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Monday, November 24, 2014

Can We Govern Ourselves?



The most recent immigration bill to pass the United States Senate is 1198 pages long in PDF fomat.

1198 pages!

HERE are the hot-linked subtitles for various sections of the immigration bill S.744.ES. You have to see that list to believe it!

This is what we're paying our elected public servants to do? See their salaries HERE.

Congress Critters today make famous sufferers of hypergraphia pale in comparison.

50 comments:

  1. We clearly cannot govern ourselves, as we have lost sight of the principle in which our nation was founded upon. The examples linked above are components of the media-driven philosophy of obfuscation and appeal to quantity.

    The chosen, those affluent enough to be elected to national office, cloud their agenda behind a cloak of tautology and legalese, setting themselves apart from the 'common man'. Their accomplices in the media, those salaried to be 'experts' and 'translators' of rhetoric to the common man, have compelled us to believe that legislation passed = success. No matter the Constitutionality or rationality of said law.

    What a wonderfully devious joke being played upon us.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Semplice con Anima said

      Good descriptive diagnosis, but what might be the remedy?

      Delete
    2. Expecting the Constitution to be some kind of shield is also a joke.

      The Republic will continue as it is going until we decide to thow of the myths and take a good hard look.

      Let me tell you the truth

      Delete
    3. Ducky, the 'myth' is thinking that the Founders didn't both envision and emplace a structure of limits on federal power over the states.

      I'm sure that fact chafes you as much as a federal government with limitless scope and accountability based on emotion, chafes the rest of us. But the 'joke' is provably....on you.

      Delete
    4. CI, myths are created when people believe in magical deities. The Founders were not magical deities.

      And the number of pages in a bill or a salary that's actually lower than comparable work in the private sector are not in and of themselves telling of much of anything.

      JMJ

      Delete
    5. Jersey, that would make perfect sense if anyone were proffering that the Founders were "magical deities". As it stands, your response doesn't remotely rebut the fact that there are those [like you and Ducky] who are unhappy with the limits placed upon the federal government, yet are unwilling to go through the very succinctly laid out process by which to change those powers.

      Delete
  2. We have moved from the spirit of the law to the letter of the law in America. Our Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights exemplify the spirit in which they were written. Simple declarations, simple to understand.

    In the current climate, "We the People" would be rewritten. Make up your own scenario using as many demographic markers as possible. wink

    The Founding Fathers were true men of letters. Unfortunately, we now have a hypergraphia caucus which lacks wisdom. Being tooled in law is not an automatic doorway to wisdom.

    "Let my words be few" is the life I want to live. We lack the wisdom of silence, restraint, carefully chosen words.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqIA_l2ypkE


    Tammy Swofford

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What an elegant, perfectly beautiful summation of what ails us!

      Thank you, Tammy, and a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING to you and your family.

      In the militant attempt to divorce ourselves as a people from the presence and daily inspiration of Divine Principle,Truth and Love we have cut ourselves off from the Source of Ultimate, Unlimited Good, thus rendering ourselves prey to the perilous evils of a legalistic approach to living -- the very thing from which Christ Jesus came to free us.

      The slef-imortant, self-serving Scribes and Pharisees did not want to be deposed by the Rule of Love, of course, so they sought the Death of Love (Christ). Unfortunately, the Scribes and Pharisees have never left us, and because we have, as a culture, insulted, rejected and defamed Jesus Christ (the embodiment of Divine Principle) we are again ruled by the Scribes and Pharisees.

      By these lights we should now see "Progressivism" as profoundly REGRESSIVE. ;-)

      If that sounds arcane, please forgive me. Metaphysical truths too often find inadequate expression in mere words, but one must try and keep trying at the very least, because, as Jesus told us, "Ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free."

      Delete
    2. Ain't a lot of "LOVE" comin' from the right these days, FT.

      It's all well and fine to bemoan the size, scope, and complexity of our now historically grand society, but don't pretend that somehow imposing "simplicity" will make everything better. That can be a dangerously slippery slope, ya' know.

      JMJ

      Delete
  3. Semplice con Anima said

    Good descriptive diagnosis, but what might be the remedy?


    Good question. Here is my idea:

    the GOP congress should routinely schedule a panel of 'experts' and politicians, say daily to come to Capitol Hill.

    The Congressional committee will then present them with some multi-ton chunk of bureaucratic sludge from the CFR and ask them to explain it. If they cannot, congress then must repeal that part of the code.

    Repeat until We The People have wrestled back our democratic public from the grimy lawyers, bureaucrats, politicians and batwinged oligarchs.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The short answer to your question is: No! As a people, we are too irresponsible. We no longer have a common belief system of "right and wrong". The majority want to be told what to think and they want government to solve all wrongs.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Idque apud imperitos humanitas vocabatur, cum pars servitutis esset.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Well, compared to the, reported, 2,700 pages of ObamaCare I guess this is to be considered legislative BREVITY!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Replies
    1. Lawyers for the corporations.

