SnakeRiverLib

Who are the refugees in Israel?  Well before the end of WWI, Jews had been buying land in the former Ottoman Empire.  They had been buying land to create a homeland for Jews.  At the end of WWI, the Ottoman Empire was divided and the protectorate was established, designating an official homeland for the Jews.  Their ANCESTRAL homeland, to clarify.  The UN recognized Israel in 1948, and it was immediately attacked by the surrounding arab nations.  The attack was repulsed, and the war to maintain their freedom had begun.  In 1967 and 1973 additional wars happened.  Same results, except that Israel took land necessary to defend itself.  It traded away the Sinai peninsula to Egypt in exchange for peace.  Look what that got them in the UN.  Egypt voted yes. So, here we are.  Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, the only one that grants citizenship to believers of a different sort (ask christians or jews about their full citizenship privileges in Iran or Saudi Arabia.)  The US, a

On Monday, the Electoral College will vote, and we will be done with the election, unless somehow Electors violate the law in many states and vote contrary to their state.  Faithless electors have never overturned an election, but this year is out of wack in so many ways.  Hopefully not. Here is a stat for those that would overthrow the Electoral College.  We hear that Secretary Clinton won by 3 million votes.  A lot, no doubt, about 2% of the total cast.  Here is a stat you probably aren't hearing.  Take away California, one state, and who has the popular total?  If you guessed Trump, you would be right.  By about 1.4 million votes. Senator McConnell has said, now that the GOP controls the House, the Senate, and the WH, that any tax reform must be revenue neutral.  Really?  What happened to "If we can get the House?" (2010)  or "If we only had the House AND the Senate?" (2014)  Well, now you have it all, GOP.  And now, with everyone in the world HATING

So, President elect Trump has nominated some very interesting people in very interesting positions.  You can figure that he must be doing something right for the howling to be what it is. First, let me say that nominating Generals, in particular for SecDef, is not necessarily a war mongering event.  In fact, who would be better to stop this playing war BS than a general who has seen first hand the price we have paid. Now for some fun. Treasury .  Goldman Sachs?  okay, probably not cool.  Didn't Trump bash Cruz for his wife having ties to GS? Education .  Who better to help take down an extra-constitutional department ( ECD ) than someone that has taken the fight to the NEA?  Remember the NEA right?  The union that said that they would care for the students when the students started paying dues?  You can google it.  By the way, which union is the single largest contributor to the DNC?  yup. When I say extra-constitutional department, I refer you to #10 in the Bill of Rig

I have mentioned that too many laws mean no law.  I also wanted to talk about the need to have laws clear, and well defined.  So I wanted to write about the law, and the need for fewer of them.  My alter-ego over on the rim recently wrote on music, so why not? Because Obie came to the realization that it was a typical case of American Blind justice , and there wasn't nothin' he could do about it, and the judge wasn't gonna look at the twenty-seven 8 by 10 colored glossy pictures with the circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explainin' what each one was, to be used as evidence against us.  Arlo Guthrie, Alice's Restaurant. Just Youtube the song, or google the lyrics.  The whole song revolves around this incident, and the absurdity of petty laws. Why mention all of this?   Today the US has the highest incarceration rate in the world.  Besides those are people who are unknowingly breaking the law.  The point of law is to maintain order

I am really tired of all the chanting of racism.  Of course, the other -isms as well.  And to accuse half of the voting public of feeling that way?  Many of whom voted for President Obama in 08 and 12?  You want to see racism.  Here it is You might be a a racist if....  you support a policy that murders over half of a race's children. You might be a racist if.... you advocate policies that have resulted in 75% of a race's children that survived to birth being born to single mothers. You might be a racist if....  you believe that a race can do nothing on their own without your help. You might be a racist if....  you support education policies that deny choice to those  most in need of education. You might be a racist if....  you think that a voting block will continually vote you in with huge majorities, even though your policies have hurt them for generations. You might be a racist if....  you think that skin color is more important than qualifications. You mig

