'Obama year 6' and so Many Liberals are not Proud of America

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2014/06/obama_year_6_and_so_many_liberals_are_not_proud_of_america.html 

60% of solid Liberals say they “are not regularly proud to be Americans.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/06/26/proud-to-be-an-american-youre-probably-not-a-true-liberal/

“The finding is contained in Pew's new "Political Typology" report, which breaks Americans down into seven different categories --rather than the usual three. Among the seven categories, "solid liberals" are the only group in which a majority say they aren't regularly proud to be Americans.”

This poll is stunning for two reasons:

1)  I thought that Obama was the "change we've been waiting for";

2) What country are they proud of? Where else would these people rather live?

“Of course, maybe liberals are just miserably unhappy people. Let's not overlook that explanation 
for this poll.”

Yeah, what’s up with this? Are these Liberals not happy with President Obama’s polices as implemented or is it that they don’t think he has done enough?

“Maybe we should trade all of these liberals for entrepreneurs around the world who appreciate freedom and free markets. I'm sure that there'd be a lot of volunteers around the globe.”

On the other hand, as Margret Thatcher warned us all, just because what the Liberals say frequently makes no sense that not does mean they are not seriously pursuing a political agenda.

“We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America”

Barack Obama

31 October, 2008

By Epictetus

Proud to be an American? You're probably not a true liberal.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/06/26/proud-to-be-an-ame
rican-youre-probably-not-a-true-liberal/

...And if you're not proud of the country you probably want to make some
major changes to it.

"Michelle Obama took some heat in 2008 for saying that, "for the first time
in my adult life I am proud of my country..."

"As it turns out, that sentiment isn't all that unusual on the far left of
American politics. According to a new Pew Research Center study, only 40
percent of consistently liberal Americans say they often feel proud to be
Americans."

"The other 60 percent say that doesn't describe them."

"The finding is contained in Pew's new "Political Typology" report, which
breaks Americans down into seven different categories -- rather than the
usual three. Among the seven categories, "solid liberals" are the only group
in which a majority say they aren't regularly proud to be Americans."

By Epictetus

Study: All Job Growth Since 2000 Went to Immigrants

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/06/26/Study-All-Job-Growth-Sinc
e-2000-Went-to-Immigrants

Illegal and legal immigrants have accounted for all of the job growth in the
United States since 2000.

On the one-year anniversary of the passage of the Senate's "Gang of Eight"
comprehensive immigration reform bill, the Center for Immigration Studies
(CIS) released a report on Friday that revealed that even though native-born
Americans accounted for two-thirds of the growth in the total working-age
population since 2000, the number of native-born Americans with jobs
declined by 127,000.

While there were 114.8 million working-age native-born Americans with jobs
in the first quarter of 2000, there were only 114.7 million with jobs in the
first quarter of 2014. On the other hand, 17.1 million working-age
immigrants (legal and illegal) had jobs in 2000 while 22.8 million did in
2014, which is an increase of 5.7 million.

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL), who has relentlessly encouraged his colleagues to
put American workers first during the immigration debate, told Breitbart
News that the report's findings are "shocking" and "represent a dramatic
indictment of immigration policy in Washington D.C" while underscoring the
"economic catastrophe that would have ensued" had the Gang of Eight's bill
been signed into law and further hollowed out the middle class.

"There is no doubt that a long, sustained period of high immigration,
combined with increased automation and the offshoring of jobs, has produced
a loose, low-wage labor market," Sessions said. "In spite of this, the
President continues to champion legislation that would place further
substantial downward pressure on wages."

Champions of comprehensive immigration reform have said amnesty and more
legal immigration are needed because the country has a labor shortage and
more immigration increases job opportunities for native-born Americans. But
the report, consistent with others, found that there is a labor surplus and
that massive immigration reduces employment opportunities for native-born
Americans.
See More...

By Epictetus

Bosnian Serbs erect statue to the man who ignited WWI

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/06/28/world/bosnian-serbs-erect-statue
-to-the-man-who-ignited-wwi/#.U68Vt4so7IV

Looks like not much has changed there in the last century. The Bosnian Serbs
still want to join with Serbia.

Yes, today is the 100th Anniversary of the assassination of Archduke
Ferdinand and his wife Sophia, the event that sparked World War I.

By Epictetus

Newspaper Reversal: 'We Were Wrong' -- Obama Worse than Bush

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2014/06/27/newspaper-reversal-we-wer
e-wrong-obama-worse-than-bush

It's too late to apologize...It's too late...

