Republicans are Closeted Stimulas Lovers

One of the most humorous things about politics is politicians hypocritically doing things they pretend to be against. Whether its an anti-gay senator looking for gay sex or railing against Romneycare Obamacare it never gets old. One of the largest examples of hypocrisy comes from Republicans who voted against the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Stimulus). They brag about how they (meaning all of them in the House) voted against it, yet take credit for the stimulus funds and projects in they're district. Think Progress to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Stimulus called out several Republican politicians for requesting stimulus money. Here's one example.

From Think Progress:

Despite repeatedly voting against the American Recovery Act, Boehner thanked federal officials for stepping in and ordering the state “to use all of its construction dollars for shovel-ready projects that will create much-needed jobs.” 

[...]

The Iowa blog Bleeding Heartland reported: Rep. Steve King’s (R-IA) office “issued an upbeat statement about $570,000 included in the economic stimulus bill that will go toward widening U.S. Highway 20 in a rural area of northwest Iowa. Of course, the statement did not mention that King voted against the stimulus. Nor did the brief news item in the Sioux City Journal.” King repeatedly voted against the stimulus.

This news itself is nothing new but on the anniversary of the Stimulus its important to bring up again. Rachel Maddow was already covering this back in 2011.

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Media Matters Cites Ludwig von Mises Institute as a Source on Obama's Spending Record

Ludwig von Mises (Left)

I was reading the latest posts from Media Matters for America for the latest conservative misinformation. One article was discussing the Wall Street Journal's MarketWatch article by Rex Nutting regarding the myth of Obama's spending spike. Media Matters analyzed several right wing false claims made in response about Nutting's article. As usual, they did their objective researching and sourcing. One of the false claims they debunked was that former President George W. Bush didn't sign off the budget for 2009. Thus they say that President Obama is responsible for it. Oh yes he did.

Media Research Center: Forget Facts on Welfare Recipients and Drugs Use

The mindset of the Media Research Center (MRC) and its affiliate CNS News seem to be that it's better to believe something and never look at facts than it is to actually know the facts. They demonstrated that again by posting a Youtube video titled "Dem Lawmaker Questions Drug Tests For Unemployment". In the video, Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.) questioned if the lawmakers who created the drug testing provision of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2011, read the Constitution. The point the video tries to make is that the congresswomen supposedly said something outrageous. Outrageous as in what? Was something she said factually incorrect or out of touch? Only in the MRC and CNS wing of the conservative movement would you think such criticism of the program is just a bunch of liberal hocus pocus and gibberish. I wonder if they missed  Fox News' Megyn Kelly already debunked the right wing claim.

  

This is the hallmark of the crack pot way of conservative thinking. When you are a self described fiscal conservative, what does that mean? Do you use evidence based economics or what a lot on the right wing call "common sense"? When I say "common sense" I don't mean that if most scientists say the earth revolves around the sun, that's probably the science. The kind of common sense I'm referring to is put out by someone who would say "I'm not a scientist, but I see the sun around revolve around the Earth everyday." In the case of the MRC and CNS News, that's how they think on every issue. They act as if its a religious duty to  propagate (not prove) why their version of conservatism works.The propagate instead of prove because as I pointed out in a previous post, MRC is about bias and not accuracy. That is their fundamental difference between their progressive counterpart Media Matters for America. Demagoguery is one of their core principles. They demagog anyone they think is in on the "liberal media" conspiracy and attack anyone who goes after their fellow conservatives. Even if it's simply factually correcting a right wing claim they scream LIBERAL MEDIA! If your not with their team all the way, your against them. 

Lew Rockwell has Been Banned from the American Intelligence Report

Lew Rockwell

I frequently follow Lew Rockwell the American libertarian, political commentator, activist, and chairman of the Ludwig von Mises Institute. I previously linked on my blog his radio show podcast and website (LewRockwell.com). Last month, I decided to remove both his radio show and website from my blog. I came to that decision after he did a radio show promoting and endorsing harmful pseudo-scientific medical myths.

From that show's web page:

"Then, there are the harmful elements pushed upon us by the State,which we should not be getting at all, like fluoride which causes brain disorders, vaccines which cause autism and statins which inhibit healthy cells. Dr. Miller keeps close watch on government-enslaved doctors and the lying propaganda of the pill-pushers." [10/26/11 LewRockwell.com]

The American Dental and Hygiene Association has rebuked these claims about fluoride. Also vaccines DO NOT cause autism. Why that myth won't die.

After looking into what other controversial things Rockwell is into and linked to, I found other non-economics related reasons to distance myself from what could be seen by some as an endorsement of his beliefs. The reason I had his website listed and linked was for another libertarian viewpoint in my blogroll section. Unfortunately he's gone too far that it should concern libertarians as to where libertarianism will go as a movement with the influence Lew Rockwell has.

Things that should raise an eyebrow are what his columnists put on his website with his oversight. Gary North, a regular columnist for the website and a Christian Re-constructionist, has regularly been advancing 9/11 conspiracy theories whenever the 911 topic comes up. 

From Gary North:

This was posted on August 30 on one of my GaryNorth.com site's forums regarding the pancake-like collapse of all three World Trade Center buildings on 9-11:

"All three are clearly controlled demos. Everyone that views it knows it."

