ET Williams

The Doctor of Common Sense

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Alice in Wonderland

BY: Thomas Sowell

 

“Alicein Wonderland” was written by a professor who also wrote a book on symbolic logic. So it is not surprising that Alice encountered not only strange behavior in Wonderland, but also strange and illogical reasoning — of a sort too often found in the real world, and which a logician would be very much aware of.

If Alice could visit the world of liberal rhetoric and assumptions today, she might find similarly illogical and bizarre thinking. But people suffering in the current economy might not find it nearly as entertaining as “Alicein Wonderland.”

Perhaps the most remarkable feature of the world envisioned by today’s liberals is that it is a world where other people just passively accept whatever “change” liberals impose. In the world ofLiberalLand, you can just take for granted all the benefits of the existing society, and then simply tack on your new, wonderful ideas that will make things better.

For example, if the economy is going along well and you happen to take a notion that there ought to be more home ownership, especially among the poor and minorities, then you simply have the government decree that lenders have to lend to more low-income people and minorities who want mortgages, ending finicky mortgage standards about down payments, income and credit histories.

That sounds like a fine idea in the world ofLiberalLand. Unfortunately, in the ugly world of reality, it turned out to be a financial disaster, from which the economy has still not yet recovered. Nor have the poor and minorities.

Apparently you cannot just tack on your pet notions to whatever already exists, without repercussions spreading throughout the whole economy. That’s what happens in the ugly world of reality, as distinguished from the beautiful world ofLiberalLand.

The strange and bizarre characters found in “Alicein Wonderland” have counterparts in the political vision ofLiberalLandtoday. Among the most interesting of these characters are those elites who are convinced that they are so much smarter than the rest of us that they feel both a right and a duty to take all sorts of decisions out of our incompetent hands — for our own good.

In San Francisco, which is Liberal Land personified, there have been attempts to ban the circumcision of newborn baby boys. Fortunately, that was nipped in the bud. But it shows how widely the self-anointed saviors ofLiberalLandfeel entitled to take decisions out of the hands of mere ordinary citizens.

 http://townhall.com/columnists/thomassowell/2011/11/22/alice_in_liberal_land

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The Corruption of the White House

By Judd Gregg – 11/21/11 05:15 AM ET

The president was in Hawaii while the supercommittee hit stall speed. What is new about this? Very little.

Throughout his term, President Obama has avoided leading on the issue of fiscal responsibility. He walked away from his own commission, the one led by former Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.) and former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles, when he found its report filled with inconvenient choices.

Now in a week when leadership is needed to push this critical committee to do something big and bring the nation’s fiscal house back into order, the president once again disappears. It causes one to wonder, why?

The general consensus is that neither he nor the people around him feel there is a great upside to doing something that involves making so many difficult decisions to straighten out our nation’s fiscal future.

Like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), he sees no real need to move in this direction. After all, any significant action would require fixing Social Security; overhauling taxes; returning to healthcare reform, especially as it affects Medicare and Medicaid; and, most importantly, agreeing not just to slow growth of the federal government but in fact to reduce it.

There is no great concern at the White House that our government is getting too large. They look atEurope— where governments routinely absorb 30 percent to 40 percent of the economy — and believe we can certainly have the same, especially considering that higher taxes will inevitably follow such a growth, maybe even a value-added tax. As far as the White House is concerned, the taxing potential of our nation has miles to go.

So why would you wish to rein in the growth of the federal government — and power that comes with that growth — if you wish to pursue social justice agendas?

This idea of expanded government meshes perfectly with the message of class warfare that has been chosen as the course to reelection for Obama and his minions in Congress. After all, the only effective way to deal with class envy and create a truly divided nation is to take from those who are deemed to have too much and redistribute that take. And who better to choose how to redistribute than the elite of the left, who have flocked to the battlements of expanding government, demanding permission to choose the winners and losers in our society?

It might be an old and tired idea that has not done much to create general prosperity, but it has always done a lot to empower the few to tell the many how to live their lives. It concentrates power, which is, of course, what growing government is mostly about.

