Dr. Robert R. Owens

What’s a Widget Worth?

What's a widget worth? Who determines the price of widgets? Is there an answer to the escalating cost of widgets?

Truth Justice and the American Way

Who in their wildest dreams ever thought we would see a headline that says, "China Urges U.S. to Protect Creditors"? For those of us who grew up in an America that was the undisputed leader of the free world locked in the Herculean task of containing the godless hordes of the Communist East, an America that was the largest manufacturer, largest creditor, and the economic engine that drove the world's economy until recently it was unimaginable. We watched as America fought wars around the edges of the creeping red menace. We worked to elect the leaders and pay the taxes that built a 600 ship navy, the best equipped armies in history, and the Space Based Initiative all of which eventually convinced even the Soviets that their centrally-planned monstrosity couldn't compete as it collapsed of its own weight.

Uncle Sam Plays You Pay

America is careening towards a financial Armageddon. The president proposed a budget for 2012 that projected a deficit of 1.6 Trillion dollars. That is trillion with a "T." Gone are the innocent days when one of the perpetually re-elected could quip, "A billion here and a billion there and soon we're talking about real money." Now billions disappear into the federal sinkhole at the rate of 4.08 billion per day. What does a trillion look like? If you went into business the day Jesus was born, and you lost a million dollars a day, 365 days a year, it would take you until October 2737 to lose a trillion dollars.

Immovable Object Meet the Irresistible Force

Many times in our history we've been confronted with what seemed like impossible odds. In 1776 thirteen sparsely populated colonies clinging for life to the Atlantic seaboard surrounded by a forest that ran unbroken to the Mississippi dared to stand up to our imperial masters and say, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

Are Unintended Consequences the Intention?

Joining the slow motion delivery of Iraq to the Ayatollahs of Iran and the decade long quagmire of Afghanistan America's Progressive leadership stumbled into Libya with all the bravado and none of the experience of Custer at Little Big Horn. The UN and NATO get more attention and have more influence on a decision affecting the lives of our warriors and the security of our nation then the United States Congress.

What Needs To Be Said About What Needs To Be Done

Its spring and I’m in a motel snowed in for the second time in three days. This past weekend I spoke at a symposium hosted by the Tenth Amendment Center at Southern New Hampshire University. It was a power packed event. A full day surrounded by people who not only see the hand writing on the wall but who also believe they know what the words mean left my head swimming with the ideas presented and the inevitable optimism created when people see a problem and take action. Lead, follow, or get out of the way! This has long been the battle cry of the do something even if it’s wrong lobby. It also appears to have been the guiding philosophy of George the Second’s TARP and Obama the Only’s stimulus.

Are We On Our Way To Gettysburg?

The nightly newsreel rolls and we watch in fascination as our friend and ally Japan struggles to regain its bearings after nature’s devastating one-two-punch seems to have set them up for a potential nuclear knock-out.

What Will You Do When the Lights Go Out?

When the power goes off leaving you with no TV, Internet, or email you have a lot of time on your hands. Thankfully there are batteries, so my trusty computer will still work for a few hours, and I can follow my fingers into my thoughts. Looking out my window I can't see any lights in the neighborhood so at least I know it isn't just our house that's in the dark. In addition, there are cars running up and down the street, so I know at least it wasn't the dreaded EMP blast. The wind was making a strange noise but stopped, so we have come out from under the table since there's no indication of a tornado on the way. All these kinds of thoughts run through your mind when the lights go off. In other words, when you're in the dark there's little light.

And the Dead Beat Goes On

Now we're getting tough! Since the Tea Party Turnaround last November, the new Republican majority in Congress is taking the bull by the horns and showing that they mean business! They would only agree to raise the debt limit for two weeks. That's like telling your shopaholic alter ego who's emptied the family savings, overdrawn the checkbook, mortgaged the house, and taken out a juice loan with a loan shark just to cover the interest, "This has got to stop! Here's a new credit card, but you can only use it for two weeks." How could that possibly go wrong? Just charge it to someone who hasn't been born yet. They never seem to complain.

