Henry Lamb

Ultimately, the piper must be paid

The meltdown in the financial markets has caused the finger of blame to spin like a weathervane in a hurricane. The underlying cause of the debacle, however, has been largely ignored. Driven by “progressive” Democrats and Republicans, the cause is the relentless shift from a free market economy to a socialist economy.

Congressional corruption

Congress was an ingenious, perhaps even inspired, compromise. It was conceived to be the place where elected representatives of the people could meet to discuss and debate ideas in conflict, and shape and smooth and polish those ideas into public policies for the benefit of the people who elected them.

An unseen enemy of freedom

From the highest rafters of academia comes another enemy of freedom: communitarianism. This is a belief system that opposes both authoritarianism and individualism, and promotes instead, a social organization that is governed by policies designed by civil society to limit individual freedom as required for the benefit the community. Dr. Amitai Etzioni is credited with founding this communitarian movement.

What happened to freedom?

Zoning is one thing; social engineering is quite another. Zoning in cities and metropolitan areas, while not really necessary, can be justified if the zoning decisions are made by locally elected officials who can be held accountable by the local community. Historically, zoning has not been a concern in rural areas where neighbors are not stumbling over each other.

REAL-ID: speed-pass to slavery

Shortly after the year ends, credit card companies send out a summary of all the charges made against an account for the entire year, neatly divided into various types of charges to help customers with their income tax preparation. Every item shows the date, the time – down to the minute – the location, and the amount of the charge. This information was collected from the insertion, or swipe of a credit card, or the mere touching of a spot with a speed-pass key.

“Smart Growth” is un-American

America’s founders believed:

“The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the law of God…anarchy and tyranny commence.” (John Adams, A Defence of the Constitution of the Government of the United States, 1797.)

Wanna-be president of the world

It has to be a concern when a U.S. presidential candidate arranges to make a campaign speech in Berlin, where he tells a crowd of German youngsters that “I come to you as a citizen of the world.”

Obama:  messiah in his own eyes

Obama’s campaign speeches reveal that he has finally convinced himself that he is, indeed, another “messiah.” Month by month, his rhetoric has grown from confident, to tyrannical. “I will issue rebate checks to help you with the price of gasoline…” he says, with no regard for what Congress might say.

Freedom advocates want revival of Constitution

Hundreds of grassroots leaders from across the country gathered in Dallas, Texas last week to learn how to more effectively advance the principles of freedom in public policy at every level of government.

Obama won’t pay his bill

For a man whose only qualification for the White House is his own claim to good judgment and good character, Obama is rapidly proving his claim is invalid on both counts. On November 21, 2007, the Obama Campaign ordered 1800 pocket-size Constitutions from the National Center for Constitutional Studies, using Purchase Order number 11202007. The order was shipped to Obama For America Volunteer Headquarters, 300 W. Adams, 10th Floor, Chicago, Il, to the attention of Melissa McNeal. The phone number listed for McNeal was 312-506-0909. The order was placed by Becky Deignan, with copies to Bridget Gray and Melissa McNeal. The invoice total was $965.00.

Pelosi blocks gas price relief

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told CNN that she would block any vote to allow offshore drilling. This remarkable stance comes in the face of the latest poll that says 73 percent of Americans favor offshore drilling, while only 27 percent oppose it. Nancy Pelosi again displays her contempt for her employer, the American people. Her arrogance and wrong-headed philosophy have led Congress to an approval rating of a staggering 14 percent, the lowest ever.

The sky is falling on Gore again

Al Gore has certainly secured his place in history. His Academy-Award-Pulitzer-Prize-winning prediction that climate change will raise sea levels by 20 feet will be studied by future history students, along with the predictions of Malthus and Paul Ehrlich.

Socialism is still a dirty word

In the 1950s, the word “socialism” was as vulgar as the four-letter words, which, when uttered by a youngster, could result in a mouthful of soap. Not so today. Perhaps contemporary acceptance of the term is the result of tolerance lessons, or political correctness that permeates progressive thought today. It could be ignorance; schools no longer teach the flaws of socialism. Or, what’s even worse, today’s acceptance of the term is more likely to be acceptance of the system.

Great ideas: unintended consequences

It sounded like such a great idea: a minimum wage for all workers – enforced by the government. During his first 100 days in the White House, President Franklin Roosevelt and a Democrat-controlled Congress enacted the Industrial Recovery Act, which established the minimum wage and guaranteed labor unions the right of collective bargaining.

What makes America different?

There is a reason why America emerged to lead the world to new, previously unimagined heights of freedom and prosperity. It may have been an accident; it may have been providence. It is a fact, nonetheless, from which the entire world has benefited. The reason is simple, but obscured in recent years, by philosophies that reject the fundamental principle upon which America was created.

Drill Here!  Drill Now!

Democrats like to say “We can’t drill our way out of this energy crisis.” Newsflash! Drilling is the only way out of this energy crisis.

The “progressive” taxman cometh

A farmer told two men they each could have all the watermelons they could harvest in four hours. The first man harvested 100 melons; the second man harvested 200 melons. Before they loaded their trucks, an IRS official appeared and told the first man the government required 28 of his melons as tax.

Democrat leadership is undemocratic

When George Bush won the presidency despite Al Gore’s half-million popular vote margin, the Democrats cried foul, and vowed to get rid of the Electoral College. But it’s perfectly alright for Obama to get the nomination, despite Hillary’s winning more popular votes. The presidential election is governed by the Constitution-enabled Electoral College; the Democrat Party is governed by its own rules.

For Sale: America’s infrastructure

In the 1960s, the people of Florida borrowed a bunch of money to build a highway from Naples to the East coast. To repay the construction costs, the state charged a small fee to each traveler who used the road. The idea worked so well that in the 1980s, they borrowed another bunch of money to widen the road to four lanes to meet interstate highway standards. The toll was increased to repay the construction costs.

Maxine: Read the Constitution!

In a moment of accidental candor, Rep. Maxine Waters blurted out before God and everybody, that her answer to rising gas prices is nationalization of the petroleum industry. This revelation of her true socialist philosophy came in response to what was perhaps the most important message delivered during the recent Congressional hearings on gas prices: