Ponderstorm My Brainstorm on Life & Politics

Someone sent me an interesting analogy via email today. It’s an adaptation of one of Aesop’s most popular fables known as The Ant and the Grasshopper. While I’m sure this work could be improved upon, it is thought-provoking in light of our federal government which seems intent on penalizing work and the accumulation of wealth by those who take risks in business and are self-reliant.

I quote this adaptation below (original source unknown) for you to ponder on the political implications. Please share your thoughts after reading this adaptation of the Ant and the Grasshopper.

OLD VERSION

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be responsible for yourself!

MODERN VERSION

The ant works hard in the withering heat and the rain all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while he is cold and starving. CBS, NBC , PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to provide pictures of the shiveringgrasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.

America is stunned by the sharp contrast.  How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper and everybody cries when they sing, ‘It’s Not Easy Being Green….’ ACORN stages a demonstration in front of the ant’s house where the news stations film the group singing, “We shall overcome.” Then Rev. Jeremiah Wright has the group kneel down to pray to God for the grasshopper’s sake.

President Obama condemns the ant and blames Read More…

Posted under 60 Seconds, Politics
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This is a powerful 1 minute 40 second video that I feel puts the Scott Brown electoral victory in a proper historical context. Please watch:

Posted under Video
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Someone emailed me this image yesterday. It is entitled “Government Snow Plow” and includes the caption “Designed by the same people designing the health care reform” below the image.

I think this picture cleverly depicts the often staggeringly inefficient results of non-market-based interventions within our economy. Over time a truly free market weeds out most waste and excess. Conversely, politicians like to hand out favors (our Founding Fathers called it largess) using our money and thus perpetuate, and expand, government waste.

I don’t know who to attribute this image to but it sure is clever. I also feel the email’s health care analogy is pertinent. Think about this: how can we trust our federal government to manage the entire nation’s health care system for 300+ million people when they can’t even take good care of a few million veterans? What think you?

Posted under 60 Seconds, Economy, Politics
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Maj. Hasan’s murderous attack that killed 13 people at Ft. Hood last week was a premeditated terrorist attack. I’m tired of hearing anything otherwise. If you don’t agree, please think about these four things:

1. We know Hasan planned this attack and was prepared to die.
2. We know Hasan was prepared and brought extra loaded magazines for this killing spree.
3. We know Hasan was a radical Muslim who vocally opposed our foreign policy. The Army knew this as well.
4. We know Hasan shouted “Allahu Akbar!” (“Allah is great!”) while committing these murders.

If the above is not enough evidence to document Hasan’s actions as a terrorist attack then I don’t know what else is needed. This attack is clearly the deadliest post-9/11 terrorist act on American soil. Our President, leaders and news media should treat this terrorist attack as such and respond accordingly. Similarly, the Army (and everyone else for that matter) should be on the lookout for like-minded terrorists and, when radical Islamic warning signs are found, should have the backbone to remove them.

Our troops deserve better than to have to serve with terrorist sympathizers and terrorist murderers like Maj. Hasan. For a similar, yet more forceful and detailed viewpoint please see retired Col. Ralph Peter’s article “Fort Hood’s 9/11.”

Posted under Radical Islam
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Most Ponderstorm readers already know that our taxpayer-funded federal government is abusing its power. What I share below is a blatant example of such abuse of taxpayer funds. In short, I’m about to show you an actual piece of propaganda by the United States government and funded by the American taxpayer. It shamelessly and openly pushes an issue that is a central feature in Barack Obama’s radical leftist (and even Marxist) agenda.

On the homepage of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) website (www.hhs.gov) there is a button and link (screen capture shown on left; I added yellow highlighting for emphasis) pointing to another government-funded website named HealthReform.gov. This website clearly and prominently promotes the Obama Plan. Along with many misrepresentation of facts and abuses of government power, they even have the audacity to state their recognition within the “Innovations Gallery” that “celebrates the innovators and innovations who are championing the President’s vision of more effective and open government.” Who is behind the Innovations Gallery? Why, it’s WhiteHouse.gov! Shameless propaganda! And the reason given for this recognition is for “allowing Americans to take part personally in the health reform process.” Wait till you hear more about how HealthReform.gov is not about open government and citizen involvement for those who don’t want a government health care takeover.

So I clicked the “State Your Support” button to see what was up and couldn’t believe what I saw. Let me quote what this page read and also provide a clickable screen capture so you can see for yourself (again, I highlighted some of the very strong propaganda words used by our taxpayer-funded government to push a particular government-takeover agenda under the guise of “reform”). Let me quote the support letter American citizens are being asked to sign (there is no option to edit the message or offer anything but support):

Dear Mr. President,

We strongly support your commitment to comprehensive health reform.

This is not a luxury. The continuing, sharp escalation of health care costs for families, businesses, and government is unsustainable. Reform is imperative.

We believe that health reform must be enacted this year.

Reform is needed to help America’s families struggling with rising costs and those who are losing their insurance. At the same time, real health reform is crucial to keeping American businesses competitive in the world economy and for the country’s long-term economic viability. As our country faces economic challenges, the time for reform is now.

We support health reform that follows these principles: Read More…

Posted under Corruption
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