Thomas Sowell retires t the age of 86, enjoy sir. You will be missed.
Some quotes.
“Only in government is any benefit, however small, considered to be worth any cost, however large.”
“The history of the 20th century is full of examples of countries that set out to redistribute wealth and ended up redistributing poverty.”
“[N]othing is easier than disarming peaceful people — thereby leaving them more vulnerable to people who are not peaceful, who can simply ignore the restrictions that others obey.”
“I have never understood why it is ‘greed’ to want to keep the money you have earned but not greed to want to take somebody else’s money.”
“When you want to help people, you tell them the truth. When you want to help yourself, you tell them what they want to hear.”
“People who pride themselves on their ‘complexity’ and deride others for being ‘simplistic’ should realize that the truth is often not very complicated. What gets complex is evading the truth.”
“Despite a voluminous and often fervent literature on ‘income distribution,’ the cold fact is that most income is not distributed: It is earned.”
“Intellect is not wisdom.”
“Socialism in general has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it.”
“The most basic question is not what is best, but who shall decide what is best.”
Shortly before Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated on March 4, 1861, a political supporter recalled the turbulent atmosphere of Washington, D.C. “The air was still thick with rumors of ‘rebel plots’ to assassinate Mr. Lincoln, or to capture him and carry him off before he could take hold of the reins of government.”The burden of Lincoln’s safety fell on the aged shoulders of Lieutenant-General Winfield Scott, celebrated war hero and head of the U.S. Army. He wrote of this duty as “the most critical and hazardous event with which I have ever been connected.” Not only was Lincoln’s life endangered by Southern secessionists, but Scott himself received many death threats if he “dared to protect the ceremony by military force.” Scott rounded up as many soldiers as possible from his scant forces, so when Lincoln rode to the Capitol, a reporter noted, “His carriage was closely surrounded on all sides by marshals and cavalry, so as almost to hide it from view.”
By 1861 presidential inaugurations had well established customs. The outgoing president usually escorted the president-elect in a procession down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol, starting at Willard’s Hotel on 14th Street. On Lincoln’s inauguration day 16-year-old Julia Taft and her mother watched the procession from a hardware store because the Capitol might prove too dangerous. “As we took our places a file of green-coated sharpshooters went through up to the roof. The whisper went round that they had received orders to shoot at any one crowding toward the President’s carriage.”
Julia watched Lincoln and his predecessor ride by in an open carriage. She admitted she “suffered a pang of sorrow at the going of that lovable gentleman of the old school, President Buchanan. Up to that time he had been my ideal of what a President should be.” She noticed the crowd seemed hostile toward Lincoln and heard a woman remark, “There goes that Illinois ape, the cursed Abolitionist. But he will never come back alive.”
We will see on inauguration day. Expect massive throngs of furious and desperate goons to attempt to trample the podium, as they do even now on college campuses, whenever any conservative speaker attempts to exercise his First Amendment rights. Inauguration day will see the mother of all protests — spell that ‘riots’ — as Trump’s hand reaches forth toward the Bible to affirm the oath of office.In the first hundred days after that, expect the Democrat minority in Congress to skillfully execute every conceivable maneuver to thwart the will of the electors, to scheme and plot without pause, to poison every act of the legislature, and to frustrate every action of the president. They will claw, scratch, kick, bite, and scream like rabid beasts, knowing that their time is short.
They will have no choice.
If the Secret Service thought that protecting the first “black” President would be daunting, Well they haven’t seen anything yet.
Of course every President receives threats from “disturbed individuals”. President Obama is no exception.
Of course when it came to George W. Bush It was open season , books, movies you name it.
So why this double standard, assassinating Obama would be considered the crime of the century, while assassinating Bush, and now Trump would be considered an act of heroism.
Well it all comes down to ideology.
Solzhenitsyn wrote: “Ideology-that is what gives evildoing its long-sought justification and gives the evildoer the necessary steadfastness and determination. That is the social theory which helps to make his acts seem good instead of bad in his own and others eyes, so that he won’t hear reproaches and curses but will receive praise and honors...
The Bolsheviks were just Progressives on steroids.
But it seems that one liberal lady has finally had had enough.
Getting water to California’s central valley farmers isn’t as important as protecting the delta smelt. It’s okay if wind turbines kill 4200 bald eagles each year.
Saying all lives matter is racist. Saying only black lives matter is not.
Russia revealing secrets about Hillary is evil. Hillary putting highly classified data on an insecure server is fine.
Exposing Hillary’s secrets is a foreign coup. The NYT’s revealing highly classified anti-terror programs is heroic.
WikiLeaks is a source for truth justice and the American way if it’s exposing critical national security programs that have nothing to do with domestic surveillance. WikiLeaks is an agent of fascism if it reveals anything that Hillary wants hidden.
Electoral college electors ignoring how the people voted in their state is true democracy.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
The State of Vermont has elected a “republican” for Governor, given him a “progressive/democrat for Lt. Governor, plus a large majority legislature to deal with.
Phil Scott waited his turn, but all he can do is tap the brakes a little while the state slides further and further to the left.
David Zuckerman Progressive/democrat, the Lt. Governor elect now waits his turn.
In the presidential race, Donald Trump won about 46 percent of the vote, and Hillary Clinton won about 48 percent. Clinton’s lead of more than 2 percent does not translate into a victory, however. Because the Electoral College gives disproportionate weight to small states, Trump will become president on Jan. 20, elected by a minority.
What the hell is Vermont but a “small state”.
And I wonder how many illegal aliens in California after getting their drivers licenses padded the vote totals.
