Say Anything Blog

There is so much wrong with this as to almost defy description.

In the first place, Mr. Obama would impose this .07% “tax” on behalf of what is arguably the most corrupt, most incompetent, and most ineffectual non-governmental organization in history… that is, human history!  The odds are better That I will pick the winning Powerball numbers… for the rest of the year… than than they are that this money would do anything substantive to alleviate world poverty.  Let’s not forget, these are the same folks who cooked up the Oil-for-Food scandal that defrauded the Iraqi people of at least as much money as what’s being discussed here.  The UN’s projected headquarters rehabilitation estimate was 5 times more expensive than it needed to be… 500%.  And that was according to Donald Trump, who certainly knows something about major metropolitan real estate development and rehabilitation.

Second, why “only” .07% of GDP.  I mean, if that’s the level of taxation necessary to “rebuild America’s standing in the world” why not .15%, or .25%, or even 1.5% of our economic output to simply buy the new “standing” outright?  Facetious?  Perhaps, but once the precedent of UN taxation is established, why stop at a mere .07%?  Or 1.5% for that matter?  What’s to stop these hopelessly corrupt, sanctimonious megalomaniacs from demanding more and more of our treasure?

My third objection is galling hypocrisy of those on the Left who propose this nonsense.  The US is currently spending hundreds of billions of dollars in just Iraq and Afghanistan to free some 50 million people from oppressive tyranny and allow them to choose their own path to political and economic prosperity.  These efforts, we are told are hideously wrong-headed and should be abandoned as failure leaving all those people to the ruthless mercies of the very barbarians from whom they’ve been freed… or worse, the faceless bureaucrats of the United Nations?

Abandon the fight against Islamist tyranny and give the money to the UN instead?  Not on your life!

“Poverty of goods is easily cured; poverty of the mind is irreparable.”

I dropped several links to this in threads at several blogs last week. This is coasting through Congress in near complete silence. From both sides of the aisle and from the leaders of both parties.

Una Salus Victus Nullam Sperare Salutem

Also from World Net Daily:

Sleaze charge: ‘I took drugs, had homo sex with Obama’

Will Farrakhan pray at Obama’s inauguration?

“To love is not to stare steadfast at one another...it is to look forward, in the same direction.”
Saint-Exupéry

LaydownSDally: Most of WND’s data for the Obama Global Poverty Act article came from Cliff Kincaid at the highly respected Accuracy In Media organization.

http://www.aim.org

WorldNetDaily was not the only news organization to cover the ‘sleaze’ article - which they fairly called it.

If you google Obama Global Poverty Act, inumerable other sources will be listed. You seem totally determined to discredit this matter. Fair enough.

You and I are beating a dead horse here. I only hope that you are right and I am wrong.

"Here lies, in honored glory, an American soldier, known but to God.”

“As a conservative, I will not be overly enthusiastic about voting for John McCain on November 4 - but I will be sprinting to the polling place to do so!”
Matthew May, conservative commentator, The American Spectator

Mr. Obama has left his opponents a virtual arsenal of rhetorical armament with which to destroy his candidacy before the American people, without resorting to this sort of vile sleaze.

Sounds more like something the Clinton camp would have instigated.  They have a long and colorful history of personal attack and character assassination from afar.

“Poverty of goods is easily cured; poverty of the mind is irreparable.”

2hotel9:

this is coasting through congress in near complete silence

You are exactly right!  Thank you!

I would very interested in knowing why you think the media is saying nothing?

LaydownSally believes there is no coverage because this is no big deal. She could be right.

I think the MSM does not want the public to know about this. The same way they said nothing about the Dubai ports deal until conservatives raised hell.

"Here lies, in honored glory, an American soldier, known but to God.”

“As a conservative, I will not be overly enthusiastic about voting for John McCain on November 4 - but I will be sprinting to the polling place to do so!”
Matthew May, conservative commentator, The American Spectator

Bat,

That’s exactly right.

Which is why this blog is so wrong.

Jeffrey Sachs is a left winger who works for the UN Millenium Project is the one who came up with 0.7% BS. Nothing in the House resolution or the Senate bill ever mentions a percentage of GNP.

The UN Millenium Project(MP), not to be confused with the the US Millenium Challenge(MC), are both mentioned in the congressional bills.

However the MP is a result of the The UN Millennium Declaration. which is the culmination of the comically absurd ranting of UN members to wit they declare among other things:

We are determined to establish a just and lasting peace all over the world…
Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Equal rights of all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion.

And it goes on and on and on...you, I’m sure, see how ridiculous this is coming from this useless organization.

On the other hand the MC, was an act proposed and supported by President Bush early in his tenure. It was the predecessor to the Millenium Challenge Corporation, a worthwhile effort at erradicating poverty not necessarily with direct funding. The result of which he committed to $50B in funds during the G-8 summit to be disbursed through the MC Corp.

While it’s true that Obama has co-sponsored new legislation it is nothing much more than what we are already doing and is primarily relief for Africa in all differing forms.

The confusion comes with the multitude of Millenium namesakes.

