“If you are serious about wanting to improve education, do not vote more money for the education establishment that has been dumbing down the schools for years. Vote for vouchers, tax credits, or anything else that will transfer decision-making power to parents.” – Thomas Sowell
Censorship: Why? Freedom of speech and debate is critical to a free society. It doesn’t matter if the censorship comes from the Left or the Right…its wrong.
We have big tech playing judge and jury, deciding what is acceptable to publish. We have the “woke culture” pressuring sports stars, actors, professors, and others to buy in to their Orwellian “newspeak.”
Elections have consequences. The American people do matter. Personally, a divided government that governs slowly, deliberately, and judiciously is my preferred brand.
I think Republicans ultimately take control of Congress in 2022 and put a check on the progressive liberal agenda Biden has bought into. That will be good for America.
Americans Don’t Like Biden’s Policies: President Joe Biden’s average approval rating (46%) is in FORD territory and could be headed into TRUMP territory if he doesn’t turn it around. Here’s where every modern president rated at this point, according to FiveThirtyEight:
W. Bush: 82.6%
Kennedy: 76.1%
Truman: 75%
Eisenhower: 74.4%
Johnson: 74%
H.W. Bush: 69.5%
Nixon: 62.3%
Reagan: 60.1%
Carter: 54.3%
Obama: 53.4%
Clinton: 48.3%
Biden: 46%
Ford: 46%
Trump: 38.8%
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-approval-rating/?cid=rrpromo
–Saul Anuzis
Click Here for Past Commentary from Saul
60 Plus Weekly Video Rewind
General Milley in the hot seat over call to China, Biden called out on mandates, and all eyes on Joe Manchin!
Links to the articles discussed in the video:
https://news.grabien.com/story-biden-admin-dont-worry-wed-never-impose-vaccine-mandate-supe
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/572504-manchin-keeps-washington-guessing-on-what-he-wants
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United Nations launches assault on free speech]
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for global action to curb disinformation and stop conspiracy theories in their tracks, saying among the many lessons learned from the coronavirus is the need to restore “integrity” in the public discussion of science — and to do so, he added, “We must make lying wrong again.”
In U.N.-speak, this is a call to crack down on free speech.
In certain situations in America, lying is against the law. Taxpayers can’t tell the Internal Revenue Service about business exemptions that aren’t real. Citizens can’t call in fabricated crimes to police. Witnesses can’t provide false testimony in a court of law. Advertisers can’t misrepresent the nature or qualities of their goods or services. And so on and so forth — there are actual laws against lying in certain circumstances, in certain circumstances that are aligned with the labels of libel and slander, perjury, obstructing justice and the like…
… More specifically, Guterres wants social media executives to take the censorship against conservatives, against free thinkers, against Christians, against individualists to a whole new level. He doesn’t admit that, of course. But this is the path he walks.
He sees free speech as an impediment to the implementation of his “Our Common Agenda,” which is a sort of roadmap to total top-down global controls on citizens of the world using fear — fear of pandemics, fear of climate change, fear of inequality and discrimination — as the primary fuel.
Here Comes the Biden Tax Bill
Pelosi marches House Democrats to the political gallows.
It’s been under wraps longer than some Egyptian mummies, but the bill for the Joe Biden – Nancy Pelosi -Bernie Sanders spending agenda is about to be exposed to the air. The Ways and Means Committee draft tax increase that leaked over the weekend is a $2.2 trillion Washington money grab for the ages.
The tax proposals aren’t final, but Ways and Means will start debating them as early as Tuesday. So much for deliberation. As Chairman Richard Neal has said, publicizing tax increases too soon gives the opposition time to build. Now that the details are out, we see what he means.
The most bizarre spin is that the House Democratic draft is less onerous than President Biden has proposed. As a share of GDP, the House proposal is still the largest tax increase since 1968. It also doesn’t account for the Senate Finance Committee, which has floated a paper with multi-trillions in tax increases to choose from. Think of this exercise as the all-you-can-eat politician’s dinner at Applebee’s.
If Americans are successful, Democrats want to tax more of their income. The top individual tax rate will rise to 39.6% from 37%, as Mr. Biden promised. But wait: The higher tax rate will kick in at a mere $400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for married couples. That’s down from $523,600 and $628,300 under current law…
… The death tax exemption would also be cut in half to $5.5 million—which would also hit small businesses and savers who have built up a small nest egg. If Republicans don’t pound away on this assault on small business, they should retire from politics on grounds of incompetence.
