Dr. Krauthammer Does Not Approve of This Message

Here's an that my father has repeatedly sent me over the years.

This message's viral spread has been pretty long-standing.  I'll let the opinions expressed in it stand for themselves - however, they are the opinions of a viral email author, and are not the opinions of Dr. Krauthammer.  I know this because Dr. Krauthammer said so himself.

So, in the end, this is a standard, anonymous right-wing rant.  Read it if you want.

Our future on the line?????? 

No matter your own view, this information is based on facts where we are. The future for our grandchildren...... Fast Facts About Dr. Charles Krauthammer , MD 

 Born: March 13, 1950   

Birthplace: New York City, New York

Raised in Montreal, Canada 

Attended Mc Gill University and Harvard Medical School 

1972 diving accident left him paralyzed from the neck on down. 

Directed psychiatric research for the Carter administration 

Began writing career in 1981 with The New Republic 

Helped develop the "Reagan Doctrine" in the 80's 

Appointed to Presidential Council on Bioethics in 2002                              

Dr. Krauthammer is frequently on the Fox News Channel. He is an M.D., a lawyer and is paralyzed from the neck down. A friend went to hear Charles Krauthammer . He listened with 25 others in a closed room. What he says here, is NOT 2nd-hand but 1st. The ramifications are staggering for us, our children and their children. 
Last Monday was a profound evening, Dr. Charles Krauthammer spoke to the Center for the American Experiment.. He is a brilliant intellectual, seasoned & articulate. He is forthright and careful in his analysis, and never resorts to emotions or personal insults. He is NOT a fear monger nor an extremist in his comments and views . He is a fiscal conservative, and has received a Pulitzer Prize for writing. He is a frequent contributor to Fox News and writes weekly for the   Washington Post.The entire room was held spellbound during his talk. I have summarized his comments, as we are living in uncharted waters economically and internationally.Even 2 Dems at my table agreed with everything he said!  If you feel like forwarding this to those who are open minded and have not drunk the Kool-Aid, feel free.... 


Summary of his comments:
1. Mr. Obama is a very intellectual, charming individual. He is not to be underestimated. He is a cool customer who doesn't show his emotions. It's very hard to know what's behind the mask.The taking down of the Clinton dynasty was an amazing accomplishment. The Clintons still do not understand what hit them. Obama was in the perfect place at the perfect time. 

2. Obama has political skills comparable to Reagan and Clinton . He has a way of making you think he's on your side, agreeing with your position, while doing the opposite. Pay no attention to what he SAYS; rather, watch what he DOES! 

3.Obama has a ruthless quest for power. He did not come to   Washington to make something out of himself, but rather to change everything, including dismantling capitalism. He can't be straightforward on his ambitions, as the public would not go along. He has a heavy hand, and wants to level the playing field with income redistribution and punishment to the achievers of society. He would like to model the USA to Great Britain or Canada .  

4. His three main goals are to control ENERGY, PUBLIC EDUCATION, and NATIONAL HEALTHCARE by the Federal government.He doesn't care about the auto or financial services industries, but got them as an early bonus. The cap and trade will add costs to everything and stifle growth. Paying for FREE college education is his goal. Most scary is his healthcare program, because if you make it FREE and add 46,000,000 people to a Medicare-type single-payer system, the costs will go through the roof. The only way to control costs is with massive RATIONING of services, like in   Canada . God forbid! 

5.He has surrounded himself with mostly far-left academic types. No one around him has ever even run a candy store. But they are going to try and run the auto, financial, banking and other industries. This obviously can't work in the long run. Obama is not a socialist; rather he's a far-left secular progressive bent on nothing short of revolution. He ran as a moderate, but will govern from the hard left. Again, watch what he does, not what he says. 

6. Obama doesn't really see himself as President of the United States , but more as a ruler over the world..He sees himself above it all, trying to orchestrate & coordinate various countries and their agendas. He sees moral equivalency in all cultures. His apology tour in Germany and England was a prime example of how he sees America , as an imperialist nation that has been arrogant, rather than a great noble nation that has at times made errors. This is the first President ever who has chastised our allies and appeased our enemies! 

7. He is now handing out goodies. He hopes that the bill (and pain) will not come due until after he is reelected in 2012. He would like to blame all problems on Bush from the past, and hopefully his successor in the future. He has a huge ego, and Dr. Krauthammer believes he is a narcissist. 

8.. Republicans are in the wilderness for a while, but will emerge strong. Republicans are pining for another Reagan , but there will never be another like him. Krauthammer believes Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty & Bobby Jindahl (except for his terrible speech in February) are the future of the party. Newt Gingrich is brilliant, but has baggage. Sarah Palin is sincere and intelligent, but needs to really be seriously boning up on facts and info if she is to be a serious candidate in the future... We need to return to the party of lower taxes, smaller government, personal responsibility, strong national defense, and state's rights. 

