Why Progressives aren't for progress anymore

I'm not sure how historians date "progressivism." Some equate it with socialism and marxism. If so, that's a bit more recent. I don't think it started that way, because originally it was positive and liberal, in the classic sense of the word. The far left has stolen that movement and its good heart and spirit.

Since the 1950s the American poor and working class have become the most upwardly mobile and culturally comfortable of any in the world. For some reason, that made the "progressives" mad. They lost their base when their goals were being met and that transformed them into mean, angry scoundrels and turning to "victimhood" instead of righteousness. When Wal-Mart began suppying Americans workers with similar consumer goods the rich had always enjoyed, the progressives blamed Wal-Mart instead of themselves that the successful chain stocked so many "Made in China" goods! Progressives never wanted the poor to have what they had.

If you don't believe me, just look at what they--progressives in both parties--are doing to regain their base--they are making people in the lower quintiles less free and less wealthy with less access to the "good life." Since the women's movement and the envirnmental movement took off in the 1970s, the only way to get ahead if you were at the bottom was to move up the quintile graph. I know that sounds obvious, but think about it. The women's movement advocated killing off their offspring (and safety net) in the name of privacy and personal choice, and environmentalists through over regulation have been forcing American companies to close down or move, first to the south, and then out of the country, leaving their manufacturing base in service or retail jobs, or dependent on government benefits.

And still they call for more "progress." They will march Americans right to the progressive poor house.

Roger Ebert--still cooking

When I was at the University of Illinois, Robert Ebert was writing for the Daily Illini. We knew then he would go on to something big. Years later I read his columns occasionally, and although I wasn't a big movie fan, I watched him many times when his show was "Siskel and Ebert," thumbs up, thumbs down, movie reviews. His final show was this August (with other co-hosts). I had no idea his cancer had resulted in the loss of his jaw and ability to eat or speak:

"The thing is, he doesn’t eat and he doesn’t talk. Or rather, he can’t eat and he can’t talk. He hasn’t for four years, ever since cancer took his lower jaw, and three attempts to rebuild his face and his voice failed."

He communicates with notes, gestures, smiles, and his wife and is now a blogger and food writer.** He still loves to cook and has a cookbook coming out this month based entirely on meals to be made in a rice cooker. The title is “The Pot and How to Use It: The Mystery and Romance of the Rice Cooker” (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $14.99).

Roger Ebert on Food - Still Cooking - NYTimes.com

**"While Ebert has lost his ability to speak to multiple surgeries, he also revealed on the [Oprah] show a revolutionary technology that has synthesized his own voice from past show recordings, and allows him to type what he wants to say into a computer, and have it come out in his own voice, rather than a robotic or mechanical voice." From Thyroid About.com

Michael Douglas cancer discovered late

This article says his British wife, Zeta-Jones is furious that his throat cancer was stage 4 before discovered. Well, he's probably been using the British national health system, she married a guy twice her age, and they both smoked until recently. That sounds like some cause and affect to me. Wife #1 probably would have decided something was wrong and hauled him off to a specialist.

No word on where he's getting treatment, but I'm betting it's somewhere in the United States.

The Third Great Awakening

After watching live streaming of Restoring Honor by Glenn Beck last Saturday, it occurred to me I might be watching the start of the 3rd Great Awakening in the United States. Then tonight he's been showing excerpts from the Friday night event Divine Destiny show at the Kennedy Center and interviewing 3 religious leaders. The rabbi also mentioned it. Yes, I think it is a third great awakening.

G.O.P.’s Wall St. Support is growing

Wall Street usually favors the Democrats, lavishing contributions on Democratic candidates and causes. What? you say. Well, look. If they can use government regulations to take out the competition, it's just the cost of doing business. Did you really think Obamacare was about healthier citizens? It isn't. It's about business--the insurance business. But when the Obama team took over, I think Wall Street began to realize their folly. These guys aren't just liberals. They are statists. Can't donate if you can't do business at all because you don't own it. So the money is shifting to Republicans. That should be interesting, because the Tea Party folks are asking Republicans to be responsible Americans too. Who knew?

