Rational Nation USA

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -v s- Tyranny Those of us who have read the constitution realize nowhere does it say the government's job is to provide a livelihood for people so they can support their families. It was not the intention of the founders OR the people that government insure them a livelihood. Government is to protect the property rights of the individual, provide for the common defense of the nation, and maintain a justice system that enforces criminal and civil law. Congress is charged with transacting all other business as the people whom they represent direct. The government produces nothing, nada. Therefore, government must get its "revenue" by taking (at the point of a gun held to ones head) from the people so it can then distribute it according to congressional dictate. As Leviathan grows ever more gargantuan it must steal even more from the people who do produce so it can then redistribut...

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -v s- Tyranny It's late, and having just arrived home from work there isn't time to fully analyze the following video before hitting the sack for some much needed sleep. However, after listening to Greta Van Susteren's interview with Sarah Palin my impression was favorable and Sarah made some good points. Watch the latest video at <a href="http://video.foxnews.com">video.foxnews.com</a> Somebody ought to run a nationwide poll in the attempt to define who makes up the 19% who are satisfied with the government. The results would be quite interesting, and perhaps not exacty what one might expect. Good night all. Read the preliminary transcripts here . Via: Memeorandum

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -v s- Tyranny One of my favorite Fox News programs, "America Live" with Megyn Kelly, again illuminated the lack of clarity and rational thought {as well as hypocrisy} emanating from the minds of many progressives. Including Vice President Joe (the gaffe) Biden. Tuesday Megyn took the time to set the record straight and respond to a question "The View" co-host Joy Behar asked the V.P. with respect to the audience booing when a gay soldier asked a question about gay rights. Fox News Insider - On Tuesday’s episode of the talk show “The View,” co-host Joy Behar asked guest Vice President Joe Biden about “booing” that went on during the Fox News/Google Debate when a gay soldier asked a question on gay rights. Behar said she was aghast at how none of the Fox News Channel panelists chastised the audience over the response; Biden agreed, calling the audience reaction reprehensible...

By: Pamela D. Hart Where do people like Rep. Jan Schakowsky get the belief that we do not deserve to keep what we earn? In my opinion there is no question as to whether I deserve MY earnings. There also isn’t a question of whether I should support my government or not…of course I should. The question is HOW much is ENOUGH? I suppose if I had the answer to THAT, I’d be one famous woman! We also have people, such as Elizabeth Warren, who said no one in this country has ever gotten rich on his own. That your goods were moved to market on roads paid for by someone else; that your workers were educated in public schools supported by someone else; that your business or factory is safe because the police force is paid for by, yep, you guessed it… someone else! Doesn’t Ms. Warren realize that even business owner’s pay taxes? Not only do they have local, state and federal taxes, they also have employer taxes. PLUS there are multiple business taxes, licenses and insurances! I don’t th...

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -v s- Tyranny I am again wondering, as I often do... Really, this "wondering affliction" is a curse. Perhaps the psychological association, the sociological association, the AMA, and Leviathan might find a way to push, and ultimately pass legislation that will grant privileged special class status to those suffering from said affliction. Of course this would allow for special consideration (employment and otherwise) for those so afflicted by this damaging psychological/medical affliction. Naturally much of the cost would be at tax payers expense. But I digress. Being a strong advocate of the right of peaceable assembly I shall take the liberty of assuming the majority of American citizens are also advocates of peaceable assembly for the redress of grievances. Being a strong advocate of orderly conduct when in the pursuit of protesting perceived grievances I must ask the following. G...

"There is no part of the administration of government that requires extensive information and a thorough knowledge of the principles of political economy, so much as the business of taxation. The man who understands those principles best will be least likely to resort to oppressive expedients, or sacrifice any particular class of citizens to the procurement of revenue." --Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 5,1788 How far we have fallen...

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty -v s- Tyranny Ayn Rand Almost thirty years after Ayn Rand's death she remains as controversial today as she did during her lifetime. Best known for her epic novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, which defined her individualism, ethics, and politics, she actually left a much larger body of work than is generally realized. Rand, born in Russia under the bolshevik regime of terror escaped to America when she was a young women in her twenties. Having witnessed first hand the life sapping evils of progressive collectivism she became one of the 20th century's strongest advocate of  liberty, self reliance, and capitalism. Ayn Rand believed Aristotle was one of, if not the greatest philosopher the world has ever known. In her view Aristotelian logic trumped the philosophies of Hegel , Kant , Engels , Marx , and a host of lesser known philosophers. Plainly put Rand believed logic a...

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of American Conservatism Liberty -v s- Tyranny Obama Tracking as Expected It's a terrible job, but somebody many of us have to do it. That would be exposing our President for his marginal performance and then seeing him slide into what is arguably the most ineffective and confused presidency of the modern age since... Man this is going to be a tough one! Taking a stab at it I'd say, um, since Jimmy Carter. No, maybe it would be, wait... no, I think it must be, no, hold on... George W. Bush. I should have known not to wade into this one. Couldn't resit however. The similarities between these three unlikely and unfortunate pols are as glaring {IMO}as their obvious differences. Having made the above observation I will now leave it at that. Anyone interested in further insight can, well, just Google it! Before sending you off on your way to Google here is some tidbits of info. with respect to the President...

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty - v s- Tyranny I've decided the following... 1} That being an individual with the desire to achieve things in life based only on my efforts and merit is stupid, 2} that maintaining a strong sense of personal responsibility for my failures as well as my successes is by far too stressful, 3} that the individual is better served when a collective tells him or her what to think and value, 4] it is much better to allow the government to control my money than it is for me to maintain control, 5) that it is by far better to be concerned with the interests of everyone else than it is to be concerned with my own rational self interest, 6] that the concept of liberty is too old fashioned and therefore irrelevant to modern realities, after all... freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose... 7} that objective and rational thinking is much to tedious, emotionalism driven by a heightened sens...

Cross-posted at the Left Coast Rebel The Washington Post has it that " GOP Leaders Rebuked on Spending; " Politico has it that "V ote shows Boehner's Lack of Control ." Per usual, the lamestream press is missing the point. I'll put it simply here : John Boehner and Eric Cantor think that they can "get along" with the Democrats, quietly pushing through destructive legislation that aids and abets the statist agenda. They don't even put up a fight. They just roll over and expect conservatives in the House and the Tea Party grassroots to go along. No. And they must go. CNS News has the real reasons behind House conservatives voting down the Boehner/Cantor continuing resolution (a fancy way of saying short-term) budget: (CNSNews.com) - The Republican leadership tried to pass a continuing resolution through the House of Representatives on Wednesday afternoon that would have permitted funding for Obamacare implementation, Planned Parenthood, the...

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty - v s - Tyranny As a staunch advocate of Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism specifically, as well as her view of morality and the ethics of rational self interest generally, I am quite sure my astute readership knows where I stand on the following discussion. Nevertheless, in the interest of an open and thoughtful exchange of ideas Rational Nation USA presents the following for your consideration. As always the Editor leaves it to each individual to ultimately decide for themselves the validity of premises presented. Please visit the link to view segment 2-5. I attempted to post all 5 segments here, however after the initial posting when refreshed only segment 5 posted. Five times. The search for knowledge is universal. However, the search for a one right, universally accepted rational and objective knowledge may allude mankind forever. Perhaps this is as it should be... But t...

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liberty - v s - Tyranny American Bald Eagle - Emblematic Sign of Freedom There is a time to kiss a*s, and there is a time to kick a*s. This sight was started with the belief those who really understand the meaning of liberty and the exercise of free will, as well as the individual IE: personal responsibility that both require would find themselves "brothers and sisters" in arms fighting the tyranny that both parties represent. Sadly I was mistaken. It has become by far more important to "follow the party line" and march in lockstep with the "party establishment" than it is to recognize and speak the truth. Truth in politics has sadly become more a matter of how an individual "perceives" national realities (as spoon fed by the political elite in both parties) rather than what the actual facts of any perceived "realities" in fact are. Which i...

Chris Matthews loves to make fun of Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann for their their obvious lack of historical acumen; the fact that Bachmann said that the founding fathers "worked tirelessly" to get rid of slavery, the fact that Palin said that Paul Revere was actually trying to warn the British that the British were coming, etc.. He pretty much does it constantly and, while, yeah, it is in fact humorous at times, it's also getting a little sanctimonious, too....................................................................................................And, plus, it isn't like Matthews himself never errs. Just the other night, for example, he throw out that old hackneyed and now thoroughly discredited bromide that Herbert Hoover "did nothing to try and end the depression". If Mr. Matthews actually DID know his history, he'd have known that President Hoover - a) worked with the Chamber of Commerce to set up the National Business Survey...

