How About Dr. Carson?

First, let me say that I am definitely not on board with the draft Ben Carson for President movement, mainly because I don't think we need any more personality cult worship in the White House.  But, also secondarily, because he's (reportedly) at least wishy-washy on the 2nd Amendment.

But, how about Dr. Ben as Veterans Advocacy Commission chairman?  With the entire VA budget at his disposal and carte blanche to gut the administration's bureaucracy and institute redundant systems competing for the care of those Vets...incentivized financially toward the overall quality of care.

Simultaneously, I'd really love to see Shinseki spend one day in a very public stockade for every single day of Veteran secret-wait-list time.

It's just an idea.  What's wrong with it?  Anybody else think it makes sense to offer a free-market solution to a statist nightmare?

On a side note, if he does indeed have political aspirations, how much of a feather in his cap would be the claim that he cured the VA of all its ills in 6 months, while Obama couldn't be bothered with it for 6 years?  Frankly, if Congress had the stones to create such a position, I'd take that job just to show it could be done.

Thoughts?

Machinations (UPDATED 05/29)

Harry Reid and his BLM-buddy Korntz said that Bundy getting his cattle back was not going to be the end of that encounter, and you'd better believe it.  FedGuv got punked and embarrassed out in Bunkerville, and payback by a tyrant is the bitchiest of bitches.

From Bubba, witness the machinations of this Congressman's scheme to very soon begin executing American citizens.

(Nevada Congressman Steven) Horsford lays the first brick for the foundation of the government’s overblown slaughter of innocent Americans whose only “crime” was to have the nerve to stand up to the Federal Government. 

There are no checkpoints, there are no “roving bands of militia” with a persistent armed presence hovering around in the area. No constituents called Horsford. The Congressmen is LYING.

 

If, like me, you've been watching the AMC mini-series TURN (about America's first spy ring) and mulling over the parallels of that time of Independents and Loyalists with the essence of our current situation, can you help but marvel at the similarities?

 

It begins.

Updated:

Let us just assume that they "considered but rejected" only momentarily the newly approved directive (instituted in 2010, Directive Number 3025.18), giving the president authority to use military force against civilians, on American soil...
 

“Federal action, including the use of federal military forces, is authorized when necessary to protect the federal property or functions,” the directive states.

When did that happen, you ask?

 

While you were sleeping.

 

Tick tock...

From TL Davis

This.

The one thing we need to know is that we are not functional and cannot get functional without dropping the mask of propriety we cling to so desperately. I understand those who train, but that is with the idea of survival and to be honest, I think if you are active in this movement, you will not survive the first round. Might as well buy that cow right now. Either you will die attempting to do something constructive for the movement, or you will be targeted and taken down before you raise a finger in resistance.

 

As they say in the parlance, I'm down with that.

 

Cue Mr. Petty...

 

You take it on faith, you take it to the heart.

The way-ay-iting is the hardest part...

Feed Your Weapon

Without a doubt, the most serious, most "squared away", person I met at Brock's PATCON, was Sandman.  He commands some 500 troops in the Greater Appalachian Redoubt.  He didn't know me from Adam, but when I introduced myself, he looked me in the eye, handed me his card, and said, "If you ever need anything..."

 

If you're a Patriot, he is your weapon.

 

But, as happens with every one of us, life has thrown him a curve.  And, he needs some help.

 

I don't know the details of the crisis, but a couple of funding options can be accessed here, and here.

 

Feed him.

 

 

Not Just Good Advice for THOSE Christians

But also, for those near-bouts these parts...the Land of Livermush.

From The Captain's Journal, via Mike at Cold Fury...

Christians have been run out of Mesopotamia, killed and tortured in Egypt, and are being brutalized all over the world. And the evil leader of this Islamic group in Nigeria claims that he has converted the girls to Islam.

He can “convert” the girls because all he has to do is force them under threat of death to say a few things and wear a few more clothes. Islam has no Holy Spirit who moves as He will and does what he wishes, converting the hearts of His people. Rather, it is a man-made religion, concocted by a violent and self serving seventh century warlord, child abuser, pedophile and murderer for the purpose of keeping his roving band of hoodlums and ne’er-do-wells together. It’s pronouncements are ad hoc groupings of ridiculous assertions, and the only thing not illogical in all it its literature was stolen from other faiths. The seeds of violent subjugation are within the texts of Islam itself. It isn’t a religion of peace. It’s a religion of perverts and totalitarians.

Christians can preachy preach the gospel of pacifism if they want to. They can conflate the Bible to mean that Christians must be a doormat for the world. But it was preachers who supplied the moral underpinnings of the American war for independence. There is nothing necessary in the modern squishy Christianity we hear and see today. It’s a choice because at the moment it’s convenient to make that choice and feel morally superior to everyone else.

