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Twenty Questions Obama Needs To Answer

Michael Redbourn — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:59:57 +0000

Obamanomics vs. Reaganomics: Destroying the lies about trickle …

dancingczars.wordpress.com2/7/12

This entry was posted in Obamanomics vs. Reaganomics: Destroying the lies about trickle down economics and tagged conservative blog netowrk, Progressives are economic morons, Socialism doesn't, Trickle down works.

Another Record for Obamanomics | Wizbang

wizbangblog.com2/3/12

Another Record for Obamanomics. February 3, 2012 | Filed under Economics,Employment | Posted by Rodney Graves. And like all such records, it's not one that's doing the nation a damn bit of good.

President Obama has frequently justified his policies and judged their outcomes in terms of equity, justice and fairness.

All of which begs an obvious question,

How does our existing system and his own policy record stack up according to those criteria?

1) Is it fair that the richest 1% of Americans pay nearly 40% of all federal income taxes, and the richest 10% pay two-thirds of the tax?

2) Is it fair that the richest 10% of Americans shoulder a higher share of their country’s income tax burden than do the richest 10% in every other industrialized nation, including socialist Sweden?

3) Is it fair that American corporations pay the highest statutory corporate tax rate of all other industrialized nations but Japan, which cuts its rate on April 1?

4) Is it fair that President Obama sends his two daughters to elite private schools that are safer, better-run, and produce higher test scores than public schools in Washington, D.C. while millions of other families across America are denied that free choice and are forced to send their kids to second-rate schools?

5) Is it fair that Americans who build a family business, hire workers, reinvest and save their money—paying a lifetime of federal, state and local taxes often climbing into the millions of dollars must then pay an additional estate tax of 35% (and up to 55% when the law changes next year) when they die, rather than passing that money onto their loved ones?

6) Is it fair that Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, former Democratic Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, former Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel and other leading Democrats who preach tax fairness underpaid their own taxes?

7) Is it fair that after the first three years of Obamanomics that the poor are poorer, that the poverty rate is rising, that the middle class is losing income, and some 5.5 million fewer Americans have jobs today than in 2007?

8) Is it fair that roughly 88% of political contributions from supposedly impartial network television reporters, producers and other employees in 2008 went to Democrats?

9) Is it fair that the three counties with America’s highest median family income just happen to be located in the Washington, D.C., metro area?

10) Is it fair that wind, solar and ethanol producers get billions of dollars of subsidies each year and pay virtually no taxes, while the oil and gas industry which provides at least 10 times as much energy pays tens of billions of dollars of taxes while the president complains that it is "subsidized"?

11) Is it fair that those who work full-time jobs, and sometimes more than one in order to make ends meet have to pay taxes to support up to 99 weeks of unemployment benefits for those who don’t work?

12 Is it fair that those who took out responsible mortgages and pay them each month have to see their tax dollars used to subsidize those who acted recklessly, greedily and sometimes deceitfully in taking out mortgages they now can’t afford to repay?

13) Is it fair that thousands of workers won’t have jobs because the president sided with environmentalists and blocked the shovel-ready Keystone XL oil pipeline?

14) Is it fair that some of Mr. Obama’s largest campaign contributors received federal loan guarantees on their investments in renewable energy projects that went bust?

15) Is it fair that federal employees receive benefits that are nearly 50% higher than those of private-sector workers whose taxes pay their salaries, according to the Congressional Budget Office?

16) Is it fair that soon almost half the federal budget will take income from young working people and redistribute it to old non-working people, even though those over age 65 are already among the wealthiest Americans?

17) Is it fair that in 27 states workers can be compelled to join a union in order to keep their jobs?

18) Is it fair that nearly four out of 10 American households now pay no federal income tax at all, and is a number that has risen every year under Mr. Obama?

19) Is it fair that Boeing, which is a private company, was threatened by a federal agency when it sought to add jobs in a right-to-work state rather than in a forced-union state?

20) Is it fair that our kids and grandstands and great-grand-kids who never voted for Mr. Obama will have to pay off the $5 trillion of debt accumulated over the past four years, without any benefits to them?

What do you think? Was it fair?

Which Candidate Got Most Money From Wall Street?

