Obama and The ME Peace Process

The President has walked back from what seemed like an obvious desertion of Israel last week, but he has not walked back from the one statement that is the key to Israeli security and its very existence. "The Palestinian people must have the right to govern themselves, and reach their potential, in a sovereign and contiguous state." After listening to his Arab Spring speech last week and reading his AIPAC speech today one thing is clear. Despite the President's rhetoric his declaration that a Palestinian State must be "contiguous" means Israel must give up the Southern half of Israel or the Palestinians must give up the West Bank or the Gaza Strip. In truth the only real solution is for the Palestinians to trade the West Bank for an enlarged Gaza to form a nation between Israel and Egypt. Without that trade there is no peace.

The Alternative Energy Pipedream

American taxpayers are providing $2 million for a wind turbine energy project that will save a municipal bus company $35,000 a year in energy costs. At the current cost of energy it will take 57 years of energy savings to pay for the project, while the turbines have an expected lifespan of 20-25 years. In truth there are no savings because the turbines will have to be replaced before the savings are achieved. So in the final analysis alternatives such as wind and solar are far more expensive per kilowatt hour than fossil fuel. Although this is a small project it demonstrates all the shortcomings of alternative energy in a neat little bundle. The equipment is expensive, the “return on investment” is negative and the entire system requires a fossil fuel backup system to insure constant energy generation. America must continue to use fossil fuel until these alternatives are developed to the point where they are competitive without subsidies because while the location in question will save $35,000 a year in energy costs, it will cost the American taxpayer $2 million it will never get back. So once again the taxpayer is the victim of the alternative energy pipedream. America must continue to exploit its carbon-based fuel resources or find itself in the economic dustbin of failed nation states.

The Greatest of Them All

The death and disappearance of Osama bin Laden will grow into the largest conspiracy in the 21st century. In 2067 it will still be under discussion: "Hey, have you heard that they may have discovered bin Laden's shroud at the bottom of the Arabian Sea." Are we to believe that there is no film of him being carried off the Helicopter on the USS Carl Vinson. Some Admiral just said clean him, wrap him, and get him over the side. Not one seaman, officer, or civilian on board took any pictures, movies, nothing? What about the guy who prayed over him? Who is he? They just say; "We killed him, he's gone. That's it." Give me a break: If this doesn't say conspiracy, nothing does. If this doesn't say something funny is going on, nothing does. If the conflicting accounts don't confuse you, what does? Obama's strategy will make Osama bin Laden a martyr in half the time a great conspiracy theory could.

Thinking the Unthinkable

Barack Obama decides to change his politics and become a Conservative. He sees the light on taxes, jobs, regulation and decides to turn the economy loose. He cans Benanke, eviscerates EPA and Interior, orders immediate oil, gas and coal processing and reads the riot act to State, Justice, HHS and the Treasury. Maybe it's too much to ask for, but there is always hope that running with the winners’ means something.

Spinning your Wheels

It seems like no matter how much you warn someone they are about to open a big can of worms they often do it anyway. For example in January we warned House Budget Chief Paul Ryan that entitlement reform was a trap for Republicans being set up by the Democrats. It is not a question of whether or not we need it, we do. But it is a question of recognizing a briar patch before you enter it. Brier Rabbit did not look before he leaped and you remember what happened to him. (The Song of the South) On the rare occasions when Republicans achieve a majority in the House or Senate we always hope that they have learned from the past. But apparently that is too much to hope for even in this day and age of lighting fast communication and information dissemination. In addition to the Entitlement Trap (Jan 26, 2011) the Republicans have also fallen into the second trap the Democratic minority has set for them; Budgeting for future years that are not under their control. It is the "Dirty Little Secret about Budgets."(Feb 16, 2011) Republicans have a great opportunity to cut spending in the 2012 budget by getting the work done in the 12 appropriation bills that make up the federal budget and eliminating the need for a "Continuing Resolution (CR)." Surgical budget cutting is more easily achieved in committee with the goal of reducing spending one budget cycle at a time. The Republicans need to spend less time spinning their wheels and more time in budget surgery.

The math is simple, the dishonesty is obvious

Since President Obama doesn't think that Paul Ryan is serious about reducing the deficit, as indicated by his off-the-record comments overheard on a hot mike at a fundraiser I thought I would take the opportunity to expose the President's own lack of sincerity about reducing the deficit. You may recall in his Wednesday speech he said he wanted to reduce the national debt by $4 trillion over 12 years. In the same speech he called for the repeal of the Bush tax cut for those making over $250,000 a year, which would result in an additional $1 trillion in tax revenue. This policy, if followed, would lead to an additional $8 trillion in spending over the 12-year period. The $12 trillion in additional tax revenue minus $4 trillion of reduced spending would equal $8 trillion in increased spending which would raise the national debt to $22 trillion over the 12-year period. The math is simple, the dishonesty is obvious.

Obama 2.0

On Wednesday President Obama will try to convince America he is serious about cutting spending, when he is only really serious about increasing taxes. He will promise multi-trillion dollar cuts in the next 10 years, but increased spending and taxes in the 2012 budget. And therein lays the dirty little secret. No President or Congress can compel future Presidents or Congresses to spend or not spend money. In America budgets are done one year at a time. By putting cuts off in future years that can be ignored by new Presidents and Congresses the Federal government enables runaway spending in the current budget year with the empty promise of cuts in the future. The American people have been taken in by this little parlor trick for 50 years. Hopefully it will end with this President and a new revived Congress than can bring common sense back to government budgeting and spending.