9. The current level of spending is irresponsible and outrageous. We are spending trillions that we don't have.. This could lead to hyperinflation, depression or worse. No country has ever spent themselves into prosperity. The media is giving Obama, Reid and Pelosi a pass because they love their agenda. But eventually the bill will come due and people will realize the huge bailouts didn't work, nor will the stimulus package.These were trillion-dollar payoffs to Obama's allies, unions and the Congress to placate the left, so he can get support for # 4 above. 

10. The election was over in mid-September when Lehman brothers failed, fear and panic swept in, we had an unpopular President, and the war was grinding on indefinitely without a clear outcome. The people are in pain, and the mantra of change caused people to act emotionally. Any Dem would have won this election, it was surprising it was as close as it was. 

11. In 2012, if the unemployment rate is over 10%, Republicans will be swept back into power. If it's under 8%, the Dems continue to roll. If it's between 8-10%, it will be a dog fight. It will all be about the economy. I hope this gets you really thinking about what's happening in Washington and Congress. 

There is a left-wing revolution going on, according to Krauthammer, and he encourages us to keep the faith and join the loyal resistance. The work will be hard, but we're right on most issues and can reclaim our country, before it's far too late.Do yourself a long term favor, send this to all who will listen to an intelligent assessment of the big picture. All our futures and children's futures depend on our good understanding of what is really going on in DC, and our action pursuant to that understanding!! It really is up to each of us to take individual action!! Start with educating your friends and neighbors!!!

From a Religion of Peace and Love

Okay.  My title can be interpreted the wrong way.

Just as I've defended the majority of Muslims who will never support violence against non-believers, I'll defend the majority of Catholics.  I'm not a Christian myself, but Christianity (as I understand it) is a faith that supports forgiveness of others' sins, leaving judgement to G-d himself, and application of the Golden Rule.  And the Catholic faith has a long tradition of insightful scholarship.

So, viral messages like this one sadden me.

I did a site-specific google search of the author's blog, and couldn't find these comments.  So I can't confirm that she wrote them.  But I think that most folks who'd skim her blog would consider her authorship plausible.

I present it as an example of the institutionalized spread of hatred via email.  Without further ado:

Ann Barnhardt is described as "a livestock and grain commodity broker and marketing consultant, American patriot, traditional Catholic, and unwitting counter-revolutionary blogger. She can be reached through her business at www.barnhardt.biz."  She has taken on Islam and they have noticed.    

Ruth    

DEATH THREAT:  Posted on her blog     

To:annbarnhardt  

I'm going to kill you when I find you. Don't think I won't, I know where you and your parents live and all I'll need is one phone-call to kill ya'll.           

ANN'S RESPONSE:  

Re: Watch your back.  

Hello mufcadnan123!   You don't need to "find" me. My address is 9175 Kornbrust Circle, Lone Tree, CO 80124.    

Luckily for you, there are daily DIRECT FLIGHTS from Heathrow to Denver . Here's what you will need to do. After arriving at Denver and passing through customs, you will need to catch the shuttle to the rental car facility. Once in your rental car, take Pena Boulevard to I-225 south. Proceed on I-225 south to I-25 south. Proceed south on I-25 to Lincoln Avenue which is exit 193. Turn right (west) onto Lincoln . Proceed west to the fourth light, and turn left (south) onto Ridgegate Boulevard . Proceed south, through the roundabout to Kornbrust Drive . Turn left onto Kornbrust Drive and then take an immediate right onto Kornbrust Circle . I'm at 9175.    

Just do me one favor. PLEASE wear body armor. I have some new ammunition that I want to try out, and frankly, close-quarter body shots without armor would feel almost unsporting from my perspective. That and the fact that I'm probably carrying a good 50 I.Q. points on you makes it morally incumbent upon me to spot you a tactical advantage.    

However, being that you are a miserable, trembling coward, I realize that you probably are incapable of actually following up on any of your threats without losing control of your bowels and crapping your pants while simultaneously sobbing yourself into hyperventilation. So, how about this: why don't you contact the main mosque here in Denver and see if some of the local musloids here in town would be willing to carry out your attack for you?    

