Don G. Dinsdale Loc: El Cajon, CA (San Diego County)

Top 10 Reagan Achievements

Human Events

With the centennial of Ronald Reagan’s birth this Feb. 6, it is fitting to recall the achievements of one of the greatest Presidents in the history of this nation:

1. Ending the Cold War: The Cold War had raged since World War II and c*******m‘s quest for world domination remained an existential threat to the United States when President Reagan took office. Reagan reversed the policy of detente and stood firm against the Soviet Union, calling it the Evil Empire and telling Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall” in Berlin. He was relentless in pushing his Strategic Defense Initiative and gave aid to rebels battling Soviet-backed Marxists from Nicaragua to Angola. Those efforts were critical in the ultimate collapse of the Soviet empire and essentially ended the Cold War.

2. Reaganomics: Reagan’s mix of across-the-board tax cuts, deregulation, and domestic spending restraint helped fuel an economic boom that lasted two decades. Reagan inherited a misery index (the sum of the inflation and unemployment rates) of 19.99%, and when he left office it had dropped to 9.72%. President Obama take note: Under Reaganomics, 16 million new jobs were created.

3. Revitalizing the GOP and the conservative movement: The Republican Party was at its nadir after Watergate, but Reagan was able to form a winning coalition of fiscal conservatives, family-values v**ers, blue-collar Reagan Democrats and neo-conservative intellectuals and set the stage for future GOP e*******l gains. His free-market, small-government, pro-liberty conservatism helped to revitalize the GOP and his influence resonates today as conservative candidates still invoke Reagan as their standard-bearer.

4. Peace through Strength: The military was diminished during the Carter years, but Reagan reversed that by rebuilding the armed forces. His Peace Through Strength philosophy was manifested by his reviving the B-1 bomber that Carter canceled, starting production of the MX missile, and pushing NATO to deploy Pershing missiles in West Germany. He increased defense spending by more than 40%, increased troop levels, and even got much-needed space parts into the pipeline. Those efforts ensured that America remained a military superpower.

5. Morning in America: It was basically a slogan for Reagan’s 1984 ree******n bid, but Morning in America symbolized a new beginning for the country. Reagan’s jaunty optimism and an economic boom was a much-needed tonic for a country that had experienced the malaise of the Carter years and the traumas of Watergate and Vietnam.

6. Star Wars: Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative was derided by his opponents as being technologically unfeasible, but the mere threat of the U.S. building the system was instrumental in the Soviet Union’s collapse. The successful use of Patriot missile batteries in the first Gulf War proved the critics wrong, and the missile defense system that ensued has lessened the threat of ballistic missiles.

7. Nuclear weapons cuts: Even as massive demonstrations were held in Europe against Reagan’s hawkish stance on nuclear arms, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty he signed with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eliminated an entire class of nuclear weapons. He also laid the framework with Gorbachev for the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which reduced both countries’ arsenals of nuclear weapons.

8. Voiced values: Reagan gave voice to the values that had served America well—thrift, patriotism, and hard work—and often recounted the wisdom of the Founding Fathers. He also championed the causes of the pro-life and family-values movements that sought to counter the societal upheavals of the 1960s and 1970s.

9. Tax reform: Not only did he cut tax rates, but the Tax Reform Act of 1986 simplified the income-tax code by eliminating many tax shelters, reducing the number of deductions and tax brackets. Reagan’s dream of tax returns fitting on a postcard has been nullified as Congress has regressed and continued to make the tax code more complex, necessitating a new push for reform.

