E-Newsletter No. 98                 February 2022          

The good news is that even though there continues to be daily reports that the Left wants to move forward on various schemes to transform our country, nothing overly bad was passed by Congress this past month.  Having said that…. On February 18^th, our dysfunctional Congress did the right thing and approved an additional Continuing Resolution and kicked the can down the road again to March 11^th.  Stay tuned.  Please keep in mind that these ongoing circus acts during 2022 should never have even happened if Congress had followed their own rules and had passed all of these tax and spending bills prior to September 30, 2021, before the new fiscal year even began.  The good news is that maybe (just maybe) none of these “transformative” changes the Left wants to impose will get passed this year, and we will simply get through the remainder of the year with additional Continuing Resolutions.

The bad news is the authoritarian Left will never stop in their continued attempts to fundamentally transform our country.  The other bad news is that shortly after February 1st, our federal government’s (on book) debt passed the $30 trillion mark, and each citizen’s share of this debt is now officially in excess of $90,000 each.  In addition, inflation – the prices we pay for goods and services – continues to rise, with no end in sight to that problem, either.

However (as we mentioned last month) what is even more troubling is the ongoing assault on our citizens’ Liberty and Freedom.  More on that next month.  BTW – We stand in support of the Canadian truckers.   

US Debt Clock – – January 1^st – $88,710 per citizen / February 1st – $89,950                     

E-Newsletter No. 97                 January 2022          

Last month the Democrats’ Build Back Better bill died the ignoble death that it deserved in the US Senate.  Let’s recap some simple math.  Keep in mind that our “starting point” is that a family of four is currently on the hook for over $350,000 for their share of the federal government’s “on book” debt.  (Set aside and ignore the unfunded liabilities for other socialist “benefits” that have been promised by our federal government).

The first incarnation of the BBB called for new spending of about $3.5 trillion.  It was subsequently “repackaged-for-resale” as being only $1.8 trillion.  But upon further analysis by the independent Congressional Budget Office, it was learned that the real price tag of the Democrats’ proposed spending was closer to $5 trillion.  The simple math is that the Democrat party wanted to spend on behalf of that family of four an additional $60,000.  Many Conservatives have concluded that each person in the country could spend their $15,000 much more wisely and efficiently than the federal government.

Are we out of the woods yet?  Hardly.  It has already been announced that the BBB will be repackaged yet again as individual “smaller bite” wish lists.  Time will tell whether our representatives (both Leftists and RINOs) will be able to resist their natural tendency to buy votes with our kids’ and grandkids’ money.

Set aside for a moment the dire financial situation and rising inflation.  Even more troubling is the ongoing assault on our citizens’ Liberty and Freedom.  The other stated objective of the Left include federalizing our elections, eliminating the Electoral College, expanding and then packing the Supreme Court, additional attempts to eliminate the Senate filibuster, Washington DC and/or Puerto Rico statehood, gun control, etc. 

Yes, the Left wants to “fundamentally transform” our country.  Conservatives need to continue to resist those attacks and fight to preserve our country’s founding principles.

US Debt Clock – – December 1^st – $87,070 per citizen / January 1st – $88,710                     

E-Newsletter No. 96               December 2021          

Last month’s newsletter was about Tyranny.  This month’s letter is about Coercion.  The sole power that any type of government possesses comes from its ability to coerce.  In a Republic, the government is granted its powers, which include the power to tax, through the legislative process, from laws passed by elected representatives. 

In the wee morning hours of Wednesday, December 15^th, Congress voted to increase the federal government’s debt limit by $2.5 trillion, because our government has run out of cash (once again).  Last month, we noted that the mantra “Taxation is Theft” is a little bit extreme, because we recognize there is a role for (limited) government, which must be funded via taxes.  There is also another mantra “Government debt is simply future taxation” – – taxes that must be paid by our children and grandchildren.  This is the unpleasant conversation that the citizens of our country need to have.  Unfortunately, there are a number of people (most notably career politicians, Paul Krugman, etc.) who sidestep this “immorality” issue by saying that the government’s debt doesn’t ever need to be repaid.  How did that line of thinking ever come about? It’s interesting to note how things have changed over the centuries.

