Saturday, October 27, 2012
'63 PG Deceased Glenn R Brewster KIA VN
Via Bob Blair
Just found a long, lost classmate of my military school was KIA in Vietnam.
Calhoun on the Primary Cause of the War
John C. Calhoun was prophetic in his estimate of
growing federal power in the 1840s, and predicted the autocratic powers
wielded by those in control of the federal government apparatus. Calhoun
did not live to witness the rise of a purely sectional political party
and election by a 39% plurality of a president who wielded the
autocratic power he predicted.
Bernhard Thuersam, Chairman
North Carolina War Between the States Sesquicentennial Commission
www.ncwbts150.com
"The Official Website of the North Carolina WBTS Sesquicentennial"
Calhoun on the Primary Cause of the War:
“I have, Senators, believed from the first that the agitation of the subject of slavery would, if not prevented by some timely and effective measure, end in disunion. The agitation has been permitted to proceed, with almost no attempt to resist it, until it has reached a point when it can no longer be disguised or denied that the Union is in danger. You have thus had forced upon you the greatest and the gravest question that can ever come under your consideration – How can the Union be preserved?
What is the cause of this discontent? It will be found in the belief of the people of the Southern States, as prevalent as the discontent itself, that they cannot remain, as things are now, consistently with honor and safety, in the Union. The next question to be considered is – What has caused this belief?
One of the causes is, undoubtedly, to be traced to the long-continued agitation of the slave question on the part of the North, and the many aggressions they have made on the rights of the South during the time.
There is another [cause] lying back of it….that may be regarded as the primary cause. This is to be found in the equilibrium between the two sections, in the government as it stood when the Constitution was ratified and the government put in action, has been destroyed. At that time there was nearly perfect equilibrium between the two, which afforded ample means to each to protect itself against the aggression of the other; but, as it now stands, one section has the exclusive power of controlling the [federal] government which leaves the other without any adequate means of protecting itself against its encroachment and oppression.
The result of [immigration and representation increase since 1790] is to give the Northern section a predominance in every department of the government, and thereby concentrate in it the two elements which constitute the Federal government – a majority of States, and a majority of their population, estimated in Federal numbers. Whatever section concentrates the two in itself possesses the control of the entire government.
[The destruction of this equilibrium] has been caused by the legislation of this government, which was appointed as the common agent of all, and charged with the protection of the interests and security of all. The legislation by which it has been effected may be classed under three heads.
The first is that series of acts by which the South has been excluded from the common territory belonging to all the States….which have had the effect of extending vastly the portion allotted to the Northern section….The next consists in adopting a system of revenue and disbursements, by which an undue proportion of the burden of taxation has been imposed upon the South , and an undue proportion of its proceeds appropriated by the North; and the last is a system of political measures by which the original character of the government has been radically changed.
A single [geographic] section, governed by the will of a numerical majority, has now, in fact, the control of the government and the entire powers of the system. What was once a constitutional federal republic is now converted, in reality, into one as absolute as that of the autocrat of Russia and as despotic in its tendency as any absolute government that ever existed.”
(The Life of John C. Calhoun, Gustavus M. Pinckney, Walker, Evans & Cogswell, 1903, excerpts pp. 166-180)
Bernhard Thuersam, Chairman
North Carolina War Between the States Sesquicentennial Commission
www.ncwbts150.com
"The Official Website of the North Carolina WBTS Sesquicentennial"
Calhoun on the Primary Cause of the War:
“I have, Senators, believed from the first that the agitation of the subject of slavery would, if not prevented by some timely and effective measure, end in disunion. The agitation has been permitted to proceed, with almost no attempt to resist it, until it has reached a point when it can no longer be disguised or denied that the Union is in danger. You have thus had forced upon you the greatest and the gravest question that can ever come under your consideration – How can the Union be preserved?
What is the cause of this discontent? It will be found in the belief of the people of the Southern States, as prevalent as the discontent itself, that they cannot remain, as things are now, consistently with honor and safety, in the Union. The next question to be considered is – What has caused this belief?
One of the causes is, undoubtedly, to be traced to the long-continued agitation of the slave question on the part of the North, and the many aggressions they have made on the rights of the South during the time.
