John Hinderaker has a must-read post from the other day, ” Communism Collapsed: Who Cares? ” And following the link there takes us to Janet Daley, at Telegraph UK , ” The lessons of the fall of communism have still not been learnt .” Also blogging: Bruce McQuain, ” Why has the collapse of Communism had so little impact on political discourse in the West? ” There’s an answer here that the above commentators have missed. The question of why progressives haven’t “learned” from the collapse of communism assumes that leftists conceive of politics through reason. That is, it’s an erroneous assumption to assert that since capitalism emerged objectively by the end of the twentieth century as the single working economic system that it thereby follows that progressives will see the errors of their ideological ways and abandon the collectivist’s historical program. Leftists are true believers. Their religion is the Utopian of the Marxist state. Progressive weren’t deterred from their goal of a communist revolution because they don’t believe true communism has been tried. I’ll perhaps write more on this, but for now remember my review of David Horowitz’s book, The Politics of Bad Faith , and the quote from Horowitz: Totalitarianism is the possession of reality by a political Idea — the Idea of socialist kingdom of heaven on earth; the redemption of humanity by political force. To radical believers this Idea is so beautiful it is like God Himself. It provides the meaning of a radical life. This is the solution that makes everything possible; the noble end that justifies the regrettable means. Belief in the kingdom of socialist heaven is faith that can transform vice into virtue, lies into truth, evil into good. In this revolutionary religion, the Way, the Truth, and the Life of salvation lie not with God above, but with men below — ruthless, brutal, venal men — on whom faith confers the power of gods. There is no mystery in the transformation of the socialist paradise into Communist hell: liberation theology is a satanic creed. More on this later. In the meanwhile, see ” Anti-Intellectualism and the Marxist Idea .”
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Why Lessons of the Fall of Communism Have Not Been Learned
In an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, Republican strategist Karl Rove says Mitt Romney has had an advantage in news coverage of his campaign from “traditional” outlets: February has only two primaries (Michigan and Arizona, both on the 28th) and one debate (on the 22nd). Mr. Romney can duplicate his Florida strategy, where his campaign and super PAC outspent the Gingrich forces on ads by a ratio of 5 to 1 during the last three weeks. But dangers lurk. While traditional news organizations have been balanced or slightly favorable in their coverage of Mr. Romney, the GOP blogosphere has been decidedly negative on him all January, pointing to continuing unease among conservatives. It’s probably true that Romney hasn’t received much love from conservative bloggers. Search “Romney” on RedState, a leading conservative blog, and the top three results are: “Mitt Romney as the nominee: Conservatism dies and Barack Obama wins,” “The unelectable Romney” and “Not Romney.” But it’s decidedly not true that Romney has received “balanced or slightly favorable” coverage from “traditional news organizations.” A study published mid-January by the Center for Media and Public Affairs found that Romney got the most negative coverage of any of the Republican candidates on the three network nightly news broadcasts and even Fox News’ “Special Report”: On the broadcast networks, evaluative comments of Romney were 78% negative vs. only 22% positive. By contrast, on-air judgments of Ron Paul were 73% positive vs. 27% negative, evaluations of Jon Huntsman were 71% positive vs. 29% negative, Rick Santorum ’s evaluations were 56% positive vs. 44% negative, and comments about Newt Gingrich were 52% positive vs. 48% negative. Other candidates received too few evaluations to be statistically meaningful. FOX Results Romney fared slightly better on FOX “Special Report”, than on the networks, with 63% negative vs. 37% positive evaluations. By contrast, Ron Paul fared less well than he did on the networks, with evenly balanced coverage — 50% negative and 50% positive comments. Rick Santorum did best on FOX with 63% positive vs. 37% negative judgments. These were the only candidates who received enough evaluations on FOX for meaningful analysis. This doesn’t take newspapers like the Washington Post and the New York Times into account. But come on. Let’s not kid ourselves.
