Just a Word from the Bird

 

 

Yesterday was a big day for the Very Angry Bird. Early yesterday morning, the blog hit 10,000 views and kept climbing throughout the day. It was a humbling experience. Many times I expose not only my faith and political views, but also life experiences (some of which have been revealing about my many quirks and weaknesses).

First a bit of blog history. My first blog was called Maximus Garrulous (big talker). It dealt mostly with faith matters and it was fun to do. However, it never really caught on and thus became more of a journal than a blog. Flash forward to 10 months ago. A good friend from high school liked some of my rants I would post on Facebook. She thought I should try a blog. At first, my reaction was "been there, done that". However, on second thought - what the hey. In July 2012, the Very Angry Bird was launched.

A few facts about the last 10 months:

• As was stated, over 10,000 views
• 302 postings
• Read in the United States and 9 other countries (Russia in second place)
• Did first novelette (The Worst Case) using the blog

Where do I go from here? More of the same - hopefully better and more insightful. I am currently working on a longer book than The Worst Case. I would like to have it out by this fall. My experiences being retired Navy, retired industry ranging from defense to IT, (and many, many hard knocks) play a part in many of my posts. I do try and vet my facts to ensure my postings are as accurate as possible.

So, for those who read the Very Angry Bird, thank you. I will continue to be a political and social critic using not only facts, but also a pithy attitude. With the crowd we now have in our Federal and State governments, the well of subject matter is very deep indeed.

Ch-Ch-Changes....

 

 

"Ch-ch-Changes
Where's your shame
You've left us up to our necks in it"

 

Changes

David Bowie

 

 

 

I will say this much for our President - his word is good on one issue. He promised us change, and boy do we have change. I have said for years now that some change is good - not all change is good - however, some change is good. History will determine how many of the changes we have seen in the past five years are good or not.

 

My purpose right now is to discuss the changes which have NOT occurred. These are changes which I believe were needed five years ago and remain needed today.

 

TAXES - It does not take a PhD in thinkology to know our tax code is a mess. Under ObamaCare it will get even messier. The code is thousands of pages long, convoluted, and many times an audit just waiting to happen. It is used as a political tool, or a weapon in other cases. Recently, we found out the IRS is used as enforcers for an Administration that does not like patriots. It should be scrapped and replaced with a flat tax, ten pages or less, where everyone pays something.

 

WORKPLACE - Our workplace environment is a mess. We have not changed anything for the positive. First off, the majority of people in most metro areas live in one quadrant and work in another. In the Twin Cities for example, most work in one suburb and live in another. There is no mass transit available. We have world class traffic jams during rush hour. For the most part, we have eschewed logical changes such as flex time, flex days and telecommuting. Benefits need to be more portable, so in this fluid work environment, where you work may change, but you benefit package will not. If we don't make radical changes to our work environment, many will have to work until they drop.

 

WATER - It seems odd to talk about our planet, which some refer to as "the water planet", having a shortage of potable water. This topic should have been front and center with Congress this session. Our aquifers are being depleted at an alarming rate, and our regeneration nowhere matches our depletion rate. Every year we have trillions upon trillions of fresh water that falls on our country ending up in run off. In addition, we have decades old technology which would allow us large scale desalination of sea water (which we would never run out off). For centuries we have taken our abundant water resources for granted - very soon, we will not.

 

ENERGY - While very few were paying attention, we have become the Saudi Arabia of energy. In fact, we have more energy resources than the entire Middle East. Besides our natural resources in fossil fuels, we have emerging technologies that will look more like science fiction than science. Our gas prices should be closer to $2/gal than $4/gal. We have only one enemy in keeping us from being totally energy independent - us. In addition, we have so much natural gas, we should be an exporter. The fact we import one drop of oil or natural gas from anyone is a mystery to many.

 

What we have done instead of working on changes that matter is further complicate our tax system, infringe upon our Second Amendment rights, develop an amnesty bill for illegals, and promote non-traditional marriage. Oh yes, we also really hosed up our world class heath care system.

 

Some change is good. Not all change is good. Changes needed, and not made, are bad - very, very bad.

The IRS and Benghazi

 

 

"Absolute power corrupts absolutely"

Every week I try to learn something. Either I learn something new, or something I already know has been confirmed. This past week was no exception.

First the IRS. For years now, many of us have not trusted the IRS. Way too much power, way too much authority. They have the ability to ruin one's life. As if they did not enough authority, President Obama entrusted the IRS with "enforcement powers" for the new Affordable Care Act. Why the IRS will be involved with health care is a mystery to most, including myself.

What was disclosed this past week concerning the IRS was like taking a trip back in time. During the Nixon Administration, certain people could wind up on a "enemies list". Although never proven, people on this "enemies list" could find their lives become very difficult. Today, we have the IRS going after organizations that contain words like patriot, tea party, or freedom. Subversive words all. So far, not a word or explanation or apology from the Administration. I can't wait to hear what Jay Carnival has to say at today's press briefing. Should be a doozy.