Tomorrow Begins Today

Today America's leaders, ignoring the example of Dr. Kissinger, have abandoned realpolitik. Otto von Bismarck, the Iron Chancellor who united Germany coined the term. In its original German it means "the politics of reality." According to the tenets of realpolitik, foreign policy has only one purpose: the security of the state. Instead our leaders have subverted it to crusading for the touchy feely advancement of causes and ideologies.

Don’t Not Do That!

For the first time the Federal Government has mandated that all citizens must purchase a product: health insurance. If citizens fail to purchase the product they become law breakers subject to fines and penalties enforced by the IRS although we've been repeatedly assured this is not a tax. According to the Federal attorneys arguing that this ground-breaking regulation is constitutional the Commerce Clause provides the authorization. In other words, not taking an action is now considered commerce by the Federal Government. In effect the Federal Government maintains for the first time in American History and perhaps in the History of the world that not doing something is doing something. It is this type of newspeak, circular logic, and sophistry which destroys the credibility of those who tell us less is more.

How Long Did the Limits Last?

In 1798, a mere ten years after the ratification of the Constitution war with France seemed imminent. In reaction to opposition regarding the policies of the government John Adams, hero of the Revolution, co-author of the Declaration of Independence, one of the Framers of the Constitution, and only the second President of the United States Congress passed the Alien and Sedition Acts.

The Great Civil Debate

It is admitted by all except the liberal media and left-wing ideologues jockeying for political and partisan advantage, neither the tenor nor the content of our public discourse had any bearing upon the tragedy in Tucson. Nevertheless there have been calls for a return to civility in our speech. I heartily second that motion, believing as I do that civility should always be the hallmark of discussion among ladies and gentleman. However, that is not the topic of this discourse.

Hu’s on First

A cliché is defined as a trite expression. It's often a figure of speech whose effectiveness has been worn out through overuse and excessive familiarity. Yet a cliché is also a type of short hand: an instantly recognizable illustration that carries a wider meaning in a shorter phrase. The recent triumphal visit by the Chinese President Hu Jintao has left many Americans wondering if Hu's on first.

The 8th Deadly Sin: Procrastination

He who hesitates is lost. When we have the opportunity to accomplish something and we miss that opportunity because we fail to take action or we allow ourselves to be diverted from the best to accomplish the good that isn't defeat it is capitulation.

Grow The Economy Not The Bureaucracy

Business is like water. It follows the path of least resistance. A fact which should birth shame in the hearts of all Americans is that for the last decade American Businesses have been in a mad rush for the door. They've left America, once the epitome of free enterprise, choosing instead to establish them in Communist China. Today Federal red tape and taxes are strangling American free enterprise.

Where Are The Jobs

There were two reasons for the election of President Obama. One, after two and a half terms of Bush the Younger, and a Republican shopaholic Congress and half a term with a Democratic shopaholic Congress people were desperate for change. And two, the economy hit a speed bump in September of 2008. Candidate Obama promised to control spending so our free economy could create new jobs. President Obama has so far delivered the greatest spending binge in world history.

Finally We All Agree

Progressive policies don't work. Everyone, even Progressives agree that their vast array of policies and the programs they always birth don't work.

Why Are Democrats Smarter Than Republicans

The headline says it all, "Obama told lawmakers not passing tax deal could end presidency..." The White House was quick to deny the truth of the statement attributed to a Democratic lawmaker going the extra mile to say the President had never spoken to Representative DeFazio in effect calling him a liar. However, the general consensus among Washington watchers is that the Congressman told the truth and the White House told the lie. Up is down, down is up and so goes life in the capitol of the Empire.

Here Comes the Judge

Judging that the mandate in President Obama's Health Care bill is an unconstitutional expansion of the commerce clause, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson struck a blow for a commonsense approach to constitutional interpretation. He further decided that words actually have meanings and are not merely place holders for future generations to use as they deconstruct the document meant to limit government into a document used to expand it.