Sentinel2Sentinel

Who’s Who & the 2020 Platform?

Apparently Josh Hawley started a conversation. Then Marco Rubio had a spin with #CommonGoodCapitalism, and then there have been several back and forth discussions from numerous others defending this, that, and the other from a variety of perspectives as they pull out a note or two from each others commentaries. (Note additional reading/viewing suggestions at the end of the posts in the links above.)

Having read numerous articles and tending to side with the concerns of the Libertarian critics of Rubio and Hawley it sounds like the under-50 crowd Republicans are ready to make their move to clean out the over 50-squatters in the GOP and set the tone for a Republican platform that will appeal to the most voters in the coming years, post-Trump.

As someone who has had to endure the lies of the 60’s generation, I feel like I am about to get run over by potentially Misplace Loyalty Millennials now. So go ahead and call me a Boomer, tell me to move over, but do not think for a moment that I won’t fight against all of the up and coming know-it-alls any less than I have been fighting against progressive know-it-alls in both parties with their same old rehashed tales of woe, struggle, and government solutions.

I have spoken with a few politicians who claim they are Fiscally Conservative but…. (yeah, wait for it…)….. they are Socially Moderate.

Really? Perhaps that explains their #NotFiscallyConservativeTaxAndSpend votes to increase the debt for whatever reasons. (See Debt Clock here. See how legislators voted to raise the debt here. See Rand Paul’s Waste Report.)

I wrote in an earlier post about not calling the Capitalist System anything but what it is: Capitalism. It is an amoral system wholly dependent upon those who use it to be filled with integrity. (Sort of like guns don’t kill people. People kill people.)

Cronyism is cronyism and cronyism abuses the Capitalist System. It happens in business and by government intervention.

Miscreants who lie, cheat, steal, and abuse the Capitalist System are not Capitalists. They are what they are, liars, cheaters, thieves and system abusers or basically, anti-capitalists.

So that leads me to Rachel Bovard’s piece, and full disclosure, I am a big fan of hers because she is always willing to #FrameTheDebate and #HaveTheDiscussion.

Josh Hawley Is Right to Spurn Corporate Libertarian Shibboleths

Rachel writes:

“But, either intentionally, or through a severe lack of capacity for nuance, [George Will] misses Hawley’s point, which also happens to be a political as well as an economic reality: that even despite broad indicators of wealth, huge swaths of this country still feel economically insecure and displaced, and that a majority of Americans believe a strong economy primarily benefits the rich.”

Huge swaths feel and a majority of Americans believe a strong economy primarily benefits the rich. Well that sounds like they have been raised on the socialist rhetoric of the last 40 years because that is the language of class warfare.

She continues:

“And so visceral is the economic cynicism among millennials (who, by the way, will be the first generation to create less wealth than their parents) that they are turning, in droves, to socialism.”

Are these the same visceral millennial cynics who have been indoctrinated with socialist information for the last 40 years? Are they really turning to socialism or is it merely a core belief system they have embraced under the guise of having been tutored to become Fiscally Conservative but Socially Moderate/Liberals?

And seriously, they are 30 year olds who still have another 20-30 years to create wealth. They are not done yet. How many people have had to work at two or three jobs and go to school to pay their bills into their 40’s in my lifetime? (Boom-boomers.)

Sheesh, I was in my mid-40’s when I could afford my first home, 1245 sq feet and it was a 35 year old home we pretty much gutted and repaired to resell while we lived in it for four years. And we lived on one middle-class income.

Rachel defends Hawley, and I somewhat agree, as:

“doing his best to remind the GOP of what they once prioritized: community bonds, strong families, and an economy that encourages true individual autonomy—not one that just means a bevy of market choices—to flourish.”

But that does not mean I want government to step in and fix things before undoing all they have done to manipulate, regulate, and subjugate people and businesses through various degrees of government control. I do not believe the U.S. Government should establish itself as the new Civil Religion, the top down dispensers of nannyism for life.

So lets flashback to 1998 and see what the problems were then compared to now:

Conservative Vision, A; Conservative Engineering, F

“These three simple questions asked in that order–do you care? are you responsible? and shouldn’t the rich pay their fair share?–have determined political careers for 62 years. These three politically loaded questions have been turning the liberal vision into liberal results for six decades.”

