Nanny-In-Chief

Last weekend in Nashville, TN, there was a conference on religion and politics held at David Lipscomb University.  One of the speakers was the "Faith Advisor" to the Barack Obama campaign, Shaun Casey.  He was asked a great question and he gave a great answer:

Question: What can the government do to save the American family?

Answer: "Nothing !" Fixing marriages and the family is a job for the church.

Mr. Casey is exactly right !!!  

Unfortunately, the advisor's advice isn't being heeded by his candidate. Does he even know what his candidate says in speeches on this topic?  His candidate wants to be Nanny-In-Chief.  

Remember Obama's Father's Day speech... delivered at a church.  He said:

"Taking Responsibility For Families Extends to Washington" .... 

1.  If Fathers pay child support, they should get free job training from the government.

2.  If Fathers pay child support, they should get tax credits
3.  Registered nurses will be sent to visit every expectant and new mother
4.  Government must force business to expand maternity and paternity leave (beyond FMLA)
5.  Government must guarantee that every business has to provide more paid sick leave

So let's review...

"Fixing the family":

Faith Advisor's Answer:     The church's job, not governments... government should do nothing

Obama's Answer: "Responsibility extends to Washington."  

                                             Create programs spending billions of dollars.  

                                             Create a bigger Nanny State.

Historically, there was clear jurisdiction for the family, the church and government.  Families, churches, states and the federal government have to get back in their sandboxes and do their jobs.  

Sen. Obama... there is no title of... Nanny-In-Chief...  in the Constitution for the President.  

Your Faith Advisor is right. 

Listen to him !

Note:  For more on Obama's Father's Day speech, see my earlier post.

"... these United States..."

When you read older history books, you see a phrase that sounds old, maybe even quaint... "these United States".  You never hear people say it any more.   Today, almost everyone exclusively uses "the" United States.   This subtle change belies a significant change not just in language, but in thinking.

What's In A Name

Prior to the War Between The States, there was significant use of the older language to refer to our country.  The language was significant because  "these" pointed to an important part of the true intent of the founders.  It pointed to a time when we still believed in the importance and the weight of 10th Amendment.  It pointed to a crispness of thinking.... by citizens, by historians, and even by the judiciary.

After the War Between The States, after the Federal Government continued to consolidate power, and after the rise of post-modern thought, "the" United States became not just the linguistic standard, it became descriptive of how government actually works today.

But know this, "the" United States is not totally descriptive of what the founders intended.  

It is time to resurrect "these" United States as one of the ways we speak of our country.  

It is time to rediscover the original weight of the 10th Amendment!

A Couple Of Great Quotes To Think About This Weekend

"We must make the building of a free society once more an intellectual adventure, a deed of courage.  If we can regain that belief in the power of ideas which was the mark of liberalism* at its best, the battle is not lost."  

F. A. Hayek

*  Liberalism used in the 18th century classical sense

"Government doesn't solve problems; it subsidizes them."

Ronald Reagan

The Importance of Reading Old Books

C.S. Lewis, in his last collection of essays God in the Dock, wrote about the importance of reading old books. For me, this essay was life changing.

Lewis (or Jack to those of us who love him) points out that it is impossible for current writers to be objective about issues apart from the times and culture in which they are immersed. To get a true understanding about an issue, you must read great writers across multiple epochs. I have found that reading the Puritans, writers from 1770- 1950, and current writers is very helpful in breaking down issues... especially on matters of faith, family and economics.

This idea is not new. Columbia and The University of Chicago built their core curriculum around "Great Books" for decades. Almost all schools have abandoned this form of learning today. An exception is the tiny, but exceptional, New Saint Andrews College in Moscow, ID.

As you read my blog, I hope to introduce you to writers and ideas that spur you to.....
read more "Old Books".

Authors of Old Books I Love:
Adam Smith
C. S. Lewis
G. K. Chesterton
Alexis De Tocqueville
Ludwig von Mises
Richard Weaver
Edmund Burke
F. A. Hayek
John Owen
John Calvin
Cornelius Van Til
Jonathan Edwards

Knowledge may march forward with time... not necessarily so for wisdom.

Congressman Jim Cooper - Democrat TN5

In the post below, I took a shot at RINOS... the Republicans that act and vote like liberals/moderates... for how they voted on The Frankenstein Farm Bill.