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Its+too+late+to+apoligize+..its+too+late ...&FORM=VIRE2#view=detail&mid=DF28E315D0A00673B164DF28E315D0A00673B164

"The Billings Gazette," a Montana newspaper that endorsed President Obama
over John McCain in 2008 (but went with Romney in 2012) admitted Fridaythat
they were wrong -- Obama is in fact worse than his predecessor, George W.
Bush. Apparently, the potential collapse of Iraq (and the disastrous
worldwide consequences sure to follow) was the last straw."

By Epictetus

Shock: EPA Employees Asked to Stop Defecating In Office Hallways

http://www.shtfplan.com/headline-news/shock-epa-employees-asked-to-stop-defe
cating-in-office-hallways_06262014

Read on...

"Have you ever wonder what it is that government employees actually do?"

"Well, in addition to giving Americans grief over just about anything you
can imagine, according to Government Executive they are apparently so bored
that some have resorted to pooping in the hallways of government buildings,
purposely clogging toilets, and surfing porn on the taxpayer dime."

By Epictetus

Armed Drones Provide Cover to U.S. Advisers in Iraq, Defense Officials Say

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/iraq-turmoil/armed-drones-provide-cover-u-s
-advisers-iraq-defense-officials-n142781

American drones armed with Hellfire missiles are flying surveillance over
Baghdad to protect the U.S. military advisers providing intelligence and
advice to the Iraqi military as they fight Sunni militants, defense
officials said Friday.

The officials told NBC News that the drones are not meant to hunt militant
forces or launch airstrikes, only to provide cover in case the Americans
come under enemy fire as they move around Baghdad. The U.S. is also flying
armed and unarmed drones, plus manned and armed F-18 fighter jets, over the
Iraqi territory controlled by the militants, the officials said. The
surveillance planes are not authorized to fire on the militants, the
officials said.

By Epictetus

They Took Our Jobs! Study Finds ALL New Jobs Went to Immigrants

http://www.ijreview.com/2014/06/151402-took-jobs-study-finds-new-jobs-went-i
mmigrants/

Yes, and why WOULD employers hire American citizens at a "living wages",
along with healthcare and numerous other benefits, when the U.S. Government
is allowing millions of non-citizens to enter the country who will work for
much less  pay and no benefits?

"A shocking new report from the Center for Immigration Studies claims to
prove that every single new job created in America for the last fourteen
years has gone to immigrants, legal and illegal. This would fly in the face
of those who claim that immigration is an economic boon to native born
Americans:"

"The CIS report found that over the last 14 years, people who were born in
the United States held 114.8 million jobs in 2000, and held 114.7 million
jobs in 2014, a drop of 127,000."

"But it's an entirely different picture for immigrants - 5.7 million more
jobs were held by immigrants in the U.S. in 2014 compared to 2000."

"Immigration advocates often say that immigrants don't supplant jobs for
Americans, that they do jobs Americans won't, but if that were the case,
there would be more jobs of both, instead of a loss for native born
Americans."

"All of the net increase in employment went to immigrants in the last 14
years partly because, even before the Great Recession, immigrants were
gaining a disproportionate share of jobs relative to their share of
population growth," the report found. "In addition, natives' losses were
somewhat greater during the recession and immigrants have recovered more
quickly from it."

"Now there are all sorts of complicated reasons why this would be the case -
immigrants are more willing to relocate to places where there are more jobs,
they take lower wage jobs which are more in abundance in a weak economy, and
they also have much fewer unemployment insurance options, so they're more
likely to pursue jobs than native born citizens who can rely on social
services."

"Even so, as many advocate for "comprehensive immigration reform," America
must demand from their representatives an answer to this question - if
immigrants are taking all new jobs under the current broken system, why
shouldn't we expect it to get worse with an amnesty bill that rewards
illegal immigrants crossing our border?"

By Epictetus

Iraq Buys Used Russian Fighter Jets Amid U.S. Delivery Delay

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-06-26/iraq-buys-used-russian-fighter-j
ets-amid-u-dot-s-dot-delivery-delay

"Iraq has bought used fighter jets from Russia and Belarus to battle
Islamist militants after long delays in the delivery of F-16 planes from the
U.S. left troops without air support, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said. "

"Maliki, in an interview with BBC Arabic yesterday, blamed the U.S.'s "long,
very slow way" for delaying the delivery of 36 aircraft. "We shouldn't have
just bought U.S. jets, we should have bought British, French and Russian
jets to provide air support. If we had air support, none of this would have
happened," he said, according to excerpts e-mailed by the BBC."

