Category Archives: class warfare

by Barry Kelly | August 5, 2016 · 8:35 pm

INSIGHTS 273: Donald Trump and the politically correct world

America faces several critical problems. The national debt; stagnant wages; a real unemployment rate of plus 12 percent; an administration that cannot be trusted to tell the people the truth; terrorism that has reached our shores and shows no signs of being defeated; cash payments of 400 million dollars to Iran in the form of ransom for hostages; territorial aggression on the part of Russia and China; class warfare in America; a crumbling infrastructure network of roads, bridges, airports and utility distribution systems; a military that has to salvage parts from museums and junk yards to keep ancient warplanes flying; military manpower approaching pre-World War II levels; a war against terrorism our commander-in-chief refuses to recognize or to develop a strategy to deny ISIS safe havens in the Middle East; anti-American regimes in Iran and North Korea whose main national objectives is to develop and use nuclear armed ballistic missiles against the homeland; a tax and regulation load that kills existing business and prevents new start-ups; health care for the people, especially our vets … the list could go on.

And what is playing endlessly on our news media? Certainly not anything from the above list. No, we have become a nation of petty politically correct issues. Not just from the liberal media but also from conservative news outlets. The polls swing on the impact of politically correct trivia and not on a discussion of important issues that threaten America. The tyranny of the novel “1984” has been replaced by the politically correct dominated modern world of 2016. The progressives of the Hillary Clinton party know they cannot win a debate on real issues so have skillfully made the election about the real or contrived statements attributed to Mr. Donald Trump.

A few examples: The furor over Trump’s statements that some of the immigrants coming unopposed across the southern border were criminals, murders, and rapists. The PC spin is that Trump said all immigrants were criminals. Or his statement that Muslims should be temporarily banned from coming into the United States until they could be vetted. Sounds reasonable to me. But the PC version is that he is opposed to all Muslims entering the country. Or all nations in NATO should pay their required yearly proportion of their annual national budget. Reasonable, I think, but the PC spin version is Trump intends to withdraw from NATO. On the tax issue. Mr. Trump has said he would lower taxes on corporations and individuals. Not a bad idea. The PC spin version is that Trump’s tax plan will only benefit the richest Americans.

The Khan family dust-up. The Khans were recruited by the Progressives to attack Mr. Trump at the Democratic Convention over his stand on Muslims by doubting he ever read the Constitution and that he dishonored their son, an American soldier who was killed in Iraq. Again the motive of the PC spin was to attack Trump’s position on Muslim immigration. A long stretch, but the Progressives turned this into an attack on ‘Gold Star’ mothers when Mr. Trump unwisely questioned why Mrs. Khan had not spoken up at the DNC. His record shows Donald Trump is very pro veterans and military families. His stance on the Veteran’s Administration is far ahead of any past or present candidate.

Candidate Trump is not a politician. He often isn’t careful enough about what the progressive spin doctors can and will do with his imprecise words. The political world of dialogue about new thoughts and possible actions is very different from initial discussion of ideas and proposals in the world of commercial projects where the first mention of an idea is just the beginning of the negotiating process. In the high offices of government. Ideas are most often discussed, debated, and scrubbed before they see the light of day. Mr. Trump needs to recognize this difference and we need to reject the PC responses of the progressives and turn the debate to the real problems facing America. If not, four more years of the same. We need change before it is too late.

INSIGHTS 271 Letter From A Citizen To A President

President Obama, photo by the New York Daily News.

Dear Mr. President:

I am a Korean War Veteran with 27 years of Cold War service, including two years in Vietnam and two years as a special assistant to President Reagan in the fields of intelligence, covert action and counter-terrorism. When you were elected, I had serious reservations about your ability to lead our nation, but I was pleased that America had elected a black president.

After your first month in office, I could see my fears about your capability to lead and protect America were not unfounded. I am now 85 and am determined to live long enough to see the damage you have done being repaired. That is a big job for I cannot point to anything you have done well as our President. The country is more divided now than at any time since the war in Vietnam. Russia and China are expanding. Our economy is a shadow of its past power. Our military forces are below the readiness levels prior to the WWII. Foreign leaders have no respect for you or America’s current world role. Former allies are mystified by both your actions and failures to act.

Our veterans and our workers are suffering under your leadership. Unemployment seems to be something you try to fix with bogus figures, much like our GNP annual rate. The middle class is vanishing and your constant speeches seldom fail to encourage class warfare. At least they did before I stopped listening to anything you say. The illegal and unchecked immigration you favor, while creating support for your progressive political base, puts additional obstacles in the path of American workers seeking employment.