In this post, I want to PRAISE a Democrat: Congressman Jim Cooper, TN-5. I am moving into Cong. Cooper's district. But that is not why I am highlighting his record. Frankly, every economic conservative blogger should be highlighting Congressman Cooper's record. While not good friends, I know the Congressman well enough to say with confidence that he is:

- Very Smart 
- Trying to do the right things on cutting waste
- And, a good guy 

Congressman Cooper voted AGAINST THE FARM BILL. I am not surprised. Jim is more of an economic conservative than many Republicans.

If you think his Farm Bill vote is impressive, look at this statistic put together by The Club For Growth. There were 50 "anti-pork" amendments offered to help return fiscal responsibility to Congress. Democratic Congressman Jim Cooper voted for 49 out of the 50 anti-pork amendments ... a 98% score!!!

Putting Congressman Cooper's Voting Record In Context

• Just how incredible is this? It is AMAZING!!!!
• Only 16 out of the 435 Congressmen voted for all 50 amendments (100%)
  
• The average Democrat score was ... get this ... 2%. On average, they voted for just 1 anti-pork amendment.
• He was much better than the average Republican who only averaged a score of 43%.
• The #2 ranked Democrat, after Cooper's 98%, was an abysmal 20%!

The challenge going forward is for him to influence Obama and Pelosi, and not the other way around.

Jim... Thank you and keep fighting the good fight !!!

Note I: My current Congressman, Republican Marsha Blackburn TN, voted against the Farm Bill and has an amazing Club For Growth record too. Thanks Marsha!

Note II: Check out The Club For Growth link to the left and JOIN!

Byron Smith Blog

Frankenstein Lives

The Farm Bill Fiasco
It has happened again. The RINOS, Republicans In Name Only, have helped the Democrats to override the President's veto of the new farm bill.

Another loss for free market economics.
Another win for BIG government.


Farm Bill 101: what the bill does:

• Sends checks to farmers for NOT growing crops.
• Since the formula is based on the size of the farmer's operation, the bigger the farmer, the bigger the check.
• Laughably, the "cap" on the payments is for farmers making less that $2.5M in adjusted gross income.

Frankenstein Lives
This is a great lesson in how government works and why you should NEVER EVER CREATE NEW GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS. The original idea of a farm bill sounds so safe, so good, so pure... who could be against it? It was designed to help small family farms at a time when prices were collapsing. Now that Frankenstein is alive, you can't kill it... it grows and grows.
And that is just what the Frankenstein Farm Bill has done.... grown and grown:
- A "small family farm" now = $2.5 million in AGI ... Is that a small business to you?
- Prices have risen so much that farm incomes are 51% above the past 10 year average... is that an environment of collapsing prices?

Small farms .... nope!
Prices collapsing ... nope ... the opposite!

2 Lessons For All Of Us To Learn

1. Until we hold Republicans accountable, we will get RINO behavior. Until we hold RINOS responsible and kick them out, we will have more and more conservatives tempted to migrate away from our core values in order to buy power with our tax dollars.
2. There is no such thing as a small, safe, targeted government program. Every single one is Frankenstein. You can't kill it and it will continue to grow. (The Prescription Drug Bill from a few years ago is the next Frankenstein Farm Bill.)
   

Homework

1. Join THE CLUB FOR GROWTH ... do it today. The link is to the left. They support candidates that are truly free market and truly small government advocates. Further, they are great at targeting races where your $$$ can make a difference. Your ROI is terrific!
2. Find out how your Congressman and Senators voted. If they voted to override the veto. ...call to complain, show up at a town hall and complain, find another candidate to support, or run yourself.

Do something! Do it now!                                                                  Byron Smith Blog

What I'm Reading Now

I am currently reading or am about to read:

• The Road to Serfdom by F. A. Hayek  (Actually, I'm rereading for the 3rd time)
• The Revolution by Ron Paul  (I just read it and am already rereading it again!)
• Drinking With Calvin and Luther by Jim West
• Hard America - Soft America by Barone
• Churchill, Hitler and the Unnecessary War by Pat Buchanan
• Tithing and Dominion by Rushdoony
• Culture Shift by Al Mohler

I'll give you updates and insights as I move through these.

Feeling not Thinking

The June 23 issue of Newsweek Magazine's "My Turn" column is an article by Jimmy Doyle entitled "Let Me Worship as I Am".   

Jimmy was Irish Catholic ... Jimmy is openly gay.  

The article describes his journey from the Catholic Church to Protestantism (more specifically the Episcopal "Church").   I have no point to make about him being gay.  That is between God and him.  My point is simply this:

He is horribly confused about how to think about God and the church.

3 points in the article demonstrate his complete lack of understanding of theology and doctrine within Christianity.