Paul Singer’s Largess Reflects G.O.P.’s Wall St. Support - NYTimes.com

Maybe big government doesn't know best?

Maybe the USDA and HHS, which revise their guidelines every 5 years, don’t have all the answers?

“. . . ever since the first set of federal guidelines appeared in 1980, Americans heard that they had to reduce their intake of saturated fat by cutting back on meat and dairy products and replacing them with carbohydrates. Americans dutifully complied. Since then, obesity has increased sharply, and the progress that the country has made against heart disease has largely come from medical breakthroughs like statin drugs, which lower cholesterol, and more effective medications to control blood pressure.”

Egg on their faces

Union members will gather on October 2 to protest Beck

October 2 is an important date in union history. Obviously, the rally organizers chose October 2 [hyperbole alert and snark, in case you missed the liberal uproar over August 28] to rub it in the faces and threaten anyone who would protest a president.

Remember the Clinton Lewinsky affair? Some people didn't think it was seemly. "The October 2, 1998 attack occurred as [the Adams siblings] marched with a sign calling Bill Clinton a “liar, pervert, national shame.”

Two Teamsters snuck up behind him and ripped the sign out of his hand. When he and his sister turned around to retrieve it, they were encircled by a mob of Teamsters led by (then) Local 115 officer and IBT Vice President, John Morris. Mr. Morris rammed a fedora over Mr. Adams’ face, blinding him to the onslaught of Teamsters who proceeded to jump and pummel both Adamses.

Mr. Adams suffered head injuries (including a mild concussion), lacerations, bruising, and a herniated (neck) disc. He was treated at an area hospital. Ms. Adams, who tried to protect her brother, was bruised but not seriously injured. The attack was captured on videotape by local news stations and broadcast nationally at a time when (then) Mayor Ed Rendell was trying to attract both the 2000 Democratic and Republican National Conventions to the “City of Brotherly Love.”

Of course, it's also Ghandi's birthday and the anniversary of President Wilson's stroke. But sifting through historical dates, and given that union members from SEIU to NEA as well as Daily Kos readers will be called out to attend by their leaders, I'd go with the Clinton protest.

Maybe they'll bend over . . . and clean up their own trash?

The More the Merrier?

If you think you'll find a more accepting congregation when you leave your church because of the gay marriage/gay pastor controversies (it's in all churches, but our church is leaving ELCA), look what's coming down the pike. My oldest clipping in my file for the ELCA vote, which came up year after year and was voted down until last year, is 1988. So, although you think polygamy or polyandry or man-boy love or blessing your relationship with your pet who is "just like family" is far out, it really isn't. It won't stop. Biblical revision never does. And if you don't accept what God says about marriage of one man and one woman, why would you object to three men, or two men and a woman, or a man with 10 wives? If gender doesn't matter, why does number? Isn't it just about love, respect, and government benefits?

The American Spectator : The More the Merrier?

Speaking of obsessions, what's wrong with Kathleen Parker and WaPo?

Wow. Libs are running scared. Who knew they'd get so spooked by a little preaching and hand holding and praying on the Mall last week. I read Kathleen Parker's piece on Glenn Beck.* I have no idea what her point was--something about it being an AA meeting--but it doesn't sound like she's ever been to an Al-Anon or AA meeting. Liberal twaddle--attack the messenger, ignore the words. Here's what other readers wrote (the link was broken when I tried to leave a comment, so these came from reader's page:

bryan37, "I'm no fan of Beck, but this is nothing more than an ad hominem attack. It really borders on being a little sick. Does Parker ever have anything insightful to write? I just never see it" [I wondered the same thing.]

Chippewa said, "I've lost count of how many articles and columns the WAPO has run over the past two weeks, almost unanimously bashing Beck. The onslaught continues today. It's become the WAPO's surge. If he's such an idiot, why pay so much attention to him? Could it be because he's viewed as a threat to the Chosen One? Can't have that now, can we???"

Jack 83 wrote: The post missed the boat on this one. It was obviously a wonderful experience for the people who enjoy Glenn and his ideas about things. It seemed to me the event was a nice bit of America that people are longing for instead of all the hate. Nice Event/Clueless story.