“Avoid likewise the accumulation of debt…  (the) throwing upon posterity the burden which we ourselves ought to bear.” – George Washington

“There are two ways to conquer and enslave a country.  One is by the sword.  The other is by debt.” – John Adams

“Think what you do when you run in debt; you give to another the power over your liberty.” — Benjamin Franklin

“I, however, place economy among the first and most important of republican virtues, and public debt as the greatest of dangers to be feared.” — Thomas Jefferson

“Blessed are the young, for they shall inherit the national debt.” – Herbert Hoover

“We don’t have a [multi-] trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough.  We have a [multi-] trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much.” – Ronald Reagan

This latest increase to the federal government’s debt limit was approved on a purely partisan basis.  Earlier in the evening, every Democrat Senator approved the increase, and every Republican Senator voted No.   In the House, every Democrat Representative approved the increase, and every Republican Representative (except for one GOP RINO) voted No.  It is interesting to note that this vote was probably the “proper” (expedient) thing to do – – otherwise (with having no cash) the federal government would have begun to default on some of its payments.  And obviously (to say the least) such an unprecedented event would have sent shock waves around the world, which has relied upon the “full faith and credit” of the US government.

There is no doubt that the Democrats needed to pass this increase to the debt ceiling, because there is no other way they could push forward with their “Build Back Better” bill.  The cost of the original BBB bill was portrayed by the Democrats as being $3.5 trillion.  With some changes, this amount was subsequently re-packaged as being “only” $1.75 trillion.  But this was accomplished by using a number of budgeting gimmicks, the worst of which was to say that some of the programs would be for only a limited number of years.  Upon further analysis by the independent Congressional Budget Office, it was learned that if these socialist programs were to become permanent (which is what the Democrats really want to have happen) the cost of the BBB bill increases by an additional $3 trillion.  Where is all of this money going to come from? 

It is interesting to note how the media has thrown its support behind the BBB bill and this unprecedented increase in government spending and debt.  In one Associated Press article it was noted – One reason for Democrats’ urgency is that unless the measure (BBB) is approved by December 28^th, the IRS won’t have time to prepare the January 15^th checks to millions of families that receive the child tax credit. 

Our Editorial Board continues to search the US Constitution for references to the child tax credit, or for any other indication as to why this is an appropriate role for the federal government, or why future generations are being called upon to pay for these January 15^th child tax credit payments.

US Debt Clock – – November 1^st – $86,915 per citizen / December 1st – $87,070

E-Newsletter No. 95               November 2021          

Tyranny:  Cruel and oppressive rule by the government

Coercion:  The practice of “persuading” someone by using force or threats

Mandate:  An official order to do something (or else)  

Similar words.  Similar evils.

Last month we stated the undeniable fact that tyranny has happened in many places around the world and throughout human history.  The birth of our country came about in 1776 because our Founders decided they could no longer tolerate the tyranny of King George. 

As we revisited those complaints against King George, we realized that nearly all of those “trespasses” have re-arisen within our country once again.  Granted, there are a few complaints from 1776 that aren’t applicable today.  We are not being forced to quarter large bodies of armed troops, and King George isn’t plundering our seas or ravaging our coasts.  However, it is a fact that BLM and Antifa are burning some of our cities and destroying the lives of those residents.

Conservatives tend to agree with Thomas Paine, and we recognize that the only legitimate role of government is to protect our lives and protect our rights.  (Everything else should be handled by civil society).  The definition of tyranny is when we are subjected to cruel and oppressive rule, including those instances when our unalienable rights are being attacked and/or constrained by the government.  “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered.”

But, c’mon man, are things today truly that bad?  Conservatives would answer that question with a resounding “YES.”  Let’s start with the complaint about the Immoral Left.  But first, let’s discuss the definitions of Morality and Altruism.  Morality addresses values and principles of conduct and the distinction between right and wrong.  So, is Morality a subjective term?  We would answer “yes and no.”  There is no doubt that an atheist can be a moral individual, even though he / she might not share all of the values and principles of a religious person.  So, what is right and what is wrong?  Again, it comes down to values and principles.

The definition of Altruism is “Feelings and behaviors that show a desire to help others.”  Interestingly, one of the definitions in the Merriam Webster dictionary is “Behavior by an animal that is not beneficial to or may be harmful to itself, but that benefits another of its species.”

