Guest Column

What happens in the real world is corruption, poverty, and despair

The thing missing from the discussion regarding socialism is this: supporters assume a benevolent leader. Yet history belies that assumption. What happens in the real world is corruption, poverty, and despair. Leaders are or become corrupt, they have unlimited ability to syphon off the riches leaving the people hungry and poor. Taxes are very high while goods and services climb as well. If it worked as planned, a 70% tax rate would, in return, give the citizens great medical care, the best in fire, Ems, and police protection, affordable high quality housing and low fuel and utility rates, in other words, for your 70% donation to the government, the government would care for you well and compassionately from cradle to grave. Again, that is assuming a benevolent leader. Even ones who might start out that way will end up seduced by the unlimited wealth available to them. Human nature rarely lives up to our hopes and dreams. People are competitive, egotistical, and opportunistic. A good example of socialism is the Catholic Church where Priests are given everything they need to live in return for service to God. That has not stopped depravity or corruption from the highest on down as they attempt to cover up crimes in order to protect the institution. "All power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Lord Acton

Covering up paintings of Columbus imprisons history

ASHLAND, Ohio — The University of Notre Dame plans to cover murals depicting Columbus as benevolent toward Native Americans because they offend some people. Is this a silly example of political correctness? Yes, and it’s harmful too. A Christian school should be concerned not to offend others, of course. But to paraphrase Thomas Aquinas, the patron Saint of academics and universities, there is something more important than not offending others, and that’s honoring the truth. If we do not honor the truth above all, then we build on falsehood, and nothing good, not even enduring concern for others, will come of that.

What I often hear from my liberal acquaintances is that a wall is not a message we want to send

What I often hear from my liberal acquaintances is that a wall is not a message we want to send. It does not represent our values. Those same people support abortion. Should I glean from this that approving the murder of babies is a message we do want to send? The issue about the wall has nothing to do with messaging, right or wrong, rule of law, or, in fact, what they actually believe. It is all about thwarting a duly elected President, because he is doing things they don't like. If it were really about our image, there are other things that send negative messages, but are okay with Dems. It would be refreshing if we could all be honest about our motivations. Or, at a minimum, articulate the rationale. For me, killing babies is not OK. And, yes, protecting our sovereignty is OK. I am not ashamed to say so. And I can explain why.

Jussie Smollett's Hate

Conservative pundits have pointed out that Democrat elites and the so-called "mainstream" media were quick to accept actor Jussie Smollett's story of being assaulted by two Trump-supporters. It is clear now that he lied. Smollett said his attackers were white and that he would have been believed without question if his assailants had been "Muslim," "Mexican," or "black." They were black.

Australia Facing a Brick Wall of Blackouts

The Chairman of the Saltbush Club, Mr Jerry Ellis, today warned that Australia needs more reliable baseload power. “With the population and the economy growing, but with electricity availability and reliability in decline, we are racing headlong into a brick wall of blackouts.

I have a dream. If dreaming is still allowed?

I have a dream. If dreaming is still allowed? In my dream, babies are afforded the same rights as Guantanamo Bay detainees, war criminals, animals in shelters, snail darters, manatees, and unauthorized trespassers into our country. I dream that a life conceived will be loved, sheltered, nourished, humanely treated and protected from murder. I dream that we will one day soon accept responsibility for the unborn child. I dream that we will have the courage to talk to young people about the rights and responsibilities of being sexually active and that we will help them through difficult times with compassion so that they don't feel they have no option except abortion. I dream that soon we will understand that abortion, certainly after the first trimester, cannot be called anything except murder. I dream that we will become the people we pretend to be, a people who live their human rights not just spout words.

Boy, talk about shooting yourself in the foot.

Boy, talk about shooting yourself in the foot. The protesters in New York who object to Amazon getting tax breaks or economic incentives have killed the goose. Now some other lucky state and city will benefit. Where were those protesters when sports stadiums received huge incentives? In this case we are talking about jobs and tax revenue and economic vitality. I have never been a fan of bribing business to come to any area. The benefits to both sides should be all that is necessary. But we have evolved into a practice of incentivizing business. And we have a segment of our population who, in the absence of an understanding of the business world, oppose businesses based on the belief that "businesses are too wealthy". Driving away business based on erroneous beliefs is (to be kind) misguided. This is a great opportunity for a public discussion and education.

To what end will the "Russia Collusion" issue continue?

To what end will the "Russia Collusion" issue continue? Do we not trust our Senate Intelligence Committee? Or do we only mistrust our oversight regarding Donald Trump? We are supposed to trust the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs regarding Hillary Clinton's emails. We are supposed to trust the House Select Committee on Benghazi. We are supposed to trust the FBI that there is no evidence of IRS targeting conservative groups even though a settlement was paid. Even the most ardent Trump hater has to admit that there is a point where we say that the people charged with investigating find nothing (or say they find nothing) so we have to move on. And, hey, we've been in your shoes, we understand.

The Roar of Waste

Watching the Burdekin Falls Dam with around six metres of water going over the spillway following flood rains in the catchment, we must remember that this is not a rare occurrence. As far back as 1875 there are records of the Burdekin River rising over 18 metres in just a few hours and repeated reports of 1 to 6 metres of water above the bridge deck at Inkerman. Records of high river flows lasting weeks and months are not uncommon. Following a cyclone in December 1974 the river remained at flood height until April 1975.

Uncle Sam plays taxpayers for suckers by subsidizing the ultra-rich!