They also had this to say…
Trump has trashed democratic norms. One of the ways that Republicans secured victory in states such as Wisconsin and North Carolina was by imposing voter registration restrictions that disadvantaged African-American voters. One way to ensure minority rule, which the GOP has now achieved, is by robbing the majority of its voting rights.
Apparently Democrats, and this shouldn’t be surprising, think African Americans are just too stupid to get proper identification to vote. But I guess it stands to reason since African Americans get a lousy education thanks to Democrat backed teachers unions and no school choice.
And finally.
The democratic norms that make self-government work in Vermont are in tatters at the national level. Trump’s world has always been a narrow, self-contained world, bristling with hostility toward enemies or would-be dupes. The transition of democratic governance remains a farce tumbling toward tragedy.
Trump won by the same rules that have governed the nation elections since it’s founding.
America is a Constitutional Republic, not a democracy.
And he beat one of the most corrupt politicians in American history. But you would never know that if all you read was the New York Times and the Times Argus.
“I love Vermont because of her hills and valleys, her scenery and invigorating climate, but most of all because of her indomitable people. They are a race of pioneers who have almost beggared themselves to serve others. If the spirit of liberty should vanish in other parts of the Union, and support of our institutions should languish, it could all be replenished from the generous store held by the people of this brave little state of Vermont.” Calvin Coolidge 1928
Calvin Coolidge is dead. Never in his wildest fantasies would he have anticipated what happened to his home state in just three generations.
88 years ago…Vermont was a very different place. Vermont and Maine were the only two States never to vote for Roosevelt. It was a bastion of the Grand old Party. The party of Abraham LIncoln. Vermont was the first entity to ban slavery in North America.
But starting in the 1960’s things began to change. Philip Hoff in 1962 became the first democrat to be elected governor since the Civil War. A lot of (relatively) cheap land went up for sale when a lot of family farms went under, and with the coming of the interstates Vermont was less the four hours drive from major metropolitan areas.
Vermont over the course of four decades changed from deep dark red to deep dark blue.
The old independent Vermonters died off.
Today Vermont is the Hippie epicenter. It’s been that way since 1968 when the back to the land movement invaded the state.
Silent Cal would not recognize his home state today.
I was mildly surprised that Vermont was solid blue, even the Northeast kingdom fell in line.
Now they are going to declare Montpelier a sanctuary city.
Councilor Anne Watson made the motion to accept the policy with the addition of protecting religious affiliation as well as immigration status. Earlier in the meeting Watson said when she first read the policy she thought it was great that they’d be protecting immigrants.
“But I couldn’t help but also think about other potentially threatened populations,” she said. Watson specifically mentioned Muslims.
The council unanimously adopted the sanctuary policy.
Even the Times Argus refers to them as illegal aliens.
When a president takes the oath of office he pledges to defend the Constitution of the United States of America.
The laws good and bad are supposed to be enforced until the bad ones are repealed.
One big difference between Progressives and Conservatives. A progressive President and his/her rubberstamp Justice Dept. will selectively decide which laws to enforce.
When a Conservative President is elected apparently progressives get to decide which laws to ignore.
I think that Calvin Coolidge would think that we are insane!
But this is what the majority of Vermonters voted for. We can’t just point to our major urban areas like other states where the blue cities outvote the red countryside.
Were not “independent Vermonters any more. We have to depend on government. And that of course means higher taxes. We have to take good care of our “guests” .
But of course we have a ways to go before we can even think to aspire to California.
Subject: LARGEST INSANE ASYLUM IN THE WORLD
California – largest insane asylum in the world Interesting that the LA Times did this. Lou Dobbs reported this on CNN and it cost him his job. The only network we would see this on would be FOX. All the others are staying away from it. Whether you are a Democrat or Republican, this should be of great interest to you!
Just One State – be sure and read the last part… try for 3 times.
This is only one State… If this doesn’t open your eyes, nothing will!
>From the L.A. Times.
1. 40% of all workers in LA County (10.2 million people) are working for cash; and not paying taxes. This is because they are predominantly illegal immigrants, working without a green card.
(Donald Trump was right)
2. 95% of warrants for murder in Los Angeles are for illegal aliens.
3. 75% of people on the most wanted list in Los Angeles are illegal aliens.
4. Over 2/3 of all births in Los Angeles County are to illegal alien Mexicans on Medi-Cal, whose births were paid for by taxpayers.
5. Nearly 35% of all inmates in California detention centers are Mexican nationals; they are here illegally.
6. Over 300,000 illegal aliens in Los Angeles County are living in garages.
7. The FBI reports half of all gang members in Los Angeles are most likely illegal aliens from south of the border.
8. Nearly 60% of all occupants of HUD properties are illegal.
9. 21 radio stations in LA are Spanish- speaking.
10. In LA County, 5.1 million people speak English; 3.9 million, speak Spanish. (There are 10.2 million people, in LA County.)
(All 10 of the above facts were published in the Los Angeles Times)
Less than 2% of illegal aliens are picking our crops, but 29% are on welfare. Over 70% of the United States’ annual population growth, (and over 90% of California, Florida, and New York), results from immigration. Also, 29% of inmates in federal prisons are illegal aliens.
Its been an exhausting past few months for me. Both with the election the present state of our country, and on a personal level too.
On occasion I’ll post some video of the area where I live. Driving the back roads of Vermont can make one feel safe, away from all the turmoil of the world. My friend who has lived in the area all his life and knows the area by heart will sometimes point out to me all the beautiful trophy homes that have been bought/built by “flatlanders”. Their little piece of paradise. We have interesting conversations.