Michael Redbourn — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:09:42 +0000

Wall Street pays big to influence Washington – CNN Political Ticker …

politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com1/31/12

Washington (CNNMoney) — Financial industry spending to influence Washington topped $150 million for the second year in a row, with emphasis shifting to regulators of the Dodd-Frank reform law, according to watchdog …

Charts: Wall Street Blows All Other Political Donors Away | Mother …

motherjones.com1/26/12

Wall Street's outsized political influence is no secret, but some new data shows just how much it's ballooned. According to the Sunlight Foundation, campaign spending by elite donors from the finance, insurance, and real …

He got more money from Wall Street than any candidate in the history of U.S. politics!

How can Obama side with Occupy Wall Street protesters when took more money from Wall Street than any candidate in the history of U.S. politics?

It seems like the media and many OWS protesters conveniently forget that Larry Summers was instrumental in the passage of the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999, which removed the final Glass Steagall regulations on banks, securities firms, and insurance companies, as well as the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000 which deregulated financial derivatives at the very heart of the crisis.

Obama’s response?

Obama made him his Director of the National Economic Council!

As for campaign contributions, Obama’s second largest benefactor in 2008 was Goldman Sachs.

And numbers six and seven were JPMorgan and Citigroup.

In total, the various financial services industries donated a combined $30 million to his campaign.

John McCain received $21 million.

Obama Win Will Be Difficult In 2012

Michael Redbourn — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:26:13 +0000

Shaw's Blog: Gallup Poll–Battleground State Nightmare for Obama

shawsblog2011.blogspot.com2/1/12

fox nation Today, Gallup released their aggregate state approvals for President Obama over the entirety of 2011. His drop relative to his 2009 standing is especially stark in battleground states. Here are some of the …

Webutante: Battleground States Show Sharp Decline For Obama

webutante07.blogspot.com2/1/12

Battleground States Show Sharp Decline For Obama. AS MITT ROMNEY MOPS UP IN FLORIDA TONIGHT, many of my fellow conservative commenters diss and whine about Romney's conservative qualifications, his …

The following data is from all of 2011, and 2012 is not looking any better.

The Good News For Obama

His political standing is in reasonable but not good shape in traditionally Democratic Midwestern battlegrounds such as Wisconsin and Michigan and the more Republican heartland state of Iowa where his rating is 46 approval/46 disapproval.

And his numbers in Virginia are better than those in other battleground states 45% approve, 49% disapprove.

His numbers in North Carolina 44/49 approve/disapprove and Florida 44/48 approve/disapprove and even in Georgia 45/48 approve/disapprove aren’t good, but given his overall numbers, they aren’t that bad either.

The Bad News For Obama

His job approval ratings in the other battleground states are solidly underwater however, and in many states, they are much worse than publicly perceived, mostly because of White House spin.

In Colorado, which is seen as a gateway to aggressively contesting the Southwest, Obama scored a net -12 job approval 40/52 throughout the year.

In Nevada, also seen as a major bellwether, Obama has a 41% approval rating, with 50% of respondents disapproving.

In the critical battleground state of Ohio, 50% of voters disapprove of his performance, with only 42% approving.

And in the must-win state of Pennsylvania, Obam’s job approval is underwater, with 45% approving and 48% disapproving.

More Bad News

New Mexico is seen as a Democratic-leaning state because of its voting history and its significant Hispanic population.

But Obama’s performance there, 42% favorable, 51% unfavorable, isn’t much different than his weak standing in the other Southwestern battlegrounds.

The Obama campaign argues that it has an outside shot at contesting Arizona, but his approval rating is at 40%, with 52% disapproving.

In New Hampshire, a state that John Kerry carried in 2004, Obama’s job approval is at 39%, with 54% disapproving, and it’s a state that with Romney heading the GOP ticket, is starting to look more and more out of reach.

So What Does Obama Have To Do To Win?

Based on the above numbers, the most plausible path for the president’s re-election runs through Virginia, Florida and Iowa, which isn’t a scenario that Team Obama drew up in its spin sessions, but if the polls are to be believed, then it’s likely the only way to go.

Are Low IQ Social Conservatives More Prejudiced?

