If we can’t identify the enemy, how can we fight them? From Dorothy Rabinowitz in the Wall Street Journal:

…In this report, titled “A Ticking Time Bomb” and put out by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, there is a detail as dazzling in its bleak way as all the glowing misrepresentations of Dr. Hasan’s skills and character, which his superiors poured into their evaluations of him. It concerns the Department of Defense’s official report on the Fort Hood killings—a study whose recital of fact made no mention of Hasan’s well-documented jihadist sympathies. Subsequent DoD memoranda portray the bloodbath—which began with Hasan shouting “Allahu Akbar!”—as a kind of undefined extremism, something on the order, perhaps, of work-place violence.

This avoidance of specifics was apparently contagious—or, more precisely, policy. In November 2010, each branch of the military issued a final report on the Fort Hood shooting. Not one mentioned the perpetrator’s ties to radical Islam. Even today, “A Ticking Time Bomb,” co-authored by Sen. Joe Lieberman (I., Conn.) and Susan Collins (R., Maine), reminds us that DoD still hasn’t specifically named the threat represented by the Fort Hood attack—a signal to the entire Defense bureaucracy that the subject is taboo…

Liberal, political correctness has now become official military policy…and while the mid-level officers and the troops will be, at the moment, little affected by this nonsense, any officer who aspires to a star on his shoulder while Obama is President may be both knave enough to vend and fool enough to swallow this snake oil. This is just a hideous dereliction of duty – if the officers who wrote the reports were at all worth their salt, they would have resigned rather than put their names to such garbage.

But, make no mistake about it; there are always officers in any military who will trim their views to curry favor with their political masters. Not all of them who wear the uniform are like Rep. West who, as a Lt. Colonel, opined that he’d walk though hell with a can of gasoline for his men. We’ll have quite a lot of rebuilding to do once we get Obama out of office.

From Rasmussen:

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 55% of Likely U.S. Voters say, generally speaking, that the president’s budget proposal cuts government spending too little. Ten percent (10%) say it cuts too much, while 26% say his budget cuts about the right amount…

And here’s the real kicker – 40% think that the GOP, which wants to cut more than Obama, is also cutting too little! I’m telling you, people, this battle is all ours – we’ve go the whip hand and should press it to the limit. Rework our budget and cut some more – the people are ready for it. We’ve been waiting for this opportunity for 30 years – a time when the people are out in front of us on fiscal issues; I hope to goodness they are paying attention in the House.

A rather surprising move:

In December of 2008, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA), then the Committee’s Ranking Member, launched an investigation into Countrywide Financial Corporation’s infamous VIP and Friends of Angelo Program that exposed the inner workings of Countrywide’s efforts to buy friends in critical government and industry positions affecting the company’s business interests. Today, Chairman Issa issued a wide-ranging subpoena to Bank of America for all documents and records related to Countrywide’s VIP program…

What is unusual is that Republicans tend to let bygones be bygones – Dodd and some of the other biggies in this are out of politics and this is all old news. Democrats tend to count on this – they know that as a scandal breaks, it can hurt them…but they rely upon the GOP to not go back over things, later, to see what really happened. By looking in to “Friends of Angelo”, Issa is showing that he wants the full truth of our financial melt down to emerge. And that is bad news for Democrats.

To be sure, Democrat spin and MSM covering made the story out as a bi-partisan failure, but the reality is that the financial crash was created by the Democrats. They were the people who created the legal loopholes, who pressured the banks to get slack in underwriting, who took advantage of the bags of money for personal enrichment…and it was Democrats who resisted tooth and nail any attempts to head off the disaster. This isn’t about any one Democrat – no particular element of the corruption is all that important…but what is important is telling the truth about what happened, and punishing those who caused the mess….and, in to the bargain, instructing the people about just how lousy with corruption the Democrats have become.

This is a bracing, refreshing action by Issa, and I look forward to the results.

More and more good news keeps coming out of the House – from NRO:

…As of Monday early afternoon, House Republicans were officially undecided as to whether they’d take on entitlements when they write the budget this year. Fiscal-hawk extraordinaire Paul Ryan, the chairman of the House Budget Committee, danced around the issue in a meeting with reporters. After trashing Obama’s budget for its failure to include entitlement reform, Ryan refused to say whether he’d include it in his own. Little did he know that just as he was reluctantly deflecting the question, House majority leader Eric Cantor was dropping a bombshell in a pen-and-pad briefing with reporters elsewhere in the Capitol: Republicans, Cantor said, are all-in on entitlement reform…

I watched Obama’s presser on Tuesday morning – or, to be honest, as much of it as I could stomach – and was just disgusted with both his dishonesty as well as his clear contempt for the people…and even for the reporters who were, on the whole, just asking the obvious questions (such as when Obama was asked how his “not add to the debt” pledge can be squared with the fact that his proposal adds debt for each of the next ten years). But what clearly emerged from it is that Obama is resigning the offensive on real budget reform to the GOP – whether its because of a conviction in favor of spending or fear of offending his grasping, leftist base, Obama simply will not address the actual fiscal crisis. That leaves the field to the GOP – and the GOP seems to be realizing that Obama’s retreat is a stunning opportunity for GOP victory.

