The Rant

by Bob Clasen It seems to me that the Democrats have become the stand up comedians of politics. They no longer have well thought out policies. Instead, they have comedians delivering one liners and zingers. The Democrat fantasy for the season is that Jon Stewart could be elected President. (See the new Robin Williams movie, Man of the Year). All of the reasons for their laughter at the Republicans are assumed, but never detailed. Jon Stewart and most of the comedians make jokes of how Bush is stupid, just like all Republicans are stupid, and the war is stupid, obviously, and no discussion is really needed, because anyone with any intelligence can just tell that the policy is stupid, can't they? Assuming that Hussein didn't have weapons of mass destruction which were taken out of the country or buried while we were amassing troops on the border, and that our stated reasons for going into Iraq were erroneous, the fact remains that our intelligence agencies and most world lead

“What’s the Muslim population of Rotterdam? Forty percent. What’s the most popular baby boy’s name in Belgium? Mohammed. In Amsterdam? Mohammed. In Malmo, Sweden? Mohammed. By 2005, it was the fifth most popular boy’s name in the United Kingdom.” By mid-century, Steyn observes, if Muslims continue to have large families and Europeans continue to have tiny ones, the nation of Yemen will exceed Russia in population. “In the fourteenth century, the Black Death wiped out a third of the Continent’s population; in the twenty-first, a larger proportion will disappear — in effect, by choice. We are living through a rare moment: the self-extinction of the civilization which, for good or ill, shaped the age we live in. One can cite examples of remote backward tribes who expire upon contact with the modern world, but for the modern world to expire in favor of the backward tribes is a turn of events future anthropologists will ponder, as we do the fall of Rome.” Book Review of Mark Steyn new book

So in a debate, are some arguments "legitimate" and to be listened to, while other arguments are "illegitimate" and to be suppressed and ignored? Peggy Noonan weighs in at the Wall Street Journal. Why do Americans on the left think only they have the right to dissent? "Students, stars, media movers, academics: They are always saying they want debate, but they don't. They want their vision imposed. They want to win. And if the win doesn't come quickly, they'll rush the stage, curse you out, attempt to intimidate." Read Peggy Noonan WSJ

Here is a video that was judged by the Republican party too hot to handle as a campaign video. It is pretty funny though. It was done by Hollywood Producer and Director David Zucker. Apparently there is one Hollywood Republican still alive. The theme is the a sort of biopic to the wisdom of Madeleine Albright's theory of negotiating peace.

By Jack Kelly Real Clear Politics.com In the fantasy world many liberals inhabit, every person on the planet except George W. Bush is a decent, rational human being with whom satisfactory settlements can be negotiated, if negotiations are conducted in good faith (that is, the U.S. acknowledges that tensions which exist are mostly, if not entirely, the fault of the United States). North Korea's nuclear test this weekend has shaken this comfortable presupposition. North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il is hard to love even by those who have warm, fuzzy feelings for Fidel Castro and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. There just isn't much nice to say about a regime that routinely starves its people in order to build more weapons, even for people who love to say nice things about those who hate the United States. The reported North Korean test has brought international condemnation, and has prompted an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. The reported test also likely will spark rene

Now that North Korea has exploded a bomb, I am already hearing two predictable reactions. From the Democrats (Hillary) "Bush caused this by taking his eye off the ball and refusing to take action." From the Republicans "Clinton caused this by entering into a foolish treaty with a madman and refusing to take action." Rather than begin another installment of the blame game, I would prefer it if I could read some discussion about what should be the action of our government now. The problem is not so much that Kim can lob ICBMs at the U.S. yet, but that North Korea is not beyond selling its nuclear technology to any terrorist in the world, that might carry a bomb to some target, perhaps even in the United States. It seems to me that the World needs to take action to stop North Korea from possessing nuclear technology. How should this be done? If everyone agrees that we should have taken action previously, what action should we take now? Bob Clasen

October 4, 2005 The bottom 50% of income earners pay a grand total of 3.5% of total taxes. IRS Stats This is the latest data for calendar year 2003 just released in October 2005 by the Internal Revenue Service. The share of total income taxes paid by the top 1% of wage earners rose to 34.27% from 33.71% in 2002. One problem with this sort of inequality in the tax system is that the majority of citizens no longer have much economic incentive to make tax rates fair or reasonable. The majority of citizens in the United States have now managed to construct a tax system that places little or no obligation on their own shoulders. While paying little, the majority seize from the minority who earn more than average and redistribute this booty as they wish, since they are the majority, and majority rules in a Democracy. The only motivation that restrains the majority is the fear of destroying the goose that laid the golden egg. There is little liklihood of a rebellion by the rich, such