Victor Davis Hanson on The Decline of America

National Review Online   Hanson writes of the post-war destruction of German industry compared with the relative British industrial survival:

 "Yet Britain missed out on the postwar German economic miracles, in part because after the deprivations of the war, the war-weary British turned to class warfare and nationalized their main industries, which soon became uncompetitive." Hanson continues:

The gradual decline of a society is often a self-induced process of trying to meet ever-expanding appetites rather than a physical inability to produce past levels of food and fuel or to maintain adequate defense. Americans have never had safer workplaces or more sophisticated medical care — and never have so many been on disability.

Hanson sums up his thoughts with these chilling words:
"By any historical marker, the future of Americans has never been brighter. The United States has it all: undreamed-of new finds of natural gas and oil, the world’s preeminent food production, continual technological wizardry, strong demographic growth, a superb military, and constitutional stability.
"Yet we don’t talk confidently about capitalizing and expanding on our natural and inherited wealth. Instead, Americans bicker over entitlement spoils as the nation continues to pile up trillion-dollar-plus deficits. Enforced equality, rather than liberty, is the new national creed. The medicine of cutting back on government goodies seems far worse than the disease of borrowing trillions from the unborn to pay for them.
"In August 1945, Hiroshima was in shambles, while Detroit was among the most innovative and wealthiest cities in the world. Contemporary Hiroshima now resembles a prosperous Detroit of 1945; parts of Detroit look like they were bombed decades ago.
"History has shown that a government’s redistribution of shrinking wealth, in preference to a private sector’s creation of new sources of it, can prove more destructive than even the most deadly enemy."Emphasis added, as you knew it would be.

 

We are his valentine

ocregister

Let's see what the low-information voter is being told lately, shall we?

A little perspective on Rubio's sip of water  "You want a cringe-inducing gaffe involving a sip? How about this incident of Obama's, now consigned to the memory hole?

Rubio water-swig replay tally: MSNBC 155, CNN 34, Fox News 12 [VIDEO]
"Throughout the broadcast day...MSNBC showed a replay of Rubio’s swig approximately 155 times — 101 of which came during “The Rachel Maddow Show,” which played the moment on loop at the bottom of the screen for more than 13 minutes."

...."Added Sullivan: “Why would they be so focused on a man reaching for water instead of on what he said? Because they know they can’t effectively tear down his message.” 

 Via Sweetness and Light

CNN Slides Ever Lower  "Their panel is more or less a Chris Dorner fan club, with one lonely exception who thinks the most salient fact is that he was a murderer:"...

What’s Gotten Into the Water at CNN?  "CNN’s anti-Rubio, anti-dihydrogen monoxide-themed Chyron is proof that “at long last, American media reaches peak moron. I’m just thankful that Newsbusters was there to capture it. They’ve waited years for this moment and now, finally, it’s here. Cherish it, guys.”
Big Journalism covers this here

Lets see; Bill Clinton was accused of rape, he used the president's office for, um, hanky-panky - once while on the phone. No. Not a career-ender. Nothing with the magnitude of taking a drink of water during a speech. But the one thing making it be a career-ender over Clinton's antics: the help of the press informing the voters who elected Obama. As with Clinton and Obama, these "journalists" have no shame, no capacity for embarrassment.

 

 Big Journalism has this same take:  "In the view of the mainstream media, leaving a drowned woman in your car at the bottom of a river shouldn’t end your career (Teddy Kennedy); ejaculating on an intern in the Oval Office shouldn’t end your career (Bill Clinton); allowing a male prostitution ring to run from your apartment shouldn’t end your career (Barney Frank); leaving Americans without security in Benghazi and quietly going to sleep as 4 Americans die there isn’t a career ender.

"Sipping water – now that’s the end of the world. After all, when all Democrats walk on water, sipping it just seems sacrilegious."

Well, the MSM does worship the water Obama walks on.

Zazzle

Chris Matthews on Obama's SOTU: 'There's Nothing Lefty in Here'  Speaking of MSNBC's Chris Matthews:

Why Matthews still has a job this morning is beyond me.

Poll Shows Media Wildly Out-of-Touch with Priorities of Americans "The media doesn't want to talk about the state of the economy, because Obama doesn’t want to talk about the state of the economy, because the media's nothing more than a tool of The State that prefers to cover issues one person (Obama) wants covered, instead of issues the people would like covered."

