The Roots of the Government Shutdown and International Consequences

STRATFOR  "In general, Stratfor deals with U.S. domestic politics only to the extent that it affects international affairs. Certainly, this topic has been argued and analyzed extensively. Nevertheless, the shutdown of the American government is a topic that must be understood from our point of view, because it raises the issue of whether the leading global power is involved in a political crisis so profound that it is both losing its internal cohesion and the capacity to govern. If that were so, it would mean the United States would not be able to act in global affairs, and that in turn would mean that the international system would undergo a profound change."   Emphasis added,TD
....
Mr. Friedman sums up the issue with this pessimistic conclusion:
"Each faction is deeply committed to its beliefs, and feels it would be corrupt to abandon them. Even if it means closing the government, even if it means defaulting on debt, ideology is a demanding mistress who permits no other lovers. Anyone who reads this will recognize his enemy at work. I, however, am holding everyone responsible, from left to right -- and especially the indifferent center. I hold myself accountable as well: I have no idea what I could do to help change matters, but I am sure there is something."
Full article.

George Friedman is the Chairman of Stratfor, a company he founded in 1996 that is now a leader in the field of global intelligence. Friedman guides Stratfor’s strategic vision and oversees the development and training of the company’s intelligence unit.

Double Down: Obamacare Will Increase Avg. Individual-Market Insurance Premiums By 99% For Men, 62% For Women

Forbes  via the Galen Institute   ....HHS releases a trickle of data and a load of spin
"Earlier this month, I and two colleagues from the Manhattan Institute—Yevgeniy Feyman and Paul Howard—published an interactive map that detailed Obamacare’s impact on individually-purchased health insurance premiums in 13 states plus D.C. As the accompanying article described, Obamacare increased premiums in those states by an average of 24 percent.

"But those states were largely blue states that had set up their own, state-based insurance exchanges. The big data dump that we’ve been waiting for, since then, is from the majority of states that didn’t set up their own state-based exchange. That data is the responsibility of the Obama administration, namely HHS. Finally, with less than a week to go before the exchanges are supposed to go on-line, HHS has released a slim, 15-page report and a press release that summarize some of the premium data."

Interactive map to help you estimate What Will Obamacare Cost You?

ABOUT THE MAP from the Manhattan Institute:

 

Vindictive Shutdown Theater

Vindictive Shutdown Theater

"This may simply be an extreme version of the Democrats’ usual strategy of closing the Washington Monument, but it is notable extremism: throwing people out of their homes and forcing the shutdown of non-federal facilities. It is, if anything, an excellent illustration of why conservatives believe that the tentacles of the federal government are too long and too many."

Chris Wallace Does a Job on Jack Lew

Jeannie DeAngelis  "Kudos to Chris Wallace of Fox News Sunday  for doing his patriotic - and journalistic - duty during a verbal wrestling match with Treasury Secretary Jack Lew.  The bout resulted in Jackie boy being pinned to the mat.
"Much to his chagrin, Jack came up against a logical, fair and smart journalist who, on behalf of America, outlined the incongruous series of statements coming from the Obama administration, which were accompanied by simple questions to the befuddled Lew."
....
"Let's face it; much like his boss, Mr. Lew isn't used to being forced by a responsible journalist to give honest answers to questions he'd rather not answer, but Chris Wallace, who's unafraid, soldiered on:"...  

This vindictive president

http://terrellaftermath.com/

 

National Mall To Magically Re-Open For Left Wing Immigration Rally  

"The petty, vindictive Obama administration shut down open air war memorials to American veterans and closed part of a road so people couldn’t pull over to look at Mount Rushmore."   But.....

Rand Paul lays the responsibility for shutdown on Obama   [Savannah] "Guthrie attempted to force Paul to admit the GOP wanted to shut down the government or should be blamed for it. Paul quickly reminded Guthrie it is President Obama's fault for the shutdown because he will not negotiate."

Veterans at the Memorial: Showing Us What It Means to Be American  "A question Americans should answer for themselves is the one I am thinking through while standing at the National World War II Memorial on the Washington Mall this week. What kind of president doesn't do everything he can to ensure that the elderly American men in wheelchairs I see before me have access to "their" memorial--even during a government shutdown?"

Obama reportedly opens National Mall for amnesty rally Tuesday
"If this report is true, this sort of outrage ought to be sparking revulsion across the political spectrum, and probably would if low information voters were not shielded from knowledge of it by the media weasels." 

The Civil War in COLOR for the first time: Painstakingly remastered images of a divided America that recreate era in amazing detail

UK Mail "Two professional colorists have combined their skills with photographs and fascination with the American Civil War to create a remarkable series of color photographs from the era.
"British colorist Jordan Lloyd, 27, met fellow colorist Mads Madsen, 19, from Denmark when he started posting on Madsen's subreddit 'Colorized History'.
"Initially it was Madsen who was colorizing images from the Civil War era, but Lloyd eventually got interested and now the two work together restoring the images, improving their technique by giving each other critiques.

 

"Regard the face of Major General George Armstrong Custer - who was reportedly so enamored of himself that he would wear his own personalized uniform that displayed the same 'Austrian Knots' that the Confederates used, a bright red cravat, and underneath his shirt, a sailor shirt with his rank stars sewn on, even in the presence of officers of superior rank.
C"uster's flamboyance was much noted in his time, and his arrogance may be explained by the fact that he was a fearless leader who was promoted to General at the tender age of 24.

