Bank Failures Skyrocket

The news story:

U.S. bank regulators closed seven institutions on Thursday, including six banks in Illinois controlled by one family and a small bank in Dallas, bringing the total number of U.S. bank failures to 52 so far this year…

…The FDIC has faced a sharp uptick in failed banks as loan portfolios continue to deteriorate following the bursting of the housing bubble. In 2008 there were 25 bank failures, and just three in 2007.

That is a 201% increase from 2008 – and the year is only half over. Someone says there are “green shoots” in the economy? They are mistaken – what we’re really seeing is green mold on the body of a dead economy.

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Twitter Updates for 2009-07-04

The Need for a Clean Sweep

Why was all of DC in such rapture over Obama coming to town? Because the liberals who run that town – from top to bottom – knew they had hired a man who would be slavishly devoted to the expansion of Big Government which is one of the three primary occupations of liberals (the other two being MSM and education). The liberal commons of DC were finally rid of that nasty, old President Bush and now there would be uber liberals in all government slots – both career and appointive. No more need to even pretend to be fair to conservatives.

Hans von Spakovsky over at Pajamas Media details how the liberals who run DC – regardless of who is President – ensure that liberalism is predominant by simply not hiring non-liberals. Additionally, of course, there are not a large number of conservatives who try – conservatives tending to despise government and to view government employment as something for the weak-willed, weak-kneed and weak-minded. People who want to do things which require solid, measurable results don’t tend to go in to government work (the military isn’t “government work” by the way – it is an honorable calling, like that of the priesthood). And so liberalism breeds liberalism and while a Republican President can issue orders, the carrying out of his orders are dependent upon people who, at the least, have a general opposition to his views and, at the worst, are determined to thwart his policy.

What to do?

Get rid of them all.

This is a tricky thing – due to the rampant corruption in government hiring in the 19th century (the ill-famed “spoils system” of old), various civil service protections were placed on career government officials to help ensure that people were hired and advanced on merit, not on political affiliation. This probably worked pretty well when the government was tiny and there was a fair chance that roughly equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans were interested in government. With the coming of the New Deal, however, things changed – government became massive became a thing not of general public service, but of advancing a particular, political agenda. What Republican would want to join FDR’s program to intrude government into every aspect of life? And so, the make up of government service changed – it became liberal, and liberal it has remained, even though Republicans have controlled the White House a majority of the time post-FDR. We can’t just fire everyone – but we can still make a clean sweep.

We will be returned to power – perhaps as early as 2013 (and, in the House, perhaps as early as 2011), but no latter than 2017. When that happens, our only safety – our only assurance that what we propose is actually carried out – is to furlough as many government employees as possible as soon as office is secured. Ultimately, legislation will be necessary, and that will only be possible if the GOP controls both houses (which might not happen, even if we win the White House in 2012, until after the 2014 mid-terms) – but even without legislation, the President can simply furlough the suspect employees…sure, this will cost tens of millions of dollars in wages to people sitting at home…but better to pay them to watch Oprah than to screw up the United States of America. Once the people are furloughed, a careful review can be done by the Executive Branch to determine which employees should be brought back and which should be replaced – with the entire hiring process entirely in the hands of conservatives.

And that is not the end of it all – the thing is, we’ll never really get conservatism enforced until we de-fund the left. The only thing which keeps the left going is government subsidy (do you really think someone would pay their own money for a feminist studies course in college?) – the government employees are a massive source of this funding, but there are literal thousands of groups out there advancing the leftist agenda on the taxpayer’s dime…and all of these groups would dry up and blow away if the government spigot is cut off. The two things go together – as a for instance: when we pass a law stating that funds must be provided to help unwed mothers, do you think the liberal bureaucrat in DC is going to find the most orthodox, Christian crisis pregnancy center, or find some liberal organization which is actually a mere cover for abortion?

Once the left is de-funded, it will be easy for us to restore America – to return our government to its constitutional functions, and free the American people from the onerous burdens liberalism has imposed over the past 75. We’ll be a genuinely free people again, in control of our own destiny…but only a clean sweep will do it.

The Spirit of the True American

Exhibited by the Father of our Country:

Esqr. that he had the order of the Congress to acq[ain]t him, that the Congress had by a unanimous vote made choice of him to be general and com[mander] in chief to take the supreme command of the forces raised and to be raised, in defence of American Liberty, and desired his acceptance of it. Whereupon Colonel Washington, standing in his place, spoke as follows:

“Mr. President,

“Tho’ I am truly sensible of the high Honour done me, in this Appointment, yet I feel great distress, from a consciousness that my abilities and military experience may not be equal to the extensive and important Trust: However, as the Congress desire it, I will enter upon the momentous duty, and exert every power I possess in their service, and for support of the glorious cause. I beg they will accept my most cordial thanks for this distinguished testimony of their approbation.

“But, lest some unlucky event should happen, unfavourable to my reputation, I beg it may be remembered, by every Gentleman in the room, that I, this day, declare with the utmost sincerity, I do not think myself equal to the Command I am honored with.

“As to pay, Sir, I beg leave to assure the Congress, that, as no pecuniary consideration could have tempted me to have accepted this arduous employment, at the expence of my domestic ease and happiness, I do not wish to make any proffit from it. I will keep an exact Account of my expences. Those, I doubt not, they will discharge, and that is all I desire.”

Pray to God, fellow Americans, that we may in future be blessed with leaders with even a fraction of the worth of Washington.

Endowed by Our Creator

Some pre-4th thoughts on the fundamentals of America:

CHESAPEAKE, Va. (Catholic Online) – This Saturday is the 4th of July, the day when people will gather all over the United States of America to celebrate Independence. Fireworks will light up the sky, families will gather and we will all pause to remember those who gave their lives so that the promises set forth in that Declaration of Independence could inform a new Nation. Their courageous Declaration, signed on this date proclaimed:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights – that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men”

The Declaration of Independence was the birth certificate of the United States of America. The words are still memorized by schoolchildren and can bring a tear to the oldest American eye with little effort. The principles they communicate have informed our history as a free people and inspired our neighbors in other parts of the world to stand up against all forms of tyranny. As we reflect upon the text this weekend we need to remember that our forebears were not declaring their independence from Divine Providence. Rather, they were trusting in the primacy of the Governance of God over their own lives and their noble undertaking.

Created equal and endowed by their Creator – this is central; because if we are not created equal and if our rights are not endowed by God – and thus irrevocable by human action – then we are not at all equal, and we have no rights save those a tyrant chooses to allow. If our Declaration had said, “We hold these opinions to be valid, that all men are equal, that they are allowed by Nature to have certain Rights”, it would have been an absurd statement…nothing men would be willing to die for. Might as well have Washington and Co. fold up the tents and go home…but if we are fighting to secure what God gave us, then no sacrifice is too great, and nor argument can be made against us and only force could compel us to give in.

People can quibble about whether or not America is a Christian nation – but that 99% or better of the men who shed their blood to found the nation were Christian cannot be disputed. And these Christian heroes gave their lives not for an abstraction thought up by some clever intellectual cobweb spinner, but for the concrete reality that God gave them certain things which others were trying to take away. So it was then, and so it is today – and so it will always be, until the End.

Phrase of the Day

Resolute in defense of liberty:

…If we wish to be free– if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending–if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained–we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us! …

…It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace– but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death! – Patrick Henry