 Zazzle

George Stephanopoulos Touts Obama's 'Dramatic,' 'Emotional' Speech, Chided Rubio's 'Hard-Edged' Response  "George Stephanopoulos on Wednesday's Good Morning America delighted over Barack Obama's "dramatic," "emotional" and "ambitious" speech. During live coverage of last night's Republican response, however, the former top Clinton aide lectured viewers that Marco Rubio's speech was "hard-edged." " Primitive, according to MSNBC

 

WashPost Hires "Democratic Flack" Who Trashed Ann Romney As Having 'Never Worked a Day in Her Life'  "Imagine the firestorm of outrage that would be ignited in the liberal media were a conservative paper like the Wall Street Journal to hire a Republican pundit who insulted First Lady Michelle Obama during last year's campaign, even if said pundit subsequently apologized. Now compare that to the silence that most certainly will greet the Washington Post hiring Hilary Rosen as an opinion contributor."

The Vail Spot

Coulter: White liberals tell black lies about civil rights

Ann Coulter

"It wasn’t a “tough” decision for Eisenhower to send troops to Little Rock in 1957.
"In the presidential campaign the year before, the Republican platform had expressly endorsed the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education. The Democratic platform did not.

"To the contrary, that year, 99 members of Congress signed the “Southern Manifesto” denouncing the court’s ruling in Brown. Two were Republicans. Ninety-seven were Democrats.
"As president, Eisenhower pushed through the 1957 Civil Rights Act and the 1960 Civil Rights Act. He established the Civil Rights Commission. It was Eisenhower, not Truman, who fully desegregated the military.
"Meanwhile, the Brown decision was being openly defied by the Democratic governor of Arkansas (and Bill Clinton pal), Orval Faubus, who refused to admit black students to Little Rock Central High School.
....
"As LBJ explained to fellow Democrats after doing a 180-flip on civil rights as president and pushing the 1964 Civil Rights Act (which resembled the 1957 Civil Rights Act he had gutted as a senator): “I’ll have them ni---rs voting Democratic for two hundred years.” That’s according to a steward on Air Force One, who overhead him say it."

The press narrative on Dorner takes shape

Before we proceed to the main article below, let's learn a bit about Dorner's victims:  Yeah, OK; "alleged victims", who were allegedly murdered. And who will be allegedly buried soon while their families mourn their alleged loss.

 

Michael Crain, 34  "Crain, a police officer with the city of Riverside, was mortally wounded on Feb. 7 in an ambush shooting as he sat in a police car at a stoplight.
Crain, 34, leaves his wife, a 4-year-old daughter and a son, 10. They remain under police protection until Dorner is caught.

Jeremiah MacKay, 35   "MacKay was a sheriff’s deputy based out of Yucaipa and graduated from Rim of the World High School in 1995. He was married and had children, according to his Facebook page. He was the sergeant-at-arms for the Emerald Society."

Keith Lawrence, 27 " Some at USC want the public to know that Keith Lawrence was more than just a loving partner to fiancee Monica Quan — he was a young law enforcement officer with a bright future."



Monica Quan, 28  "Quan and Lawrence were found shot to death Feb. 3 in the parking structure of their Irvine condominium complex. The couple was allegedly killed by former LAPD officer Christopher Jordan Dorner, who was fired from the department in 2009. Authorities believe Dorner, who was represented by Quan’s father at his termination hearing, targeted Monica Quan and her fiance in an act of revenge."

Now, on to the story:
This headline paints the picture: Dorner manhunt: Incendiary tear gas reportedly used on cabin
Doesn't that send the message that the police set the fire intentionally?
LA Times 
"Faced with regular barrages of gunfire, officers confronting suspected killer Christopher Dorner lobbed incendiary tear gas into the cabin where Dorner allegedly was holed up, said law enforcement officials with knowledge of the situation.
"The cabin caught on fire and authorities believe Dorner was burned inside. A body was discovered but authorities have not confirmed it was Dorner."

Five paragraphs down, the article says:

Hoping to end the standoff, law enforcement authorities first lobbed "traditional" tear gas into the cabin. When that did not work, they opted to use CS gas canisters, which are known in law enforcement parlance as incendiary tear gas. These canisters have significantly more chance of starting a fire. This gas can cause humans to have burning eyes and start to feel as if they are being starved for oxygen. It is often used to drive barricaded individuals out.

What conditions did Dorner create inside the cabin that ignited the gas?

Don't take this next article seriously; it comes from The Peoples Cube:
President Orders Flags to Half Staff for Activist Dorner

Dear Comrades,
On news of the heroic death of Social Justice Activist Christopher Dorner, Comrade Party Chairman and President Barack Barackovich Obama has ordered all flags to be flown at half-staff until his remains are brought to Washington DC for interment at Arlington National Cemetery. In addition, three days of official mourning have been ordered, and all non-essential Federal workers have been given paid leave to participate in tribute activities

Now we prepare for the LA Times to demolish the police for whatever actions they took in the manhunt. Watch for pictures of sad and angry faces of Dorner's family with reports of their pending lawsuits.

The State of Our Union Rendered in a Fractured Bizarro Lens

Bryan Preston at PJ Tatler 

conservativedailynews

"Obama called for the federal government to “redesign high schools.” Does he not know that schools are creatures of local and state, not the federal, governments? Does he care? Does he see no limits at all on the things that should occupy a president’s time?