After all, this is what your "perfect man" mohamed did (pig excrement be upon him). You see, mohamed, being a miserable coward and a con artist, would send other men into battle to fight on his behalf. Mohamed would stay at the BACK of the pack and let the stupid, ignorant suckers like you that he had conned into his political cult do the actual fighting and dying. Mohamed would then fornicate with the dead men's wives and children. You should follow mohamed's example! Here is the contact info for the main mosque here in Denver:    

Masjid Abu Bakr  

Imam Karim Abu Zaid  

2071 South Parker Road Denver, CO 80231  

Phone: 303-696-9800  

Email: denvermosque@yahoo.com    

I'm sure they would be delighted to hear from you. Frankly, I'm terribly disappointed that not a SINGLE musloid here in the United States has made ANY attempt to rape and behead me. But maybe I haven't made myself clear enough, so let me do that right now.    

I will NEVER, EVER, EVER submit to islam. I will fight islam with every fiber of my being for as long as I live because islam is pure satanic evil. If you are really serious about islam dominating the United States and the world, you are going to have to come through me. You are going to have to kill me. Good luck with that. And understand that if you or some of your musloid boyfriends do actually manage to kill me, The Final Crusade will officially commence five minutes later, and then, despite your genetic mental retardation, you will be made to understand with crystal clarity what the word "defeat" means. Either way, I win, so come and get it.  

Deo adjuvante non timendum (with the help of God there is nothing to be afraid of).  

Ann Barnhardt 

The Biggest Filter Bubble - It's In Your Skull

And, the latest hit from my email box:

And you thought the web was an alternative to the mainstream media with its biased reporting. 

Think again. Startling video. 

http://www.wimp.com/filterbubbles/

Actually, the video wasn't bad.  Personally, I prefer to watch it from it's original source.  However, this is one case where the collective right-wing email chain hasn't edited the original video.

But I find the viral forwarding by the right wing chain... curious.

Maybe they stopped listening once they saw Facebook "filtering" wall posts from conservative writers.

But the speaker clearly explained this - it's because he clicks on wall posts from liberal writers more often.  And, Facebook, being a social service, rather than a news agency, prioritizes the posts from the people you most often read.

And, yes, if I read more travel articles than news articles, a vague Google search for "Egypt" will prioritize travel.

Does it really change the content that's out there?  No.

If I go to The Economist, the New York Times, or the Christian Science Monitor, I'll always see the same articles that everyone else sees.

Same if I go to Rush Limbaugh or Keith Olbermann's site.

As to what sites you choose to receive your news from - that's up to the filter bubble that's in your own head.

And if you think that the "mainstream media" is too liberally biased to listen to - maybe that's the biggest filter bubble of them all.

And if you think that viral email provides more accurate information than the people who stake their careers and reputations on the truth of what they write... that "filter bubble" is an amazing thing indeed.

Read My Lips: There's No Tax Here.

Whenever a Democrat runs for political office, it seems like there's an automatic reaction:  "If you elect him, he'll raise your taxes!"


Well, here's one viral email that's told us how it already happened.  Even when it didn't.

Subject: FW: HR4646...read this!!!



Snopes says it is true, http://www.snopes.com/politics/taxes/debtfree.asp
HR4646...read this!!!
On January 1st 2012, the government is requiring everyone to have direct deposit for SS checks. 

WONDER WHY? - A 1% tax on all bank transactions HR 4646
Watch for this AFTER November elections; remember this BEFORE you VOTE in case you think Obama's looking out for your best interest. 

FORWARD THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!
ANOTHER NEW OBAMA TAX SLIPPED IN WHILE WE WERE ASLEEP. 

Checked this on Snopes; it's true! Check out HR 4646. 

President Obama's finance team is recommending a one percent (1%) transaction fee (TAX). Obama's plan is to sneak it in after the November elections to keep it under the radar. 

This is a 1% tax on all transactions at any financial institution - banks, credit unions, savings and loans, etc. Any deposit you make, or even a transfer within your account, will have a 1% tax charged. ~If your paycheck or your social security or whatever is direct deposit, it will get a 1% tax charged for the transaction. 

~If your paycheck is $1000, then you will pay Obama $10 just for the privilege of depositing your paycheck in your bank. Even if you hand carry your paycheck or any check into your bank for a deposit, 1% tax will be charged. 

~You receive a $5,000 stock dividend from your broker, Obama takes $50 just to allow you to deposit that check in the bank. 

~If you take $1,000 cash to deposit at your bank, 1% tax will be charged.
Mind you, this is from the man who promised that, if you make under $250,000 per year, you will not see one penny of new tax. Keep your eyes and ears open, you will be amazed at what you learn about this guy's under-the-table moves to increase the number of ways you are taxed. 

