Lemmings, the Cliff and 2012

We all think we are invincible.  We all think we will have another day.  Then one day there isn’t another day and our day is done.  Empires rise and empires fall and everyone always thinks, “We’ll make it through this. We always have” then one time you don’t.  No one gets to live in the world they grew up in, because the only thing that never changes is that everything changes.

Though we won the race to the Moon, though we pioneered and financed the International Space Station we have witnessed the end of America’s manned space program, but not because of some grand explosion or tragedy.  Past administrations faced these and soldiered on to boldly go where no man has gone before.  It was not because of a lack of vision; our planners wanted to send Americans to Mars and beyond.  It wasn’t because of a lack of talent, or technical know-how.  No the end of America’s manned space program has arrived because America is in the grip of an administration focused on managing the decline of America even if they have to make the decline happen themselves.

Look at the economy.  Though Nixon famously quipped, “We're all Keynesians now” Milton Friedman and the neo-classical economics of the Chicago School proved we can’t spend our way to prosperity. We can’t borrow our way to solvency, yet this administration has racked up the largest debt of any administration in History in less than three years.  Their first 800 billion dollar stimulus was such a failure even Mr. Obama can’t keep a straight face when talking about the supposed shovel ready jobs.  And what is this administration’s answer to the continuation of the Great Recession?  The President wants more spending and more debt, a policy which ensures the continued degradation of America’s economic position in the world.  From the undisputed leader of the world this administration is fundamentally transforming America into an economic dependency on China.

Ever since the early 1980s and the Laffer Curve provided the facts to prove what many economists had long known: within certain perimeters reducing taxes generates more revenue than raising them.  Economists generally agree that raising taxes slows growth and reduces revenue especially during a recession.  Yet in the current debt ceiling EMERGENCY!!!#*%!!! what does the Obama Administration propose?  They want to raise taxes.  And how do they seek to achieve this masterstroke?  By the most blatant application of class warfare rhetoric since Lenin climbed on a barricade in 1917.

If the President is to be believed, it is the tax credits given to the purchasers and operators of private jets that are one of the three causes of our current economic anemia.  Conveniently it is forgotten by the President and by the Corporations Once Known as the Mainstream Media, who parrot his every word, that it was his own stimulus bill which created these tax credits to begin with.  The second cause according to the President’s teleprompter is tax breaks given to millionaires and billionaires.  By millionaires and billionaires he means everyone earning more than the level needed to qualify for food stamps and Medicaid.  And last but not least are the billions of dollars in subsidies given to Oil Companies.  Of course these aren’t really subsidies they are tax credits extended to domestic companies for the exploration and development of new oil resources, and since at the same time the President and his party will not allow anyone to develop any resources they don’t amount to much.  Never mentioned is the Democrats’ pet corporation such as GE, which pays no federal taxes at all.

That’s the economic plan: attack the private jet industry, tax the rich (anyone not on welfare), and penalize anyone attempting to actually solve America’s dependence on countries that hate us for our energy.  That won’t lead us on the road back to prosperity or maybe that isn’t the destination our leaders have chosen.  Remember don’t discount ulterior motives when the mistakes are so great stupidity seems like the only other answer.

Geo-politically, the endless wars for peace grind on even though everyone knows the moment we leave Iraq they will ally themselves with Iran and the moment we leave Afghanistan the Taliban will march into Kabul as Karsai, his crew, and our billions will take off for Geneva.  Just as the President’s best seller, The Dreams of My Father resembles the nightmares of others his Arab Spring looks more like the prelude to a twenty-first century Kristallnacht or the Middle East version of the March on Rome.  Any but the blind can see that the pro-Western dictators overthrown are being replaced by pro Al-Qaeda Muslim Brotherhood clones.  And after less than three years of the Obama drama America now leads from behind and cannot muster the wherewithal to defeat a tin pot dictator hated by his own people with a rag-tag army of mercenaries and children.

With a dismal record of retrenchment and failure such as this how can President Obama possibly win re-election?

His only chance is the Clinton formula.  There has to be a viable third party candidate or the Republicans could resurrect Herbert Hoover and win in a landslide. 

However, we can’t ignore the Lemming Effect.  The political lemmings are those Americans who proudly ignore politics and economics, who get there news from John Stewart, Jay Leno or the major networks, this who vote for the same party their parents did just because that is what they do,  in other words, Democrats.  They will vote for the President even if they can’t stand anything he’s done and disagree with everything he says.  After all he has a “D” after his name.  Or as Lenin said, “The capitalists will sell us the rope we use to hang them.”  With these millions of lemmings heading for the cliff Mr. Obama has a solid third of the electorate but with his record of failure and surrender that won’t be enough to win.

Luckily for the President and the Progressives the Republican leadership in Congress is dedicated to compromise when they should stand their ground and are experts at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.  In the coming months they will vote to raise the debt ceiling and alienate the majority of the Tea Party who could be the salvation of the Party of Reagan.  Then they will nominate a lackluster, “It’s my turn” candidate and POOF there will be a third party candidate strong enough to ensure four more years of humiliation and defeat.

The Space Race is over, we won, but now we have capitulated.  The Cold War is over, we won, but we squandered the opportunity to create a world of freedom to pursue wars without end.  The greatest creditor in the world is now the greatest debtor.  The greatest manufacturer is now the greatest importer of manufactured goods.  Twenty-three years of Progressive presidents combined with a big-government, big-spending Congress has led us to the brink of the abyss.  Our current debt levels are unsustainable and unless we act quickly the momentum of decline may become irreversible and irresistible

However, we are the American people, we can stop this.  We can throw the rascals out, reverse course and rebuild the land of the free and the home of the brave.  We can do it.  We must do it.  Or, it won’t get done.

How do we do it?

We can’t let divisions divide us anymore. We must unite behind the strongest conservative and work together or we will all watch our beloved country swirl down the drain of History separately.  Just as the Democrats and independents took control of the Republican primaries in 2008 to nominate the Progressive McCain the conservative majority must take control in 2012 to ensure that a viable conservative is nominated.  Otherwise the leaders of the Republican re-election machine will nominate an Obama-lite and the lights may go out on the greatest experiment in freedom ever devised.  Keep the faith.  Keep the peace.  We shall overcome.

Dr. Owens teaches History, Political Science, and Religion for Southside Virginia Community College.  He is the author of the History of the Future @ http://drrobertowens.com View the trailer for Dr. Owens’ latest book @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ypkoS0gGn8 © 2011 Robert R. Owens drrobertowens@hotmail.com  Follow Dr. Robert Owens on Facebook.