I cannot imagine a more inaccurate statement. Hardly anyone who views them knows "it." Almost every adult American has seen the videos of the collapse of the North & South towers. On September 11, 2001, the videos were shown over and over on the networks, all day long.
Only a handful of experts have ever publicly argued that the cause of the bildings' collapse was a system of controlled demolition. Anyone who dares to mention the pancake collapse of the third tower is rejected derisively as a conspiracy theorist. 

[...]

I have faced this all of my adult life. I started out in 1958 with a high school term paper on whether Roosevelt knew an attack on Pearl Harbor was coming. I concluded that he knew an attack somewhere in the Pacific was coming. I have not changed my mind. In 1972, when I was awarded my Ph.D. in American history, as far as I knew, I was the only historian age 30 or younger with a Ph.D. in history who believed this. Even today, I am one of maybe a dozen men with a Ph.D in American history who believe this and say so in public. [9/1/11 LewRockwell.com]

Another columnist and truther for the website is Paul Craig Roberts co-founder of Reaganomics.

The 9/11 Truth movement was not created by bloggers ranting on their web sites. It was created by professional architects and engineers some of whom are known for having designed steel high rise buildings. It was created by distinguished scientists, such as University of Copenhagen nano-Chemist Niels Harrit who has 60 scientific papers to his credit and physicist Steven Jones. It was created by US Air Force pilots and commercial airline pilots who are expert at flying airplanes. It was created by firefighters who were in the twin towers and who personally heard and experienced numerous explosions including explosions in the sub-basements. It was created by members of 9/11 families who desire to know how such an improbable event as 9/11 could possibly occur. [9/14/11 LewRockwell.com]

Roberts has also gave an endorsement of the 911 conspiracy book Debunking 9/11 Debunking  in his column on a racist website called VDARE. He has also appeared on a white supremacist radio show.

In an investigation of 2012 Presidential candidate Ron Paul's Racist Newsletter controversy by the libertarian Reason Magazine, Reason pointed to Lew Rockwell as the chief ghost writer of Paul's newsletter. Rockwell himself denied responsibility for the newsletters' contents and characterized discussion of the newsletters as "hysterical smears aimed at political enemies" of The New Republic which broke the story. So Lew Rockwell may be the source of Ron Paul's political troubles. That doesn't fare well with me on Rockwell, nor should it for anyone else who supports Ron Paul.

For these reasons, I do not list or recommend  Lew Rockwell's website for libertarian viewpoints. I still list and recommend the Ludwig von Mises Institute on libertarian economics which Rockwell is the chairman of. I'd urge Lew Rockwell and the columnists to just stick to economics and limited government. You know?....the whole libertarian thing. I can't recommend him as a columnist or his website if conspiratorial thinking is always pushed.

I myself have not gone into great enough detail into what libertarian economic policies I support and those don't. Many of them I'm deeply opposed to and support the progressive alternative. I'll discuss particular policies in future blog posts.

Megyn Kelly Debunks Claim that Welfare Recipients are Drug Using Mooching Monsters

I don't usually cite anything from Fox News if I want to present factual information, but I will if that's what it take to get through to a right winger. I already detailed this absurd policy my current Florida governor Rick Scott thought would save money:

Drug Testing Welfare Recipients before they receive welfare benefits.

I was especially surprised when Fox News host Megyn Kelly did a report showing the so far failure of Rick Scott's welfare policy. I take my hat off to her on this one.

Debunking Federal Reserve Conspiracy Theories from "The Creature From Jekyll Island"

If you're ever going to discuss the real concerns about the Federal Reserve, these are myths to avoid spewing otherwise you'll be seen as discredited or crazy. These particular myths come from book "The Creature From Jekyll Island" by G. Edward Griffin an notable John Birch Society member.. Some myths are misleading distortions of history, others are down right fictional revisionist history.

BY: Edward Flaherty, Ph.D. Department of Economics College of Charleston, S.C. 

Posted on Public Eye

• Myth #1: The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 was crafted by Wall Street bankers and a few senators in a secret meeting.  
• Myth #2: The Federal Reserve Act never actually passed Congress. The Senate voted on the bill without a quorum, so the Act is null and void.  
• Myth# 3: The Federal Reserve Act and paper money are unconstitutional.  
• Myth# 4: The Federal Reserve is a privately owned bank.  
• Myth #5: The Federal Reserve is owned and controlled by foreigners.  
• Myth #6: The Federal Reserve has never been audited.  
• Myth #7: The Federal Reserve charges interest on the currency we use.  
• Myth #8: If it were not for the Federal Reserve charging the government interest, the budget would be balanced and we would have no national debt.  
• Myth #9: President Kennedy was assassinated because he tried to usurp the Federal Reserve's power. Executive Order 11,110 proves it.  

• Myth #10. The Legendary Tirade of Louis T. McFadden      

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If you do want to know the real concerns, I'd suggest reading Secrets of the Temple by William Greider.

11% of Americans Support Communism

A stunning conservative leaning Rassmussen poll shows 11% of Likely U.S. Voters think communism is morally superior to the U.S. system of politics and economics. But luckily, 77% reject such a system of government and say the U.S. system is morally superior.

READ Rasmussen Poll Here