Why I Lean Right...

People have slandered me and I need to set the record straight. 

Most of my Facebook posts recently have been making fun of liberals and their policies.  As a result I have been getting called everything from a "fascist" to a "closet Republican" (you know who said that one, dear wife).  Now, to be honest, I have always said that if a gun was put to my head and I was FORCED to vote for anyone but the Libertarian Party candidates I would probably vote Republican, and there is a common sense reason; besides being shrill, Liberals are juggernauts who crush self-determination and individual freedom.

There are a lot of policies I dislike about conservative principles, the biggest being they are judgemental, rely too much on law enforcement to solve all problems and love putting our soldiers anywhere we can put up a base.  But when a conservative law passes, it tends to be retractable.  When liberal agendas pass, the course tends to be irreversible.

I (and the Cato Institute) felt that the Bush administration was a fear-mongering, citizen-spying, over-extending-police-powers fraternity.  A bunch of chest-thumping bastards that took advantage of a shocked and not-so-bright congress to get the PATRIOT Act passed.  But, as oppressive as that piece of legislation is, it CAN be repealed if our esteemed lawmakers ever get their head out of their ass.

On the flip side, the Obama administration has not only passed the incredibly onerous health care act, but government control of student loans AND banking.  Once these balls really start rolling, there is no pulling back the reigns; entitlements never die, they just bankrupt the country.  Furthermore, while Big Brother is out and about, sanctimony reigns.  For instanced now the "health experts" are EVERYWHERE, telling us that "moderate" consumption of soda is ONE beverage A WEEK!  You know what?  These people will affect our life because they can "prove" too much Pepsi is causing health problems, ergo, it must be banned to keep government-run health care cheap.  Well, not banned really, but taxed until no one will buy it anyway.  Eventually liberals will find a way to show how dangerous bottled water is so that it can be taxed.

And the thing is, liberal representatives don't even help their own constituents....When was the last time Barney Frank moved any legislation in support of same-sex ANYTHING?!  At least conservatives promote a gay lifestyle for Pete's sake!!

So there you have it.  I DO lean right because those mistakes can be corrected.  I can do nothing but mock an enclave that will not be happy until we are all the same...While at the same time promoting diversity...As long as anyone who makes any money can be wrung dry to pay for protecting us from ourselves.  Simple, really!

Scanning The Crystal Ball....

I have been away for too long and a lot has happened. Given the events of the past couple months I think it might be time for me to observe and prognosticate. Get an extra cup of coffee fans of my blog (BOTH of you), Sean is going to bloviate a bit.

Let me preface my remarks by saying that I still believe The Cato Institute was correct in their report that “W” was the worst violator of The Constitution of all Presidents. I’m going to rant about my concern for the Obama administration, but at least what’s happening is in plain site (most of it)…Dubbya engaged in secretive, nefarious actions in the name of “national security”; which is becoming one of the most overused & specious reasons for legislation I can think of.

That being said, I am very nervous of the current administration’s recent actions for a couple reasons: A) Legislation that is being passed is big now and promises to become bigger in the future and B) The legislation presents itself as “helping American’s” at a time when America is panicking. Big government stepping in during times of panic usually leads to bigger government even after everyone has calmed down (i.e PATRIOT act).

Consider the week after nationalized health care passed. After the “big vote” passed on Sunday, by the end of the business week we also had legislation in place for the government to completely takeover student loans and have a bigger role in covering mortgages. So in less than a week the government now has a primary role in the health, education and housing of the citizenry. Let’s play one of my favorite games: Reductio ad absurdum.

Healthcare: Let’s not quibble about every element of the 1900+ page law. Regardless of how it closes the Medicare donut hole, if you get to keep your current insurance plan or if it’s even constitutional to force citizens to purchase…Anything; let’s boil it down to just those who will gladly take the government plan. As our elected officials want to be diligent with taxpayer dollars I have to assume at some point they will require those on the public dole to take a baseline physical and some blood work. What if the results don’t come out so good? Do we let those on the public plan keep eating Big Mac’s and have taxpayers simply keep buying the Tricor® for them? I say we make that person start eating only fruits, vegetables and grains. Of course, the recipient will howl that we are violating their rights by mandating what they eat and how they exercise, but I say (and so should a fiscally responsible government official) why should taxpayers have to keep supporting an unhealthy lifestyle? So I ask the voter, on this one simple issue, does the government get to direct your lifestyle when you’re on public health insurance or does the taxpayer have to pay for the continued unhealthy lifestyle of others? One or the other here. You decide. And that is one of the SIMPLE considerations to government takeover of health care!  Oh by the way, if you did read that law you will notice that it says in the subtitle that it's supposed provide affordable, quality health care "and for other purposes".  No pork there, I'm sure.