"And again, on what basis does the president who cannot even submit a budget make the claim that he is qualified to redesign high schools?

"It’s all absurd. Barack Obama is the absurd president. He makes no attempt to make any sense, yet the media will pretend that he is a visionary.

"The reality is, Barack Obama is just a very powerful crank."

Emphasis added. Via Lucianne

Did ANYONE notice Rubio's effective rebuttal to Obama's policies?

Let's get this Rubio thing out of the way first. The transcript of his rebuttal will be so much more effective than the video.
UPDATE: Read Rubio's rebuttal transcript here before you get to anything that MSNBC has said.
"The Office of Speaker Boehner released a transcript of Marco Rubio's State of the Union speech (as prepared for delivery). Read the full text of the rebuttal below:"....Excerpt here:
....And more government isn’t going to inspire new ideas, new businesses and new private sector jobs. It’s going to create uncertainty.
Because more government breeds complicated rules and laws that a small business can’t afford to follow.
Because more government raises taxes on employers who then pass the costs on to their employees through fewer hours, lower pay and even layoffs....

Rubio's Strong, Accessible Rebuttal  "Responding to a presidential State of the Union speech is often a thankless task. Following the president's act, which oozes prestige and historic significance, almost always makes the next guy seem small and trivial by comparison.... Sen. Marco Rubio broke the mold last night.  He delivered a substantive, relatable and cheerful response, and did so with a natural and effective ease:" I wish. But Rubio did go straight for Obama and his polemics.

It is doubtful many will remember much of the content of Marco Rubio's Republican response to the State of the Union, but many will recall his untimely thirst.  "As was the case with Mitt Romney's "binders full of women comment," the blogosphere was abuzz following the akward incident.
From political aggregator Philip Bump:

Posted by Sen. Rubio

"Let's analyze why Rubio's lunge was awkward.

1. He hasn't finished his sentence. Finish your sentence first!
2. Commit to the water. Stop. Drink. When you're done, say excuse me and continue.
3. Do not look at the camera while reaching for/replacing the bottle. It makes you look very nervous.
4. And absolutely no matter what, do not look at the camera while drinking. Do not do that.

"Hope that helps, future presidents."
This same writer also said of Obama:

"Of all of his State of the Union addresses, this may be the president’s most informative and instructive, providing a summary of what he has already accomplished, and listing what he needs to do."

Politico - which Rush considers an online version of MSNBC - had this on Rubio's drink:  "Twitter exploded during Sen. Marco Rubio’s Republican response to the State of the Union, as the Florida senator appeared a little sweaty and dry-mouthed at mid-speech, taking an awkward swig from a bottle of water that had been placed off-camera. Rubio handled the hullabaloo with some humor, later tweeting a picture of the water bottle."

Neal Boortz: Excuse me, but I wasn't paying attention.  "Back then we realized what a great potential for American leadership rested in
Marco Rubio.  Last night he showed it in his response to The Destroyer.  Here’s a link to Rubio’s response.  Read it.
"This man – this Marco Rubio – may be America’s best – and last – hope."

Updates follow:
Chris Matthews Bashes Rubio's Response to State of the Union As ‘Primitive’

Marco Rubio Schools Obama Shill George Stephanopoulos, Reminds Host That Sequester Was President's Idea   "Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos was in full Obama talking points mode, Wednesday, grilling Marco Rubio on why he won't support the President's agenda."

 

This cartoonist dislikes Republicans intensely, but appears to be getting a bit less enamored of Obama as well

http://wpcomics.washingtonpost.com/client/wpc/po/2013/02/07/

Reading list on last night's SOTU. Be sure to read the Victor Davis Hanson commentary here.

CNS: Not a Long, Nor a Long-Lasting Speech "President Obama carefully said that: "In 2011, Congress passed a law saying that if both parties couldn't agree on a plan to reach our deficit goal, about a trillion dollars' worth of budget cuts would automatically go into effect."
"The Congress didn't "pass a law." It passed a bill. The bill they passed went to the White House for President Obama's signature. Only after he signed it did it become "law.""  Emphasis added

CNS: 57 Vacation Days Since Vowing He 'Will Not Rest Until Anyone' Can Find A GOOD Job   "But 1,245 days later, including at least 57 days off, millions of Americans are still out of work with unemployment at 7.9 percent, 0.1 percent higher than when he took office."

The Great Man Speaks "Who has the time or the inclination to listen to our President?  So I have prepared a synopsis of his speech.  You could read this or basically, just listen to any other of his speeches."   Read more:

Three conservative justices absent themselves from SOTU

A short note on Speaker Boehner's expression  "In Boehner's face, I saw a man pushed too far. Is he ready to say no to a big spending bully? Let's hope."

