Has Atlas Finally Shrugged?

When I moved into NYC right out of college I befriended a very sophisticated woman in my Upper Eastside apartment building named Leslie.  Well actually she was only two years older, but with two years of city living under her belt, an impressive young career and an enviable sense of style I was mesmerized.  I lost touch with Leslie within a few years but will always, always remember her because she introduced me to Ayn Rand and Atlas Shrugged.  At her direction I started with the Fountainhead and after a few other smaller works was out to conquer the behemoth Atlas Shrugged.  I loved everything about this book.  A wonderful and unique story with compelling characters I have reread it countless times since including a VERY LONG drive listening to it on 8 , count’em 8 cassette tapes. 

For those of you unfamiliar, the main concept of the novel is that society can essentially be destroyed when producers are weighed down by parasitic non-producers – in other words socialism.  Ayn Rand, born in 1905 in St. Petersburg, was no fan of socialism.  Throughout the novel trailblazing captains of industry become tired of having the fruits of their labor taken by a greedy, self serving government officials. Their solution…..they just stopped producing and disappeared.  As you can imagine, when the most productive and competent in society disappear, so does the quality of life for those that are left.  At the time I remember being relieved that I could not imagine this happening in the real world.

It was not until the ’08 presidential campaign’s “Joe the Plumber’ moment when Obama told Joe that he wants to share his wealth, that I was haunted by Atlas Shrugged.   The most common motivating factor of Obama’s agenda is redistribution.  There seems to be no limit to what he is willing to take from our country’s hardest workers and give to those that are not.  I readily admit that there are those in society that genuinely need help, but Obama and the far left have no limits in what should be ‘shared’.   In Obama’s world there are two categories – the less fortunate and ‘Warren Buffet’.  Last time I checked most people in the middle or upper middle class that today’s Washington is mischaracterizing as wealthy and treating like an open cash register don’t live anything close to Warren Buffet’s life.  Moreover, many of those in this bracket are small businesses – the true engine of our economy and job creation.  Exactly how is it helping the less fortunate to make them so dependant on all encompassing cradle to grave entitlements that they don’t even try to better themselves and their lives?  I say workfare over welfare for those that are capable.

For those of you not interested in reading a 1000 page novel with an 80 page soliloquy at the end ,but interested in the story, there continue to be rumors of a movie in development – with Angelina Jolie in the lead.  What a lovely surprise it would be if far left Hollywood shared such an important and timely story.   For the rest of you open to a ‘major read’, I do not have the words for how strongly I recommend reading Atlas Shrugged.

What is the Right Amount of Government?

Earlier this morning I was watching a news program reporting on Obama’s response to the Gulf oil spill.  Present during the discussion was a moderator, a conservative and a liberal.  The conservative listed the critiques we’ve been hearing for weeks – essentially that the White House is too detached, too uninvolved and is not doing everything it can to stop the leak and minimize damage.  The liberal’s main point was that tea partyers, conservatives and Obama critics alike complain that government is getting too big so how can the government be blamed for staying out of a private business crisis?  This introduces a very big and very important question.  What is the right amount of government?

Looking to the Constitution for guidance I’ve always thought of the government as the referee in the game of doing business and living life in the United States.  Of course there are certain “services” where the economies of scale and of the federal government can be useful.  However when these areas are governed primarily by politics and not the level of fairness a referee is supposed to honor, the government’s role becomes distorted, ineffective and even dangerous.

Government’s role should be as a regulator of business (SEC, FDA….) not as an owner (Amtrak, GM, AIG).  If our federal government takes over an automotive company like GM or Chrysler then how can their role as regulator over a crisis such as Toyota’s accelerator problem be viewed as impartial?  The more damaged Toyota is by the crisis, the more business is steered to the  government-owned GM and Chrysler.  If the government stays in its proper role then these awkward questions don’t need to be asked   and the government doesn’t lose credibility.  After all, we all know that the game isn’t fair if the referees are also players.

Is Perception More Important than Leadership?

With dismal employment numbers, unsustainable escalating debt and the growth of government, the Gulf oil spill seems to be the last straw to the American people in ignoring the ineptitude of Barack Obama.   Clearly an impressive academic resume and running a brilliant presidential campaign can not be neatly applied to running the country.  Or perhaps, from a more cynical point of view, Obama has never been qualified to lead,  has always known the repercussions of his agenda and just doesn’t care.  The ends justify the means.  It seems to me that Obama believes there are no consequences worth deviating from to achieve his goal of redistribution and big government…

Since Day 1 Obama has spent his time pointing fingers, talking tough and finally this week feigning an emotion and getting angry. That is of course is when he is “not letting a crisis go to waste” and using the spill to push an expensive and invasive Cap & Trade agenda.   