MomDuke5 said: Your mockery of the program and pointing your finger at a man who has succeeded indicates to me if you had to do it you would fail. So what if you can compare his success with a program that has brought many people out of the despair and darkness of alcohol. Three cheers for him and his desire to show America if I can do it so can you! Faith of all kinds is all around you and your faith can set you free. Your reference to Mother Superior as Sarah Palin strikes a mean, nasty, anti Catholic view. I've been to Catholic schools and the Mother Superior did not wear makeup or stand before thousands spouting political views. She was a kind and gentle woman and your metaphors are disgusting as is your column.

And of course, Kathleen has those wonderfully articulate lefties like Bethg1841 who agree with her who have Beck filtered, and don't realize the only KKK member in Congress in recent years was a Democrat: "beck is an idiot as are all of his followers. They are all vile traitors and unpatriotic. I have never heard or seen traitors like this fool and the bunch of lunatics who take him seriously. He is religious too as are these teabagheads. They are as religious as the slavers and segregationists and KKK members. Just as hateful as those fools. It's a pity there is not a normal adult among these idiots who have awakened just as that moron w got through with ruining this country. Why don't all of you teabagheads go fight your wars in Iraq and Afganistan. Traitors you."

Yes, Bethg adequately represents the level (low) of understanding of issues and history by WaPo's readers.

*I think Parker is supposed to be the token conservative at WaPo. Coulda fooled me.

Olasky on Parker "The sultans of snoot"

Beck's 'Obsession' with Black Liberation Theology is Thoroughly Justified

About 35 years ago I read James Cone's book on black liberation theology. I didn't find it too alarming, but I can't remember if I was a Christian then or just a humanist liberal. Liberation theology (the Latin American Catholic variety) has definitely had an impact on modern day Christianity--may even be part of the reason memberships are dropping so drastically. It's a tough sell to call that the gospel. And I don't think I agree with the left that Glenn Beck has an obsession with black liberation theology. He's simply calling it out for the looksee it deserves. It is marxism dressed up for Sunday morning and some gospel singing.

Kyle Anne Shiver writes: "Writing on "Faith," in The Audacity of Hope, Barack Obama went to great lengths to explain that his own "conversion" was enabled not by orthodox Christian awakening, but by the explicitly political nature of the Black Liberation Theology preached by Jeremiah Wright, Jr. And the thrust of Obama's entire chapter on faith in his own book was to show how his own liberation theology should not frighten secular progressives because it bore little to no resemblance to the religion of those Bible Belt "bitter clingers." And as observant Americans know well, Barack Obama was so ardent a follower of Jeremiah Wright's brand of Christianity that he named his book after a Wright sermon, The Audacity of Hope. While it is true that Barack Obama never (that I know of) used the explicit words "Black Liberation Theology" in his speeches or his books, everything about his claims to faith in his writing, his speeches, and his current actions as president is filled with the tenets of this fringe system of beliefs.

And what was that "hope" to which Wright referred? It was not the hope of individual salvation, which is the bedrock of orthodox Christian belief. No, Wright's hope, the same hope where Barack Obama found his "conversion," was in "collective redemption" through a political, material redistribution of power and wealth from the "white oppressors" to the "black oppressed." Quite contrary to Mr. Rutten's assertion that no "evidence" ties Barack Obama to liberation theology, Obama himself has used the phrase "collective redemption" regularly."

So is that your "hope" for America? Are you so loaded with power and wealth that you want the government to redistribute it in the name of Obama's belief in "collective redemption?"

American Thinker: Beck's 'Obsession' with Black Liberation Theology Thoroughly Justified

Anti-Beck rally on the Mall in October

Labor union leaders and government workers will gather on the Mall in Washington DC to exercise their freedom of speech and movement to protest Glenn Beck. Will they be able to raise up 500,000 people? With those marching orders, they should be able to get 1.5 million. Beck is just a radio clown. Will they fund their own travel and housing and food? Will they clean up the trash, or leave it like they did for the inauguration of 2009?

Here's what one reader of American Spectator thinks:

The buses from Vegas will be there, filled with SEIU members that voted for Obama, but are now out of work because Obama made it verboten for large corporations with high corporate salaries to convention there.