Oh, and by the way, if you receive a refund from the IRS next year and you have it direct deposited or you walk in to deposit that check, you guessed it. You will pay a 1% charge of that money just for putting it in your bank. Remember, any money, cash, check or whatever, no matter where it came from, you will pay a 1% fee if you put it in the bank. 

Some will say, oh well, it's just 1%. Are you kidding me? It's a 1% tax increase across the board. Remember, once the tax is there, they can also raise it at will. And if anyone protests, they will just say, "Oh, that's not really a tax, it's a user fee"! Think this is no big deal? Go back and look at the transactions you made from on year's banking statements. Then add the total of all those transactions and deduct 1%. Still think it's no big deal? 

"A government big enough to give you everything you want is also big enough to take away everything you have." - Barry Goldwater

Okay, Snopes did say that this is a "mixture of true and false information".

Here's the list of what's true about this email:

• HR4646 existed.
• And that's about it.

HR4646 is not a law.  It was a bill before congress, introduced by Representative Fattah.  It was referred to House Ways and Means committee, where the chairman never brought the bill up for consideration.

Nor was HR4646 new legislation.  He's introduced the same bill as HR1601, HR2130, and HR1703.  And this year, he's submitted it as HR1125.


So far, he's never found a single congressman to cosponsor this bill.  And no other national politician has has  endorsed any version of this bill.  Including President Obama.  Or anyone in the Obama administration.


So, it's not a law.  And that means that you won't be hit by this proposed tax.


But even if hell froze over and HR1125 passed, this bill wouldn't be a tax increase - this tax would replace the Federal Income Tax.


Overall, the email attention that this bill has obtained seems almost comical.


That is - until you realize that people will write and call congressional staffers to overturn this law - even when it never passed.  This takes up a lot of congressional manpower, time, and energy.


Congressional staffers don't work for free.  How much do you think you're paying in order for them to respond to these silly viral emails?

If I Don't Quote It, Obama Didn't Say It?

And, today's dandy right-wing viral email:

The Difference Between
Chicken Salad and Chicken Shit
 
This is the difference between chicken salad:
President George W. Bush's speech after the capture of Saddam Hussein:

"The success of yesterday's mission is a tribute to our men and women now serving in Iraq . The operation was based on the superb work of intelligence analysts who found the dictator's footprints in a vast country. The operation was carried out with skill and precision by a brave fighting force. Our servicemen and women and our coalition allies have faced many dangers in the hunt for members of the fallen regime, and in their effort to bring hope and freedom to the Iraqi people. Their work continues, and so do the risks. Today, on behalf of the nation, I thank the members of our Armed Forces and I congratulate them!"



And chicken shit!:
Obama's speech after the killing of bin Laden:

"And so shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the Director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against al Qaeda, even as we continued our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network. Then, last August, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden. It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground. I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan . And finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and I authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice. Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad , Pakistan ."

WOW! Obama did not once acknowledge our brave men and women who fight for our country.

Wait a minute.  George W. Bush took absolutely no personal credit for the capture of Saddam Hussein, and Barack Obama gave no credit to the soldiers who ultimately stopped Osama Bin Laden.  That seems . . . unbelievable.

And when things seem unbelievable, you need to check the facts that you're presented with.

Presidential speeches aren't hard to find.  George W. Bush's speech on the capture of Saddam Hussein can be found here, and Barack Obama's speech on the killing of Osama Bin Laden can be found here.

Clearly, this is a selective quote from Barack Obama's speech - it includes two and a half paragraphs from a 24 paragraph speech.  And that quotation ends just before Barack Obama stated, "A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body" - in other words, giving credit to the soldiers who carried the operation out.

Other sections that were conveniently missed?

"And so we went to war against Al-Qaeda to protect our citizens, our friends, and our allies.  Over the last 10 years, thanks to the tireless and heroic work of our military and our counterterrorism professionals, we've made great strides in that effort."

"The American people did not choose this fight. It came to our shores, and started with the senseless slaughter of our citizens. After nearly 10 years of service, struggle, and sacrifice, we know well the costs of war. These efforts weigh on me every time I, as Commander-in-Chief, have to sign a letter to a family that has lost a loved one, or look into the eyes of a service member who's been gravely wounded."

"Tonight, we give thanks to the countless intelligence and counterterrorism professionals who've worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome. The American people do not see their work, nor know their names. But tonight, they feel the satisfaction of their work and the result of their pursuit of justice."

"We give thanks for the men who carried out this operation, for they exemplify the professionalism, patriotism, and unparalleled courage of those who serve our country. And they are part of a generation that has borne the heaviest share of the burden since that September day."

"Finally, let me say to the families who lost loved ones on 9/11 that we have never forgotten your loss, nor wavered in our commitment to see that we do whatever it takes to prevent another attack on our shores."