Are the American people confident he’s in charge and on top of this?  Remember after the devastation of 9/11 that with thousands of loved ones gone, millions of people shell shocked and the southern tip of Manhattan essentially amputated Rudy Giuliani engendered strength, compassionate and leadership for New Yorkers and all Americans.  So we know it’s possible.

Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana is doing an admirable job, following the Giuliani model of being present, being involved and trying to implement every possibly solution.  Does he get cooperation from the White House?  No.  He makes requests for supplies to reign in the oil, to protect the wetlands and estuaries. No response for weeks.  The excuse – two weeks of environment impact studies.  Talk about useless bureaucrats…. How can these oil containment solutions possibly be more damaging than the spill itself? Meanwhile precious time is wasted, and the situation grows worse and worse.

Obama has waited over 50 days to spend more than a few hours for photo ops down at the ‘ground zero’ of the spill.  You couldn’t wrench Rudy Giuliani away from downtown New York for the weeks after 9/11.  Obama, not so much.  See he has Paul McCartney and Kelly Clarkson concerts to attend.  He has sports teams to charm with White House tours – an of course more photo ops.  After all, isn’t his entire presidency based on perception over leadership?

A GOOD NIGHT IN POLITICS FOR CONSERVATIVE WOMEN

Republican primary victories in California for Carly Fiorina and Meg Whitman, in Nevada for Sharron Angle, and a democratic primary victory in Arkansas for Bluedog Blanche Lincoln are encouraging signs that conservative women are becoming an even greater and more credible force in the national political scene. Moreover it is hinting at a shift in public perception that we are truly a right of center nation when it comes to general political philosophies. Although electing a female president eludes us, women are more and more elected into greater positions of power in politics. Regardless of my contempt for Nancy Pelosi’s far left ideologies and policies, I have to give her props for taking an effective and firm grip on her House. It is becoming a norm instead of exception for women to occupy the Cabinet, the Supreme Court and to govern leading cities and states. This sends a great message to young girls.

HYPOCRISY, HATE & ISRAEL

Peace Flotilla to Gaza?

 Imagine unprovoked rockets flying into Michigan from Canada.  Thousands of rockets deliberately aimed at civilians with the goal of inflicting the most damage, the greatest loss of life.  This scenario is unacceptable to all, unless you change one of the players to Israel.  When it comes to crisis and provoked attacks involving Israel, not only is there no benefit of the doubt, but concrete proof of Israel’s innocence or an aggressor’s guilt is ignored and overlooked worldwide. 

Today Israel is being attacked for protecting its borders by enforcing a legal embargo, for preventing Hamas from receiving weapons and materials to use against Israel and for honoring its responsibility to keep its citizens secure and safe (Obama are you listening?).   In this latest skirmish Israel has provided detailed video footage from their military helicopters as well as footage confiscated from activists removed from the flotilla. Israel’s claims that they were defending themselves from attack are clearly substantiated.  Cheers to Netanyahu and his cabinet members that respectfully but forcefully communicated to the world that they will never give up their responsibility to protect their citizens and that they will continue to call out the lies, double standards and hypocrisies of their critics and sworn enemies.

Hamas has been clear; their primary goal is to destroy Israel.  With a little help from their friends like Syria, Iran and Turkey they continue to rearm to attack and destroy.  Hamas cries foul when Palestinian innocents are killed when Israel responds to attacks. Perhaps Hamas’s strategic choice of firing rockets from inside schools, hospitals and UN  buildings is at fault here and not Israel?  That’s not the way it is often reported.   Why does common sense and fairness disappear when Israel is involved?  Can the world really be that anti-Semitic?

And that brings us to Washington and Obama’s silence.  With claims of wanting to repair ties with Israel damaged by his administrations latest tactics, does Obama really think the crumbs of support he offered this week accomplish this goal?  With political correctness removed, it is clear that our President’s sympathies lie with Palestine.  Obama’s first interview as President was with a Muslim news organization, he has made visits along with speeches admonishing his own country and praising Islam in Turkey and Cairo.  Visits to Israel?  None.  Discussions for Obama to visit Israel  – None.

Thank god for those in Congress, Democrats and conservatives alike, that have loudly voiced their disagreement and displeasure the White House’s treatment of Israel, particularly this week. There are two big exceptions, two Jewish lawmakers, Chuck Schumer and Barney Frank.  Chuck Schumer’s claims of working behind the scenes is either untrue or ineffective.  As for Barney Frank, his blast this week of Israel claiming as a Jew that he is embarrassed that they killed innocents on the flotilla was a disgrace and a lie.  These were not innocents.  Many were very misguided individuals, but reports of up to 40 or 50 have clear terrorist ties in Turkey and throughout the Middle East.  Innocents killed – I think not.  I have yet to read a retraction of Frank’s vile remarks.

Sadly it looks like this is just the beginning.  A second flotilla, originating in Ireland, probably more armed and dangerous than the first, is hours away from provoking another incident.  Lets us hope that his does not spark a serous conflict that challenges Obama and forces a clear policy on Israel.