And there you have it. The same questions, now for eight decades. We still have a mess with Medicare/Medicaid, Social Security, and significantly increased tax burdens and those same questions have led us into a socialist/communist movement to control the American People as we have never before seen in my lifetime.

So as the upcoming GOP Millennials hammer out leadership for the coming years, and then within the #CommonGood debates to define issues, I hope discussions will be focused on principles and values that restore family as the fundamental unit of society and end the social programs that keep individuals and businesses from becoming independent while sustaining Government Bureaucrats as middle managers to control the people.

Like Matt Kibbe says:

“When you get past all the acrimony and all the name-calling, the question we are all debating is really quite simple: Do you believe in the freedom of individuals to determine their own futures and solve problems cooperatively working together, or do you believe that a powerful but benevolent government can and should rearrange outcomes and make things better?” ― Don’t Hurt People and Don’t Take Their Stuff: A Libertarian Manifesto

Additional Reading & #RealityCheck Video

The Social Capital Project

How is it these are The Top 4 Issues America Will Face in 2020

Go back and read Conservative Vision, A; Conservative Engineering, F and pay attention to the Appropriations Process conversation. Seriously!

Conscious vs Common Good Capitalism

The Marco Rubio speech that ignited the ire of Conservatarians (Conservative leaning Libertarians) and Libertarians is a prime example of the speed of the LACK of trust in elected officials who appear to be steering away from the 9-12 Principles & Values the Tea Party Patriots embraced. Those are the very values that got many those people elected.

In conversing with my Sentinel2Sentinel friends, many of us, Late End Baby Boomers, feel like we have been shafted by the 60’s generation only to now be shafted by the upstart Millennials. They are our bumper generations of #TrophyChildren, the ones who deserve it all at the expense of those around them while they complain about the generations before them, the Fat Cats, for “leaving them behind.”

And they will have their way, after all, they all whine a lot and have a lifetime of experience in demanding they get their wants met.

Look at the who’s who of the generations in Congress. And then really look at the few who truly speak out against the things that run contrary to the 9-12 Principles & Values. Who are the men and women fast tracking themselves up the ranks of the Grand Old Party? Who is behind them? Who is whispering in their ears? What is the philosophy they are peddling?

In case you missed it: Josh Hawley Is Quickly Becoming One Of The Most Important Conservatives In America. Where does he fit into your political philosophy and to whom does his thought process appeal?

All this talk about Common Good Capitalism is nothing if it is not founded upon the 9 Principles and 12 Values as defined in the tenants of the 9-12 Project.

So let me suggest you get the book CONSCIOUS CAPITALISM by John Mackey and Raj Sisodia. And let’s start adding to the discussion how the Free Market System, the Capitalist System has equally been abused by Politicians beholden to lobbyists and others who whisper in the Politician’s ear in the guise of “common good.”

Let’s not change the Capitalist System. For it is that system that allows the micro-entrepreneur, who relies on the Free Market Capitalist System to rise up out of poverty, to do so without the heavy hand of bureaucratic opposition. Whether married or single, or divorced, man, woman, or child, it is the Capitalist System that has led many people to pull themselves out of poverty or uplift themselves to a higher earning platform, very often bringing others with them to new levels of personal success.

Let us begin with not calling the Capitalist System anything but what it is: Capitalism.

Cronyism is cronyism and cronyism abuses the Capitalist System.

Common Good is only Common Good if and when it does not abuse the Capitalist System.

Conscious Capitalism, if it is free of government interventions, bailouts, special regulations, and truly operates on the principles of free will without compulsion, and that includes being free of the Cass Sunstein Nudge philosophy, will not abuse the Capitalist System.

When discussing Capitalism, the conversation should be focused on the Principles and Values that define the need for the Capitalist System. After all, the Capitalist System is an amoral system wholly dependant upon those who use it to be filled with integrity. (Sort of like guns don’t kill people. People kill people.)

If Rubio and Hawley really care about the Common Good, then they need to define the problem in terms of those who abuse of the Capitalist System. By exposing the liars, deceivers, and sophists who abuse the Capitalist System they could defy the miscreants by better supporting We, The People in keeping the markets free. Otherwise they are not working at the speed of trust and instead handing out trophies to the who’s who in abusing the Capitalist System.