      In fact, the lawyers and the lobbyists write them.

      Read up on A.L.E.C.

      Delete
    2. Precisely!

      We agree on something. Big corps love government regulation. It sets a high bar for new entries into entrenched markets and little guys aiming to take down Goliaths.

      Delete
  8. One of the "rules" is about macadamia production! I didn't read them all, obviously, but clicked on one and it dawned on me...who CAN read this stuff and understand it:

    "The Rural Housing Service published a proposed rule on June 2, 2003, (68 FR 32872], to streamline and consolidate 14 regulations into 7 CFR 3560, which sets forth requirements, policies, and procedures for originating, processing, and servicing Rural Development's multi family housing (MFH) direct loans and grants. The programs covered by this part are authorized by title V of the Housing Act of 1949. The Center for Immigration Studies and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security estimated in 2009 that the illegal population was 10.96 percent of the total population. The economic impact of implementation of this rule is a possible reduction of over $118 million in RA. An interim rule was published on November 26, 2004 (69 FR 69032-69176), to implement those changes with an effective date of February 24, 2005. The Agency published in the Federal Register on February 22, 2005, (70 FR 8503), to indefinitely delay the effective date of specific words in quotes in the following specific sections: Sections 3560.152(a)(1) "Be a United States citizen or qualified alien, and"; 3560.154(a)(7) ". . . and a certification that the applicant is a U.S. citizen or a qualified alien as defined in section 3560.11 . . ."; 3560.156(c)(12) ". . . their citizenship status, . . ."; and 3560.254(c)(3) "Whose head of the household is a U.S. citizen or a legal alien as defined in section 3560.11." The interim final rule contained requirements regarding citizenship eligibility about which the Agency received several comments. The comments suggested that Agency procedures unnecessarily imposed more requirements than those required under the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) procedures for similar programs. RHS plans to publish a proposed rule to implement the citizenship requirements and to harmonize RHS' requirements with those currently established by HUD"

    WHAT?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Z,
      Thank you for taking time to post that except, which is clearly gobbledygook. Amazing, huh?

      We're paying these Congress critters to write such crap?

      Delete
    2. About Macadamia nuts:

      ... Macadamia seeds were first imported into Hawaii in 1882 by William H. Purvis. The young manager of the Pacific Sugar Mill at Kukuihaele on the Big Island, planted seeds that year at Kapulena.

      The Hawaiian-produced macadamia established the well-known seed internationally. However, in 2006, macadamia production began to fall in Hawaii, due to lower prices from an over-supply.[8]

      Outside of Hawaii and Australia (35.200 metric tons -2013), macadamia is also commercially produced in South Africa (37.000 metric tons - 2013), Brazil, California, Costa Rica, Israel, Kenya, Bolivia, New Zealand, Colombia, Guatemala and Malawi. Australia is no longer the world's largest commercial producer – the total world production for the 2013 year amounted to approximately 135,000 tonnes of nut in shell per year produced globally. To date, efforts to grow the macadamia commercially in Florida have not met with success...

      Delete
    3. I'm wondering if the RULE or REGULATION stipulates some legislation to force Florida into succeeding in growing macadamias commercially; it'd be just like this ridiculous WH!

      Delete
  9. Well, look at it this way, AOW.

    It's balanced by the stunning brevity of the announcement to extend military operations in Afghanistan and Hagel's subsequent resignation.

    Not a peep out of anyone.
    The loudest voice recently is Lindsey Graham (R - Closet) screaming that we need more Benghazi hearings, hearings that agree with his personal conclusion.

    We are a sorry manipulated people.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Speak for yourself. You are obviously sorry and manipulated, but the rest of us in this neck of Right Blogistan have woken up.

      I've had my say on the complete futility of further military operations in the ME and Afghanistan, but Obama didn't listen, and you carped and snarked at me anyway, so shove it where your head is planted.

      You could probably get some like-minded people on your side on some issues if you weren't so prickly and hateful all the time.

      Delete
    2. SF..exactly right.
      When people try hard to talk intelligently and calmly and get that disgusting belittling stuff back, it makes for bad feelings and absolutely no chance for a common ground.
      And when the snarkers whine about being snarked at and, every time, it's they who actually started the trouble? What can we say?

      Delete
    3. Z: It must be some kind of passive-aggressive pathology brought on by chronic progressivism. They keep repeating myths about magical governments that can suspend the laws of economics, they lost the war on poverty, and, dammit, the data show a determined pause in the scary rise of Mother Earth's temperature.

      Then the stupid voters come along and repudiate Obama, voting out candidates he endorsed, some even in blue states.

      No wonder leftwingers are so crabby...

