Good or Bad for the Jews

"Good or Bad for the Jews"

Many years ago, and for many years, I would travel to Morocco to visit uncles, cousins, and my paternal grandmother. Some lived in Tangiers;...

Friday, January 18, 2013

Guns: Hunting Obama's Elephants

Apologies for the light blogging these past few days. Having one of those periodic visits by what Churchill and others have called the "black dog." A little one, mind you, but nevertheless it interferes with my ability to engage in witty repartee of the blog-type. Let me explain. I am not talking about some clinical depression. I am talking about the black dog that bites you when you read the news, and see and hear the politicians--Democrat and Republican, American and foreign--prattle on about anything and everything except the facts. There are so many facts out there the size of elephants or at least the size of CTU President Karen Lewis, yet the world's politicians manage not to see them and to see, instead, what they believe in.

So many examples, so very many. I can only deal with a few.

One would think that a President of Kenyan heritage with many relatives still in that country would have an ability to spot and hunt elephants. Apparently not.

Let's start with the economy and government finances. Disaster. The elephants are everywhere, crushing the crops, knocking over the huts, flattening everything and everyone in their path. Nothing was resolved with the bizarre deal reached by Obama and the spineless GOP Congress. The government is spending at an increasing rate, at a rate that is not sustainable, and at a rate that threatens to destroy the entire economy and the very essence of American life, i.e., individual freedom. The debate over the growth of government programs should be about the effect of those programs on our individual freedoms, on the position of the United States in the world, as well as on our shrinking wallets. I don't see that debate. Instead we talk about nonsense.

In other words, instead of talking about the economy and the crazy government policies ruining it, we talk about guns. Yes, guns. Every liberal politician from Obama to Biden, Cuomo, Emanuel, Bloomberg, Villaraigosa, Brown, etc., and news outlet is full of concerns over "assault weapons." Yes, that is the greatest issue facing America. What is almost funny is that none of these pontificators can tell us what is an "assault rifle." I will tell you what it is. It is a made-up term meant to sound scary. It is like "global climate change," something which can be defined and redefined at will. It is a term used to frighten silly people whose knowledge of guns comes from watching Hollywood movies where every gang-banger has an arsenal of fully automatic weapons. It is a term meant to justify even more growth in government power and even further loss of individual freedoms.

Within the gun debate, of course, there are enormous elephants that the advocates of evermore government power will not see. How about this one? According to the FBI, "gun-infested" Utah has a homicide rate lower lower than "gun-free" England and Wales, not to mention that gunless paradise of Chicago. Could it be something else that generates chaos and violence? The destruction of the family? The rise of an entitlement culture?

 The gun grabbers might also want to note another elephant: gun sales and gun ownership have been exploding in the US, yet crime rates, including homicides, have been declining. How could that possibly be? Ignore the elephant, maybe it will go away.

As reported by CNN, even the government of Mexico has jumped in to argue for greater gun restrictions in the US, once again blaming law-abiding American gun owners for the carnage in Mexico. The government of Mexico should do its own elephant hunting, and concentrate on advocating an end to the insane "war on drugs" and, oh yes, demand that the Obama administration hold responsible the politicians and bureaucrats behind "Fast and Furious." One would think that the government of Mexico would have other more pressing things to worry about than my gun collection.

I am in a dark mood.

38 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Speaking of elephants in the room, I was wondering if an eminence such as Karen Lewis, in charge of the teacher's union whose members are in charge of the children in all of the classrooms in Chicago, had any bright ideas about how to make gun control work.

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  3. YessireeBob, we can implement magic-thinking measures regarding guns, but not a one of those includes a prohibition of the DoJ smuggling guns to Mexican drug cartels. We can threaten a brilliant but mentally-imbalanced young man with 35 years in jail from 13 felony convictions and contribute to his suicide - over purloining a bunch of probably dreary and unimaginative academic papers with a true value of a few kilobucks. We cannot, however, prosecute a Obama bundler named Corzine who magically made $1.5 billion of client money disappear. These people, these effin' people, have no idea how pernicious and corrosive these actions - and inactions - are to the general public's acceptance of the law system. Or they do and don't care. Low info progressive reactionary voters rool, baby.