Obama blind to his own irony  "But the very Chicago-style tactician who once cracked wise about "bringing a knife to a gunfight" seeks to make sure that Americans never have more than a knife to bring to a gunfight."

From the editors of NRO: The Broke, Retreating State of Our Union 

"The president’s confrontational, hectoring, and highly ideological speech ought to be a wake-up call to the country. The Republican majority in the House is the only real check on his power. Supplementing that check with a Republican majority in the Senate is imperative. Even through all of President Obama’s obfuscations, that much is clear."

Isn't even Obama's sycophantic media getting at least a little bit tired of this petulant juvenile and his in-your-face hubris?

The President’s Miracle-Gro Government  "Just add taxes. Spend. Repeat."

Victor Davis Hanson; Déjà Vu — You Think?  "Five years ago, the well-delivered script caused fainting, now it should earn mostly yawns: Fault the well off; invest more borrowed money in more federal programs that have no demonstrable record of success; blame the bad news on others; ignore the $1 trillion-plus annual borrowing; threaten to use more executive orders; demonize the opposition; take bad news abroad and declare it good, and fluff everything up with the hope-and-change cadences that address the trivial and avoid the fundamental." 

Predictable, Forgettable The speech "will be long forgotten in a few short weeks. And that’s certainly good news for the State of the Union"

By the Republican-despising Pat Oliphant

Obama’s Most Audacious SOTU Lie  "Obamacare is slowing the growth of health care costs?"  The hope of audacity.

Obama’s Most Dishonest State of the Union Address  ...."Obama claimed that spending was under control, the national debt was no longer a problem, the war in Afghanistan had been won, the economic recovery was here, unemployment was fading and Al Qaeda was a shadow of its former self."

...."While Obama lost the War in Afghanistan to the Taliban and will “complete the mission” by retreating and letting them have the country, Al Qaeda has spread across North Africa and came within a hair of taking over Mali."

 

I could keep going with all of this, you know. NBC won't say these things, so somebody has to.  The Tunnel Dweller

Obama Says, ‘Nothing I’m Proposing Tonight Should Increase Our Deficit by a Single Dime’—Then Offers 29 New Programs

Oh, No! Not that "not one dime" shtick again!

CNS News "In fiscal year 2008, the year before Obama took office, federal spending was $2.98 trillion, according to the White House Office of Management and Budget. In fiscal 2013, the current year, OMB estimates that federal spending will be $3.80 trillion---an increase of 37.5 percent.

"Here, in Obama’s words, are 29 new programs he proposed in his State of the Union, while asserting he would not increase the federal deficit by a "single dime":"...

The Darwin Awards: In Search Of Smart.

Darwin Awards  HONORABLE MENTION, DOUBLE DOWN  "Smoking a cigarette is risky enough without adding fuel to the fire. For reasons that have yet to be explained, two 24-year-olds (identified as a man and a woman) invaded the property of an oil drilling company located 75 miles east of Dallas. Four oil/water storage units located on the property seemed, to the trespassers, to be ideal platforms for a 3-AM cigarette break. In the wee hours of the morning, the disaster-ly duo climbed up and lit up, thereby setting the tank and themselves on fire.
"Courageous firefighters saved the lives of these nicotine nutballs, and prevented worse tragedy by throwing large foam blankets over the remaining three oil/water tanks. Ms. Disaster landed in the hospital on life support, while Mr. Disaster was treated for severe burns on face, back, and arms. Survivors of their own bad judgment, we award the "Lucky Strikes" an Honorable Mention. Perhaps this episode will motivate them to quit. quit.(Ref 1, Ref 2) Comments: "In Capitalist America cigarette smokes you!" "

 "Next step: Sue the oil company--no warning was posted on top of the tank!"
Hat tip to Ed Jenkins

5 Things to Expect at the State of the Union Address

PJ Media   "Regardless of whether members want to pretend they like each other, Obama will not be eager to craft any illusions that he wants to meet the GOP halfway. He’s going to raise a fuss if it becomes apparent by tomorrow night — after tomorrow’s Senate Armed Services Committee hearing for Chuck Hagel — that his nominees won’t have smooth sailing through Congress. He’s going to accuse the GOP of stonewalling, obfuscating, and being extremist. He’s going to try to get an eye roll on camera, another Wilson yell, a middle finger from Nugent, something he can milk for everything it’s worth in his quest to paint his opponents as opposite of American consensus. And he knows that Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is giving the Republican rebuttal — and that should get a good number of viewers — so he’s going to try to prebut the rebut by studying American-dream messages and administration criticisms in Rubio’s past speeches.

‘Centrist’ Meme Abandoned, Lapdog Media Encouraging Obama to Head to the Left for SOTU    "We're not waking up from this nightmare. Get ready kids, four more years really starts with tonight’s State of the Union address.