One of the goals of the Immoral Left is to attack Conservatives’ Freedom of Religion in their attempts to institute a secular society.  John Adams wrote, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.  It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”  The religion of the Left is Big and Bigger Government.  This is why the Radical Left opposes “In God We Trust” and would like to strike the phrase “One nation, under God” from our Pledge of Allegiance.

The ”Build Back Better” legislation that has recently passed the US House of Representatives contains many immoral provisions.  There is no doubt that most of this spending is directed towards counter-productive objectives that are not beneficial and may be harmful to the country as a whole.  It represents a laundry list of special interest spending, with the primary goal of buying people’s votes with other people’s money. $1.75 trillion represents approximately $5,300 of spending for every man, woman and child in our country.  Many of us believe that we could spend that amount of money much more efficiently than the federal government.      

A well-known Libertarian mantra is “Taxation is Theft.”  (Please refer to the Eighth Commandment).  We don’t go quite that far, because we do believe that (limited) government has a proper role in society, and it must be funded.  However, the Immoral Left has perfected the theft of funds from future generations (our children and grandchildren) who do not yet have the right to vote. The Congressional Budget Office has determined that even with all of the proposed tax increases in this bill, it will add hundreds of billions of dollars to the federal government’s debt, which continues to head in the wrong direction, even without this new spending. 

Which brings us to the upcoming key date of December 3^rd, which is the date to which Congress kicked the can to deal with the “debt limit problem.”  We are now facing our annual “debt crisis” and possible federal government shut down.  Unfortunately, if our country didn’t have so many people totally dependent on the government, a permanent total shut down of the government (except for the military and the judiciary) might be the best answer.

US Debt Clock – – October 1^st – $86,640 per citizen / November 1st – $86,915

Who knows what this amount will be at the end of December??

E-Newsletter No. 94               October 2021          

Numerous occurrences of Tyranny have happened throughout human history.

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to fundamentally alter the political bands which connect them with their federal government….

http://www.f2ppr.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/The-2021-Declaration-of-Independence.pdf

“These are the times that try men’s souls.  The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.  Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered…” – Thomas Paine, from The American Crisis, published in 1776

US Debt Clock – – September 1^st – $86,150 per citizen / October 1st – $86,640

E-Newsletter No. 93                September 2021          

How do you create a Socialist country?

Debt – Increase the government’s debt to an unsustainable level.  The government will be able to increase taxes, which will produce more poverty.

As we discussed last month, poor people are easier to control and will not fight back if you are providing everything for them, especially after they have become dependent on the government for food, housing, and income.  The concept of providing a Universal Basic Income is simply the final step in the Left’s tactic of buying a person’s vote with Other People’s Money, especially when the Other People are future generations – our children and grandchildren.

The Left is intent on following through on the divisive Marxist tactic of fomenting class warfare.  The Left’s stated goal of eliminating “income inequality” is being marketed to our country’s citizens as the number one priority of the Democratic Socialist party.

But this Marxist tactic of “divide and then gain power” is no longer limited to just class warfare.  The tactic of dividing us into opposing camps is part of the Left’s agenda to gain complete control over every individual.  It is a perversion of one of our country’s founding principles – e pluribus unum (out of many, one).  Interestingly, Communism’s goal is to have just one (subservient) group of people – the proletariat (who are then ruled by the government elites).

Most of our country’s citizens are also aware of the Left’s tactic of using race to divide us.  The message to Black citizens is “If you don’t vote for Democrats, you aren’t Black.”  This is another perversion of e pluribus unum.  Conservatives want people of all races to embrace being an American (not Afro-American, or Latino American, or Asian American, etc.).   Gender?  Instead of focusing on being lesbian, bi- or trans- etc. etc. (as the Left is wont to do), Conservatives simply want each individual citizen to embrace being an American first and foremost.  Contrary to what you hear from the mainstream media, most Conservatives recognize the two genders and generally don’t care about the various gender issues that are the focus of the Left.  Conservatives just want the government to leave us alone to live our own lives as we see fit.

As we have discussed in the past, certain key founding principles are referred to as the American Trinity – e pluribus unim, Liberty, and In God We Trust.  The Marxist tactic of “divide and conquer” is a direct assault on e pluribus unum.  The Left also favors top-down government control, which is implemented via coercion (and tyranny) – a direct assault on Liberty.  And the root cause of the religious divide between the radical Left and Conservatives goes all the way back to Karl Marx himself, who said that “Religion is the opium of the masses.”  The Left’s religion is Big Government, and the primary tenet of their religion is that only the government (and its cadre of experts and elites) can know what is best for the masses.

