Mike, 23 million in this country are now employed by the government. They have family and friends who also vote in their own self-interests, which creates this automatic Democrat Party vote - the party of the public sector unions.
Founders did not assume we would do this t ourselves; but we did. And here we are at a tipping point in 2024 - with the promise the Harris administration will finally push the nation over the top into a Democrat super-majority by expanding even Big Government and even more government dependencies.
Harris's strings are pulled, just like Obama and Biden, by the Big Government employee unions. Their other "issues" (green new deal, abortion, open borders, DEI) are just cover for their real operations - Big Government forever. Until the OPM finally runs out which is finally happening in California, after the past 20 year "progressive" assault on this one state. California's past is the now the nation's prologue.
The real Harris agenda will be much higher and more intrusive taxes used to support her final take-over of this country by the Big Government and their unions. Solid GOP majorities in both House and Senate are just as important now as the White House. Stop this Harris Big Government takeover at every level on the ballot, from our local school boards on up.
You nailed it! Will non-government beneficiaries save America? Will ‘the good life’ retires stop playing pickle ball and golf for 2 months to actively work to save our country?
The better statement is 99% of the 23 million will be Democrat voters; it is sheer laziness on my part not to state that qualification each time. Thanks for the reminder. You will need to apply your own formula to your requested carveouts to take away their de minimus impacts on the 23 million whole.
I might quibble that it's not 99% - but I agree that it's a majority. But I'm not sure so they all vote democratic. I had a neighbor that worked for Cal-Trans for 30 years and retired on a fat pension. Had his check signed by Brown or Newsom and had a 'vote republican - socialism sucks' bumper sticker on his car. I guess he just wasn't quick enough to notice the irony of who paid for his car....
"Socialism" erodes his own pension checks since they depend on sound investments and adequate "left over" tax dollars to support the promised payouts. Perhaps that is why he changed his tune when he needed to be on the right side of capitalism.
There were major changes in the California public pension formulas during Gray Davis administration - that created the fiscal hash ups we are facing now.
The military was stripped of any free thinkers and REAL leaders under the jab requirement. I know too many Lt. Majors who resigned rather than be shoved out under that command. Leaving us with nothing but yes men/women. Same with our first responders. The Great Herd Experiment weeded out those who are bold and smart enough to resist.
The Democrat party loathes individualism. To have a leader making decisions is antithetical to the Democrat party's philosophy. This made Biden and Harris perfect candidates. Both owe their station to the party. Neither have risen on merit but by allegiance to the Democrat party and are willing to say or do as directed by the party. Kennedy or Sanders would never do as Democrat candidates because they still believe the president is in the position to make decisions. The Democrat party is a huge money laundering operation where policy is forged from money. Domestic donors, foreign "donors", and customers of Hunter's artwork are examples of people who have bought a voice in forming Democrat party policy.
Speaking of blindly following the Democratic Party you need to look no further than SB County, SB City and Goleta elected officials to see why we’re in such a mess.
Yeah, I get that, too. Because they have to write their endless meta-comments about the evil that is Trump and it takes them away from what they'd rather be doing, like brain surgery. And then when you respond by pointing out how factually off they are, they have to write in CAPS about how hateful you are when they'd prefer to be picking up dirty needles off Goleta Beach.
The Democrat party loves individualism, it is individualism that has led them to promote individual liberties from groups like the "LGBT" community. The democrat party as a liberal groups and in the same spirit of American and French Revolution has sought to turn away from morality and from communal obligations, towards a definition of the individual. Through relativism people become their own gods, and they define their own moral code. Do you really think democrats hate individualism when it has allowed them to justify abortion? Not one bit.
The Democrat party supports the LBGT community as part of a marginalized group. The Democrat party abhors individualism as it pertains to thought and action.
If it was merely supporting a marginalized groups they would care for dignity only, not promoting anything like same sex unions, pride parades, indoctrination in schools etc.
The overturning of Roe v Wade is a reduction not an expansion of government authority. It returns laws governing abortion to the states and to elected officials and to popular vote. Roe v Wade interpreted the Constitution to guarantee access to abortion as being granted through a convoluted bastardization of the right to privacy. It has always been viewed as a bad decision contrary to the word and spirit of the Constitution. Among many other Constitutional scholars, Ruth Bader Ginsberg said the decision was bad and should be overturned. Doesn't Tyrus live in Louisiana? He is a pretty smart dude and would not appreciate being called backward.
Right to privacy? Bah. Who cares, abortion is a moral evil that should be condemned totally. Your statement is fundamentally liberal as it's rooted in relativism, rather than caring for the right of all people to life, you appeal to constitutional republicanism as though it should dictate morality...
I refer to constitutional republicanism because it is the system we live under. Personally, I abhor abortion. I am not a moral relativist and firmly believe in absolute morality given by God. That said, I see no path to installing a benevolent monarch so in the meantime I work within the system we live under.
S.2: The federal government is granted only the enumerated powers under our US Constitution. Everything else belongs to the individual states. Those are the express rules, as amended over time.
Where the lines are drawn between the federal govnement and the states has been in controversy since the very beginning of this country. Thus it continues to be debated even today.
If course are allowed to just make things up, we then have no legal foundation for any part of what we now call this country.
