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2014
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October
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- Barker's Newsbites: Friday, October 31, 2014
- Barker's Newsbites: Thursday, October 30, 2014
- The Corruption and Malfeasance are Absolutely Perv...
- Barker's Newsbites: Wednesday, October 29, 2014
- Barker's Newsbites: Tuesday, October 28, 2014
- Barker's Newsbites: Monday, October 27, 2014
- Russ Behrens... Calling Russ Behrens...
- These... ARE... the... DEMOCRATS...
- The NYT Calls For "We The People" to Rise Up and...
- Black on Black Crime in Baltimore
- Weekend Newbites: Sat. & Sun., Oct. 25 & 26, 2014
- Folks... the Left is Vile... It's Just That Simple
- Nah... No Voter Fraud Here... (*SNORT*)
- Barker's Newsbites: Friday, October 24, 2014
- Barker's Newsbites: Thursday, October 23, 2014
- Barker's Newsbites: Wednesday, October 22, 2014
- Judge England vs. Darth V... er... Eric Holder
- Barker's Newsbites: Tuesday, October 21, 2014
- Barker's Newsbites: Monday, October 20, 2014
- Dining in Key West (Oct. 2014)
- (So...) Bill vs. The Navy
- Bill vs. The Navy... (But First...)
- Nudity... and Fraternity!
- Barker's Newsbites: Monday, October 6, 2014
- A Tale of King Dollar's Invisable Clothing...
- Weekend Newsbites: Sat. & Sun., Oct. 4 & 5, 2014
- Suck It Up and Read David Stockman's Latest Column
- Barker's Newsbites: Friday, October 3, 2014
- That Atlanta Fed "Note" I Mentioned...
- It Really Is A Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy...
- Julia Pierson... The Washington Post... Jeh Johnso...
- Barker's Newsbites: Thursday, October 2, 2014
- More Blood On Obama's Hands... and Congress'
- Barker's Newsbites: Wednesday, October 1, 2014
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October
(34)
About Me
- William R. Barker
- Pearl River, NY High School Class of '81; Northeastern University, Boston, MA Class of '87.
10 comments:
* TWO-PARTER... (Part 1 of 2)
http://tinyurl.com/p9dxv75
* BY THE ALWAYS HONORABLE RON PAUL
Former Clinton Administration Labor Secretary Robert Reich recently called on the government to force young people to spend two years either “serving” in the military or performing some other type of government-directed “community service.” Neoconservative Senator John McCain has introduced legislation creating a mandatory national service program very similar to Reich’s proposal. It is not surprising that both a prominent progressive and a leading neocon would support mandatory national service, as this is an issue that has long united authoritarians on the left and right.
* ACTUALLY... I WOULD WELCOME A RETURN TO THE DRAFT MYSELF... BUT FOR REASONS NO DOUBT MORE "NUANCED" THAN REICH'S OR MCCAIN'S.
Proponents of national service claim that young people have a moral obligation to give something back to society. But giving the government power to decide our moral obligations is an invitation to totalitarianism.
* NOT NECESSARILY. (BUT THIS NATIONAL SERVICE MUST BE LIMITED TO A MILITARY SCOPE - MILITARY SUPPORT FOR TRUE PACIFISTS.
Mandatory national service is not just anti-liberty, it is un-American.
* I AGREE... TO A LARGE EXTENT. (HE'S RIGHT!)
Whether or not they admit it, supporters of mandatory national service do not believe that individuals have “inalienable rights.”
* NO. THAT'S SOPHISTRY. (AT LEAST IN MY CASE AND THE CASE OF MY REASONING!)
Instead, they believe that rights are gifts from the government, and, since government is the source of our rights, government can abridge or even take away those rights whenever Congress decides.
* AND UNFORTUNATELY WHAT'S NOT TRUE FOR ME IS TRUE FOR MOST... SO AGAIN... PAUL IS MAINLY RIGHT.
Mandatory national service also undermines private charitable institutions. In a free society, many people will give their time or money to service projects to help better their communities, working with religious or civic associations. But in a society with government-enforced national service, these associations are likely to become more reliant on government-supplied forced labor. They will then begin to tailor their programs to satisfy the demands of government bureaucrats instead of the needs of the community.
* AGREED AGAIN!
The very worst form of national service is, of course, the military draft, which forces young people to kill or be killed on government orders. The draft lowers the cost of an interventionist foreign policy because government need not compete with private employers for recruits. Anyone who refuses a draft notice runs the risk of being jailed, so government can provide lower pay and benefits to draftees than to volunteers.
* AHH... HERE'S WHERE I CAN START "EXPLAINING" MYSELF!