1.  The Church is a God ordained  institution with specific purposes, jurisdiction and organization.  Yet Jimmy says, regarding his church journey ..."I could stay home and not have to be a part of any one's "club"...  Club? This is a biblical error that many Christians make.  But the church is not like the Rotary Club or the Garden Club.  To confuse this basic Biblical truth demonstrates a lack of understanding of basic ecclesiology (the doctrine of the church).

2.  If you believe in the God of the Bible, then you believe that He is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent.  Nothing surprises the God of historic Christianity.  Yet Mr. Doyle declares that "Faith is, in and of itself, full of strangeness and "coincidence"..."  Coincidence?  The Bible, in the Old and New Testaments, is one whole and unified story.  God clearly has a plan.  God says he has a plan. God demonstrates that he has a plan.  Coincidence works for the "god" of your club, not the God of the Bible and not the God of His Church.

3.  When Mr. Doyle decided to leave the Roman Catholic Church, he says that he "turned to the Episcopal Church" because he "saw a Christianity that was alive and had "evolved"..."  Evolved?  The broad and sweeping way he uses evolved is not talking about style of worship.  He is talking about changing and continually moving the foundational truths of the faith.  His view is in complete contradiction with what the Bible says about God... with what the Bible says about truth. Biblical truth does NOT evolve.  I understand why he is accepted and comfortable in the Episcopal Church. It IS a club.  If you think it is a church, it is an apostate church.  It has evolved, it is evolving and it will continue to evolve because it has no anchor.  It has no firm foundation.  It is untethered from the Bible as THE  only source of unchangeable truth. (Note:  I know that there are a few specific Bible centered Episcopal congregations that have not left to join the Anglican Mission in America.  To those congregations, I apologize for using such a broad brush.)

Feeling not Thinking

The mistake Mr. Doyle and some actual Christians make is that they subordinate Biblical truth to their personal feelings.  When you substitute feeling for thinking you can write an article about your faith with words like:  club, coincidence, and evolve.  But no matter the ritual, no matter the building, no matter the clothing, no matter the words they use, and no matter the great history of what it used to be, that is all it is today.... A CLUB.... not a church.  That is what he has joined.  And it is untethered.

"Old Labels" Don't Matter ... Really?

"Most politicians flee from labels like liberal and conservative, because the labels may circumscribe their political constituencies.  But labels are reasonable, because a reasonable person's political judgements are not random."  

                                                               George F. Will... Statecraft is Soulcraft...  1983

The liberal label is reasonable for Barack Obama.  He is a clear liberal's liberal and that makes him predictable.... wrong, but predictable.  (Don't get confused by his grand rhetoric.)

For John McCain, I don't think a label is reasonable.  McCain is a self described maverick.

To quote George Will again: "... labels are reasonable because a reasonable person's political judgements are not random."

Maverick = random.  Random = scary.

Which is worse... liberal or random?  Sigh... 

Barack: The Great Motivator ???

How many times have we heard it?

-  Obama moved the crowd like no other politician.

-  Barack packed 70,000 excited voters into xyz location.

-  People fainted ... ooohhhh

-  People cheered ...aaahhhh

Yet, all this motivation seems limited to cheering at least and voting at most.  

Why do I say this? Simple....  

AP story yesterday:

Obama said he would give students a $4,000 tax credit to help pay tuition and fees in exchange for 100 hours of community service. The campaign said the program would cost $10 billion a year.

So let me ask a question...Is it Mister Motivation's eloquence that motivates his crowd?  Or, is it his promise to BUY the electorate by redistributing wealth?

Think of how scary this is for America.  Obama has today and will have if elected President the biggest bully pulpit in the world.  Can't "the best speaker in the world" motivate just 100 hours of community service without buying it with your tax dollars?!?

Doesn't this contradiction seem crazy to you?

Obama's Father's Day ... It's Greek to Me

It is not a surprise that the mainstream media has completely missed the core of Obama's Father's Day speech to a black congregation.  It wasn't Bill Clinton's " Sista Souljia moment.  It wasn't a Bill Cosby moment.  

It was a ... Greek Mythology moment ... it was his Trojan Horse Moment!

The first part of his speech was pure Cosby.  (He never really could have a  Sista Souljia moment.  How could he given his 20 years listening to and participating as a Trinity Church of Christ member?)  The first part of the speech sounded like his call for personal responsibility and community responsibility.  And it was... until... he negated it all by overlaying on top of it MASSIVE NEW FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS !!!  His peace offering to conservatives and libertarians of some personal responsibility was the Trojan Horse. It gives him cover to sneak in his big government agenda.   The back end of the speech was "Big Brother" knows best at its best.