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Relatively few Americans have electric cars. But every American taxpayer has helped pay to buy them and keep them on the road. That’s because Uncle Sam subsidizes those buying electric vehicles with a $7,500 tax credit. Add in-state and local government incentives and the “free money” can easily top 10 grand. And it keeps flowing in the form of perks like subsidized charging stations and access to HOV lanes.

Roe v Wade is a law passed in 1973 that essentially protects woman’s right to make decisions regarding their pregnancy.

Roe v Wade is a law passed in 1973 that essentially protects woman’s right to make decisions regarding their pregnancy. It followed the 60s where the country burst out of a puritan heritage into a free love, drugs and music era of Woodstock. It could be viewed as a cultural revolution that emboldened the young people to live a less restrictive lifestyle. As a result, the awareness of unwanted pregnancies and the dismal choices propelled a movement to protect women from back alley abortion clinics. So, they demanded and won the right to choose abortion and to have those abortions in a safe environment. What has evolved from there is nothing less than shameful. 37 years later we are not educating youngsters on abstinence or prevention effectively enough to greatly eliminate the need for abortion. We are not educating them about the realities of abortion. Instead we protect Roe v Wade so rabidly that we now sanction full term abortions in many places. It seems to be the prevailing belief that anti-abortionists are Bible toting, fundamentalist so we can turn a deaf ear to the message. In this day and age, the need for abortion should be all but eliminated. There are ways to prevent unwanted pregnancy. But that can only happen when the population is taught responsibility and educated on the realities of their choices. And it sure won’t happen when there are no consequences.

Well, now Nancy Pelosi not only speaks for us but tells us what we are thinking

Well, now Nancy Pelosi not only speaks for us but tells us what we are thinking. She announced recently that the State of The Union address is "so unimportant" for Americans. Excuse me? I think that a President reporting to the people is terribly important. Especially in these times where the intermediaries -congress, the media and Hollywood- distort, obscure and ignore the facts. The President has a duty to us and we have a duty as citizens. Ms. Pelosi's arrogant belief that she knows what we want and what is best for us highlights much of the problem in this country.

By their votes and actions and words Democrats want our nation to be a socialist society

This just needs to be said, it needs to be out there so maybe there can be some understanding. There is a lot of happy talk about unity. I believe in the principle and fervently wish it were possible. Here is my problem: by their votes and actions and words Democrats want our nation to be a socialist society. That scares the devil out of me. It hasn't worked and cannot work. I could go into all the examples where this is true and I could give all the arguments about why it would ruin our country. The fact is, the other side isn't listening. They are on a mission that will not be deterred with facts. So, admittedly, I stand in the path of unity if it means embracing socialist policies. I cannot be party to the destruction of something so many died to preserve. Sorry, that's just how it is.

Better For Health To Ignore The Climate Movement

London--A prominent epidemiologist has accused the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of inserting a false narrative into the debate on air pollution and health.

I like that our President is striving for real solutions on the border debate

I like that our President is striving for real solutions on the border debate and not accepting the temptation to prolong the problem by kicking the can down the road.

The male of our species is endowed with testosterone, the female with estrogen

The male of our species is endowed with testosterone, the female with estrogen. Testosterone is responsible for most characteristics considered "male", muscle mass, facial hair, deep voice. Conversely estrogen is the main hormone responsible for reproductive characteristics in women. It is these 2 hormones that tend to make women nurturing and patient nesters and make men aggressive and protective providers.

You only get one chance to make a first impression

Advice from a woman to the new batch of women legislators in Washington DC, you only get one chance to make a first impression. You carry the hopes, dreams and opportunities of women and immigrants on your shoulders. You can either be humble, learn, be a team player, set a good example and participate in accomplishing great things or you can be an attention grabbing, crude, loud mouth, who ruins it for those who come after you. So far, I fear you are the latter. Just because you got elected, does not mean you will be any good. Only time will tell.

In reality, the cost of the border wall would a very small percentage of the federal budget.

In reality, the cost of the border wall would a very small percentage of the federal budget. It is conceivable that the cost savings from Homeland Security would offset some because of less need for ICE agents and border patrols, the saving on troop withdrawal from Syria could help, the sale of timber from Federal lands being cleaned for fire mitigation could be considered, and any number of other cost saving measures are certainly possible. Even though 5.8 Billion dollars sounds like a lot of money (and it is) it is very small when compared with the total we spend annually. This has never been about the money, except as it acts as a control. It is about a philosophy, one where it is difficult to see any compromise. It is a battle between globalism and nationalism.

Prodding Trump’s EPA to reexamine Endangerment

Campaign rhetoric strongly suggested that the Trump Administration would redress the Obama Administration’s insane attempts to regulate every aspect of society in a futile attempt to control nature and climate. President Trump withdrew from the Paris Accord, initiated repeal of the Clean Power Plan, sought a reasonable replacement for the plan, and turned off the regulatory fire hose. Great start!

President Trump is taking a lot of heat for reducing troop levels in Syria

President Trump is taking a lot of heat for reducing troop levels in Syria. Sort of makes me wonder, how long do those people think we should keep troops in a country that commits human rights atrocities, who doesn't like our country and who cozies up to Russia and Iran? We have all but rid Syria of ISIS and trained their troops to continue what we have started. If not now, when? If not us, who? We cannot afford to continue policing the world. We carry the burden of too much babysitting of others. Our military is stretched too thin, endangering our soldiers and stressing our resources. We need to take care of our own people, secure our own land, reduce our own deficit and mind our own business. Again, this should not be a surprise, President Trump campaigned on this issue. Giving a hand up is one thing. Holding their hand forever is quite another.