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Jewish World Review Oct. 5, 2009/ 17 Tishrei 5770 MIA: Common Sense and Common Decency By Arnold Ahlert
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
This week's list:
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Ever wonder what would happen to health insurance rates if: companies could compete nationwide, consumers could pick and choose specific health items they want covered, and Congress enacted tort reform? You'll have to keep wondering, because the American left is determined to find a government "solution" to healthcare, costing trillions. That the Congress and the Obama administration completely ignore such free-market, non-debt accumulating ideas is revealing: "fixing" healthcare has far less to do with healthcare than it does with the further accumulation of power in Washington D.C. •
Now that president Obama's Olympic full-court press is history, would it be too much to expect him to start doing the job he was actually elected to do? Apparently Mr. Obama can't figure out that, at some point, symbolism must give way to substance, campaigning to governance. •
It is hard to decide which is more daunting: eight-year-old school kids taught to sing the president's praises, or the adults in charge of the Burlington, NJ public schools worrying more about how such a video was disseminated, than the actual content of the video itself?
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When did America's military leaders come to the conclusion that "winning hearts and minds" takes precedence over destroying America's enemies? Afghan commander Gen. McChrystal's strategy report reads more like a college thesis about community outreach than a sobering assessment of what it takes to achieve victory. Do we still believe in victory, or are American men and women in harm's way cannon fodder for some intellectual exercise — epitomized by the unconscionable "Rules of Engagement" which unnecessarily endanger their lives? •
As George Will noted in a recent column, the environment is not cooperating with the global warming alarmists. Cooling trends might last "a decade or so." Again, like the health care debacle, reality and common sense will not deter those whose primary goal has little to do with the environment and very much to do with their own self-aggrandizement as "indispensable" leaders presiding over those too stupid to be left to our own devices. Cap and trade legislation is their calling card. •
Late Night comedian David Letterman, threatened with extortion by a fellow network executive, apparently felt forced to admit that he had "sex with several staffers." Rumor has it that Roman Polanski is circulating a petition in Dave's defense. •
New York City's Education Dept. has banned most bake sales, despite the fact that they are used to generate funds for school activities such as teams and clubs. This is part of Nanny Mayor Mike Bloomberg's ongoing attempt to force New Yorkers to be more responsible regarding their health. Once again, those who cannot tolerate individual choice or personal responsibility will force-feed their agenda to the public, which apparently has no choice in the matter. •
This week, Republicans plan to introduce a resolution demanding that Charlie Rangel step down from his post as the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, which writes the nation's tax code. Rangel is up to his neck in code violations, which puts Democrats in a tenuous position: do they throw their support behind a tax cheat, or do they do the right thing? In 2006, Democrats regained control of Congress because, as Nancy Pelosi claimed, Republicans had fostered a "culture of corruption" in Washington, D.C. Democrats talked the talk. Will they walk the walk? Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
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© 2009, Arnold Ahlert |
Arnold Ahlert | |||||||||||||
