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Libertarian Republican #277

Posted by Tim Blessing on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 7:40:01 PM
Drill or not to Drill?  That is the question.
 
I think the problem is what can we do immediately to deal with gas prices?
 
The quick way is to devote one credit card to your gas bill and pay off what you can at the end of the month.
 
Buy a more fuel efficient car.
 
Drive in town rather than to the next town.
 
Drlling in the environmentally sensitive areas causes court action.
 
The only solution that may spur the environmentalists not to fight such activity would be the redevelopment of former oil fields into ecosystems again.
 
Another avenue would be to do what's called slant drilling.
 
Slant drilling is done in a sideways fashion.  Although I do not know how widely it is used.
 
When oil prices jump up, then the people and Congress clamor for action, until the market corrects the imbalance.
 
Our system of government is crisis driven rather than based on foresight or hindsight.
 
I suggest slant drilling into ecologically sensitive areas and redevelopment of dry oil fields into their former ecological state.
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Libertarian Republican #276

Posted by Tim Blessing on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 7:30:49 PM
Does McCain understand the strain on the Military?
 
I guess the question would be does McCain have an endgame in mind on Iraq.
 
When has the mission in Iraq reached a point that we no longer need 150000 soldiers and marines in that operation.
 
What are the tests?
 
Is the Al Qaida in Iraq force destroyed?
 
Is violence down 90%?
 
Is the Iraqi Government and Military able to stand on its own two feet?
 
Do we allow our military to continue to depoy and redeploy to Iraq?
 
What is the mental and physical tool on our forces repeatedly going to Iraq?
 
In essence, does McCain recognize limits to what the US Military can do?
 
Finally, has the Pentagon released all of its data on the readiness of US Military Units?  The Pentagon Papers approach.
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Libertarian Republican #275

Posted by Tim Blessing on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 7:23:13 PM
Barry Obama tries to paint McCain as a Big Business Supporter.
 
Barry targets the Credit Card Industry, Oil Industry, and other industries.
 
He says that McCain is a lapdog for these companies.
 
I wonder if this is merely typical democrat rhetoric that tars and feathers Republicans in this case McCain as a tool of big business.
 
McCain is anything, but a typical Republican.
 
A counterpoint to this would be is Barry a tool of the trial lawyers, labor organizers, communists, or other such individuals.
 
Charge and Countercharge.
 
Barry is trying to have it both ways.  On the one hand he's god's gift to America and McCain is diaboligue.
 
In essence, Barry is trying to be a good government liberal and a champion of the little guy, while McCain is a tool of big business.
 
Right now, it would appear to be microissues.
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Libertarian Republican #274

Posted by Tim Blessing on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 7:15:01 PM
Jim Johnson resigns from Obama VP Search.
 
Ethics in Government is all fine and dandy, until it comes back and haunts your own activities.
 
A conundrum of democrat politics is that an individual can be effective or ehtical, but  rarely both.
 
It appear's in this case that Johnsom is effective, but not to ethical.
 
Barry wants a pure process, but his own background lacks a pristine nature so if all his skeletons come out of the closet he might be seen as a hipocrite himself.
 
Its already happening, but his supporters only see the public image rather than the seamier side of his political life.
 
Its like look at all my good points and ignore all of my bad points or let's paper them over.
 
In essence, a focus on ethics looks good on paper, but political players as a rule are human and need to make money.
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Libertarian Republican #273

Posted by Tim Blessing on Monday, June 09, 2008 8:17:24 PM
Obama's Cronies in Chicago.
 
I suggest that Obama's network of contacts in Chicago be investigated.
 
There is a pattern emerging in all of these colorful characters.
 
They are criminals or reprobates.
 
I have seen reports that the House Jeremiah Wright has been building was financed in a highly greyish way.
 
Richard Reeves wrote a book on John F Kennedy called Profile in Power.
 
Reeves took a chronological day by day approach from the day Kennedy entered the White House to the day he was assassinated.
 
I wonder if a reporter or writer could put together such a thorough piece of writing on Obama before the election.
 
Not a campaign biography, but more of a neutral historical account of Obama's life in Chicago over the last 20 years.
 
In essence, tell about the real Obama rather than some pre-cooked campaign biography.
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Libertarian Republican #272

Posted by Tim Blessing on Monday, June 09, 2008 8:10:12 PM
Hillary's exit.
 
Hillary withdrew because the handwriting is on the wall.
 
Hillary is a historical figure in her own right.
 