The irony at this time is that while the president does not lead he might be missing his best chance at reelection.

It is reasonably clear that the American people are tired of a Congress that does not work and a president who does not lead. They expect more from the people they elect. Even inItaly, the governing class seems to have gotten the message that it is time to act and that the march toward large debt through expanded and unaffordable government is not politically acceptable. It is difficult to believe we might need to turn to the Italians for ideas on how to govern, but without presidential leadership we seem to have come to that point.

The advantages to the president of visibly trying to move this process to a major agreement that would restore some confidence in our nation’s fiscal future are tremendous.

First, such an agreement would give the nation and people a massive confidence boost. This in turn would lead to a real potential for economic growth as a result of Americans going back to doing what they do best — which is invest, take risks and create jobs.

Second, it would eliminate one of the most effective charges Republicans can make against the president and his allies, which is that he has significantly aggravated the nation’s fiscal problems through profligate spending.

Third, it would show Obama as a leader, rather than a person who seemingly got a job he was not ready to do. Americans like leaders. Class warfare has never been a majority position in our country — the American dream is not based on envy but on the belief that as a nation we are capable of taking on and solving problems, usually in a united manner.

It might be a nice change of pace to see a little leadership from the president, even if it means he has to put aside his desire to see the government grow long enough to help himself get reelected and help Americans feel good about their government again.

 http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/judd-gregg/194747-where-in-the-world-is-obama

 

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Occupy Santa Cruz leave 200 lbs of Human Feces

 

John on November 19, 2011 at 9:55 pm

The city of Santa Cruz put together a list of 93 complaints about behavior at Occupy Santa Cruz. This was just one of them:

At least one incident on the county list wasn’t noted by the Sheriff’s Office: the discovery of an estimated 200 pounds of human feces near the county Veterans Memorial Building, just across theWater Streetbridge from the camp.

The county called in a hazardous materials team to clean up the mess, and installed a security fence around the building, which is closed for renovations. There is no evidence that linked the excrement to the camp.

Who would dump feces on a Veterans building? It didn’t make sense to me. But the story isn’t that specific. It says “near” the building. Guess what happens to be near the Veterans building:

 

Is this proof that the Occupiers dumped 200lbs of poop near some banks? Definitely not. It’s not proof.

Did I mention that the camp has a history of sanitation complaints from the city?

So, just speculating here, who would have 200lbs of human feces on hand to dump anywhere? Maybe somebody camping with inadequate bathroom facilities. But that’s a lot of poop so it would have to be pretty close. Let’s say within 1/4 mile.

Hmmm…could be anybody I guess.

Update 11/21: Members of Occupy Santa Cruz are arguing that a) they didn’t do this b) poop is pretty normal in downtownSanta Cruz and c) the cleanup never happened. So take your pick I guess. I’m not inclined to believe them but I’m noting the denial out of fairness. I contacted the reporters on the original story and will post any response I get.

Update 11/21 5:45PM: I received a reply from one of the reporters on the original story. He has seen an invoice and photos of the clean up. The spill and the cleanup did happen.

http://www.verumserum.com/?p=33789

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Obama Administration Ignores Subpoena in order to Protect Illegal’s

Republican Threatens Legal Action Against DHS Over Immigrant-Data Subpoena

A top House Republican is threatening to enforce a subpoena for criminal immigrant information “to the fullest extent” of the law, after claiming the Obama administration “stonewalled” his request. 

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith for months has been seeking a comprehensive list of names and other information for the thousands of immigrants who are flagged, but not taken into custody or deported through a program known as Secure Communities. 

Earlier this month, a subcommittee on his panel subpoenaed the Department of Homeland Security for the information, claiming it was “not acting in good faith.” It was the first subpoena issued by the committee since it came under GOP control. 

The department ended up turning over documents by a Nov. 10 deadline — but Smith claimed all he received was a list of numbers. 

“Instead of providing this information, all DHS gave was a list numbered 1 through 220,995. Proving the administration can count is not what we asked for,” Smith said in a statement. 