US Debt Clock – – August 1^st – $85,750 per citizen / September 1st – $86,150

E-Newsletter No. 92                August 2021          

How do you create a Socialist country?

Poverty – Increase the poverty level as high as possible.  Poor people are easier to control and will not fight back if you are providing everything for them.

Welfare – Take control of every aspect of people’s lives (food, housing, income) because that will make them fully dependent on the government.

Fortunately, our free-market economy was successfully rejuvenated during the years 2017 – 2019 (prior to the pandemic that originated in China).  Unemployment statistics and poverty levels were reduced to new lows that had not been seen in decades.  The improved economic results were shared by people in all economic “classes”, including those individuals and families who were for the first time able to start building wealth. 

So how did the Left react to this new level of prosperity?  They resurrected the divisive Marxist mantra of class warfare.  Our country’s free-market “sin” of income inequality became the Left’s new (old) rallying cry.  Take a moment to set aside the hypocrisy of the Big Government elites who were largely successful in diverting attention away from their own accumulation of wealth (and real estate properties).  Fortunately, many of our country’s citizens are well aware of the fact that multiple homes are owned by self-described Democratic Socialists and other Big Government elites, including Bernie Sanders, etc.

The members of our Editorial Board do not have any problems (at all) with the creation of wealth when it is earned in the private sector (versus the public sector).  The wealth that is created in the free-market economy adds to our country’s Gross Domestic Product.  Increases in wealth for those in the public sector happens due to a redistribution of wealth that is created in the private sector.

Nor are we troubled by the (inevitable) fact and existence of income inequality.  Marxist class warfare rejects the fact that different people have different skills, desires, and levels of ambition.  Our acceptance and lack of concern about income inequality is simply due to the fact that the only “solution” advanced by the Left is to try to “perfect” the concept of Socialism (which has been an abject failure every time and in every country it has ever been attempted).

Our reaction to the question of “How do you create a Socialist country?” is to say “No thank you.”

US Debt Clock – – July 1^st – $85,400 per citizen / August 1st – $85,750

E-Newsletter No. 91                       July 2021          

How do you create a Socialist country?  Step One is to take control of what people read and listen to and what children learn in school.  The indoctrination that has been happening on our country’s university and college campuses is now being taken down to the high school and elementary school levels.  Critical Race Theory and a curriculum that incorporates The 1619 Project are being advanced by the federal government, teachers unions and Leftist state legislatures.  Fortunately, there has been a growing backlash at school board meetings to push back against this divisive agenda, which is a direct affront to one of our country’s founding principles – e pluribus unum – out of many, one.

Many years ago, the Left began to target popular culture, Hollywood movies, and television programming.  One of the most egregious examples is to think back on what happened to Superman, who had always fought never-ending battles for Truth, Justice and the American Way.  In Action Comics # 900, published in June 2011, Superman announces his intention to go to the United Nations and renounce his US citizenship, to put a global focus on his never-ending battles.  (The Globalists of the Left cheered).

Dennis Prager has a 5-minute video entitled “Why Are So Many Good Things Being Destroyed?”  Why Are So Many Good Things Being Destroyed? | PragerU    The list is long – Universities, the Arts, Literature, Late-Night Television, Religion, Free Speech, The Boy Scouts, and the identities of the genders.  To that list, you can also add the NFL, the NBA, and the venue of the MLB All-Star game.  In addition, there are various out-of-favor, politically incorrect games like Cowboys and Indians and Cops and Robbers (with toy guns), and playing “dangerous” games like dodgeball, kickball, and red rover.

But the most effective (and damaging) take-over has been that of the mainstream media and television “news”.  Virtually all of the major outlets are controlled by the Left.  Conservatives’ free speech rights are under constant attack by the Left and their Big Tech allies.  Expressions of any thoughts that deviate from the Left’s narratives are immediately denounced as “misinformation”.  Censorship, “de-platforming” and other forms of “Cancel Culture” are the tools used by the Thought Police of the Left, whose own Truths are oftentimes false – (collusion with Russia, etc., etc.).     