Suggested Reading & Viewing:

Links fixed! Sorry about that!

Marco’s Common Good: Where does it lead?

Some supporters of Rubio claim his speech as “remarkable.” Well, I guess they can claim that depending upon what their definition of is is in “remarkable.” And yet I find it highly irritating to hear claims of praise for it being remarkable when No. No. No. It was not remarkable.

It was meh. It sounded like someone reaching out to people who need emotional support through words of flowery feel goods, shared feelings of the pain, the suffering, all in the voice of a whiner so as to prove feelings matter and how Marco, a potential leader for the universe, is with us all in seeking governmental solutions for Common Good Capitalism.

Blah-bity-blah-bity-blah.

Marco’s quote from Robert F. Kennedy was interesting:

Senator Robert F. Kennedy noted that “if… we, as Americans, are bound together by a common concern for each other, then an urgent national priority is upon us.”
Because, he said, “even if we act to erase material poverty, there is another greater task; it is to confront the poverty of satisfaction – purpose and dignity – that afflicts us all.”

Yes. The poverty of satisfaction. I am wholly unstatisfied with the double speak that seems to pour through this remarkable speech. And my feelings have little changed since my initial reaction posted here.

If Marco means what he says:

My goal for this speech, but also in what I have tried to do in the Senate, is above all else about doing whatever it takes to keep our country from coming apart – whatever it takes so that this exceptional nation continues and endures instead of ending with us.

Then Marco and his crew need to seriously engage in a discussion to address valid criticisms of Marco’s seemingly self-serving speech. Otherwise, all of the remarkable Rubio talking points are merely an outreach to moderate leaning socialists while alienating his conservative base.

Perhaps Marco is in need of a new voting base for his next campaign?

Additional Reading:

Marco “Greeted Like A Rock Star”…
- Rubio delivered a well-received 30-minute speech, hitting key campaign issues including jobs, the “crushing national debt,” national security and immigration, even taking a dig at Republicans now serving in Washington. He said temporary tax cuts should become permanent, but spending cuts, including a ban on earmarks, also would be necessary to achieve a balanced budget. The economy continues to suffer, in part, because business owners who could add employees and expand are “afraid to because of uncertainty about the future,” Rubio said. “Small businesses are taking the brunt of it and we’re all paying the price.”
Rubio: Our National Security Depends on Sugar Subsidies
#HaveTheDiscussion: Free Markets & Capitalism

Absolute Reads:

Remarkable Rubio Posts from #TeamRubio

Marco Rubio: A government that promises…

While on Twitter I saw several live Tweets about Marco Rubio speaking to “a business class at Catholic University.” Here are the news stories I read about his speech from links referenced in the tweets:

Two very different headlines, each designed to grab the attention of the reader, but my problem was with the reactions to Marco’s speech from, again, two very different headlines.

The Washington Post article is the first one that I read. It made blood shoot out of my eyes. On Twitter I tagged Dan Holler, who works for Rubio, asking him for the link to the actual copy of the speech. Dan was great to lead me to this link that was posted on Rubio’s Senate page and from that press release you can go read Rubio as the original source, not merely how his words were interpreted.

Reading the Daily Signal article did make me feel a little better, not much. Reading Marco’s speech, well, if nails on a chalkboard bothered me, yeah, that is the kind of feeling I would describe from this particular speech writing of Rubio.

Feel free to download Rubio’s speech and read along as you watch him give the speech below. You might jot down thoughts and questions in the margin of the Rubio script as you listen to him.

I have a lot more to say on this. My problem is that watching the video of the speech still make blood shoot out of my eyes. I have to cool my jets and go through it all again so I can write without screaming on the page. I have to check my emotional response to go through what really irritated me, and still irritates me about that which I am hearing come out of Marco’s Mouth.

Additional Reading:

Rubio Releases Report on Domestic Investing
RERUM NOVARUM: ENCYCLICAL OF POPE LEO XIII ON CAPITAL AND LABOR
INEQUALITY DOESN’T MATTER IF WE’RE ALL PAID ACCORDING TO THE VALUE WE CREATE
Provident Living: My Path to Self Reliance – How self-reliant are you? Find out before you start helping others.

