The Elites Psychological Assault on Common Sense and Decency

Politics is the art of deception.  The successful are master manipulators of language and perception.  They are a combination carnival barker and magician and we, the perceived country bumpkins, are the mark.  Back in the day, politicians campaigned with a wink and a nod.  It was all about a good show and sometimes you have to laugh at the antics of some of these characters.  North Carolina has had its share.  Senator Robert Reynolds is one of them.  Here is an excerpt from Rob Christensen’s The Paradox of Tar Heel Politics:

Reynolds left Asheville in the guise of a poverty-stricken man of the people.  He donned a ragged suit and worn shoes and drove a broken-down Tin Lizzie.  Before entering a town, Reynolds often emptied his radiator so that when he arrived steam would be pouring from under the hood.  Feigning poverty, Reynolds asked the crowd for gas money to help him get to the next town, or borrowed an automobile, or asked for a place to stay since he could not afford a hotel.  He would take a couple of dollar bills out of his pocket and wave it to the crowd, calling on God to witness that it was all the money he had in the world.  So phony were his pleas of poverty, Reynolds never bothered to cash hundreds of the small campaign checks he was given although he framed some as campaign souvenirs.

Bob Reynolds was a character and he genuinely liked the people.  We can’t say the same of today’s politicians.  Today’s politicians are elite, paternalistic snobs who aren’t content on lying and deceiving the public; they want to run our lives.  They’ve transitioned from sideshow Bob to an Orwellian mind controller.

This attitude is pervasive throughout Washington D.C., progressive think tanks, and academia.  According to our wannabe overlords, the people are the problem and if we don’t agree with their world view, the people have to be re-educated or nudged by psychological assaults on common sense and decency. 

National Interest.org published an article about elitist attitudes on the great unwashed:

How? By replacing the elite’s language. If you look back at the articles I cited, you'll see a common language. A language not of rational discussion, of pros and cons, but of psychology. A writer explains the public based on its emotional or intellectual qualities. "The public is angry,” or "the people are ignorant.” In other cases, such as when discussing Trump's supporters, the writer will usually use adjectives from psychology. "The Republican nominee is manipulative, his supporters xenophobic." You will rarely find a writer addressing the arguments against the elites plans and values. Why is that? Well, if the people are ignorant, they should be educated. If they are angry, they should be medicated. We do not need to address people's concern about immigrants, because their concern is xenophobic and—again—ignorant. The language of psychology opens no discussion. In the writer's mind he is a therapist, helping his opponent understand the hidden reasons for his arguments. Once the opponent recognize his problem, he can be treated, “educated.”

Educated?  They mean re-educated.  That’s how totalitarian regimes handle a recalcitrant citizenry.  And it all began with; ‘It depends on what your definition of “is” is.’

Source:

 http://nationalinterest.org/feature/why-are-elites-out-touch-look-what-theyre-saying-17258

 https://www.amazon.com/Paradox-Tar-Heel-Politics-Personalities/dp/0807831891

An Example of Political Incest and Nepotism

If you want an example of nepotism and political incest, all you have to do is read this little blurb in National Journal about Barbara Boxer’s pending retirement from the Senate.

In an interview with her grandson Zach Rodham (who is also Hillary Clinton's nephew), Boxer said that while she will be leaving Congress, she will continue her work on Democratic politics. And when it came to 2016, she dropped a very large hint.

"Zach, I am never going to retire. The work is too important. But I will not be running for the Senate in 2016," Boxer said. "I have to make sure the Senate seat stays progressive. That is so critical. And I want to help our Democratic candidate for president make history."

Now we know why progressives espouse a degenerative philosophy.  They’re a bunch of inbreeds.

Source:

http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/senator-barbara-boxer-is-retiring-20150108

Social Security Apocalypse Coming in 2033

As long as I can remember, we’ve had Chicken Littles running around warning Social Security is about to collapse.  I’ve yet to read what’ll happen when this doomsday scenario comes.  Well, here it is and the coming apocalypse

 is 2033. 