US Constitution sets out both rights and duties. Color within the lines. Then chose the state that best suits your own proclivities. That was the grand plan. But we have strayed quite a bit too late, which again triggers the counter-movement to reign in Big Government which is now perilously close to finally becoming fatally too big. So this old topic has now been re-energized.
Why kind of civics education do you get since it appears that is no longer part of the K-12 curriculum. You might have missed out. There is a good Great Courses lecture series on Wondrium about the US Constitution, if you are seeking more insights.
My guess is Joe Biden was not napping during his Sant Ynez Valley stay, but rather was ensconced with son Hunter pouring over the House Committee Report on the Biden family influence peddling conclusions page by page.
The family shopping trip was probably more for staged "normalcy", considering how disruptive it was to this small community. While the family was digesting the personal impacts of that final House report -now part of the historical public record detailing this sideline part of the Obama-Biden-Harris administrations.
Interesting to note the cone of silence local media placed on these pro-Trump car rallies, also going on in the Valley. I had no idea they were happening at the Biden retreat site, until reading about them here. The thumbs up from closet Trump supporters are the remarkable surprise, when people are finally given an opportunity to break out of this locally imposed TDS media black out.
Kamala looked like sympathetic talk show host being interviewed by another sympathetic talk show host in "The Interview" on CNN last evening. Tim Walz, Kamala's VP pick reminded me of a watered down version of Ed McMahon. If elected in November, we are all in a world of trouble. Feckless at best negotiating with Putin, Xi Jinping, & the rest of the dictators of the world. Heaven help us.
What a great time for another country to start a war with us. Biden has the Nuclear Football, but now he probably thinks it's something to kick, instead of the real purpose of it containing the retaliator options and code words, etc. Maybe Harris has the "football" or Biden's Whitehouse staff is fighting over who gets the "football" in an emergency. Just something to think about while enjoying the warmth of the sun outdoors before the warmth of a nuclear reaction arrives at our doorsteps. Have a nice day.
He doesn't have to remember it, that's what the so-called Nuclear Football contains ... many codes and stuff he doesn't understand. Remember in the news a year or so ago he was known not to keep the "football" nearby and would go on errands or places without it. He really pissed off the military guys.
Yes Jeff, I figured out later what you were referring to and 0000 combo is perfect! The "football" is probably updated by the Pentagon with new instructions to accommodate with Biden's limited thinking capabilities. The instructions inside the "football" probably goes something like this:
Dear Joey:
This is your daddy writing to tell you what to do right now. Joey, remember your neighbor Samy coming over to play in your sandbox and destroying your tractor toys? Of course, and you know what you did? You went over to Samy's house and destroyed his tricycle and kicked him in the face. Now listen Joey, Samy once again is planning to come over and destroy your toys located in your BIG, backyard! Before Samy arrives, you need to prepare yourself and shoot off those big rocket playthings of yours and get him before he gets you. Do as I tell you right now, Joey, or I'll have to spank you. Your Daddy, Rolling in His Grave.
I was thinking about my Biden joke above which might be considered as being "politically incorrect" or offensive because of those people with dementia or caring for people with dementia. I would never make fun of people with dementia. I do find it irritating we all have to be so careful in what we say. I probably started to go crazy when the mailman had to be called a mailperson. Who started this nonsense? The toy theme I used was derived from my personal "kid" experience when I did have a neighbor that did damage my toys in a sandbox. When I was about ten years old, I received on Christmas, an expensive, cast metal Smith-Miller hook and ladder fire engine that could never be brought outdoors; my mother watched it like a hawk. And no, I didn't break my neighbor's toys. True Fire Engine story: On the day before Christmas my dad searched through toy stores looking for a fire engine. After nearly giving up, he spotted a fire engine deep in back of a store. The fire engine, which today the Smith-Miller toys remain as valued collector's items, was sitting on the shelf. My dad, not a wealthy man, had to ponder what to do because of the cost. It was everything he could dream of and more. After much pondering, my dad left the store holding the fire engine in his arms. Of course, when I got up the next morning the fire engine was under the tree! I played with it the rest of the day. And I can assure you, this fire engine never left the house and I had this fire engine most of my life. The Smith-Miller toy company was founded in Santa Monica in 1945 (the year of my birthday). If you want to give your child a great present, go to eBay and find him/her (got to be politically correct <g>) an old Smith-Miller toy!
Nothing is made today with the durability of a Smith-Miller.
Because most of Americans are checked out, here in CA anyway. And then there’s the loud mouthed Far Left who bully anyone who does not fall in line with the Dem Propoganda. And we conservatives then shy away from the bully. Shame on us. We are here today because we allowed the bullies to rule the country.
We just had a conversation with a Democrat. They said they knew Kamala was bad on the economy and the border, but she believes in abortion. Well, she actually said Kamala believes in pro choice, which I pointed out is pro abortion and asked her to kindly use the appropriate terms.
So she will vote Dem just on abortion, nothing else. I realized she, like most Dem Voters, cannot admit their party is full of liars and cheats, they will find any excuse to vote Dem.
Just like abused children, they will stand by their party even though they know it’s wrong.
I did ask her when does life begin. If you believe in abortion you have to answer that question with authority. Not one doctor or scientist has stated when life begins. But the Alabama Supreme Court stated embryos are children. Christians say life begins at inception. And yet pro abortion people refuse to answer the question, is it because they know they are murdering unborn children?