Obama’s Lack of Experience Comes Shining Through

Obama's Damn is Breaking

Conservative values aside, I don’t quite understand how a man with such a thin resume was elected President.   In my world, intelligent, impressive people with thin resumes become interns, not CEOs.   It has taken eighteen months, but we are finally at the point where enough true blue Kool Aid drinkers are finally waking up to the reality that Obama is not a superhuman capable of slowing the seas and saving mankind.

In a very short time Obama has exploded the national debt, sucked millions of jobs out of the private sector, weakened our national security, made the U.S a weak, laughing stock overseas and along with a Democratic Congress has redefined partisanship.  And someone in the Executive branch needs to look up the definition of transparency in the dictionary because they seem to think it’s a synonym for Teflon.

Regardless of his politics, I wish I was proven wrong about Obama and that the country was in better shape with a brighter future.  The Nick Falson cartoon above from the New York Post says it all.   Obama is clearly in over his head with many more issues than he can handle.  But then again, we never really knew what he was capable of handling in the first place.

We Need Consumer Reports for Politicians

With the critical midterm elections upon us, all I ask is a simple Consumer Reports bubble chart clarifying which candidates have conservative values and which ones don’t.  Help me, please.

I am a Consumer Reports loyalist since my early post college years.  For every new appliance, device, or service needed I turned to my trusty Consumer Reports magazine (or website) and gathered a thorough and unbiased collection of data to make informed and good decisions.  Wouldn’t it be nice if we could apply this process to politics?

Imagine voting for a candidate based on actual votes and accomplishments that matter most?  No manipulative media coverage or special interests, no political spin to wade through, just facts.  Wouldn’t that be the most democratic voting solution of all?  The candidate with the most people agreeing with their positions wins, period.  Just imagine.

And the information blame game during a national crisis?  I don’t want bias politicians weighing in.  I want to hear the facts from the boots on the ground, scientists in the Gulf, law enforcement at the Southern borders and military leaders overseas.  We must stop the metamorphosis of our government and the president into a brand with a marketing message that can be manipulated at will for votes.  The stakes are just too high and there is way too much to lose.

For now we spend out time getting information from many varied sources – and drawing our own conclusions. Pretty quickly it should become clear which media outlets blur the line of news and editorials and which to watch; which politicians have noble agendas and which are selfish, arrogant and too often corrupt.   

Conservatively speaking…I think the accurately informed involvement of the citizenry is the only path to long term success

Cuomo Running with Conservative Values?

I like what I’m reading.  I like what I’m hearing.  At long last Andrew Cuomo has stated the inevitable and expected out loud and announced his run for the governorship of New York State.

I will confess to having a bit of a soft spot for the Cuomos.  His father, Mario, after all, was governor during my political adolensence.  He even gave a keynote commencement speech at my graduation from Cornell.  And now his son, Andrew, is poised to be the latest savior from the cesspool of politics known as Albany.

I love New York.  But to my own surprise while looking for a new home I am strongly considering leaving.   If the rampant dysfunction, unfathomable and endless spending, not to mention the corruption that is spouting from so many places I cant even keep track anymore are here to stay then I am not.  Cuomo is promising a curb to spending and tax increases. He is promising an end to unsustainable and unreasonable union demands.  He is promising to make New York Government something to be proud of.    Doesnt sound like today’s New York Democrats to me.

For now, I am optimistic, cautious, but optimistic.  What can I say, the wounds of Governor Steamroller are still fresh.  But I hope for the best and hope for a reason to stay.

An Introduction to Conservatively Speaking

The Power of the Independent Voter

A BIT OF BACKGROUND
“Conservative” and “New York”, words not often spoken in the same sentence. Yes I have conservative values and I was born, raised, educated and work in New York. I didn’t start out this way. Shortly following my 18th birthday, like the majority of New Yorkers, I registered as a Democrat. .

THE EVOLUTION
In the past ten years, I noticed bit by bit, that my principles and values regarding key issues were rarely in line with the Democratic party (or whatever its evolved into). Finally, four months ago I checked a new box on the voting form and became an Independent. I still don’t know exactly what it means, other than I am not a Democrat and I am not a Republican. What I do know is that my vote will be solely based on their positions on the issues that matter to me. .

For a very, very long time it has been unsettling and exhausting to choose my words and audience carefully when sharing my opinions about politics. No more. I now I share my opinions freely and proudly. And unlike most individuals on the left that I meet, I am tolerant of and can even respect views that are different than my own.

COMING UP:
What I plan to do at “Conservatively Speaking in New York’ is speak out a few days a week from the perspective of an individual with conservative values living in one of the most liberal states in the country . I look forward to many interesting, creative, productive and ideally, non-partisan conversations on the issues that really matter.