Huffington Post: David Woolner: ‘Seeking The Four Freedoms is as Important Today as it Was 74 Years Ago’

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Derik Schneider

Four Freedoms
Source:The Huffington Post– in Chicago, Illinois, to cover Hillary Clinton’s presidential announcement.

“Hillary Clinton’s decision to hold the first major public rally of her campaign at Four Freedoms Park in New York City reminds us not only of the many challenges the United States has faced in the past, but also the many challenges we face today as we seek to build a better future for ourselves and for our children.

Hillary Clinton’s decision to hold the first major public rally of her campaign at Four Freedoms Park in New York City reminds us not only of the many challenges the United States has faced in the past, but also the many challenges we face today as we seek to build a better future for ourselves and for our children.

It was on January 6, 1941, in one of the darkest moments of the Second World War, after Hitler had announced his decision to establish a “new order” in occupied Europe, that Franklin Roosevelt took to the world’s airways to propose a different idea — a “moral order,” based not on “the tyranny which the dictators seek to create with the crash of a bomb,” but on four fundamental human freedoms: freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.”

From The Huffington Post

“Hillary’s official campaign launch at Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island, New York City. She lays out her vision for the country, inspired by the stories she’s heard from everyday Americans.”

Hillary Clinton's Official Campaign Launch _ Hillary Clinton

Source:Hillary Clinton– announcing her 2016 presidential campaign.

From Hillary Clinton

If today’s so-called Progressives, (Democratic Socialists, in actuality) believe that Hillary Clinton is going to run for President as the female Bernie Sanders and the other self-described Democratic Socialist, or even as an, to quote the heavy metal band Judas Priest: (which I’m not a fan of and especially heavy metal) they have another thing coming.

Hillary, will speak to Democratic economic concerns and the broader economic concerns of the country and even offer policies to address those concerns. But don’t expect some expansion of the New Deal or a Swedish welfare state. Other than new infrastructure investment, job training for displaced, unemployed and low-skilled, low-income workers.

Center-Left Democrats, which is Hillary Clinton is one, should be all about freedom and pushing for it and that includes economic freedom. But they need to be more clever and go even further and put more thought into how we accomplish it. Instead of being about individual rights and trying to out socialist Socialists and what government can do for people and how government can take care of people, they should be about individual rights. And what government can do for people who are struggling to move ahead, or even keep current pace, to be able to move forward on their own and achieve economic freedom for themselves by empowering them to improve their own skills. And encouraging more economic, especially small business development. Even for people who are current unemployed or underemployed.

Democrats, could expand economic freedom, by first getting elected and getting reelected. But to do that, by talking to Americans who are struggling regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender, that they have a plan to help them get ahead:

Improve their skills through further education and job training, including college.

Infrastructure investment for underserved communities.

Small business expansion and even cooperatives for workers who are struggling to move ahead and give them the opportunity to become successful small business owners.

But if Democrats talk about how big government can take care of you, if we just give them more money and not have to do things for ourselves, it will be 1972 George McGovern again. Because Americans, are still a people that like to move ahead, live in freedom and be able to take care of themselves.

You can also see this post at FreeState MD, on Blogger.

Posted in Democratic Party, Originals | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Heritage Foundation: Video: Where Is Liberalism Going?

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Rik Schneider

.

I always find it entertaining to hear Neoconservatives at the Heritage Foundation and other places, who pushed for the Iraq War fifteen years ago and want the Federal Government to be able to decide who gets to marry in America and who bash the nanny state as they promote it with the War on Drugs and marijuana criminalization, talk about the big government Un-American tendencies of American liberalism. Because, it gives me the opportunity to show educated people, or at the very least people who are willing to be educated, to see how ignorant and, or dishonest other people are. And how they speak so much about something they don’t understand and how they know so much that isn’t true. To paraphrase Ronald Reagan. Someone that Heritage claims to understand.