Student Loans: Ok, real simple here. Go to the Department of Labor web site and you can see all sorts of statistics about who works what and where we have shortages of this profession or that. Imagine this; you decide you want to start or finish your degree in…Oh, say…Political Science. You’re trying to make ends meet and just don’t have the extra cash to pay for tuition so you apply for a student loan with the centralized Department of Education, filling out the requisite documents and divulging what your major is going to be. However, the government has determined that there is a glut in all professions tied to a Political Science degree (lawyer, social studies teacher…Congressman) so, unless you change your major to one in which there is more demand for the associated profession, the funds can not be granted. I mean, there are only so many dollars available so we have to spend them where they’ll do the most good, right? “You can’t make me study what I don’t want or am weak in” you strongly protest! “We can if you want public money” is the form letter response. Think this is a silly thought? Inquire with the MESC on what are considered by the State of Michigan as “qualified” training programs for the unemployed who seek tuition assistance while unemployed. Basically it boils down to being a truck driver or a nurse.

Mortgages: This one is tricky to predict, but there will probably be some formula to determine how much you can borrow based on income with the equation being skewed by those that abused the private sector system in the past…er…Excuse me, I mean those who were victims of “predatory lending” while accepting a mortgage on a five bedroom house while earning honest income as a clerk in a party store. Anyhoo, I imagine if one hands their mortgage over to the government a couple fun mandates will kick in. First, you probably have to meet every random code established by whatever alphabet-soup agency at the federal level requires…Not to mention meeting state code(s). Also, as your mortgage is sitting in the hands of taxpayers, if you so much as paint your garage (thereby increasing the value, which makes you even more rich) then you SHALL report it to your mortgage holder for a new value/tax assessment. Not doing so, of course, would put you in violation of federal law. My vision seems a little over-the-top I know, until you speak with a current homeowner about what tax & code issues they go through at the local level; and their local government isn’t holding the mortgage!

These are my predictions effective April 2010; only time will tell. You may think my perspectives are a bit excessive, but I challenge you to show me one government action that has either gotten smaller or been removed over time; we still have a Bureau of Indian Affairs and I think that was formed about the time Gen. Custer committed a tactical faux pas for crying out loud! If we don’t reconsider our current course of handing every aspect our life over to the federal government we may find that what started out as a safe embrace turns into a hug delivered by Lennie Small!

A New Twist: A Specter Running Scared

I haven’t ranted in a while, for that I apologize…To both of my readers. But I had to write about the Arlen Specter debacle because it absolutely defines what politicians stand for today; and that is about holding onto power, not principle.

What is most glaring in Arlen's statement is the 6th paragraph. There he admits in no uncertain terms that he is unwilling to face the voters that have kept him in office for 29 years. In essence, He admits he violated the principles of the party he represented for decades and so, to better ensure he holds onto the reigns of power, he’s going to jump ship and not hold himself accountable to voters that would "kick the bum out."

Dear readers (it’s been a while, so maybe just “reader” will suffice), this is the “leadership" you’re getting when you pull the lever for a Democrat or a Republican. You get not a person who will hold true to the convictions you voted for, rather, you are getting a person who will go wherever the poll winds take him to best ensure victory.

I strongly urge you to review the platform of the Libertarian Party…A party of principle…And decide for yourself which is a “wasted vote”; a vote for a viable 3rd party looking out for responsible (and limited) government, or a vote for a 2-party candidate that may bail out on you when it appears he has some explaining to do.

"To Protect And Serve"...Er...Uh

In yet another chapter in my book on the subject of excessive use of force by our nation's finest (see Your "Protection" At Work), we find a philosophical conundrum on two points.