A Savior of a Sinner in 1992, a destroyer of the democrat congress in 1994, the heroine of impeachment, a US Senator, and the first and serious female Presidential Candidate in 2008.
 
What to make of this record?  Politics is a transient phenomenon so I do not expect her to make a strong showing in 4 years.
 
Like Ted Kennedy, she could carve out a place in the United States Senate, but I wonder if she is tired.
 
Bill Clinton was her biggest booster and her curse over the last 6 months.
 
Does Hillary want to change her life?  I wonder if she would divorce Billy, resign from the Senate, write a book, and go on a long vacation.
 
Perhap's, General Douglass MacArthur said it best in his last speech at West Point, "Old Soldiers never die, they just fade away".
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Libertarian Republican #271

Posted by Tim Blessing on Monday, June 09, 2008 7:51:40 PM
Special Needs Kids: The Smart Ones.
 
What do you do with kids that are too smart for public education.  I am not talking about troublemakers, but the ones who are bored because their IQ is too high.
 
I was an advanced student who saw no benefit to those classes.  You might say I was five years ahead of them.
 
Kids who are advanced like that would be better off moving onto college.  Its a more conducive learning environment.
 
From what I remember, public education has a regimented learn by rote approach, which is basically an assembly line approach.
 
Higher Education had its flaws, but for me it was more challenging, more useful, and more fun.
 
College Students have more on the ball then regular high school students. 
 
In High School, in some cases peer pressure is brought on students not to perform.  In college, there is no such pressure.
 
If I could have done it, I would have gone onto college at 16.
 
Maturity is based on a lot of factors and not just what's required of you at current public education grade level.
 
In the final anaylis, you have to go where you get the most benefit.  I could not do that by force of circumstance and it has left me feeling angry towards the public school system to this day.
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Libertarian Republican #270

Posted by Tim Blessing on Monday, June 09, 2008 7:42:08 PM
The transformation of the Middle East.
 
I noticed that Ali Khamenei of Iran want's us to withdrawal from Iraq so Iraq can move forward.
 
This gets back to the fundamental goal and reason for the Terror War.
 
First, the Middle East is steeped in 5000 years of recorded history.
 
Second, the countries of that region conduct their affairs the same today as they did 5000 years ago.
 
Third, it is a region full of religion that cannot be altered in its basic nature.
 
Fourth, the American People are not prepared and appear to be unwilling to sustain a project such magnitude in terms of blood and money.
 
Fifth, the policy of the Iraq Occupation will not be changed, until a new administration comes to power.
 
Sixth, the Iraqis can get the job done themselves if we at the very least reduce our troop presence dramatically.
 
Seventh, the nations of that region I think are willing to have our Air Force and Navy remain on station as a means of deterence and support.
 
8th, Iraq will continue to remain a magnet for fanatical Muslims, until we do leave or reduce our presence dramatically.
 
The Terror War was about Al Qaida and not about Iraq.
 
Iraq was about Oil and not about weapons of mass destruction or terrorists.
 
In the final analysis, we will be doing business with Iran and Iraq on their terms as well as practicing containment of Saudi Arabia.
 
We can continue the Iraq War, but it will cost McCain the Presidency and the Republican future.  I just wonder if McCain recognizes that fanatical Muslims will continue coming into Iraq.  1.3 Billion Muslims around the world.
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Libertarian Republican #269

Posted by Tim Blessing on Monday, June 09, 2008 7:30:05 PM
Human Resources: The Personnel Question.
 
If your running for President and want to surround yourself with topnotch military advisers then you have to decide your preferred strategy.
 
Shock and Awe is good for immediate purposes, but useless in the aftermath.
 
Our military is good for short bursts of conventional conflict.
 
We are not good at long drawn out occupations.
 
Particuliarly, when the civilian managers are unprofessional in everything they do.
 
That's a flaw in our democracy system of government.
 
The premise is we should aim for air attack and ground attack, while not engaging in nation building unless it is a last resort.
 
The lesson of the last five years is the fact that people in the 3rd World do not like Western Armies managing their affairs for them.
 
That invalidates a basic precept of the Bush doctrine on preventive war.
 
We may not like Saddam, but Saddam was the leader of Iraq no matter how corrupt he was by our standards.
 
Again, people in these 3rd World Countries won their independence 50 years ago and are not likely to give it up to any outside power because they have long memories of colonialism.
 
In essence, Bush and the NeoConservatives failed to appreciate the lessons of history in that the Muslims would join forces to free Iraq from our occupation in their eyes.
 
