Obama Caves in to Republican Demands to Extend the Tax Cuts

Or, perhaps we should say the government may forgo the re-imposition of the Clinton Tax Increases? Anyway you cut it, the Dems had to acquiesce to the GOP demands as the public had spoken loud and clearly in relation to how it felt about taxes, the lack of jobs, and the slow economy. Our politicians know when their number is up and it was up the first Tuesday of November when Americans walked to their polling places in significant numbers to change the political landscape of our nation. The uber liberal members of the Democratic Party put up a token resistance, but in the end, even they had to admit that to raise taxes now was a bad idea that would draw nothing but ire from their electorate.

The Dems got an extension to the unemployment insurance, but at a cost. Not just a political cost, but a real cost to our budget. I have not seen where or how Congress is paying for these continued tax breaks and unemployment extensions. We continue to spend like a madman in a whorehouse with a credit card. I am not a Tea Party member. I am a realist. We must put aside political concerns and take charge of our nations spending. There are too many politicians with pet programs like Foodbank Vouchers for the Farmers Market, or anti-drug programs, or other types of outreach programs that flat out don't work. They are less than 40% effective and, yet, the politician who fought for the bill won't let it die!

If you had a car that ran at less than 40% efficiency, you would get rid of it. If your cable TV only functioned 40% of the time, you would look for alternatives. When our pets are sick and can no longer function normally, we put them to sleep. We shoot horses when they can't walk. Hell, doctors provide additional morphine to those near the end of their cancer suffering to allow them to reach the "Big Sleep." Let's put some government plans that don't work out of their misery! Take a look at some of the programs running at less than 40% efficiency. It will surprise you. http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/expectmore/rating/notperform.html

Once you see these non-performing programs, write your congressperson and let them know how you feel about throwing away good money after bad.

# # #

How about my buddy Kim Jong Il and his boy, Kim Jong Un? Those two dummies are heading for a showdown with South Korea and it might not be pretty for them. The Kim's have to cowtow to their military as their political philosophy is "Military First." This means that the military gets the lion's share of the budget, food, and oil. The civilian population is an afterthought. If the Kims were to change their ways and focus on the needs of the general populace, the military would vote them out at the point of a bayonet. North Korea is a military dictatorship and nothing less. These are thugs who only understand force.

A lot of Americans want China to help us control or at least manage North Korea. China has no interest in that whatsoever. As long as North Korea is a thorn to the side of America and South Korea, it continues to be a bargaining chip for the Chinese. If the North Korean issue was solved, then China would lose that leverage with us. North Korea makes China more important from the standpoint as a major power upon which the U.S. will be dependent. Eliminating the North Korean issue diminishes China's importance on the world stage. I am not saying that North Korea is China's only bargaining chip, but, at this time and for the foreseeable future, it is the most useful.

Many ask me, "Hey, Otto, what would happen if the North attacked the South again?" I honestly believe the South Koreans would clean the North's clocks. The South Koreans have some of our best military technology. The North Koreans make it look good in parades, but the South Koreans are the ones who will kick ass this time around. There may be a B-2 Spirit bomber helping them out here and there as well.