Michael Redbourn — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 08:14:07 +0000

Gays: Facts, myths and religious prejudice | Public Eye Daily

www.publiceye.co.ls1/27/12

For those that are unsure, prejudice is defined as a preconceived opinion not based on reason or experience, in other words, you are being unfair and irrational in your attitude towards the subject(s) of your prejudice, normally …

“…there is reason to believe that strict right-wing ideology might …

wizbangblog.com1/28/12

Those ideologies, in turn, stress hierarchy and resistance to change, attitudes that can contribute to prejudice, [researcher Gordon Hodson] wrote in an email to LiveScience. … Social conservatives were defined as people …

According to an article published on January 26, 2012 in LiveScience, “People with prejudices most likely have low IQs and are Social Conservatives”.

And according to Gordon Hodson, a psychologist at Brock University in Ontario, “the research indicates that children with low intelligence are more likely to hold prejudiced attitudes as adults.”

“And these findings point to a vicious cycle”.

“Low-intelligence adults tend to gravitate toward socially conservative ideologies, the study found. Those ideologies, in turn, stress hierarchy and resistance to change, attitudes that can contribute to prejudice.”

In the study, researchers used two forms of intelligence tests and a series of statements supposed to measure social conservative attitudes, statements similar to:

"Family life suffers if mum is working full-time".

"Schools should teach children to obey authority".

And from the replies to the statement they attempted to capture attitudes about race using statements such as:

"I wouldn’t mind working with people from other races”.

Researchers say they found a correlation between having a low intelligence in childhood and holding prejudicial attitudes in adulthood, and the relationship linking the two was social conservatism.

And in a second data set, researchers also claimed to have found a link between poor abstract reasoning skills and homophobia.

* Social conservatism is a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the national government, or the state, should have a greater role in the social and moral affairs of its citizens, generally supporting whatever it sees as morally correct choices and discouraging or outright forbidding those it considers morally wrong ones. Source Wikipedia.

It’s important to note that the study refers to social conservatism, not political conservatism, and lead researcher Gordon Hodson, stresses that the researchers weren’t implying that all liberals are smart and all conservatives are dumb.

"There are multiple examples of very bright conservatives and not-so-bright liberals, and many examples of very principled conservatives and very intolerant liberals”. he said.

But Brian Nosek, who is a social and cognitive psychologist at the University of Virginia and not related to the study, told LiveScience.

"They’ve pulled off the trifecta of controversial topics. When one selects intelligence, political ideology and racism and looks at any of the relationships between those three variables, it’s bound to upset somebody”.

Hodson says however that,

“It’s a reasonable to conclude that a conservative ideology might appeal to those who have trouble grasping the complexity of the world. Socially conservative ideologies tend to offer structure and order. Unfortunately, many of these features can also contribute to prejudice”.

How Many Illegals Are In The US And What Is The Cost?

Michael Redbourn — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:41:47 +0000

Obama Slaps Intimidation Lawsuit on South Carolina Over Illegals

www6.lexisnexis.com11/7/11

States and localities bear the brunt of the costs that illegal aliens impose on taxpayers. … State and local costs for services siphoned by illegal aliens and their anchor babies now total $391 million a year in South Carolina.

Illegal Aliens Not “Innocent Immigrants”; U.S., Dem. Party Wasting …

neosecularist.com1/27/12

Why would we want to reelect a man, Barack Obama, who would give the potential illegal alien that much more incentive to become a criminal illegal alien? Isn't it more cost-effective to the American taxpayer to advance a “no …

How Many Illegals In The US And What Is The Cost?

It’s obviously impossible to come up with exact figures because illegal aliens don’t reply to census questionnaires, but the U.S. Border Patrol Union Local 2544 in Tucson, Ariz., says the total number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. today is somewhere between 12 million and 15 million.

And basing its figures on the "Current Population Survey", which is a monthly assessment of about 50,000 households jointly conducted by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau, The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that there are between 11.5 million to 12 million "unauthorized migrants" living in the U.S. today.

Bear Stearns (download pdf) says however that based on school enrollments, foreign remittances, border crossings, and housing permits that, "there is significant evidence that the census estimates of undocumented immigrants may be capturing as little as half of the total undocumented population", meaning that there might well be as many as 20 million illegal immigrants in the US today.