Pro abortion people are ok with killing innocent lives. It’s murder. Yes it is.
If you say it’s not murder, then tell us when does life begin and show us scientific proof.
Just out of curiosity - why do you think that states like Alabama, Arkansas,
Georgia, Florida, Mississippi and Missouri have six week or near total abortion bans but also have the Death Penalty? Seems odd or even hypocritical to me.
Wasn't really a riddle. More of a potential oxymoron. But I just read that many Southern Baptists consider capitol punishment an ok form of murder while a many of other Christians followings do not.
REALLY WELL SAID! You summed up the mess we are all drowning in. RALLIES FOR TRUMP/VANCE/RFKJR./MUSK EVERY SATURDAY IN LOMPOC STARTING IN SEPTEMBER! COME ONE COME ALL 10:00 - 3:30 CORNER OF H ST. AND CENTRAL AVENUE BRING FLAGS, SIGNS AND GOOD CHEER.
Good Article. ?Who is running the country? The same people that have been running the country during the Biden Presidency and running the country behind the scenes for all of our near past presidents. It's the blob. If you want to learn about them, listen to this fellow Mike Benz, who once worked at the US State Department & now stepping forward as a whistleblower type. The people that run our government surround the presidency, both within the government (State Department+CIA+DOD - “The Blob”) and outside the government (Council of Foreign Relations, Atlantic Council, Brookings Institute, +++). You can learn more by following Mike on X for current events and history of the string pullers. Here is a recent interview with Tucker Carlson…
I also watched the Kamala Harris-Mike Walz interview on CNN last night. First it should be understood that CNN is run by the DNC (with personal & cash infusions from the CIA). Dana is married to a former CIA employee, Jeremy Bash (old saying…once CIA, always CIA). Both are likely on the payroll. The interview was a little more than a paid ad for the Harris-Walz ticket — a slice and dice, preplanned, prerecorded, edited show. Dana held their hands and walked them through the Psyops, which included pro Harris-Walz commentary + visuals and anti-Trump commentary + visuals, leading into each set of questions. In a past life, I oversaw bank security for a local bank, which included training by FBI personnel in kinesic interview processes (was a short 40-hour course of how to conduct interviews, observe, and make determinations of truthfulness). Both Kamala Harris and Mike Walz were complete failures, especially Kamala. Lots of tension within Kamala, which is understandable given the buildup to the interview. BUT, but many tells of deception — closed body language, looking sideways, talking out of the right side of her mouth while facing the interviewer with the left side of her face, hiding behind her eyelids as she contrived the best answers, etc. Overall, she generally displayed withdrawal, instead of being upright, forthright, open bodied/open minded. I’m sure that most who watch could see many of the same things, along with the blatant falsehoods told by her words. Most can see that Harris & Walz are both psychopathic politicians (owned and controlled by the Deep State).
WSJ today features a big photo of Kamala Harris out shopping in Los Angeles. She must have gotten the GW Bush 2001 memo ....to go shopping.... and is doing her part to repair post 9-11 America. Proof she is working on becoming bi-partisan, just not in this era.
Today’s WSJ also states Trump seeks a way to “blunt” Democrats advantage with women voters. “Donald Trump suggested Thursday he would support a ballot measure that would roll back a six-week abortion ban in Florida, but then his campaign scrambled to walk it back, his latest halting attempt to try to find a middle ground on the issue.” What saddens me is abortion could decide the election when so many issues must be addressed: citizen rights/ needs vs illegal immigrants; national sovereignty; the $35T debt; WEF globalism; military preparedness; taxation, inflation, government confiscation of private property; foreign & Bill Gates ownership of ag land; mandates designed to destroy small business ownership (beyond Hollister in 93117 and State Street in 93101); …
BTW: Harris shops to relieve stress. She’s uncomfortable with the pressure. She cackles or laughs to deflect. She’ll laugh and shop her way to avoid the $35Trillion bill that needs to be paid.
I absolutely agree that the dems will block trump from taking office despite the will of the American people.. Congress will block him as an insurrectionist, tell the illegals trump will have them deported and a lot of them are criminals along with antifa and blm civil war dollar collapse..
I truly believe they will Never relinquish power, they will see us all dead first
Great article!! The Deep State/Globalists are in charge with our 3 letter non-elected bureaucrats. Now that is truly scary. They hate independent, free thinking, hard working Americans.
You said..."It’s just as scary our own government, FBI and Secret Service are still hiding everything. They’re supposed to be on our side." Although our government has never been is such disarray, the real scary thing is that there are few we can trust. We need to pray we can get to November 5th in tact and Trumpism takes over...or like you inferred...it really doesn't matter. Blessings
MW: They forgot we pay their salaries, perks and benefits. How do we best remind them of our essential employer/employee relationship?
Repeal the 16th Amendment is a start - stop main-lining automatic payroll deduction tax dollars to the Beltway spending addicts . This easy money has distorted a more direct and immediate relationship between the governed, and our government employees.
I watched segments the Harris-Walz interview yesterday. My overall impression is that Harris looked like a Deer in the headlights, seemed uncomfortable knowing lying and appeared nervous.
