Base Line and other sundry items
The President's budget was rolled out today. As is typical, it will be dead on arrival. There will be the gnashing of teeth, and the normal grandma eating dog food, children starving, or dying of a sinus infection because of cuts. Here is the truth.
DC cuts are not cuts like we understand. It is because the government operates on a system known as "Base Line Budgeting". What this means is that before any work is done on the numbers, a presumed increase is built in. So if some program received $100 last year, anything less than $106 will be a cut. That is right! That is what they will say. So if the new budget calls for $103, then you will hear that there is a 50% cut in spending for that program. Because it is half of the projected increase. Prepare to be buried in that in the communication arm of the Democrat party, i.e. the media.
How much do the Feds spend on needs based assistance? $60,000 a year per family below the poverty level. Considering that the median income in this country is something like $45,000, that would make me think twice about that spending.
The president referred to Jerusalem as being in Israel. All I can say, is it's about time. Resolutions have been passed to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, but it hasn't happened. Yet. He was right to stand with Israel. While the Saudis do not make peace with Israel, it is well known that they have been cooperating, and working against terror organizations. President Trump could very well be the one to bring about a solution.
People say it is the Israeli government that is the obstruction to peace. Yet they are silent on Hamas, a RECOGNIZED terrorist group, which has turned the Gaza Strip into a hell hole. They have diverted UN humanitarian aid funding to buy arms, and build tunnels into Israel. Any wonder that Israel is reluctant to go into talks regarding a two state solution? Would YOU negotiate with someone that wants to wipe you and your kin off the face of the earth? That is what is being taught in the West Bank and Gaza.
The media reports that President Trump has ruined any chance of working with Iran by aligning the Middle East against them, as the world's largest state sponsor of terror. To be clear, the people in Iran do want change, they are tired of the theocratic government, and the pretend democracy that it is. FYI, during the Green Revolution, at the advent of the Arab Spring that the previous administration embraced, (until it went to crap) did we assist those clamoring for freedom in Iran? um, no. So, there we are. Iran's actions have drawn many former foes together against them, including Israel.
Before Israel literally fenced and walled off the West Bank and Gaza, the event that happened in Manchester yesterday was a fairly common occurrence. Discos were frequently targeted by suicide bombers, bus stations, movie theaters, restaurants, and so on. Now they don't. So, the wall did have an impact. Of course, they still have to deal with errant mortars and rockets from Gaza.
Manchester was a deliberate targeting of the most vulnerable among us. The suspect, born in England, specifically attacked the gate closest to public transit access. That someone would claim responsibility (any guess? ISIS?) is a monstrosity. We are not yet immune from the horror that we feel. Yet, what did the media do? They went to the "we are so worried about anti-Muslim backlash in these communities" Really?
We should NOT automatically assume that someone of Middle Eastern descent is a terrorist. Definitely not. But just like we watch for symptoms of someone that has the makings of a sociopath, if we applied that profiling regardless of race, who knows? My guess, is just like there is a triggering event for someone to go in and shoot up a theater, or school, it seems logical that someone doesn't go full ISIS mode in a vacuum.
Just as the President called on Muslim nations to work to fight the terrorists at home and abroad, Muslim communities need to be working with others to root out these killers from among them. Many of these people are already known. The bomber at Manchester was known. The Tsarnaev brothers (Boston Marathon) were know, courtesy of the Russians. The Santa Monica killers would have been known had simple social media checks been done. Neighbors were suspicious, but afraid to call the police, because they didn't want to be branded racists. This is where we have come in this land.
Right now, the intelligence machine is gathering info on every electronic signal. Writing a blog? Check. Phone call? Check. Email? Random net surfing? Check, check. Of course that is too much data to really be able to zero in on a potential terrorist. So why does it happen? There is evidence that the intelligence people are willing to compromise data when threatened. How do you feel about that? Hate President Trump? Then you probably are cheering. But what about when the President gets control of that machine, and starts tracking down the dissenters? Maybe a little muddier then?
Make them get proper warrants. Stop compiling data.
Before Manchester, the President referred to Islamism (as opposed to Islam) as an ideology of evil. He did it in the Kingdom, in front Muslim leaders. They know they have a problem. Only working with them, can it be defeated, or at least cut back.