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Liber ty - vs - Tyr anny Returning late from a visit with family in upstate New York this weekend my first stop was to visit the Left Coast Rebel , something I highly recommend to all who frequent Rational Nation USA . As usual LC R cut to the chase exposing the current occupant of the oval office for the dismal failure {not unlike GWB} he has turned out to be. The mega Leviathan socialistic cures he has applied to the problems of the USA's economy in the hope of curing it's ills have proven to be abject failures. Failures not unlike the those witnessed by many socialist countries. It goes without further commentary that on the field of economics and business management Barrack Hussein Obama has the intelligence, experience, and ability of a Fidel Castro, Mao Tse Tung, or Hugo Chavez. Which is quite disconcerting to say the least. The foregoing aside the real issue of most urgency, and ...

Cross-posted at the Left Coast Rebel Rick Perry's caught himself in another Texas-size-pile-o'-the-steamin'-stinky again. And no, this time it's not an executive HPV order causing alarm, rather it's his support of the so-called Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) of 2008. The same TARP that played a big part in forming today's Tea Party Movement. Today Perry was questioned by a certain Rebekah Maxwell (of SteveDeace.com ) about his TARP backing. " No, Ma'am ,'' is all the pistol-packing Texas governor had to say (audio here ). Unfortunately the facts prove otherwise. Perry -- along with then West Virginia governor Joe Manchin -- authored a 2008 pro-TARP letter after the bill's first-run historic defeat. Read it for yourself, it's pretty clear that Perry supported TARP. These two videos tell the story as well: Why does all of this matter, you say? Why should we care? After all, politicians are politicians. Even the best have to lie an...

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of American Conservatism Liber ty - vs - Ty ranny Due to America's fervent belief in Obama's "Hope and Change" mantra America is now reaping that which she sowed. CBS News - As concerns about the struggling U.S. economy grow, a new CBS News/New York poll finds that President Obama's overall approval rating has dropped to 43 percent, the lowest so far of his presidency in CBS News polling. In addition, his disapproval rating has reached an all-time high of 50 percent. Skip Except for a notable spike in approval after the killing of Osama bin Laden in May, President Obama's approval rating has been below 50 percent since the spring of 2010. Not surprisingly, the down economy has had a clear impact on Mr. Obama's approval rating. The poll also found that 39 percent of Americans say the economy is fairly bad, and another 47 percent say the economy is very bad - the highest percentage since Apri...

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Libe rty - vs - Tyra nny   It comes as no surprise really. A substantial majority of Americans understand businesses exist for one primary purpose. To make money {profit} on the product and or services they provide. It's really as elementary as that. The American people also understand that for any business to remain viable requires it to maintain a positive cash flow and balance sheet. Remaining competitive is an essential component for any business wishing to achieve long term success. Rasmussen Reports - The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) may be upset with Boeing’s plan to operate a non-union plant in South Carolina, but most Americans think it should be allowed to. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone poll finds that 64% think Boeing has the right to open the plant in South Carolina while just 21% disagree. When respondents are told that the NLRB believes that opening the pla...

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of American Conservatism Libe rty - vs - Tyra nny America is a center right nation. A nation of hard working people who by and large act responsibly and manage their financial affairs in a reasonably conservative fashion. Given that the above premise is one I've held to be true for as long as I can remember I read the recent Rasmussen Report with a particular sense of satisfaction. Some people think there is room for a radical centrist presidential candidate who would hold views somewhere between the views of President Obama and whoever the Republicans nominate to oppose him. However, a solid plurality of voters nationwide say that if there’s a third-party candidate, they’d like to see someone who proposes less government spending than both the president and the Republican challenger. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 44% of Likely U.S. Voters hold this view. Only 11% would want to see a third-pa...

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Libe rty - vs - Tyra nny Here cometh the CPC {Congressional Progressive Caucus} with an even more socially progressive and fiscally unsound plan than President Obama's for creating jobs. The Utopian belief that government can {and therefor should} create jobs has always been the delusional belief of the progressives. It matters not to the CPC and their supporters that history has shown central planning by the government has been nothing but a dismal failure wherever it has been tried. But let not such considerations stand in the way of the emotionally driven anti business and pro Leviathan mentality. Here, straight from the pages of that limp liberal rag The Daily Kos , for your reading amusement. Through the summer, members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus listened to what people had to say about the need for jobs . Now, the CPC has unveiled a jobs creation framework of its own, pro...

