Once per week, I consolidate comments I’d posted to recent articles appearing on Yahoo News. I share my views, written as if I actually were the US President. [I’m working on that.] The following were posted between July 31 and today, though appear below in no particular order. As is my usual custom, if I open with a quoted item, that’s from the article itself.
I hope you enjoy all 21 of these mini-essays/comments.
ONE:
No pain, no gain. The only language people understand is money, which doesn’t just talk – it screams. Once the Dow falls to (oh, say) 5,000, maybe people will be ready to vote out all of the Dem/Pubs and elect Independents. By that time, however, it will be too late, since the Elite will have imposed martial law and suspended the Constitution under a State of Emergency.
Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“Nasty habits are hard to break. But if we don’t break our nastiest – that of robotically electing Dem/Pubs to office – we’ll have only ourselves to blame as we peer out from behind the fences of FEMA concentration camps.”
TWO:
As scripture, the Bible has some strong points. But if George Washington had access to the Buddhist scripture known as the Lotus Sutra, he would have cast the Bible aside. But...the Lotus had not been translated into any of the Western languages at the time of the American Revolution. Our Revolution would have had a much firmer basis in the truth if it had.
Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“Ah, timing is everything: Karma 101.”...
“Ah, timing is everything: Karma 101.”...
THREE:
“Do you want to share the world with the Chinese or with nuclear-armed Iran?” he says. “The only thing worse than Americans running the world is someone else running the world.”
In the first sentence, Donnelly of AEI (barf!) talks about sharing the world. In the very next sentence, he talks about “someone else running the world” – as if we, at present, are “running the world” (which is truer than it should be). I wonder if Donnelly himself was aware of what had just come out of his mouth.
Why not share the world with the Chinese? Haven’t they tolerated Western domination for centuries? And, no, they’re not going to rape your women – they just want to know what it feels like to be a Superpower. We’d be hypocrites to blame them.
As for the Defense budget – even if you cut it in half, Special Ops would find ways to illegally finance military “needs.” If we’re serious about reducing defense spending (which we aren’t, by the way), we would pass a law barring all lobbyists from even entering the Pentagon, & preventing all retired generals from going to work for civilian defense contractors.
Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“In spite of this so-called historic bipartisan debt compromise, we still accomplished only one thing – kicked the can down the road.”
FOUR:
“… petition for divine assistance to help the nation emerge from its financial woes and other crises” – [quote from Texas governor & possible presidential candidate Rick Perry]
I heard some Native Americans (aka Indians with feathers, not dots) offered to teach [Texas Governor] Perry how to do a rain dance. Texas could use some of that heavenly elixir. Perry declined their offer since these heathen redskins weren’t Christians and besides, “I’d look pretty silly prancing around like that!”
Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“Beggars can’t be choosers.”
“Beggars can’t be choosers.”
FIVE:
My response to another poster who had written, “Our 2 party system is not working! I wish that the politicians could understand that” follows:
It's not the politicians - it's We the People who have to understand that AND do something about it. I'm waiting!
Steven Searle for US President in 2012
"Out of 300M people in this country, why do we allow ourselves to be forced to choose between Two Party mediocrities?"
SIX:
[RE: Ralph Nader’s comment that he expects Obama to be challenged in the Democratic primaries.]
I wonder how much the GOP is paying Nader to make such noise.
There’s one very good reason why Obama will not have a serious challenger during the primaries – a reason that scares the daylights out of the GOP. If Obama isn’t challenged during the primaries, the Dem strategists will quietly (or maybe not so quietly) spread the word to their rank and file: Don’t vote in our primaries, ask for a GOP ballot instead, so you can vote for Michelle Bachmann.
Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“Such cross-over voting is legal and has happened in the past, but 2012 offers a golden opp for really screwing the GOP’s primary results.”
SEVEN:
Oh, I’m sure Obama will be faced with some gadfly irritant of a [Democratic primary] opponent who has no chance and isn’t really a serious candidate. But such “candidates” are useful to allow angry primary voters to let off steam. But as for real change you can believe in? Well, you’ve already got that. His name is Barack Obama…yuck, yuck, yuck.
Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“We’re too scared of our own shadow to create an independent, third party. So we’ll fall back on our knee-jerk Brand X (Dems) vs. Brand Y (GOP) thinking. Oh, well…so much for our spirit of independence.”
EIGHT:
“Scientists expect the payoff to be well worth the long journey.” It’s always easy for a project to be “well worth” it to scientists, when taxpayers are footing the bill.
"What we're really going after is some of the most fundamental questions of our solar system — how Jupiter formed, how it evolved [and how it managed to exert such an influence on us that we spend money we don’t have to get there].”
