The Patriot Post Monday Digest 11-4-2013

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The Patriot Post Monday Digest 11-4-2013
From The Federalist Patriot
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THE FOUNDATION

“The same prudence which in private life would forbid our paying our own money for unexplained projects, forbids it in the dispensation of the public moneys.” –Thomas Jefferson

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
Weekly Budget Bluster

It was but two weeks ago that the government “shutdown” ended with a partial deal to fund the government through early next year. Congress began negotiating last week on the next fiscal deal. At issue is nothing particularly new – Democrats want spending to increase a lot, and Republicans want it to increase a little less.

In his weekly address Saturday1, Barack Obama lectured about budget negotiations. “It begins,” Obama said, “by ending what has done more than anything else to undermine our economy over the past few years – and that’s the constant cycle of manufactured crisis and self-inflicted wounds.” But of course it was Obama’s former chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, who uttered what has become the motto of this administration: “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.” Indeed, Obama governs from one crisis to the next.

Then he launched into a ridiculous boast about the federal deficit: “Since I took office, we’ve cut our deficits by more than half. … On my watch, they’re falling at the fastest pace in 60 years.”

Cutting the federal deficit from $1.5 trillion in his first year – a year that saw his own stimulus bring the deficit that high – to $680 billion in his fifth year is hardly an achievement. The current deficit is still the fifth largest in U.S. history, and the other four highest were also all Obama’s. Furthermore, Obama only achieved this reduction with his massive tax hike in January that has slowed economic growth to a crawl and will do nothing in the long run to solve our budget problems.

Setting his false benchmark, however, Obama declared, “So that gives us room to fix our long-term debt problems without sticking it to young people, or undermining our bedrock retirement and health security programs, or ending basic research that helps the economy grow.” In other words, forget entitlement reform. Forget ObamaCare reform. Forget Social Security reform. And forget reforming the tax code to rid it of giveaways to Obama’s favorite green energy boondoggles and payouts to other cronies. The only things Obama will do are nip and tuck at various minor budget outlays and further raise taxes on the productive.

He concluded with a call to “free up resources for the things that actually do create jobs and growth.” If only his true intent weren’t the opposite.

ECONOMY, REGS & TAXES
Regulatory Commissars: Order to Combat Warming

In a Friday afternoon executive order, Barack Obama ordered the federal government to do even more to combat so-called climate change. The order read, in part, “The impacts of climate change – including an increase in prolonged periods of excessively high temperatures, more heavy downpours, an increase in wildfires, more severe droughts, permafrost thawing, ocean acidification and sea-level rise – are already affecting communities, natural resources, ecosystems, economies and public health across the nation. The federal government must build on recent progress and pursue new strategies to improve the nation’s preparedness and resilience.” The order, of course, not only ignores that the climate has not warmed over the last 15 years but also deceitfully asserts that wildfires, droughts and so forth are increasing.

The regulations that will come out of such a general order are sure to be costly or even crippling to the economy. As we have already seen, Obama’s refusal to approve the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to the Gulf Coast is driven in part by a desire to appease his ecofascist constituents who claim drilling exacerbates global warming. Obama’s EPA has also issued crushing new regulations on coal-burning power plants – regulations that will put many plants out of business and even prevent construction of new ones. The EPA has turned a deaf ear to those concerned about the economic impact of its rules, and it regularly continues to abuse its authority.

Mountains of new regulations is one reason that Obama is seeking to pack the DC Circuit Court4 with nominees who will see things his way.

NATIONAL SECURITY
Iran Closes in on Nukes

Iran continues to implement its long-term nuclear strategy, despite media speculation over supposedly productive recent talks between Iran and the P5+1. For 10 years, through two U.S. administrations and numerous UNSC Resolutions, Iran has held to this strategy and, as a result, is closer than ever to nuclear weapons capability. Given the current irresolute nature of Barack Obama, why would they change now?

What is Iran’s strategy?

First, talk with the West for as long as the West is willing to sit down and listen, but give nothing away. Western negotiators were almost giddy following talks earlier this month, describing them as “constructive” and “unprecedented.” Iran’s agents likewise mentioned “a new chapter of cooperation.” And both sides agreed that the best course of action was, naturally – more talks! Of course, behind the scenes Iranian officials clarified that Iran would give away nothing, as usual. Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said, “The Iranian side made no commitment” in the recent talks. Atomic Energy Organization of Iran chief Ali Akbar Salehi added, “No stop has occurred in the process of the production [of 20% enriched uranium], and it never stopped before.”

Second, keep Russia and China close in order to get UNSC veto protection. On Tuesday Ali Larijani, the chairman of Iran’s legislative body, arrived in Beijing for consultations with the Chinese. Larijani is one of the old guard in the Iranian regime, dating to his Revolutionary Guard service in the early 1980s. He was head of Iran’s Supreme Council for National Security from 2005-2007, and acted as Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator during that time. Zhang Dejiang, chairman of China’s Committee of the People’s Congress, stated last week, “We attach special importance to Tehran and the Chinese government seeks to deepen ties with Iran.” Russia did its usual bit to cast Iran in a positive light following recent nuclear talks: “The Iranians displayed unprecedented openness, something that was recognized by all participants,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Wednesday.

Third, give the appearance of inevitable progress on Iran’s side, Salehi further asserted, “Iran has 34 new nuclear sites under construction. We had a meeting [with Russians] at the beginning of this week regarding the signing of a protocol on the construction of the next power plant. Once this protocol is prepared, Russia will start the constructing of another power plant in Bushehr.”

Since 2003, when Iranian dissidents revealed the size and scope of Iran’s nuclear program, Tehran has successfully held off the Bush administration, the EU-3 (France, Germany and the UK), the P5+1 (UNSC permanent members + Germany), and now the Obama administration. It has demonstrated the ability to enrich uranium to 20%, from which it is a short and fairly easy jump to 95%. It has mastered two-stage ballistic missiles, using solid rocket fuel, and built underground silos to protect them. And it has weathered sanctions that have caused economic pain and public backlash. And what has the West achieved in that time? Nothing – except an invitation to more talks.

CULTURE, SCIENCE & FAITH
Village Academic Curriculum: Socialist Brotherly Love

If the Philadelphia City Council has its way, high school students in the City of Brotherly Love will soon be learning U.S. history as told by socialist Howard Zinn. The council recently approved a resolution5 calling for the incorporation of Zinn’s “A People’s History of the United States” into public high schools. The resolution claims the book “emphasizes the role of working people, women, people of color, and organized social movements in shaping history; not simply the version retold by those powerful enough to ensure history remembers their actions in a positive light, regardless of the truth.”

Well, at least the resolution got the “regardless of the truth” part correct. For in reality, Zinn’s book is little more than a skewed presentation of history that attempts to paint the story of America in strokes of class warfare, racial prejudice and gender inequality. Of course, this is hardly surprising given that Zinn is an open socialist apologist and Castro supporter. The resolution itself is non-binding as any change in curriculum requires approval of the school district superintendent and board. But the fact that the Philadelphia City Council, meeting just blocks from Independence Hall, would call for socialist indoctrination of the young is cause for serious concern.