Revenue and Revenge
House Democrats have put forward a worst-of-both-worlds tax proposal: punishing enough to do real damage to the U.S. economy and individual households, but not nearly enough to pay for the trillions upon trillions of dollars of new spending Joe Biden and his congressional allies have put into play.
In theory, the point of tax bills is to raise revenue to support necessary government spending. The spending has for a very long time now been far in excess of what is necessary, while our tax system, complex and burdensome though it is, fails to produce enough revenue to avoid permanent budget deficits. But revenue here seems to be an afterthought.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) holds her weekly news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., September 8, 2021. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
House Democrats have put forward a worst-of-both-worlds tax proposal: punishing enough to do real damage to the U.S. economy and individual households, but not nearly enough to pay for the trillions upon trillions of dollars of new spending Joe Biden and his congressional allies have put into play.
In theory, the point of tax bills is to raise revenue to support necessary government spending. The spending has for a very long time now been far in excess of what is necessary, while our tax system, complex and burdensome though it is, fails to produce enough revenue to avoid permanent budget deficits. But revenue here seems to be an afterthought.
Democrats propose to raise personal income taxes (to 39.6 percent plus a new 3 percent surcharge on incomes more than $5 million), corporate taxes (to 26.5 percent), and taxes on investment income (to 25 percent); impose higher taxes on “pass-through” income from business partnerships; and hike estate taxes. All told, the Joint Committee on Taxation estimates that the tax increases would add up to nearly $2.1 trillion, though the final number could be higher or lower. Though the changes are all meant to target high-income taxpayers — who already pay a share of federal income tax that is far in excess of their share of income — according to the JCT, less than half of the new taxes collected would come from high-income individuals. The rest would come mainly from businesses, which invariably pass those costs on to their employees, customers, and business partners as far as they are able.
Democrats here are pulling their usual stunt of assuring lower-income people that higher taxes won’t fall on them, but only on their employers, their landlords, and their grocers, as though their finances were unconnected. In the past, that has been good politics, but it is bad economics.
Migrant encounters over 200,000 again in August, as border surge continues
There were more than 200,000 migrant encounters at the southern border in August, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed on Wednesday, the second month in a row where the number has been over the 200,000 mark as migrants continue to attempt to enter the U.S.
Fox News first reported that there were 208,887 encounters in August. While it marks the first decrease in migrant encounters seen under the Biden administration, where migrant encounters have been sharply rising for months, it is only a 2% drop over the more than 212,000 encounters in July.
Additionally, the 208,887 number for August represents a 317% increase over last August 2020 which saw 50,014 encounters — and a 233% increase over August 2019, where there were 62,707 amid that year’s border crisis.
Senator demands to know ‘who is in charge’ at White House after Biden cut off mid-sentence
Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, claimed Tuesday that someone in the White House other than President Biden is “calling the shots.”
Risch made the comments during Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s hearing before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations about the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, which the senator called a “dismal failure.”
“One of the things we need to get to the bottom to is who is responsible for this? Who made the decisions?” Risch said. “[Biden] can’t even speak without someone in the White House censoring it or signing off on it.”
The senator cited an instance Monday in which the White House abruptly ended the feed of Biden’s briefing on wildfires with federal and state officials, cutting him off mid-sentence during a question to George Geissler of the National Association of State Foresters.
Risch said at Tuesday’s hearing, “This is a puppeteer act, if you would, and we need to know who’s in charge and who is making the decisions.”
“There is not enough lipstick in the world to put on this pig to make it look any differently than what it actually is,” he said later in the hearing, referring to the Afghanistan withdrawal. “The American people want to know who is responsible for this?”
“Ultimately, the president makes the decisions,” Blinken responded. “As in every case, ultimately decisions that can only be decided by the president are decided by the president.”
Risch again cited Monday’s incident in which Biden was cut off mid-sentence.
Can America Afford to Become a Major Social Welfare State?
In the reconciliation package now being debated in Washington, President Biden and many congressional Democrats aim to expand the size and scope of government substantially. Americans should be wary of their plans — not only because of the sizable budgetary cost but also because of the broader risks to economic prosperity.