"My biggest hope is that all of our predictions about Jupiter are wrong, and that we find something completely different than what we expect. [That way, we can play the Fear Card, asking Congress for more money since they always cough up when faced with Fear of the Unknown.]”
Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“If elected, I will veto NASA's funding, saying, ‘If these space projects are so valuable, then let private enterprise partner with universities to pay for them. Or, how about a Coalition of the Willing? That scam worked with our wars so…’”
NINE:
[The “outcome” mentioned in the next sentence is the possibility of even greater cuts in the military budget.]
"It is an outcome that would be completely unacceptable to me as secretary of defense…”
Well, Mr. Secretary, either man up and deal with it or tender your resignation. If I’m elected in 2012, I’ll simplify that with, “You’re fired!”
Mr. Panetta worries about the ability to “project our power.” But tell me, sir, if the Chinese wanted to project their power by intervening in South America with joint training exercises (all in the name of “defense” of course), how could you object? We have no qualms about projecting our power (again, in the name of “defense”) in China’s back yard.
We still outspend China at least three-to-one in terms of defense, not to mention the decades of head start we've had. Good God, man, how much “defense” is enough? As for the US asking questions of Beijing, a proper Chinese response would be, “What part of 'None of your dam business' do you not understand?” Which is exactly what we would say should Beijing “question” Washington.
Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“If elected, I would fire at least 10% of the top officer corps. Most people don’t realize how dangerous to our national security are generals who are too comfortable in their positions. But…no one talks about that!”
TEN:
[Mystery companies, before disbanding, donating to Romney's PAC.]
Being as connected as he is to the Mormon elite, there will be a lot more money than that magically appearing.
Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“You DO believe in magic, don’t you?”
“You DO believe in magic, don’t you?”
ELEVEN:
@ Zeke199,
You’re not asking the right question: “how chummy do you want to be with a [Muslim] religious system…?” One does not get “chummy” with systems; one gets chummy with people.
The few Muslims I’ve encountered have been admirable people. Do they secretly wish me a nasty death? Maybe, though I have had nasty Christians tell me to my face I’m going to burn in Hell. I have problems with the narratives of all of the Abrahamic faiths, which is exactly why I’m a Buddhist.
I’m sure a lot of militant Islamic rhetoric would tone down once we stop oppressing their people and occupying their lands. Most people, I strongly suspect, aren’t really very well steeped in their own theology. [For instance, my Muslim friends are stumped when I point out that Mohammed didn’t receive his revelations directly from God (and why not?) but from Gabriel.]
But Muslims do know this much: They want good things for their families, and don't look kindly on those who would deny that.
TWELVE:
@ Pete
So “True Christianity” doesn’t believe that Jesus Christ is the literal son of God? How interesting! As for Catholics being polytheistic, they would deny that of course. The Trinity is called a mystery, which is how Catholics get to embrace monotheism. Think of it this way: Is light a wave or a particle? It exhibits both wave and particle characteristics; so, it is both and neither, yet it is fundamental, unique, and indivisible – kind of like a Trinitarian God is supposed to be, yes?
Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“I hope you all don’t cherry pick certain Quranic scriptures, since you might not like it if others were that selective with the Bible.”
THIRTEEN:
J,
The Dem/Pubs have already shamelessly trashed the Constitution by decades of gnawing away at its meanings and protections. I aim to replace it (not just amend it, but replace the whole thing) with a new Law of the Land based on Cross-Sectional Representation. If we insist on hanging on to this antiquated relic, I assure you that will be the end of the United States. It’s that serious.
As far as NASA is concerned, I personally would like to see a transfer of its programs to a consortium of universities and private companies. But I would leave that decision to a Congress composed entirely of Independents.
Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“Save the Republic from the ravages of the runaway Two Party System – vote Independent.”
FOURTEEN:
Government spending which creates jobs is like robbing Peter to pay Paul. If government expenditures would decrease, that would free up more money for taxpayers to spend or invest in the economy. And that would create jobs for the best of reasons – due to an increase in economic activity. Government is not a very efficient spender, so the less it spends, the better. Leave spending up to those who know how – We the People.
Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“Too much reliance on government-as-employer leads to a lazy welfare attitude.”
FIFTEEN:
“[The asteroid] Vesta is ‘so rich in features’ that it will keep scientists busy for years…”
Well, at least those folks have jobs.
Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“No need to scuttle projects like this in the name of balancing the budget…just keep moving along folks and mind your own business.”
SIXTEEN:
So (almost) all the GOP prez candidates are against the debt deal. But does that mean, if they were in the Congress, would they have voted against it? [NOTE: We already know Bachmann & Ron Paul voted “no.”]
Interestingly, as many Dems voted for it as against it: 95 each. And more Dems voted “no” than did Republicans: 95 vs. 66.
Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“The saddest thing? Voters will forget how close we came to disaster (and will fail to realize we're still not out of the woods on this) and will continue to re-elected Dem/Pub incumbents. Yea, they’ll be mad at them but…they’ll still vote for them.”
SEVENTEEN:
“… I think it is safe to say…neither Congress nor anyone else may prevent [outstanding US bonds] from being paid. That seems fairly clear.”
“I think?” “Fairly clear?” These words don’t convey much strength of conviction, do they?
Professor Sheppard makes certain leaps by claiming: “I think that [Obama] …is absolutely required to pay the bonds. The whole point of the 14th Amendment's section four was to make sure that the public debt would be above politics, that there could never be a question of the full faith and credit of the United States.”
Is Sheppard taking money under the table from foreign holders of US bonds, making him say stuff like this? Section four simply states: “The validity of the public debt of the United States… shall not be questioned.”
Professor, nobody was questioning that debt’s validity nor do the words “full faith and credit of the United States” even appear in the amendment. The issue before Congress was the manner and conditions under which that debt is to be paid. In fact, the Fourteenth Amendment doesn’t even state that our public debt must be paid; it only says that debt “shall not be questioned.”
To put a finer point on the matter, Section 5 of the 14th states: The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article [that is, “amendment”].” It doesn’t say “Obama shall have the power to enforce by raising the debt limit without authorization by Congress.”
Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“If Obama would have listened to Professor Sheppard, he might have ended up being impeached. Just saying…”
EIGHTEEN:
“… would be affected, as would payments to doctors and other Medicare providers.”
Much is made of the fact that individual benefits would not be affected but providers would get the shaft. But no one has made it clear that providers couldn’t deny services or demand supplementary payment from patients. A little more clarity is needed here.
Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“Look at the bright side: Our Bombs for Libya program wasn’t cut back.”
NINETEEN:
Maybe a Constitutional amendment would be too much, but sooner or later the feds will have to deal with a “half slave, half free” situation. Meaning: If a gay couple from New York gets married (in New York) and then decides to move to a state which doesn’t allow for gay marriage or civil unions, would or should that marriage be recognized by that second state?
Suppose the partners decide, in that second state, to get a divorce. Would they have to do so in NY? Could wills be tied up in probate if relatives decided to challenge the legality of that marriage in that second state?
Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“It never gets any easier, does it?”
TWENTY:
[My response to Bob, who had responded to the questions I asked in NINETEEN (above).]
Bob,
I’m not so sure about my questions having been “legally decided.” I hear what you’re saying about “legal contract,” but some might argue that marriage is more than just a legal contract (or it’s unique enough to require “special” consideration). If that argument were to prevail, that would open doors to a sweeping judicial scrutiny.
Your second sentence raises a question: If that second state does not have laws governing the contract, then couldn’t that be construed as a form of (de facto) invalidation? I still see a need for the feds to get involved, in the name of “equal protection under the law.” I’ve seen contracts that are considered iron-clad end up before a judge – with sometimes surprising results.
Steven Searle for US President in 2012
“The marriage contract is going to come under severe pressure, if from no other source than activist judges.”
TWENTY-ONE:
Not so fast on “the Senate will never convict [Obama on an impeachment charge].” Conviction wouldn’t actually be necessary for the GOP to savage Obama for this transgression. Picture this: Presidential candidate and US Rep Michelle Bachmann leading the charge by filing a motion to impeach Obama. The House will pass this motion but – and this is the important part – not right away. There will be much prolonging of the proceedings with a lot of theater and testimony and rabble-rousing. This will be the opening and sustaining shot of Campaign 2012.
The 14th Amendment states: “The validity of the public debt of the United States…shall not be questioned.” Nobody is questioning it – what is being questioned are the circumstances and conditions under which it will be paid and under which future debt, in order to be considered valid, will be incurred. And those “circumstances” could involve default (which the Constitution doesn’t specifically bar), which would lead to a restructuring of our debt among our creditors. Again, no one is questioning this debt’s validity. Just as when individuals go to bankruptcy court – the debts are acknowledged as valid. What remains is for the court to decide how to proceed.
Another thing, not fully appreciated: The Fourteenth Amendment was passed under duress. The Southern States, where the Tea Party has a lot of room for growth, know this. Obama would be unwise to use the Fourteenth [to increase our debt limit under his own (and only his own) authority], unless he wants to start a new Civil War. Steven Searle for US President in 2012 “The GOP would have no choice but to impeach Obama, even if the Senate wouldn’t vote to convict.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Steven Searle for US President in 2012
Founder of The Independent Contractors’ Party
“If it seems that I push the envelope with some of my pronouncements, that’s only in the spirit of ‘the mail must go through.’”
Contact me at bpa_cinc@yahoo.com
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