But children are dying all over the world. As long as Christians want to mouth silly platitudes to parishioners and congregants, Christian children will continue to die, and Christians will have to flee for their lives. The solution lies in arming themselves and waging the good fight against Islamists everywhere. A well placed .308 to the whole body, or several rounds of 5.56 to the head and chest, or a 230 grain .45 fat boy through the stomach should do just fine at stopping the Islamists in Nigeria.

 

And Islam isn't the only religion of perverts and totalitarians that Christians need be armed, nay well-armed, against.  Consider the coming spawn of that marriage of queers and settled-science climate-wealth-spreaders, and their violent subjugating schemes.

 

Take one of those cloaks, and sell it.  Then, buy this (it has the thing that goes up!).  And these.

 

This material is assuredly going to be on the test.

Why Benghazi Matters To Me

And why it should matter to you.

I have an old friend named Bob, who travels extensively as a Tour Accountant for Big Rock Shows.

As a Tour Accountant, he gets flown to swanky tourist places like Paris and London and Hong Kong, but he also has to travel to places that might not be so swanky (or safe).  So far as I know, he doesn't necessarily get much say as to where.  I do know that whither goeth the talent, there goeth Bob.

And while he's there, and not accounting for Big Rock Tour business, he likes to spend any downtime seeing what there is to see and experiencing local culture (beer).  As an American with some coin, he's free to do so, but wary to keep away from unsavory areas, whether because of his projected "means" or by simply being an American.  As I'm sure anyone can imagine, just being non-native can lead to trouble in some parts of the world.  Such is the nature of the world.  Such is the nature of many cities in the US, as we know.

But, let's imagine what would happen if Bob wandered into the wrong neighborhood and got himself abducted, violated, and then executed.  Questions of "why" he was abducted wouldn't immediately be relevant, and only serve, at best, to legitimize his capture.

 

First thing I'd expect my country's representatives (there in the immediate area, as well as here at home) to do, is assess my friend's situation and drop everything else to secure his release.  Everyone who fails at this would be held accountable.

 

If rescue somehow didn't or couldn't happen, but instead his captors mutilated his body before and after they murdered him, I'd want every person who had intimate knowledge of the events surrounding my friend's capture and demise to be honest and forthright about those events.  If some other Americans got involved and tried to rescue my friend, but were only able to save some Big Rock Stars and roadies and groupies, but lost their lives in the process, I'd expect to know every pertinent fact from those that were rescued.  Anyone who obstructed this would be held accountable.

 

 

If someone, anyone, misrepresented any of those details regarding the harm coming to my friend, in an effort to benefit themselves, I can't think of any reason that same person should remain alive.  I don't care how trivial or monumental that benefit, any effort to discolor the facts for financial or political profit, would be unforgivable.

What if this hypothetical "anyone" who benefitted from such a smokescreen was Dick Cheney?  Would you be ready to water-board him to get details of what happened?

I would.

And that's only if my friend's presence was an accidental wrong turn.

Consider that this person was officially assigned to that place, as an envoy of peaceful outreach, on behalf of the American people.  Even if some bastion of Liberty or Conservatism had perpetrated such stonewalling and misdirection as we've seen from this administration, I'd be the first to say, "string 'em up!"

If it was you, Mr. Carney, who claimed that an email regarding how your company would handle the news of my friend's death, plainly read as such, was really about something else, entirely?  And shortly thereafter, you and I had 3 minutes alone in an elevator?

You'd very certainly be answering to your Maker, tout de suite.

Same thing goes for any of you who pretend that Dude, that was so two years ago.  Same thing for any of you, with your righteous indignation, who squeal what difference does it make?

Same thing for you sycophants who scream that you don't care, and by implication suggest that I shouldn't care, either.

There is not a single person in the world who looks at the available information objectively and believes in their heart that the Obama administration has been honest about Benghazi's cause, or the lack of official response.  There are some who rationalize the deception in favor of their would-be savior's agenda, and want the rest of us to move on to other less-unflattering things.

Imagine that, instead of Bob, it was Chris Stevens, Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods, or Sean Smith who was my friend, and whose death you're apparently trivializing for your own nefarious ends.  Get alone with me if you want to advance this charade.  Go ahead and lie to my face.  See how badly that turns out for you.

Someone else who I used to care about, once told me in response to my assertion that Obama lied on the campaign trail that, "They ALL lie."  Which told me that she thought it was okay, under certain conditions, for her presidential candidate to lie.

But, what about after he's no longer the candidate, but expected to actually BE the president?  What then?  Want him to still lie to me?  And to you?

He lied to us all, making those speeches at the UN, on the return ceremony for those victims, and appearing on the talk shows.  His office sent other liars out to push this lie, and are still doing so.  How despicable the original ruse, and how much worse the continued cover-up?