First, and most basic, shooting a person armed with a crochet hook. That's right, apparently a cop-killing, street-sweeping crochet hook. So let me pose this reductio ad absurdum to you folks...Let's say you are awakened in the middle of the night by the sound of someone breaking into your home. You grab your gun (of which you had to provide everything but a fecal sample to prove your ability to possess) and see a bad guy lunging at you, so you shoot and kill the assailant. The police come to investigate and find you killed a person lunging at you with a...Oh, let's say...Crochet hook. In the world of civilians using excessive force, which do you think is going to happen: 1) The police pat you on the back and say they understand your fear and need to defend your family in your home or 2) You are arrested for using a gun on a person wielding a crochet hook. I'll give you a hint...Make sure your spouse has bail money and a good lawyer available.

Yet apparently if you have been sworn to protect and serve the public, given enough weaponry, body armor and back-up officers to make an Army Reserve unit happy, you can go ahead and shoot a person "coming at you" with sewing device. Nice.

The second issue I take umbrage with is the fact that the police officers involved reported thinking the crochet hook was a "knife or pick axe". Are you kidding me?! In case you don't know what a crochet hook looks like, comparing one to a knife or pick axe is like comparing a #2 pencil to a baseball bat! Yet, if you go to trial in a dispute with a police officer, the courts have determined these well-trained professionals are well-trained witnesses and, as such, the judge will always take the word of a police officer over a civilian. Think about that next time you see a crochet hook and stand it next to a knife or pick axe.

What's more, this woman had already been stabbing herself in the neck...The "professional witnesses" saw that! Now, given their previous testimony, perhaps she was actually just crocheting something and the cops thought they saw her stabbing herself, but let's give them the benefit of the doubt on this one. Was there blood? Could they have maybe just stepped back slowly and let herself bleed out as she approached them with the pick axe...Er, crochet hook? If they needed to act, why not just reach into their golf bag of weaponry and grab a taser or a billy club or whatever other selection of non-lethal choices available to them? I guess the trigger finger is a little itchier when you know there are no legal consequences to your actions. Oddly enough, two "well-trained" officers who came to a scene to keep a woman from killing herself simply provided her a better method to complete her task.

So, who's going to protect us from the "protectors?"

Here We Go Again!

Now organizations can't send out pictures of cute puppies because it offends an element of society? This madness has to stop.

I understand that in a civilized society the wants of the majority can't always be delivered at the exclusion of the rights of the minority, but when did the reverse become allowable? Puppies are cute...That's accepted (almost) worldwide...But, apparently, in some enclaves they are considered devil spawn and an affront to the senses of everyone receiving mail. Odd, given the propensity of this same group to feel that such "filth" should reproduce unimpeded.

I'm curious when the Jewish community is going to express outrage at the pernicious telling of The Three Little Pigs, or when Christians will stop going to our local "shopkeepers" because of the portrayal of Jesus in South Park. More surprising, why aren't the young men in college fraternities protesting big girls in bathing suits? Now THAT should be considered "unclean"! I mean, just how small of a voting block can a group be and still affect the actions of the vast majority of everyone else?!

I'm tired of this ultra-sensitive political correctness and I plan on pointing out each ridiculous item until others are tired of it too.

Good luck all you pre-determinist's out there!!

And Irresponsibility Shall Set You Free...

This particular bit of news is really putting a rash in my diaper.

Apparently, in no small part because of an election year methinks, those citizens who made poor choices with their finances are going to be rewarded. Obviously, the full extent of the "relief" has not been determined yet, but is that really the point? Our fearless leaders are now going to set the precedent that it doesn't matter how far you over-extend yourself or get into contracts that are beyond your means, you will be bailed out by the government.

I have to wonder, what does this mean to those of us who stayed within our means and purchased only a house we can afford? We get no "kickback" now, but what if a couple years down the road my wife & I run into trouble...REAL trouble, like job loss...Not the kind of trouble this constituency got themselves into whereby they decided to buy a 5-bed / 3-bath house on 4 acres with a total gross income of $25k a year? Do I get to go to the government for a bailout? Just curious about that.