Thank you Mr. President, for naming an evil in the world.
DC cuts are not cuts like we understand. It is because the government operates on a system known as "Base Line Budgeting". What this means is that before any work is done on the numbers, a presumed increase is built in. So if some program received $100 last year, anything less than $106 will be a cut. That is right! That is what they will say. So if the new budget calls for $103, then you will hear that there is a 50% cut in spending for that program. Because it is half of the projected increase. Prepare to be buried in that in the communication arm of the Democrat party, i.e. the media.
How much do the Feds spend on needs based assistance? $60,000 a year per family below the poverty level. Considering that the median income in this country is something like $45,000, that would make me think twice about that spending.
The president referred to Jerusalem as being in Israel. All I can say, is it's about time. Resolutions have been passed to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, but it hasn't happened. Yet. He was right to stand with Israel. While the Saudis do not make peace with Israel, it is well known that they have been cooperating, and working against terror organizations. President Trump could very well be the one to bring about a solution.
People say it is the Israeli government that is the obstruction to peace. Yet they are silent on Hamas, a RECOGNIZED terrorist group, which has turned the Gaza Strip into a hell hole. They have diverted UN humanitarian aid funding to buy arms, and build tunnels into Israel. Any wonder that Israel is reluctant to go into talks regarding a two state solution? Would YOU negotiate with someone that wants to wipe you and your kin off the face of the earth? That is what is being taught in the West Bank and Gaza.
The media reports that President Trump has ruined any chance of working with Iran by aligning the Middle East against them, as the world's largest state sponsor of terror. To be clear, the people in Iran do want change, they are tired of the theocratic government, and the pretend democracy that it is. FYI, during the Green Revolution, at the advent of the Arab Spring that the previous administration embraced, (until it went to crap) did we assist those clamoring for freedom in Iran? um, no. So, there we are. Iran's actions have drawn many former foes together against them, including Israel.
Before Israel literally fenced and walled off the West Bank and Gaza, the event that happened in Manchester yesterday was a fairly common occurrence. Discos were frequently targeted by suicide bombers, bus stations, movie theaters, restaurants, and so on. Now they don't. So, the wall did have an impact. Of course, they still have to deal with errant mortars and rockets from Gaza.
Manchester was a deliberate targeting of the most vulnerable among us. The suspect, born in England, specifically attacked the gate closest to public transit access. That someone would claim responsibility (any guess? ISIS?) is a monstrosity. We are not yet immune from the horror that we feel. Yet, what did the media do? They went to the "we are so worried about anti-Muslim backlash in these communities" Really?
We should NOT automatically assume that someone of Middle Eastern descent is a terrorist. Definitely not. But just like we watch for symptoms of someone that has the makings of a sociopath, if we applied that profiling regardless of race, who knows? My guess, is just like there is a triggering event for someone to go in and shoot up a theater, or school, it seems logical that someone doesn't go full ISIS mode in a vacuum.
Just as the President called on Muslim nations to work to fight the terrorists at home and abroad, Muslim communities need to be working with others to root out these killers from among them. Many of these people are already known. The bomber at Manchester was known. The Tsarnaev brothers (Boston Marathon) were know, courtesy of the Russians. The Santa Monica killers would have been known had simple social media checks been done. Neighbors were suspicious, but afraid to call the police, because they didn't want to be branded racists. This is where we have come in this land.
Right now, the intelligence machine is gathering info on every electronic signal. Writing a blog? Check. Phone call? Check. Email? Random net surfing? Check, check. Of course that is too much data to really be able to zero in on a potential terrorist. So why does it happen? There is evidence that the intelligence people are willing to compromise data when threatened. How do you feel about that? Hate President Trump? Then you probably are cheering. But what about when the President gets control of that machine, and starts tracking down the dissenters? Maybe a little muddier then?
Make them get proper warrants. Stop compiling data.
Before Manchester, the President referred to Islamism (as opposed to Islam) as an ideology of evil. He did it in the Kingdom, in front Muslim leaders. They know they have a problem. Only working with them, can it be defeated, or at least cut back.
Thank you Mr. President, for naming an evil in the world.
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