Obama Reaches Out to 'Moderate' Pirate Community

After maintaining his silence for two days, President Obama will soon make his first public statement about the pirate attack upon an U.S.-flagged vessel off the Horn of Africa. After several inquiries and a few well-placed bribes, Exurban League has received an early transcript of the President's remarks:

Good evening. As you know, early yesterday, Somali-based pirates attacked the Maersk Alabama, a freighter carrying relief supplies to Kenya. While we do not yet know all the details, the Alabama's crew re-took control of the vessel and forced the pirates off the ship.

Since the pirates are still holding the captain, I have sent FBI negotiators to facilitate his safe and speedy release. I assure his friends and family that I will not stop until this man-made disaster is resolved in a peaceful, tolerant and ecologically- sound manner.Obviously, this incident has raised many concerns among Americans. There have been calls for justice and even violence against the misguided perpetrators. But such an emotional reaction has led to the disparagement of entire groups with which we are unfamiliar.

We have seen this throughout history.For too long, America has been too dismissive of the proud culture and invaluable contributions of the Pirate Community. Whether it is their pioneering work with prosthetics, husbandry of tropical birds or fanciful fashion sense, America owes a deep debt to Pirates.The past eight years have shown a failure to appreciate the historic role of these noble seafarers. Instead of celebrating their entreprenuerial spirit and seeking to partner with them to meet common challenges, there have been times where America has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive.

Some of us wonder if our current Overseas Contingency Operation would even be needed had the last administration not been so quick to label Pirates as "thieves," "terrorists" and worse. Such swashbucklaphobia can lead to tragic results, as we have seen this week.

To address this issue, I have instructed Vice President Joe Biden to create a cabinet-level Czar of Pirate Outreach and Buccaneer Interrelation. In addition, June 1-7 has been designated as Pirate Awareness Week, during which all federal buildings will fly the Jolly Roger and sponsor sensitivity training. Thankfully, my American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will fund free grog and hard tack for all attendees.

Finally, to all pirates listening to international broadcasts, shortwave services and ship-to-shore radio, let me say this:

Ahoy, me regret arr relationship has set sail in a scurvy manner. Arr people share many mutual 'alues and concerns on t' raging main. Perchance, could ye handsomely release the cap'n o' the ship and I assure that no harm will come t' ye or ye hearties. Let us smite t' reset button and launch our seabond on a new pegleg. Savvy?

Godspeed t' ye and t' ye beauties. Aye, me parrot concurs.

Posted by Jon at 4/9/2009 11:15 AM at http://exurbanleague.com/2009/04/09/obama-issues-statement-on-the-pirate-attack.aspx

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RNC Chairman Steele Denied

Not Wanted to Speak at Chicago Tea Party

Don'tGo Movement, April 9, 2009

A few days ago Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele asked to speak at the Chicago Tax Day Tea Party. He was thanked for finally reaching out to the movement but denied to speak.

National Communications Director Juliana Johnson states, "Steele hasn't shown any interest in this movement until now, until the cameras are rolling. We denied his invitation. In addition, this is a nonpartisan event, not an RNC event.

"Eric Odom, Director of the DontGo Movement, said in his letter to Steele's people, "...We're still excited to know that Chairman Steele will be in Chicago and we hope, after knowing that he'll be in the city, that he'll stop by and mingle with the Americans who will be rallying on April 15th. This will also present a fantastic time for Chairman Steele to LISTEN to what we have to say and perhaps gather some thoughts on what the RNC needs to be doing moving forward."

Please go to http://www.dontgomovement.com/blog/2009/04/08/rnc-chairman-steel-requests-speaker-spot-at-chicago-tea-party/ to read the full letter.

DontGo Movement will be protesting, along with many other organizations, the fact that government intrusion doesn't work. "A la the 1773 Boston Tea Party, we're fed up with the taxation and the government takeover brought on with the Stimulus Bill and the numerous other bailouts. There's only one proven way to create jobs and that is by cutting income taxes and wasteful spending" said Odom.

Tax Day Tea Parties will be taking place in hundreds of cities throughout America on April 15th and they are expecting a turnout of over 500,000 people. The original batch of Tea Parties, put together in only a few days, occurred in hundreds of cities with tens of thousands of people coming out in support. The main sponsors of the Tea Parties are the DontGo Movement, Smart Girl Politics, and Top Conservatives on Twitter.

For more information on the Tax Day Tea Parties, please go to www.taxdayteaparty.com.

Commentary

What in the hell is wrong with these people!

This is no way to build a movement! I think we should welcome the participation of Michael Steel or any other prominent person who believes that the Obama administration's massive spending program is a misguided policy. Just because Steele did not jump in early is no reason to turn him away. Keeping the movement restricted to the holier than thou and shunning the chairman of the Republican Party is just stupid. We need a broad coalition.

Ms Johnson, if you did not want him to speak, why did you not privately make a polite excuse and decline his offer? Why issue a press release? Why go out of your way to be insulting? Is this about you or the cause?