Estimated Number Of Illegal Aliens – State by State

How Much Are Illegal Aliens Costing The U.S. ?

The following estimates are in billions and not millions!

Illegal aliens are said to be costing the welfare system between $14 billion and $22 billion every year – Federation for American Immigration Reform

Medicaid use by illegal aliens costs the U.S. 7.5 billion every year- Center for Immigration Studies

In 2006, illegal aliens sent an estimated $65 BILLION in remittances back to their countries of origin, to their families and friends – rense.com

The following information was sourced from and interview on - Lou Dobbs Tonight

Primary and secondary school education for illegal aliens is said to be costing $12 billion dollars a year.

Anchor (American-born children of illegal aliens) children another $27 billion a year.

The incarceration of illegal aliens – $1.2 billion a year and 28% of all federal prison inmates are reckoned to be illegal aliens.

Every single year a massive $190 billion dollars is spent on welfare and social services for illegal aliens.

It is thought that illegal aliens cause American wages to be suppressed by around $200 billion dollars per year.

The above figures are not 100% accurate of course, but they’re based on extensive research, so it’s probably safe to say that illegal immigration is costing the U.S. around $500 billion a year and $500 billion is half a trillion dollars!

And How Much Do Illegal Immigrants Pay in Taxes?

Most experts agree that many illegal immigrants are paying taxes to Uncle Sam, but just how much they pay is hard to determine because the federal government doesn’t fully tally it.

"The latest available figures indicate however that it will amount to billions of dollars in federal income, Social Security and Medicare taxes this year and one rough estimate puts the amount of Social Security taxes alone at around $9 billion per year". – MSNBC

So What’s To Be Done?

Mass Deportation?

According to The National Policy Institute, the total cost of mass deportation would be between $206 and $230 billion, and you can download a free copy of the The National Policy Institute ebook entitled, deportation if you’re interested in more details.

How Much Overall Support Is There For Reducing Immigration?

What Steps Was It Recommended That The Government Take?

In 1995, the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform asked the National Research Council / National Academy of Sciences to study the economic and fiscal effects of immigration.

Here are the principle findings of their extensive analysis, published in 1997 as The New Americans: Economic, Demographic, and Fiscal Effects of Immigration (ISBN 0-309-06356-6).

Their recommendations on Illegal Immigration were to.

Restrict the eligibility of illegal aliens for publicly-funded assistance.

Implement a nationwide system for easily verifying authorization to work (specifically, a computerized registry based on a secure
social security card).

Increase the resource for border management and interior enforcement.

Is There The Political Will To Implement Either Of The Above?

Obviously not, because in spite of a recent Pew survey (and all other polls that I’ve seen confirm it) showing that 73%of those polled approved of Arizona’s new immigration plan, and in spite of many other States wanting to adopt it, the Obama administration is seeking to have Arizona’s new law ruled unlawful.

The Answer To The Question

A Mexican journalist by the name of Evangelina Hernandez asked in Denver recently, "Illegal aliens pay rent, buy groceries, buy clothes. What Happens to your country’s economy if 20 million people go away?".

The answer would of course be, that the U.S. would be close to $500 billion a year better off, and

US Watchdog Say Taxpayers Still Owed $132.9 Billion From Bailouts

Michael Redbourn — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:35:54 +0000

Bailed-Out Companies Pressured TARP Pay Czar To Keep …

www.huffingtonpost.com1/24/12

The official overseeing executive pay for bailout firms limited cash compensation and made some reductions in pay, but still approved compensation packages in the millions, the TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program) inspector general said in the report. Former U.S. pay … In Mexico in the mid-'90s Wall Street engineered a currency coup that tripled the debt owed by small businesses and family farms and also allowed for them to be massively ratejacked on top of it.

Taxpayers Still on the Hook for $133B from Bailouts | Nanavaty …

www.nndcpa.com1/26/12

The federal overseer of the government's bank bailout program says taxpayers are still owed $132.9 billion on investments in 458 bailed-out banks and companies, including failed insurer American International Group (AIG: 25.31, 0.00, 0.00%), General Motors (GM: 25.08, … SIGTARP now warns TARP could be cemented in the government's architecture as a permanent bailout program, even though the public initially “perceived TARP as primarily a bank bailout.” …

Government watchdog Christy Romero says that U.S. taxpayers are still owed $132.9 billion by companies that received bailouts, and adds that much of it will never be recovered.