T2 on the Pit Boss Grill

My Pit Boss Grill is my most favorite grill ever. With Thanksgiving around the corner and having never smoked a turkey before I figured I better give it a try in preparation for one of my favorite times of the year! Turkey Number 1 (T1), a 15 pound Jennie O, turned out okay. I cannot believe I forgot to take a picture of the T1 experience, except for the carcass.

Brining is not my thing. I guess I should try to brine but never have, not even when oven roasting turkey, so for T1 it merely got washed down really well and checked for missed feathers. Before rubbing it down with olive oil followed by my personal Turkey Herbs & Spice mix I did do a coarse salt scrub on it,

IMG_4605.HEIC.jpeg — Sorry for the blur…

Basically it was the same process for Turkey Number 2 (T2), also a 15 pound Jennie O. It turned out much more flavorful than T1 with a couple of adjustments in my smoking/griller procedure and a rub down with buttah, baby!, instead of the olive oil. Again I did not brine the turkey and it turned out absolutely fine, even with one major misstep in my grilling process. Instead of transferring it to an aluminum pan I left it on the grill the entire time. All that happened was the skin stuck to the grill. No big deal.

IMG_4606.HEIC.jpeg — Sister Missionaries getting ready to enjoy pan of T2, smoked turkey. Left to right: Sisters Hannah Davis, Sarah Farnsworth, and Rylie Vanderweil. They serve for 18 months as missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

This Monday it is time for Turkey Number 3 (T3), a 20 pounder Butterball. It will be great to see how well a larger bird works out on the grill. The only major change I am going to make is the type of pellets used on T1 & T2. Instead of applewood my husband wants me to try the Traeger Turkey Blend of hickory, maple, oak wood with rosemary. It will be interesting to see how it all tastes with my special herb & spice blend for the bird.

Yeah Baby! #TurkeyTime!

Multiple Exposés: Well Documented with Original Sources

Here we are. The nightmare of another Continuing Resolution is looming over taxpayers’ heads in November. Instead of congress working on separate appropriations bills, it appears that Nancy Pelosi and The Democrats seem determined to cover-up seemingly obvious misdeeds through the unsavory threat of impeaching Donald Trump for that which he did not do.

It appears that Democrats and Republican Progressives only care about wielding power, exercising control, and amassing personal fortunes from the pockets of taxpaying Americans

Facts. Go There.

Go there with Glenn Beck. Sign Up! #GetTheBlaze

Here are but a few of the links to the documents from Beck’s chalkboard exposé:

Letter from Senator Chuck Grassley to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
All of the documents collected by John Solomon.
National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine — signed Memorandum of Understanding.
FEC 2016 Expenditure connected to Ali Chalupa.
Statement of Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko to The Hill.
Viktor Shokin Statement — Sworn statement of former Ukraine Prosecutor General.
President Obama offering assistance to the President of Ukraine.

#GoThere with Lee Stranahan

This is lengthy yet meticulous documentation in Lee’s Twitter feed that shows where the connections begin, even before the 2016 election. Note the linked connections that show the part John McCain, with his McCain Institute, played in this apparently calculated plot.

#GoThere with Andrew C. McCarthy of National Review

Now you know and Democrats know you know. Therefore what?

Politely, burn the phones and flood social media with the hashtag #DeceiveMeNot. Tell Pelosi to Vote for Impeachment or #StopTheFarce & #EndTheConflict. (Pelosi on Facebook; on Twitter, on Medium.)

Oh that Flake: That Yappy Jeff Flake

When I saw this headline in the Deseret News the other day, I thought blood would shoot out of my eyes.

Why Jeff Flake says the 2020 election is a chance for Republicans to save their souls

So where is Jeff Flake’s apology for saying one thing to get elected and then turn from his values to his progressive votes in the Senate?

Let’s start here:

Jeff Flake for U.S. Senate – Monday, April 30, 2012

Yes. Jeff Flake was endorsed, after having been vetted by my favorite conservative watchdogs, The Senate Conservatives Fund (SFC). SFC was Jim DeMint’s flagship to get true conservatives elected into the Senate. Team members carefully vetted, and still do, every candidate they endorse. Flake was no exception. Plus, Flake had a really good record from serving in the House.