10. Taking on PATCO: Early in his administration, members of the federal air traffic controllers union (PATCO) went on strike, violating a federal regulation. Declaring the strike a “peril to national safety,” Reagan gave the workers an ultimatum and ended up firing more than 11,000 of the controllers, sending a strong signal that union workers needn’t be coddled.

~~~~~

The Refugee Crisis Presents An Opportunity, As Long As The West Doesn’t Blow It

Derek H****r / Sep 13, 2015


President Obama’s foreign policy has not only been a disaster, it’s been a disgrace. The man who campaigned to “restore America’s image abroad” has utterly failed to do so. Not even Iran views the United States more favorably since he came into office, and he sent the Iranians $150 billion in terrorism funding and permission to build a nuclear bomb. He calls it legacy building; the Mullahs call it capitulation. They love that we capitulated, but they still h**e us.


Elsewhere in the Middle East, ISIS is spreading like a cold on a plane. Meanwhile the intelligence reports on the ISIS march are being cooked so as to not contradict the decrees of the president. If President Obama decided the sun rises in the west, someone in the White House would demand Earth’s rotation be reversed.


In spite of the president’s desires, the situation in the Middle East remains a disaster.


When Obama pulled all US troops out of an unstable Iraq over a campaign pledge to his extreme base, he ignored the best interests of national and world security. With no counterbalance, and a meaningless red line crossed, radical Muslims were emboldened and empowered. Countless lives lost later, anarchy and evil reign.


ISIS was allowed to grow and thrive because the idea of admitting it was growing and thriving was just too unappealing to this administration. Now a few tens of thousands of terrorists are driving millions from their homes.


This refugee crisis is, in large part, the fault of the president’s unwillingness to lead and to acknowledge the threat Islamic terrorism poses to the civilized world. He can’t be expected to fight it when he can’t bring himself to properly speak of it.


Much of the blame for the refugee crisis lies at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., but some lies with the refugees themselves. Millions of refugees, 72 percent of whom are men, have fled somewhere in the neighborhood of 40,000 ISIS fighters. Why?


What responsibility do the refugees have to defend themselves and their homeland? Some, at a minimum, though much more in reality.


Rather than making arrangements to absorb and financially support those fleeing ISIS, they should be armed and their march reversed.


We’ve heard for decades how the United States can’t be the world’s police force; neither can it be its lifeboat. The same goes for Western Europe.


When a country goes to hell, it is the responsibility of its citizens to correct it. The world can and should help, but the ultimate responsibility does not abate. The citizens of Syria and the Middle East in general have chosen to cede their responsibility to others, to wrap themselves in the West. It should not be allowed to happen.


When we were colonies, our Founding Fathers faced a similar choice, though with a much less bloodthirsty foe. The British monarchy was tyrannical, just as ISIS is, but unlike ISIS, it wasn’t enacting genocide. With less of a threat but just as much to lose, the colonists fought for their liberty. Outnumbered and outgunned, they risked everything so their fellow countrymen might be free. That should be the example for these refugees.


They need to be armed and supported from the air, something the president doesn’t have the intestinal fortitude to do but Europe may. Were nearly any other person president, the concept of aiding in the fight against unadulterated evil wouldn’t require discussion. A true leader would rally the free nations of the world to the cause of crushing the wicked. But we don’t have a true leader; we have an occupant.


As such, this is an opportunity for a new leader to emerge on the world stage. England, German, France, now is your time. To one degree or another, you’ve always resented American dominance. Step up.


It is an unfortunate t***h that Barack Obama is not your ally in the cause of liberty and justice, but he will be only a verbal and inconsequential foe. Learn what the despots of the world have learned – the current president of the United States will not have your back, but he won’t stop you from acting either.


He may give a speech, maybe make a phone call. But his quiver only contains the weapons of a community organizer. His words ultimately are all he has, and we’ve heard them all before. It’s time for someone else to lead, at least until he’s gone.


The United States will regain its position as the leader of the free world eventually. Until then the man who wanted to “fundamentally t***sform” the country will be content to offer our tax dollars to un-vetted, foreign nationals without addressing the cause of their need. But confronting and destroying the cause of their need is the best way, the only way, to ensure that need ends.


Refugees exponentially outnumber the ISIS army they seek to escape, but asylum should not be granted. They have a homeland, and they should be aided and encouraged to reclaim it and their religion from those who would destroy both.

~~~~~

Show Me Tyranny

Paul Jacob / Sept 13, 2015


Ron Calzone has committed the most shocking political crime possible: daring to actively participate in his state’s legislative process as a private citizen and as leader of an NGO (non-governmental organization).


Wait, no, it’s much, much worse than that: Calzone has also been effective.


Now, that is serious. The restless citizens of Mizzouland might be getting [gasp!] organized.


Mr. Calzone is the president of Missouri First, an organization advocating constitutional, accountable government. More importantly, this citizens lobbying group does the hard work of communicating with people and finding ways for their voices to be heard in the capitol — their online system allowing more folks to submit testimony at legislative hearings comes immediately to mind.


Jefferson City is about an hour drive from Calzone’s rural home, near Rolla, Missouri, but one he makes often during the legislative session. I know the trip well, having been lucky enough to accompany Ron on a visit to the capitol several years ago. Together, we addressed pending legislation on (read: assaulting) the Show-Me State’s initiative and referendum process.


Speaking of effectiveness, those legislative machete swipes at the First Amendment rights of citizens to petition for b****t initiatives were defeated again and again. Years later, because of Calzone’s continued involvement, the Missouri Legislature passed a bill that — drum roll, please — significantly improved the initiative process for citizens to use.


