Author Archives: Barry Kelly

About Barry Kelly

Author of "Justice Beyond Law," "Justice Without Mercy," "Shades of Justice," "Justice Without Mercy," and "Run to Freedom," as well as two ,"nonfiction books ,"INSIGHTS-The Transforming of America," and "INSIGHTS-Stepping Stones to Tyranny. He also is the author of the blog "8 Decades of Insights." Barry Kelly is no stranger to the world of espionage, counter-terrorism, weapons, deep cover, and the inner workings of the governmental security apparatus. His immersion in the Cold War began with enlistment in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. Following his discharge, he earned a BA from the University of Pittsburgh and a master’s degree from Duke. His career in the CIA included deep cover operations and overseas experience, primarily in South and Southeast Asia. He has been awarded the Certificate of Merit with Distinction, the Intelligence Medal of Merit, the Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star, the Distinguished Intelligence Medal and the Intelligence Officer of the Year Award. After retiring from the CIA, Kelly served as a special assistant to President Reagan. He holds a first dan black belt in hap-ki-do. Visit www.factsandfictions.com or find the author on Facebook.

by Barry Kelly | November 9, 2014 · 1:06 pm

INSIGHTS 171 WOW

The election on November 4th was the most exciting election of my life. The people are awake and have spoken clearly and loudly. Let there be no mistake. One man is responsible for the conservative victory, his name is Barrack Obama. The Republican Party deserves credit for not shooting themselves in the foot. They now have a new chance to show they have learned something beyond being exclusive and negative.

It is now time to tell us what you’re going to do. What is the plan? Please resist any efforts to teach lessons or punish the opponents. Concentrate on doing what is right for America. While you can’t govern from one body of Congress, you can do important things when you control two. There are democrats in Congress who are nearly as frustrated as the republicans with the Harry Reid gridlock of the Senate. Send meaningful bi-partisan bills to the White House. If Obama vetoes them, you may have enough support on popular issues to override his vetoes. Don’t be fearful. Just do what is right. The American people have given republicans control of the House, Senate, and many State government. Use this power wisely to unleash the American Economy, pass a common sense tax bill, put people to work on the Keystone Pipeline, secure the border, take on immigration in steps, get rid of obstructionist regulations, replace Obamacare, piece by piece if you have to, fund our armed forces, stop Obama’s plan to reduce our forces to pre WW II levels, work within constitutional limits and use your new power to make Obama follow the law.

Not hard. Just tell us the plan and take one step at a time, but not too slowly.

Written by the author of the Jack Brandon thriller/mystery novels and “Insights: Transforming America — Is This What We Fought For?” available now as an ebook, in paperback or hardcover on Amazon.com or BN.com. Follow the author on Twitter @factsfictions80. If you think this message is important, please share it.

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Filed under Intelligence & Politics

by Barry Kelly | November 3, 2014 · 7:35 am

INSIGHTS 170 — Writer’s Choice

With the publication of my second non-fiction book, “Stepping Stones to Tyranny,” I will have said most of what I believe about the dangers of -ISMs, progressivism in any form without repeating the same theme. “Stepping Stones to Tyranny” has been approved by CIA in manuscript form but they still need to approve the galley proofs before I can publish the book.

“Stepping Stones” is a follow to “INSIGHTS: Transforming America — Is This What We Fought for?” with new material. Both of these books were written to explain the ‘transformation process’ to all Americans regardless of political leanings. If we get the government we deserve, as many pundits have stated, we at least should understand what we voted for.

I will still write some blogs, but fewer and not all about politics. My keyboard is now occupied with my fifth novel in the Justice series using Jack Brandon and his team to keep us safe from terrorism, both foreign and home grown. I’m having fun again. I enjoy putting my characters in dangerous positions and watching them deal with the bad guys. I know these characters so well they take over the writing, or, at least, it seems they do. I now call my novel in progress “Quiet Justice.” Of course, my editor and publisher haven’t approved my title yet.

As a parting reminder: It doesn’t matter which party increases the size of government, it is the absolutely wrong thing for a free people to do. Without big government and the high taxes necessary to support it, tyranny doesn’t have much of a chance. Deciding when government is big enough to perform its constitutional duties and when its very size presents a danger to freedom should be the decision foremost in every politician’s head. For the conservatives the danger of big government is the lynch pin in their core beliefs. Nearly everything else is negotiable.

