Always Looking for Comments

I'd like to get comments (from you, my readers) for the postings.

From time to time, please check out my archive by clicking on the months or the years (on the right side of this page, of course!) and feel free to let me know what you think of a particular post by submitting your comment! In case you don't know, you'll need an account on gmail and you'll need to log in each time, so please sign up! Multiple comments by the same person are ok!

I'd appreciate it if you'd become a follower as well!

Thanks,
Mark

Political Correctness (PC)

Written : Mar. 31, 2009

An old-time game show, "You Don't Say", began with this phrase, “It’s not what you say, it’s what you don’t say”. In the case of political correctness, that’s the real deal.

The Obama Administration is continually telling us what they think they and we should say and what they and we shouldn’t say. It's based on the Bush Administration's invention of new phrases. They want us to forget them, and NOW! I’m starting to develop quite a list:

Instead of “War on Terror”, you say, “Overseas Contingency Operation”.

Instead of recognizing “Terrorism”, they are “Man-made Disasters”!

”Enemy Combatant” has morphed into, “Detainee”

Sensible and educated people find such a twisting of words and phrasing ridiculous, insulting, and intellectually offensive. It's simple to relate them to George Orwell’s famous book, “1984”, which was written in 1948 (he just turned the last two digits around). The “Obama Word Smithing” policy is similar to “double-speak” and “revisionist history” just as Orwell described. It was the left that originally believed the political right would implement the methodology of revising history to suit one’s own political views, but as we can see, it didn’t happen quite that way.

Don't you think it's harder to remember the new, "correct" words than the familiar ones? I don't care what they want me to say, or how they want me to say it. Sorry, but for me it's going to continue to be "War on Terror", "Terrorism", and "Detainee"!

Keywords: Conservatism, Conservative, blog, politics, political, Mark Cohen, Mark A. Cohen, George Orwell, 1984.

Keyword Phrases: “conservative blog”, “liberal and conservative”, “conservative and liberal”, “republican blog”, “From the Left to the Right”, “Mark Cohen”, “Mark A. Cohen”, “George Orwell”, “1984”

(Tea) Party!

Written : Apr. 14, 2009

While listening to what remains of “Air America” (progressive talk) radio in my area this afternoon, I was struck at the vulgar insensitivity bleeding through their station on the subject of the upcoming “Tea Parties”, which are legitimate protests planned for tomorrow, April 15, 2009. Taking on a cavalier attitude, they reminded me of the three bizarre lizards drinking coffee, constantly cracking jokes, and smoking cigarettes in the “Men in Black” break room. Mr. Mario Solis Marich and his crew laugh off the “Tea Parties” as something they just don’t get. They infer these actions of protest are ridiculous from an elitist perch. (They have become their conception of the very Republicans they used to mock.) Their show makes hysterical fun of the idea of ‘parties with tea cups’ and conjures images of Republican men in white suits and women wearing ‘large hats’ rather than discussing the substance of the issue… Stop laughing for a minute and get it, Mario, folks are serious and many are already “fed up”. Most are against the policies of Robin Hood, the redistribution of a worker’s hard earned money. Remember, “Robin” meant “robbing”, and the word ‘hood’ referred to a person who broke the law.

People, and not just the “people on the right”, are already tiring of hearing of and becoming greatly concerned about the huge and steadily mounting deficits caused by “this administration’s” out of control spending. Instead of addressing people’s worries, the defenders of today’s spending of our children’s and grandchildren’s money often accuse President Bush of starting this. They are right, of course. However, the flow is now much faster, much more expensive, and way more out of control than it was during the end of the Bush presidency. The policy makers defend it by saying the gigantic bailouts are “necessary”. Never mind the fact that their own measures taken recently to assess the viabilities of the banks are revealing that the banks didn’t need that many dollars in the first place. Some of the banks are now preparing to return some of the billions!

It’s time for those who stand up for individuality and personal responsibility to step forward, and straighten up, Mr. Marich, this spirit is what America was founded on. In case you have forgotten, one highlight of the American Revolution took place in Boston Harbor in 1773 when people on ships, fed up with large English tariffs, dumped cases of tea overboard into the harbor. No more taxes, at least not in this much abundance. Give individuals a break. To each according to his deeds, not his needs. We simply cannot afford this president’s spending, and it is not good for us. Such staunch defenders of the “power of the people”, “speaking truth to power”, and “the right of the people to protest and criticize their leaders” should not be laughing at a "people's protest" and certainly should understand what’s going on. I hope everyone gets the message, including senators, congressmen, and presidents, and you too, Air America, get with it!

Keywords: Conservatism, Conservative, blog, politics, political, Mark Cohen, Mark A. Cohen, Air America, Mario Solis Marich,

Keyword Phrases: “conservative blog”, “liberal and conservative”, “conservative and liberal”, “republican blog”, “From the Left to the Right”, “Mark Cohen”, “Mark A. Cohen”, “Air America”, “Mario Solis Marich”

Teleprompter vs. No Teleprompter

Written : Mar. 31, 2009

You know the issue. Everyone thinks President Obama is a wonderful orator. He has a “way with words”. It seems that many have been held spellbound by his speeches. For example, a couple of months ago a friend told me he’s “such” a marvelous speaker. But some were paying closer attention and realized he only speaks well when he’s using a teleprompter, or, when he’s reading what he’s saying. It's not a knock on the president; it’s just a fact. I also noticed that when he speaks without reading, President Obama stutters, hems and haws, and used many “uh’s” and “ah’s”. Not that there’s anything wrong with that... and I honestly don’t know if I would do any better at speaking impromptu than he.

That being said, one just cannot criticize this president without feeling the ire of his adoring, supportive media. Rick Sanchez, a CNN anchor, recently interviewed Carlos Mencia, a superb comedian, on “American Morning”. Sanchez felt compelled to run a David Letterman clip. Mr. Letterman injects politics into his late night comedy at times. The text “Teleprompter” appeared and showed Obama giving a moving speech. Next, “No Teleprompter” was shown, and revealed George W. Bush speaking off the cuff and hemming and hawing, saying “uh” and “ah” a lot.

True, the joke was funny and it made me laugh. But Rick Sanchez and Carlos Mencia made fun of the criticism itself, as if it was ludicrous for anyone to have said anything against Obama. When they made fun of Bush afterward, it just made my point that many tend to defend and distort any criticism of Obama into criticism of Bush. (Watch for this in the media, it happens often!) The fact that Obama had trouble without a teleprompter had nothing to do with the fact that Bush had trouble with and without one! That contrast revealed Obama to have been a far better public speaker than Bush. There, I admitted it! Now, let’s lighten up, and may we ever criticize our current leader without an imminent attack on the previous one?