Latest Analysis, Commentary and Opinion*
(The title of each article is linked to the complete article)

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Recession Over, Recovery Fuzzy
   Economics piece by Offsite (9/23/09)

That resounding thud you just heard was probably the global economic downturn hitting bottom.

Fed Will Destroy Dollar, Buy Gold
   Economics piece by Offsite (9/23/09)

Investing guru Marc Faber advises investors to switch off Ben Bernanke, ignore his government-sponsored “We will keep inflation in check” line - and be sure to buy gold to protect yourself.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

The 2 Deadly Schemes: ObamaCare and Cap-and-Trade
   Big Brother piece by Malcolm T. Hedges (9/22/09)

Either one can cripple our economic future, combined they will bring it to its knees.

‘Why Do World Leaders Support The Co2 Greenhouse Gas Myth?‘
   Climate Change piece by Guest: Ben Cerruti (9/22/09)

It is disturbing to hear the President of the United States propagate that which is not true. In his speech to the United Nations today he advanced the Global Warming/Climate Change myth. At the same time appearing in the New York Times an article by Andrew Revkin contains the fact that “global temperatures have been stable for a decade and may even drop in the next few years”, In addition, there are many scientists, meteorologists and weather experts who have debunked the notion that the creation of excessive amounts of Carbon Dioxide is the cause of global warming if, in fact, it actually exists.

Rules of Engagement Revisited
   War piece by Thomas D. Segel (9/22/09)

Harlingen, Texas, September 22, 2009:  Active duty military personnel, veterans and retirees alike all expressed their outrage and distain for the reported Rules of Engagement (ROE) that resulted in loss of life to four United States Marines and nine of their Afghan army allies. In a Taliban initiated ambush the insurgents out-gunned the joint military unit and pinned it to indefensible ground. The NATO advised Afghan force was denied artillery support and did not receive close air support for more than one hour after coming under attack. By that time 13 lives had been forfeited because of a politically motivated ROE that always favors the insurgents.

Soaring Debt Means Economic Disaster Within 3 Years
   Economics piece by Offsite (9/22/09)

Assume you had put much of your savings into U.S. government bonds and then you learned the following. In just the last eight months, the Congressional Budget Office estimates of the amount of additional federal debt to be held by the public grew by an astounding $4 trillion for the 2010-19 period; and that the amount of federal debt held by the public grew from $5.9 trillion to $7.5 trillion in just the last 12 months.

Monday, September 21, 2009

The King Roach And Queen Roach
   Big Brother piece by Malcolm T. Hedges (9/21/09)

They have actually made a pact with the termites, getting at The Republic inside and on the surface.

Time to Sell Treasuries
   Economics piece by Offsite (9/21/09)

CNBC Mad Money host James Cramer says it’s time to sell Treasuries, thanks to the onset of economic recovery and inflation.

Democrats Target Bank Overdraft Charges
   Economics piece by Offsite (9/21/09)

A backlash is brewing on Capitol Hill against banks that charge large fees for overdrafts without asking or telling customers, the latest sign that the financial crisis is shifting the balance of power from banks toward borrowers.

Must Read: Audit Finds Waste in ‘Green’ Projects
   Government piece by Offsite (9/21/09)

The four drafty buildings had been fixtures of the Energy Department complex in Oak Ridge, Tenn., for more than half a century. They burned energy like 1950s sedans.

Renewable energy rules: Defying the market, technology, and the constitution
   Energy piece by GoldwaterInstitute: Clint Bolick (9/21/09)

Whenever I describe the Goldwater Institute’s legal challenge to the Arizona Corporation Commission’s renewable energy rules, a question often arises: why are you against renewable energy?

What Mandates Do To Our Insurance
   Health Care piece by Warner Todd Huston (9/21/09)

There has been a lot of talk about mandates emanating from the federal government to force each of us to buy healthcare insurance but what do those mandates do to the insurance itself? And are they even Constitutionally justified?

From Sneezes to Freezes
   Middle East piece by Guest: Michael R. Shannon (9/21/09)

The Obama Administration needs to recognize three simple truths on the Middle East - Politicians are notorious for their inability to take a joke or tell one, and the Obama Administration appears to be a particularly humor-free zone. That’s why I think all cabinet secretaries should be issued one staffer who has not attended an Ivy League school, but who did tell an original joke sometime after the age of 21

How To Stimulate Consumer Spending And Jumpstart The Economy
   Economics piece by Guest: Steve Selengut (9/21/09)

My survey produced an interesting anomaly—- several respondents felt that excessive consumer spending was the primary cause of the economic problems we face today, and that spending is not to be encouraged.

‘ACORN Falls from the Tree, Will Abuse Shelters Come Next?‘
   Shadow Government piece by Carey Roberts (9/21/09)

ACORN, the liberal activist group, was stripped of its funding by the House of Representatives Thursday following release of undercover videos showing lurid and criminal activities.