(*GRIN*)
* A DRAFT WOULD BE GOOD FOR SOCIAL-ECONOMIC COHESION. IT WOULD ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO INCREASED PHYSICAL FITNESS AMONGST THE GENERAL TEEN POPULATION WITH EACH CHILD KNOWING THAT HE OR SHE MIGHT HAVE TO GO THROUGH BOOT CAMP. IT WOULD BE A REFRESHER FOR NATIONALISM - AND I AM A NATIONALIST! IT WOULD PROVIDE A SPEED BUMP TO THE INSANITY OF "COLLEGE FOR ALL" IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING HIGH SCHOOL - THEREFORE STRENGTHEN BOTH K-12 AND COLLEGE STANDARDS!
* TO BE CONTINUED...
* CONCLUDING... (Part 2 of 2)
As the burden of our hyper-interventionist foreign policy increases, it is increasingly likely that there will be serious attempts to reinstate the military draft. General Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, continues to suggest that U.S. troops on the ground may be needed to fight “Operation Inherent Resolve” in Iraq and Syria. A major escalation requiring a large U.S. troop deployment will likely add pressure to consider a military draft.
* YES! AND A PARTIAL DRAFTEE MILITARY WOULD MEAN MORE AMERICAN FAMILIES HAVE "SKIN IN THE GAME" AND THUS THEY WOULD START PAYING ATTENTION TO HOW OUR MILITARY IS USED AS A TOY BY OUR POLITICIANS! MORE "SKIN IN THE GAME" SHOULD TEND TO LEAD TO A MORE CONSERVATIVE (IN THE TRUE SENSE OF THE WORD) FOREIGN POLICY!
The only real way the American people can protect their children from the military draft is to demand an end to the foreign policy that sees the U.S. military as the solution to any and every problem — from ISIS to Ebola — anywhere in the world.
* BUT OBVIOUSLY THAT HASN'T HAPPENED. JUST THE OPPOSITE. THEREFORE... A CHANGE IN STRATEGY IS CALLED FOR.
Some who share my opposition to a militaristic foreign policy support the draft because they think a draft will increase public opposition to war.
* YEP...
However, the existence of a draft did not stop the American government from launching unconstitutional wars in Vietnam and Korea.
* NO... BUT PUBLIC OPPOSITION - BASED UPON "SKIN IN THE GAME" - PLAYED A HUGE ROLL IN ENDING THOSE WARS.
While the draft did play a role in mobilizing political opposition to Vietnam, it took almost a decade and the death of thousands of American draftees for that opposition to reach critical mass.
* THAT WAS THEN. (*SHRUG*) THIS IS NOW.
It is baffling that conservatives who (properly) oppose raising taxes would support any form of national service, including the military draft.
* I FREELY ADMIT HE'S PHILOSOPHICALLY (LOGICALLY) CORRECT. SOMETIMES THOUGH... (RARELY, I ADMIT!)... ONE HAS TO PLACE CONSISTENCY BEHIND EFFICIENCY.
It is similarly baffling that liberals who oppose government interference with our personal lives would support mandatory national service. Mandatory national service is a totalitarian policy that should be rejected by all who value liberty.
* I JUST CALL 'EM AS I SEE 'EM, FOLKS.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2800356/us-immigration-authorities-prep-order-34-million-blank-green-cards-work-authorization-papers-obama-readies-executive-order-illegal-aliens.html
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services plans to seek a vendor to produce as many as 34 million blank work permits and 'green cards' – the paperwork that authorizes illegal immigrants to live and work in the United States – as the White House prepares to issue an executive order after the Nov. 4 midterm elections.
According to a draft solicitation published online, the government agency will look for a company that can produce a minimum 4 million cards per year for five years, and 9 million in the early stages.
President Barack Obama has pledged that he will make a move on immigration reform this year. His original timetable called for a decision by the end of the summer.
Republicans have decried the plan as an 'amnesty' for millions of illegal immigrants, including hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied minors who have come across the U.S.-Mexico border this year.
* IT WOULD BE AMNESTY AND IT WOULD BE ILLEGAL - UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
A draft RFP – a Request For Proposal – is typically published in advance so government contractors can prepare to submit their bids when the final version is published. The draft came complete with photos of what the finished cards will look like.
Breitbart.com first reported on the planned solicitation.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/10/19/Exclusive-Obama-Admin-Quietly-Prepares-Surge-Of-Millions-Of-Immigrant-IDs
Despite no official action from the president ahead of the election, the Obama administration has quietly begun preparing to issue millions of work authorization permits, suggesting the implementation of a large-scale executive amnesty may have already begun.
Jessica Vaughan, an immigration expert at the Center for Immigration Studies and former State Department official, said the document suggests a new program of remarkable breadth. The RFP “seems to indicate that the president is contemplating an enormous executive action that is even more expansive than the plan that Congress rejected in the 'Gang of Eight' bill,” Vaughan said.
