Starter Opinion Piece by Howard Johnson

A starting Op Ed piece by Howard Johnson, June 25, 2011

Some time ago I was severely chastised for some rather pointed comments I made about liberal Democrats and their policies in an email sent out to the 200 plus individuals on my address list. Though the bulk of responses received were positive, a few were angry and quite critical. I took the time to respond with a rather lengthy explanation you can view, along with my original offending piece in my blog, http://hojo2rants.blogspot.com. I also sent emails with an acknowledgment of having read their objections along with a sort of apology to those who chastised me. It was probably a complete waste of time since none of the objectors acknowledged or replied to my emails or to my blog. My guess is they didn’t take time to do so because, well, my guess is they really are not interested in my opinions or why I have them. I don’t really blame them. (or for that matter, any opinions that differ from theirs.) If I had been backing people and policies that destroyed Detroit for instance and is now destroying our country as this is written, I probably wouldn’t want to hear about it, talk about it, or try to defend it either.

Typically, those I wrote about, listen to or read, only products of those sources that agree with their elite views, They completely ignore, disbelieve, or ridicule any facts or logic that disagrees with their emotionally driven belief systems. That’s pretty much the case for most of those folks who live in lala land.

One of the strongest objections voiced was to my use of the term idiot as a description of those who promote and believe in the machinations of the left, and in particular, the current administration and Congress from 2006 to 2010. I was rebuked as a name caller for using such language. I am hereby making a sincere apology to those I insulted by such use of the word idiot. This is an apology to all you true idiots of the world for having insulted your intelligence by equating you with liberal Democrats. I promise never again to do so.

Oh yes, for those who don’t know, here’s a definition of idiot:

Idiot - 1 usually offensive, a pejorative: a person affected with extreme mental retardation, maximum mental age of 3 years. 2 a foolish or stupid person

Examples of Idiot - Don't be such an idiot! [Only an idiot would invest in a company just because a casual acquaintance recommended it] [Only an idiot would support liberal Democrats.]

Origin of idiot - Middle English, from Anglo-French ydiote, from Latin idiota ignorant person, from Greek idiōtēs one in a private station, layman, ignorant person, from idios one's own, private; akin to Latin suus one's own — more at suicide

First Known Use: 14th century

Why do I say this? It’s very difficult to deny the fiscal reality of Greece, Iceland, most of Europe, the states of California, Michigan, New York, and others, and especially the city of Detroit. Even though staunch liberal Democrats (the left) will deny the patently obvious, they must at least admit these examples of the financial manipulations of the left achieved far less than positive results. Of course, they could just absolve themselves of all responsibility and blame it on George Bush as they have virtually each and every other of their miserable failures, the many problems their efforts created.

EXAMPLE: Remember King Lyndon’s Great Society programs? Part of that was his Model Cities program which cost billions of taxpayer dollars and was a total failure. I need only repeat one of King Lyndon’s pronounced promises: “Detroit will be a shining example of the benefits of our Model Cities program.” It is quite telling how accurate Johnson’s prediction was. It certainly has become an example of the results of the policies of his great society programs now being greatly expanded by Obama and his cronies.

The combination of liberal Democrat control and UAW greed turned Detroit from the city with the highest standard of living in the US, and with a population of one and a quarter million, into a virtual third world city of the very poor with a population of less than half of what it was forty years ago. And the Detroit private sector? Virtually non existent are private sector jobs. Drive through the inner city of Detroit and you will see rough fields littered with trash where neat homes once stood. Most of those still standing are abandoned shells often having been torched after being stripped by vandals. You can even see hundreds of burned out and abandoned homes and businesses in a drive through the city on I-75. This is just one of the realities that give the lie to all the ridiculous promises of liberal Democrats.

For those who do not know me, I may despise the self serving, vote buying actions of Democrats, but I am not particularly enamored of Republican politicians either, particularly when they ape the actions of Democrats or try to satisfy everyone by being centrist. Centrist, that's another word for wishy-washy or gutless, and without a recognizable position on anything. Newly announced Republican Presidential candidate, former Utah Gov. John Huntsman, is one example of a centrist. Among Republican hopefuls, he will be the darling of the far left, (main stream) media crowd who will try to foist him off on the Republicans. A confirmed RINO, Huntsman would be another gutless campaigner like John McCain.

While trying to look like another Reagan, background and all when he introduced his candidacy, he solemnly announced he would be a pussy in his campaigning against the anointed one. The truth in stark contrast is that Reagan soundly denounced Carter and his destructive plans and actions throughout his campaign. Whatever Huntsman is, he's no Reagan. I suppose I would hold my nose and vote for him if he were the Republican candidate, but only because the alternative would be so much worse. Right now my choice would be Michelle Bachman or Herman Kane. At least they tell it like it is and would go after Obama and his dismal record big time.