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    1. Low info progs rool - but not for long, I dearly hope. Reality, she bites deep and hard.

      Oh, yeah - I am Celia Hayes, at www.celiahayes.com. Your spam-shields do not recognize my wordpress identity. Be a sport, take them out and have them flogged by your minions.

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    2. Oh I'll go with 'The do - they consider it a *bonus*!'.

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  4. There is a certain irony in having the left demonize the NRA while Obama adopts (without credit) an NRA program (firearms safety training) and an NRA recommendation ("resource people" i.e, armed guards) in schools during his 23-point "gun violence" speech. True, Obama paid much more attention to guns than violence. But give Obama credit for recognizing useful policies when he sees them. One only wishes he could have thanked the NRA for giving useful thought to the problem of guns in the wrong hands.

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  5. Diplomad,

    Everyone has their "The Gods of the Copybook Headings" moments.

    Regards,

    -Blake

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  6. DiploMad,

    These people don't understand facts. All they understand is their precious liberal (actually "progressive") agenda. If we'd only listen to them then all would be "unicorns and glitter". Damn conservatives and their nasty (inconvenient) facts!

    Also odd that Mexico has jumped in to argue for greater gun restrictions in the US, as it was non-law-abiding Americans in the US government who are really responsible for the carnage in Mexico. Maybe they're mad because the pResident hasn't pardoned all the illegals yet. (Ya know, to get them off Mexico's books.)

    By the way - welcome back!

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  7. They only see what fits their agenda-ruining the greatest nation on the planet. Of course as any well read prophecy scholar knows the US is going to have to fade from the world scene as a world power to allow a global government to take over. It is a rather dark thought when you really deal with the idea that global government is really a matter of when not if and is coming regardless of our opinions, in spite of our actions.

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  8. Diplomad, sir, I seriously like your posts. You are in that unique position where you can speak freely while being cognizant of the sewer we're all having to swim in. The problem with swimming in sewers is that most people end up smelling like a turd - even if they didn't start out that way. sad. Now to my own little point...

    Smoke. and. mirrors. To me, as an ignorant rube from fly-over country, the entire agenda of the Obama administration seems to be like a giant dance. Nothing is in a straight line, it's all feint first to the left and then to the right. Remember the Hokey-Pokey? ROFL That is the Obama Administration and his Democrat/Media followers.

    What is Obama after - his goals? Power. Power and control beyond the defined Executive office that he holds right now. It appears that an infrastructure is being set up right now for America to be run by a strong man. Who that will be, I don't have a clue. Obama....mmm, maybe. My guess is that he's given it some thought and so have a few other Dems. Either way, when the economy totally collapses and food runs out in the cities, there are going to be a lot of very anxious people. Strong men deliver their followers, eh? Exciting times, it's good to be alive!

    Last point, I just saw this ---> http://legalinsurrection.com/2013/01/cult-of-personality/

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  9. In the offchance a few of your (what is it now 12 or so?) readers happen to live in areas where there's confusion over what is and isn't - here's a pretty good primer to send to an editor of whatever local paper.

    http://www.assaultweapon.info/

    Kinda succinct however - seems lately nothing short of a slap upside the head is apt to be, er, ameliorative - a friend from "not Arkansas" asked me for something he could send his state's legislators.

    At any rate Diplomad, thanks for the giggle at seeing the elephant in the room. Only wish the Republicans in the New York assembly had had this post to peruse. Before they sent the bill for Cuomo's signature!

    Arkie

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  10. it's not just Mexico: here in the Philippines there was a sudden "spontaneous" outcry in the press to ban guns at the same time, using the excuse of a child killed by a "celebration" bullet during New Years.

    Uh, Marcos already confiscated all the guns (meaning that everyone hides them in their houses). And a lot of the "murders" here are by people authorized to carry guns or are hit jobs by semi professionals (e.g. against reporters spilling the beans on corruption or of one's political rivals...the NPA finds money hard to get, so they moonlight for a small fee).