Free shipping.  Buy one get one free.  Free agency.  Free will.  So many things that are free.  During the election, we heard about more free stuff.  Free health care.  Free tuition.  But are they? This was nearly written ON THE RIM.   It is because it is a serious topic, one that is more than  politics.  (Not that politics aren't serious, but...) We heard from the Democratic Socialist that in the Scandinavian countries that they have Free! healthcare,   Free! college, and so on.  The thing is that they don't see it as Free! .  They see it as having paid on the front side with high taxes that most in the US would find unpalatable.  60% tax rate that goes all the way down to the equivalent of $60,000 a year in the US.  They know it is not Free! .  So why was it sold as such?  Because we will buy it.  That is why. In this country, we have a huge misconception.  We have taught millions that things can be Free! .  People need to know that NOTHING is FREE! .   Every single

I won't gloat about Trump winning. I will gloat about having called it, when most seemed resigned to a Clinton Presidency.  People thought I was crazy.  Wish I was a betting person, I would have cleaned up. I find it interesting that the LGBTQ community is so up in arms about Trump.  He has largely supported them, even going so far as to say that Kaitlyn Jenner could use the Ladies Restroom at Trump Tower whenever she wanted.  I want to contrast that with Hillary, who, when faced with the opportunity to stand and call Radical Islam by its name at the Orlando Massacre, instead blamed the firearms like the President.  Speaking of Radical Islam. Rumors abound that Keith Ellison, D-MN, is being pushed for chair of the DNC.  More than just rumors, actually.  So, in the wake of a repudiation of the open borders and Radical Islam denial of the current administration, they are considering a supporter of CAIR, and the Muslim Brotherhood to lead them?  I don't think they fully unde

As a precursor, Just because I supported Trump does not mean that I am back in the GOP fold.  I am not.  I still think that freedom and liberty are at significant risk, and am done with playing party games.  Long live the porcupine.  Maybe next time, we can get a real libertarian to run. A victor has been declared, and the vanquished conceded.  Now what? We could take the path of anger, and hate.  Trump could drag the Democrat leaders to his hotel, and tell them that elections have consequences, and they lost.  He could do that, after all, that is what President Barack "the great uniter" Obama did in 2009.  No doubt many would feel justified in him doing that.  I bet the Democrats are expecting it.  I hope he doesn't. Based on names being floated for cabinet posts, I am not getting that "bull in the china shop" vibe.  Yes, unlike the current occupant, Trump is an alpha, and he may be able to control the brain trust.  Maybe, but I would say this.  If you ra

First, predictions. Regardless of the FBI rolling on their responsibilities, I still think that Trump will win. It is not to say that I will be surprised if Hillary wins.  I won't be. So, if Madam Secretary wins. Contrary to the members of the House, who have promised endless impeachment hearings, I think all that needs to be done with.  The current President could facilitate this by granting a blanket pardon for anything that Hillary has done.  There is too much division right now, and the House trying to re-prosecute the election will only hurt their already bad image.  Let it go.   The people know she is dirty.  They know she can't be trusted.  If they elect her, then they are okay with it.  It would be better to focus on policy.  I know how hard that will be, but if you can't make your case, then get the heck out. Period. The rest depends on control of the Senate.  If the Dems control, they will go nuclear on the filibuster to get some other Marxist on the

Quick hits. Just as a reminder, accusing an election of being rigged is unpatriotic.  It is undemocratic, it could undermine our whole system. Another reminder.  just the other day, someone said that the polls seem off.  We still haven't seen the full effect of the FBI investigation, but it is not looking good for the Secretary.   Obamacare will see double digit percent increases, or maybe triple digits in some states.  Doctors dropping out, and we aren't even talking about the deductibles for those plans.  They spin it by talking about the 20 million that are now insured.  Of course, the majority of them were already eligible for Medicaid, but we have covered that before. They lure you with tax credits.  They are desperate for the young, (many of whom don't have to have plans, because of their parents) to sign up.  Why would someone, if they get their insurance without having to pay premiums?  If Madam Secretary is elected, you can expect the ability to get financial