We all know politicians have picked the lockbox and spent that money on pet projects.  Also, there are a record number of Americans on disability and probably some illegal aliens as well.  We should take heed, because when this entitlement ship hits the fiscal iceberg there is not going to be enough lifeboats to go around.  This Goodship Lollipop will suck everyone down.

 

The 2014 report projects depletion of the combined Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance trust funds in 2033. Social Security has no borrowing authority, and after the trust funds are exhausted there is only enough payroll tax revenue to cover a projected 77 percent of benefits; meaning future benefit payments must be reduced by about 23 percent. But the resulting cut in benefits will actually be much worse for retirees, workers and the economy if we don’t act now to reform Social Security.

In 2013, total benefit costs offset by taxes on those benefits, plus administrative expenses, came to $832 billion. Most, but not all, of this cost was covered by payroll taxes ($726 billion), with the balance substantially covered by interest ($103 billion) on money Congress “borrowed” from the trust funds — which means Social Security is currently adding to the deficit.

When the trust funds are depleted, the upcoming year’s benefits will be suddenly and immediately reduced by nearly $200 billion (in 2013 dollars), and not just for that year alone. The 23 percent haircut will persist indefinitely without legislative action. Gross Domestic Product includes government outlays, including spending on entitlement programs. Hence, less social security spending by definition results in a smaller GDP. Additionally, a sudden and large reduction of social security benefits would also result in less private consumption, since beneficiaries will have less money to spend, and this too would presumably result in an additional corresponding negative effect on GDP.

And does anyone believe these people will tolerate a reduction in benefits?  Of course not, our taxes will have to be raised and America will descend into a European style stupor.

H/T:

MuskegonPundit

The Hillary Clinton Fund for Broke Politicians

Please give what you can.  These poor, public servants have multiple mortgages and a lifestyle keep.  Just a hundred dollars a month will clothe, house and feed a needy politician.  They do so much for you.  Can't you do something for them?

Please don't let a crisis go to waste.  You too can help feed a Democrat.  

North Carolina Politicians Pander to Illegal Aliens

Politicians and pandering is a time honored tradition.  Special interest groups and their deafening squawks for a teat drown out the silent majority.  What is truly reprehensible is the amount of influence illegal aliens has over our elected representatives.  From the state to the federal level, everyone seems to be on board to legitimize these non-citizens.  North Carolina is no different.

In 2006, the Old North State passed a law no longer granting illegal aliens a driver’s license.  I remember what it was like to renew mine before that.  It was hell.  The “undocumented” within a 500 mile radius swarmed into North Carolina.  I thought I was transported into a foreign country.  Hardly any applicant spoke English.

 

Now, our legislators are making the same mistakes in the guise of “public safety.” 

The legislation comes as the U.S. Senate looks ready to take up its own bipartisan legislation following a push from GOP leaders to moderate its tone toward the Latino community. Rep. Harry Warren, R-Rowan, and a primary sponsor, called the measure a "public safety" bill that strikes a balanced approach in an interview Thursday.

"To recognize that people here illegally are driving uninsured and untested and to do nothing about it is irresponsible," he said. "The federal government has tied our hands in so many ways with how we can address the illegal population, but this is one way we can."

The restricted licenses come with special identification numbers, a vertical format set apart from the usual horizontal design and a statement declaring the permit can't be used to verify legal residency. Applicants have to submit to criminal background checks, provide a passport or federal tax form, proof of insurance and proof of at least a year's residency in North Carolina that began prior to April 1, 2013.

Let’s translate that into what is happening on our southern border, since Obama declared de facto amnesty for a subset of illegal aliens:

Officials say the number of people entering the U.S. illegally is way up and, tragically, the number of undocumented immigrants who have been found dead in the unforgiving Texas Brush Country is way up, and is on path this year to beat last year's record for the number of people found dead in the ranch country.