There is another [cause] lying back of it….that may be regarded as the primary cause. This is to be found in the equilibrium between the two sections, in the government as it stood when the Constitution was ratified and the government put in action, has been destroyed. At that time there was nearly perfect equilibrium between the two, which afforded ample means to each to protect itself against the aggression of the other; but, as it now stands, one section has the exclusive power of controlling the [federal] government which leaves the other without any adequate means of protecting itself against its encroachment and oppression.
The result of [immigration and representation increase since 1790] is to give the Northern section a predominance in every department of the government, and thereby concentrate in it the two elements which constitute the Federal government – a majority of States, and a majority of their population, estimated in Federal numbers. Whatever section concentrates the two in itself possesses the control of the entire government.
[The destruction of this equilibrium] has been caused by the legislation of this government, which was appointed as the common agent of all, and charged with the protection of the interests and security of all. The legislation by which it has been effected may be classed under three heads.
The first is that series of acts by which the South has been excluded from the common territory belonging to all the States….which have had the effect of extending vastly the portion allotted to the Northern section….The next consists in adopting a system of revenue and disbursements, by which an undue proportion of the burden of taxation has been imposed upon the South , and an undue proportion of its proceeds appropriated by the North; and the last is a system of political measures by which the original character of the government has been radically changed.
A single [geographic] section, governed by the will of a numerical majority, has now, in fact, the control of the government and the entire powers of the system. What was once a constitutional federal republic is now converted, in reality, into one as absolute as that of the autocrat of Russia and as despotic in its tendency as any absolute government that ever existed.”
(The Life of John C. Calhoun, Gustavus M. Pinckney, Walker, Evans & Cogswell, 1903, excerpts pp. 166-180)
Ron Paul 2016
Coming back from Emerald Isle to Cape Carteret over the bridge on our five minute journey after viewing Taken 2 . Not a dull moment, I assure you, regardless of what the critics say.
Anti-black attitudes have increased under Obama
I'm shocked! Shocked! Dumbfounded as to why this has happened.........
Racial attitudes
have not improved in the four years since the United States elected its
first black president, an Associated Press poll finds, as a slight
majority of Americans now express prejudice toward blacks whether they
recognize those feelings or not.
Those views could cost President Barack Obama
votes as he tries for re-election, the survey found, though the effects
are mitigated by some people's more favorable views of blacks.
Racial prejudice has increased slightly since 2008 whether those feelings were measured using questions that explicitly asked respondents
about racist attitudes, or through an experimental test that measured
implicit views toward race without asking questions about that topic
directly.
In all, 51 percent
of Americans now express explicit anti-black attitudes, compared with 48
percent in a similar 2008 survey. When measured by an implicit racial attitudes
test, the number of Americans with anti-black sentiments jumped to 56
percent, up from 49 percent during the last presidential election. In
both tests, the share of Americans expressing pro-black attitudes fell.
More @ Yahoo
Allen West, Patrick Murphy congressional race: West has 9 point lead over Murphy in new poll
Rep. Allen West (R-FL) is leading his Democratic challenger Patrick Murphy by nine points, according to a new FLDemocracy/WPTV/ TCPalm poll released Thursday.
The West, Murphy debate today will be streamed live on our website. CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE LIVE VIDEO PAGE AND MAKE SURE TO BOOKMARK IT FOR TONIGHT'S DEBATE (Mobile link: http:// bit.ly/ S7DLo2)
Among likely voters surveyed, 51 percent support West and 42 percent back Murphy. Eight percent are undecided.
The same poll, conducted by Public Policy Polling (PPP), found Mitt Romney leading President Barack Obama in District 18 by a 50 percent to 45 percent margin.
The battle for the 18 th congressional district, which includes Martin, St. Lucie and northern Palm Beach counties, is one of the closest watched races in the country. The race has been characterized by a flood of advertising--most of which is coming from West who has outspent his Democratic challenger by 4-1.
In late September, West released a blistering attack ad featuring a mug shot of Murphy from a bar fight he got into when he was 19-years-old.