The good news is that a growing number of people are walking away from the indoctrination, as the number of “subscribers” to the mainstream media continue to drop.  This is the most effective way to defund the mainstream media.  At the same time, conservatives have begun to build their own replacements for Facebook and Twitter, CNN and MSNBC.  However, those efforts require a sizable investment.   And unfortunately, those efforts (which are necessary to protect free speech) are probably serving to further divide the country between the “Leftist Progressives” who want to fundamentally transform our country into “something else” versus Conservatives who want to retain the principles that have always made America the freest, most prosperous, least racist multicultural country in the history of the world.  The questions for the Left are – Why do you want to “transform” our country?  And why (if our country is so flawed and evil) do people from around the world continue to want to move here?  Our Editorial Board believes this is primarily due to another one of our country’s founding principles – liberty (freedom) – which is under constant attack by the Left.

US Debt Clock – – June 1^st – $85,100 per citizen / July 1st – $85,400

E-Newsletter No. 90                       June 2021          

Last month we provided a link to a new Conversation Piece – something that we ran across a couple of years ago entitled   ”How do you create a socialist country?  (But why would you ever want to?)” 

http://www.f2ppr.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/How-to-create-a-socialist-country.pdf

This month we are going to focus on the first step – Education – Take control of what people read and listen to and what children learn in school.  Today’s Leftists have taken their cue from Vladimir Lenin, who said “Give me four years to teach the children, and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted.”  It is widely recognized that our colleges and universities have been one of the main delivery vehicles of Leftist ideology for the past several decades.  Unfortunately, this indoctrination is now filtering down to the high school and elementary school levels as well.

So, what can conservatives do to counteract this indoctrination?  One of the more effective countermeasures is to simply defund the Left’s agenda.  We need school choice – charter schools, or home schooling, if necessary.  For those parents who want to have their children attend a public school, they need to get involved and stay informed (be a room parent, join the PTA, run for the school board, or at least attend the school board meetings) to ensure that the Left’s attempts to indoctrinate your child are kept to a minimum.  As your children graduate high school, and if they want to go to college, pick one that focuses on providing a good and useful education in their field of study, with the least amount of Leftist indoctrination.  That might be easier said than done, but there are still some excellent conservative colleges out there that your child could attend.   

Next month, we will discuss the Left’s debasement of Hollywood, and their takeover of the mainstream media.

US Debt Clock – – May 1^st – $84,800 per citizen / June 1st – $85,100

E-Newsletter No. 89                       May 2021          

There is a quote that is oftentimes attributed to Norman Mattoon Thomas, who ran for president six times (1928 to 1948) as the candidate for the Socialist Party of America – – “The American people will never knowingly adopt Socialism.  But under the name of ‘liberalism’ they will adopt every fragment of the Socialist program, until one day America will be a Socialist nation, without knowing how it happened.”

Some of us have not been blind to what has been going on in our country since the 1930s.  The first implementation of a socialist programs by our federal government occurred during the presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  One of FDR’s “New Deal” programs was the creation of Social Security.  Unfortunately, this socialist program was founded on an egregious lie – – a pamphlet published by the government assured the public that “the 2 percent tax on wages up to $3,000 would be the most you will ever pay.”  As we all know, there is no actual cash in the Social Security “Trust”, only intragovernmental IOUs, because all of the money that has been paid into the “trust” has been paid out, plus some more.  And the present value debt of the promises that have been made by the federal government for the Social Security program are truly mind numbing – – they dwarf the amount of the federal government’s current “on book” debt.  (And Medicare is even worse).

We have added a new Conversation Piece to our website, which we ran across a couple of years ago, prior to the 2020 elections.  It is entitled   ”How do you create a socialist country?  (But why would you ever want to?)” 

http://www.f2ppr.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/How-to-create-a-socialist-country.pdf

Contrary to what Norman Thomas said nearly a century ago, many of our country’s citizens now appear to be willing to continue to implement socialism, even though history has shown that socialism has failed in every country where it has been attempted.  A couple more quotes come to mind –

Alexander Fraser Tytler – “A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government.  A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.  From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.” 

Benjamin Franklin – “Those who surrender Freedom for Security will not have (nor do they deserve) either one.”   

US Debt Clock – – The total “on-book” debt of the federal government as of April 1st – $28.24 trillion / $84,800 per citizen / Excludes the “off book” debt relating to promises made by the federal government for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and other socialist programs.