Linda Vickers, who owns a ranch in Brooks County, which is Ground Zero for the immigration debate, pins the blame directly on talk of 'amnesty' and a 'path to citizenship' for people who entered the U.S. illegally.

She recalls one man being arrested on her ranch not long ago.

"The Border Patrol agent was loading one man up, and he told the officer in Spanish, 'Obama's gonna let me go'."

Border Patrol agents report that immigrants are crossing the border, and in some cases surrendering while asking, “Where do I go for my amnesty?”

"When you have amnesty waving in the wind, you're going to get an increase," Vickers says. "And when you get an increase, especially with this heat, you're going to get an increase in deaths."

She says the current increase in illegal immigrant entries began last summer, at almost exactly the same time as President Obama unilaterally announced plans to no longer deport young people who came to the U.S. as children with their illegal immigrant parents.

 We should’ve learned from the failures of the Simpson-Mazzoli Act.  But politicians don’t care about past mistakes.  They only care about pandering to special interest groups.

Source: http://radio.woai.com/articles/woai-local-news-119078/obama-will-let-me-out-11180453/#ixzz2QMKO0aD6

 http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20130411/APN/1304110776?tc=ar

Unmasking Data Manipulation by Politicians

Politicians manipulate data all the time. It’s nice to see a video that puts their machinations into perspective.

Political Class Subjugates Europeans

What is the end game for the American political class? Have you noticed that these parasites always point to the European model as the nirvana of governance and well being?

The political class hijacked the European Union through that vehicle known as the Lisbon Treaty, a top down constitution that has superseded the sovereignty of nation states, and imposes the bureaucratic will over the populace. Pretensions of citizenship are just that: pretensions.

Is it any wonder that Barack Obama and his statist minions salivate when looking across the pond? They have a lot in common with their European cousins. Hardly any of them have had a job outside of politics or government. They have become a law unto themselves, and are imposing their will upon the rest of us via executive fiat and the bureaucratic machine.

The road to serfdom is littered with the napkins of salivating, power hungry politicians and bureaucrats, who never let a crisis go to waste. It will take a vigilant and active citizenry to beat this pack of wolves back before they devour our liberties.

H/T: Gates of Vienna

Citizens of Bell, California Rebel

Bell, California is a case study in the arrogance of public officials. Part time council members make $100,000 a year. Wow! That is unbelievable. The mayor and police chief salaries double their big city counterparts.

The citizens of this town have every right to be angry. I don't know how the members of this city council can look their neighbors in the face. The mayor doesn't have that problem; he lives in another town! You would have thought that would have been a prerequisite for the job.

Good luck on getting rid of these people. In the good old days we used to tar and feather corrupt public officials. Today, you end up paying their bloated pensions until they day they die.

Huge Chasm Between Political Class and Mainstream Americans

Here is another example of the widening gap between the American people and the politicians who supposedly represent our interest. As reported by Rasmussen:

71% Say U.S. More Positive Force in World Than UN, Political Class Not So Sure

Seventy-one percent (71%) of U.S. voters say the United States is a more positive force for good in the world today than the United Nations, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

Thirteen percent (13%) disagree and say the international organization is a more positive force for good. Sixteen percent (16%) more are undecided.

But there’s a sharp difference of opinion between Mainstream voters and the Political Class. While 79% of Mainstream voters view America as a more positive force for good in the world today than the UN, just 45% of the Political Class agree.

Just 30% of voters see the UN as an ally of the United States while 16% regard the international organization as an enemy of the United States. Half (49%) place it somewhere in between. These figures mark little change from April 2009.

The gap between the Political Class and the nation is particularly large on this question. Eighty percent (80%) of the Political Class see the UN as America’s ally. That view is shared by just 20% of Mainstream Americans.