    I think it's coordination, since you can almost see the usual suspects shouting about what people in the US think are important rather than the problems ordinary folks worry about.

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  11. Diplomad,
    Many years ago we spent four wonderful years in Germany. While there we had quite a few interesting experiences. I also learned German and tutored several older women in English. These folks were in part, captivated by my Texas accent, but they wanted just to chat in English, and rememinsce about the time the Americans made a favorable impression with food supplies, after WWII.
    Each had their own unique story. But there was one and I have never forgotten her experiences are something she said as we were talking about how Germany fell under Hitler's spell. She said, "Frau G, you think this is something that happened to a country that could never happen in America. She said, "Always remember that America is not immune, nor is any country. There could always arise a man who could do what Hitler did to our country. And Frau G, he got rid of any in his pathway, so no one could stand up against him."

    My husband said the other day that what disturbed him in 2008 was that this man could grow in power just as other dictators have by quashing his opponents and by brilliant propoganda. He has all of that now. And while we hoped his Chicago style politics would be stripped in 2012, we were sadly mistaken, or the election was stolen, it is anyone's guess.
    Now where do we go from here? Things look grim for certain. But I rest my faith in God and the American people, who when they get their fill will stand up and speak truth to power. We will see, but God is still in control.
    Blessings,
    ETR (the East Texas Rancher)

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    1. ETR truer words were never spoken. I remember taking a lot of heat on a different blog, that one on biblical prophecy, several years back about Israel being one election away from the US not standing with her. We were discussing the war of EZ 38 in which Israel stands alone against a coalition of countries come against her. Many have speculated that the reason Israel stands alone is that all the Christians are gone as in the Rapture. I had a different take at the time and was proven correct as there were several congress critters and senators elected at that time who were most definitely anti Israel, POTUS that year was won by Bush for second term. Now with the most recent election we have a man as POTUS who is not a friend to Israel and is in the process of appointing two men who are also anti Israel to two very key posts. Gen 12:3 is still in force and with three key leaders in place in our government who have no plans to bless Israel this country is done. Whatever we do as a country to Israel will be done to us in spades. While I don't agree with about a third of his book (mostly the end stuff on replacement theologians) and I think a couple of instances his is over-reaching a bit in his comparisons, John McTernan wrote an interesting book called As America has done to Israel. It is quite interesting to say the least. A messianic Jew, Dr Fruchtenbaum, in one of his books (I don't remember which though) goes through differing empires in Europe and how they fell with regards to their treatment of Jews. My husband and I have many conversations with our son about our country, what it was and what it is becoming, so at least one in the next generation knows.

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    2. jib, while I very much appreciate your thoughts regarding the US and it's relationship with Israel, rest assured that if we Israelis are wise enough in our selection of who will lead us as a nation, it will matter little who sits in the WH.
      We have overcome much bigger enemies than the Sheikh in the White House.

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    3. SabaShimon

      May you and your leaders trust more in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob than in those here on earth. Blessings upon you and yours.

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  12. Having never owned a gun and only shot one once when I was 18, I still disagree with the gun laws in NYS of which I am a citzen. Why 7 bullets? Why not 6 or 8?
    This is all crazy and, I have never seen the US Govt put up a bigger shiny thing than this all to divert the electorate that we are going broke and can no longer fund pig farts in India, prostitute study in China or monkeys on meth.
    Hey, further restrict gun ownership by legal citizens... That will cure it!

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    1. Why seven bullets? I suspect it's because most modern weapons hold a minimum of eight or nine rounds. Even the WW II Garand held eight.

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    2. Indeed, why seven rounds? That's more than most revolvers, shotguns and detachable magazine-based long arms. But way less than most modern pistols and sporting rifles. Seven rounds happens to be the magazine capacity of a typical 1911-pattern Colt .45, which although more than 100 years old in design is still quite a popular firearm. My guess is that there is probably a New York-based manufacturer of 1911s or 1911 accessories that has sway with a legislator connected with this odious restriction. Someone who makes fewer high-round models than low-round. Hmmm, REMINGTON anyone? Sales of 1911s will certainly benefit in NY, at any rate. After all, who wants a Glock or other 9mm that only holds 7+1. Might as well go up in caliber...