He wrote a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Friday urging her to “immediately comply” with the subpoena. 

“If you do not, the committee will be forced to seek enforcement of the subpoena to the fullest extent allowed by the law,” Smith wrote. 

Secure Communities is a program that allows federal immigration officials to check the names and fingerprints of suspects booked at federal, state and local jails against their immigration databases. 

Republicans want detailed information about criminal immigrants who were not pursued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, so they can then check their records and see if they went on to commit more crimes. 

Smith said he received a sprawling list from the department on Nov. 10 that included just three things for each entry — a “unique ID,” a date and time for each “encounter,” and the national origin for a few hundred of them. He said the “unique ID” was merely a number, from 1 to 220,955, which he described as “useless.” 

The Department of Homeland Security said it is trying to comply with Smith’s requests. 

“DHS previously told to the committee it would provide the data requested without being compelled by subpoena. We have begun to provide that data as it becomes available and will continue to do so,” DHS spokesman Matthew Chandler said in a statement Saturday. 

Chandlerstressed that ICE removed 216,000 criminal immigrants in fiscal 2011, described as an 89 percent increase from 2008. 

According to DHS, more than 107,000 immigrants convicted of crimes have been removed after being flagged through Secure Communities. 

The number represents a fraction of all immigrants flagged through the program. But DHS claims many immigrants who are flagged could not be arrested or deported. 

Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Nelson Peacock earlier wrote a letter explaining to Smith that many of the immigrants whose names show up in their system through Secure Communities are legal and would simply not count as a “removable alien.” 

He said, for instance, that naturalizedU.S.citizens or legal permanent residents could show up. Peacock also noted that ICE would not take somebody into custody if they are already serving time for a criminal offense. 

Smith, though, wrote in his letter to Napolitano that it appears that either DHS “never planned to comply” with his request or that the White House intervened for “political reasons.”
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/11/19/republican-threatens-legal-action-against-dhs-over-immigrant-data-subpoena/?test=latestnews#ixzz1eIjafBkl

 

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Occupy Wall Street Training Illegal Aliens

Written By Carolyn Salazar

Published November 18, 2011

Fox News Latino

 The Occupy Wall Street movement has made it its mission to include immigrants into their growing social movement.

But there is one segment of this population they have reluctantly, almost nervously, brought into the fold: the undocumented.

As images of mass arrests at Occupy Wall Street demonstrations across the country have dominated TV news, an unspoken question has been whether undocumented immigrants who rally should put themselves at risk of arrest, and possible deportation.

Once they know the issues and are aware of the risks, it is up to the people to make up their mind. Sometimes, the issues and the cause are more important than deportation.

The issue was put on the front burner this week when Francisco “Pancho” Ramos-Stierle, a former astrophysics doctoral student inCalifornia who happened to be undocumented, was arrested while meditating during a raid at an Occupy Oakland encampment. His charges were dropped but he was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement after his fingerprints showed up in federal database.  

Ramos was released Thursday, though he could still be called for deportation proceedings at any time.

The Occupy movement has pointed to his case as a symbol of a broken federal system and they say his plight shows that social changes – from the financial system to immigration – needs to happen. And, they say, it shows the two go hand in hand.

“His intention was just to meditate. And he felt whatever needed to happen would happen,” said his friend Melissa Dickman, who organized a petition to free Ramos. “He was aware of the risks. But he refuses to live in fear, and he won’t let that fear control his life or prevent him from becoming involved in causes he believes in.”

But, Dickman acknowledged, she sees that fear keeping many undocumented from joining the movement. Where she lives, inArizona, she sees a large disconnect between the proactive immigration rights groups and the Occupy movement.

“They know that there is a threat of arrest, and they live in fear of deportation,” she said.

Occupy groups, who have said they need Hispanics and other immigrants to rally to their cause, have realized that the growing number of arrests could frighten undocumented immigrants – and they’ve taken steps to make sure they aren’t a neglected group.

Mariano Muñoz, who is part of the Spanish assembly for Occupy Wall Street inNew York, said it is an issue they are aware of and trying to address.