By Epictetus

100 Army Recruits Turned Away Due to Tattoo Policy

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/06/27/100-army-recruits-turned-away-
due-to-tattoo-policy.html?comp=7000023317843&rank=2

Like they say, the difference between love and a tattoo is that a tattoo is
forever.

El Paso Times, Texas | Jun 27, 2014 | by Kristopher Rivera


About 100 men and women in El Paso who wanted to enlist in the Army have
been turned away because of new tattoo policies that began March 31, said a
statement from the Army Recruiting Command in Phoenix.

"A lot of the applicants come in here with tattoos or with gauged ears and
they've been wanting to join the military since they were kids and they're
not able to," said Capt. Joshua Jacquez, Army recruiting company commander
in El Paso.

According to Army Regulation 670-1, which details grooming and appearance
standards for all soldiers while in uniform, new recruits cannot have more
than four tattoos below the elbow or knee. Tattoos are also prohibited on
the neck, face, head, hands, wrists and fingers. Ear gauges are also
prohibited. Individual tattoos must be smaller than the recruit's hand.
Individual tattoos that are clustered together to appear as one large tattoo
are prohibited.

Excessive tattoos in the Army "was nothing that was getting out of hand,"
said Lt. Col. Jennifer McAfee, U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion Phoenix
commander.

And the policy has not hurt recruitment numbers in El Paso, according
McAfee.

"We're still putting many men and women in the Army, even though the Army's
drawing down," she said.

For 2014, McAfee said the goal is to recruit more than 57,000 people for the
Army and 18,000 recruits for in the Army Reserves.

"We're on track to make it," she added.

If new recruits decide to get tattoo removal, they should be cautious, said
McAfee.

"(New recruits) they have to be careful about who they go to because they
might leave a branding," she said.

A branding is a permanent mark left behind from a burn, which can be the
result after a tattoo removal procedure. It can lead to an applicant being
denied from enlisting.

By Epictetus

Air Force raises enlistee age limit from 27 to 39

http://www.stripes.com/news/air-force/air-force-raises-enlistee-age-limit-fr
om-27-to-39-1.290578

Thanks to a new Air Force policy announced Tuesday, enlisted recruits can
now experience the joys of basic training in their late 30s.

The Air Force raised the maximum age for enlisted accession from 27 to 39,
meaning it may now be the best choice for those who feel the call to
military service later in life.

The maximum age for Army enlisted recruits is 35, while the Navy and Marines
cap recruit ages at 34 and 28, respectively.

Under federal law, the oldest recruit any military branch can enlist is 42,
although each service sets its own policy within that limit.

Annette Crawford, a spokeswoman for the Air Force Recruiting Service at
Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, said officials would be watching to
see whether the aches and pains of approaching middle age are too much for
older recruits.

"With the change, if we see a higher initial training attrition or increased
physical injuries . the Air Force recruiting commander can set a more
restrictive age if necessary," she said.

The increased maximum age is for all Air Force enlisted occupations rather
than being targeted at increasing accessions in certain areas, she said.

The new policy comes at a time of a declining defense budget, a shrinking
military and falling recruiting goals, however. From 2009 to 2013, the
number of recruits dropped from nearly 32,000 to just over 26,000. While
recruiting goals for 2014 are still being finalized, they're likely to fall
again.

Nevertheless, potential recruits were happy when the announcement was posted
late Tuesday to Facebook.

"I was feeling completely out of luck because when I first looked into
joining the AF, I was already 28 and the age limit was 27," wrote a poster
identified as Hugo Ricardo Roca. "Now all I need is to get back in shape and
just join in."

Will Lerner's Lost Emails Lead To Impeachment?

http://www.dickmorris.com/will-lerners-lost-emails-lead-impeachment-dick-mor ris-tv-lunch-alert/?utm_source=dmreports&utm_medium=dmreports&utm_campaign=dmreports

Good question. As Dick observes, there is obviously a cover up of IRS abuse
going on. Where will the trail of evidence lead?  What will Congress do if
the evidence leads  to the top of the Administration?

