Up & Open Channel: Video: HBO's Real Time With Bill Maher: Ann Coulter in 2004

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

I hate to break this to anyone who might read this who is not a fan of Ann Coulter and even seriously dislikes her and that might be when they are feeling very generous on high on pot. But I have to call them as I see them. Well strike that! I’m choosing to call this as I see it. Ann Coulter actually made two good points on this show. And those might have been the only two good points that she made in all of 2004.

A reason why John Kerry lost to George W. Bush in 2004, which was like the 1972 Miami Dolphins losing to the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers and you’re not a football fan, look up the records of those two teams, is because President Bush was seen as honest and straight with American voters. “Hey President Bush might have an IQ below zero, but at least I know where he is on the issues”. With John Kerry, “he sounds like a smart guy who didn’t need his father to get through Yale or his girlfriend to do his homework for him. But what the hell does he believe on anything controversial, like the Iraq War?”

The other good point that Ann Coulter AKA The Giraffe because her neck is longer than her arms, is about the whole President Bush staying at the Florida school for a few extra minutes after he was informed about the 9/11 attacks scene. Only the Far-Left that Bill Maher apparently fell into, has an issue about that. If he suddenly got up and left the school, people there would know something is up right away and there might have been a panic. Also no one at the time knew when and where the next attack was coming from and where it was going to hit. President Bush’s best spot at least at that moment was to stay there at least for a little while longer. And then maybe take off because they need to be back in Washington for an unplanned meeting or something.

So before you accuse me of always bashing Ann Coulter, first of all I don’t write about her everyday. Because if I did I would always have a migraine headache or flu from having to listen to her. So you can’t say I always bash her anyway. The other reason being I just gave her credit for two points, which would be four points in basketball unless one of the shots was a three-pointer. But The Giraffe couldn’t hit a free with a baseball bat, or the basket was the size of an ocean. So I give her credit for two layups and you can’t say I don’t give her credit for anything.

Hezakya Mixologist: Video: CBS News 1968 Special: Black History: Lost, Stolen or Strayed, Starring Bill Cosby

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

I think the point of this film is that a lot that has been written about African-Americans about American history has been incorrect and stuff that is true about the community has been left out. Which almost fifty-years later is pretty obvious, but back in 1968 it certainly wasn’t. And that African-Americans themselves probably weren’t very familiar with their history especially the positive aspects of it. And probably weren’t even taught about it. It wasn’t until the 1880s or so that African-Americans were allowed to learn how to read, let alone get an education. Because they were treated by Caucasian-Americans as animals.

The other point being that a lot that has been written and portrayed about the African-American community has not just been racist, but simply false. The Birth of The Nation film from 1918 is an excellent example of that. And then go to the movies starting in the 1930s or so featuring African-Americans were portrayed as servants to Caucasians. Or were seen as criminals that no man would ever dare let their daughters be anywhere near. That fact is left obvious even back then because all Americans were familiar with the movies and TV and all had access to them for the most part.

I think the whole point of African-American History Month is to correct many wrongs that were written about the community in the past. And not portray the African-American community as perfect, because no community is. But to give a more balance look at the community and to point out that this community has given a lot to America from day one and even before we officially became the United States. And to show that even though this community still has a lot of challenges in America, they are by far the most successful African community in the world. That has contributed a lot to America and then some.

David Von Pein: David Brinkley on JFK Assassination (November 23, 1963)

Source:The New Democrat  

I think what David Brinkley was getting at with what is my limited ability for mind reading that I have is that the country was in shock. Or at least everyone covering this story was. The first U.S. President assassinated in a hundred-years. A man who seemed to have everything in life being assassinated by a man who had nothing. Jack Kennedy being assassinated by Lee Oswald. I mean think about that for a second.

If someone as powerful and as successful as Jack Kennedy can be assassinated by someone as little and as big of a loser as Lee Oswald was, than anyone can be taken down in America. And since 1963 a lot of very powerful people in America have either been taken down by small people or seriously weakened. Richard Nixon was essentially taken down over a third-rate burglary, comes to mind pretty quickly.

Jack Kennedy just after 1 PM November 22nd, 1963 had everything going for him, including bringing a divided Texas Democratic Party together. A Northeastern Liberal, a Yankee doing that by the way. In Dallas, Texas on a beautiful fall day in November with his beautiful wife getting ready for a parade in his name in Dallas. And hours later is assassinated by a little piece of trash who had nothing going for him in life. And perhaps the only thing he was ever successful at was killing a U.S. President.

Zip Trivia: Video: Are You a Commie, or a Citizen?

Source:The New Democrat

Just from the outset this looks like a Tea Party propaganda film about what it means to be a real American. And this is coming from someone who believe our form of government and economic system is the best in the world based on facts. But this guys does makes some good points about Europe which did move very Far-Left in the 1940s and 50s after World War II. Eastern Europe becoming a collection of Communist States under Soviet control. And the states west of the Slavic States were becoming or had already established social democracies in their country. Democratic Socialist States like Britain and France to use as examples.

For an anti-communist propaganda film, the guy in this film actually does a pretty good and puts some real facts on the table. And doesn’t try to go after Americans who are left of the center-left in America. People who are left of Liberals and say anyone who supported Franklin Roosevelt or Henry Wallace for president must not only be a Communist, but is Un-American and should either be locked up for that, or not allowed to live in America at all. Which is what you got in a lot of these anti-communist propaganda films from this period. Which led up to Congress launching the House Un-American Activities Committee and the Senate Investigative Committee that looked at Communists in the U.S. Government.