I think we should have the attitude that if you agree with us, jump on the bandwagon. I am taking the day off from work to attend the Nashville Tea Party. Two or our prominent speakers are local conservative talk show host. I have on occasion disagreed with some of their positions on certain issues and their occasional over-the-top bombastic rhetoric, but I still think they should be speakers at this event. However, I think the Tea Parties should also have more moderate voices as long as they agreed with the goals of this movement. You do not grow a movement by excluding and insulting people who agree with you. That is narrow-minded and petty. I won't be making any contributions to Don't Go but I will be participating in the Tea Party. This grassroots movement is bigger than Don't Go.

Ms Johnson, please stop acting like an egotistical, petty, jerk and apologize and welcome Mr. Steele's participation.

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Congress may give Obama power to shut down the Internet, ignore privacy laws

By Mark Tapscott, Editorial Page Editor Washington Examiner. 4/8/09 11:02 PM

Civil libertarians were aghast when news leaked in 2002 of a Pentagon research program designed to give national security officials advance warning of terrorists attacks by analyzing trillions of bytes of computer data in search of tell-tale activities in everyday life. [full article]

Commentary

The Defence Department's scary sounding Total Information Awareness (TIA) program proposed under President Bush in 2002, following the terrorist attack of 9/11, would have mined internet data to look for patterns that would alert the goverment to possible terrorist threats. The public's alarm over the civil liberties implications of such a program led Congress to kill it in 2002. Now it is back and renamed the Cyber-security Act of 2009.

Civil libertarian who were alarmed and outraged about this program when it was proposed while George W Bush was president are as quiet as a church mouse now that the same program is being proposed but Barack Obama is President. To be fair, I am also hearing a lot more concern about this program from those on the right than I did when the same program was proposed by the Bush administration.

This program is scary no matter who is President. Do you really believe that if government has the authority to monitor and mine Internet traffic for patterns that indicate links to terrorist activity, that they will not use it for other purposes? The temptation to track down pedophiles, drug dealers, counterfeiters and tax cheats will be too great to resist. Then who is going to say that it is inappropriate to use it to monitor "hate groups" or "domestic terrorist." Handing over this kind of power to the government is scary indeed. The government should not be able to read my email, or open my U. S. mail, tap my phone, or search my house without a court order and it doesn't matter if the President is named Bush or Obama.

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The Past and Future of General Motors

By Clayton M. Christensen; Professor, Harvard Business School; The Huffington Post, April 8, 2009 04:26 PM (EST)

Washington has forced General Motors Chairman Rick Wagoner to resign as a condition of providing the next injection of capital that GM needs to get back on its feet. Finding a "sacrificial lamb" on whom to tag blame for complicated problems is an important instrument in the toolkit of politicians, because it deflects blame for the nation's economic woes away from their own regulatory lapses, economic mismanagement and coddling to labor unions. We've seen it before and we'll see it again. In this case, however, they have cast aside a remarkable executive who already has presided successfully over many of the most difficult elements of the rescue of General Motors in a way that is rare in the history of business. [full article]

Comment:

For an understanding of how economic competition works and for a real life explanation of Schumpeter’s concept of “creative destruction" please read this article.

To summarize the balance of the article: Wagoner was doing a good job and GM was not mismanaged. GM’s was challenged for its market share by foreign competition but was meeting the challenge. GM was doing a lot of things right. Companies often loose market position and have their ups and downs and it is not necessarily due to poor management.

With Obama having a Nation to manage, does anyone think he also ought to also be selecting the CEO of General Motors, determining what cars they are to build and which plants to close? His adoring fans think he is superman or the messiah and can do it all and will always get it right; I have my doubts. I think he is overreaching and killing the goose that laid the golden egg in the process.

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Nashville Tax Day Tea Party

Party like it is 1776!

When: 12 noon Wednesday, April 15
Where: Downtown Nashville, Legislative Plaza
Who: Everyone who is concerned about high taxes, trillion dollar deficits, and the loss of individual freedom.
Speakers: Radio talk show host Phil Valentine and Steve Gill and other special guests.

Join me at the party! Come one; come all. Bring your family, friends and neighbors and bring your signs and help send a message to Washington! Stop the reckless spending! Stop the power grab!

Here is a facebook page for more information on the Nashville Tax Day Tea Party: Nashville Tax Day Tea Party

Here is a link to the National Tax Day Tea Party: National Tax Day Tea Party

Already confirmed are over 500 Tea Parties around the nation on April 15th. If you live in Tennessee and can’t make it to Nashville, there may be one already planned in your community. If not, it is not too late to plan one.

For the location of the Tea Party closest to you anywhere in America go to the National site above and click on your state.

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Why Tea Parties? The Trillion Dollar Question

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Glen Beck-Wealth Destruction, Government Style

I honestly believe we are headed toward hyperinflation. On Friday the Federal Reserve announced that it would purchase $1,15 trillion in treasury securities. That is, over one trillion dollars will be created out of thin air. We are monetizing the debt. This is what we euphemistically refer to that as “printing money.” I fear we are facing an economic crisis like we have never experienced. This is the start of the process of devaluing the currency. The only way hyperinflation can be avoided is if the stimulus works beyond our most optimistic projections and we have miraculous economic growth.

I hope I am wrong. I hope the stimulus works, but I do not see how it is possible to have sufficient economic growth to absorb all the money being created. It is a big gamble. We are rolling the dice hoping it will work. This 9-minute clip from Glen Beck does a good job of explaining the enormity of the problem we face.

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