      ACCO

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    3. Ack, second sentence above should have read "seven more than INTERNAL magazine-based long arms" to make the point I had in mind, rather than "detachable."

      Anyway, follow the money.

      ACCO

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  13. Welcome back - we missed you. And you are not alone in your dark mood about the direction of our formally great nation.

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  14. If the government War on Guns works anything at all like the War on Drugs, we'll all be able to buy military-grade weapons and ammo inexpensively with no background check without even venturing out of our neighborhood. I have to drive further to buy a loaf of bread and peanut butter and jelly than I would to buy recreational pharmaceuticals.

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  15. Also, I wonder if the various branches of our state and federal government are getting really worried something like this could happen here - in the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2265002/Ahmed-Dogan-Heart-stopping-moment-man-pulls-gun-Bulgarian-opposition-leader-makes-speech-live-TV.html

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    1. "Also, I wonder if the various branches of our state and federal government are getting really worried something like this could happen here ..."

      You wonder?

      http://www.ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/ChallengersFromtheSidelines.pdf

      Arkie

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  16. I'm thinking of becoming an alcoholic. It's something that I've always wanted to do, and the time just seems right.

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  17. I too am feeling all sad however I am hugely enjoying Rush's campaign to reach the Low Information Voter. Highly recommended. Entertaining, out of the box, and possibly even a path forward.

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    1. Do they even listen to Rush? Seems like a waste of time unless he has a sound bite that hacks of the MSM and they start blathering about it.

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    2. Thanks Jib, I considered yesterday whether to make that observation - I'm generally of the opinion Rush is only heard by the already converted choir - still, voices from our wilderness must remain shouting. I have to believe somehow, someday, the message will somehow get through.

      I'm not holding my breath tho.

      Arkie

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    3. I have to admit that I've quit watching Fox because of the liberal commentators in their "fair and balanced" segments. I have to listen to idiocy 24/7 on the MSM, and I'll be damned if I'll listen to it on Fox as well.

      As a nation, we're polarized. I don't see it getting any better.

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  18. I think Rush recognizes the polarization and is contemplating ways of overcoming it and, in his case, bringing in more listeners from the other side. This does relate to Diplomad's elephants. As a former FSO, much lower on the food chain than Diplomad, I kept thinking, about whatever issue or country I was working on, that the devil is in the details! And for the most part it seemed impossible to get the higher-ups to notice those details because they were so focused on immediate politics and what would look good for their own careers. It's all about reality and getting people at all levels to recognize it and act on it. And being frustrated that the press seems less interested than ever in reality. They've always done a rotten job on foreign policy, but now they are doing a rotten job domestically as well.

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  19. I think that Rush has given up. He sounds bitter -- like it is no longer fun for him. Low information voters do not and will not ever listen to Rush.

    His prior view was that America was a center-right nation. At the time of the election, as the late polls showed a Romney surge, Rush seemed optimistic that the solid core of America would save us. What the election showed was that this belief was far wrong. This was the last firebreak between us and the abyss.

    Hence the reality: America embracing socialism, tea party fading, Republicans are the loyal opposition.

    That leaves Rush, standing alone against the tide. A very lonely place indeed.

    He always promised his listeners that he would tell us when he believed the fight was over. Perhaps he is struggling with that promise.

    Looking at the current fact pattern, I can't imagine much more of a slippery slope. Financial, legal, and demographic considerations have slam-dunked conservatives. The left is highly organized and is coordinating their efforts and resources. They fight dirty and are willing to cheat to win. The right is in disarray, and their morals will not allow them to match the tricks of the left.

    The low information voter is merely a symptom. School / university indoctrination is the root cause. Loss of religious values is a close second. Both planned and orchestrated by the left. Masterful and evil. Way to entrenched to turn. Getting worse not better.

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  20. I work in the school system. My district is one of the best in the state. I tell parents that they need to homeschool their kids if at all possible if they want them to have an actual education. The textbooks are politically correct bovine excrement.

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    1. Oh that my incisively clear and intelligent comment was lost to the ether!