Missouri First has been active and successful on a number of issues — fighting for Second Amendment rights, protecting property rights against eminent domain abuse, and battling against crony capitalism. There’s a pattern here: all of Citizen Calzone’s issues involve upholding fundamental rights against often unconstitutional insider plays by politicians and special interests.


So, on E******n Day last year, the lawyer for the Missouri Society of Governmental Consultants (MSGC) — an association Calzone describes as “a guild, of sorts, of professional lobbyists” — filed a complaint, alleging that Mr. Calzone was acting as a lobbyist and must so register with and report to the Missouri Ethics Commission.


“Average citizens have acted in harmony to stop hundreds of millions of dollars worth of graft that would have otherwise benefited the people who hire herds of professional lobbyists,” Calzone wrote in response. “No doubt, it’s hard for those lobbyists to explain how average men and women can, with no budget and with no palm greasing, beat them so often!”


Troublingly, after receiving this particular complaint, the “ethics” commission violated its own statutory rule requiring that the identity of a complainant be revealed to the subject of the complaint within five days. Calzone wasn’t informed for 74 days.


Then, at a secret, closed September 3 hearing held by the ethics commission, which “serves the public interest by promoting and maintaining t***sparency,” sworn testimony exposed that Rep. Kevin Engler and Senator Ron Richard had indeed gone to MSGC to request that they submit a complaint against Calzone.


Rep. Engler was the lead author of the very worst of those anti-initiative bills that Ron Calzone and I argued against years ago — and that Ron’s continued doggedness had defeated. My group, Citizens in Charge, even ran television ads alerting citizens of Engler’s rotten record of not respecting initiative rights.


Sen. Richard was the House speaker back in 2010, when he orchestrated a maneuver to sneak through legislation that, among other bad and unconstitutional provisions, made it a felony to speak to a state rep or senator representing any district other than your own about any legislation. A Springfield New-Leader article noted that this “reform” of lobbying rules was designed specifically to tie the tongue of one Ron Calzone, who had angered the solons with his audacious acts of advocacy.


The Missouri Supreme Court ultimately ruled HB-844 unconstitutional.


More recently, Calzone mobilized citizens through the Missouri Leadership Project “to oppose the e******n of State Representative John Diehl to the position of Missouri Speaker of the House,” arguing that Diehl “is going to work for a law firm that has a big interest for tax credits and eminent domain, when at the same time every year there are bills that both expand and attempt to retract those things.”


In short, Diehl had a potential cronyism conflict of interest.


It was in the midst of that effort against the Speaker-to-Be, that the complaint was filed against Calzone. Diehl became speaker, but has since resigned that position and his legislative seat, after a sexting scandal with a 19-year-old intern on his staff.


Let’s review. Ron Calzone and his merry band of citizens have worked their way deeply under the skin of powerful potentates and their special interest cronies. The powerful and well connected have implored the Missouri Ethics Commission that one citizen, providing real representation to many more citizens, should be fined and forced to register as a lobbyist.


And, sadly, the ethics commission is playing along . . . even though the legal requirement for lobbyists to register doesn’t apply to Calzone in the slightest. That rule clearly speaks of lobbyists needing to register if they are “acting in the ordinary course of employment” or “engaged for pay” or “designated to act as a lobbyist” or making “total expenditures of fifty dollars or more . . . for the benefit of one or more public officials.”


Registering as a lobbyist would only cost $10 and require reports about money spent lavishing love on the lawmakers determining public policies. But Calzone is a volunteer, not a paid, professional lobbyist. Missouri First doesn’t even have a bank account. Nor has he been designated as a lobbyist. Nor does he or the grassroots organization make “expenditures” for “the benefit” of politicians.


Instead, Calzone & Co. anger many politicians. Thank goodness.


On Friday, the Missouri Ethics Commission — performatively admitting it doesn’t recognize the First Amendment — fined Calzone $1,000 and ordered that he register as a lobbyist before speaking to any legislators.


While the immediate goal of this silly tyranny is to block Calzone’s freedom of speech, he understands the bigger, broader implications: “Make no mistake, though, this attack is a threat to every citizen who would dare to encroach on the lobbyists' and politicians' territory.”


Calzone will appeal the decision with the help of the Freedom Center of Missouri and the Center for Competitive Politics. And he will prevail.


Indeed, Ron Calzone must prevail, he tells me, because there is “an army of citizen activists who need to be assured they don’t need permission from the government they created to weigh in on public policy debates!”

Grugore

We need more people like him. A LOT MORE!