What happened, Jeff?

Spit.

As SCF supporters know, Jeff Flake misled us and misled the voters in Arizona when he said he would never support amnesty for illegal immigrants again. Shortly after he won his Senate race in 2012, he broke that promise and sided with Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and other liberals in pushing amnesty.

Link: Senate Conservatives Fund

Yes. Oh yeah, that Jeff Flake misled and betrayed voters less than a year from his being elected into the Senate. That shockwave is never forgotten by those of us gobsmacked by his blatant betrayal. That is why many of us loathe him now.

But wait. There’s more. There is always more with Jeff Flake. And my questions are:

Who’s backing him?
Where are his funds coming from?
How did they get him to flip?

Spit.

The media need to know, when reporting on Senator Flake and his “book,” that the author is a deceiver out for personal and financial gain. I also call on my conservative brethren to denounce this impostor, who dishonorably claims to speak for conservatism, in the strongest possible terms.

Bozell: Media Must Report the Facts About ‘Imposter’ Jeff Flake

Additional Reading:

Who is behind the Mike Lee attacks?

For the last two years I have seen attacks on Mike Lee continue to grow. Why is that? Who is behind those attacks? Why are alleged Conservatives fueling those attacks or perhaps the better question: Who are the trusted voices whispering in their ears?

What I know about Mike Lee is: ASK Mike Lee. Go to the ORIGINAL SOURCE, Mike Lee, just like Glenn Beck did:

If you have followed Mike Lee, you know he is more measured in thought than most. He is not one to speak without careful considerations. You know he is a Constitutionalist. You know his father, the late Rex Lee, taught him well. You know Mike has always been able to discuss his rational thoughts on that which he believes, promotes, and stands for.

If you do not know that then pull your head out of the sand, out of the sky, or out from wherever you are hiding it and go to the original source, Mike Lee and then seriously consider the trash talk about him. Ask yourself these questions when sophists bash Mike Lee:

Am I being approached as a thinking citizen or as a frightened animal?

How did the basher find out what they know?

Is this a contrived story or twisted representation of what Mike actually said or believes?

Do I really trust the hearsay or do I trust Mike’s Constitutional voting history more?

Is the yapper giving an accurate account of something or it is an attack on Mike Lee?

Can I verify the information by going to Mike Lee as my original source?

(Hat Tip to Gary C. Lawrence, Political Campaigns and You, New Era, Sept. 1972)

So please. If you feel triggered by some report of what Mike Lee said or is trying to do, do your own research. Do not trust anyone who is trying to discredit an honorable man, doing the very best he can to be honest, true, and trustworthy of your good opinion.

BASELINE, ORIGINAL SOURCES:

The Laudable Pursuit – Mike’s fabulous newsletter!
Press Releases
Speeches – #FrameTheDebate here.
Op-Eds – #FrameTheDebate from here, too.
Videos

Full Disclosure: I am a huge fan of Mike Lee. IF he ever goes rogue (spit), oh, I will talk about it.

Dear Activist Friends: Come with me to FreedomFest 2020!

Over the years I have met many wonderful political activists thanks to organizations that I belong to or support. Some of these wonderful people have been working to keep the Republican Party Conservative for over 20-30 even 40 years or more. And everyone gets to a point where taking time off is essential to rejuvenate the soul for most everyone works in between family, social and spiritual obligations, and life events.

Almost everyone I know has donated their time and talents to serve Conservative causes. They travel to events and meetings at great personal expense. As unpaid citizen activists they do what they do for the sake of freedom, especially for the freedom of generations to come. There is no glory. There is no reward. And there certainly is no one to reimburse their expenses.

And for all of that work, here we are stuck with the failed leadership of the National Republican Machine which #allegedly includes Mitch Mcconnell and Kevin McCarthy and everyone for the last 40 years who broke their promises to Balance the Budget and Make Government Small Again. (Don’t get us started on those who promised Full Repeal! spit!)

That brings me to FreedomFest 2020: CATCH THE VISION, July 13-16.

I write this to convince my dear friends to join me in 2020 for what I expect to be an event designed to shed sunlight on conversations that matter most to us. After listening to the 8-20-2019 The Reed Hour on the Loving Liberty Radio Network, featuring Mark Skousen I am like a child in anticipation of Christmas in July next year.