By Epictetus

Wisconsin Carry Wins Appeal: Court Orders Return of Gun

http://gunwatch.blogspot.com/2014/06/wisconsin-carry-wins-appeal-court.html

The Appeals court ruled that the City had not presented any evidence that
Mr. Ols had used his firearm to commit disorderly conduct, and reversed the
circuit court decision.   Mr. Ols should have his firearm returned shortly.

 There is a tendency for urban courts to confiscate firearms from citizens
without good reason, and a tendency for urban police to confiscate them
without due process.   While it is good that there is a system in place for
a citizen to petition the court for return of property, such a petition may
cost more than the property is worth.     Property that is not ordered
forfeited by a court should be returned promptly to the person it was taken
from.    If it is not, it amounts to an extra legal punishment.

 This ruling is a step in the right direction.   It may serve as check
against a bias in the courts against returning firearms to their lawful
owners.

By Epictetus

U.S. Economy Shrank in First Quarter by Most in Five Years

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-06-25/economy-in-u-s-shrank-in-first-quar
ter-by-most-in-five-years.html

If the GDP has negative growth  for another consecutive quarter, that will
mean we are officially in a recession.

"The U.S. economy contracted in the first quarter by the most since the
depths of the last recession as consumer spending cooled."

"Gross domestic product fell at a 2.9 percent annualized rate, more than
forecast and the worst reading since the same three months in 2009, after a
previously reported 1 percent drop, the Commerce Department said today in
Washington. It marked the biggest downward revision from the agency's second
GDP estimate since records began in 1976. The revision reflected a slowdown
in health care spending."

By Epictetus

Google Glass Snoopers Can Steal Your Passcode With a Glance

http://www.wired.com/2014/06/google-glass-snoopers-can-steal-your-passcode-w
ith-a-glance/

The guy with the google glass can watch you , play back the video and use it
to figure out what keys you hit on your tablet. Looks like from here on when
you enter your pin number in public you'll have to cover up with a folder or
paper like the NFL coaches cover their mouths when talking during a game so
nobody watching them with binoculars can read their lips.

By Epictetus

Not Worth It: Huge Majority Regret Iraq War, Exclusive Poll Shows

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/iraq-turmoil/not-worth-it-huge-majority-reg
ret-iraq-war-exclusive-poll-n139686

Well the Democrats got what they wanted. They were not against going into
Iraq, in fact they voted for it. However, they absolutely did not want Bush
to win in Iraq. They wanted Bush to lose, so they could hang that loss
around his neck, and by extension the Republican Party, for all time. The
Democrats don't view a  loss in Iraq as a loss for America, merely one for
their main political rival and thus a means for them to gain and hold
political power domestically. Just as it was with Vietnam.

"A divided nation finally agrees on something overwhelmingly: the war in
Iraq was simply not worth fighting. "

"Seventy-one percent of Americans now say that the war in Iraq "wasn't worth
it," a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Annenberg poll shows, with
skepticism about the lengthy war effort up substantially even in the last 18
months."

"Just 22 percent now believe the 2003 war effort was worthwhile."

By Epictetus

Hillary Clinton Has Got To Be Joking

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/hillary-clinton-has-got-to-be-jo
king-this-is-what-dead-broke-actually-looks-like

By Epictetus

No Danger Pay for SF Headed To Iraq

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/06/20/no-danger-pay-for-special-forc
es-headed-to-iraq.html

Can you believe this?

By Epictetus

U.S. troops set stunning record in evading capture by Taliban

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jun/22/us-troops-set-stunning-recor
d-in-evading-capture-b/

On June 30, 2009, the day Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl walked into captivity,
American forces in Afghanistan had not allowed a single service member to
fall into enemy hands.

Since July 1, 2009, the U.S. has not had a second prisoner of war in that
country - a remarkable record, given it is America's longest war against
foes who seek hostages.

The war has lasted more than 12 years, replete with hundreds of close-in
firefights, Taliban ambushes, surprise raids on isolated outposts and a
smattering of helicopter crashes. Nearly 850,000 U.S. service members have
deployed to the land of the Taliban and al Qaeda, a mountainous forbidden
place where the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks were conceived and planned.

"The United States military has been a high-value target since the war
began, and the Taliban has not been able to get their hands on our people
for pretty basic reasons," said retired Army Gen. John M. Keane, who has
advised commanders in the Afghanistan War.

Those reasons include: use of overwhelming force, quick-reaction rescue
teams, sophisticated intelligence and old-fashioned heroism.

Also, the Taliban lack sophisticated anti-aircraft systems. Vietnam War POWs
faced far superior Soviet-designed air defenses. The North Vietnamese were
able to capture U.S. ground combatants, albeit with a much larger and
organized land force, compared with the Taliban.

Still, the Afghan enemy, despite overrunning some posts and pinning down
Americans, has not scored a capture in battle.

The U.S. military has gone to school on how to win quickly, all but ruling
out the chance of capture. In Afghanistan, targeted compounds are attacked
with large forces. Intelligence systems blanket a site for days. Spy planes
watch the action and relay live video to commanders. Backup ground and air
units can arrive in minutes.

Nate Self, a highly decorated former Army Ranger officer, says another
factor is that commanders strictly judge the risks before sending troops
from forward operating bases, or "outside the wire."

Mr. Self is one of the war's first celebrated heroes: In 2002, he led a
quick-reaction Ranger unit onto a snow-covered mountaintop to rescue a Navy
SEAL who was on a mission to kill al Qaeda operatives. The SEAL had been
shot dead. Mr. Self's men ran into a hive of terrorists who engaged from all
sides during a 15-hour-long gun battle.

Mr. Self, who earned the Silver Star for valor and was a presidential guest
at a State of the Union Address, said air power helps prevent the capture of
any POWs.

"I think it was a combination of several factors," he said. "We had overhead
surveillance on the guys that were fighting there, even the ones who were
isolated. We absolutely had air power to our advantage, which helped to curb
the advances of the enemy and repel the enemy where needed. And we responded
very quickly with a reinforcing effort. Timing there was everything. The POW
possibility was very real in that battle."

By Epictetus

Hillary-Lead Balloon Or Great White Hope? And Can The GOP Win The White Working Class?

https://www.vdare.com/articles/john-derbyshire-hillary-lead-balloon-or-great
-white-hope-and-can-the-gop-win-the-white-working-class

Yeah, what are Hillary's chances? What are the Republicans doing to prepare
for the 2016 election? Are they surrendering good field position to Hillary?

By Epictetus

Le Deluge - Obama is Quickly Becoming Louis XV

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdaLIDaMuSo

Good analogy. Prepare yourself for "Le Deluge".

By Epictetus

Firing a 'warning shot' at an attacker legal in Florida

http://news.msn.com/us/firing-a-warning-shot-at-an-attacker-legal-in-florida

After all, Vice President Biden advised us all to do it if we felt
threatened by an intruder.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Reuters) - Florida Governor Rick Scott signed a law on
Friday that builds on the state's controversial "stand your ground"
self-defense rules by allowing citizens to brandish weapons and fire warning
shots to ward off attackers.

The warning shot law was inspired in part by the public outcry over the case
of a woman sentenced to a 20-year prison term under the state's sentencing
guidelines because she fired a gun at her abusive husband, who was not
injured.

"Self-defense is not a crime. It's a constitutional right," said Marion
Hammer, the National Rifle Association's lead lobbyist in Florida.
"Prosecutors have been violating the rights of Florida citizens and this law
will stop that."

The case of Marissa Alexander, who was convicted in 2012 of three counts of
aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, ignited protests from supporters
who contrasted her treatment with that of George Zimmerman, who was
acquitted on self-defense grounds last year in the shooting death of a
black, unarmed teenager, Trayvon Martin.

Under Florida's 2005 "stand your ground" law, people who use deadly force to
defend themselves - rather than retreating to avoid confrontation - can be
immune from prosecution if they have a reasonable fear of serious injury.

The new law's changes to "stand your ground" received little discussion when
the bill passed. Some gun rights supporters have recently raised concerns
that the confusing language could actually weaken self-defense protections.

Anticipating the new law, a judge recently postponed a retrial for
Alexander, whose conviction was overturned on appeal. The law still allows
prosecutors to bring charges if they doubt a self-defense claim.

A less controversial measure, also signed by Scott on Friday, protects
school children from being barred from classes for fashioning a pistol out
of snacks or blocks, or pointing their fingers at classmates and going
"bang-bang."

The "pop tart bill," as it was dubbed after cases in some states where
students got in trouble for chewing or shaping breakfast snacks into guns,
was another priority of the NRA.

 "It's about children who were being mistreated by administrators who lack
common sense or rational judgment when dealing with children simply being
children," Hammer said.

(Additional reporting by Letitia Stein; Editing by Eric Beech and Bill Trott

By Epictetus