Monthly Archives: February 2011

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Swiss Vote To Keep Their Guns

Here’s a heart warming story from Switzerland. They like their guns and protect their rights to keep them. “Switzerland is different,” said Dora Andres, president of the country’s sport shooting association.

Weapons Monopoly for Criminals? No

“In many countries the government doesn’t trust its citizens and feels it has to protect them. In Switzerland, because we have a system of popular referendums, the state has to have faith in its citizens.”

You go girl. Good to see they have ‘bitter clingers’ there too! Swiss Miss, Switzerland’s version of Tea Partiers.

Link: Given the choice, Swiss vote to keep their guns

Egypt, Iran, Media, Middle East, Politics

Who Toppled A Dictator?

Only president I know that toppled a dictator recently was George Bush taking down Saddam Hussein. At that time, the same protesters that took to the streets in Egypt these last two weeks were the same ones that protested the taking down of Saddam Hussein in favor of a democracy. And they were joined by most Democrats and the media.

Today, however, it’s a totally different picture. Today some of the media, like a University of West Florida professor (I’m still trying to find out her name)  that was interviewed by the Florida News Network as an ‘expert’ on Egypt and the Middle East, are trying to attach the overthrow of Mubarak to President Obama. Giving him ‘credit’ for Mubarak’s ouster. As if Obama had anything to do with it. She said it regains America’s trust in President Obama. Well isn’t this rich? Obviously, Obama has lost whatever trust and respect he may have had, as evidenced by this so-called expert, and as confirmed by Oprah yesterday. And for any number of reasons, not the least of which was his and his advisors’ handling of the uprising in Egypt.

And while we’re on the topic of toppling dictators, lets see what side Obama supports this time in Iran. Young people (same as in Egypt) there want to demonstrate in Iran again, this time to support the democracy push in Egypt, but the Mullahs and Ahmadinejad are warning them not do take to the streets. Will President Obama come down on the side of the youths wanting democracy, or on the dictator’s side like he did in 2009?

“I have made it clear that the United States respects the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and is not interfering in Iran’s affairs,” Mr Obama said.

Link: Demonstrations not encouraged in Iran

Egypt, Media, Middle East, Politics

Oh Wait, It Gets Worse

Since yesterday’s embarrassment, apparently numb to his impish behavior on the world stage, President Obama felt it necessary to amp it up even more. Too bad he doesn’t treat America’s enemies with the same audacity as our allies.

On this audition for Saturday Night Live, here is AP’s account of what President Obama said . . .

Without naming Mubarak directly, Obama issued a written statement on Thursday night in which he criticized the leader for a lack of clarity and direction. That assessment came after Mubarak surprised those protesting in Egypt’s streets by saying, in a broadly watched speech, that he would shift powers to his vice president but remain in charge of the country. {emphasis added}

Isn’t it odd (not really) that the AP doesn’t see the irony? Here is what he said . . .

Too many Egyptians remain unconvinced that the government is serious about a genuine transition to democracy, and it is the responsibility of the government to speak clearly to the Egyptian people and the world.

If our president is going to criticize Egypt’s president for not putting out a clear message, and for not listening to his citizens, lets at least recognize that in that respect they are twins with one difference. One of them knows what he’s doing.

Link:  Losing Patience, Obama Challenges Egypt’s Leaders

Egypt, Media, Middle East, Politics

Obama Uses Google To Politicize Egypt’s Uprising

While searching for the transcript of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s statement today, which turned out not to be his resignation, I came upon one of the Obama administration’s targeted Google ads in the story of Mubarak’s statement. Which does show perfectly well where our president’s priorities are. Instead of Egypt, they seem to be more in salvaging his radical agenda and poll numbers. 

How does the Obama administration buy ad space on Google to undermine the will of the people? Look at this screensave on the Times of India website.

Official Obama Website : www.BarackObama.com – Barack Obama needs your help to change Washington. Sign up today!

Just another crisis that he is not letting go to waste.

Responding to Obama’s several statements about Egypt, without naming him,  Mubarak said . . .

“I am not embarrassed to listen to the youth of my country and respond to them,” he said. But he added that he would never “accept diktats from abroad” – referring to increasing international pressure for him to quit.

Which makes this post even more relevant: Should The President Resign?

Link: Defiant Mubarak refuses to resign

Egypt, Middle East, Politics

Obama Stumbles On The World Stage

If anyone thought that President Obama had his finger on the pulse on the happenings in Egypt, his performance today should put that notion to rest.

I just saw the media waiting for over six hours for Egypt’s President Mubarak to announce that he is ‘stepping down’ today. While this was going on, people at The White House were saying that President Obama was going to have a statement on Egypt. The presumption was that it would be a response to President Mubarak’s stepping down.