Other buses will come from Michigan filled with UAW people, who have no work because they priced themselves out of the car market, helping Toyota & Honda catch up to GM.

Louisiana will send buses of ACORN people who are out of work because their contemporaries were willing to help set up El Salvadoran underage prostitution rings.

New York will send buses of ex-N.Y. Times workers who are out of jobs because people don't choose to read their slant on the news anymore.

California will send buses of NEA members who are out of work because their illegal students' parents don't pay state taxes, and the state is on the verge of fiscal collapse...

In other words, it will be an accurate cross-section of Real True-Blue Americans, who fortunately now have enough time to export their excellent agenda to the rest of our great country!

And if you are a union member, this is where your dues are going . . . to fund a copy-cat rally by the playground bullies. It would cost you more, but the Tides Foundation is also picking up the tab.

Ft. Hood is named for John Bell Hood, the worst general in our history

Today I was reviewing the various shooting and stabbing tragedies of the past year or two (all the perps were liberals/progressives or immigrants not conservative tea party types about which our media continues to warn us). The crazy lady professor who murdered her colleagues over a promotion incident; the guy who shot up a recruiting office; the Pakistani Times Square bomber; the blonde blue-eyed stabber of the NY cabbie who had served with a Christian peace and justice group, etc. So that took me to the Fort Hood shootings by a Muslim doctor who murdered 13. Then I thought, "Surely they didn't name a military facility after the worse general of the Civil War, did they?" Yup.

I'm obviously no expert on the Civil War, but last week was "Civil War Week" at Lakeside, Ohio, and I attended two presentations by Mel Maurer of Cleveland who spoke on the Battle of Franklin. And yes, Ft. Hood is named for the guy who would have lost the war for the South, if it hadn't already been lost. Is that why we have a military base named for him?

"John Bell Hood destroyed the Army of Tennessee. After bleeding it dry fighting the Yankees around Atlanta- attacking a foe that was superior in numbers and entrenched, he marched away from the main threat to the South- General Sherman's Army of the Tennesse. He then launched an ill-considered offensive into central Tennesse. When his army failed to destroy the Yankees at Spring Hill, in true political general fashion, he blamed his troops.

He then decided to attack the Yankees at Franklin. Again, they were entenched. With only one battery of artillery in support, he ordered a frontal assault. Good soldiers they were, the men of the Army of Tennessee advanced, and almost took the town, thanks to their courage and Yankee blundering. But the Yanks soon stopped the advance and slaughtered the Rebs. A Union battery commander remembered two sounds- the discharge of cannister and a split second later, the sound of bones breaking.

The Yanks retreated to Nashville. Although his troops were tired, hungry, and outnumbered ( though he didn't know it at the time), Hood laid siege to the city. When Union General Thomas attacked, the Confederate lines were too thin to stop the assault. The Army of Tennessee broke and many were killed or captured covering the retreat.

As they retreated to Alabama, many of the Rebel soldiers had no shoes. It was winter, and the temperature was about 10 degrees F. I don't have a lot of sympathy for the rebellion, but I feel for those guys. Barefoot in that weather is a horror.

When Hood got back to Alabama, there were about 6,500 effectives in his army. They numbered over 20,000 when the offensive began. Once again he blamed his soldiers for the failed offensive." Armchair General

General Hood had one useless arm, and an amputated leg from war injuries. He was either very brave or very crazy; he had to be tied in his saddle. He was probably out of his mind with pain and high on pain drugs. But his record in battle is still shameful, and he led many Americans to their death.

NOTE: The above excerpted piece is NOT from Maurer but from "Armchair General," a site on the internet.

And still Obama wants to raise taxes!

Higher taxes hurt everyone. It particularly hurts the little guy. But that's what FDR did too during the Great Depression of the 1930s-1940s. His little tax increments, like on entertainment or candy, hurt the poorest the most. Now Obama wants to kill investment. Folks, the richest can always go elsewhere with their money--like India or Europe whose economies are growing much faster than ours as they pull back from socialism.