The people are demanding that the government get its fiscal house in order – and no funny business! No pretend cuts and secret tax and spending hikes hidden behind a fog of budget-cutting rhetoric. Right now is the time for the GOP to act – to present a budget plan to the people which really does make the hard choices and genuinely brings spending under control. At that point, let Harry Reid block it in the Senate – and if we get it through there (and we probably will, on the votes of the “2012 Democrats” fearful of being defeated), then let Obama veto it. Democrats have dreams of a 1995-style government shut down redounding to their credit as it did to Clinton’s – but it won’t, because the New Media will ensure that the people know the truth of it, and that was absent in 1995. Additionally, people have heard it all before – not least in 1995: how budget cuts are about beating puppies to death with tire irons and spending is giving food to granny. We know – the people know – that those who don’t want to cut spending just want to keep the gravy train rolling.

Let’s have this fight – let’s do some deep cuts to spending and present it to the people. I believe they’re up to it – and if by some chance they reject us on it, then that works out ok, too. If the people reject steep budget cuts now and punish us in 2012, then when the final crash comes, we’ll have proven ourselves to be both correct, and courageous. At that point, it’ll be a no-brainer; they’ll turn to us, and give us the power to do what needs to be done. But I think they’re ready right now – that when it comes to a fight, and even a shutdown, the people will back the GOP.

More and more people are coming to the conclusion that, ultimately, we must have a hard currency which cannot be manipulated by central bankers and bureaucrats – here is an excellent run down of why from Davos Okst over at Zero Hedge:

…During one of these FOMC meetings Bernanke asked about a chart showing the value of our dollar losing 10 percent per year. Ask yourself: Just how that plays into the Fed’s dual mandate of maintaining price stability by preserving the value of “our” currency? Just where can you put the savings from your flat, circa 1970s wages, to work and get 10% per year?

No small wonder why gold was up 29% last year and silver was up 89%.

The long bond (30 year) is tanking, the 3 decade old bond bull market is finished! This is evident because the yield busted the 10 year moving average when it blew above 4.75%.

Money moves out of bonds when central banks print.

Money flows into hard assets, gold, silver and commodities when central banks go berserk…

People with money can be stupid in a lot of ways, but one thing you’ll find rich people clever about is ensuring that they remain rich no matter what happens. When the Federal Reserve prints up bags of money, then money will flow away from dollars and in to things which hold their value. But what about you and I? If you are worth millions, then you can still spend a million dollars buying gold at $1,300 an ounce…but what of the poor guy who’s only got $5,000 in the bank? Doesn’t work out quite so well for him.

Nor does it really work out for the economy. 100 years ago we were solidly in gold and silver currency and were the wonder of the economic world. There was no limit to our manufacturing capacity and there was no indication that our economy would ever be anything other than a powerhouse. Then we created the Federal Reserve and slowly went off gold…until we finally cut the ties in 1971. Fake money has been printed in ever large batches since then, the value of our money has dropped like a rock and easy money has led to reckless borrowing – not just by government, but by the people. Meanwhile, real wealth has been shipped out of the United States as the return on manufacturing, mining and farming has paled in comparison to the return on playing the markets, especially when making, mining and growing things is increasingly punished in the tax and regulatory codes. Why make a 3% profit in manufacturing when you can make 8% by shuffling money around on Wall Street? That its fake money doesn’t matter – if you pile it up fast enough, you can use it to buy real things, and too bad for the suckers who don’t pile it up fast enough to buy million dollar New York apartments and yachts.

The switch back to gold would not be easy, but it can be done. It will require a re-valuation of our currency (probably at a 100-1 ratio…turn in 100 fiat dollars to get 1 gold dollar). It’ll have to be managed with care to ensure that speculators are not able to take advantage of it. But it has to be done – we need to have assurance that a dollar today is worth a dollar tomorrow, and next year, and 50 years from now. Only this way can genuinely rational business decisions be made. Only this way can our economy become, once again, an entity which rewards hard work, savings and careful investment…and, once again, becomes the economic wonder of the world.

Not exactly fair to the GOP as the cuts really will be $100 billion, but you get the picture. And we can all use a drink, I think.