Well, I guess the President must have had something better to do than to wait and see what Mubarak had to say, because Obama beat Mubarak to the cameras. Boy, talk about a diplomatic blunder. Obama showed, in case there was any doubt remaining, that the United States, at least under this president, can not be a trusted ally to anyone.

It’s bad enough that, to this date, Washington is still sending out mixed messages on Egypt’s troubles.  It is painfully obvious that voting ‘present’ on Egypt has not worked. And now President Obama again sticks his nose into Egypt’s business before he even knows what Egypt’s business is. One can only speculate whether Mubarak set up the whole drama which Obama fell for, hook, line, and sinker.

In his statement, which came after Obama’s, Mubarak chastised countries ‘abroad’ for not being helpful in the matter. Saying that he would never “accept diktats from abroad.”

Yesterday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu Al-Gheit said in an interview with Al-Arabiya TV . . .

“The question is not whether or not the latest American position pleases me. Ultimately, they have realized the need to conduct these major transformations gradually and on the basis of a roadmap with clear goals, guarantees, and phases. They were using the word ‘now.’ They said: You must do it now! But they changed their position… When someone says to me ‘now,’ ‘immediately,’ and whatever, I say to him: ‘Boy, go play somewhere else.’ We will do everything according to the interests of our people and country.”

So how is that whole improving our ‘image around the world’ thing going?

Economy, Energy

New Drilling Technique Has Promise

A new drilling technique is opening up vast fields of previously out-of-reach oil in the western United States, helping reverse a two-decade decline in domestic production of crude. This is good news where crude oil is concerned. And even better news for natural gas.

This is a twofer. An opportunity to get to and use more of the energy resources we have while reducing the amount of money we are currently shipping overseas for same.

And as an added bonus, it will give the energy deniers a wedgie to fret over.

Link: New drilling method opens vast oil fields in US

Economy, Media, Politics

Obama On Super Lie Sunday

In the pre-super bowl interview with FOX News channel’s Bill O’Reilly, President Obama said . . .

“I didn’t raise taxes once.  I lowered taxes over the last two years.  I lowered taxes for the last two years.”

If you think Obama told the truth about not raising taxes once, you are correct. He actually raised taxes a couple dozen times. And isn’t the noise from the mainstream media just deafening on this whopper of deception from our president? OK, it was a flat-out lie.

There are two dozen new or higher taxes in Obamacare alone. Including the tax on Indoor Tanning Services. The white people tax. 😆

The Americans for Tax Reform have the details.

Link: Obama Makes Super False Tax Claim: “I didn’t raise taxes once”

Economy, Egypt, Energy, Media, Middle East, Politics

Should The President Resign?

1 Comment

Why did tens of thousands of Egyptians take to the streets and demand regime change? High food and energy prices, high unemployment, economic stagnation, and a government un-responsive to the people. That’s why they, and President Obama, are demanding and asking for President Mubarak to resign. So when we see hundreds of thousands, cumulatively millions, of people take to the streets in America for much the same reason, and then some, shouldn’t we (the media included) be asking the same question?

While our nation languishes amidst record food and energy prices, unprecedented underemployment (including those excluded from the workforce) and economic stagnation, crippling regulations, and an administration in contempt of two court decisions, . . . . there is one salient question that we should excogitate from Obama’s handling of the Egyptian insurgency. If Obama is willing to listen to the protesters of a foreign country due to their grievances from high food and energy prices and an unresponsive government, shouldn’t he accede to the similar demands of his own citizens and resign immediately?

I’m just saying.

Link: Hey Barack, Resign Now, and Now Means Yesterday

Egypt

Obama, What Egyptians Want . . .

Bill O’Reilly interviewed President Obama prior to the Super Bowl game on Sunday. The interview began with what is going on in Egypt. O’Reilly asked President Obama ‘Mubarak, is he going to leave soon?’  Obama said that the Egyptian people want a representative government, one that is responsive to them. They want more freedom, and they want free and fair elections.

Too bad O’Reilly did not ask what started the rioting in the first place. And why it came as a surprise? Egypt is in the crisis that it is in because they want jobs. The rioting in Egypt and the move to end the 30 year reign of Hosni Mubarak is because their economy is in the tank. Unemployment of the largest sector of their population, under 30, is seventy percent. Everything else that Obama said is secondary.

It’s not surprising that Obama did not mention that it is jobs that Egyptians really want. Creating jobs is something he doesn’t know much about.

Link: Obama: Egyptians Won’t Permit a Repressive Government to Fill Mubarak Void