Meanwhile, back on the farm, the Benghazi mess gets messier. The Sunday news shows all had the Benghazi story as the lead. The lazy MSM is finally waking up. Rumors are flying there are more whistle blowers ready to come forward. Most of us know what happened - it is now getting the Administration to admit it. The main question is this - at what price will the "machine" pay to protect Hillary. If she knew the real story about the attack and did not disclose it, she is dirty. If she did not know what happened in her organization, she is incompetent.

So where does this leave us in the middle of May. We have an Administration who made up a whopper of a story about the deaths of four Americans because they felt if they told the truth, it would profile terrorists. On the other hand, they have no problem in using the IRS to profile patriotic Americans whose only sin is the distrust of large government. We have gone from reality to Alice in Wonderland in less than five years.

To sum it up, I will once again say that elections have consequences. It is time to wake up and smell the coffee. If we lose the House in 2014 and have single rule for the last two years of this term, we will be screwed, blued and tattooed. God help us...

WMD and Benghazi

 

 

"Bush lied and people died..."

 

The Mantra of the Left

 

 

 

It did not take long when the Benghazi hearings started the first time around, for one of the Useful Idiots to bring up the topic of WMD all over again. While some on the Conservative side of the street were appalled, I am anxious to talk about this topic one more time. I believe strongly, as did the Clinton Administration as well as our allies, Saddam did have weapons of mass destruction. He had them and he used them. Saddam was an evil man, but not a dumb man. When he saw the end was coming, he hid many of his weapons in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon.

 

We took out Saddam Hussein because he was a bad man. He was bad for his country, and he was bad for the region. He was ruthless. He invaded a sovereign country and occupied it.  United Nations gave consent to a coalition of the willing to oust Iraq from Kuwait. Once the coalition succeeded, a cease fire with conditions was drawn up. The coalition had every right to go back into Iraq if Saddam did not live by the sanctions imposed upon him.

 

Saddam violated the conditions of the cease fire repeatedly. He was warned by the UN as well as the United States. The fact he had WMD was only one issue. There were others that were more empirical that warranted action. That is why we took him out. If we had not taken him out, and he was still in power and knew that Iran was developing a nuke, Saddam would be close behind. The bottom line is this - the world is a safer place without Saddam Hussein.

 

Flash forward to the Benghazi hearings. These have no similarity to the WMD hearings what so ever. While it is true we have not found Saddam's WMD (yet), the Bush Administration was very open on why they thought the WMD had resided in Iraq. In addition, they had proof positive that Saddam had used them in the past. The truth in Benghazi is being smothered by the Administration's PC Police. Just like with Fast and Furious, gun running is the number one suspect. Lies. lies and damn lies are being told to protect some in the castle who now have innocent American blood on their hands.

 

So what I say to those on the left who want to compare WMD to Benghazi - bring it on. WMD, just like gun running are facts. The only difference is the Bush Administration admitted to knowing there was WMD. Lets see if President Obama and Ms. Clinton can admit to the gun running in Libya.

 

 

 

 

A Very Tough Neighborhood

"This land is mine, God gave this land to me..."

 

Exodus

 

 

When you think about living in a tough neighborhood these days, think about Israel. Ever since statehood in 1947, the neighborhood that Israel lives in has gone from tough to tougher. It is hated by most of its neighbors, tolerated by some, liked by none. Israel is truly an island which stands only with itself in the region.

 

Why is that? What has Israel done that has been so heinous to its neighbors? There have been wars fought over there, but none have been started by Israel. If anything, Israel has shown remarkable restraint in dealing with many of the incursions which seem to come from all directions.

 

Right now the biggest threat that Israel faces is from someone outside the neighborhood - Iran. Even though Iran does not border Israel, it uses "allies" to act as conduits to supply arms to its puppet, Hezbollah. However, aggravating constant small missile attacks are to Israel, they are really concerned about an "end game" solution that  Mahmoud Ahmadinejad might be cooking up in his clandestine nuclear program. Israel will not tolerate this threat, and we better understand the ramifications should the threat become imminent.

 

Many believe Israel will do whatever it takes to eliminate an clear and present danger to its security. All options will be on the table, including the fail safe - Jericho Missiles. Israel has had these missiles since 1973, and many upgrades have since taken place. Currently, Israel has Jericho version 1, version 2 and now some version 3 units in place. Truthfully, many think that Israel has enough throw weight in these missiles to bomb Iran back into the stone ages, if she wanted to.

So where do we go from here? The once staunch ally of Israel now has become a paper tiger in the region. Israel really does not want to fight, just live in peace. However, that does not appear to be in the cards. If we have another repeat of the 1967 or 1973 wars, the outcome might not be as swift. In every war, Israel fights for its very existence. The next war will be no exception.