I can’t help but wonder, how is the polling even close given our economic and geopolitical situation? Clearly, many see a black woman aspiring to become the first female president and that is all that is needed to steer the US in the right direction. Yes, people do vote based solely on race…surprise! Isn’t being a racist a contradiction with Democrats? Guess not. No, the Dems are the “OG” racist. Let’s see Bryd, Mattox, Wallace, LBJ, Biden ALL white supremacist and racist! What hypocrisy.
What’s interesting is how local lefties try to reconcile the abysmal record and policies of the incompetent Biden-Harris administration. BTW, where is Joe? Oh that’s right, he’s hiding under an umbrella. Sure hope no foreign actors are planning an attack on us!
Yes, it would seem that local Dems love being woke or identifiable as a marginalized group much more than they love being an American patriot. Their behavior whenever Trump is
mentioned is truly bizarre to say the least. Yes, they tend to become unhinged and say stupid things. If it’s one thing I learned about liberals is, they love their money and perceived power more than anything. Yes, the WORST thing that can happen to a lefty elitist is to take their money away…poof! Well, they better get used to it because if Harris is elected you can say goodbye to wealth and hello to taxation of unrealized or make believed gains! Yes, we will be facing an economic collapse in cataclysmic fashion!
Can anyone who has an education of City College or higher, imagine how Harris will look sitting across the bargaining table from Putin, Un or Xi? Ummm, how do you say “dumbass” in Chinese? Love to be a fly on the wall.
Sure hope Trump pulls it off, but if past history is any indication on how Dems can lie, fix an election or screw the proverbial pooch, don’t hold your breath!
Can't put all the eggs in just one basket. or just one person We have a House and a Senate to elect too. That is a joint effort we must all undertake.
Electing Steve Garvey and Thomas Cole is right up there in critical importance too. Just preventing a radical takeover of the city council this election is critical. Brining common sense and fiscal restraint back to the SBCC board of trustees is critical too. We voters still have choices to create the country we want in every single election.
LT- There are several interviews with college students and the 35 and under voters that you may find confirm your post, plus expand on their reasons for supporting Harris beyond race and gender. Promised freebies from loan forgiveness or income tax deductibility to her proposed $125,000 income tax credit or down payment attract them.
Income taxation has been raised by some youth: Why can’t payments on loan debt again be income tax deductible? For “fairness”, some desire for adjustments to income tax brackets to acknowledge rental/ ownership costs for a single taxpayer household are the same as a 2-or more income producing household. Singles need a break. Some states allow rent to be deducted not just mortgages. Also some interviewed youth have questioned the national one size fits all tax brackets when it costs more to live in certain regions or cities.
Harris will listen intently, smile, but likely do nothing but promise, politician style.
Trump hit hard the middle class in big blue states when he capped at $10,000 the federal deduction for state property tax, bond fee taxes, and income tax. In CA we need to address excessive taxation and dictates. Santa Barbara’s largest Top 10 employers are government financed.
In your top 10 employer list - are you including Cottage and Sansum/Sutter as government financed? I can see that to a degree. But what about Procore, Appfolio and Sonos?
Government employee health care benefits are major drivers of the medical industry in this town - tax dollar trickle down. See Transparent California to see the size of those government employee health care premiums, funded by taxpayers.
How do they compare to what you need to set aside for your own private health care premiums? Health care premiums are a major part of government employee union bargaining agreements. Should all government employees only get Obamacare/Covered California health care plans as their sole employment benefit?
Thanks, Henry. At the risk of sounding like one of your psychics, I woke up from a dream a short while ago in which they'd gotten Biden to resign. (The “they” who are running this country, whoever “they” are, because with pronouns what “they” are, it could be a she, or a he, or any-tee-hee).
Kamala was now president and her first act of actually doing something had been to declare war on Putin - a real war this time, no more proxy foolin' around. I asked people whether it was a war against Russia or just Putin. People shrugged and moved on.
Then a loudspeaker announced the election was called off for national security. And we all needed to return to our homes because we were in lockdown. Nobody around me seemed shocked or upset about this.
In my dream I asked, like you, “who is running this country?” I passed people on city streets trying to go home. No one knew. And then I got my answer from a woman who pointed at the traffic passing by. They were all autonomous cars. Not a driver in sight.
“Feel the joy,” she said.
But what do dreams tell us anyway? Any more than psychics?
Thank you for the commentary.
This undisputable fact has disturbed me for months. The frightening thing is half the country (or more!) do not care.
The sheeple citizens of this country have no understanding that the world has become a powder keg and there is no one home in the White House.
Mike, 23 million in this country are now employed by the government. They have family and friends who also vote in their own self-interests, which creates this automatic Democrat Party vote - the party of the public sector unions.
Founders did not assume we would do this t ourselves; but we did. And here we are at a tipping point in 2024 - with the promise the Harris administration will finally push the nation over the top into a Democrat super-majority by expanding even Big Government and even more government dependencies.
Harris's strings are pulled, just like Obama and Biden, by the Big Government employee unions. Their other "issues" (green new deal, abortion, open borders, DEI) are just cover for their real operations - Big Government forever. Until the OPM finally runs out which is finally happening in California, after the past 20 year "progressive" assault on this one state. California's past is the now the nation's prologue.
The real Harris agenda will be much higher and more intrusive taxes used to support her final take-over of this country by the Big Government and their unions. Solid GOP majorities in both House and Senate are just as important now as the White House. Stop this Harris Big Government takeover at every level on the ballot, from our local school boards on up.
