commitments.  At that point he telegraphed to the world that he would not stick by his friends if it involved using military force. He announced to the world and to every terrorist that they had won. He has gone on to propose cuts to the military that would leave this country naked in the event of aggression. China and Russia have both proven they are capable of that aggression.

We would need a leader that was clearly capable of applying our economic strengths toward removing potential threats. Already with Iran he has shown that he is not willing to use sanctions to prevent them from getting a nuclear bomb. In the Ukraine he is offering an economic incentives to stave off a military coup.   The net result of that will be to just give resources to the Russians, a reward for their putting in their own puppet government.  His gutting of our capitalist economy has also dramatically weakened our standing in the world. His out of control debt has weakened the dollar to the point that Russia laughs at the thought of our applying economic pressure.
To be a super power, you have to understand how the world works. If you won’t admit that there are those bent on destroying you and that they are evil you will never confront them for what they are. Putin wants to reassemble Russia into the USSR and he is on his way. China is eyeing Japan with increasing hunger.  When we had significant advantages in arms and we were clearly willing to launch nuclear weapons in order to defend Western Europe, Russia saw strength. China feared invading Japan.  Now Putin sees Obama for what he is, a coward, willing to give away whole countries rather than to fight for freedom.  China does not believe that Obama would honor our alliance with Japan.
The net result is that the United States is a has been. What might it has is squandered in the ideological pulp of the Obama administration. Our enemies are looking to carve us up and the policies of this administration will not stop them. Instead of putting his effort into spying on the Tea Party and investigating 350 million Americans perhaps Obama should start defending this country’s interests. It is too late to save the Ukraine and Crimea, Syria, Libya, and Egypt. Russia has those marbles. Maybe we can save ourselves, Japan and Western Europe, but not on the current course Obama is taking us on.

Perhaps the media, instead of quoting today’s administration propaganda could get on board and point out the truth of what is occurring in the world.  When Russia knocks on their door it will be too late.