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Wrong, Rove; news coverage of Romney not ‘slightly favorable’
The two-decade-old United Nations program known as Agenda 21 is relatively unknown to most Americans. but the global plot has the potential to wipe out freedoms of all U.S. citizens. We aim to wipe out the nation-wide ignorance about Agenda 21 in the newest issue of The Blaze magazine . It’s time this evil scheme was exposed, and we lay bare Agenda 21′s intents, players and backers in our powerful cover story “International Land Grab.” As the magazine reports: Imagine waking up in a country where a high-ranking government official stands in front of citizens and rails against personal property rights: “The American system of justice must be changed to conform to that of the rest of the world, and there must be a shift in attitudes. Individual wants, needs and desires are to be conformed to the views and dictates of government planners. In the process of implementing Sustainable Development, individual rights will have to take a back seat to the collective .” The shocking line that individual rights should be relegated to the rear has actually been attributed to an American high-ranking, public official. Our Founding Fathers new the power of private property. George Washington said, “Private property and freedom are inseparable.” And John Adams affirmed, “Property must be secured, or liberty cannot exist.” Agenda 21 openly targets private property — which shouldn’t surprise anyone, considering that the United Nations has railed against individuals owning land for more than 35 years. A report from a 1976 U.N. conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, on human settlements contains lays out the position: “Land … cannot be treated as an ordinary asset, controlled by individuals and subject to the pressures and inefficiencies of the market. “Private land ownership is also a principal instrument of accumulation and concentration of wealth and therefore contributes to social injustice; if unchecked, it may become a major obstacle in the planning and implementation of development schemes. “The provision of decent dwellings and healthy conditions for the people can only be achieved if land is used in the interest of society as a whole.” If the U.N.’s role and aims weren’t enough to convince you that Agenda 21 is bad news, wait until you find out about the seedy international organization that’s pushing it and who’s funding it. Get it all only in The Blaze magazine. But it gets worse: More than 600 cities, towns and counties have signed on to the international cause. Oh, and there’s this: The Agenda 21 plan has already got links in the White House. Find out who in the federal government has ties to this plan and how they’re already starting to implement it. So, is there hope? Yes, there is: In recent months, citizen groups across the country have organized and become involved in the removal of towns and cities from membership in ICLEI. There are several Facebook groups working to illuminate the real purpose of Agenda 21 and ICLEI, including “Wake Up Call to Agenda 21,” “Resist UN Agenda 21″ and “Stopping UN Agenda 21″; plus, many city and county Facebook groups have dedicated themselves to dismantling ICLEI’s substantial network. … Without the continued vigilance of freedom-loving Americans, this movement threatens to overwhelm private property rights that our Founders knew are central to our liberty. Find out all about Agenda 21 and what you can do about it in the newest issue of The Blaze magazine. You won’t find this exclusive report online. Subscribe today.
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Agenda 21 exposed in The Blaze Magazine
ContributorNetwork – COMMENTARY | President Obama announced Friday at the White House that he intends to ask Congress for the power to merge redundant government agencies, in an effort to trim government bureaucracy and save an estimate $3 billion over 10 years. At stake are about a thousand jobs in several agencies that collectively represent the interests of small and medium businesses abroad.
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Obama Proposes Cuts, but Are They Enough?
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Longtime PBS news commentator Bill Moyers said Friday that billionaire George Soros has “been the victim, of course, of Glenn Beck and the right-wing, the Fox News assassins.” Moyers made his comments in a discussion with Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington, during which he praised Soros, whom Moyers also said is “deeply troubled by the Orwellian power of the right-wing in this country today.” Transcript below, via Newsbusters : BILL MOYERS: I’ll tell you somebody you could, you should go for, because he has given more thought to this than almost anyone I know: George Soros, believe it or not. George Soros, whatever you think about his wealth or his politics, George Soros was next to Vaclav Havel I think the most catalytic agent for helping to bring down the Communist government behind the Iron Curtain because he, he gave everybody who wanted one an equivalent of a Xerox machine, and so they could get the message out. And he is deeply troubled by the Orwellian power of the right-wing in this country today. He talks about it. I was on his board for a several years, and I’m off now that I’m back on the air, but I was on his board, and he is deeply troubled. He is a great devotee of the open society, the society that does change because it listens to itself, and learns from its experience. He’s been the victim, of course, of Glenn Beck and the right-wing, the Fox News assassins. So he’s thought a great deal about the Orwellian idea, and he said it has arrived in this country. It is here, part of the permanent, a permanent characteristic of American democracy which is therefore self-suicidally bent because of the power and force of propaganda. He’d be somebody I know would write you a really good piece for that. (h/t Newsbusters )
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PBS Commentator Bill Moyers: George Soros Has Been the ‘Victim’ of Glenn Beck and Fox News ‘Assassins’
While campaigning in South Carolina on Thursday Rick Santorum said his sweater vest is responsible for the momentum his campaign has seen of late. “It sort of took a life of its own … and the vest gave me this power,” he said, according to the L.A Times. Maybe it does have special powers. Santorum is selling similar vests on his campaign site and as of today, Fox News reports it has brought in $100,000 to his election effort.