TARP – Troubled Asset Relief Program

The bailout debt which was launched at the height of the financial crisis in September 2008 will continue for years, says a report issued Thursday January 26, 2012 by Christy Romero, who is the acting special inspector general for the $700 billion bailout.

What’s worse is that some bailout programs, such as the one to help homeowners avoid foreclosure by reducing mortgage payments, will continue into late 2017, and they will cost the government an additional $51 billion, plus or minus a few billion dollars.

The report also notes that the roller coaster stock market slowed the Treasury Department’s efforts to sell off its stakes in 458 bailed-out companies, which include insurers, American International Group Inc., General Motors Co. and Ally Financial Inc.

The Present Share Prices And Needed Share Prices

AIG’s shares closed Wednesday at $25.31, while GM ended at $24.92 and Ally isn’t publicly traded.

They were $28.73 a share for AIG, and $53.98 for GM so it could take a long time for the market to rebound to that level.

The report concludes that it will also be challenging for the government to get out of the 458 companies as the market remains volatile and banks struggle keep afloat in the tough economy.

The Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP

Congress authorized $700 billion for the bailout of financial companies and automakers and $413.4 billion was paid out.

So far, the government has recovered about $318 billion.

The Treasury’s Response

Treasury spokesman Matt Anderson said the department,

"has made substantial progress winding down TARP and has already recovered more than 77% of the funds disbursed for the program, through repayments and other income".

"We’ll continue to balance the important goals of exiting our investments as soon as practicable and maximizing value for taxpayers".

To be fair however, it needs be said that the government has recovered its investments in four of the companies that received the most aid:

Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc., Chrysler Group LLC and Chrysler Financial, which is the automaker’s old lending arm.

Criminal Activity

In Romero’s quarterly report to Congress, she said her office,

"has uncovered and prevented fraud related to TARP".

Investigations by her office have resulted in criminal charges against ten people and three convictions.

Were Bear Stearns And 9/11 Economic Terror? Islamic Jihad?

Michael Redbourn — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 12:30:24 +0000

Economic Terrorism: Was the 2008 Collapse Intentional …

conservativebyte.com1/20/12

Economic jihad perhaps. Reply. Big Ugly, Wyoming says: January 20, 2012 at 10:32 am. There is no doubt in my mind that the “Crash of 2008″ was intentional …. orchestrated by Obama's handlers ….. headed by George …

Ireland may be the first EU state to sell Islamic bonds – Jihad Watch

www.jihadwatch.org1/20/12

McCormick Foundation: Shariah, Law and 'Financial Jihad' and How Should America Respond? 1. Recommendation: Enforce and prosecute violations of current laws on disclosure, racketeering, anti-trust, material support for …

Glen Beck talks to Kevin Freeman, the author of the book "Secret Weapon", about economic terror.

I edited the interview because the sound was so low as to be almost inaudible, and the clip was very long.

It seems like economic terror is now an official part of Jihad and its intent is to cause a collapse of the US economy!

Frightening stuff!

If you can’t destroy the US militarily then destroy it economy!

Both the Arabs and George Soros (seems like he’s involved too) have lots of money at their disposal, and their motivation to destroy the US economy is sky-high.

The bottom line is that the dollar and America’s credit rating are under attack, and the attack is very very serious!

So what can be done?

Please post your thoughts and suggestions.

Is The Internet A Human Right?

Michael Redbourn — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:19:24 +0000

Access to the Internet and Human Rights – thanks Vint! | Association …

www.apc.org1/16/12

Thanks for the best possible start to 2012 for internet rights advocates. Your New York Times column Internet Access is Not a Human Right sparked a lively debate about the internet , access and human rights. In 2012 we will …

Internet Freedom and the Digital Earthquake of 2011 « humanrights …

www.humanrights.gov1/17/12

I am here to speak about Internet freedom as a foundation for the 21st Century human rights agenda. It is a pleasure to be joined by Christine Varney, a lawyer's lawyer who is much missed inside the Obama administration. …

With so many ongoing initiatives to bring the Internet to third-world countries, to ensure its availability under oppressive regimes, and increased spending to bring technology into classrooms, the response from a man who’s often referred to as the father of the Internet might come as a surprise to you.