As a direct result of your inaction and ‘leading from behind’ (which is not leading at all), the Middle East is in turmoil, millions of people have been displaced or killed. You have wasted the blood of our warriors and the nation’s treasury on your appeasement theories of foreign policy and warfare that have never worked and never will. Your anti-colonial infatuation with ‘One World Rule,’ the evils of American power, anti-capitalism, and support of Iran and Shiite Islam have no place in our past or future.

You are a true Socialist revolutionary who hasn’t realized yet that he has failed to transform America and that his time is now past. Please go quietly into history’s dust bin of failed leaders who never learned the difference between preaching about issues and actually working to fix national problems.

–BK

My latest novel, The Sub Rosa Manuscript, gives, I believe, a clear understandable account of the steady erosion of the personal and economic freedom we inherited from the sacrifices of those who went before us. It is now our turn to protect our inheritance by rejecting the empty promises of progressivism.

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Filed under Barry Kelly, Capitalism, class warfare, Conservative views, Eight Decades of Insights, Intelligence & Politics, Iran, Middle East, Obama, Progressives, Shiite

by Barry Kelly | March 3, 2016 · 6:03 pm

INSIGHTS 253 THE TRUMP PLAN

In a few hours we will see the Republican debate from Detroit. But what have we learned so far? Perhaps the most important thing we have learned is that the GOP establishment, that makes up the political class, does not trust the electorate to choose a candidate. Now that Donald Trump has convincingly won the title of the ‘front runner,’ the old guard is pulling out frantic efforts to stop him.

The latest offensive was a pathetic speech in Salt Lake City by Mitt Romney. It seems in the four years since he effusively thanked Trump for his endorsement, he has changed dramatically his view of Mr. Trump. Would he have made such a speech without support from the old line Republican establishment that gave us two losing candidates in the last eight years. This same group also pleaded with the Republican base to elected a Republican Senate and House in order to stop the Obama progressive program. They did absolutely nothing with the majorities we gave them but make excuses and cave into everything the President wanted. They failed to show the courage and resolve that was needed.

Trump has won all but a few state-wide contests and has energized huge across the board voter turnout. But a great number of these people voting for Trump are not conservatives or traditional members of the Republican Party. That is a good thing. The Republican political class did not listen to the old membership. Maybe they will finally figure out the people are angry and want real change from the last eight years of Obama progressivism. It is too late for them. This new movement of working people, men, women, Hispanics, evangelicals, young and old, middle class and professionals are in such vast numbers, it dwarfs the Tea Party that has now joined the stop Trump campaign.

The political pundits are chanting what is the Trump program. Tell us the plans. When he does tell them, they don’t recognize the genius and simplicity of his message. They are all looking for big government solutions where a centralized government plan must be laid out and debated. Perhaps the clearest example is Mr. Trumps version of a replacement for Obamacare. He told us that Obamacare will be replaced with private insurance that will be able to sell their plans across state lines. This is not a big government implement plan. Sure some regulation will be needed, but the essence of the plan is private companies who will put out hundreds of plans to meet the needs of the populace. Capitalism cannot exist without competition. Some government subsidies will be need to help the very poor to get quality medical care. Decentralization is the way to go. Centralization always is the plan of big government, especially those who practice socialism. Effective management comes from clear lines of command and reasonable spans of control unlike the Obamacare structure. Remember the Rollout for Obamacare?

The second important area where Mr. Trump’s plans are ridiculed by the political class is in the area of foreign trade. No plan is necessary unless you are a big government believer or a socialist. No plan could fit all trade negotiations. What does work is smart, tough, experience negotiators. The people who whine about plans for foreign trade have never really been involved in trade deals or arms negotiations. It takes smart people not plans. Please let’s stop expecting real leaders to lay out plans for every situation. Yes, the military has plans and needs them. But they are called contingency plans and there are several of them to meet a wide range of threats and they are not revealed to the general public or our adversaries.

Vote your conscience. Pay no attention to the wailings of the political class. I hope every day we will get ‘term limits’ to get rid of our professional politicians who for, too long, have stopped listening to the people.

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Filed under Barry Kelly, Capitalism, centralization, class warfare, Conservative views, Eight Decades of Insights, Intelligence & Politics, Obamacare, political solutions, Presidential Debate, Progressives, Romney

by Barry Kelly | February 25, 2016 · 6:41 pm

INSIGHTS 252 Senator Sanders’ Big Lie

Why does Senator Sanders, a self-proclaimed socialist, draw such crowds to his rallies? The answer is not complicated. The historical message of the far left socialists, progressives or communists is attractive. It always has solutions to fix all of the problems of society. More equal distribution of wealth. Social welfare programs that support citizens from ‘cradle to grave.’ It’s not your fault you are not rich. The deck is stacked against you by the rich and powerful. The only way to get your rightful share is to take it from the few rich people and corporations.