The details of the ambitious $3.5 trillion social spending bill are still being discussed, so it is unclear what it will end up including. In many ways, it seems like a grab bag of initiatives assembled from the progressive wish list. And it may be bigger than it sounds: Reports suggest that some provisions will arbitrarily lapse before the end of the 10-year budget window to reduce the bill’s ostensible size, even though lawmakers hope to extend those policies at a later date.
People of all ages are in line to get something: government-funded pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds, expanded child credits for families with children, two years of tuition-free community college, increased Pell grants for other college students, enhanced health insurance subsidies, paid family and medical leave, and expansions in Medicare for older Americans. A recent Times headline aptly described the plan’s coverage as “cradle to grave.”
If there is a common theme, it is that when you need a helping hand, the government will be there for you. It aims to assist people who are struggling in our rough-and-tumble market economy. On its face, that instinct doesn’t sound bad. Many Western European nations have more generous social safety nets than the United States. The Biden plan takes a big step in that direction.
Can the United States afford to embrace a larger welfare state? From a narrow budgetary standpoint, the answer is yes. But the policy also raises larger questions about American values and aspirations, and about what kind of nation we want to be.
The Biden administration has promised to pay for the entire plan with higher taxes on corporations and the very wealthy. But there’s good reason to doubt that claim. Budget experts, such as Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, are skeptical that the government can raise enough tax revenue from the wealthy to finance Mr. Biden’s ambitious agenda.
The United States could do what Western Europe does — impose higher taxes on everyone. Most countries use a value-added tax, a form of a national sales tax, to raise a lot of revenue efficiently. If Americans really want larger government, we will have to pay for it, and a VAT could be the best way.
The costs of an expanded welfare state, however, extend beyond those reported in the budget. There are also broader economic effects.
Without drastic changes, Democrats are on track to lose big in 2022
The marked decline in support for President Biden and his administration nationally and in key swing states indicates that the Democratic Party could endure a blowout defeat in the 2022 midterm elections.
Moreover, Biden is in a significantly weaker position now than both of his most recent Democratic predecessors — Bill Clinton and Barack Obama — at this point in their presidencies, which suggests that Democrats could suffer even more substantial losses in 2022 than the party did in 1994 and 2010.
Indeed, voters nationally and in seven key swing states disapprove, rather than approve, of the job Biden is doing by a margin of 7 points or greater, according to a Civiqs survey released last week.
Nationally, 50 percent of voters disapprove of the job Biden is doing as president, while just 42 percent approve.
For reference, at the same point in Obama’s first term, Obama’s net approval rating was 19 points higher than Biden’s is right now. At the time, a majority of voters (52 percent) approved of Obama, while 41 percent disapproved, according to a Gallup survey released on Sept. 13, 2009.
That being said, in the 2010 midterm elections, Democrats lost a net of 64 House seats and Republicans gained six seats in the Senate.
House Democrats propose new retirement plan rules for the rich, including contribution limits and a repeal of Roth conversions
House Democrats proposed several changes to retirement accounts as part of a push to make the tax code more equitable and raise money for their $3.5 trillion budget plan.
Among them, the reforms would end “backdoor” and “mega-backdoor” Roth strategies for the wealthy and add new rules for individuals with retirement savings over $10 million.
The legislation would also disallow IRA investments that require owners to be accredited investors.
House Democrats proposed a slew of changes to retirement accounts for the rich on Monday, part of a restructuring of the tax code tied to a $3.5 trillion budget plan.
Taken together, Democrats’ reforms aim to erode the use of retirement accounts as a perceived tax shelter for the wealthy and instead promote them as a way for low- and middle-income Americans to build a nest egg.
Most of the changes would start in 2022.
House panel advances immigration language for reconciliation bill
The House Judiciary Committee late Monday approved the immigration language for the upcoming reconciliation bill being used for the Democrats’ $3.5 trillion spending plan, which the party hopes to approve without any Republican support.
The proposal advanced shortly before midnight gives shape to what had previously been an abstract push to grant a pathway to citizenship to millions of immigrants who are either undocumented or cannot currently apply for permanent status.
Under the proposal, which passed on a 25-19 party line vote, an estimated 8 million undocumented Dreamers who arrived in the United States as minors, beneficiaries of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program and undocumented essential workers will be allowed to apply for permanent residency.
Currently, people without legal status or in temporary humanitarian programs like TPS are not allowed to apply to change their immigration status.
Foreign nationals who receive permanent resident status, also known as a green card, become eligible to apply for citizenship after a period of time that can range from three to five years.