I do not disagree with your additional analysis.
You nailed it! Will non-government beneficiaries save America? Will ‘the good life’ retires stop playing pickle ball and golf for 2 months to actively work to save our country?
JL - I think you spelled it out once. But are the police, firefighters and military part of the 23 million?
The better statement is 99% of the 23 million will be Democrat voters; it is sheer laziness on my part not to state that qualification each time. Thanks for the reminder. You will need to apply your own formula to your requested carveouts to take away their de minimus impacts on the 23 million whole.
I might quibble that it's not 99% - but I agree that it's a majority. But I'm not sure so they all vote democratic. I had a neighbor that worked for Cal-Trans for 30 years and retired on a fat pension. Had his check signed by Brown or Newsom and had a 'vote republican - socialism sucks' bumper sticker on his car. I guess he just wasn't quick enough to notice the irony of who paid for his car....
"Socialism" erodes his own pension checks since they depend on sound investments and adequate "left over" tax dollars to support the promised payouts. Perhaps that is why he changed his tune when he needed to be on the right side of capitalism.
There were major changes in the California public pension formulas during Gray Davis administration - that created the fiscal hash ups we are facing now.
The military was stripped of any free thinkers and REAL leaders under the jab requirement. I know too many Lt. Majors who resigned rather than be shoved out under that command. Leaving us with nothing but yes men/women. Same with our first responders. The Great Herd Experiment weeded out those who are bold and smart enough to resist.
The Democrat party loathes individualism. To have a leader making decisions is antithetical to the Democrat party's philosophy. This made Biden and Harris perfect candidates. Both owe their station to the party. Neither have risen on merit but by allegiance to the Democrat party and are willing to say or do as directed by the party. Kennedy or Sanders would never do as Democrat candidates because they still believe the president is in the position to make decisions. The Democrat party is a huge money laundering operation where policy is forged from money. Domestic donors, foreign "donors", and customers of Hunter's artwork are examples of people who have bought a voice in forming Democrat party policy.
Speaking of blindly following the Democratic Party you need to look no further than SB County, SB City and Goleta elected officials to see why we’re in such a mess.
Hey, you can't complain about me getting the most likes anymore. Great comment Monsieur Barton.
I just got up early, plus it has been reported that I have nothing better to do.
Yeah, I get that, too. Because they have to write their endless meta-comments about the evil that is Trump and it takes them away from what they'd rather be doing, like brain surgery. And then when you respond by pointing out how factually off they are, they have to write in CAPS about how hateful you are when they'd prefer to be picking up dirty needles off Goleta Beach.
The Democrat party loves individualism, it is individualism that has led them to promote individual liberties from groups like the "LGBT" community. The democrat party as a liberal groups and in the same spirit of American and French Revolution has sought to turn away from morality and from communal obligations, towards a definition of the individual. Through relativism people become their own gods, and they define their own moral code. Do you really think democrats hate individualism when it has allowed them to justify abortion? Not one bit.
The Democrat party supports the LBGT community as part of a marginalized group. The Democrat party abhors individualism as it pertains to thought and action.
If it was merely supporting a marginalized groups they would care for dignity only, not promoting anything like same sex unions, pride parades, indoctrination in schools etc.
Oh _ p u l e e e a s e _
The overturning of Roe v Wade is a reduction not an expansion of government authority. It returns laws governing abortion to the states and to elected officials and to popular vote. Roe v Wade interpreted the Constitution to guarantee access to abortion as being granted through a convoluted bastardization of the right to privacy. It has always been viewed as a bad decision contrary to the word and spirit of the Constitution. Among many other Constitutional scholars, Ruth Bader Ginsberg said the decision was bad and should be overturned. Doesn't Tyrus live in Louisiana? He is a pretty smart dude and would not appreciate being called backward.
Correct.
Right to privacy? Bah. Who cares, abortion is a moral evil that should be condemned totally. Your statement is fundamentally liberal as it's rooted in relativism, rather than caring for the right of all people to life, you appeal to constitutional republicanism as though it should dictate morality...
I refer to constitutional republicanism because it is the system we live under. Personally, I abhor abortion. I am not a moral relativist and firmly believe in absolute morality given by God. That said, I see no path to installing a benevolent monarch so in the meantime I work within the system we live under.
S.2: The federal government is granted only the enumerated powers under our US Constitution. Everything else belongs to the individual states. Those are the express rules, as amended over time.
Where the lines are drawn between the federal govnement and the states has been in controversy since the very beginning of this country. Thus it continues to be debated even today.
If course are allowed to just make things up, we then have no legal foundation for any part of what we now call this country.
US Constitution sets out both rights and duties. Color within the lines. Then chose the state that best suits your own proclivities. That was the grand plan. But we have strayed quite a bit too late, which again triggers the counter-movement to reign in Big Government which is now perilously close to finally becoming fatally too big. So this old topic has now been re-energized.
Why kind of civics education do you get since it appears that is no longer part of the K-12 curriculum. You might have missed out. There is a good Great Courses lecture series on Wondrium about the US Constitution, if you are seeking more insights.
I'm not a republican I'm a Carlist. A Catholic Monarchist, I detest the liberal foundations of the republican parry and indeed of America as well.