As I’ve blogged before, what is called modern liberalism, which is what these guys are talking about, is not liberalism. They’re talking about socialism, both democratic and otherwise. And to a certain extent New Deal progressivism, which is classical progressivism. Which is much different from the New-Left of the 1960s and today. Who are Socialists and to the Left of Progressives politically. Liberalism, is about freedom for the individual. Protecting and expanding freedom, not dependence on the central state for the people’s well-being. Socialism, is about the big central state and what the state and government can do for the people. But Liberals, want to use government to empower people who need it to be able to take care of themselves. Which is what freedom is. The ability for one to have self-determination and be able to make their own personal and economic decisions. And live with the consequences of their decisions.

And these guys at Heritage and everywhere else on the Tea Party and Neo-Right, could spend the rest of their lives talking about liberalism as if they’re were talking about communism, Marxism, collectivism, or any other big statist collectivist ideology. But to paraphrase the great conservative philosopher Ron Reagan. They would only be knowing so much that isn’t so. Speaking so much about something that they know very little about. Like a mechanic, trying to give a lecture on brain surgery. Or a fish, giving a lecture about NASCAR. If you want to talk about liberalism, you first need to know what is you’re talking about. And then you need to know that liberalism is about individual rights. The right for individuals to be free.

Because of what liberalism actually is and where Americans tend to be, liberalism is in very good shape. And moving to a period where Americans still want their personal freedom and even have it expanded. Like on issues having to do with marijuana and sexuality and even sexual freedom, including prostitution, which is just behind marijuana. And they also want their privacy protected and even have strong protections for it. As the Patriot Act debate showed last month. But they also don’t want big government with both of their hands in their wallets, taxing most of their money away from them. And this is where Center-Left Democrats tend to be. Wanting to use government to expand freedom for people who don’t have it. And based on this liberalism, is in very good shape in America.
Kevin Williamson

Posted in Classical Liberalism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour: Captive Audience (1962) James Mason & Angie Dickinson Star

Posted on June 21, 2015 by Derik Schneider
IMDB_ Alfred Hitchcock Hour- Captive Audience (1)

Source:IMDB– Angie Dickinson and James Mason, starring on the Alfred Hitchcock Hour in 1962.

“A mystery novelist sends a series of weird audiotapes to his publisher. On the first tape, the author boasts that the publisher won’t be able to discern if the story he narrates is the history of an imminent murder – or a mere fantasy. The author tells of his brief marriage ending when his wife was killed after he lost control of their car.

They were kissing, making up after an argument over his wife’s staying out all night with a rich old man, the same evening the author was briefly with the man’s alluring, young wife Janet. Janet made a pass at the author, who immediately cut the evening short.

The author says he fell into a severe depression, declined a needed brain operation, moved from France to San Francisco where he changed his name, then became a mystery writer. The tapes relate how the author eventually ran into Janet , and though she’s still married, dived into an affair.

When she and the author begin to plan her husband’s murder, the publisher calls in another of his mystery novelists to determine: are these tapes just an unorthodox pitch of a new novel – or the bizarre confession of a deranged killer?”

From David Stevens 

“The Alfred Hitchcock Hour S01E05 Captive Audience”

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour S01E05 Captive Audience

Source:Public Domain– Angie Dickinson starring on The Alfred Hitchcock Hour in 1962.

From Public Domain 

“Barbara Dane sings on Hitchcock”

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour_ Captive Audience (1962) James Mason & Angie Dickinson Star

Source:Dread Naught Music– Angie Dickinson & James Mason.

From Dread Naught Music

Arnold Moss (on the left) plays the publisher of the publishing company that the James Mason character writes books for. Ed Nelson (on the right) is also an author who writes for that same company. The video that this photo is from is not currently available online right now.

