A friend writes to ask if I have signed Glenn Beck’s 5 pledges. Well, I’m a 9/10 guy, and this pledge is designed for tax-victimizers, not tax-victims, but here is my translation [in brackets]:
8:54 am on November 24, 2009THE 5 PLEDGES
“1) I believe in a balanced budget and therefore will vote for a freeze in government spending until that goal is realized.”
[So higher spending is OK when the official budget is balanced. And it’s OK now, so long as I vote for a measure to freeze official spending, even if it is defeated. But talk of a balanced budget is nonsense, since, as Ron Paul points out, even if the official budget is balanced, the feds can and do spend vast amounts “off-budget.” That must be eliminated, but notice there is no mention of that, nor of cutting spending, since Republicans do not believe in cutting spending, see Lincoln, Bush, etc.]
“2) I believe government should not increase the financial burden on its’ citizenry during difficult economic times therefore I will oppose all tax increases until our economy has rebounded.”
[But higher taxes are fine and dandy when the feds claim there is a recovery.]
“3) I believe more than four decades of US dependence on foreign oil is a travesty therefore I will support an energy plan that calls for immediately increasing usage of all domestic resources including nuclear energy, natural gas, and coal as necessary.”
[What is wrong with imported oil or imported anything else? This is just protectionist anti-Muslimism, and a long-time neocon goal besides. How is central planning to bring about the politically correct use of various forms of energy? Blankout.]
“4) I believe in the sovereignty and security of our country and therefore will support measures to close our borders except for designated immigration points so we will know who is entering and why and I will vehemently oppose any measure giving another country, the United Nations, or any other entity, power over U.S. citizens.”
[As John Taylor of Caroline pointed out, talk of sovereignty is an attempt to ascribe a trait of God’s to the government. But if this is your view, how about the Ron Paul plan to end birthright citizenship as well as welfare for immigrants? Nope. We need the East Germanization of the US borders and a vast expansion of the police state.]
“5) I believe the United States of America is the greatest country on earth and therefore will not apologize for policies or actions which have served to free more and feed more people around the world than any other nation on the planet.”
[No revisionism, or current and future wars of empire. Every city bombed, every person mained or killed, every tax levied, every bureaucracy established, every merchant of death enriched, by the Greatest Government on Earth, divinely inspired like its constitution, is to be heralded with hosannas.]