What can we do? First off, stop being isolationists. We need to tell the region that we stand with Israel. We believe in Israel's right to exist. We will look at any attack on Israel the same way as an attack on the United States. We need to tell Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that either he stops his nuclear program immediately, or we will stop it for him. Period. We need to tell Syria that either they get destroy their chemical weapons, or we will do it for them. Period. We need to tell Hezbollah to cease firing missiles into Israel, or they will be dealing with us as well. Period.

With all the "bullying" laws being discussed in Congress these days, lets also talk about the Middle East bullies. Right now, Israel needs a real friend to help them deal with the bullies in a very tough neighborhood. I would like to think that friend is us.

Heads Should Roll...

 

 

"What difference would it make?"

 

One of the reasons I miss having a Republican in the White House is watching the boldness of Congress. For example, if GW Bush was still president when the Benghazi mess happened, all hell would be breaking out. The articles for impeachment would have been drawn up, and calls for his Secretary of State to be fired or tried I n court would be deafening. It would have made Watergate look like a walk in the park. However, with our current President and the most popular woman in the world serving as Secretary of State, it seems as if most hands are wearing kid gloves.

 

Lets first review some facts. President Obama made it crystal clear from the get-go he wanted to be the "Anti-Bush". Whatever policies Bush had, Obama wanted the opposite. This was the most clear in the "War on Terror" and how radical Muslims were portrayed as "bad guys". The script for his presidency was going to be very simple - Bush waged illegal wars in the Middle East and aggravated the Muslims. Obama on the other hand, was going to show the world we understand, and are not "Crusaders".

 

The Arab Spring, which was endorsed by our Administration, was okay when Egypt first over threw Mubarak. However, the wheels started coming off in Libya. Not wanting to have boots on the ground, we sent arms to the rebels. In this crazy mixed-up world of the Middle East, it is hard to tell who is a good guy and who is a bad guy. So Qaddafi is overthrown, and a very loose knit, ad hoc government took over. All kinds of bad actors were involved - Muslim Brotherhood, Al-Qaeda, and other minor players. As with Fast and Furious, we lost track of the weapons we supplied to people of questionable motives.

 

What happened in Benghazi really went off script. We sent our ambassador to a small, under protected consulate to do "something". Many think this "something" was to try and get our weapons back which had fallen into the wrong hands. Now we are way off script. First off, there were not suppose to be any bad guys in Libya anymore. We knew other consulates in Benghazi had been recently attacked by radicals, and we ignored it. After all, we were the good guys - everyone loved us now. We sent our ambassador, with minimal protection, into a hornet's nest. The bad outcome was almost predictable.

 

So what happened was a huge flub on the part of the Administration. The script had changed and we reacted poorly. It cost four brave Americans their lives. People should be fired for how this was handled. People should go to jail for not rescuing Americans who were begging for help. The Administration should be thrown out of office for a cover up which makes Watergate look like a Sunday School picnic.

 

What difference does it make Madam Secretary? It should make no difference if the administration is Republican or Democrat. However, in this case, it seems that it does.

Care and Feeding for ObamaCare

 

 

"The cat is now out of the bag..."

 

 

One of the lessons I learned in business (painfully, I might add), is that you don't take something and "throw is over the wall" assuming someone on the other side will catch it and make it work. Every project, every initiative, every product, takes care and feeding. The bigger the effort, the more care and feeding required. The biggest I have seen in my lifetime is Obama care - and it is now a hot mess.

 

It seems like the cat is now out of the bag. Some of the President's supporters of this health care do-over are now sounding the same alarm the Republicans have for years now. The term "train wreck" has now become common vernacular. Nobody, with the exception of Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, is watching the store.

In fact, during testimony on the Hill last week, our HHS Secretary pulled an old Obama trick out of the hat - she blamed the Republicans for the failure of the insurance exchanges the states were to set up. Carl Rove responded to this unfounded attack with the following op-ed from the WSJ:

“Nice try, but GOP governors aren’t the problem. Team Obama’s tendency to blame someone else for its shortcomings is tiresome. The Affordable Care Act requires HHS to operate exchanges in states that won’t operate their own. Since the act became law in March 2010, it has been abundantly clear that the agency would have to deploy a model exchange."

Also last week, it was found out in a Pew poll that 42% of all Americans know nothing of Obama care. To make matters worse, they don't even know it is the law of the land and how it will affect them.

Since passage, we have found out the cost model was all wrong. Remember the promise? It was going to "bend the cost curve". Promise kept - only it bent the cost curve the wrong way. It will add trillions to our debt. The added costs are going to be back breaking on our struggling economy. We will have no choice but to ration care. In a few years, we will be in the same boat that the UK is.

With a bill that is over 2,500 pages, ancillary regulations which are 15,000 pages and counting, absolutely nobody understands this thing. It is Frankenstein's Monster, and the President is playing the part of Dr. Frankenstein.

We are in deep "do-do" on this one, and it will only get worse once we get into 2014. History will record this "Affordable Care Act" as not only the destruction of our health care system, but also a text book example on how not to do something big.