Unfortunately, they will increasingly be crucified by the media, particularly if they gain any momentum. As far as I am concerned, the nastier the media treats a possible candidate the higher that individual stands on my list. Right now, Bachman and Kane sit atop that list. Either is far batter qualified to be President than the inexperienced, silver tonged socialist orator-golfer that now sits in the Whitehouse when he isn't vacationing at some exotic and expensive place, or denigrating America on trips around the world.

The two following pieces are by Rachel Marsden, an international political and communications strategist, syndicated columnist, analyst, writer, and journalist based in Paris, France. She has appeared in varying capacities on Fox News, CNN, CNBC, Fox Business, Al Jazeera, LCP TV France, iTele France, France24, and Global Television, Sirius Satellite Radio and other TV and radio outlets. She is an internationally syndicated columnist with Tribune Media Services, and contributor to Human Events, Townhall.com, the Wall Street Journal, Spectator Magazine, and other publications.

Socialist Failure Greece Begs Private Sector for a Bailout
by Rachel Marsden - 06/19/2011 - HJ Comments in brackets [ ] and italics.

As a free-market, limited-government conservative, the total implosion of the Greek economy is the most stunning example of everything I’ve ever tried to warn about in regard to socialism. Despite the rest of Europe and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) promising last year to give Greece 110 billion euros over three years, the country remains in a death spiral, with its budget deficit at 13.5% of gross domestic product (GDP). By contrast, the last actual figure for America was at 8.8%. [and growing rapidly]

So how did things get this bad for Greece? As IMF negotiator Poul Thomsen said of the country last year: “[Greece’s] revenues have declined significantly, while spending, especially on wages and entitlements, has risen sharply.” There you have it: the definitive formula for an economic meltdown.

One might think that would have been a wakeup call for Greece. Not so, apparently. This week, Prime Minister George Papandreou—a socialist, not surprisingly—faced revolts, resignations and defections from within his own party last week. What exactly is he supposed to do? Shake out the couch for spare change? The socialists broke the bank and there’s nothing left to spend. Meanwhile, the IMF and EU refuse to hand over the next bailout installment unless the Greeks can prove they’re making significant moves to get their house in order.

The IMF initially recommended the following measures, which have already been adopted: Cuts to Christmas, Easter and summer bonuses for workers in the public sector and state-owned enterprise. No raises in pensions or publicly funded wages for three years. Increased taxes on luxury items, tobacco and alcohol. And Greeks can no longer retire on a full pension at an average age of 61, and have to wait until they’re 63. [Americans please note this]

Now, the Greek government is set to raise sales tax by 2% to 3% and sell government assets. The result? Riots in the streets.

The world is witnessing, in real time, the total collapse of a socialist system to the point that the conservatives are now ahead in the country’s polls. But it’s now a case of too little and far too late.

The problem with socialism is that at some point you run out of other people’s money. Greece was spending beyond its means by injecting cash into a public-sector system that wasn’t in turn producing anything of real value on which it could then turn a substantial profit. When this system slid into the negative, they borrowed on credit until their credit rating tanked and they couldn’t get loans. [Sound familiar?] So they turned to Europe and the IMF, which are made up of countries borrowing money themselves on credit to manage their own debts. Where in all of this is anyone actually producing anything that’s turning a significant profit? While in China, they have enough cash floating around to buy up the treasury bills of every other cash-strapped country, thereby stringing them up by the short and curlies and ensuring the red carpet treatment anywhere and everywhere they might wish to go on a round-the-world tour.

So where do defenders of freedom turn when they see how socialism has turned them into slaves of communism? To the free market and the private sector they’ve been up until now taxing into oblivion in the interest of spreading the wealth. You can’t make this stuff up. On Friday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced at a Berlin press conference that they’d like to offer the opportunity to private sector banks and investment funds to dole out some cash on a “volunteer basis” to bail out Greece, because those 110 billion euros they’re currently forking over in installments definitely won’t be enough, and none of the countries who might be expected to pony up this new injection of funds has any more money to flush down the toilet. Sarkozy adds that this all needs to happen before September, so the private sector better hurry up and jump on this most excellent opportunity to never see their money again.

Oh boy, let’s all hold our breath for the “Peugeot Parthenon.” “Citroen Coliseum” and the “Airbus Acropolis” Meanwhile, Nigerian scam e-mail writers are probably taking notes in the event this rip-off actually achieves lift-off: “Dear Mister CEO, Sir: I have city to sell in Greece! Please transfer $1,000,000,000 to account below and I will send keys in mail. Many blessings!”