Obama has no intention of turning the economy around. Many panelists on these TV talk shows, cable or broadcast, right and/or left, just don't get it. They keep making hopeful suggestions. But his plan is working--more people than ever are dependent on the federal government.

More than 50 million Americans are on Medicaid, the federal-state program aimed principally at the poor, a survey of state data by USA Today shows. That’s up at least 17% since the recession began in December 2007.

The program has grown even before the new health care law adds about 16 million people, beginning in 2014. That has strained doctors. Private physicians are already indicating that they’re at their limit, says Dan Hawkins of the National Association of Community Health Centers.

In other areas:

◦More than 40 million people get food stamps, an increase of nearly 50 percent during the economic downturn, according to government data through May; the program has grown steadily for three years.

◦Close to 10 million receive unemployment insurance (nearly four times the number from 2007); benefits have been extended by Congress eight times beyond the basic 26-week program, enabling the long-term unemployed to get up to 99 weeks of benefits; caseloads peaked at nearly 12 million in January.

◦More than 4.4 million people are on welfare, an 18 percent increase during the recession.

As caseloads for all the programs have soared, so have costs, says USA Today:

◦The federal price tag for Medicaid has jumped 36 percent in two years, to $273 billion.

◦Jobless benefits have soared from $43 billion to $160 billion.

◦The food stamps program has risen 80 percent, to $70 billion.

◦Welfare is up 24 percent, to $22 billion.

Stats from Texas Insider which apparently (not clear) got them from USAToday.

You don't have to have a degree in economics to see that in a free, market economy, government programs slow down recovery. It adds costs to hiring and expansion, it competes with private employers and industries, and encourages people to stay home and wait til something better comes along, thus extending the slow down. The blueprint for government expansion while depressing the economy was laid out during FDR's reign. Obama's right on the plan.

3 hostages safe, gunman shot, killed at Discovery

Now here's a REAL environmentalist wacko--he thought children were parasites on the planet, and that Discovery Channel was making money on "green" programs. He was Al Gore to the 10th power. Most environmentalists deep down think humans are marginal in the global scheme of things, at least compared to something on the endangered species list, but fortunately, few are as whacked out as James J. Lee. He was probably insane. But if he'd been on the other side--a right winger--the media would be having a field day smearing tea party participants, Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck and you and me. In fact, since it happened a few days after Beck's Restoring Honor in a DC suburb, they'd probably blame him rather than Lee.

3 hostages safe, gunman shot, killed at Discovery - wtop.com

PSAs, paid for by us, encourage illegal aliens to get all their benefits as "workers"

Dolores Huerta is a hard core socialist who is preaching to school children, on our dollar, that Venezuela is great, they've got free healthcare, they're building factories where everybody has a right to a job. [She doesn't point out our free healthcare at every ER and SCHIP, Medicaid, food stamps, rent subsidies, etc. because they probably already know that.] "But she goes further than just saying how great Venezuela is. In our high schools this is her talking about America." An audio of her was played on the Glenn Beck show today. She also told the school children (again on our dollar) that Republicans hate Hispanics. You know folks, it's illegal to hire illegals.

Here's a Department of Labor public service announcement (PSA) on our tax dollar.

U.S. Labor Sec. Hilda Solis’ 30-second script: I’m U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, and it is a serious problem when workers [legal or not] in this country are not being paid every cent they earned. Remember every worker in America has the right to be paid fairly whether documented or not.

Why encourage illegals to come here if capitalism will go under and they have a government they fled?

Remembering how the media helped get us in this mess

October 30, 2008

CHARLIE ROSE: I don't know what Barack Obama's worldview is.

TOM BROKAW: No, I don't, either.

CHARLIE ROSE: I don't know how he really sees where China is.

TOM BROKAW: We don't know a lot about Barack Obama and the universe of his thinking about foreign policy.

CHARLIE ROSE: I don't really know. And do we know anything about the people who are advising him?

TOM BROKAW: Yeah, it's an interesting question.

CHARLIE ROSE: He is principally known through his autobiography and through very inspirational (sic) speeches.

TOM BROKAW: Two of them! I don't know what books he's read.

CHARLIE ROSE: What do we know about the heroes of Barack Obama?