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Filed under Barry Kelly, Books, Intelligence & Politics, management theory, Obama, political solutions, Progressives, Terrorism

Tagged as Immigration, transformation

by Barry Kelly | October 29, 2014 · 7:35 am

INSIGHTS 169: OBAMA’S IMMIGRATION WEB

Watch carefully as President Obama spins his immigration web. The purpose is not to help Hispanics or to fix a national disgrace. Like all web weavers what the web traps is for them. Obama executive orders or agency directives on immigration are to make the Hispanics believe he cares about them and to show Hispanics and others that the Republicans are against immigrants and their children. The president’s web is spun with a weave of inter-tangled issues. Look closely and you will find in the immigration web these issues.

Border Security

All Americans and all Hispanics know the border is not secure and if you are caught, you will soon be released in America. No matter how many Democratic border governors preach the border is secure we know it is not. When Republicans push for border security, Obama twists their concern for border security into an issue that reads “Republicans do not want Hispanics in America.” The border is open because Obama and his progressive lemmings want as many Hispanics crossing into America as possible for Hispanic votes for Democrats.

Work Permits

As part of immigration legislation, work permits are a good thing but we must also be aware that adding more potential workers to the workforce does not help citizens looking for work. Once we get the progressives’ feet off the brake of economic growth we will need the Hispanic workers. Their work ethic and entrepreneurship will be welcome in the economy. The Obama message regarding work permits is: “Republicans do not want Hispanic workers unless they can get away with very low wages and no benefits.”

Amnesty

This is a word that has no place in immigration legislation. It is only a word that stirs up Republican and labor union fears. Does it mean immediate citizenship? No! Does it mean no more fear of deportation or court appearances? Maybe. But this word has no positive connotation. It is only web material that makes meaningful legislation and the necessary bi-partisanship more difficult. It is, however, an issue progressives use to destroy the opposition. Is that you?

Citizenship Path

These two words add nothing positive to Immigration legislation. Any immigration bill will have not one, but several paths to citizenship. For instance, military service for a stated number of years, competence in the English language and American history, and no record of felonies. That should be enough to qualify for American citizenship. Obama progressives make real legislation difficult by hinting at paths to citizenship that are ill-defined or not acceptable by the opposition just so they can preach, “Republicans don’t ever want Hispanics to become American citizens.”

Don’t get caught in Obama’s immigration web. It will not be easy to escape the web spinner’s goal of progressive one-party rule in America.

Written by the author of “Insights: Transforming America — Is This What We Fought For?” available now as an ebook, in paperback or hardcover on Amazon.com or BN.com. Follow the author on Twitter @factsfictions80. If you think this message is important, please share it.

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Filed under Barry Kelly, Conservative views, democrats, Eight Decades of Insights, Intelligence & Politics, Obama, political solutions, Politics, Progressives

Tagged as Immigration, socialism

by Barry Kelly | October 27, 2014 · 7:35 am

INSIGHTS 168: TERRORISM AND YOU

There are only two subjects I put ahead of terrorism — freedom and the economy — and they are hard to separate. Terrorism will be with us for a long time. The “Red Army,” the Baader Mienhof gang, Black September and Abu Nidal’s PFLP (the Palestine Front for the Liberation of Palestine) never had the power and support that Islamic Radical Islam enjoys today under its various names. There are 1.6 billion Muslims in the world today. In nearly 50 countries they are a majority. The goal of radical Islam is not to disrupt Western nations. The goal is world domination. A world that lives under Sharia law. That includes you, your children, and grandchildren. So don’t you think you should know more about it than news media sound bites?

I have followed this subject for several decades as a CIA officer, a special assistant to President Reagan with responsibilities of being his point on terrorism and intelligence, and from the vantage point of several field assignments, including Vietnam, South Asia, and the Middle East. Much of my knowledge and experience is contained in the novels I have written. Of course, I would like to be a best-selling author but also I have knowledge I want to share with my readers. My first two novels, “Justice Beyond Law” and “Justice Without Mercy,” take the reader through the setup of terrorist cells and targets including the recruitment and training of Americans by Islamists to attack soft targets in America. The novels also show that the Obama administration’s blind reliance on “law and order” tactics cannot win the war against terrorism.

My last novel, “Run to Freedom,” contains a fictional dialogue between two KGB officers in a spy school outside Moscow discussing the tactics and strategy of terrorism. The reader gets to follow the terrorists and their opposition step by step until the conclusion. It is fiction but the operational planning on both sides is guided by real experience and nothing is beyond the realm of the possible.