      Delete
  10. For the record, Graham is not screaming for anything; except honesty. He doesn't want another, he wants one that is full of unbiased, non ideological information.
    And there is a committee, seated last May, that still hasn't come forward with their findings.

    And there was discussion of extending military operations on FOX....at least the announcement was discussed.
    Not sure how Hagel's resignation plays into the extension but journalists with Pentagon contacts are saying it was anything but a resignation.
    Look, Hagel didn't agree with Obama so he's out. Typical of this WH.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The latest of the countless Behghazi hearings was largely GOP.

      Delete
    2. I suppose you could stretch 7 Republicans and 5 Democrats into "largely".

      Delete
    3. Kinda how Lester is "largely" literate.

      Delete
    4. Well, I have to admit Mike Rogers is someone I admire and he's one of those who leans in favor of the WH.
      I can't figure it out because I will NEVER believe those guys who tried to save our people were lying about being told to stand down and wait...I'll never believe that.
      Let's see what the YET ANOTHER senate committee that was seated in May comes up with.
      Was Rogers given the true details? Perhaps not.
      Every article, by the way, even leftleaning venues, admits way down at the bottom of the text that Benghazi people had been asking for better security for a long time and it never came.

      Delete
  11. Z: The Benghazi results are also not as clean-cut as the leftwing press claims, but sorry volunteer propaganda vectors like Ducky don't even pause to evaluate the disinformation they've ingested.

    What this does is allow them to completely elide over the non-sensational, non-conspiratorial, plain vanilla failures of Obama's staff and Hillary Clinton.

    Democrat progressives and a pliant "news" media: hand in glove, and the results are stunning.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. of course they're not. Does anybody think those six guys who still insist they were told to stand down were LYING and just ignored orders so they themselves could get killed, too? They clearly went in with a mission and it was to save Americans, otherwise, why do it, right, SF?

      Delete
    2. Z: Indeed.

      The left will leave no genuine hero unsmeared in their quest for propaganda victories.

      Delete
  12. A thought out immigration bill from a Dem; 1198 pages.

    An immigration Bill from the GOP; 0 pages.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. do you live in a cave with no input but AOW's blog?
      Immigration bill?> The GOP has been trying to get something going for a couple of years, but GOD FORBID you dopy leftwingers would actually CLOSE THE BORDER FIRST...
      get an education.
      Gee, I hate to be mean, but.............gad.

      Delete
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      Delete
    3. read it slower...C L O S E T H E B O R D E R

      did you catch it yet? Thanks!

      Delete
  13. Nice assumption "This one" regrettably it's false. Keep trying though, even a broken clock is correct twice a day.

    S.744 is the bipartisan legislative proposal for comprehensive immigration reform negotiated by the so-called Senate Gang of Eight, which is made up of the following senators: Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SLAM!

      You'd think Lester would get tired of loading up the cannon, pointing it at his own face, and handing you the match...

      Delete
    2. That was Lester? That just increased the enjoyment easily by a factor of 10.

      Delete
    3. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    4. And Boehner, who knew he had the votes to pass this bill, refused to bring it up for a vote. So Obama pwned him and the GOP once again! Lol!

      Delete
    5. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
  14. I wasn't a big fan of Hagel when he was picked, while I commend his service, two years as an infantry Sergeant doesn't exactly give you a lot of strategic insight. That said, he is honest and given the circumstances of his departure, perhaps too honest.

    So far the names I've heard bandied about as potential successors are all good people. If I had to rank my choice order it would be Michele Flournoy, Robert Work, Ashton Carter, and Jack Reed (who I've heard doesn't want the job). I'd avoid both Ray Mabus and John McHugh

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Some are saying it couldn't be Flournoy after all because she thinks for herself and even believes in protecting this country; can't have THAT :-)

      Delete
    2. Some good [and likely] candidates, Finn. My pick would be Ash Carter...but I have biases. He's always been a strong supporter of my organization when it has come time for lifespan and funding.

      I wasn't jazzed about Hagel, but considering any number of window-lickers Obama could have nominated....we could have done worse.

      Delete
    3. Let's face it, the issue here is another incompetent affirmative action black woman named Rice.
      The national security tam has no discipline and to his credit he won't play the "public game".
      So he gets thrown under the bus saying he wasn't "up to the job" of an escalating war with ISIS, since he was brought in to wind things down. Yeah, okay.

      Delete
  15. I just heard CNN's Erin Burnett ask if expecting trouble in Ferguson makes us racist.
    what do you do with THAT?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's the racism of low expectations. I doubt that's what she meant, though.

      Delete
    2. Speaking of Ferguson....

      Please see this list of protests scheduled for the evening of November 25, 2014.

      Delete
  16. Obama went before the United Nations and openly stated that the United that last summer's riots in Ferguson represented America’s nasty racial legacy.

    Last night, even as Obama called for calm, the split screen showed this image of the ongoing destruction of businesses in Ferguson.

    ReplyDelete

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