      You've given a sound track to follow. With the exception of my two eldest grandsons (mil academies) I find it very difficult to find a common reference from which to begin discussions [as opposed to conversations] with my remaining graduated - so far - grandkids.

      Thirty years or so ago, an acquaintance handed me a book which, while not in my field regardless I've come to see presented a very good argument. E.D. Hirsch's Cultural Literacy. Toward the end of the tome Mr. Hirsch enumerated perhaps a thousand items, 70% of which he argued, each American student should have at least a nominal familiarity with. Without that foundational grounding he went on to argue - our American culture was likely to fracture.

      While I cannot depend from memory to list each, or indeed very many of those items - one does spring easily to mind if only because I had an Uncle who was wont to use the term with me when I was a kid. (He being a WWI vet).

      Sea change.

      Arkie

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  21. [Hi, I spotted the following on the web. Any reaction? Veronica]

    Pretrib Rapture Pride

    by Bruce Rockwell

    Pretrib rapture promoters like Thomas Ice give the impression they know more than the early Church Fathers, the Reformers, the greatest Greek New Testament scholars including those who produced the KJV Bible, the founders of their favorite Bible schools, and even their own mentors!
    Ice's mentor, Dallas Sem. president John Walvoord, couldn't find anyone holding to pretrib before 1830 - and Walvoord called John Darby and his Brethren followers "the early pretribulationists" (RQ, pp. 160-62). Ice belittles Walvoord and claims that several pre-1830 persons, including "Pseudo-Ephraem" and a "Rev. Morgan Edwards," taught a pretrib rapture. Even though the first one viewed Antichrist's arrival as the only "imminent" event, Ice (and Grant Jeffrey) audaciously claim he expected an "imminent" pretrib rapture! And Ice (and John Bray) have covered up Edwards' historicism which made a pretrib rapture impossible! Google historian Dave MacPherson's "Deceiving and Being Deceived" for documentation on these and similar historical distortions.
    The same pretrib defenders, when combing ancient books, deviously read "pretrib" into phrases like "before Armageddon," "before the final conflagration," and "escape all these things"!
    BTW, the KJV translators' other writings found in London's famed British Library (where MacPherson has researched) don't have even a hint of pretrib rapturism. Is it possible that Ice etc. have found pretrib "proof" in the KJV that its translators never found?
    Pretrib merchandisers like Ice claim that nothing is better pretrib proof than Rev. 3:10. They also cover up "Famous Rapture Watchers" (on Google) which shows how the greatest Greek NT scholars of all time interpreted it.
    Pretrib didn't flourish in America much before the 1909 Scofield Bible which has pretribby "explanatory notes" in its margins. Not seen in the margins was jailed forger Scofield's criminal record throughout his life that David Lutzweiler has documented in his recent book "The Praise of Folly" which is available online.
    Biola University's doctrinal statement says Christ's return is "premillennial" and "before the Tribulation." Although universities stand for "academic freedom," Biola has added these narrow, restrictive phrases - non-essentials the founders purposely didn't include in their original doctrinal statement when Biola was just a small Bible institute! And other Christian schools have also belittled their founders.
    Ice, BTW, has a "Ph.D" issued by a tiny Texas school that wasn't authorized to issue degrees! Ice now says that he's working on another "Ph.D" via the University of Wales in Britain. For light on the degrees of Ice's scholarliness, Google "Bogus degree scandal prompts calls to wind up University of Wales," "Thomas Ice (Bloopers)," "be careful in polemics - Peripatetic Learning," and "Walvoord Melts Ice."
    Other fascinating Google articles include "The Unoriginal John Darby," "X-raying Margaret," "Edward Irving in Unnerving," "Pretrib Rapture Politics," "Pretrib Rapture Secrets," "Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty," "Pretrib Hypocrisy," "Pretrib Rapture Secrecy," and "Roots of Warlike Christian Zionism" - most from the author of "The Rapture Plot," the most accurate documentation on pretrib rapture history.
    Can anyone guess who the last proud pretrib rapture holdout will be?
    (Postscript: For another jolt or two Google "The Background Obama Can't Cover Up.")

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