Could be – Allahpundit reports over at Hot Air:

…the news of the day is none other than Ayman Nour telling a Lebanese TV station that it’s time to revisit the treaty with Israel. Nour isn’t some random talking head; he’s been in and out of prison for years for daring to demand liberal reforms from Mubarak’s regime, and actually went so far as to run against Mubarak for president in the rigged election of 2005. Not only is he a cause celebre in the west, he’s sufficiently prominent that Bush name-checked him in his speech on democracy in Prague back in 2007. He is, in other words, arguably the Egyptian dissident, a guy whom the U.S. theoretically might like to see elected president because his political sensibilities are so western.

And yet, even this guy is hint-hint-hinting that it’s time to tear up the Camp David accords. In fact, he’s pushing the same mechanism of repeal as a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood did last week — a popular referendum, in which Egypt’s Israel-hating public (favorable rating: 3/92) will torpedo the treaty in the name of popular sovereignty. The end of Camp David is likely a fait accompli no matter what democratic process Egypt ends up settling on…

I agree that a popular vote on the peace treaty with Israel would result in defeat for the peace treaty. This doesn’t mean that Egypt and Israel immediately go to war, but it would open up quite a rift…and we would swiftly see Israeli and Egyptian military forces eyeball to eyeball on the border of the Sinai…the Camp David accords essentially de-militarized the Sinai, and if the treaty goes, Egypt would be free to re-militarize…and probably swiftly would. All it takes from there is a spark to ignite a conflagration.

And so, once again, we are instructed that a “real” foreign policy is insane. The concept that we can place our security – or the security of our allies – on the pledge of tyrants is unsustainable. As long as the tyrant is in charge, it might be ok…but if the tyrant changes his mind or is forced out of office, then all bets are off. But now the bets will be off with Israel having surrendered the security of the Sinai (it gave massive strategic depth to Israel against Egypt; its a matter of having the large Egyptian army 100 miles from Israel, or just a stones throw). Now Israel will have to go on hair-trigger alert and be willing to reconquer the Sinai at warning of a possible Egyptian attack, even if the Egyptians don’t really mean it.

The best policy is one of avoidance of tyrants – leave them be, if possible; fight them until they are defeated, if necessary. Had we held to that policy, then Israel would still be holding the Sinai, we would not have given $60 billion to Mubarak’s regime and we’d be in a far better strategic position than we are now…and Israel would be safer, too. Doing what is right must be the guiding star of US policy, not what is expedient. Hopefully, that is what we’ll learn out of this.

From AlterNet:

In the immortal words of Megatron in Transformers: The Movie, Herman Cain’s speech at CPAC really is bad comedy. As you know, I find black garbage pail kids black conservatives fascinating not because of what they believe, but rather because of how they entertain and perform for their White Conservative masters…

…Herman Cain’s shtick is a version of race minstrelsy where he performs “authentic negritude” as wish fulfillment for White Conservative fantasies. Like the fountain at Lourdes, Cain in his designated role as black Conservative mascot, absolves the White racial reactionaries at CPAC of their sins. This is a refined performance that Black Conservatives have perfected over many decades and centuries of practice…

If you decide to subject yourself to the whole article, you’ll note that not even once does the author attack Cain on his positions – the entire attack is upon him. He is considered not really black because he’s a black man who is conservative…and thus he’s just a Tom, playing up to the Honkey in hopes of getting some crumbs from his master’s table…the fact that Cain is a fabulously wealthy businessman who doesn’t need to get anything from anyone isn’t even mentioned. In fact, nothing which is relevant or true about Cain is brought up, because to do so would entirely explode the leftist myths about race in America.

That myth has it that nothing but unrelieved evil has been perpetrated on black people; that while people (except those who are properly liberal, of course) are inherently racist; that our society deliberately holds down black people; that the only way a black man can get ahead is via government subsidy…or, in the case of a man like Cain, by being a toady to Whitey. If you actually present the real Herman Cain to America, then all that is shown to be false. And, so, the attempts to slander him, and all those he associates with.

They are deathly afraid, my friends. Our liberals are scared to death that in people like Herman Cain and Allen West and Tim Scott. They are afraid of the large number of black people who ran as Republicans in 2010. They are afraid that the liberal grip on the black vote is slipping – knowing as they do that if even 20% of black voters switch to the GOP, it will be a disaster for liberalism. They had thought that the election of Barack Obama had sealed their power for a generation – now they worry that his victory was a fluke, and liberalism is doomed. And so they attack in the most hateful and nasty ways.

Endure it. Listen to it so that you know where you stand and what you’re fighting against, but pay no real heed to it. The last shrieks of the defeated hold no terrors for the victors.

Yes, you read that right – from the KOB.com:

State election officials say they won’t be purging voter rolls this year.