The Republican Party of Florida recently sent out a mailer embezzled with a photo of a burning American flag, accusing Murphy of being “backed by groups that are opposed to the defense of Israel.” Last week, West’s campaign put out a mailer of Murphy next to painting of Mao Zedong .
In a sign that West’s ads are paying off, Murphy’s favorability numbers are significantly underwater in the PPP survey. Only 34 percent of likely voters view Murphy favorably and 47 percent view him unfavorably. On the other hand, 49 percent of those polled have a favorable opinion of West, to 41 percent unfavorable.
“Negative advertising seems to have taken more of a toll on Patrick Murphy then on Allen West,” said Jim Williams, a polling analyst at Public Policy Polling.
Asked about the flood of negative ads in the race, 31 percent said the spots have made them more likely to vote for West, while 27 percent said they have made them more likely to back Murphy.
“West owes his overall 9-point lead to a 52-34 advantage among independent voters. He also earns more support from Republicans than Murphy does from Democrats,” said Williams.
More @ WPTV
The hidden real truth about Benghazi
Via NC Renegade
Most people know that we’ve been lied to about the attacks in Benghazi, but few realize the extent of those lies or the hidden secrets they cover. After all, the lie is different at every level. Thanks to a well placed source with extensive knowledge about the attack, the disturbing truth is slowly beginning to emerge and is lining up with information contained in my previous articles published here weeks ago (Here, Here and Here). The truth reveals the most serious situation in the world today as it involves the interests and destinies of us all.
A mosaic of lies
According to the U.S. government, Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed during a spontaneous protest at the consulate office in Benghazi by a frenzied crowd of Muslims outraged over an obscure internet video. Recently released “sensitive but not classified e-mails” from Stevens to the U.S. Department of State painted a picture of poor security for U.S. personnel and the embassy, which was obviously true but had little to do with the events of September 11, 2012. The failure to dispatch an extraction team or otherwise rescue the men during a firefight that lasted upwards of nine grueling and tortuous hours was not the result of any intelligence failure, but caused by our unwillingness to widen the conflict and expose the nature and scale of our true mission in Benghazi.
Based on information provided by my source and corroborated elsewhere, the official account by administration officials is a mosaic of lies that were necessary to cover the unpalatable truth of covert actions taking place in Libya, Syria, Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. The primary objective of our covert actions was to secretly arm anti-Assad “rebels” in Syria by funneling arms from Libya to Syria via Turkey, with other destinations that included Jordan and Lebanon. Regarding the threat to Stevens and the other murdered Americans, the truth will reformat the persistent question posed to government officials, from UN Ambassador Susan Rice to White House Spokesman Jay Carney and others from “how could you not have known” to “how could you have done these things?”
First, it is important to understand that Ambassador Stevens, Sean Smith, Glen Dougherty and Tyrone Woods were not killed at a consulate office in Benghazi—as there is not such office there. They died at one of the largest CIA operations centers in the Middle East, which was located in Benghazi and served as the logistics headquarters for arms and weapons being shipped out of the post-Qaddafi Libya.
Although the U.S. government insisted that Stevens was involved in securing and destroying the numerous caches of arms and weapons once under the control of Qaddafi, the operation was more complex than that. The visual accounts of weapons being destroyed were indeed real, but those weapons were not operational. The working weapons were actually separated and transported to holding facilities for their eventual use in Syria. Russia was fully aware of this operation and warned the U.S. not to engage in the destabilization of Syria, as doing so would endanger their national security interests. Deposing Assad, as despotic as he might be, and replacing him with a Muslim Brotherhood-led regime would likely lead to unrestrained Islamic chaos across the region.
The Turkish warning
Most people know that we’ve been lied to about the attacks in Benghazi, but few realize the extent of those lies or the hidden secrets they cover. After all, the lie is different at every level. Thanks to a well placed source with extensive knowledge about the attack, the disturbing truth is slowly beginning to emerge and is lining up with information contained in my previous articles published here weeks ago (Here, Here and Here). The truth reveals the most serious situation in the world today as it involves the interests and destinies of us all.
