Taking America from Welfare State to Opportunity Society

Heritage  "Yet our modern, cradle-to-grave welfare state is structured in such a way that it hinders rather than boosts upward mobility. Despite a massive array of programs and colossal budgets, poverty rates remain high, our public education system is failing us, and the family—whose importance for the future well-being of children cannot be overstated—is falling apart among poor and low-income Americans.

arkansasgopwing.blogspot.com 

"President Obama made clear yesterday that he is more interested in additional tax increases than serious entitlement reforms. At the same time, the Congressional Budget Office was projecting that health care entitlement spending will be bigger than defense or even Social Security spending in just two years."

But the fight will be hard and the left will pound conservatives with their demagoguery. See this pro-welfare state cartoon and tell me how on earth Republicans will overcome things like this.  This is typical of ideas that are pounded into low-information voters' heads by movies, TV, most news channels, school books and pretty much every source of information they are exposed to.
Cartoon from schools.natlib.govt.nz 

Know what "trout pout" is? If you watch much TV, you've seen it often. (UPDATED)

Twisted sifter Update:

News for the low-information reader:

Watch out for 'trout pout,' one actress warns

"The lips get thinner as we age, and stars see lip plumping through injections of various substances as a way of looking younger.

Jocelyn Wildenstein after

"The problem is that many patients and doctors don’t get the lip proportions right. That’s when a full, “youthful” lip transforms into something fishy, said Youn, who runs the blog Celebrity Cosmetic Surgery.

"“The lower lip should be one and a half times the size of the upper lip,” he explained. “Some patients and doctors don’t know this and they go overboard with the upper lip. Some patients come in and say I want a bigger upper lip. And when you enhance it to the point where the upper lip is bigger than the lower lip, you get the ‘trout pout.’” Google photos





Jocelyn Wildenstein before

Vanessa Ferlito used to be on "CSI-NY", playing the typical, scowling, don't-mess-with-me role that was of a piece with the "trout pout" look. After the two previous photos, she looks almost normal, but then again, her look is the new normal.



Actual trout

Alan Caruba; A Cabinet of Dunces

Warning Signs  "A President reveals a lot about himself by his choices of his cabinet members to head various government departments and agencies. Some choices turn out to be historically significant such as Truman’s Secretary of State, George Marshall or Nixon’s choice of Henry Kissinger, but since the President sets policy, the blame or approval belongs to him."

...."This deliberate destruction of jobs, delaying access to traditional sources of energy, resistance to the actual transportation needs of the nation, a failed foreign policy, and panoply of other policies pursued by the out-going cabinet members will be continued by President Obama’s new choices to replace them."

The Rifleman; I knew Chuck Connors. Chuck Connors was a friend of mine and you, sir, are no Chuck Connors!

http://www.wnd.com/category/opinion/cartoons/

 

More irony in this administration

 

What reason would Obama have to NOT go after our IRA or 401k?

From Western Center for Journalism: Full Steam Ahead On Obama’s Theft Of IRA’s And 401k’s   ...."Linda and my daughter both want to know what the Obama administration intends to do after January 1. Is the national media so distracted by fiscal cliff hype that news concerning the potential federal theft of countless trillions from American citizens will not be forthcoming prior to January 1^st?"

Obama going after your 401k’s and IRA’s  Fear this man.

Others disagree emphatically with this:  "This is a really stupid article, and posting this thread requires a complete failure of rational processes.
" This was a hearing to collect viewpoints on why Americans aren't saving as much as they probably should. The idea that the government is considering eliminating IRAs and 401k plans is absurd; the idea that they're actually on the verge of "confiscating retirement accounts" is braindead stupid.
" Seriously. You're a pretty bright person. Quit believing all this stupid bulls***."
The reply to this:

They are talking about it. Can you deny that?
---The hearing, held in the Labor Department’s main auditorium, was monitored by NSC staff and featured a line up of left-wing activists including one representative of the AFL-CIO who advocated for more government regulation over private retirement accounts and even the establishment of government-sponsored annuities that would take the place of 401k plans.
 A representative of the liberal Pension Rights Center, Rebecca Davis, testified that the government needs to get involved because 401k plans and IRAs are unfair to poor people. She demanded the Obama administration set up a "government-sponsored program administered by the PBGC (the governments’ Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation)." She proclaimed that even "private annuities are problematic."

Other post-ers in this thread speak of "Wall Street" going after our money and they show a fearful ignorance of what Wall Street is. They have bought into the Obama-occupy philosophy and reveal it even while they refute conservative concerns.
I am a retired electrician, having worked with a tool bag all my career and (at present) not one of the left's despised factions in that regard. All those years my wife and I saved a good portion of our money, doing without many luxuries in order to prepare for retirement.
Much of our thanks goes to the hated "Wall Street" (In our case, Charles Schwab) for the growth of our money as their funds invested in the economy. Any wise decisions we made with our savings came from the wisdom of others who understood investing and the economy. We owe nothing to leftist academics nor to their progeny defecating in the streets and certainly not to Barack Obama.
In fact, "Wall Street's" help with our retirement has probably earned our family a place on Obama's enemies list.  The Tunnel Dweller

Twisted ghouls descend on murder victim, American hero Chris Kyle

Twitchy Liberals (meaning "progressives", leftists, Obama voters) rejoice at the killing of U.S. Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle, author of the New York Times bestseller American Sniper.
"Unbelievable.  Because to some on the anti-gun Left, the terrible murder of an American military hero is an opportunity to LOL, score political points about gun control, and talk about “karma.” What is wrong with these people?!"