He said immigration training classes are offered to undocumented who want to join, where legal experts and lawyers address any questions they may have, any issues they could face and how to deal with worst-case-scenario cases. The classes offer police procedure and immigration rights instruction. 

“Once they know the issues and are aware of the risks, it is up to the people to make up their mind,” Muñoz said. “Sometimes, the issues and the cause are more important than deportation.”

Meanwhile, Ramos’ Free Pancho petition has gathered almost 8,500 signatures, and a website details his legal updates. And while he free and the threat of deportation still looms, he’s not letting that keep him from speaking his mind.

Once he was released, he had a vegan lunch, held a press conference, and did a few media engagements. And he may very well rejoin Occupy.

“What he saw out of this arrest,” Dickman said, “was a chance to bring the dialogue not only of immigration but to tie it into the Occupy movement and really help immigration, migration and also the Occupy movement understand that they are interrelated and they need to be the same movement.”

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2011/11/18/occupy-wall-street-are-undocumented-putting-themselves-at-risk/#ixzz1eIt3eayh

 

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Occupy Wall Street Idiots get help from Jimmy Hoffa Style Union

 

Idiots can be Useful

By: Meredith Somers

The Washington Times

With winter looming, labor unions fortify Occupy camp

Some of the country’s most powerful unions are providing the infrastructure and amenities to keep the Occupy D.C. encampment fortified going into the winter.

The camp’s portable toilets are being provided by the Service Employees International Union, the 2.1-million-member organization that helped Barack Obama win the presidency and recently backed his re-election bid.

The estimated 100 demonstrators staying each night in McPherson Square, just blocks from the White House, can take a hot shower at the AFL-CIO headquarters on16th Street Northwest.

“We happen to have a few showers associated with our small gym. From [10 a.m. to noon], we make those showers available,” said Jeff Hauser, a spokesman for the AFL-CIO, the labor federation with more than 12 million members. “It happened kind of naturally. We’ve talked with them about the needs they’ve expressed. This really helps them, and it’s not a heavy lift on our part.”

A demonstrator said the encampment has designated a “shower coordinator” who takes Occupy protesters to the union building.

Demonstrators with the Occupy D.C. take to the streets of downtownWashington,D.C., Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011, to show support for the Occupy Wall Street movement. (Rod Lamkey Jr./TheWashingtonTimes)

The tent-filled encampment, established in early October, also has a first-aid station with supplies and voluntary medical assistance from the National Nurses United, the country’s largest union of professional nurses.

Spokeswoman Donna Smith said Wednesday that nurses are volunteering at Occupy encampments across the country.

“It’s the basic things, little things for people who are outdoors for a period of time,” she said. “And it’s good to have that kind of interaction.”

Although officials have dismantled similar camps inNew York CityandOakland,Calif., the Occupy D.C. camp appears to be getting more organized and fortified, with a library, a media center and its own newspapers.

“The rise of inequality, the job crisis — we’re thankful their creative energy and persistence has helped elevate these critical issues,” Mr. Hauser said. “We want to be supportive.”

Occupy D.C. plans to march Thursday afternoon to the Key Bridge, which connects the city with Northern Virginia, to rally with labor organizations. However, there are no plans to block traffic, said Occupy demonstrator Dan Newell.

A clash between Occupy demonstrators and D.C. police last week near theWashingtonConvention Centerresulted in several injuries and arrests. But many protesters said Wednesday that they did not expect a clash at the bridge demonstration.

“We plan to keep traffic moving and keep people safe,” said Metropolitan Police Department spokeswoman Gwendolyn Crump. “While large crowds can swell very quickly and cause lengthy delays, we encourage motorists to consider alternate means of transportation during afternoon rush hour.”

D.C. Department of Transportation spokeswoman Monica Hernandez said the agency, if needed, would dispatch traffic-control officers, deploy electronic detour signs and work with the Virginia Department of Transportation to identify alternate routes for commuters.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/nov/16/unions-back-occupy-dc/