A mosaic of lies
According to the U.S. government, Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed during a spontaneous protest at the consulate office in Benghazi by a frenzied crowd of Muslims outraged over an obscure internet video. Recently released “sensitive but not classified e-mails” from Stevens to the U.S. Department of State painted a picture of poor security for U.S. personnel and the embassy, which was obviously true but had little to do with the events of September 11, 2012. The failure to dispatch an extraction team or otherwise rescue the men during a firefight that lasted upwards of nine grueling and tortuous hours was not the result of any intelligence failure, but caused by our unwillingness to widen the conflict and expose the nature and scale of our true mission in Benghazi.
Based on information provided by my source and corroborated elsewhere, the official account by administration officials is a mosaic of lies that were necessary to cover the unpalatable truth of covert actions taking place in Libya, Syria, Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. The primary objective of our covert actions was to secretly arm anti-Assad “rebels” in Syria by funneling arms from Libya to Syria via Turkey, with other destinations that included Jordan and Lebanon. Regarding the threat to Stevens and the other murdered Americans, the truth will reformat the persistent question posed to government officials, from UN Ambassador Susan Rice to White House Spokesman Jay Carney and others from “how could you not have known” to “how could you have done these things?”
First, it is important to understand that Ambassador Stevens, Sean Smith, Glen Dougherty and Tyrone Woods were not killed at a consulate office in Benghazi—as there is not such office there. They died at one of the largest CIA operations centers in the Middle East, which was located in Benghazi and served as the logistics headquarters for arms and weapons being shipped out of the post-Qaddafi Libya.
Although the U.S. government insisted that Stevens was involved in securing and destroying the numerous caches of arms and weapons once under the control of Qaddafi, the operation was more complex than that. The visual accounts of weapons being destroyed were indeed real, but those weapons were not operational. The working weapons were actually separated and transported to holding facilities for their eventual use in Syria. Russia was fully aware of this operation and warned the U.S. not to engage in the destabilization of Syria, as doing so would endanger their national security interests. Deposing Assad, as despotic as he might be, and replacing him with a Muslim Brotherhood-led regime would likely lead to unrestrained Islamic chaos across the region.
The Turkish warning
More @ Canada Free Press
Cherokee County teen shot by police sniper, parents speak out
Via Hype And Fail
Lisa and Nick Messina said their son was killed at the hands of the officers they called for help.
According to his parents, Andrew Messina had a bad day at school and the pressure was so overwhelming, he grabbed a gun and threatened to kill himself.
Lisa Messina called the cops in desperation, hoping an officer would come talk to him. But what arrived was an army of deputies, an armored tank and a sniper.
"We would still be sitting there today if it weren't for that very, very aggressive act that he made of ramming the gun and a pistol straight through a glass door at our officers," said Cherokee County Sheriff Roger Garrison, on the day after the shooting.
Garrison painted a picture of a dangerous gunman taking aim at his officers, and defended his sniper's fire.
"Had that officer not taken the action, there is a good chance one of those negotiators that was there who also has a family, also would not be going home today," Garrison said.
But the other side of this story has never been told before, a story about a boy described as a pacifist who some say was needlessly killed.
"Would you have ever called the police if you had known this could have happened?" Chief Investigative Reporter Wendy Saltzman asked Lisa Messina.
"That's the one thing I would have done different today. I would not have called 911," she said.
I can't get the second video to post for some reason, but you can view it at the link below.
The parents of a 16-year-old suicidal
boy spoke only with CBS Atlanta News' Wendy Saltzman after their son was
gunned down by a police sniper in Cherokee County.Lisa and Nick Messina said their son was killed at the hands of the officers they called for help.
According to his parents, Andrew Messina had a bad day at school and the pressure was so overwhelming, he grabbed a gun and threatened to kill himself.
Lisa Messina called the cops in desperation, hoping an officer would come talk to him. But what arrived was an army of deputies, an armored tank and a sniper.
"We would still be sitting there today if it weren't for that very, very aggressive act that he made of ramming the gun and a pistol straight through a glass door at our officers," said Cherokee County Sheriff Roger Garrison, on the day after the shooting.