When asked in an interview if Internet access is a human right Vint Cerf responded,

"Internet access is not a human right",

He says he’s aware that in Estonia, France, Spain, Finland and Greece, that Internet access has already been made a human right, but believes that the argument, however well meaning, misses a larger point:

"Technology is an enabler of rights, not a right itself".

And says there must be a high bar before something can be considered a human right. It must be among the things we as humans need in order to lead healthy, meaningful lives, like freedom from torture or freedom of conscience.

But it would be a mistake to place any particular technology in this exalted category, since over time we would end up valuing the wrong things.

The Internet Is a Human Right

In December 2010, FTC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn who is the daughter of Rep. James Clyburn espoused her belief that the Internet must become an “open platform".

And that same month, another FCC Commissioner, Michael Copps, said,

“Universal access to broadband needs to be seen as a civil right, though not many people have talked about it that way".

In August 2011, the Ministerial Alliance Against the Digital Divide said that it considered access to the Internet a civil right.

"Access To The Internet Is Akin To A Civil Rights Issue"

Telecom researcher Chris Mitchell writes that, as a result of its merger with NBC, Comcast is required to make the Internet affordable and available to 2.5 million low-income households over the next two years.

And Comcast’s Executive Vice-President David Cohen had the following to say about the civil rights issue:

“Access to the internet is akin to a civil rights issue for the 21st century. It’s that access that enables people in poorer areas to equalize access to a quality education, quality health care and vocational opportunities".

Jesse Jackson says:

"The way to raise unemployment is to change the Constitution so that every student had the right to a good education and notes giving every kid an iPod and a laptop would accomplish both goals".

But what do you think?

Please post your responses.

For more info FCC Is Coordinating Net Neutrality With Free Press

Joint US-Israel Missile Drill Will Be The Biggest Ever

Michael Redbourn — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:27:08 +0000

Largest Ever, Upcoming U.S.-Israel Joint Drill Sending Message to …

www.theblaze.com1/8/12

Arrow 3 Defense Missile Launch Test (Photo credit: Israeli Defense Ministry via Israel Hayom). A planned American-Israeli missile defense exercise is receiving special attention on the heels of a 10-day Iranian naval exercise …

Israel and US to hold joint missile drill | Aerospace & Defence News

aerospace.firetrench.com1/9/12

Israel and the United States are to hold a joint missile defence exercise, the Israeli military said late on Thursday. ASDNews … Last week it test-fired three missiles during war games east of the strait at the entrance to the Gulf. …

An upcoming American-Israeli missile defense exercise is receiving special media attention because it comes on the heels of a ten-day Iranian naval exercise, plus Iranian threats of closing the Strait of Hormuz.

Israeli Defense Forces played down the timing of the announcement, calling such periodic exercises “routine:”

“These exercises, which are part of a long-standing strategic partnership, are planned in advance and part of a routine training cycle designed to improve the interoperability of our defense systems. Like other bi-lateral exercises, Austere Challenge 12 represents another milestone in the strategic relationship between the US and Israel, as well as a step forward in promoting regional stability".

“The exercise scenario involves notional, simulated events as well as some field training, and is not in response to any real-world event".

“The exercise has been planned for at least two years and therefore has no relevance to any world events".

The AP quoted a senior military official who said on condition of anonymity:

"Thousands of American and Israeli soldiers from different units will take part, and the drill will test multiple Israeli and U.S. air defense systems against incoming missiles and rockets".

In a speech last month, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta previewed the exercise, citing it as an example of what he called,

"The administration’s unprecedented levels of defense cooperation with Israel to back up our unshakable commitment to Israel’s security".

And on Sunday’s Face the Nation, Panetta stated two red lines for the U.S.:

"Our red line to Iran is do not develop a nuclear weapon. That’s a red line for us. I think they need to know that, that if they take that step, that they’re going to get stopped. We made very clear that the United States will not tolerate the blocking of the Straits of Hormuz. That’s another red line for us and that we will respond to them.".

And Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey on the same show said he believes,

" Iran has the capability, for a period of time to block the Strait of Hormuz, but we would take action and reopen the Straits".