Also, I really don't want to hear about "predatory" lenders. A few years back, when the U.S. of A. was flush with money, these lenders we being castigated for NOT making the "American Dream" available to the poor. Now that they have listened to the masses and distributed loans, they are called "sharks" and "predators"...To me, this is just another deflection of the fact that the recipients of the loans did not accept the consequences of his/her actions. I've gone through various loan practices; everyone is told what the payment is going to be and, in the case of variable interest, what it will change to. Just because some fool didn't want to read the terms, or chose to disregard them, doesn't mean a) The lender should be called a predator and b) Those of us who do review the paperwork pay for those that don't.

This legislation will pass. Irresponsible people will be bailed out. And when the dust settles and people who truly fall on hard luck need help, the money will have dried up...And America will continue its inexorable pass into a nanny state.

Your "Protection" At Work

We'll here's another excellent example of the expected outcome of two conditions: 1) Cops investigating cops and 2) A conservative federal government and their belief in the application of law enforcement.

Admittedly the guy was probably a murderer, though far be it from our police officers to presume innocence until convicted in a Court of law; but is it really necessary to shoot a man 68 times?! This investigative finding isn't too far behind the acquittal of 3 officers for shooting a man 50 times...Including one cop who emptied his clip & reloaded! Ah well, at least that one made it to trial.

Look, if someone breaks into my home and I not only shoot him, but empty my clip, reload and fire some more...I assure you I will be arrested for excessive force. Of course, if you wear a badge under a Republican administration, no amount of bullets is enough for a bad guy!

Before you say "well, the guy deserved it, he shot a cop" I would contend two things: 1) There have been enough cases of people being released from prison due to new evidence to suggest to me that not every case is so cut-and-dried. 2) This isn't just about the shooting victim; this is about our para-military police forces not having to show any restraint with deadly force while at the same time wanting every non-cop to be disarmed!

Did you know that, despite all the statistics the Justice Dept. keeps, they keep no statistics on police-involved events such as this and other situations such as incorrect addresses for SWAT no-knocks, etc.? Why would that be?

I recommend that as long as this trend continues none of you reach for your proof of insurance too quickly during a pullover...The "sudden movement" could lead to your death by "acceptable police procedure."

WWJD? Probably Think, I Imagine.

I need to understand how those "of faith" continue to consider good luck as "divine intervention" and bad luck...Or stupidity...As simply an unforeseen circumstance.

So we have these jokers who either did not put enough fuel in their plane or failed to monitor the fuel level, crediting an answered prayer for their survival. Now, if God really wanted to protect them, why didn't he just have them check their fuel gauge every now & then? Or, better yet, why didn't he just have his son do a variation on that endless fish trick he did a couple thousand years ago, this time just creating an endless supply of fuel until the simpletons had enough flying for the day?

Once again, the view of the bible-thumpers is "it doesn't matter my actions or choices, God will look out for me." Oh to have such a child-like lack of responsibility. I'm curious, did the 46 people who died in a February plane crash in Venezuela not pray hard enough? I mean, sure the plane hit a mountain versus running out of fuel, but it's the same concept; the pilot isn't paying attention to conditions. What is the answer from the thumpers regarding this event and divine intervention? Surely, if God can deny His own laws of physics to carry a plane beyond its fuel capacity for 2 people, he could have moved a mountain for 46 people, yes?

Thumpers, for the last time; God had nothing to do with either of these events. Human error started the ball rolling and random events factored into the conclusion. Crediting God with a save is no more plausible than blaming Him when the results are bad. These guys believing God saved them is the ultimate in arrogance...As if their lives were more important to God than anyone else who did not survive a disaster.

And by the way, don't give me that "He works in mysterious ways" crap. The only thing mysterious about the contradictions is why some people choose to live their lives as literal interpretations of the metaphorical sheep.

Another Example of The "Effectiveness" of Gun Laws

So, it appears they're shootin' each other up in Chicago:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,351981,00.html

What I find most interesting is the quote by Police Superintendent Jody Weis: "There are just too many weapons here...Too many guns, too many gangs."

I am fascinated by that because Chicago has one of the most oppressive gun control policies in the United States. With such strong gun control on the books, how can there be "too many guns"? Odd.

Then it dawned on me; gun-control advocates can smirk at the When Guns Are Outlawed Only Outlaws Will Have Guns bumper sticker all they want, but it continues to ring true. Consider that two of the most gun violent cities in the U.S....Chicago & D.C....Are also two cities with the strongest gun control laws and you can see the prescience of the bumper sticker.