AHH Captive Audience

Source:The New Democrat– Arnold Moss and Ed Nelson, on The Alfred Hitchcock Hour in 1962 

The Captive Audience, is about a man Warren Barrow, ( played by James Mason ) who is a mystery writer, who at the very least wants his publisher to believe that he’s going to kill his girlfriend’s husband and then later his girlfriend, Janet West, ( played by Angie Dickinson ) and sends his publisher, Victor Hartman, ( played by Arnold Moss ) what today would be called a cassette book.

Barrow, has written a book on tape about the murders that he wants his publisher to believe that he’s committed. Barrow, at the very least, is unstable, after losing his wife in a car accident and suffering brain injuries that he’s never recovered from.

Victor Hartman, brings in one of his other writers, Tom Keller, ( played by Ed Nelson ) to listen to Barrow’s self-confession tapes, to see what Keller thinks of the tapes. Hartman and Keller, are trying to figure out whether Barrow has just completed his latest murder mystery, or is he serious about murdering these two people. His girlfriend and her husband.

They decide that Barrow is serious about these murders and even talk to him about his book. And give him some constructive criticism about his book. Barrow, being unstable, doesn’t take the criticism well and freaks out about it. And takes it as if Hartman and Keller simply don’t understand the book.

Angie Dickinson, is hardly an angel on this show. Just looks like one, but her character Janet West, is married to a wealthy man whose old enough to be her father and she’s not in love with him. She uses men to get what she wants and uses Barrow as well and doesn’t love him either.

And this is all part of why Barrow is at the very least considering murdering her. He’s very unstable and doesn’t handle rejection and being used very well. They do a very good job with this episode of not making it clear whether Barrow actually murders his girlfriend, or is this simply part of his book. He’s writing a murder mystery that actually doesn’t happen in real-life. And it’s one of the better murder mysteries that I at least, have ever seen.

You can also see this post at The Daily Journal, on WordPress.

You can also see this post at The Daily Journal, on Blogger.

Posted in Classic Hitch, Originals | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour: Murder Case (1964) Starring Gena Rowlands & Cassavetes

Posted on June 20, 2015 by Derik Schneider

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour - Murder Case (1964) - Movie

Source:Movie Fone– Hollywood Goddess Gena Rowlands and John Cassavetes starring on The Alfred Hitchcock Hour in 1964.

“A struggling actor auditioning in London learns that his actress-girlfriend who dumped him is married to the play’s backer, a rich diamond merchant. They soon rekindle their romance and plan to get her out of her marriage.”

From Movie Fone

“A struggling actor auditioning in London learns that his actress-girlfriend who dumped him is married to the play’s backer, a rich diamond merchant. They soon rekindle their romance and plan to get her out of her marriage.”

Alfred Hitchcock Hour_ Murder Case (1964) - Google Search

Source:IMDB– Hollywood Goddess Gena Rowlands starring on The Alfred Hitchcock Hour in 1964.

From IMDB 

Diana Justin (played by Gena Rowlands) and her husband Lee Griffin (played by John Cassavetes) are looking at her husband’s car because they want to kill him in an accident. Apparently Lee even though he’s a struggling actor can play the auto mechanic and even saboteur.

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour_ Murder Case (1961) Starring Gena Rowlands & Cassavetes _ The New Democrat

Source:CBS– Hollywood Goddess Gena Rowlands and John Cassavetes starring on The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, in 1964.

This is one of the better episodes of the Alfred Hitchcock Hour, simply because of the people in it. You have two up-incoming actors Diana Justin (played by Hollywood Goddess Gena Rowlands) and Lee Griffin (played by John Cassavetes) who were once a couple themselves, who meet again on set in London for a play they’re in. They discover that they’re still hot for each other and want to get back together.

The problem that Diana and Lee have, is married to Charles Justin. (Played by Murray Matheson) Charles, is a very wealthy jewelry dealer, who is also old enough to be Diana’s father. (To put it mildly) Diana is not with Charles because she loves him. But that is fine with Charles, as long as she makes him feel good.