Last year, Vaughan reviewed the Gang of Eight's provisions to estimate that it would have roughly doubled legal immigration. In the “surge” scenario of this RFP, even the relatively high four million cards per year would be more than doubled, meaning that even on its own terms, the agency is preparing for a huge uptick of 125% its normal annual output.
* FOLKS... AGAIN... AS ALWAYS... JUST ASK YOURSELF: ISN'T DELIBERATELY FLOODING THE UNITED STATES WITH MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF THIRD-WORLDERS A PLAN ONE WOULD EXPECT TO BE HATCHED IN MOSCOW OR BEIJING - NOT THE OVAL OFFICE?
* PUTTING ASIDE DEBATES ON THE RULE OF LAW AND THE CONSTITUTION... HOW COULD THIS APPARENT OBAMA PLAN POSSIBLY BENEFIT OUR NATION; PUT ANOTHER WAY... HOW COULD IT NOT HURT OUR NATION?
It's not unheard of for federal agencies to plan for contingencies, but the request specifically explains that the surge is related to potential changes in immigration policy. “The Contractor shall demonstrate the capability to support potential 'surge' in PRC and EAD card demand for up to 9M cards during the initial period of performance to support possible future immigration reform initiative requirements,” the document says.
A year ago, such a plan might have been attributed to a forthcoming immigration bill. Now, following the summer's border crisis, the chances of such a new law are extremely low, giving additional credence to the possibility the move is in preparation for an executive amnesty by Obama.
* OBAMA'S GOAL SEEMS TO BE TO DAMAGE AMERICA AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WITHIN THE TIME HE HOLDS POWER. IT REALLY IS THAT SIMPLE.
Even four million combined green cards and EADs is a significant number, let alone the “surge” contemplated by USCIS. For instance, in the first two years after Obama unilaterally enacted DACA, about 600,000 people were approved by USCIS under the program. Statistics provided by USCIS on its website show that the entire agency had processed 862,000 total EADs in 2014 as of June.
Vaughan said EADs are increasingly coming under scrutiny as a tool used by the Obama administration to provide legalization for groups of illegal aliens short of full green card status.
In addition to providing government approval to work for illegal aliens, EADs also cost significantly less in fees to acquire, about $450 compared to more than $1000. In many states, EADs give aliens rights to social services and the ability to obtain drivers' licenses.
* ONE MORE TIME:
In many states, EADs give aliens rights to social services...
* WELFARE.
Vaughan noted there are currently about 4.5 million individuals waiting for approval for the green cards having followed immigration law and obtained sponsorships from relatives in the U.S. or otherwise, less than the number of id cards contemplated by the USCIS “surge.”
USCIS officials did not provide additional information about the RFP by press time.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/thousands-of-federal-workers-on-extended-paid-leave/2014/10/20/c1c963bc-53e3-11e4-ba4b-f6333e2c0453_story.html
Tens of thousands of federal workers are being kept on paid leave for at least a month — and often for longer stretches that can reach a year or more — while they wait to be punished for misbehavior or cleared and allowed to return to work, government records show.
During a three-year period that ended last fall, more than 57,000 employees were sent home for a month or longer.
The tab for these workers exceeded $775 million in salary alone.
* FOLKS... THIS IS OUR GOVERNMENT IN ACTION. NOT "OBAMA'S" GOVERNMENT. NOT "BUSH'S" GOVERNMENT. NOPE. THIS IS GOVERNMENT... THE COLOSSUS.
The extensive use of administrative leave continues despite government personnel rules that limit paid leave for employees facing discipline to “rare circumstances” in which the employee is considered a threat. The long-standing rules were written in an effort to curb waste and deal quickly with workers accused of misconduct.
* WELL... PERHAPS IT IS A BIT "OBAMA'S GOVERNMENT." (YOU KNOW... IGNORING THE LAWS AS WRITTEN AND SUCH...)
And the comptroller general, the top federal official responsible for auditing government finances and practices, has repeatedly ruled that federal workers should not be sidelined for long periods for any reason.
But a report by the Government Accountability Office, first made public by The Washington Post on its Web site Monday, found that 53,000 civilian employees were kept home for one to three months during the three fiscal years that ended in September 2013. About 4,000 were idled for three months to a year and several hundred for one to three years. This is the first time the government has calculated the scope and cost of administrative leave.
(*SIGH*)
Auditors found that supervisors used wide discretion in putting employees on leave, including for alleged violations of government rules and laws, whistle-blowing, doubts about trustworthiness, and disputes with colleagues or bosses. Some employees remain on paid leave while they challenge demotions and other punishments.