I don't know the victims in the Chicago story, but I'll bet most of them were obeying Chicago's gun laws and as a result unable to fire back. They're being called "victims" now.

So when are the gun-haters going to quit making more victims? When are they going to realize the more you outlaw guns the more victims you will have? Bah, better to just smirk at the "rednecks with the bumper stickers", right?

Thing is, those rednecks might have fired back. A country boy can survive.

Perspectives From A News Story

As I sit here writing this, the company I’ve been working for is winding down operations, set to close its doors in 4-6 months. In 20 years of working in the automotive industry this will be my fourth event of either a plant closing or “downsizing”. I’ve said it before and I’ll write it here…I’ve gotta get out of the automotive industry.

As so often happens with a big event like this plant closing, one can get a little maudlin and start wondering if the right choices were made. Since you’re reading this, I’m going to share my ruminations with you.

First of all, I do not regret taking the job at my present employer. There are many good things that came from my 6+ years here.

The best event for me was meeting my wife as a result me moving to take this job. My “previous life” was full of tumult, and she has been a patient and loving lighthouse to guide me through subsequent stormy events.

I work with some great people who have at times allowed me to laugh until tears came down my face; a great gift in the automotive supply business where the tears are usually from anger and frustration.

The interactions with my boss have both hardened me as well as better tuned my sense of human nature. That too is a gift because usually the two are mutually exclusive; rarely can you be emotionally hardened and still care enough to stay perceptive to how people will behave…You simply don’t care. On the flip side, often people who are tuned into human nature are too empathetic to become “cold”. Through various exercises during my tenure with him, our Plant Mgr. has allowed me to strike a better balance and it is a tool I will carry with me for a lifetime.

The people who work for me in my department have given me many challenges and taught me better skills as a manager. My managerial pendulum has swung from “country club” style to “despot” and, I believe, finally reached a good fulcrum point. They might disagree, however…

But to be sure, being an automotive supplier positively sucks, and there are reasons I make this statement:

The car companies expect suppliers to provide them the lowest bid for a program, and then provide cost downs EACH YEAR of the program! So, while our costs go up (including the price of cars), the OEM’s (car companies) get to pay less for their parts. Imagine going to a dealership and negotiating the best price you can, then telling the salesman you want a 3% decrease on your payment each year you finance the vehicle; THAT is what it’s like working with the OEM’s…Except, unlike the car salesman, we can’t laugh at the proposition, only comply if we want the business.

I have experienced many instances of poor part design or planning by the OEM’s whereby the cost of that mistake is bore by the supplier through sorts, part replacement, etc. Often the design is changed to better accommodate the fit & function, but monies are never given back to the suppliers who paid the price for the error(s). I sat in one meeting held due to a difference in interpretation of a part print whereby the (Honda) representative actually said something to the effect of “there must be something wrong with your mind”. A year or so later (and many costly sorts), Engineers from Honda acknowledged our interpretation of the print and provided a waiver for future events….We did NOT, however, receive reimbursement for previous costs incurred. By the way it should be noted that the cost of part design is high, so of course the OEM’s are now trending towards having the suppliers become designers…All part of the package for the “honor” of being an auto parts supplier.

As a result of the “trickle-down” effect, the added cost burden taken on by parts suppliers as a result of poor design, cost downs, etc. force suppliers to cut their own costs; which usually means less staff to perform the enhanced tasks the OEM’s expect in the first place. This arrangement is what the automakers call a “relationship”…The irony here is that it’s a relationship as long as suppliers do what the OEM’s tell them; it’s a vassal state complete with the king’s crushing cavalry if we DON’T fulfill on their requests.

So in a short time I’ll be cleaning out my office, shutting off the lights and reading in the paper about another plant closing...MY plant closing. To others reading the paper it will simply be another closing in a city full of them; to me it will be the end of another era with friends left behind and memories providing lesson’s learned. I keep telling myself I’m going to get out of automotive, but let’s face it, we “go where we know”, so I’ll probably be working in some other position for a parts supplier before too long. That’s too bad because as Tim McGraw so perfectly sang…”It’s too late to keep from goin’ crazy, I just gotta get away.”

I gotta get out of automotive.