This new couple, sets out to murder Diana’s husband. They fail once with the breaks in Charles’s car and try it again. Another thing I like about this show, is Charles is not rich, because he’s stupid, or dense. He knows that Diana and Lee are back together and might even try something dangerous. Which is why he sends his wife on vacation to get her away from her boyfriend.

Diana, figures out that Charles is on to her, but Charles still wants her. And if you’re familiar with Gena Rowlands, you can easily see why. Doesn’t take a genius, or even someone with average intelligence to figure it out. And Charles, is not going to give up his goddess wife without a clean fight.

Murder Case, despite its simplistic and dull as a brand new pencil title, is one of the better episodes in the Alfred Hitchcock Hour series. It has a great cast and a great plot. Normally in shows like this when the older wealthy husband figures out that his young gorgeous sexy wife, is having an affair with a young man, he dumps his wife as soon as he can. He hires detectives, he gets all the evidence that he needs to get a clean divorce. So he doesn’t have to pay his cheating wife anything. But Charlie, fights for his wife and knows exactly what is going on all the way up to the end. And is just one example of why this is such a great show.

Posted in Classic Hitch, Originals | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The New York Times: Jason Tubrow: Colorful History of Kezar Stadium

Posted on June 20, 2015 by Ederik Schneider

Kezar Stadium
Source:The New York Times

I guess from the outside looking in, Kezar Stadium was a very attractive football stadium. With pretty sight lines, in a great part of San Francisco, with a pretty field. Not much different from lets say L.A. Memorial Coliseum, or perhaps Rose Bowl Stadium, but a little more than half the size of both of those historic stadiums. But RFK Stadium in Washington, has a great field, fans are on top of the action, with good sight lines, at least for football, but it looks like underground parking lot, once you go back to the concession stands and move away from the field. Kezar Stadium, not football palace, but certainly a stadium with a lot of character.

In the 1950s, the 49ers became winners and contenders at Kezar. Y.A. Tittle, perhaps one of the top ten quarterbacks of all-time, whose in the Hall of Fame, played for the 49ers at Kezar, not Candlestick Park. He was part of the 49ers Million Dollar Backfield. Tittle, along with running backs Joe Perry, Hugh McElhenny, and John Johnson. And RC Owens, great 49ers receiver, was also part of these very good 49er teams. That never seemed to be able to top the Chicago Bears, or Colts in the Western Conference to get to the NFL Championship. Dirty Harry, with Clint Eastwood, did a scene at Kezar.

Kezar Stadium, certainly not a football palace and the 49ers in the early 1970s certainly needed a better football stadium. To have the resources to contend in the NFL in the 1970s and beyond. Kezar, was certainly not Chicago’s Soldier Field, or Green Bay’s Lambeau Field, or even Los Angeles’s Memorial Coliseum, but it was a stadium with a lot of character. It was a true football stadium and not a cookie cutter that was made for both football and baseball in the 1970s. And had San Francisco and the 49ers bothered to renovate the stadium and invest in it, maybe the 49ers are still playing there today. And the Giants, are still playing at Candlestick Park when it was beautiful.

Posted in NFC Classic, Originals | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Liberty in Our Time: Blacklisted From History- Interview With Stanton Evans

Posted on June 20, 2015 by Rik Schneider
Stanton Evans

Source: Liberty In Our Time– Stanton Evans

Source:Liberty In Our Time

I’m not an expert on Stanton Evans, but what I’ve seen from him is that he basically sees Senator Joe McCarthy as the good guy during this period. The Army-McCarthy hearings of 1953-54, chaired by Senator Joe McCarthy in the Senate during the 83rd Congress. Just after Dwight Eisenhower is elected President and Congressional Republicans win back the Senate and House of Representatives. That none of the people who Chairman McCarthy and his staff investigated were innocent. That they were all Communists, or at the very least had solid information about Communists in the U.S. Government.