What the guy in this film does instead is put real facts on the table about communism and the standards of living in Communist Russia and Communist China compared with the living standards in Liberal Democratic America (sorry Conservatives) and how our standard of living was better. And the benefits of things like capitalism, private enterprise and competition. Which is a lot of what the American economic system is about. And allowing for individuals to be able to be as successful as their skills allow for them to be. Instead of having a big superstate big enough to take care of everybody.

Jnuss Bau: The Hollywood Blacklist: 1947-1960

Source:The New Democrat 

The late 1940s and all the way up to at least the mid-1950s or so was one of the most fascist illiberal and anti-liberal democratic periods of our time. I think elements of today’s Tea Party and the Ann Coulter’s of the world would’ve loved to be alive back then. Because it was a time when an American could be perceived as being a bad person simply because of who they may have associated with in the past. Especially if you were on the Far-Left in America and at the very least had socialistic and communistic leanings as far as what people like that would want to accomplish for America. A more collectivist and equal society.

This is not what America is supposed to be about. We are supposed to be that liberal democracy liberal society free society that the rest of the world wants to mimic. Where everyone has the right to be themselves and believe in what they believe whatever that they may be and be able to associate with whoever they choose to just as long as we aren’t hurting any innocent people with what we are doing. But if you were around back in the late 1940s and 1950s and you were an adult and you were somewhat Far-Left politically and you worked in Hollywood, that is not the type of country that you saw. You saw a country where you could be viewed as guilty and immoral simply because of people you associated with and your political beliefs.

Were there Socialists and Communists in Hollywood back then, I’m sure there were and probably still today. At least when it comes to Democratic Socialists especially if you look at a lot of Hollywood’s political films. But just because someone’s political views are out of the American mainstream and puts them on the Far-Left or Far-Right in America doesn’t automatically make them bad people. And it shouldn’t cost them jobs either. Which is what happened to the Hollywood Ten back then members of the movie industry who lost jobs and whose reputations suffered simply because of their political views. Or their perceived political views, or people that they associate with, or had associated with in the past.

The Washington Post: Wendy Kaminer: 'The Progressive Ideas Behind The Lack of Free Speech on Campus'

The Washington Post: Opinion: Wendy Kaminer: The Progressive Ideas Behind The lLck of Free Speech on Campus

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

I don’t want to say this is true about every college in America, but it is true about too many of them especially where the faculties lean very left. And I’m not talking about liberal or center-left, but much further left than that to the point that they not only believe certain speech is wrong and offensive, but to the point that they don’t even believe it should be considered. And see it as dangerous to the point it shouldn’t even be heard let alone considered. And this affects their student bodies and turns them into essentially campus fascists. Where they won’t allow alternative views to be heard.

If there is any place in the country where freedom of thought and speech and new ideas would be heard, it would be on college campus’. Where young adults whose minds aren’t completely developed would be able to access all sorts of ideas and be able to consider them themselves. While their teachers give them the history and facts about those ideas and philosophies. In other words teach their students how to think and to examine things. But not what to think and leave that up to them once they are trained in how to examine ideas and thoughts. Because now they would be able to see those things for themselves.

And I’m sure there are already colleges like that in America, Otherwise political correctness would be a hell of a lot popular instead of losing support. But as a teacher or professor or dean if you don’t promote the idea of freedom of thought and speech at your school, you’re essentially telling your students that you don’t trust them. That even though they are smart and did well in school to the point they are now students are your college, they can’t be trusted to think for themselves. And as a result you end up promoting a collectivist society where people at the top decide what is right and wrong in society. Instead of a free society where people have the freedom to think and speak for themselves.

Reason Magazine: Peter Suderman: How President Obama's 529 College Tax Plan Debacle Proves The Welfare State is Doomed

Source:The New Democrat

I don’t agree with libertarian Professor Milton Friedman on everything as a Liberal myself. But I think his best quote is “no free lunch’, which is something that I agree with. And what he was talking about was government and public services. That if government is giving you something, then it is not free. Just like food you buy at a grocery store or a phone you buy at an electronics store, you’re paying for the services that you receive. And government is no different other than how you pay for those services. The private sector charges you with bills and the public sector charges through taxes.

Just once I would like to hear a politician say, “I have a plan that would make this or that affordable”. Instead of saying, “I have a plan to give you free X or Y”. Just replace the word free with affordable and then maybe more Americans will actually take politicians seriously and give them a few minutes of respect before they turn the channel. Because every American who pays taxes knows that the government services that they are getting are not free. It might be free for your kids, take education to use as an example. But their education is sure as hell not free for you, if you pay property or sales taxes. And your kids will have to pay that back through taxes when they start working.

I have no problem with a politician having a plan to provide this or that for the people. Just as long as it something that the whole can use and will benefit everyone involved. And I’ll even pay my fair share of taxes to pay for it and not complain about that. Just as long as everyone else is doing the same thing. Just don’t try to fool anyone and try to convince them that they’ll get those services for free. Because again any American who pays taxes will know you’re simply wrong if not lying about that and won’t take you seriously. Unless they are already on your side. Tell them, “this will benefit you, but this is how much it will cost you. But it will be worth it.” And more Americans won’t treat politicians as bullshit artists.