Just listening to the podcast a second time I feel like I have dumped my old, worn out power cells to replace them with new, solar powered entities. The energy surges through my solar plexus and my heart leaps with hope and joy.

What wholly appeals to me is the networking philosophy that FreedomFest promotes. The forum is designed as a convention of great ideas, of sharing information, and I love how the speakers are attendees just like me, they are not ushered into some sacred space for the elite.

It is exciting to know that FreedomFest embraces the gamut of Conservative and Libertarian thought through presenters, panels, and a variety of media presentations. FreedomFest is about the exchanges, the conversations, the opportunities to find common ground that will, hopefully, encourage us to work together within those commonalities as we return to our homes, our organizations, our communities.

Please, take the time to listen to the podcast in its entirety. I think you will come to understand why I am drawn to FreedomFest and especially why I am so thrilled about finally being able to attend in 2020.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

#HaveTheDiscussion: Free Markets & Capitalism

Rachel Brevard wrote, what I thought, a great piece titled Hawley is Asking the Right Questions About the Dollar. I posted a few snippets from her article on Twitter and one quote brought out a quick comeback from my favorite Capitalist Pig, Jonathan Hoenig. Jonathan was short and to the point in his response.

Please note: It was late last night when I posted Rachel’s piece. I actually fell asleep with my phone in hand prior to finishing posting the thread so did feel a little slighted that Jonathan seemed to unjustly reprimand me. (It is all good. Water off a duck’s back, really. I truly adore him.)

Jonathan talks a lot about free markets, capitalism, and Wall Street. He has an online show about Objective Investing most Saturdays, usually around 10 a.m. Central. There have been a few times when I recall him saying “defend Capitalism” and once, when a viewer pummeled the timeline with contrary opinions, Jonathan responded with, “come on, help me out here [audience].” as he defended his capitalist pig position.

He is right. Defend Capitalism.

In Rachel’s article, I like how she goes through a thought process. Using questions, she addresses the language, the phraseology that is used in the media today. I have heard those terms and phrases used for years but she asks questions and then is clear to state:

Maybe the answer to both these questions is yes, and maybe Hawley’s pursuit of these policy corrections is misguided. But the conversation he is starting is not out of line. Their dismissal of it is.

And it’s to the benefit of everyone on the Right to welcome an honest assessment of the realities in the current marketplace, test whether old assumptions still apply, and either attack or defend them with the intellectual rigor our politics deserve.

The conversation is not out of line. Their dismissal of it is.

I know what Jonathan thinks. He is a follower of Ayn Rand. He promotes Objectivism and as mentioned previously, has his own twist in how he applies her theory to being objective in his investment philosophy, which I find useful as an investment philosophy.

What I love about Jonathan is his expertise in the markets. I love that he generously shares what he has learned, his personal experience with others. He is quick witted. His mind is agile, filled with information and he is, usually, quick on the draw with his encyclopedia-like capitalist pig knowledge.

Like Jonathan and Rachel, I agree that discussions and defense of the free market, true capitalism, must be had to correctly influence those beguiled by the anti-capitalist sophists in American culture today. Influencing the public by answering anti-capitalist questions with better questions and then following up with true, free market principles in the discussion seems a more effective way to educate those within our spheres of influence.

Why not defend Capitalism by acknowledging it is based upon principles that Matt Kibbe so eloquently discusses in Don’t Hurt People and Don’t Take Their Stuff? Could we then better defend Capitalism by acknowledging that Taxpayers are not responsible for corporate or government bailouts? And what would happen if we defend Capitalism by discussing bad practices and correctly labeling criminal behavior as anti-capitalist instead of blaming Wall Street collectively?

Miscreants who lie, cheat, steal, and abuse the Capitalist System are not Capitalists. They are what they are, liars, cheaters, thieves and system abusers or basically, anti-capitalists.

I think in reaching out to the common man and woman, and I include myself in that statement, gentle persuasion, asking questions, and offering suggestions is a more effective way to win friends and influence people. And I say that as a screamer, one who has blood shooting out of her eyes, and my head popping off from having had to listen to the sophistry of socialists and totalitarians and anti-capitalists and watching RINOs for many years.

Suggested Reading & Viewing: