-By Warner Todd Huston
I was a recent guest on the “The Conscience of Kansas” Radio Show hosted by Paul Ibbetson.
CLICK HERE to go to the podcast to hear it.
Paul A. Ibbetson
Obamaca: Reshaping society through government control
Paul A. Ibbetson
In 1997, under the direction of Andrew Niccol, people viewed on their cinema screens a sterilized world of growing government perfection. The movie, “Gattaca,” depicted a world where through genetic selection only children with their parents’ desired hereditary traits were given societal acceptance. The children that were born naturally, void of the process called preimplantation genetic diagnosis, were labeled “in-valids” and were treated as societal junk and placed in menial labor jobs. To the elites of this futuristic world, this made for a more productive humanity. Like liberals today, the power wielders of this science fiction story wanted to make their version of a better, more productive and certainly healthier society, and to do that they needed the power of the government. Gattaca was a world of sterilized government control where the “haves” and the “have nots” of social class warfare could be identified with the technological speed of an eye scan, cheek swab or blood test.
It would be easy to leave these Orwellian-style cinematic depictions of worlds with governments running amuck at the doors of the theatre if it weren’t for the disquieting reality that society seems to mirror these movies at an alarming rate. One has only to look to recent events to see that it is the modern liberal of today that works feverishly to build the Gattaca of tomorrow. Ed Morrissey of Hot Air reported on July 6, 2010 of New York Governor David Paterson’s attempt to tax the fat out of people, with a high-profile levy on sugary drinks. The ultra-liberal, get-your-Gattaca-here Mayor Gavin Newsom achieved level one of calorie control in his sphere of influence by declaring Coke, Pepsi, and Fanta Orange as in-valid and thus rejecting them from city vending machines and exchanging them for soy and rice milk.
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Obamaca: Reshaping society through government control”
The ‘Barefoot’ Culture and the Promotion of Deviance
Paul A. Ibbetson
CNN reports that police authorities in the Bahamas have captured 19-year-old Colton Harris-Moore, known by the media as the “Barefoot Bandit.” This 19-year-old boy has been on the run from the law for more than two years for stealing cars, boats and even airplanes. Even his arrest ended in a dramatic fashion with a high-speed boat chase in the waters of Harbor Island. To some, the Barefoot Bandit is surely the stuff that great stories are made of. The question is whether or not this is a story worth repeating.
It is within the framing of stories such as the Barefoot Bandit that we see the moral condition of the country. Like the genetic makeup of any living being, it is from within that one can see the true nature of what is visible on the outside. Every society has the option to frame its heroes and villains, and what do our societal standards dictate when it comes to teenage felons like Harris-Moore? Juan McCartney and Mike Melia of the Associated Press say that Harris-Moore has built his reputation as a 21st-century folk hero. Of course thieves don’t “build” as they have no time for such labors. They are too busy stealing what others have built. Even with the factual terminology in place, one cannot say that Harris-Moore even managed steal a reputation as a 21st-century folk hero. No, to be factual it must be said that this young man’s celebrity status was a gift from the media, paid for by modern society. Unfortunately, even after the Barefoot Bandit’s arrest, the debauchery over deviant behavior is just beginning.
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The ‘Barefoot’ Culture and the Promotion of Deviance”
Barack Obama: Securing the border, one sign at a time
Paul A. Ibbetson
No one likes to be opposed. As people, we pick a side of an argument we believe in and try our hardest to win. That’s life, but there are differing ways in which we oppose one another and some are much more inflammatory than others. See if you agree. Is it not more frustrating, more infuriating when someone attempts to trick you to win an argument? Is there not more respect given to those who say, “You’re wrong, I’m right, and I will prove it!” versus someone who attempts trickery and poorly devised schemes to win an argument while congratulating you on your hard-fought victory?
I say it is better to be defeated than to be duped and defeated. When it comes to the issue of border security Barack Obama is attempting poorly crafted chicanery on the citizens of this country. Obama is not the first to fail the American people on this issue, but he is the first to fail them in such an insulting manner. Before we shine the light of accountability on Obama’s bamboozling bag of border tricks, we should look at the failures to secure the border that preceded his presidency.
Through the time and effort of average Americans in the Minuteman Project the nation received video footage of the undeniably massive influx of illegal aliens crossing the border. If ever it was in question, the will of the American people to be safe and secure in their own nation has now been made clear. The U.S. border must be secured.