"His demise in 1876, which would become known as Custer's Last Stand, was due to the failure of his fellow commanders and not for lack of Custer's courage."

Below: "Flying colors: Major General Joshua Chamberlain, the 'Hero of Little Round Top' "

"Brought to life: Lewis Powell (pictured) conspired with John Wilkes Booth to kill President Lincoln - Powell's job was to kill Secretary of State William H. Seward, a job at which he failed."

More on this at their Facebook page

Some people actually believed this and contacted Snopes

Thomas Lifson   "Let me save Snopes some time. This image from iOwnTheWorld.com and Conservative Treehouse is also satirical. No, Obama has not yet capped Old Faithful. It's a joke!"

An Unusual Relationship: Evangelical Christians and Jews by Yaakov Ariel.

What this author calls "mainstream Christians" are those who come from denominations that have generally rejected the authority of Scripture. Remember there are far too many evangelicals for them  to be considered out of the mainstream. Tunnel Dweller

  By Shmuel Ben-Gad in The American Culture.

"Dr. Ariel stresses that this form of Christianity is markedly different from prior forms  in holding that  the Christian church has not replaced the Jews as God’s chosen people.   Its followers are biblical literalists and oppose a ‘spiritualized” interpretation of scripture.  Thus they see the Hebrew nation as still chosen with  an important role to play in salvation history and are (or will be again) God’s first nation.  Dr. Ariel shows that, as this theology has become stronger it has also evolved.  For example, it used to be thought that the Antichrist would be a Jew.  This is no longer held to be the case by everyone in the evangelical world.  Another example is the attitude towards the rebuilding of the Temple.  While traditionally it has been thought this  was  simply a necessary prelude  to the return of Jesus,  some evangelical thinkers  today believe the Temple will serve a positive function in the millennial kingdom."

Prestige and Power in Statecraft

"History teaches us that nations must always respond vigorously to an enemy’s challenge, a lesson the U.S. should remember in Syria."

Bruce S. Thornton ...."Hitler’s generals trembled at all three moves, as they did not believe the Wehrmacht was ready to take on two powerful enemies like England and France as it would in 1939. But the British and the French had the perception that Hitler’s military was that strong, and that perception became a force multiplier. But perception is a two-edged sword. All France’s and England’s military might did not impress Hitler, because he did not believe that they had the will to use it. Here we see the truth of Napoleon’s dictum that “morale is to the physical as three to one.” No amount of material power can compensate for the accurate perception that a state has weak morale and is unwilling to fight. And even if false, that perception can invite aggression."....

 

Saudi Cleric Lauds Hitler For “Barbecuing” The Jews…

Weasel Zippers

 

 

"Adolf Hitler had a blessed way of burning you, oh rotting nation.
He would rain bombs upon your land from planes and from gas jets, spreading a red mist over the frozen Volga River.
"How many times have I read, in delight and relief, what he did to you on those tremendous days.
"If I were allowed to pray for a non-Muslim, I would have prayed for the soul of the Nazi leader, who barbecued you and the Jews through and through with gasoline."  Saudi cleric Muhammad Al-Farraj

No Answers from Reid Why Private Parks Ordered Closed During Shutdown

Big Government  "However, Reid told Breitbart News he was unaware of the hundreds of privately funded parks, some of which are non-profits, that were shut down by order of the federal government as a result of the political conflict in Washington."

Harry Reid’s Bad Week
The Senate majority leader hasn’t looked like much of a leader at all.
"Ironically, given all his knocks on Boehner’s leadership, Reid’s behavior is unbecoming of a politician of his stature, Republicans argue, and is actively undermining the ability of the two sides to come to an agreement. They also doubt his non-negotiation strategy will improve his reputation at all.   Andrew Stiles

Move over, empty chair; New design for Obama Monument revealed  "While an empty chair was the perfect metaphor for President Obama’s first term in office, it doesn’t really capture what might be the greatest accomplishment of his second. Would it be too much to add an empty chair behind the Barrycade?"

 

Lists of illogical, unnecessary, and shockingly spiteful moves our government is making in the name of essential and non-essential.

Government by temper tantrum

We the People lists 25

3. Furloughed Military Chaplains Not Allowed to Work for Free – Furloughed military chaplains willing to celebrate Mass and baptisms for free have been told they will be punished for doing so.

Top 10 insane moments of Obama-Reid shutdown   "One National Park Service Employee was brave enough to come out and report that federal workers who haven’t been furloughed have received orders from above to make the shutdown as painful as possible for the American people. He said, “We’ve been told to make life as difficult for people as we can. It’s disgusting.” The shutdown has gone past difficult and is approaching ridiculous."

Rep. Gohmert Once Asked If Obama Would Put A Drapery Over Mt. Rushmore; You Probably Thought That Was A Joke   "As the good folks over at Breitbart have pointed out, this is government by temper tantrum. Barack Obama is a spoiled child holding his breath until he gets his way. You don’t want to play by his rules? Fine, he’ll take his toy trucks and go on home.

Obama shuts down Amber Alert Missing Children Website- keeps his federally funded golf course open

"Obama once again shows where his priorities are.

"If you go to www.amberalert.gov - the Amber Alert website for missing children, this is what you get:"

Video: ‘President Petulant’