Were there Communists in America in the 1940s and 50s, of course. Where there Communists in Hollywood in the 1940s and 50s, of course. Were there Communists who also worked in the U.S. Government, yes. Were they Russian agents working for the Soviet Union trying to dismantle the American Federal Republic and American liberal democracy, no. At least from what I’ve seen and all the so-called evidence of Russian agents working for the U.S. Government, all come from Tea Party or neoconservative Far-Right types. Who sees anyone even Republicans, who are to the left of them as soft on communism.

The so-called House Un-American Activities Committee, from the mid and late 1940 and then the Senate Army-McCarthy Committee, from 1953-54, did a lot of damage to America and a lot of Americans. Two major Congressional committees, that made Americans look bad simply because of who they associated with, or had contact with. The ultimate guilt by association, is what these two Congressional committees are responsible for. I mean, a U.S. Senator who is also Chairman of the Government Oversight Committee, Joe McCarthy, accusing one of the most distinguished lawyers and the Chief Counsel of the U.S. Army, as being a Communist and Russia agent, Joe Welch. Is just an example of how bad this committee was and the amount of damage that they did.

Posted in McCarthyism, Originals | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Janson Media: The Hollywood Collection- Marilyn Monroe Beyond The Legend

Posted on June 20, 2015 by Erik Schneider
Attachment-1-894

Source: Janson Media

Source:Janson Media

Marilyn Monroe, did seem to lack self-confidence and live in some cocoon or something and not able to see what she really had going for her. From both a personal and physical perspective. And yet the way she carried herself, you would almost have to believe that she knew she was hot, sexy, great body, baby-face adorable, with voice as cute as her face. And the things that she said and how she expressed herself and how she played her parts, you would have to think that she knew that she was very funny as well.

She wasn’t a blonde bimbo, some airhead who looked great, but had nothing else going for her. But she did lack maturity and seemed to stop aging both physically and emotionally when she reached 17, or 18 and never really grew up inside. And yet she was a hell of a talent as an actress, singer and comedian even. Similar to Shelley Winters and Elizabeth Taylor, she made her serious roles and parts look like funny people. Because she was a very funny person herself, who brought herself to all of her roles. And because she didn’t see how talented she was and what she had going for her, abused herself and was depressed a lot.

If Marilyn just bothered to grow up personally and just had a healthy sense of self-worth and self-confidence and bothered to take care of herself and not drink and take all the pills that she did, she could easily still be alive today. I mean, a women with all the skills and talent that Marilyn had, to die at 36 and have died in a plane crash, or a car crash, but to die the way she did from a pill overdose and being drunk at the time as well and all by herself, is one of the biggest damn shame’s of all-time. I can’t think of a sadder way for such a talented women to die then to be that young and alone and die from an overdose. But in her short life, she accomplished so much and left so much behind for people to remember her. And most of it positive.

Posted in Hollywood Goddess, Marilyn, Originals | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Democracy Journal: Jim Sleeper: ‘Our Puritan Heritage’

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Ederik Schneider

Source:Democracy Journal

I’m a Liberal Democrat and proud of that, because I believe in liberal democracy and individual rights and the freedom that comes with those things. I believe American liberal democracy and American liberalism, is the best form of government in the world and has been very good to us for almost two-hundred and forty years now, since the founding of the American Federal Republic. I love our private enterprise capitalist system and all the economic freedom that has come with it. Including infrastructure and public education. And I’m sure Europe loves their social democratic big centralized governmental systems, that by in large has worked very well for them.

But just because one system works so well for one country, or several other countries, doesn’t mean that system will work in other countries. The uprisings in the Middle East, including what ISIS is doing in Iraq and Syria, is not a cry out for liberal democracy and individual freedom. But a rebellion against the current central state and central government. And in the case of ISIS, if they were to come to power in Syria and rule that country, they would rule it literally and ruin it. And make Bashar Al-Assad and his regime in Syria look like Moderates. Actually, they’re already done that.