Source: http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/united_nations/71_say_u_s_more_positive_force_in_world_than_un_political_class_not_so_sure

The Destruction of Community Spirit

When Alexis De Tocqueville toured the United States in the early 19th century, he made poignant observations of the essence of community; particularly the townships of New England. He contrasted that with the peoples and governments of Europe:

In America, not only do institutions belong to the community but also they are kept alive and supported by a community spirit.

The New England township possesses two advantages which strongly arouse the interest of men, namely independence and authority. Its sphere of action is indeed restricted but, within that sphere, its movements are unlimited. This independence alone guarantees it real importance even though its populations and size would not warrant it.

It is best to realize that men’s affections, in general, come down on the side of authority. Patriotism does not long prevail in a conquered nation. The inhabitant of New England is devoted to his township, not because he was born there as much as because he views the township as a strong, free social body of which he is part and which merits the care he devotes to its management.

In Europe, governments often bewail the absence of this community spirit, for everyone agrees that it is an ingredient in public order and tranquility, even though they do not know how to create it. By making the township strong and independent, they are afraid they might disintegrate the social fabric and expose the state to the forces of anarchy. Once you remove the strength and independence of the township, you will reduce the citizens to administrative units.

Americans have a long history of personal philanthropy and community works that predates our founding. Benjamin Franklin helped establish the first free library, voluntary fire department, and hospital. Many charitable foundations have been established by other prominent citizens such as Ford, Kellogg, Carnegie, and Rockefeller to name a few.

The best and most effective organizations were founded by ordinary citizens. The famous Hull House was founded by Jane Addams and Ellen Gales Starr and funded by private contributors.

During the American civil war citizens organized and raised funds to address the deplorable living conditions of their soldiers. George Templeton Strong, Henry Whitney Bellows, and Frederick Law Olmstead helped found the Sanitary Commission. They and their volunteers raised $5 million dollars and $15 million in donated supplies. They are responsible for saving the lives of thousands of soldiers.

The citizens of Massachusetts during the throes of the Great Depression raised money for the jobless by employing benefit concerts, ball games, and wrestling matches. They forsook federal relief. That was until they found out that states like Illinois seized huge amounts of money. Massachusetts wasn’t just taking care of its own citizens; they were taking care of others as well. They wouldn’t make the same mistake the second time around.

We in the United States are losing that sense of community spirit and are being reduced to administrative units in a far off capitol in Washington D.C. These political and intellectual “elites” want to turn our country into what our ancestors escaped from and that is a European model.

FDR’s New Deal was the germ that infected our body politic, and now our people are forsaking their independence and participation in their local community in the belief that the feds will take care of all their problems. We now look to D.C. for funding of our roads, public buildings, infrastructure and even bailing out of businesses. Everyone is looking for a handout instead of taking the bull by the horns themselves.

The Uncle Sam will take care of everything mentality has even pervaded charitable organizations. Instead of ordinary citizens volunteering their time, we now have professional community organizers. An example is AmeriCorps.

AmeriCorps is a federal government program that ostensibly promotes community service, but does so at the expense of American taxpayers. As with any government program corruption, bribery, and waste are basic elements of any bureaucratic institution.

An example of corruption is Barack Obama’s firing of Inspector General Gerald Walpin. Walpin was investigating prominent Obama supporter Mayor Kevin Johnson of Sacramento, California. Johnson founded a non-profit organization St. Hope. St. Hope received an AmeriCorps grant of $850,000. Johnson used a portion of these funds to promote school board political activities, run personal errands, and even to wash his car. When word reached Obama of this investigation, Inspector General Walpin was given one hour to resign or become fired.

Today, AmeriCorps has tripled in size and Obama is considering making VOLUNTEERING mandatory service. What is really disturbing is his vision of a national civilian corps that is just as powerful and well funded as the military. Does this not remind you of a certain socialist European country in the not to distant past?

If De Tocqueville were alive today and touring the United States, I wonder if he would have the same observations of community spirit that he had in the early 1800’s . I sadly doubt it.