 

But, I don't really believe the true depths of scandal are abundantly obvious.  The political shenanigans are enough to merit Watergate-like impeachments and prison time for many in this administration.  But, I suspect (as does I think Mr. Gowdy), there was much more to Ambassador Stevens' presence in Libya that speaks sinister ill of this President and his hencepeople.

 

Like Gowdy, I'm surprised at how many people in the media presumably "bought it."  And, I'm further surprised at how casually some fellow citizens treat high crimes and treasonous acts.

 

Does it matter to you, yet?

Would Like To Have Metcha

I went to my first PATCON yesterday, and what follows is my preliminary takeaway.  Or, at least some highlights.  We'll see how the recall flows...

I was a stranger to everyone there, as were they to me.  I didn't know what to expect, but the pleasant surprises outnumbered the otherwise by about 15:1.  Personally, I think Brock (and the event) could benefit mightily from a Walmart Greeter.  That is, someone who knows what's going on and can point arriving folks in the right direction...even for a parking spot.  Even just for the value of reassuring first-timers that they're welcome, such a functionary would improve the overall experience, in my opinion.

Hi, I'm Billy.  Welcome to Spring PATCON '14.  Here's your souvenir window cling.  This your first time to Brock's place?  He's asked me to check off this list of expected attendees, so?  Very good then, why don't you back that truck in next to the peacock.  No, don't fret...he only bites Beemers.

Such might have been helpful to me, at least, because I arrived early to the advertised schedule but during a round-table discussion smokum of the peace pipe (in the "parking area", no less) of about 20 serious people (no beta-males allowed).  I wasn't sure if I was welcome to mosey in amongst 'em, but felt like I wanted to be within my limited earshot of anything serious, and knew I didn't want them to get the idea that I didn't think I belonged.  Hi, my name's Jeff, and I'm a recovering Constitutionalist Republican, I could have said, but didn't get invited to do so.  I'm sure they were all on high-alert to possible interlopers, but nobody asked for my bona fides, or shoo'd me away.  Which I was prepared to accept, either way.

Anyways...I'm glad I sauntered in, and glad I stayed, and glad I was not made to feel the least bit uncomfortable.  Plus, I'm thankful for the minor wisdom that God furnished me with two eyes and two ears and one mouth, and I was smart enough to use them in those proportions.

After the discussion wrapped up, I met David, and Pete, and Randy, and Doug(?), and then Brock, and Holly.  Later, I met Sam C., and Sandman, and Christian, and Grenadier1.  I like them all, a lot.  I hope I didn't make too big an annoyance of myself, especially when the main event had broken up and folks were clustered in a few smaller groups.  That's the way it goes when you want to fit in, but not butt in...Should I stay, should I go?  How long should I stand here looking like a dipshit?

The only things the got my back-fur up were the presentations (multiple!) pitching retro guvmint.  I actually like and agree very much with the concept of restoring the Old North State to it pre-WBTS sovereignty.  I do not, however, agree with the proffered solution of a new collective to replace the current one.  And, I did not appreciate the speaker's tendency to demonize attitudes not strictly aligned with his.  I get the feeling that I wasn't the only one with a low tolerance threshold for political advice and campaigning.

Sam K. was also in on the early round-table, and I was glad to hear his input.  I was especially glad to get his thoughtful and thought-provoking insights, without any of the other thing.  I tried to find a moment to introduce myself, but that did not happen.

 

Good weather, great company, outstanding vittles.  And, I got to add Sue (Sioux?) to the list of new friends on my way out of town.  Good people.

To all those with whom I didn't get to share a hearty handclasp, I wish I coulda metcha.  Same thing goes for the online Patriot community friends that didn't get to attend.

 

See y'all in the Fall?

Embrace The Paradox

Embrace the suck.

 

Thanks to a link (from WRSA, who else?) to this essay, Tom Baugh is my new favorite human (well, second favorite, next to myself, ha!).  It's that awesome.

 

As in "each option sucks" for the federal government, having now raised the ire of people to the point that the real kind of nut-crunching courage seems like the best course of action versus letting things drift along as before. Which is why I say paradox instead of dilemma, because the halfwits who plan this kind of crap never thought this particular outcome could happen by gearing up and intimidating people. Unpossible, as they say. Plus paradox sounds cooler.

 

While I was worried, fraught even, over whether to pull on the white hat or the black hat, Tom had the genius to point out how it doesn't even matter.  Not to us, it doesn't.  And, I feel so much better.

 

Now, I'll go read the Monkey Starving book.

Oh, and here's an unrelated piece of news to make you feel better, too...

 

HB 1439 states that laws that infringe on Missourians' right to keep and bear arms "shall be invalid in this state, shall not be recognized by this state, shall be specifically rejected by this state, and shall be considered null and void and of no effect in this state."