I’m am now writing a fifth novel with the same characters. I now call this story “Quiet Justice.” This novel won’t be published for a few more months. It will feature ISIS terrorism activity in America.

Meeting with President Reagan, Vice President Bush, Deputy National Security Adviser Frank Carlucci and General Colin Powell in the Oval Office.

This blog is written by the author of the Jack Brandon novels. The author (pictured far right) has 27 years of government service, including two years serving President Ronald Reagan (middle left) in the 1980s as an adviser. His books can be found on Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble, Nook or ordered through your local book store. Visit me on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/factsandfictions and follow me on Twitter @factsfictions80.

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Filed under Action thrillers, Barry Kelly, Books, Conservative views, Intelligence & Politics, Spy novels, Terrorism

by Barry Kelly | October 21, 2014 · 7:30 am

INSIGHTS 167 — CONSERVATIVE VIEWS

How far apart are conservatives’ and liberals’ political beliefs? Can the two ideologies ever work together to run the country and produce bi-partisan legislation?

The core values of the liberals and conservative values are made up of a mixture of myths, traditions, interpretations of the Constitution, and views ingrained in respective cultural exposures. The respective core values of liberals and conservatives are not easily put aside. Thirty or forty years ago, I wouldn’t have thought the dividing line was so hard to cross. After all, I was once a strong Democrat, a member of the NAACP, and suspicious of capitalism.

Now that President Obama has succeeded in dividing the people into two angry camps with his income distribution, class warfare, and anti-business rhetoric, the nation is more divided than at anytime since the War for Independence and the Civil War when families, towns, and states were divided into Tories or revolutionaries, slavery or non-slavery states, and unionists or secessionists.

President Obama and his progressive party have helped me understand how members of the same family could pick up arms against each other and fight to the death. People only reach those extremes when their core beliefs are threatened. For people to feel so strongly, they have to believe their nation, way of life, freedoms, and futures will be destroyed if the opponent wins. As a conservative, I believe we are approaching that point. Two more terms of the progressive party would continue the breakdown of constitutional barriers, our two-party system, individual freedom, our national security, and national sovereignty and would certainly destroy the America I know and love.

What are the conservative core values? The starting point is that conservatives mistrust government and believe the bigger the government becomes the more it is distrusted. Why? Because it is only the government that can take away our individual and collective freedoms.

A federal government is necessary, but the difference between liberals and conservatives is how big the government should be and what it should do. Conservatives believe that the federal government should only do what the states or people (the public sector) cannot. The job of our representatives is to constantly adjust the size and scope of government to protect rather than diminish freedom. This historic distrust of government is what fathered the Second Amendment guaranteeing the people’s right to bear arms. The best explanation of this right, to me, is that slave owners had guns, slaves did not. Every totalitarian government has always taken weapons away from the people. Anyone wonder why?

Conservatives believe capitalism is the only economic system that allows people to establish and run commercial enterprises that provides growth to the national economy and jobs for the nation’s workers without endangering individual freedoms as a socialist- or communist-managed economy always has. Capitalism is not a perfect system and it needs some regulation but it is the only economic system that meshes with the power of the free market.

Another core conservative belief is that individuals are better stewards of their money than the government. Therefore, taxes should be as low as possible. Low taxes enable more savings and spending by people that feeds the growth of the economy. Everyone with an income should pay some income tax. Higher taxes on the rich are acceptable as long as they are fair and far short of confiscatory. Death taxes are unacceptable. They are clearly part of a redistribution of wealth program. No card-carrying conservative believes a government can spend its way out of a depression or recession. Government spending does not create wealth. Also, no corporation is too big to fail. Government bailouts waste the nation’s wealth.

Welfare for those who need assistance such as the very young, disabled, aged is necessary. Social Security, a program fought by conservatives during FDR’s tenure, has turned out to be a good program. It needs to be made solvent by some simple changes. In FDR’s time, 65 was old. No more. The age of qualifying for social security needs to be gradually increased. Again, that is the kind of thing our representatives are sent to Washington to work out.

Conservatives believe in a strong national defense and distrust any move toward giving any part of our sovereignty to any international organization.

For most of our brief history we have managed to govern by parties with different core beliefs working together for the good of the people. I believe we can get back there. My personal belief is that term limits on our senators and representatives would make all this much easier. Professional politicians, regardless of party affiliation, are too engrossed in their own careers and re-election politics at the expense of the nation.