(*ROLLING MY EYES*)
While the employees stayed home, they not only collected paychecks but also built their pensions, vacation and sick days and moved up the federal pay scale.
(*SNORT*)
* FOLKS... YA CAN'T MAKE THIS SHIT UP!
The GAO report almost certainly understates the extent and cost of administrative leave because the figures examined by the auditors were incomplete. The numbers reviewed account for only about three-fifths of the federal workforce since not all government agencies keep track of the practice.
* FOLKS... READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE VIA THE LINK - IF YOU HAVE THE STOMACH FOR IT.
Ah, mandatory national service. I can't agree, William. The government turned then into do-nothings. The government now wants to turn them around? Nah. This was the goal of the government dependency to start with. Welfare is slavery. This would bring it full circle. Like anything else, the rick kids would get the easy peasy, the poor the simplest and least demanding, and the middle class kids would bear the burden for both ends.
I think the answer to lack of participation in government lies in taking away all the handouts. Make everyone support their own kids. Our obligation is ONLY to elderly and disabled. Everyone else? Stop popping out what they can't pay for.
What are we thinking now? How many more ways can we turn children into commodities instead of people? We already give most parents a payday come tax time. A whole lot of parents get housing, food, medical assistance just because they pop out kids. Hell...kids are diagnosed daily for ssi checks! How many new ways can we come up with to use them them?
The answer fir everyone having skin in the game is to stop stripping off my skin and your skin to cover the gaping idiocy of those who refuse to...REFUSE TO...support and own their own choices.
Just my opinion. But...I promise you, if you take away child tax credits, non working spouse credits, and end the "family size" crap as if people have no control over reproducing...people will wake the hell up.
If anybody "owes" anybody, it is all those parents getting aid for having kids, or bonuses at tax time, owing people who actually HAVE their income taxed and taken. That's OUR money THEY take. I think I'd prefer to save it or spend it myself, seeing as how...my man earned it. He's not baby daddy to the country, after all. Right?
@ Michelle
Well... as you saw... I myself am less than rock-solid with my own position re: the draft.
(*HALF-SMILE*) (*SHRUG*)
Obviously I see the dangers you see. And yet...
(*SHRUG*)
I'm reacting to what is under the PRESENT system and we BOTH agree that the present system... SUCKS.
Where I'm coming from is knowing where the present system is leading... and desperately seeking means of changing course.
(*SHRUG*)
I suppose I'm also envisioning a military closer to upholding OUR ideals than not - even as day after day I preach that the Left has "broken" even our military.
(*SIGH*)
Again... I SEE the inconsistencies of my "gut" on this... but, again... I'm DESPERATE.
Anyway... for what it's worth... I continue to believe in my "skin in the game" thesis.
(And... how else to ensure a critical mass of "skin in the game?")
@ All
BTW... I hope you lurkers are absorbing this!
YES... two people... (three, actually, when you count Paul)... civilly disagreeing with one another while recognizing each other's valid points.
YES... it can be done!
The key is HONESTY.
The key is acknowledging each other's points and ALSO acknowledging the weaknesses and inconsistencies within our own positions.
God BLESS Michelle for "taking the bait." (Yes... I was actually HOPING that someone would join Paul's side so as to allow this back and forth!)
Most folks who oppose the draft do so out of selfishness. Michelle here - like Ron Paul - obviously opposes it out of PRINCIPLE.
And me...? I'm trying to fit principle into pragmatism. Perhaps I'm wrong... perhaps not. But as always... I'm being HONEST.
It's a tough one, William. Things are so out of hand...so many have no skin in the game, but you cannot make them see the danger of what that means when...the game falls apart. And it will. It is. It's just a matter of time.
I just believe it is wrong to force service. To me...well...kids don't owe us anything until they enter the adult world. We feed them for their parents. We educate them for their parents. We provide medical care for their parents. It was always the job of the parents. Not US. Now...skin in the game? Parents need to maybe SERVE if they are getting public assistance. Then? Kids grow up seeing that EVERUTHING costs SOMETHING. Time, labor, money. The problem with young people is a problem with whoever raised them.
A kid's JOB, as we had drilled into our heads, was school. Kids don't ASK to be here. They aren't being taught, at home OR at school that there is a price for the freedoms we enjoy...hell...they aren't being taught about what we are SO LUCKY to have at ALL! Many paid the ultimate price. Young people don't know. They can barely place states on a map!
I don't know the answer. But...I don't think it starts with requiring something from kids while demanding NOTHING from the folks making them and shoving responsibility for them off on the rest of us. The kids are going to be punished enough, William. They've been loved SO MUCH, they'll never ever pay off the debts we allowed.
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