‘Is This the News or a Comedy Tour?‘
   TheFringeMedia piece by Robert R. Owens (9/21/09)

Everyone routinely called them the Mainstream Media.  Rush now calls them the State Controlled Media.  I’ve called them the Mainstream Media, the Poodle Press, and the Lap-Dog Media.  Whatever you’ve called them the time’s come to call them irrelevant?  Out with the old and in with the new.

Adapting to climate change through technology
   Climate Change piece by Guest: Paul Driessen (9/21/09)

Saluting Norman Borlaug’s scientific, agricultural and humanitarian legacy - “Since when did you become a global warming alarmist?“ I kidded Norman midway into our telephone conversation a few weeks before this amazing scientist and humanitarian died.

Terror Investigation Nets Three Suspects in New York, Colorado
   Terrorism piece by Jim Kouri (9/21/09)

Two terrorist suspects in Colorado and one suspect in New York were arrested on charges of making false statements to federal agents in an ongoing terrorism investigation, according to information provided to the National Association of Chiefs of Police’s (NACOP) Terrorism Committee.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

‘Will The Republic Survive The ObamaNation?‘
   ObamaNation piece by Malcolm T. Hedges (9/20/09)

Three issues are most obvious: economics, politics and society. They are related but each has a specific impact.

Borlaug: Feeding the Hungry, Saving the Wildlife
   GreeenIsm piece by Guest: Dennis T. Avery (9/20/09)

CHURCHVILLE, VA - It was 1950. World War II, with its 40 million deaths, was over. Doctors were conquering smallpox with vaccines, protecting millions from malaria and typhus with new pesticides, and treating infections with the miraculous new antibiotics.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

More Than A Helping Hand
   Society piece by Thomas D. Segel (9/19/09)

Harlingen, Texas, September 19, 2009:  The late philosopher and academic Alfred North Whitehead may have described us best when he wrote, “The kindness of the American people is, so far as I know, something unique in the history of the world.”  These acts of kindness identified by Whitehead have been repeated uncountable times in the course of our history.  They continue today in the good works of individuals, small groups, large organizations and yes, in many programs of our local and national governments.

Acorn: A Democratic Party Albatross
   Demercrats piece by Offsite (9/19/09)

Congress finally took limited punitive action this week after the revelation on Fox News that employees of Acorn, the nation’s biggest community organizing group, were dishing out advice to a pimp and his prostitute on how they could game the system to get subsidized housing loans and evade federal taxes.

In Defense of Capitalism
   Economics piece by Offsite (9/19/09)

“Capitalism is an evil, and you cannot regulate evil… you have to eliminate it and replace it with something that is good for all people,“ concludes Michael Moore in his latest documentary Capitalism: A Love Story.

UK hypocrisy
   Europe piece by Gary Krasner (9/19/09)

Most people in the UK hated GW Bush.  They alleged the same stuff that the loony American left believed——-that Bush and the evil Republicans did everything from manipulation of election balloting, to leveraging their power to affect public opinion——the most common complaint was the alleged heightening of terrorist alert warnings prior to elections.  (Although the liberal NYC Mayor Bloomberg was accused of that too).

Friday, September 18, 2009

Lettuce Draft John R. Bolton For Vice President Or President (Updated)
   Politics piece by Malcolm T. Hedges (9/18/09)

One John Bolton was “Permanent US Representative to the UN” (US Ambassador To The UN) by a recess appointment of President Bush in 2005.

Demercrats Are In Panic Mode - The Economy Might Actually Rebound!
   Demercrats piece by Malcolm T. Hedges (9/18/09)

The Demercrat/Socialist scheme depends on an ongoing Recession to justify their “crisis” takeover of the business world and general attempted coup.

Washington Bullies American Bankers
   Socialism piece by AynRandInstitute: Yaron Brook (9/18/09)

WASHINGTON, September 18, 2009—The Wall Street Journal reports today that the Federal Reserve is about to propose new regulations that would give it power to control compensation policies at American banks—including banks that did not receive bailout funds. As the Journal notes, critics have long complained about high executive compensation packages, which have become increasingly unpopular in the wake of the financial crisis.

‘Cap-and-Trade’ Is Democrats’ Big Revenue Raiser
   Demercrats piece by Offsite (9/18/09)

Even as the Democrats’ controversial healthcare overhaul founders in the Senate, another one of President Obama’s chief agenda items, climate change, also is floundering. Ultimately, the cap-and-trade plan will be scrapped despite Democrats’ all-out efforts to salvage it, says Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn.

Interest Rates May Rise Early in 2010
   Economics piece by Offsite (9/18/09)

The Federal Reserve may hike up interest rates to combat inflation as early as the beginning of next year, says Stanford University Professor John Taylor.

The Terror Threat Increases
   Terrorism piece by Offsite (9/18/09)

Be it Somalia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Colorado or New York City, the past week has demonstrated that al-Qaida and radical Islamic extremism are alive and ever present and still pose a significant threat to our homeland, U.S. targets abroad and our international allies.