I very much desire a return to a medieval and moral government, so such a statement has no bearing on me.
My guess is Joe Biden was not napping during his Sant Ynez Valley stay, but rather was ensconced with son Hunter pouring over the House Committee Report on the Biden family influence peddling conclusions page by page.
The family shopping trip was probably more for staged "normalcy", considering how disruptive it was to this small community. While the family was digesting the personal impacts of that final House report -now part of the historical public record detailing this sideline part of the Obama-Biden-Harris administrations.
Interesting to note the cone of silence local media placed on these pro-Trump car rallies, also going on in the Valley. I had no idea they were happening at the Biden retreat site, until reading about them here. The thumbs up from closet Trump supporters are the remarkable surprise, when people are finally given an opportunity to break out of this locally imposed TDS media black out.
South Santa Barbara County needs impartial media, or an underground communication network. We have none! It’s suffocating here.
What "interview"? It was an infomercial.
Her handlers will not allow her to do anymore "interviews". She will be hiding the rest of the way out. She may even duck out of the debate.
Kamala looked like sympathetic talk show host being interviewed by another sympathetic talk show host in "The Interview" on CNN last evening. Tim Walz, Kamala's VP pick reminded me of a watered down version of Ed McMahon. If elected in November, we are all in a world of trouble. Feckless at best negotiating with Putin, Xi Jinping, & the rest of the dictators of the world. Heaven help us.
What a great time for another country to start a war with us. Biden has the Nuclear Football, but now he probably thinks it's something to kick, instead of the real purpose of it containing the retaliator options and code words, etc. Maybe Harris has the "football" or Biden's Whitehouse staff is fighting over who gets the "football" in an emergency. Just something to think about while enjoying the warmth of the sun outdoors before the warmth of a nuclear reaction arrives at our doorsteps. Have a nice day.
Biden can't remember the secret code.
He doesn't have to remember it, that's what the so-called Nuclear Football contains ... many codes and stuff he doesn't understand. Remember in the news a year or so ago he was known not to keep the "football" nearby and would go on errands or places without it. He really pissed off the military guys.
He set the combination lock to 0 0 0 0 and set his password to "password"
Yes Jeff, I figured out later what you were referring to and 0000 combo is perfect! The "football" is probably updated by the Pentagon with new instructions to accommodate with Biden's limited thinking capabilities. The instructions inside the "football" probably goes something like this:
Dear Joey:
This is your daddy writing to tell you what to do right now. Joey, remember your neighbor Samy coming over to play in your sandbox and destroying your tractor toys? Of course, and you know what you did? You went over to Samy's house and destroyed his tricycle and kicked him in the face. Now listen Joey, Samy once again is planning to come over and destroy your toys located in your BIG, backyard! Before Samy arrives, you need to prepare yourself and shoot off those big rocket playthings of yours and get him before he gets you. Do as I tell you right now, Joey, or I'll have to spank you. Your Daddy, Rolling in His Grave.
I was thinking about my Biden joke above which might be considered as being "politically incorrect" or offensive because of those people with dementia or caring for people with dementia. I would never make fun of people with dementia. I do find it irritating we all have to be so careful in what we say. I probably started to go crazy when the mailman had to be called a mailperson. Who started this nonsense? The toy theme I used was derived from my personal "kid" experience when I did have a neighbor that did damage my toys in a sandbox. When I was about ten years old, I received on Christmas, an expensive, cast metal Smith-Miller hook and ladder fire engine that could never be brought outdoors; my mother watched it like a hawk. And no, I didn't break my neighbor's toys. True Fire Engine story: On the day before Christmas my dad searched through toy stores looking for a fire engine. After nearly giving up, he spotted a fire engine deep in back of a store. The fire engine, which today the Smith-Miller toys remain as valued collector's items, was sitting on the shelf. My dad, not a wealthy man, had to ponder what to do because of the cost. It was everything he could dream of and more. After much pondering, my dad left the store holding the fire engine in his arms. Of course, when I got up the next morning the fire engine was under the tree! I played with it the rest of the day. And I can assure you, this fire engine never left the house and I had this fire engine most of my life. The Smith-Miller toy company was founded in Santa Monica in 1945 (the year of my birthday). If you want to give your child a great present, go to eBay and find him/her (got to be politically correct <g>) an old Smith-Miller toy!
Nothing is made today with the durability of a Smith-Miller.
My letter carrier is female so I call her the femaleman.
Your fire truck story reminds me of the Red Ryder BB gun in the movie Christmas Story.
“ Why aren’t alarm bells going off?”
Because most of Americans are checked out, here in CA anyway. And then there’s the loud mouthed Far Left who bully anyone who does not fall in line with the Dem Propoganda. And we conservatives then shy away from the bully. Shame on us. We are here today because we allowed the bullies to rule the country.
We just had a conversation with a Democrat. They said they knew Kamala was bad on the economy and the border, but she believes in abortion. Well, she actually said Kamala believes in pro choice, which I pointed out is pro abortion and asked her to kindly use the appropriate terms.
So she will vote Dem just on abortion, nothing else. I realized she, like most Dem Voters, cannot admit their party is full of liars and cheats, they will find any excuse to vote Dem.
Just like abused children, they will stand by their party even though they know it’s wrong.