Chris Kyle was killed at a gun how ironic lol live by the gun die by the gun now I really believe he had it coming to him—
Patricia (@onepoliceplazza) February 03, 2013

#Karma is a bitch: NAVY Seal Chris Kyle Murdered at Charity Event in Texas bit.ly/Yt1PU0—
Dave The Merciless (@MercilessGuy) February 03, 2013

RT @BBCOneShow: US sniper book author shot dead: Chris Kyle, former US Navy seal, Iraq veteran and author bbc.in/11wLH8K Karma—
Craig Nash (@Birdblogger) February 03, 2013

LOL to the kid who compared Chris Kyle's death to the movie Shootout.—
Sean Flynn (@seanflynn9) February 03, 2013

NO IT`S KARMA IS A BITCH HA HA HA ‏@BIGGHH **TRAGEDY OR KARMA** Chris Kyle, a former Navy SEAL who was the U.S. military’s deadliest—
Mostafa (@IronMostafa) February 03, 2013

Ron Paul Slams Murdered U.S. Navy SEAL Sniper Chris Kyle here:
Ron Paul ✔ @RonPaul

Chris Kyle’s death seems to confirm that “he who lives by the sword dies by the sword.” Treating PTSD at a firing range doesn’t make sense.
 

 

Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer to Ron Paul: ‘Have you lost your mind?’; Update: Paul backpedals … a little

Hey @ronpaul have you lost you mind? That sword protected your freedom. Guess since I live by it I deserve to get murdered as well? #wow

10:55 PM - 04 Feb 13

In case you missed it…

From the blog, This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here comes this tribute to what they say is the best Super Bowl commercial ever.
"I missed it because I haven’t watched sports for years, but I read reviews of the Jeep/USO commercial on Facebook and it was everything they said it was. The good folks at the USO sent us the video;" 

"Great video, Jeep, you earned this link. Some of my best (and cutest) friends support the USO, I hope you do, too."

Obama Administration: We Will Still Force Christians to Act Against Their Faith

CNS News  "The Department of Health and Human Services on Friday set the stage for a massive showdown between the federal government of the United States and American Christians who believe the government has no right to force them to act against their faith by mandating that they buy, provide or facilitate health-care coverage that includes sterilizations, contraception, or abortion-inducing drugs.

"HHS released a new proposed regulation under the Obamacare law that the department presented as an accommodation to religious “organizations” that object to providing sterilizations, contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs in their health care plans. However, the proposal does not truly expand the exceedingly narrow religious exemption presented in the initial regulation, which was finalized last year, and continues to offer no exemption at all to Christian individuals or business owners."

Rick Terrell on gun control

http://terrellaftermath.com/

HHS Mandate: Another Offensive Update

The Foundry
"The latest proposal fails to protect businesses such as Tyndale House, the nation’s largest Bible publisher; or Hercules Industries, a family-owned and operated HVAC company; or Hobby Lobby, an arts and crafts retailer—all of which seek to operate according to deeply held religious and moral beliefs.
In fact, the Administration explicitly states that it does “not propose that the definition of eligible organization extend to for-profit secular employers.”

"Even for organizations that qualify for the accommodation, the government would still require material cooperation by employers and unnecessarily entangle them in providing services to which they hold moral or religious objections."

What do we take from the fact that Iran likes Hagel, but our ally Israel worries about him?

Can Jewish Groups Speak Out on Hagel? "However, the Hagel nomination illustrated that groups that see themselves as above politics can't entirely avoid some fights. The nomination of a person who has publicly bragged about his standing up to the "Jewish lobby" and opposed sanctions or even the threat of using force against Iran should have crossed the line between something that merely raised eyebrows and battle that needed to be fought."

Jennifer Rubin; Hagel sinking   "Imagine if this man were sent to Tehran or Jerusalem or Russia on a critical visit? I shudder to think of it."

Chuck Hagel's Confirmation Hearings..And What They Tell Us About President Obama   

"Actually, the Iranians are not the only anti-semites backing Chuck Hagel. Here's well known anti-semite,  anti-Israel shill and former member of George Soro's Media Matters M.J. Rosenberg, who tweeted: "I spent a couple of hours with Hagel a few years ago. Talked about Israel. Happily, he is lying today & knows it. He'll be a good SeDef"."   From Joshuapundit

Why did Iran endorse Hagel? Well, remember that they endorsed Obama too.  To hate Israel is to love Obama; how can it be said otherwise?
"Then, in 2007, Hagel voted against designating Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps as a terrorist organization, despite the force’s role in orchestrating attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq. Hagel further opposed the Iran Counter–Proliferation Act and sent a letter to President George W. Bush, urging him to engage in “direct, unconditional, and comprehensive talks with the Government of Iran.” "

Obama Taps Mini Chuck Hagel for Mini Defense Dept. Secretary

thepeoplescube/

shawarmamayor