If your not willing to use weapons like daisy cutters or other such weapons of super power then we have not business in Iraq.
 
In the final analysis, we won the conventional war, but haven't won the guerilla war.  These people around McCain and Obama do not know the grunt work that goes with being in the Army.
 
In the final analysis, it will take 10 years to rebuild the Army and Marines because the unprofessional conduct of Bush and his people.  How do I know that time frame?  Because that's what it took after Vietnam to correct the problem that time.
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Libertarian Republican #268

Posted by Tim Blessing on Monday, June 09, 2008 7:15:38 PM
Debating Points of the two main candidates.
 
The Weak Economy and the Terror War dominate this fall's agenda.
 
Obama is strong on the economy and weak on foreign policy.
 
McCain is strong on foreign policy and weak on the economy.
 
At least that's the basic perception of the public.
 
A poll today said a 48% to 42% in Obama's favor.
 
That being said, it must be based on the fact that Obama is perceived to be the better candidate.  Barack the Boy Wonder.
 
McCain is not as good a speaker, have as much charisma, and he does not seem to have as much poise.
 
A Presidential Campaign is more than just rallies, commercials, and other such silly stuff.  It determines a politician's temperament, intelligence, humility, and a basic sense of purpose on how to use the Presidency.
 
On those points, McCain has the upperhand.
 
Obama makes the better candidate, while McCain makes the better President.
 
In essence, if McCain does not know how to advertise himself then Obama wins by default.
 
Two goals for McCain to talk about: Restore Domestic Tranquility and win the Terror War.
 
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Libertarian Republican #267

Posted by Tim Blessing on Saturday, June 07, 2008 6:30:01 PM
Justice and Equity.
 
Justice has been put on the shelf and now we get stalled in the morass of detail.
 
Justice is not served in a results based sort of way.  Again, we get stuck in the morass of detail.
 
Did Mark Furman lie on the stand in the OJ Simpson case.  Yes, the issue is was his small lie more damaging than OJs big lie.
 
The Jury rendered the correct legal verdict, but Justice was not served.
 
In the Civil Case, he was found guilty, but through legal manuevering he did not pay the judgement.
 
Justice was thwarted by the legal system.
 
Everyone is entitled to their day in court, but do we have to micromanage every minor legal aspect.
 
Justice and Equity has been replaced by process based on morass of minor details.
 
Nixon should have been indicted for his part in Watergate and sent to jail, but the system through President Ford's Pardoning Power kept him out of jail.
 
Even the emperor is not above the law.  It might be said that public figures have different rights and limitations, but they are not above the law.
 
Justice and Equity are the two principles of the Kings of the Old Testament in the Bible.  There is no emotion, but there is justice and equity in their decisions.
 
In essence, the legal system in the United States is based on process rather than result and technicalities instead of Justice.  Justice Denied because of a mistake.
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Libertarian Republican #266

Posted by Tim Blessing on Saturday, June 07, 2008 6:19:09 PM
The Rule of Law.
 
Do you apply the law in a cold and arbitrary way or do you invent it as you go or do you use compassion.
 
In 2000, the Supreme Court ruled for George W. Bush in the case Bush vs. Gore.
 
That was a arbitrary and inventive use of the Supreme Court's Power.
 
The Constitutional clearly state's that the House of Representatives will decide who is President in case of a legal dispute.
 
Or so I think from what I remember reading of the Constitution.
 
Compassion, cold, arbitrary, and inventive use of the Constitution or any Constitution.
 
The Rule of Law seems to mean that you apply the concept in an even and balanced way rather than some crazy way.
 
Everyone has compassion, but the balance is not there in today's court system.  There is appeal after appeal.
 
Women get a break, while men will be prosecuted to fullest extent of the law.
 
Compassion and coldness.
 
Inventive uses of the constitution like the separation of church and state or the issue of privacy.  Neither concept is mentioned directly in the constitution, but Judges use the Constitution as an instrument of malleability.
 
In essence, the Courts need more arbitration used and less compassion.  A more studied approach of the Constitution than an inventive use of the document.
 
Courts need to get more to the essence of the issue and rely more on the rule of law than some emotional approach.
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Libertarian Republican #265

Posted by Tim Blessing on Saturday, June 07, 2008 6:08:43 PM
Democracy.
 
What is the meaning of democracy?
 
It technically means the peoples right to rule themselves.
 
In a small town in the Northeastern United States this may still be possible, but in large urban and suburban areas this practice is quaint.
 