I did ask her when does life begin. If you believe in abortion you have to answer that question with authority. Not one doctor or scientist has stated when life begins. But the Alabama Supreme Court stated embryos are children. Christians say life begins at inception. And yet pro abortion people refuse to answer the question, is it because they know they are murdering unborn children?
Pro abortion people are ok with killing innocent lives. It’s murder. Yes it is.
If you say it’s not murder, then tell us when does life begin and show us scientific proof.
Just out of curiosity - why do you think that states like Alabama, Arkansas,
Georgia, Florida, Mississippi and Missouri have six week or near total abortion bans but also have the Death Penalty? Seems odd or even hypocritical to me.
One is an innocent life the other convicted of a heinous crime
Does that help solve the riddle?
No.
Wasn't really a riddle. More of a potential oxymoron. But I just read that many Southern Baptists consider capitol punishment an ok form of murder while a many of other Christians followings do not.
REALLY WELL SAID! You summed up the mess we are all drowning in. RALLIES FOR TRUMP/VANCE/RFKJR./MUSK EVERY SATURDAY IN LOMPOC STARTING IN SEPTEMBER! COME ONE COME ALL 10:00 - 3:30 CORNER OF H ST. AND CENTRAL AVENUE BRING FLAGS, SIGNS AND GOOD CHEER.
Good Article. ?Who is running the country? The same people that have been running the country during the Biden Presidency and running the country behind the scenes for all of our near past presidents. It's the blob. If you want to learn about them, listen to this fellow Mike Benz, who once worked at the US State Department & now stepping forward as a whistleblower type. The people that run our government surround the presidency, both within the government (State Department+CIA+DOD - “The Blob”) and outside the government (Council of Foreign Relations, Atlantic Council, Brookings Institute, +++). You can learn more by following Mike on X for current events and history of the string pullers. Here is a recent interview with Tucker Carlson…
https://x.com/mikebenzcyber/status/1828928441129021634?s=61
I also watched the Kamala Harris-Mike Walz interview on CNN last night. First it should be understood that CNN is run by the DNC (with personal & cash infusions from the CIA). Dana is married to a former CIA employee, Jeremy Bash (old saying…once CIA, always CIA). Both are likely on the payroll. The interview was a little more than a paid ad for the Harris-Walz ticket — a slice and dice, preplanned, prerecorded, edited show. Dana held their hands and walked them through the Psyops, which included pro Harris-Walz commentary + visuals and anti-Trump commentary + visuals, leading into each set of questions. In a past life, I oversaw bank security for a local bank, which included training by FBI personnel in kinesic interview processes (was a short 40-hour course of how to conduct interviews, observe, and make determinations of truthfulness). Both Kamala Harris and Mike Walz were complete failures, especially Kamala. Lots of tension within Kamala, which is understandable given the buildup to the interview. BUT, but many tells of deception — closed body language, looking sideways, talking out of the right side of her mouth while facing the interviewer with the left side of her face, hiding behind her eyelids as she contrived the best answers, etc. Overall, she generally displayed withdrawal, instead of being upright, forthright, open bodied/open minded. I’m sure that most who watch could see many of the same things, along with the blatant falsehoods told by her words. Most can see that Harris & Walz are both psychopathic politicians (owned and controlled by the Deep State).
Here is an interesting take on "Who's Running our Country?" https://intelligencer.today/the-council-who-is-running-the-united-states-of-america/18/07/2024/8132/
Next question. Who is controlling the council?
Thank you Peggy for the link. Very interesting!
WSJ today features a big photo of Kamala Harris out shopping in Los Angeles. She must have gotten the GW Bush 2001 memo ....to go shopping.... and is doing her part to repair post 9-11 America. Proof she is working on becoming bi-partisan, just not in this era.
Meanwhile in case you missed it, see if your doctor recommends "Independence" for any lingering cases of Trump Derangement Syndrome: https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/08/watch-rfk-jr-campaign-drops-brutal-ad-severe/
Today’s WSJ also states Trump seeks a way to “blunt” Democrats advantage with women voters. “Donald Trump suggested Thursday he would support a ballot measure that would roll back a six-week abortion ban in Florida, but then his campaign scrambled to walk it back, his latest halting attempt to try to find a middle ground on the issue.” What saddens me is abortion could decide the election when so many issues must be addressed: citizen rights/ needs vs illegal immigrants; national sovereignty; the $35T debt; WEF globalism; military preparedness; taxation, inflation, government confiscation of private property; foreign & Bill Gates ownership of ag land; mandates designed to destroy small business ownership (beyond Hollister in 93117 and State Street in 93101); …
BTW: Harris shops to relieve stress. She’s uncomfortable with the pressure. She cackles or laughs to deflect. She’ll laugh and shop her way to avoid the $35Trillion bill that needs to be paid.
Well did anyone else listen to this above link..
I absolutely agree that the dems will block trump from taking office despite the will of the American people.. Congress will block him as an insurrectionist, tell the illegals trump will have them deported and a lot of them are criminals along with antifa and blm civil war dollar collapse..
I truly believe they will Never relinquish power, they will see us all dead first
God help us
Great article!! The Deep State/Globalists are in charge with our 3 letter non-elected bureaucrats. Now that is truly scary. They hate independent, free thinking, hard working Americans.