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Santorum‘s ’power’ sweater vest in hot demand
Given Beyonce and Jay-Z’s reported $750 million combined net worth—and their status as music’s top-earning couple —you might say $1.3 million isn’t too extravagant an expense.
Photoshop credit: VVM Obama’s Super-Czar Is on the Loose by Michelle Malkin Creators Syndicate Copyright 2012 Here is the operating motto of the Obama White House: “So let it be written, so let it be done!” Like Yul Brynner’s Pharaoh Ramses character in Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Ten Commandments,” the demander in chief stands with arms akimbo issuing daily edicts to his constitution-subverting minions with an imperious wave of his hand. His entourage of insatiable usurpers never rests. Can’t delude legislators into adopting a $1.5 billion Kabuki summer-jobs makework boondoggle? Create an unfunded program through executive fiat. Can’t muster up a filibuster-proof majority for radical nominees? Czar-ify ‘em. Can’t get Congress to approve vast wild lands designations? Grab them under cover of a holiday lame-duck session. Can’t get the illegal alien bailout DREAM Act passed on Capitol Hill? Executive-order it. “So let it be written, so let it be done!” In keeping with the dark and defiant habits of this administration, the new head of the half-billion-dollar Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was sworn in behind closed doors on Wednesday night. The nomination of former Democratic Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray to serve as Dodd-Frank regulatory enforcer had been soundly defeated in the Senate before Christmas. But as I reported last month, progressive zealots funded by billionaire George Soros goaded Obama to ignore the Senate’s constitutionally grounded advice and consent role. At his left flank’s urging, Obama vowed to follow in President Theodore Roosevelt’s footsteps (TR recess-appointed 160 officials during a recess of less than one day) and install Cordray even though the Senate technically remained in pro forma session. Fresh from his Hawaii vacation, Obama returned to Washington and for once delivered on a promise. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters Thursday that the administration expects no retaliation for the end-run around the deliberative process. Playing the pharaoh’s helper, Carney airily dismissed widespread bipartisan questions about the legality of the power grab as “esoteric discussion.” The GOP knew the installation of Obama’s latest super-czar was coming a month ago, but is now scrambling to respond. Republicans will get clobbered with the class warfare card again unless they forcefully counter the Democrats’ narrative of the president’s “bold” actions for “middle-class Americans.” Obama’s liberal media supporters have rationalized the tyrannical maneuver as a response to GOP “ nullification .” But it’s those who oppose common-sense reforms of the gravely flawed Dodd-Frank law — a 2,600-page monstrosity that no lawmaker read before passing it — who are obstructing good government. As Senate Republicans have been pointing out for months, Dodd-Frank threw out judicial review, removed CFPB from the congressional appropriations process, provided five-year tenure protection for the director and transferred the agency from the Treasury Department to the opaque and unaccountable Federal Reserve. Obama and Democratic leaders themselves recognize the recklessness of vesting so much unfettered power in a single individual. In 2009, Obama floated a bipartisan board to oversee enforcement. Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois, Charles Schumer of New York and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island all co-sponsored legislation backing a commission. Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Barney Frank was also an original sponsor of a bill creating the very kind of five-member panel Republicans have proposed. The House passed these and other structural reforms last year, but the Senate has failed to act, and the White House insists on demagoguing reformers. Moreover, taxpayers remain in the dark about how and how much the CFPB is spending, because Dodd-Frank allows the agency to draw funds from the Federal Reserve’s operating expenses. Out of sight, out of mind. This is not “bold.” It’s jackboot. It won’t benefit “middle-class Americans.” It’ll line lobbyist pockets, soak taxpayer dollars and fuel a Beltway rule-making bonanza. It’s not about reining in Wall Street abuses. It’s about consolidating bureaucratic authority and granting unprecedented immunity to a single super-cop from congressional and public oversight. Where, ahem, are those Occupiers when you need them? *** Related – John Yoo on Cordray and the use and abuse of executive power.
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Obama’s super-czar is on the loose