Efraim Inbar, who is director of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar Ilan University, says that even if it’s not intended as a response to Iranian moves:

“Any military exercise has political implications. The military organ is always connected to political even if that’s not the intention on the part of the Americans or Israelis. It’s a clear political signal to the bad guys. After we saw the military exercise by the Iranians last week, everybody with political sensitivity tends to believe this is a counter-flexing of muscle".

Inbar also addressed expressions of isolationism in the U.S., something which has been gaining more media attention due to the presidential campaign of GOP candidate Ron Paul:

“This type of exercise expresses the importance of Israel to the U.S. particularly when the U.S. is seen as being weak in the region. It is leaving Iraq, it is on its way out of Afghanistan. Israel is probably the only place a U.S. military airplane will eventually be able to land in the Middle East".

“U.S.-Israel strategic cooperation is beneficial to both sides. The U.S. is a super power and we are a small state but in our area contrary to what isolationists say in the U.S., we all still need allies, or what used to be called ‘calling stations’. Israeli ports are open to the U.S. In fact, the only port where the U.S. can probably bring ships safely in the Eastern Mediterranean is to Israel. Looking at the other countries: Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Libya, the Mediterranean is becoming an Islamist lake".

And an Israeli Air Force officer emphasized that not only Israel gains from the relationship:

“The Americans are eager to conduct this exercise, we are their laboratory in the field of missile defense. A laboratory because Israel has extensive firsthand experience of absorbing incoming rockets and missiles from Hamas and Hezbollah and regularly activates its Iron Dome system to combat the threat".

The Telegraph reported from London that the UK will deploy its largest warship, the HMS Daring, to the Persian Gulf to,

“send a significant message to the Iranians”.

The UK destroyer is due to arrive in late January.

And Oil Supplies?

Western powers have agreed a contingency plan to tap a record volume from emergency stockpiles which could replace nearly all the Gulf oil that would be lost if Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz.

Santorum Reveals Weakness In US Students Gay Logic

Michael Redbourn — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:24:45 +0000

Santorum Instructs Students On Same-Sex Marriage and Health …

jonathanturley.org1/5/12

When a student asked Santorum asked about health care, the student cited a 2009 Harvard study and noted that he did not “think God appreciates the fact that we have 50 to 100000 uninsured Americans dying due to a lack of healthcare every year.” He should know better to cite an academic study to Santorum …. Many have simply packed up and left the state (which helps keep the unemployment rate statewide low). Those who stay in rural Iowa are often the elderly …

American Power: Santorum Sharpens Aim at Romney

americanpowerblog.blogspot.com1/6/12

"A lot of blue collar workers have been left behind in America," Mr. Santorum said Thursday in Manchester. Later, at a campaign event in Tilton, he said his family and his friends' families had worked in factories. To a man who …

What disturbs me most about this video is that the students from New England College are unable to follow the simple logic behind Santorum’s questions.

Santorum knows that his anti-g**-marriage stance will cost him votes, but he was at least patient and trying to make our next generation think a little.

But sadly, they were unable to.

Why Is That Important?

Because if our students aren’t either encouraged, or convinced to give up on their simplistic thinking, then America will soon lag behind a great many countries.

Consider perhaps the attitude that most US students have toward Israel.

They believe that Israel is the villain and that Palestinian land has been appropriated when in fact a Palestinian people never existed

People were displaced, both Jews and Arabs, but Israel absorbed the displaced Jews whereas Arab countries never absorbed displaced Arabs.

Both displaced peoples were around the same size; about a million people.

Why do they have that attitude?

Because they were seduced by simplistic propaganda when they could have checked out the facts easily and quickly, but they didn’t and don’t.

Why?

Because their professors are rabid left-wingers, and the students are lazy and want to be spoon-fed!

Every year, campus hate groups such as the Muslim Students Association and Students for Justice in Palestine join a festival of lies called the “Israel Apartheid Week” whose theme is that Israel is an apartheid state, in spite of the fact that Israel has Arab members of the Knesset; that Arab Israelis can and do vote without any restrictions; that Arabs use the same toilets, buses and restaurants etc. as Jewish Israelis.

Happily, and alternative is now being presented and it’s an honest one and not simply a propaganda one.