You said..."It’s just as scary our own government, FBI and Secret Service are still hiding everything. They’re supposed to be on our side." Although our government has never been is such disarray, the real scary thing is that there are few we can trust. We need to pray we can get to November 5th in tact and Trumpism takes over...or like you inferred...it really doesn't matter. Blessings
MW: They forgot we pay their salaries, perks and benefits. How do we best remind them of our essential employer/employee relationship?
Repeal the 16th Amendment is a start - stop main-lining automatic payroll deduction tax dollars to the Beltway spending addicts . This easy money has distorted a more direct and immediate relationship between the governed, and our government employees.
I watched segments the Harris-Walz interview yesterday. My overall impression is that Harris looked like a Deer in the headlights, seemed uncomfortable knowing lying and appeared nervous.
I can’t help but wonder, how is the polling even close given our economic and geopolitical situation? Clearly, many see a black woman aspiring to become the first female president and that is all that is needed to steer the US in the right direction. Yes, people do vote based solely on race…surprise! Isn’t being a racist a contradiction with Democrats? Guess not. No, the Dems are the “OG” racist. Let’s see Bryd, Mattox, Wallace, LBJ, Biden ALL white supremacist and racist! What hypocrisy.
What’s interesting is how local lefties try to reconcile the abysmal record and policies of the incompetent Biden-Harris administration. BTW, where is Joe? Oh that’s right, he’s hiding under an umbrella. Sure hope no foreign actors are planning an attack on us!
Yes, it would seem that local Dems love being woke or identifiable as a marginalized group much more than they love being an American patriot. Their behavior whenever Trump is
mentioned is truly bizarre to say the least. Yes, they tend to become unhinged and say stupid things. If it’s one thing I learned about liberals is, they love their money and perceived power more than anything. Yes, the WORST thing that can happen to a lefty elitist is to take their money away…poof! Well, they better get used to it because if Harris is elected you can say goodbye to wealth and hello to taxation of unrealized or make believed gains! Yes, we will be facing an economic collapse in cataclysmic fashion!
Can anyone who has an education of City College or higher, imagine how Harris will look sitting across the bargaining table from Putin, Un or Xi? Ummm, how do you say “dumbass” in Chinese? Love to be a fly on the wall.
Sure hope Trump pulls it off, but if past history is any indication on how Dems can lie, fix an election or screw the proverbial pooch, don’t hold your breath!
Can't put all the eggs in just one basket. or just one person We have a House and a Senate to elect too. That is a joint effort we must all undertake.
Electing Steve Garvey and Thomas Cole is right up there in critical importance too. Just preventing a radical takeover of the city council this election is critical. Brining common sense and fiscal restraint back to the SBCC board of trustees is critical too. We voters still have choices to create the country we want in every single election.
LT- There are several interviews with college students and the 35 and under voters that you may find confirm your post, plus expand on their reasons for supporting Harris beyond race and gender. Promised freebies from loan forgiveness or income tax deductibility to her proposed $125,000 income tax credit or down payment attract them.
Income taxation has been raised by some youth: Why can’t payments on loan debt again be income tax deductible? For “fairness”, some desire for adjustments to income tax brackets to acknowledge rental/ ownership costs for a single taxpayer household are the same as a 2-or more income producing household. Singles need a break. Some states allow rent to be deducted not just mortgages. Also some interviewed youth have questioned the national one size fits all tax brackets when it costs more to live in certain regions or cities.
Harris will listen intently, smile, but likely do nothing but promise, politician style.
Trump hit hard the middle class in big blue states when he capped at $10,000 the federal deduction for state property tax, bond fee taxes, and income tax. In CA we need to address excessive taxation and dictates. Santa Barbara’s largest Top 10 employers are government financed.
In your top 10 employer list - are you including Cottage and Sansum/Sutter as government financed? I can see that to a degree. But what about Procore, Appfolio and Sonos?
Government employee health care benefits are major drivers of the medical industry in this town - tax dollar trickle down. See Transparent California to see the size of those government employee health care premiums, funded by taxpayers.
How do they compare to what you need to set aside for your own private health care premiums? Health care premiums are a major part of government employee union bargaining agreements. Should all government employees only get Obamacare/Covered California health care plans as their sole employment benefit?
Good last point.
Thanks, Henry. At the risk of sounding like one of your psychics, I woke up from a dream a short while ago in which they'd gotten Biden to resign. (The “they” who are running this country, whoever “they” are, because with pronouns what “they” are, it could be a she, or a he, or any-tee-hee).
Kamala was now president and her first act of actually doing something had been to declare war on Putin - a real war this time, no more proxy foolin' around. I asked people whether it was a war against Russia or just Putin. People shrugged and moved on.
Then a loudspeaker announced the election was called off for national security. And we all needed to return to our homes because we were in lockdown. Nobody around me seemed shocked or upset about this.
In my dream I asked, like you, “who is running this country?” I passed people on city streets trying to go home. No one knew. And then I got my answer from a woman who pointed at the traffic passing by. They were all autonomous cars. Not a driver in sight.
“Feel the joy,” she said.
But what do dreams tell us anyway? Any more than psychics?
No need for psychics. 1984 and Animal Farm have already predicted future. And the future finally is now.
Get involved! Meet others! Labor Day, 9/2 Tuckers Grove Park.