Too long to post in a facebook post, in my opinion.  Not a long one here, but wanted to get this out, just in case. I mentioned previously that the polling perplexed me.  That something seems wrong.  No, I didn't, and won't break down those polls, and most will say at this point that other than 20% that has already voted, there is substantial agitation in the water.  I would say that the pre-Comey announcement polls are out. I loved Trey Gowdy's response to the dishonorable Senator from Nevada, Harry Reid's letter, accusing the man he just praised a few months ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvMcoZj9Su0 Being Mormon, I didn't mind the inference, because most know that it is not true. Make no mistake that Hillary would not be in this position, if she had followed the rules that ALL federal employees are accountable for.  She did this to herself. I know, milquetoast.  So check this out.  Referring to the polling above. What if, there was significant

Did the title catch you?  I wanted to write a moment, to link an historical event to the events of today. First, historical. On this date in 1838, the Governor of Missouri, Lilburn Boggs, issued the Extermination Order, declaring the Mormons a menace, and that they would either be driven out of the state, or killed.  Yes, you read that correctly, driven out or killed.  Governor Bond rescinded the order in 1976.  Missouri was on the frontier, and sparsely populated.  The Mormons were not without blame, posing a political threat to the old citizens.  Of course, after the Mormons were literally driven out of the state, and their leaders taken into custody, no one sought to kill them anymore, so it was symbolic more than anything.  Of course, what happened then does not reflect on the good citizens of Missouri today. It was a terrible time in the US.  Brother against brother.  Missouri was to become a bloody front in the Civil War. So why do I mention this horrible event now? Tod

I know that I said no more, but it really is that important, and I think most people dropped it after the Trump non endorsement support.  A few thoughts. $675,000 from McAuliffe's PAC to the wife of an FBI official, ostensibly for her election "campaign".  Soon after, he is promoted to the #3 slot at FBI, and then Deputy Director, overseeing the Clinton email investigation. That is what you need to know.  For those that don't, Governor McAuliffe, was the DNC chair during the Clinton days.  Very close friend to the Clintons.  So $675, 000, plus on behalf of the Virginia Democrat party another $200,000 and change, and uh, guess what? NO CHARGES against Madam Secretary.  Utah seems to be showing some love for McMullin, I suspect that a good deal of it is that he has character.  Of course many in UT see the little m by his name in the paper, (mormon) , and say, "hmm, good guy, good family, not Trump.",  and "We can show that GOP establishment a th

The administration admitted today that huge increases in premiums are coming to a healthcare.gov site near you. The good news?  I am trying to be objective, after all.  More people than ever are "insured".  Of course there are qualifiers.  Most of the people signing up were probably eligible for Medicaid to start with.  That is right.  We wrecked the private health care market, threw billions down all sorts of bottomless pits of bureaucracies, so that people that could have had Medicaid, now have Medicaid. More good news?  We have created a whole new class of law  breakers.  Remember, you are REQUIRED   to have insurance.  If you don't, by definition, you are a LAWBREAKER , a criminal.   Since the healthy are not signing up, the numbers are screwed, thus the massive increases in premiums.  (remember, they were supposed to go DOWN on the average, by $2500) The best part?  It's not even fully implemented.  I give credit to the administration for not trashing Hill

Probably the last post regarding the election until the aftermath, while reserving the right to comment if something drastic, as defined by me, happens. It is my blog. Not having true libertarian principles, and not focusing his campaign on a winnable strategy, Gary Johnson no longer has my support.  I was an idealist, and if nothing else, have become a committed libertarian, so I thank the two major parties for that, if nothing else. Can you imagine, if the GOP had put up someone like Rand Paul ?  How different the discussion would be. Or if the Libertarian Party had put up Austin Petersen , a true libertarian? I have made the case against Donald Trump for the past year.  I feel that I have been fair, and objective. Let me first say that the new revelations about him are no surprise, or shouldn't be to anyone.  The fact that NBC aided and abetted him in his alleged sexual assaults is not getting the play it deserves. Hillary is a monster.  She believes that the Supreme