I’m all for assisting countries that want freedom and to build their own liberal society. Whether they are already a democracy, but still developing their economy and state so democracy can thrive there and they don’t go back to authoritarianism. And I’m even for helping rebels who are truly fighting for freedom and are real freedom fighters. Who are taking on the authoritarian state in their country and wanting to bring freedom to their country. But one thing that the Iraq War has taught us, is that you can’t force freedom on another country and expect them to take it. They have to want freedom first and be willing to fight for it and keep it once they have it.

Posted in Classical Liberalism, Originals | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Economist: ‘What Happened When Portugal Decriminalized Drugs?’

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Erik Schneider
The Economist

Source:The Economist– The War on Marijuana, coming to an end?

“For 20 years The Economist has led calls for a rethink on drug prohibition. This film looks at new approaches to drugs policy, from Portugal to Colorado.”

From The Economist

I believe what Portugal is saying with their drug decriminalization policy is that narcotics are bad for you, but is locking up people simply for illegal drug possession or illegal drug use is also not only bad for you, but bad for the society as well. That Portugal, is not endorsing the usage of cocaine, meth, or heroin, but they’re saying there are better and more cost-effective ways of dealing with narcotics in this country.

And instead of sending drug addicts and users to prison for simply using narcotics, they send those people to drug rehab. Which frees up jail and prison space for actual criminals. People who pose an actual threat to the security of Portugal.

And hopefully this works, because as bad as the War on Drugs might have been in Portugal, it isn’t a positive thing in any other country. Especially America.

Posted in Originals, The Economist | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Sam Seder: ‘The Rise of the New Left With Cliff Schecter’

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Derik Schneider

New Left?Source:The Majority Report– talking about the New-Left in America.

“Cliff Schecter joined us last Friday to discuss how the Bill De Blasio wins means a resurgence of an economically progressive left, why we are leaving the age of Reagan and Clinton behind, why younger voters are so economically left wing and how Clinton and Obama governed from the right…

From The Majority Report

I actually agree with a lot of what Sam Seder and Cliff Schecter and are saying here. Which might be the first and last times I ever say that. But they’re also being overly optimistic. The Millennial Generation, is the largest generation that we’ve ever had. And they’re still very young and even if they have the largest support of socialism than any generation that we’ve seen since the 1930s, (or whatever) that doesn’t mean this is a socialist generation.

The Millennial’s are made of what I call Paul Conservative Libertarians, (named for Ron and his son Rand Paul) and then you have Bernie Sanders Democratic Socialists. And then you have what I at least call a classical liberal wing of this generation, people who aren’t anti-government, but don’t want big government running their lives for them. Which is why they support things like same-sex marriage, marijuana legalization, big believers in privacy and personal freedom in general. But they also don’t want big government in their wallets and trying to manage their economic affairs either.

Millennial’s, whether they say it or not, like private enterprise and capitalism in general. A lot of them are small business managers and owners. The ones, who’ve actually been able to find jobs. And don’t believe their business should have to pay a lot in taxes. But they believe government needs to do certain things for us like education, infrastructure, environmental protection, regulating predators, a safety net for people who need it. But they don’t want that Bernie Sanders socialist superstate that’s going to tax a lot of our money away from us to take care of us. And they don’t want big government in our personal affairs either.

The presidential candidate next year that can speak to young people especially Millennial’s, who says that government doesn’t have all the answers and shouldn’t try to do everything for everybody but can be a force for good by empowering people to take control over their own lives, will win this generation and probably win Independents in general as well. Who also believe in a limited government that does what we all need it to do in the areas of security, economic investment, to use as examples.

You win these two huge groups and Millennial’s tend to be independent as well, that candidate will be the next President of the United States. I could be wrong about this, but I’m willing to bet it with anyone.

Posted in Originals, Sam Seder | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment