Why does the GOP want me to hate them?

Like most Red Blooded American Men I love me some "bloodsport". Some enjoy boxing, others love the UFC. Me? I prefer American Politics. Why watch the rest when you can watch the best? After all, no matter how many times Anderson Silva beats the holy hell out of someone, it doesn't really affect me personally. Sure, I cheer, and sometimes throw things at the TV, but after its over, I go back to my life, no harm, no foul. Watching American Politics excites me because there is actually something risked, and something gained.  

15 years in Broadcast Media, and I have developed a rather eclectic group of friends, some of whom I enjoy engaging with about Politics. One of the more prolific of these friends is a man named Keith "Boondock" Brooks. What amuses me the most about my interactions with Boondock are how often we actually agree, versus how often he accuses me of being a "Liberal". 

It used to bother me... I don't like being hung with "labels"...I suppose that's part of why I am an "Independent", I can make up my own mind on a case by case basis. And do you know what I have noticed? The Democrats are guilty of a ton of policy mistakes. They use policy to payback political allies, and more importantly, they use MY money to do it. I work my butt off for every dollar I make. It may be true that "good things come to those who wait"...but while you're waiting, I'm going to go get mine. For someone like me, spending the money I contribute to society in the form of tax dollars irresponsibly is a certain political death. But the Dem's, for all their faults, never make me HATE them the way the GOP does. 

For example, Erik Cantor, House Majority Leader, just announced that after next week, the House will not be returning to session until after the November elections. How does that make you feel? The economy is still sputtering and your elected leaders, led by the GOP, have given themselves a two-month vacation. 

I am not a rich man. I am not the 1 Percent. I vote for GOP leaders and policies not because I like their overwhelming desire to "legislate morality" but because I want an adult in the room who understands the value of money, and DOESN'T want to spend all of mine. But when the GOP does something as ridiculous as going on a two-month vacation before an election, it begs the question: does the GOP really expect anyone OTHER than the Uber Rich to vote for them? 

The GOP, widely known as the "Party of No", certainly isn't acting as if they want my vote. I am too busy this year working, trying to not just survive but to advance, while being bombarded by stories of the GOP blocking any kind of progress in order to screw President Obama out of any chance at reelection. Do I WANT to believe this hype? No. But, don't spit in my face by walking away from the responsibilities we elected you to handle, and then expect me to vote for you. Simply put, if I can't take a vacation from my responsibilities  then they shouldn't either. 

So you see? I'm not a Liberal. The GOP just gives me more to criticize... GO BACK TO WORK ASSHOLES! . 

Obama: Money for Dead Ambassadors

One can have an entire debate about whether or not American Imperialism actually works. In the business world, its called ROI (Return on Investment), and it's a tangible measurement of input versus output gain. In fact, you could say this very debate rages on across the political spectrum as you read my words. How much money do we spend on helping others, and what do we get in return?

Your tax dollars are spent on foreign aid in both Libya and Egypt, and now a U.S. Ambassador and others have all been brutalized and murdered by the very people we thought we were helping. What good did our money do? As one of the more contentious Presidential Elections in modern history nears, this debate rises again to the forefront of American political discussion, as countries around the Arab Crescent begin to riot and revolt (again).

I wholeheartedly dismiss the idea that a terrible movie made by someone in Los Angeles about Mohammed, (a movie that Koran burning Florida pastor Terry Jones says "reveals in a satirical fashion the life of Muhammad") and then dubbed to Arabic and uploaded to YouTube, is the cause of these events in Egypt, Libya, and the Sudan. First, the "movie" was uploaded in July, and the violence didn't begin until September 12th.

Second, it wasn't until a Egyptian TV program showed clips of the film less than a week ago, crediting Pastor Jones (turns out he was only airing the trailer of the movie) that the flame was struck, and the fuse was lit. If you add to that we now have intelligence services from around the world, including in Libya, stating the protests and attacks on U.S. personnel and property are simply pre-planned events set to coincide with the 11th anniversary of 9/11, the whole idea of some movie as the cause of this round of Middle East turmoil is pretty much shot to hell.

It is difficult for most American's to understand, and even harder for them to accept, but this is a violent area of the planet. In order to stem the tide of chaos, rule by brutality is a necessity. That the Muammar el-Qaddafi's and Bashar al-Assad's rule with an iron fist and perpetrate violence and death in order to maintain control is true, but how else would you do it? This sort of "nuclear deterrent" works. Is it preferable? No. But we need to deal in reality.

Yet the Obama Administration candidly refuses to do so. They helped the popular uprising remove Muammar el-Qaddafi, and now Egypt is in flames. If it weren't for the Russian's, this Administration would have doubled down on that mistake and removed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as well, destabilizing the region even further. President Obama may not know if Egypt is an ally or an enemy today, but he should have known Qaddafi certainly was.

Despite rising tensions, our embassy's were poorly defended, and our "friends" told the rebels where to find the Ambassador, so they could murder, and then desecrate his body. Sensitive documents stored at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi have disappeared. And so what has been this President's response to the crisis? To give Egypt more money. To give Libya more money.

Between 1948 and 2011, the United States has given Egypt over $70 Billion Dollars in foreign aid. And following the attack on our Ambassador, The President proposes to give Egypt ANOTHER $1.5 Billion in Aid, beginning October 1st. Yet another failure. Senator Rand Paul took to the Senate Floor to suggest a course of action that I happen to agree with: put tighter aid restrictions on Egypt, Libya, as well as Pakistan and Yemen. “The American people are tired of this,” Paul said. “Our Treasury is bare. There is a multitude of reasons why we should not continue to send good money after bad.”

I suppose the Obama Administration should be thankful for the bait and switch tactics underscoring these events. As long as some stupid parody film of Mohammed is being touted as the cause of this round of unrest, maybe nobody will stop to question their policies in the Middle East, which thus far have included destroying our allies, removing our friends, and asking you and I to continue to foot the bill. My advice? Don't poke the bear.