Three questions; 1. Who is your state representative?  Not Congress or Senate, but your statehouse rep?  and, 2. How is a President elected?  Most know by now that it is the Electoral College that makes the selection.  Here is a nice take on it from back in the day; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyIFqf3XH24 So, not entirely accurate.  As we found out in 2000. and, 3. How do we make sure what is happening doesn't happen again?  (Assuming that there are future Presidential elections)  Our votes for President are technically meaningless (except NE and ME, whose State Constitutions spell out how the electors vote) That is right.  A candidate could win 100% of the vote, (or 110% of the vote in Democrat controlled states) and the Electors could go the other way.  Not likely, of course, but there is nothing to stop them from doing that. In 2000, after going back and forth all night on FL, the networks finally went with what the votes had been all night. (of course when the

WikiLeaks has released so much information that a candidate that was not the favorite of the media would be done.  The latest? So the Hillary campaign, coordinating with the DNC, hired thugs to disrupt Trump rallies.  How do we know? Heads have rolled at the DNC.  Fairness abounds. Postal workers posting that they are destroying Republican ballots. Registrars are destroying the registrations of Republicans.  The dead have been linked to absentee ballots.  But no voter  fraud? I was a little surprised that there were no comments on my last Ontherim blog. I have seen writings indicating that Evan McMullin is a Hillary plant. I doubt that, but his path to the Presidency is even more tenuous than Johnson's, and more likely to turn the keys to the White House to Hillary.  He draws no one from Clinton.  Speaking of Johnson When pollsters ask the question who do you prefer as President, Clinton or Trump, no one else can even be considered.  No Johnson, No Stein, No Castle, No M

When this nation was  founded, blacks were slaves in most cases, but they weren't the only slaves.  Many people were released from debtors prison in exchange for a defined term of indentured servitude.  For all the talk of Chivalry, women were considered practically property, with few rights. Who could vote when the Constitution was implemented?  For the most part, it was property owners. Of course we know what happened after the Civil War.  In the South all sorts of requirements were laid out to keep blacks from exercising their vote.  Poll Taxes, Literacy Tests (with grandfathered exceptions for poor whites) Intimidation, and other things. Never mind which party was that party. Yeah, you know.  (NOT GOP)   Of course, to listen today, one would think that we are back to those days, by requiring a photo ID to vote.   Burning crosses=Photo ID.  That is what they are selling. Today, a poll demonstrated that Millenials believe that George W. Bush killed more people than Josef Sta

Planned Parenthood celebrates 100 years of genocide.  Polls indicate that an overwhelming majority of people support BANNING abortion after 20 weeks.  Hillary?  If the baby hasn't crowned, then bring on the scissors.  Who is out of step?  Evil. Besides their body part business on the side, there is this that Hillary and the Democrats have fought so hard for . https://www.facebook.com/gosnellmovie/# monstrous.  There is no description that can describe this. Moving on. Probably a mistake to highlight Bill's affairs.  Absolutely spot on to highlight Women's champion Hillary for her defense of a child rapist, smearing the child.   SMEARING THE CHILD! .  Not to mention that she had a hand in silencing Bill's women for who knows how many years.  Those that couldn't be bought were humiliated, their families shamed.  Anything for power.  ANYTHING for POWER! Evan Mcmullin is getting a lot of pay.  An incredible young man.  A NEVERTRUMPER .  I suspect that many

Drudge said "Trump vs the World.  I say it is THE PEOPLE vs DC! If you have read here, you know how much pain it causes me to make a case for Trump. No wonder the GOP is hurting as a brand, as a party, and a political force.  It is because they SUCK at politics, and governing!  Of course, easy for me to observe, no longer a member of the GOP, but I think most people I know will tend to agree with what I am saying. It is a lengthy post, as I want to provide depth, but here is the short version. Trump won the primary.  He was Trump then, he is Trump now.  A newcomer to politics, he appeals to  THE PEOPLE for that reason.  He is not beholden to the party.  In fact, the party tried to keep him out.  Did I mention that Trump jumped through all the hoops and won?  The only thing the party can take comfort in is that he defeated the hated Ted Cruz.  Combine that with them getting Cruz on board as they are jumping off, and they see it as a win.  They don't even care if they