For Obama..."Taking Responsibility Extends to Washington" .... Obama went on to say...

1.  If Fathers pay child support, they should get free job training from the government.

2.  If Fathers pay child support, they should get tax credits

3.  Registered nurses will be sent to visit every expectant and new mother

4.  Government must force business to expand maternity and paternity leave (beyond FMLA)

5.  Government must guarantee that every business has to provide more paid sick leave

And there is the rub.  In Obamaland, personal responsibility is only possible with massive help and management from Mother Russia... oops... I mean Uncle Sam.

Republican Environmentalist and Global Warming

Sometimes I think that politicians, on both sides, are so focused on being against the other side that the don't care about the specific issue.  For Republicans, the environment seems to be just such an issue.

Global Warming doesn't have to be the reason to care about the environment.  It seems to me there are...

 4 reasons that "traditional conservatives" should be environmentalists!

1.  Private Businesses "Socialize" Their Costs When They Pollute:  It is exactly the opposite of free market economics to allow private businesses to pass on future costs to others! That is exactly what pollution does.

2.  Private (not public) Dollars Can Be Used to Buy Development Rights and to Fund Parks:  A great example is the Land Trust for Tennessee.  (see link to the left)  This private organization helps protect against overdevelopment.  

3.  The Boy Scouts Are Pro-Environment:  How can you go against the Boy Scouts?  As an Eagle Scout, protecting the great outdoors is in my DNA.  If the Boy Scouts are for it, how can you be against it as a traditional conservative.  (If you are a neo-con, all bets are off... you have proven that you can believe anything.)

...The 4th is for Christians...

4.  The "Dominion Mandate":  In Genesis 2:15, God put Man in charge of the earth to "keep it and to tend it." The Hebrew words imply protecting it against enemies.

Don't let the argument about Global Warming keep you from being an environmentalist!  Even if it is bad science, protecting the environment for future generations is still good.  

Caring not Crazy

Here is where it gets hard.  There seems to be nothing between the "shut down the economy" Democrat crazies and the "those guys are crazy" Republicans.  There needs to be caring led by individual action and community responsibility.   There needs to be a little more Boy Scout in all of us.

Father's Day

I heard an interesting statistic  today:

Of every 100 men in prison:

-  85 had no father in the home

-  10 had absentee or abusive fathers

Father... an important job.

Happy Father's Day!

Inspired by Starbucks ... (Sigh)

The Friday Wall Street Journal had an article about churches "learning" from Starbucks and McDonald's about "franchising" around the country and around the world.  While this may seem like a good idea from a marketing and growth perspective, it is a horrible idea for churches.

The church is unlike any other organization.  

1.  God created the church for specific purposes.

2.  God created the church with specific organizational structure.

3.  God gave the church specific jurisdiction. 

Having a "senior pastor"  digitally piped into "church franchises" around the world to teach violates all three points mentioned above.  As easy and obvious as this will seem to Christians that study and understand the Biblical teaching on the church, the broader evangelical church has lost its understanding of basic ecclesiology (the doctrine of the church). 

Recommended books:  

-  Mother Kirk by Douglas Wilson

-  The Church by Clowney 

A wise man would have taken a short walk

I am sure Barack Obama is smart.  But, is he wise?  A wise man seeks out knowledge from the best minds.  It is clear he did not.   

Senator Obama was a Senior Lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School for 12 years. That means that for over a decade he was about 3 football fields away from the the Economics Department that has had more Nobel Laureates studying, teaching and influencing the campus than anywhere on earth!   Yet when you hear his economic proposals, it is clear that he never took the short walk across the campus to hear what the best minds in the world thought and why.  

A Little Background

When you think of "free market economics", when you think of quantitative rigor, when you think of objectivity where the data drives the conclusions... you think first of the University of Chicago.  Milton Friedman, Ronald Coase,  Gary Becker, George Stigler,  Merton Miller,  Myron Scholes, James Buchanan Jr., Robert Fogel, Harry Markowitz.... all Nobel Prize winners were in or around the place while Obama was there.  And for economics groupies, the haven't yet won but probably will duo of Fama and Murphy were on campus ready to have a beer at Jimmy's Woodlawn Tap and get him started .

Disclaimer:  I am not unbiased about the school.  I received my masters at the Graduate School of Business in 1986. 

Economics 101 for Obama

1.  Markets are more efficient than you and your team are smart

2.  Government has NO money... government takes money and inefficiently redistributes it

(Psst...Sen. McCain.... sneak a peak, I won't tell and I think it would be good for you too!)

A Byron Smith Blog