Garrison painted a picture of a dangerous gunman taking aim at his officers, and defended his sniper's fire.
"Had that officer not taken the action, there is a good chance one of those negotiators that was there who also has a family, also would not be going home today," Garrison said.
But the other side of this story has never been told before, a story about a boy described as a pacifist who some say was needlessly killed.
"Would you have ever called the police if you had known this could have happened?" Chief Investigative Reporter Wendy Saltzman asked Lisa Messina.
"That's the one thing I would have done different today. I would not have called 911," she said.
More @ CBS
Senators demand White House declassify Libya video
Sens. John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Kelly Ayotte wrote to President Barack Obama's defense secretary, CIA director and attorney general demanding that the video be declassified.
Republicans have accused the Obama administration of distorting the account of the attack on Sept. 11 that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.
More @ Fox
Over $60,000 in Welfare Spent Per Household in Poverty
"According to the Census’s American Community Survey, the number of
households with incomes below the poverty line in 2011 was 16,807,795,"
the Senate Budget Committee notes. "If you divide total federal and
state spending by the number of households with incomes below the
poverty line, the average spending per household in poverty was $61,194
in 2011."
This dollar figure is almost three times the amount the average household on poverty lives on per year. "If the spending on these programs were converted into cash, and distributed exclusively to the nation’s households below the poverty line, this cash amount would be over 2.5 times the federal poverty threshold for a family of four, which in 2011 was $22,350 (see table in this link)," the Republicans on the Senate Budget Committee note. To be clear, not all households living below the poverty line receive $61,194 worth of assistance per year. After all, many above the poverty line also receive benefits from social welfare programs (e.g. pell grants). But if welfare is meant to help bring those below the poverty line to a better place, it helps demonstrate that numbers do not add up. As for the welfare programs, the Republicans on the Senate Budget Committee note:
More @ The Weekly Standard
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Petraeus Throws Obama Under the Bus
VERBATIM
Breaking news on Benghazi: the CIA spokesman, presumably at the direction of CIA director David Petraeus, has put out this statement: "No one at any level in the CIA told anybody not to help those in need; claims to the contrary are simply inaccurate. ”
So who in the government did tell “anybody” not to help those in need? Someone
decided not to send in military assets to help those Agency operators.
Would the secretary of defense make such a decision on his own? No.
It would have been a presidential decision. There
was presumably a rationale for such a decision. What was it? When and
why—and based on whose counsel obtained in what meetings or
conversations—did President Obama decide against sending in military
assets to help the Americans in need?
So who in the government did tell “anybody” not to help those in need? Someone
decided not to send in military assets to help those Agency operators.
Would the secretary of defense make such a decision on his own? No.
It would have been a presidential decision. There
was presumably a rationale for such a decision. What was it? When and
why—and based on whose counsel obtained in what meetings or
conversations—did President Obama decide against sending in military
assets to help the Americans in need?
========================
Petraeus on Benghazi: It Wasn't Me
Central Intelligence Agency director David Petraeus has emphatically denied that he or anyone else at the CIA refused assistance to the former Navy SEALs who requested it three times as terrorists attacked the U.S. consulate in Benghazi on the night of Sep. 11. The Weekly Standard and ABC News report that Petraeus's denial effectively implicates President Barack Obama, since a refusal to assist "would have been a presidential decision."
More @ Breitbart
H.L. Mencken on Elections, Politics and Government
Via David
1. Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods.
2. A good politician is quite as unthinkable as an honest burglar.
3. A politician is an animal which can sit on a fence and yet keep both ears to the ground.
4. Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.
5. Democracy is also a form of worship. It is the worship of jackals by jackasses.
6. Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.
7. Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.
8. Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under.
9. If a politician found he had cannibals among his constituents, he would promise them missionaries for dinner.
1. Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods.
2. A good politician is quite as unthinkable as an honest burglar.
3. A politician is an animal which can sit on a fence and yet keep both ears to the ground.
4. Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.
5. Democracy is also a form of worship. It is the worship of jackals by jackasses.
6. Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.
7. Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.
8. Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under.
9. If a politician found he had cannibals among his constituents, he would promise them missionaries for dinner.