All societies have victims. Victimhood is a very comfortable cloak for many citizens. It gives them an excuse for their failure to climb the success ladder. The socialist answer is to take the ladder away and hide it from all except the elite who always emerge to rule the government-owned and managed economy. The great truth about socialism and communism is that it never has improved the lives of the people. Those who were the victims remain victims, only now there is no hope once the socialist/progressive elite is in total control. There is no dissent. The people have the freedom of never having to make a choice. There are no choices except those offered by the governing elite.

While Senator Sanders is not an evil person but what he is preaching hides a very ugly ending. You see he knows what is good for you and the nation. He doesn’t tell you his message has always required a strong repressive police and security force to enforce the guidance of the elite managers. Socialism, progressivism and communism cannot govern without repression. For when you take away the freedom of choice from the people there will be dissent. The ugliness of the Sander’s way always begins with the necessity to force people to follow the rules of their elite rulers. Besides losing the freedom of individual choice, the people soon see a mantle of economic stagnation settle over their once productive economy. President Obama, Hillary Clinton and Senator Sanders cannot tell you where their way of government has ever worked. Because it never has. Look at Cuba, Russia, East Germany, China and even the pseudo socialist states of Europe. On a large-scale or small, as some of cooperatives tried in America, collective/socialist schemes have all failed for the same reason. The management of collectives of any kind requires repression that eventually is rejected by the people. Reality never matches the socialist message.

This message is taught in very few colleges or universities. These institutions are run mostly by an intellectual elite that believes in the message and promise of the left-wing ‘isms.’ Very few of these professors have ever really worked for a living or lived in a socialist country. They believe the message because it’s kinder, gentler promise than the reality of the rough and tumble of free market and capitalism. Anyone who is rich, and not a member of the socialist elite or a revolutionary, is an enemy of the majority of social study curriculums in our colleges and universities. Since the real truth of the Sanders’ message will not be taught in our education system, it is up to the rest of use to expose the real truth behind the attractive message of socialism. Just ask where has it ever delivered what it so seductively promises?

INSIGHTS 242 THE REAL LEGACY

President Obama, photo by the New York Daily News.

Lets begin with the bottom line. President Obama has brought out the worst in America. The populace is more divided now than at any time after the Civil War. The economy is struggling. Employment participation rate is as low as it was in the late seventies. Wages are stagnant. More people are on food stamps than ever before. More people pay no federal taxes than do. Racism and class warfare is a common theme in White House messaging. The vaunted American military power has been diminished. Our traditional allies do not trust us and our enemies do not fear us. The President seems incapable of solving any national problems. When the economy is suffering with more people making do with less and the entire world in crises, President Obama constantly tells the American people ‘climate change’ is our biggest threat and that gun control is his number one priority along with closing Guantanamo Bay’s prison for foreign terrorist prisoners. He refuses to work with Congress and has made a mockery of the separation of powers doctrine and the rule of law. America’s best in the world medical system is mired in the debt and chaos of his medical plan, the infamous Obamacare. His deal with Iran must be the worst agreement any president ever made with an enemy state. In bygone times a good case would be made for his impeachment.

That is his legacy. But that is not what he has been about. His self assessment is based on other actions and on those he has made real progress. He wants to be known as the president who has advanced the cause of Socialism and income distribution farther than any other American President. Obamacare never was about healthcare. It is and was about government control of 8% of the economy. Our President has also been very effective in diminishing the very fine military machine he inherited with the purpose of making it unlikely America could ever again act as the world power. Every economic action his Administration has taken has weakened the economy with unneeded regulations. The energy industry has hung on in spite of his war on traditional energy sources. Without the Obama anchor we would be exporting billions of dollars of energy in the form of crude and refined oil products as well as natural gas in liquid form. An important result of increased American energy production is that it would free Europe of dependency on Russian oil and gas and far reduced Putin’s ability to expand the Russian empire by taking away his primary source of funds.

The President’s foreign policy has endangered Israel, consolidated Iran’s control of Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. The old power structure that allied Sunni nations with America is rapidly disappearing. Russia’s historical effort to secure a warm water port for its fleet has been accomplished. Even worse Russia now has a military presence astride the oil production fields and transportation network. The Middle East is now on the verge of a wide-spread war of Sunni Muslims against Shiite Muslims. The most likely result will be the emergence of Iran, with backing from Russia and China to be the dominate power in the area.

Through all this turmoil the World has been hoping for American leadership to protect the peace and independence of sovereign nations. President’s Obama’s leading from behind has failed them and us but has advanced the President’s ideological goals. Socialist and Communist historians will treat his Presidency with praise and reverence. Others won’t.

Written by the author of the Jack Brandon adventure mystery novels. The above is the result of my analysis of the President’s actions and policies from a conservative view point.