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Libe rty - vs - Tyra nny Whoa! Finally, a short concise article by Brent Budowsky explaining why Rick Perry, is, and ought to be afraid of Ron Paul. Perry is a phony. A big government pay to play fraud. He is, as I pointed out in a prior post , nothing more than a red statist. Which is only a matter of degrees different than a blue statist. After all, a statist is a statist, whether they be red or blue. Anyone who wants to see a true conservative/libertarian calling the shots should think twice and hard about supporting Perry. For those conservatives/libertarians who realize GWB was really no fiscal conservative at all, and in fact in many ways encroached on the liberties of all Americans {the Patriot Act comes to mind} should realize that Perry very likely will offer up more of the same. In a nut shell... Leviathan under a Perry presidency would continue it's glutenous feast at the taxpayers expe...

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Libe rty - vs - Tyra nny Eugène Delacroix - La liberté guidant le peuple (1830) As a conservative/libertarian site Rational Nation USA has taken flak from conservative purists as well as progressive socialists. Being the introspective personality the Editor in Chief of Rational Nation is this required the interesting factor, IE: being reviled by both the left and right at the same time, be given serious introspection and research. Following the research and several days reflecting on the values of freedom, liberty, self determination, individual rights as opposed to the assumed rights of the collective, limited and proper governmental authority over the people as opposed to total governmental control over all aspect of the life of the individual, and the reasons why this nation ultimately became a beacon and symbol of enlightened thought, freedom, liberty, and hope for the world lead to what,...

Brought to you by Rational Nation USA . Hat tip Jeff Davis . The President's latest jobs speech was like watching a rerun of a bad horror movie. He seems to repeatedly repackage his failed Keynesian economic policies into the next "big" jobs program. All the while, our economy continues to crumble around us. President Obama is clearly trapped in the Keynesian Twilight Zone.

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Libe rty - vs - Tyra nny I just caught the following on Memorandum and thought it an accurate assessment of Obama's reelection chances at this early point in the game. The Weekly Standard - A year from now, the presidential election campaign will be in full swing. Obama and the Republican nominee will be touring the country at a feverish pace, trying hard to convince swing voters to go their way. Obviously, we’re still too far out from November 2012 to know what will happen, but we’re close enough to get a sense of the shape of the race. President Obama’s chances next year don’t look good. As of this writing, the InTrade prediction market gives the president about a 50-50 chance, and even Democratic insiders are starting to doubt the top of their ticket. According to National Journal, they’re privately giving the president just a 63 percent chance of victory, which is not a great score consider...

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Libe rty - vs - Tyra nny   Egyptians demolishing wall outside embassy (Photo: Reuters) caption Ah, the Arab Spring. A spring that brought about the downfall of Hosni Mubarak. A spring hailed as a democratic uprising of the people that ostensibly would lead only to good. Opps... YNET - Hundreds of Egyptians partially tear down wall surrounding Israeli Embassy in Cairo, remove flag from building for second time this month. Over 200 Egyptians reportedly injured. Foreign Minister opens emergency situation room Some of the protesters then stormed the embassy premises and tore down the flag from the building for the second time in less than a month. Eyewitnesses reported that the protesters threw the flag on the street, prompting loud cheers from the mass crowds gathered outside the embassy. Israeli officials stated that the Egyptian protesters broke into the building and managed to reach the...

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Libe rty - vs - Tyra nny Obama Addressing the Joint Session of Congress The POTUS gave his jobs speech, and surprisingly enough there are some sensible ideas that deserve debate and consideration. Republicans listened and are signaling there are area's for agreement and bipartisanship. POLITICO - House Republicans are planning to peel off portions of President Barack Obama’s plan that they find favorable, and pass them separately. GOP leaders are planning to pick the most passable items out of the bill — trade agreements, small business relief measures, revamped unemployment insurance — and pass them separately. “This is my objection to the message that was delivered tonight,” House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) told reporters in the Capitol after the speech. “The message was: either accept my package as it is, or I will take it to the American people. I would say that that’s the wro...