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Barack Obama: Securing the border, one sign at a time”
Burning Drudge, burning Weigel: A fiery view from the Washington Post
Paul A. Ibbetson
The forced resignation of David Weigel by the Washington Post will probably be forgotten by tomorrow, nothing more than a little blip on the radar of those submersed in the world of the Washington Post. Weigel’s online communications were nabbed and made public to expose the writer as a liberal who thinks Matt Drudge should set himself on fire and that conservatives are inherently doing evil. If you are a conservative you might shake your head, grit your teeth, or even laugh at some of Weigel’s private meanderings about the opposition. What you would not be is surprised. The Washington Post wants you to think that they are awe-struck and amazed, as if their writer were suddenly part of an E-True Hollywood story in which never-before-seen hidden details are suddenly being illuminated. Please.
Howard Klutz reported in the Washington Post that their Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli said, “We can’t have any tolerance for the perception that people are conflicted or bring a bias to their work. . . . There’s abundant room on our website for a wide range of viewpoints, and we should be transparent about everybody’s viewpoint.” This is a vague statement at best, more than a little silly at worst. The fact of the matter is that all writers, even the freest of thinkers, bring at least some bias to the table and editors know this. In fact, beyond their ability to creatively communicate with the public, writers, bloggers, you name it, are sought for their general political leanings. This is where things may have gone south for Weigel. It appears the Washington Post got caught with a “political lefty” writing as a “political righty.” Who placed David Weigel writing the column titled “Right Now – Inside the conservative movement and Republican Party” That’s right, the Washington Post.
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Burning Drudge, burning Weigel: A fiery view from the Washington Post”
Get out of My Tent! Fruming Over the Tea Party Movement
Paul A. Ibbetson
What does it mean to be a Republican? What does it mean to be a Democrat? Are they both the same? The answer is no they are not, well not completely. I was disheartened to read David Frum’s article, “The Tea Party is a turn-off for US moderates,” not simply because it misrepresents the Tea Party movement which is usually the activity of angry liberals, but it also once again muddies the waters as to why we have a two-party system.
Frum frames the Tea Party activists as radical and angry people, which makes me believe that he most likely has never attended these events and never met the people who come to show their support for America. There is also a major disconnect in Frum’s reality of the liberal media and this movement. Contrary to Frum’s belief, the Tea Party has never been portrayed by the media as an unstoppable force. Actually, if anything, these gatherings that take place all over the country have been downplayed in every possible way. In his assessment of the Tea Parties, Frum sounded more like Keith Olbermann than a former speech writer for George W. Bush. He implies that liberalism within the Republican Party is a needed working part of its existence. Frum calls them the “moderate faction” of the Republican Party, and he indicates that it is they who are offended by these angry activists. He scoffs at the Republicans for rejecting Arlen Specter and thinks it would have been a good strategy to have kept this liberal under the Republican tent.
There is obviously a major disconnect here that needs addressing. I will do so now as someone who has attended many Tea Parties as a speaker, master of ceremonies and often just as a proud American concerned about the future of this country. Tea Party goers are not angry, misguided people. They are not radicals unless limited government, controlled spending, the Constitution and traditional American values are radical ideas. If these ideas are to be placed within the category of “radical” then let my name be placed there as well.
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Get out of My Tent! Fruming Over the Tea Party Movement”
Let’s Hear it for the Girls! Women and the Conservative Movement
Paul A. Ibbetson
We are currently watching the beginning of an American return to conservative values. What is unique about this return is that it is being led by an increasing number of politically savvy women. Political positions in almost all local, state, and national levels of government have been occupied by women for many years but the overwhelming majority have been filled by liberal Democrats. This is about to change.
Sparked by conservative women like Michele Bachmann, the first woman to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from the state of Minnesota, the challenge for women of breaking the “glass ceiling” has been replaced with the reality of breaking the liberal female glass ceiling. Currently Republican Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona is locked in a stare down with President Barack Obama over SB 1070, which deals with illegal immigrants. It’s no longer a question of separating the men from the boys, but more aptly the conservatives from the liberals, the strong from the weak. Jan Brewer is currently winning her stare down with the president, and Arizona’s SB 1070 may in fact be a fundamental catalyst for securing the border in America’s future.
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Let’s Hear it for the Girls! Women and the Conservative Movement”
Ron Paul, Whose Side are You on?
Paul A. Ibbetson
Everybody takes sides. When the chips are down on important issues, everybody can eventually be found on a side of their choosing. Those that claim to be neutral on the important issues of life are either ignorant of the reality of where they truly stand or are attempting to deceive someone. Percentages are higher on the latter, which is unfortunate because it creates a disingenuous world where people carry false banners of affiliation and advertise ideological beliefs that contradict the way they really think and act.
Texas Congressman Ron Paul’s interview with Don Imus over the Israeli embargo of the Gaza Strip raises a number of disturbing questions about where this self-proclaimed Republican stands on a number of important questions. Ron Paul, a longtime isolationist, shocked many when he not only admonished Israel’s lawful blockage of the Gaza Strip, but also said that Israel’s action were nothing short of an act of war. When Imus mentioned that Israel was not attempting to stop humanitarian aid in the region, rather weapons being smuggled to the terrorist organization Hamas, Ron Paul released a tirade of unbelievable statements.
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Ron Paul, Whose Side are You on?”
When I was a child, I Thought Like the Obama Administration
Paul A. Ibbetson
Remember when you were in grade school, or dare I say high school, and you found yourself in a humiliating situation after having failed to read the day’s assignment and being called to expound upon your of knowledge in front of the class? If this happened to you then you don’t need me to frame how things transpired, since for most, this was a situation of distress, confusion, sadness, and shame. The memory of facing the class and trying to repel each of the teacher’s questions like incoming missiles can create a sheen of perspiration on the brow even today.
Some people find they relive these situations in their dreams from time to time when the sandman decides to deal them a dirty hand at bedtime. For most, the saving grace that allows us to break free from such situations is that we grew up and took on the responsibility to prepare for the tasks that we face today. This truth is eloquently stated in the Bible in Corinthians, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.” How the Obama administration could gain from following these wise words!
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When I was a child, I Thought Like the Obama Administration”
Roman Polanski, Pay Your Debt to Society
Paul A. Ibbetson
From the frills of the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, liberal elites from around the world stand in defense of convicted sex offender Roman Polanski. Polanski was charged and convicted in the late 1970s of having sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl and then fled the U.S. before his sentencing. Living as a fugitive from justice in the non-extraditing country of France, Polanski has continued with his filmmaking career until recently traveling to receive movie awards in Switzerland, where he was held on house arrest pending a potential transfer back to the U.S. for sentencing on his 1970s sex crime. As additional allegations of sexual misconduct are being leveled at the filmmaker, just what should be the emphasis of the Polanski story?
Unfortunately, this story is not about criminals that take the innocence from children and the triumphs and failures of the criminal justice system in penalizing such activities. In reality, the Polanski story is about the continual battle for supremacy between the liberal and conservative ideologies in the modern world. The United States, being framed with conservative values, has a criminal justice system, even with all its imperfections, that is constructed on the concept of personal accountability. Within our ideological system, Roman Polanski had not paid his debt to society when he fled to felon-friendly France. It is as simple as that.
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Roman Polanski, Pay Your Debt to Society”
America and Greece: Beware the Path of the Black Cat
Paul A. Ibbetson
In you live in America, Europe, or many other places on the planet, then you probably have heard the tales of bad fortune that befalls unprepared souls who allow a black cat to cross their paths. In this realm of superstition the most capable and blessed black cat path-crossers find themselves with bad fortune, and heaps of it. In an ironic twist of fate, it is said that even the unluckiest people who test this taboo find out that their low lot in life can and will get lower. That’s sad.
Some would question the strolling power of the black cat even in the face of undoubtedly real catastrophes that take place among people who believe they have triggered this unstoppable bad luck. Could it be that when Mr. Whiskers crosses a person’s path people act in ways that increase their risk of misfortune? Possibly they may believe, at least subconsciously, that with bad fortune on the horizon, who needs to worry about well-thought out decisions? The skeptic in me sees the black cat as the perfect scapegoat. A matter of fact a person doesn’t have to face the real cause of their misfortune when it can be laid at the furry dark paws of the bad luck giver.
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America and Greece: Beware the Path of the Black Cat”