TOM BROKAW: There's a lot about him we don't know.

Eight Years of Iraq War Cost Less Than Stimulus Act

What point was the President trying to make about the economy in last night's speech? I've heard Democrats say he was wonderful, Republicans say he was wooden and looked uncomfortable, the media was just obsequious, but what about the lies?

Obama seemed to blame the current economy problems on the costs of war [i.e., everything is Bush's fault]: "Unfortunately, over the last decade, we’ve not done what’s necessary to shore up the foundations of our own prosperity. We spent a trillion dollars at war, often financed by borrowing from overseas. This, in turn, has short-changed investments in our own people, and contributed to record deficits. For too long, we have put off tough decisions on everything from our manufacturing base to our energy policy to education reform. As a result, too many middle-class families find themselves working harder for less, while our nation’s long-term competitiveness is put at risk."

According to CBO numbers in its Budget and Economic Outlook published this month, the cost of Operation Iraqi Freedom was $709 billion for military and related activities, including training of Iraqi forces and diplomatic operations. The projected cost of the stimulus, which passed in February 2009, and is expected to have a shelf life of two years, was $862 billion. The U.S. deficit for fiscal year 2010 is expected to be $1.3 trillion, according to CBO. That compares to a 2007 deficit of $160.7 billion and a 2008 deficit of $458.6 billion, according to data provided by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. In 2007 and 2008, the deficit as a percentage of gross domestic product was 1.2 percent and 3.2 percent, respectively" and under Obama 9.1%.

the cost of the Iraq war from 2003-2008 -- when Bush was in office -- was $20 billion less than the cost of education spending and less than a quarter of the cost of Medicare spending during that same period. Bush's social spending cost us more than the war.

So, tell us that part again, Mr. President. . .
FOXNews.com - CBO: Eight Years of Iraq War Cost Less Than Stimulus Act

Don't let the door hit you on your way out

Ohio State is tightening its belt for the "new" economy.

"When a classified civil service staff member does not pass probation, and is notified of that decision, practices have varied as to when the actual employment ends. With this practice recommendation, the person will leave our employment the day of notification. We are making this a universal practice which will have no reflection on the individual, and allow for completely consistent process. The individual will be able to move forward immediately for the next job search with no expectation to complete any additional employment in the probationary position."

Isn't this thoughtful. . . allows the ex-employee to move forward immediately.

And this is odd. . . there is a pre-employment background check for all new employees, but no background check for current employees. But wait! It gets better. Current employees are supposed to voluntarily "report convictions for a specified set of offenses that may occur at any time during university employment." Then the university will check on it, decide on how his job should be changed, create a background check record, but destroy the information. Wha. . . .? I guess it's too expensive to do a background check on current employees, so they want her to volunteer the information that just might destroy promotion or career.

Obama needs to relearn the art of politicking

E.J. Dionne Jr. just doesn't get it. He thinks there's a communication problem. Unfortunately, Obama's plan is working and the American people are catching on that this is not at all what they voted for. He's not stupid Mr. Dionne; the press on the other hand . . .

E.J. Dionne Jr. - Obama needs to relearn the art of politicking

Secretary. of Education Urged Employees to Attend Sharpton Rally

Michelle Malkin wonders of the Department of Education employees were sent to check on the spelling of banners. A purple SEIU banner spelled American, as AMERCAN.

Even if it wasn't illegal, it was quite inappropriate for Arne Duncan to suggest in an e-mail memo that Dept. of Ed. employees spend their day off filling the seats at Sharpton's poorly attended rally which was very political and was organized hastily to counteract Glenn Beck's. Beck's event numbered about 500,000 and had a lot of racial and religious diversity. Sharpton's was . . . just Al . . . spouting off like he always does. The excitement, good preaching, and songs were over at the mall.

According to the WSJ, the Restoring Honor rally attendees left the mall cleaner than when they got there. Quite a change from the 2009 inauguration, if you remember the disgraceful piles of trash left behind by excited Obama supporters.

Michelle Malkin » Sec. of Education Urged Employees to Attend Sharpton Rally, Unfortunately Not to Spell Check Signs