Members of Congress, Federal Judges, Staffers Exempt From Vaccine Mandate
On Thursday evening, President Joe Biden unveiled two executive orders that could mandate vaccinations for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus for millions of working Americans in both the public and private spheres. But absent from these mandates are similar requirements for members of Congress, federal judges, or their staffers.
Biden’s executive orders would unilaterally require vaccination for federal employees, the military, and government contractors. The president also asked Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to require that firms with over 100 employees either mandate vaccination or weekly CCP virus tests. In total, these mandates could affect over 100 million American workers, making it one of the widest-reaching vaccine mandates in world history.
Biden wrote, “It is the policy of my Administration to halt the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), including the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant, by relying on the best available data and science-based public health measures.”
Uttar Pradesh, India Announces State Is COVID-19 Free Proving the Effectiveness of “Deworming Drug” IVERMECTIN
The Gateway Pundit previously reported that COVID cases are plummeting in India thanks to new rules that promote Ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine to its massive population. The 33 districts in Uttar Pradesh, India have now become free from COVID-19 government informed on Friday. The recovery rate has increased up to 98.7% proving the effectiveness of IVERMECTIN as part of the “Uttar Pradesh Covid Control Model.” Of course, the media won’t mention that Ivermectin is being used for the treatment of COVID-19.
This state has an estimated population of 241 million people in 2021 and has the highest population in India. This is almost two-thirds of the United States population in 2021 and yet it is now a COVID-19 free nation.
So what could the United States be doing wrong? Let’s ask Dr. Fauci.
industan Times reported on this big development:
Overall, the state has a total of 199 active cases, while the positivity rate came down to less than 0.01 per cent. The recovery rate, meanwhile, has improved to 98.7 per cent. As per the state’s health bulletin, Uttar Pradesh reported only 11 new Covid-19 cases and zero deaths in the last 24 hours.
India Today also reported on this last August 31:
The active caseload in Uttar Pradesh is down to 269, while the percentage of active cases against the total confirmed cases is 0 per cent.
The active caseload, which was at a high of 3,10,783 in April, has reduced by over 99 per cent.
Fresh Covid-19 cases in the state have remained below 100 for 50 consecutive days.
Of the 1,87,638 samples tested in the last 24 hours, 21 tested positive. In the same period, another 17 patients recovered from the infection, adding to the recovery of over 16,86,182 people so far. (These numbers are in lakh so the comma placement is different in the US. 1,87,638 lakh is 187,638)
Uttar Pradesh is the leading state in India to use Ivermectin as early and preventatively in all family contacts. And this state is one of the five lowest COVID cases of all states in India despite having only a low vaccination rate of 5.8% fully vaccinated compared to the USA that has 54% fully vaccinated.
The Future of Conservative Constitutionalism
The work of transforming the courts has done wonders, but to build further we must focus on Congress and the people.
The ambitious project of constitutional restoration that has occupied a portion of the American Right for generations now finds itself at a peculiar crossroads.
On the one hand, the effort to transform the courts, which has been at the center of this project for half a century, has reached an impressive high-water mark. Launched in response to the pernicious overreach of the Warren and Burger courts, this effort sought nothing less than to recover an understanding of the proper role of the judge, which had been utterly lost, and to put it into practice.
In a sense, that project was one of several efforts on the right to respond to the calamities the Left had unleashed on the country by the end of the Great Society era. The other monsters tamed for a time by conservative political and policy work in the 1970s and ’80s — crime, stagflation, welfare dependence, a kind of semi-socialist regulatory economics — were all beaten back more quickly than progressive judicial activism. Indeed, they were beaten back long enough ago that they now threaten to resurge, and some younger conservatives (young enough perhaps to still expect permanent victories in this vale of tears) can be found genuinely wondering what conservatism has ever conserved.
Watch 100-Year-Old Diane Friedman Break World Records for 100- 200-Meter Dash
A 100-year-old woman from Cleveland, Ohio, has shown the world that age really is just a number. Diane Friedman broke three masters sports records at the Michigan Senior Olympics on Aug.15 and is officially the fastest woman in the world over 100 years old. Friedman broke world records in both the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash for the 100-104-year-old age group. She also broke the American record for the javelin in the same age category.
In the 100-meter dash, Diane Friedman ran in 36.71 seconds, breaking the prior mark set by Julia Hawkins by nearly 3 seconds.