Drudge has the headline correct.  Trump vs The World. NBC held this footage until their employer's candidate, Hillary Clinton, was soon to reach a no win point.  She did, and after knowingly allowing harassment, and assault in the quest for ratings, have dumped probably only the first of many cuts. No doubt CNN (Clinton News Network) hosting the debate will do everything possible to paint Trump in a bad light, and will also do their diligence to run cover for Clinton.  We saw it in the VP debate, and have no reason to expect otherwise. Trump will have to come off; knowledgeable, likable, and be able to answer in a way that will convince people that his vulgarity doesn't matter.  His supporters have demonstrated that they will go to long lengths to excuse his actions.  I get it.  The GOP nominated a bad candidate, and really, they are stuck with him. So, for the record.  I have mentioned any number of times that if you are an elected Republican, YOU HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO

I have been thinking all day about the monstrosities that have been revealed in the past few days, and what is to come. What has astounded me is the vitriol surrounding the Trump people towards those they desperately need.  Not sure that is a good idea.  And scaring away the people that are vital to victory seems like a bad plan to me. No, Trump is not running for Pastor, Pope, Rabbi, Bishop, or whatever your ecclesiastical authority may be.  I get that.  I also know that we as a nation have been teetering, and that people have shown that they will follow their leader.  We had a big spender in W, and with a GOP congress that had been elected to put the country on a path to fiscal balance, we spent like Democrats. (Reagan said that to compare to Drunken sailors was an insult to the sailors)  Under the divider pretending to be a uniter, we are more divided than ever, the Democrats spent like Democrats, and then the Republicans put up token resistance in 2011 and 2015, but to no avail

I am definitely relating Lloyd Bridges in Airplane.  If you don't remember, or for some sad reason you haven't seen it, Lloyd Bridges is the Chief Controller, and to follow the stereotypes, he progresses from "picking a bad week to stop smoking cigarettes" to ultimately "stop sniffing glue" . Why do I mention that?  Because every since I gave up sharing other posts, so many things have happened that I wanted to comment on, but am working hard to not.  Seriously, we can only pray that the madness stops at the election, but I suspect that no matter who wins, that the rancor and hate will only continue. I wonder how the media would react if Trump treated a female moderator like Kaine did last night?  Of course, I don't mean a Fox News female, because to liberals, if you are not hard core liberal feminist, then you don't count.  I mean Gwen Ifill, or someone like that. Why does Trump and Pence shy away from the comments that Putin is a stronger l

I find it very interesting that the desperation in the Clinton camp is soooo apparent, that they are not even trying to hide it anymore.  The New York Times (one of many dedicated PR organs for the Clinton camp) reports that Trump had a disastrous year in 1995, and may still be reaping the tax consequences today.  Legally.  That is the key word in this whole scheme. L-E-G-A-L-L-Y.  Trump's people should be all over it.  They should point out that what he did was legal, ethical, and moral, according to current tax policy, and that a CEO that didn't would be fired for failing to do his or her job.  It is what every other corporation or person does in similar circumstances, and use it as an example of why the tax code needs to be reformed.  None of those supporting Clinton want it.  Warren Buffet bemoaning how little he pays in taxes doesn't want it.  Here is how it works. The top corporate bracket is 38% or so.  The HIGHEST in the industrialized world.  Trump wants to cut

I decide to not share any political posts, and then so much happens.  One of the best ads of the campaign.  "Hillary has the same policies as Dick Cheney, except he supported Gay marriage sooner" balancedrebellion.com Didn't watch the debate, but was reading a piece by a writer of "The Hill".  He essentially confirmed that Lester Holt, who, up until the debate, was considered one of the very few unbiased reporters in the media, went full in for Hillary, asking no follow up questions of her, not asking any questions about the issues that continue to follow her.  Yet, he also hammered Trump on stuff that really has no bearing on the election.  The Hill is no conservative review, by the way. The Commission on Presidential Debates, the Parties, and the Media, have all conspired to keep anyone else out.  This puts a lie to those who say that Gary Johnson is not doing well in the polls.  The polls are structured to choose between Hillary and Trump.  Only afte