"And tonight, let us think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11. I know that it has, at times, frayed. Yet today's achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country and the determination of the American people."

Wow.  Those quotes took more space than the spot in which our president (briefly) took credit for his role.  

But, I suppose that chickenshit email writers don't like to repeat things that go against their point of view.

A (Not So) Real American Hero

And, straight from my father's email box, here's the story of a great American hero.

Until you actually check the facts.

Dealing With Muslims  

 Two Black Americans were elected to congress this cycle, and both are Republican.   Col. West is from southern Florida.   He won in a walk.

If you call "winning 54% of the vote, compared to the other party's 46%" a walk, go ahead... but I don't think many folks would agree with you.  Especially when he lost by similar margins against the same opponent two years prior.

This new Congressman was an extremely popular commander in Iraq.  He was forced to retire because during an intense combat action a few of his men were captured.   At the same time his men captured one of the guys who were with the Iraqis who captured his men.

He was popular amongst his men.  However, this email provides a VERY different version of what happened according to an Army investigation, as reported by the New York Times.

According to this account:

• There were rumors that the enemy was going to attempt to assassinate Colonel West.  This rumor was not taken seriously until a convoy (which was supposed to be with Col. West aboard) was attacked.
• The subject of this interrogation was not a man captured at the battlefield.  It was the interrogation of an Iraqi policeman rumored to be a part of the assassination plot.

Knowing that time was crucial and his interrogators were not getting anywhere with the prisoner, Col. West took matters into his own hands.  

These "interrogators" weren't professional interrogators.  They were the men under his command who brought the detainee in, stating they were inviting him to go on patrol with the unit.  They then bound him, kicked him, threw him off the Humvee, and told him that Col. West would kill him unless he provided information on the assassination attempt.

He burst into the room and demanded thru an interpreter that the prisoner tell him where his men were being taken.  The prisoner refused so Col. West took out his pistol and placed it into the prisoner's crotch and fired.   Then the Col. told the prisoner that the next shot would not miss.  

The gun was aimed at his head.  Not his crotch.

So the prisoner said he would show where the American service members were being taken.  The Americans were rescued.  Someone filed a report on incorrect handling of prisoners.  Col. West was forced to retire.  

Well, there were no "prisoners" to rescue.  Seeing as Colonel West was threatening to shoot the detainee in the head, the prisoner did what most prisoners (guilty or not) do in this situation - He provided some names, none of whom were found to be involved in any sort of planned attack.

Colonel West resigned, and no court martial was called.  Whether this was an unofficial agreement, no one will say.

With all-due respect, I can understand why Colonel West did this.  In the same situation, I might have done the same thing.  But I wouldn't call it heroism, or say that I took these actions because of my "true" understanding of Islamic threats.

Col. West was just elected in November 2010 to Congress from Florida.   During the elections he was part of a panel on how to handle or how to relate to Muslims.   You will see his answer here explaining in just over a minute the truth about Islam.  Please watch and if you agree, please forward it to your friends; if you disagree, you're an idiot.  Hit the delete button.
http://secure.afa.net/afa/activism/takeaction.asp?id=384

You can watch the video if you like, but it's lacking any sort of depth.

The title of this YouTube video reads, "Sura 9:5 says, 'Slay the idolators wherever you find them'".  As usual, I grabbed my copy of the Koran.  (Another translation of these passages can be found here.)

This section, in my translation of the Koran, is entitled, "Repentance".  It deals with how Muslims should behave when Non-Muslims violate the peace agreements they make.  It directs Muslims to give such treaty-breakers four months to repent, but allows for self-defense when other solutions aren't possible.  And it doesn't call for Muslims to kill all non-believers.

In the video, Colonel West cites a litany of battles fought between Muslim armies and others, without discussing their (very complex) causes.  And he directs people to "Read the Koran, the Sura and the Hadith" in order to understand why "the enemy" wishes to destroy all of Western Civilization.

And this might make sense - until you actually find out what the "Sura and the Hadith" are.

First of all, it makes no sense to tell people to "read the Koran and the Sura".  If you've read the Koran, you've read all the the Sura - they're just the chapters of the Koran.

The Hadith, however, are not part of the Koran.  They are collections of actions and statements attributed to Mohammed.

There are many collections of Hadith, and no agreements regarding which (if any) are authentic.  Certainly, no collection of Hadith can speak for all of Islam, and statements to the contrary only serve to illustrate the ignorance of the person saying that they do.

Perhaps, Colonel West should spend a little more time following his own advice - to study his "enemy" a little more closely.  And, maybe, spending a little more time looking at himself.