(New Mexico) Secretary of State Dianna Duran says U.S. Department of Justice officials have informed her that doing so would violate federal law…

So, about 60,000 ineligible names will remain on the voter rolls – and thus allow for widespread voter fraud to continue. And that is what Justice really wants – the story in the link about someone forgetting to dot an “i” or cross a “t” in the bureaucracy is just a cover for the reality. Democrats like voter fraud; they win close elections because of it; they see it as their ace in the hole – they will never, ever stop doing it until we send a very large number of them to jail over it. And, unfortunately, we won’t be able to do that until we get a Republican back in the White House – and not just any Republican, but a Republican who will enforce all the laws, all the time, even if Democrats get offended over it.

A clean vote is a necessity in a democratic republic – and more and more, our Democrats are determined on a dirty vote. Having lost the battle of ideas, Democrats have decided that they’ll just keep power by cheating at every opportunity. We have to bring this to and end – the future of freedom in the United States depends upon it.

I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice.

And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue. – Barry Goldwater, July 16, 1964

While the groundwork was laid by others, it was these words by Barry Goldwater which launched modern American conservatism on its path – initially to crushing defeat, eventually to sublime victory. Goldwater was much criticized for those few words, with some holding that the use of the word “extremism” doomed his candidacy in 1964. If that is the case, then never was defeat more glorious. Goldwater stood forth and, in an America which had been fed on liberal, Democrat lies for three decades, told the truth.

We are faced, here in 2011 and going in to 2012, yet another of what Ronald Reagan called, “a time for choosing”. We will decide, over the next 21 months, just what sort of America we’ll have. We will either rise to the occasion and rescue our nation from the last gasp of liberalism, or we’ll fail and our nation will suffer calamity. As we go through the battles of the next two years one thing we will need is unity. All of those who are in favor of liberty – religious, personal and economic – must unite against the common foe. Only thus can we be sure of victory – and a victory resounding enough for us to obtain the power necessary to undo what amounts to a century of folly. In pursuit of this unity, some are calling for a muting of what we fight for – a truce, as Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana termed it. A burying of the social conservative/libertarian hatchet in favor of victory in 2012. Daniels explains it:

…Here I wish to be very plainspoken: It is up to us to show, specifically, the best way back to greatness, and to argue for it with all the passion of our patriotism. But, should the best way be blocked, while the enemy draws nearer, then someone will need to find the second best way. Or the third, because the nation’s survival requires it.

Purity in martyrdom is for suicide bombers. King Pyrrhus is remembered, but his nation disappeared. Winston Churchill set aside his lifetime loathing of Communism in order to fight World War II. Challenged as a hypocrite, he said that when the safety of Britain was at stake, his “conscience became a good girl.” We are at such a moment. I for one have no interest in standing in the wreckage of our Republic saying “I told you so” or “You should’ve done it my way.”…

Indeed, Churchill did do that – and one should note that back in 1911, the British Empire spanned the globe. One fourth of the world’s people were under the British crown. Now Britain is a decidedly second-rank power – really dwindling to no more than the island off the coast of Europe it was in days long gone by. While Winston Churchill’s claims to our affections will never die – he did stand up against monstrous evil when others were willing to compromise with it – in the end he did compromise with evil. Sure enough, to fight an immediately more threatening evil…but when you shake hands with barbarians, you will lose. At the end of his life, Churchill noted that he had accomplished much to, in the end, accomplish nothing at all. What he fought for – a strong Britain as a pillar of the liberty and peace of the world – was done for.

There is no first, second and third best way to do things. There is a right way to do things, and a wrong way. We must always try to determine the right way to go, and then go that way. Nothing must ever deter us from doing what is right – certainly, we must not surrender part of what is right to defend another part more immediately threatened. Governor Daniels is absolutely correct that, at the moment, economic and fiscal matters predominate. We must get our financial house in order and we must restore our economy – but we must never lose sight of why we need to fix our financial and economic systems: because of the need to provide a financial basis for decent, hardworking men and women to create, grow and defend their families in the world. The family is the foundation of all – right now, it is besieged by a host of enemies, and the frail economy and threatened national bankruptcy risk the whole institution.

It will, though, behoove us nothing to have restored the economy if, in the meanwhile, the enemies of the family are able to advance the other parts of their destructive agenda. If, say, we’re concentrating on lower taxes while they are concentrating on advancing gay marriage. If we’re busying eliminating the Department of Energy and they are expanding pornography and violence in the popular culture. If we enact a balanced budget amendment while they indoctrinate yet another generation of kids via the public school system. We have to do what is right – not just in one area, but in all areas. Temporary expediency has its place in politics and compromise is always a requirement in democratic republic…but never, ever surrender the battle. Never declare a truce, because the other side will never abide by it.

Pleas don’t think I’m picking on Governor Daniels here. He’s just the most articulate and reasonable advocate for the so-called truce over social issues. He’s clearly a man who has thought about things and isn’t acting from any animus towards social conservatism. He’s just, in my view, got it wrong. We must fight the whole war – lest in winning one battle, we lose the whole thing.