Dark humor aside, the Greek case should serve as a reminder to Obama, America, and every other country led by someone trying to spend their way out of economic trouble that it will always lead to things getting much worse. And, as Sarkozy and Merkel have now effectively acknowledged, the free market is the best solution to economic difficulty.

IMF Chief Case Proves There’s Shocking Wealth in Being A Socialist
by Rachel Marsden - 05/29/2011

Apparently there’s some good money to be made with a career as a professional Socialist. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the French Socialist Party’s formerly best hope for president and former International Monetary Fund chief now sits in a $50,000 a month townhouse rental in Manhattan’s Tribeca district in the wake of his Picasso-collecting heiress wife posting $1 million bail and $5 million bond. This doesn’t include the $280,000 monthly bill for detectives and lawyers in a bid to clear him of charges of allegedly sexually assaulting a maid at a luxury NYC hotel.

All this flaunting of wealth by someone who was supposed to be the best hope for the great unwashed French masses has forced his party to acknowledge the disconnect. Benoit Hamon, the Socialist Party’s spokesman, says that he “understands that this could shock millions of French.”

Color me personally unshocked, Benoit. Strauss-Kahn – or “DSK” – is a longtime French civil servant. Climbing to the pinnacle of public service and politics is how the left gets rich – and it’s really the only way they can do so, aside from marrying rich or inheriting wealth, because their business model doesn’t really allow for much else without delving into capitalist activities. Even the universally recognized symbol of extreme leftism, Che Guavara, was a product of Argentine high-society and invested in a yacht company before setting out to lead the peasants in revolution against capitalism.

DSK has been mayor, parliamentarian, minister, then subsequently collected a $500,000 yearly salary as head of the IMF. Whenever I see a wealthy self-described socialist, it’s a pretty sure bet that, like DSK here, they fell into a giant pile of someone else’s cash at some point. Redistribution of wealth primarily towards themselves is how socialists roll: What’s Jacques Taxpayer’s is mine. What’s wifey’s is mine. What enters my hotel room is (allegedly) mine…A French BFM TV reporter broadcasting live recently from DSK’s new apartment held up two NYC newspaper covers expressing shock at his monthy living costs, explaining to French viewers that although Americans have less of a complex about money than the French, they’re still raising eyebrows at the lavish spending. That's because his new spread is theoretically supposed to substitute for a jail cell. Not too many people charged with rape end up landing a massive new pad with a “girl’s room” or "nanny's room" within a week of release – let alone someone who was supposed to represent the great hope for the so-called people’s party back home.

Not to say that socialists don’t deserve to be well-paid for a productive job well done, but the key word is “productive”. The position of IMF chief shouldn’t be held by anyone for whom it’s the best paying gig they’ve ever known. Instead, it should pay nothing in salary and allow for bonus performance-based payouts. For example, DSK was set lay out an austerity plan and strategy for Greece to reduce its debt in exchange for a 110 billion Euro bailout from Eurozone countries. The head of the IMF shouldn’t get a cent of salary until his advice pans out and Greece turns a profit based on it. The same goes for the 78 billion Euros the EU just gave Portugal to sort itself out. The IMF chief ought to moralize to them as he’s apt to do, and if his hot air manages to push their sinking ship’s sail in the right direction, then he should get a cut. Instead, we hear that countries like Tunisia went from 3.7% growth to 1.7% growth, according to the IMF. Whoops, looks like global governor DSK underperformed. Those who want to be responsible for the world should then take responsibility for the world.

The great paradox is that Socialists like DSK want to run their own countries and the entire planet while enjoying the power, prestige and salaries associated with doing so. But at no point are they ever accountable or responsible for any results. If they ever did solve the world’s problems, they’d be out of jobs. If countries couldn’t depend on the IMF, they’d be forced to get themselves in order, which would likely mean cutting costs and limiting government. A limited government wouldn’t rely so heavily on civil servants and clunky paper-shuffling administrations. DSK and other self-proclaimed societal managers would have to find something more productive to do.

Being a man of the people moving societal goalposts around, making all sorts of rules, and telling others how to live pays wonderfully and represents the pinnacle of socialist achievement. That’s the dirty little secret the French are discovering with the DSK affair. It’s hard to make a living as a socialist otherwise -- on an open, level and fair field with everyone else. The ones who secretly aspire to it are hardly going to protest it. DSK’s biggest claim to fame prior to his IMF stint involved bringing in the now-repealed 35-hour French workweek, handicapping capitalism and forcing employers to pay the same salary for less productivity. Ironically it’s that same kind of thinking from which he and the IMF had to rescue bankrupt EU countries. The private sector equivalent would be someone who burns down your house then offers you the chance to pay him to rebuild it. DSK and socialists are good at creating employment and wealth – for themselves.