I am not an Obama supporter, nor do I particularity want to spend tax dollars on aide to some of these countries. But if must provide assistance, then the way to do it is as outlined in the Millenium Challenge Corporation guidelines.

No one as of yet, has a plan to force the U.S. to contribute to the UN so they can distribute these dollars.

The writer of this blog is an intelligent and honorable individual, but mistakes were made. Not the least of which was to have a knee-jerk reaction to something they read on a Glenn Beck article and turn a bi-partisan comittment into a partisan attack on Obama.

Something, as you pointed out, is needless due to the overwhelming amount of legitimate criticism we can throw his way.

“To love is not to stare steadfast at one another...it is to look forward, in the same direction.”
Saint-Exupéry

laydownsally:  Last time I looked, a bill sponsored by two democrats - Obama/Hagel - and ushered through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by Joe Biden, in record - and very quiet - time, didn’t add up to a ‘bipartisan’ piece of legislation.

Since you are on a roll here, perhaps you can explain why the MSM has been 100% silent on the Global Poverty Act.

"Here lies, in honored glory, an American soldier, known but to God.”

“As a conservative, I will not be overly enthusiastic about voting for John McCain on November 4 - but I will be sprinting to the polling place to do so!”
Matthew May, conservative commentator, The American Spectator

pparets,

You and I agree on too many important issues to let this one divide us.

So, I comment one last time, then I’ll let it rest.

Since you are on a roll here, perhaps you can explain why the MSM has been 100% silent on the Global Poverty Act.

The main stream media ignores stories of all degrees of importance, you know that.
For me, the story is a non-issue.

Having an interest in the formulation of legislation and it’s subsequent processes, I spend some amount of time perusing the Congressional Record.

This bill was introduced in the house in late September of last year and since then I have followed it’s progress. I suspect I know as much about this bill as anyone on this site and that includes you.

Point in fact. I see you have posted yet a third blog on this subject.

In it you allude to being in the company of “the list of ill-informed, right-wing whackos bent on distorting the Obama record”. Then you list eight sites which presumably agree with you.

The first on that list is the Baltimore Sun who, if I’m not mistaken considers this a good bill with bi-partisan support.

The others listed are opinion pieces, please don’t tell me you reify these to provide you with fact. After all it was Kincaid who one of the first to reify statements made by Sachs.

Just more proof of how lazy some reporters are. An inane statement is reproduced in print and it keeps getting repeated and repeated and repeated.

Now, I have had my say. You can rebut, that’s fine.
For me I’m through. When someone presents some facts, I’ll listen.

“To love is not to stare steadfast at one another...it is to look forward, in the same direction.”
Saint-Exupéry

LaydownSally:  Agreed!  And I too will make one more comment and let this go.

Your original contention was that I had relied solely on a report by Glenn Beck. Obviously other, more spohisticated commentators are beginning to address the GPA.

In the realm of government and politics, commentary is often about as factual as you’re going to get.

Now, we can both move on to more important things like who is the better dresser? Cindy McCain or Michelle Obama?

"Here lies, in honored glory, an American soldier, known but to God.”

“As a conservative, I will not be overly enthusiastic about voting for John McCain on November 4 - but I will be sprinting to the polling place to do so!”
Matthew May, conservative commentator, The American Spectator

Neither. It’s a trick question.

Although I can’t see you, I’m sur your wardrobe is unquestioningly preferable.

“To love is not to stare steadfast at one another...it is to look forward, in the same direction.”
Saint-Exupéry

For what its worth… and probably not much at this point… the fact that Nebraska’s Chuck Hagel is a co-sponsor of GPA does NOT make it bi-partisan.

“Poverty of goods is easily cured; poverty of the mind is irreparable.”

… and probably not much at this point…

Lord Bat, gimme some credit!

I might be sold on my current position, but I’ll listen to an opposing view.

Especially if it is backed up with facts.

That Hagel is a co-sponsor does not make it bi-partisan is correct. That it went through the house with a majority of republicans does.

“To love is not to stare steadfast at one another...it is to look forward, in the same direction.”
Saint-Exupéry

Sally,

I wasn’t disparaging you.  Merely acknowledging that I came to the conversation late.

Give ME a little credit, please.  If I was going to disagree with you, I wouldn’t do so snidely.

“Poverty of goods is easily cured; poverty of the mind is irreparable.”

For what its worth… and probably not much at this point… the fact that Nebraska’s Chuck Hagel is a co-sponsor of GPA does NOT make it bi-partisan.

Because of course you get to define what is Republican.  But than again I perused Chuck Hagel’s official website and could not find the word Republican.  He must be ashamed of people like you.

He must be ashamed of people like you.

Chuck Hagel likely doesn’t have the intellectual horsepower to make that distinction.  But then, judging by what you’ve written here, neither do you.

“Poverty of goods is easily cured; poverty of the mind is irreparable.”

Bat,

I should know better.

Sorry. But *chuckle* it did sound snide. Especially when you followed it with “not” in all caps, as if I did not know Hagels leftward slant.

“To love is not to stare steadfast at one another...it is to look forward, in the same direction.”
Saint-Exupéry