That mean's you go to the next level, indirect democracy or a Republic.  The people vote for lawmakers every so often, but do not have direct say in lawmaking.
 
There is the executive to consider.  Some are City Managers or County Administrators, Mayors, Governors, Presidents, Prime Ministers, and Kings/Queens.
 
Some of these people are elected, while others are appointed.
 
Some have management skills, but not philosophy.  And, vice versa.
 
A very rare breed of leader is the Philosopher-King, which some say Lincoln was in his approach.  Some called him a Constitutional Dictator.
 
The question in terms of the executive is can they get results, offend only a few people, and not go overboard in terms of being power-hungry.
 
Judges have been around since ancient times.
 
In some cases, they are elected and  in some cases they are appointed.
 
They have a place in society in terms of dealing with the interpretation of the law, but not voiding the law.
 
Democracy cannot be done directly in most large societies, but it might still be practical in small towns.
 
In some small towns, you have an elite that runs things if people are carefree in their attitude toward's local government.
 
Remember, most people know who the President is, along with the US Senators, and the Governor, but these individuals have limited influence over local government.
 
Meaning, George W. Bush cannot tell your town's council what to do on local matters.
 
Apathy, the rule of thumb the lower you go in government.  The Activists know what's going on, but they are a small portion of the electorate.
 
In essence, people practice democracy at the president's level, but not at the precinct level.
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Libertarian Republican #264

Posted by Tim Blessing on Saturday, June 07, 2008 5:45:05 PM
The Philosophy of Politics.
 
This will be an ongoing project based on all the great thinkers of Political Philosophy.
 
This will parallel my ongoing analysis of current issues.
 
This will include such fundamental concepts of democracy, the Rule of Law, Justice, Natural Rights, Sovereignty, Citizenship, Power, the State, Revolution, Liberty, Reason, Materialism, Toleration, and the Place of Religion in Society.
 
It will start and go forward from the Greeks, to Hellenism and Roman Stoicism, Rome, Early Christianity, Medieval Life and Thought, The Two Realms: The Last Phase, The Renaissance, The Reformation, The Right of Resistance, Sovereignty and Divine Right, Hobbes and Spinoza, The Development of Constitutionalism, Vico and Hume, and French Thought in the late 17th Century and 18th Centuries.
 
It will include such essential forces as Revolution, Romanticism, Marxism, Anarchy, Utilitarianism, Theology, Idealism, and Nationalism.
 
The second phase will start in the 18th Century and move forward.
 
The basis for this approach is 2 books that are entitled: The Great Political Theories Volume 1 and The Great Political Theories Volume 2.
 
These 2 books are compiled and commentary by Michael Curtis.
 
Political Philosophy makes use of and contains analytical, descriptive and historical material, but it subordinates these to philosophical or ethical considerations.
 
The recurring problems of political philosophy are those concerning the nature of society, law, obligation, rights, duties, command, responsibility and obedience.  In modern theory, there has been a preoccupation with sovereignty, power, influence, and groups.
 
This examination of political philosophy may take awhile, but it is an exercise in restarting politics.
 
In essence, the issue of political philosophy has been on the backburner since Reagan's time and I hope to bring it back to its roots.
 
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Libertarian Republican #263

Posted by Tim Blessing on Saturday, June 07, 2008 5:17:31 PM
Hillary's Speech and the Women's Vote.
 
Hillary seems intent on milking the spotlight for all its worth.
 
It might be safe to say that Hillary is conominee, until the convention.
 
Obama won a pyrrhic victory for the democrat nomination and may well split the party no matter what he does.
 
Women have been sent to the back of the bus again.  Told to wait for four more years.
 
I have experience with females, but their psychology is vastly different from men.
 
They might vote for McCain out of spite toward's the Democrat Party or they might even work against Obama.
 
We have heard from the Liberal Democrat Wing of that Party on the issue of Obama.  Now, we are going to hear from the silent majority of Americans.
 
I would say Republican men will vote against Obama because he's a sissy in their minds.
 
I would say Republican women are going to vote against Obama because he's seen as a weak male.
 
I would say Independents and Conservative Democrats might not vote for Obama not because he is black, but because he does not represent their values.
 
In essence, if you compare Obama from his failed 2000 Congressional Campaign to 2008 Presidential Campaign.  You will see only a change in word usage rather than any dramatic change in ideas.
 
A Harvard University Egghead who talk's idealism rather than any true reality.
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