1) Osama bin Laden was on the 3rd floor of his compound, and it took quite awhile for Navy SEALS to break through the inner wall and get up to that third floor. There were guns on that third floor. Laden did not grab a gun and come out with his guns blazing; he did not grab a gun and take cover, and start shooting. Apparently he threw one of his wives at a Navy SEAL, and that seems to be the extent of his resistence. Where is the great terrorist who would like to take as many Americans down with him at his death?
2) I believe that Obama is not releasing the photographs of a dead bin Laden because he was asked not to by his military advisers. I have no problem with that. However, part of me thinks that many in the Middle East see us as weak and squeamish for not releasing these photos.
3) Although bin Laden lived in a fairly large house, photos I have seen make it look pretty pathetic (besides, he seemed to share this home with at least 2 other families?). Also, the television that he was watching—was that sad or what? I know welfare moms that would toss that piece of garbage to the curb. Apparently, he had no heat or air conditioning as well?
4) Can you imagine if Bush did this same thing? Obama acted under cover and unilaterally. He did not even inform the Pakistani government. These are all good choices. However, had Bush done this, do you think we might here the descriptor cowboy a few times?
5) American Indians are upset because Osama’s code name was Geronimo? Are you kidding me?
6) We have not seriously interrogated a single high-value detainee since Obama took office.
7) How many news people have used the phrase gutsy decision this past week? A few people have made the point that, Obama really had no other decision to make. If he passed on this, and it got out, he would have been ruined. It was certainly a good decision; it was certainly the right decision; but gutsy? That is the media probably taking its cues from the White House. As many have pointed out, www.gutsychoice.com will route you to Obama’s 2012 election site. Do you think there might have been a little collusion here?
8) Glenn Beck made some outstanding observations on Tuesday’s show (if I recall correctly). We are in a war of philosophies and ideas. If our counter-argument to Islam is, we have a lot of stuff and we can do whatever we want, then we are not going to win many hearts or minds.
9) Although I do not go along with Gary Johnson’s legalizing nearly everything; he did make some smart comments about our immigration problem. We need a simple way to hand out work VISAS as needed to immigrants; and we need to set up a grace period during which illegal aliens in the United States can obtain work VISAS. Quite obviously, we ought never to allow immigrants to simply come to the U.S. in order to use welfare benefits. He emphasized that this is not citizenship, but work VISAS.
10) Periodically, you hear President Obama coming out and talking about fiscal responsibility and not robbing our children, and this may strike you as weird, for such things to come out of the mouth of the biggest spending president in American history. It works like this. The president has to provide sound bites for the Obama Media Complex, so that, now and again, those people who don’t pay much attention to politics, hear their president talking about fiscal responsibility. They think to themselves, “Sure, that makes sense.” The OMC is not going add, in paragraph two, “These are strange words to come out of the mouth of the least fiscally responsible president in United States history.” I have a college-educated friend who is reasonably conservative, but she pays little or no attention to politics. When she reads stories like this (as she did in 2008), she believes that she is getting a reasonable representation of the news, and so she votes for Obama. A significant number of voters base their vote on less information than that.
11) One of the accusations concerning liberals is, they are developing an entrenched infrastructure of non-elected officials who can shape America according to their liberal views. The NLRB, for instance, is trying to block the opening of a new Boeing plant in South Carolina, something which President Obama says he is not going to interfere with. At least one person on the very liberal NLRB was appointed by President Obama; a far-left, pro-union type. No wonder he opposes Boeing opening up another plant in a right-to-work state.
12) I hope that you noted, about the closest thing we have seen to a recovery followed the extension of all the Bush tax cuts. Recovery summer wasn’t; but there has been a modicum of recovery since Obama agreed to the Bush tax cuts.
13) All the Stimulus package did was, borrow a huge amount of money, and give much of it to the states, so that they did not have to sweat their budget shortfalls for a year or two. It was a huge transfer payment, from those who will pay taxes over the next 20–60 years, to states, who have mismanaged their budgets (partially due to collective bargaining with public employees).
From Conservative Review #177 (HTML) (PDF)
A retired math teacher who spends most of his time exegeting the Old Testament and, once a week, puts out an ezeen.
Oramba
He came flying into the town
Fully loaded, without a sound
Swooping in close to the ground
Insuring he would not be shot down
By friends who did not have the plan
For his secret trip into Pakistan
Over the target where Osama stayed
He repelled to the ground
A warrior great so not a sound
The door flew open and the plan was played
Two men died and a women shot
But in the room Osama was not
Up the stairs he quickly ran
The doors were closed so he burst in
There stood Osama with one of his kin
Dead on arrival was the operational plan
He fired once – hitting his chest
A second guaranteed a permanent rest
He had done his jobs with great skill
So he packed up Osama, checked all around
He filled his sacks with what he found
And left the area – a successful kill
He flew away aboard a new Blackhawk
To a waiting carrier right on the clock
He had a burial for his special dead
Gave Osama a really great demise
If you think these words are bunch of lies
Ask your Messiah since he was the one
Who did it all and with a single gun
On your 9), I agree with that idea from Mr. Johnson. The impossibility of such an action, namely because of the widespread area and massive amounts of manpower needed, to out and deport all immigrants, leads one to look for alternatives. In this case, we could just let it go, an provide amnesty for all illegals, as has been done before. The problem is, that we’ve seen the result of such an action. More illegals than ever.
Another option is to grant amnesty to those here already, and institute the plan of work VISAs. But this has many of the same drawbacks as amnesty alone. Primarily, that it won’t deter more illegals, seeking to come here and work without a work VISA.
To institute a work VISA program, and one that would ensure only citizens, or those with work VISAs, are employed, and thus allow for the collection of taxes on incomes from those with work VISAs as well, would alleviate much of the financial burden of our states from paying out benefits to illegals.
I believe the key would be non-voting privileged, work visas, granted with specific requirements.
If citizenship is entertained, then it must be put off for a lengthy period of time–say no less than 10 years–during which time the applicant has not taken welfare, been arrested, walked away from a hospital bill (e.g., an emergency room procedure), etc.
But all of this would be precedented on a secure border.
Pakistan may let China ‘examine’ wrecked US helicopter:
Were I the President, I would contact the Pakistani Government and insist on the immediate return of the debris, and add that if they show the helicopter parts to the Chinese, I will sign an executive order to insure that they will never ever see another penny of US aid. (And suggest that the aid we normally send Pakistan may instead be granted to India.)
Dude –
I knew you were smart when you were my math teacher. I had no idea you were *this* smart. Thanks for all you did back then – it made a difference for me.
I appreciate the kind words; I had a wonderful time teaching at Humble.