ABC News: Everett Dirksen’s Washington (1968)

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Rik Schneider

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Source:The Daily Post

When was the last time that a Congressional leader was loved and respected by both parties. That is how much Congress has changed since Everett Dirksen was there because he was loved and respected by both parties when he was in Congress and when he was the Senate Republican Leader. But now Republicans and Democrats in Congress tend to look at each other as enemies and not colleagues or even opponents. Not many people being more familiar with how Congress worked than Everett Dirksen, who served a total of thirty-four years in Congress. Both in the House of Representatives and Senate. House from 1933-49 and the Senate from 1951-59. And was also Senate Minority Leader from 1959-69.

You might be able to say that Minority Leader Dirksen had all the power in the Republican Party in Washington in the 1960s. Excluding 1960 with President Dwight Eisenhower and 1969 with President Richard Nixon. You might be able to say that from 1961-69 Minority Leader Dirksen was the Washington power structure for the GOP. Because Democrats held the White House and both chambers of Congress from 1961-69 in this period. Huge majorities in both the House and Senate from 1961-67. Which meant for Congressional Republicans to get anything done in this period or to stop legislation that the Congressional Democratic Leadership was pushing, they needed both Leader Dirksen and the Southern Caucus of right-wing Democrats in Congress.

The 1960s was also a much different time as far as Washington politics and Congressional politics. Not all Democrats were liberal or progressive. The Democratic Party had the right-wing Southern Caucus in the House and Senate. The Democratic Party leaned Left, but had a large right-wing faction. Not all Congressional Republicans were conservative, but certainly leaned right. And they had a progressive faction in the Northeast. Which meant for either President Jack Kennedy or President Lyndon Johnson to get things done in Congress, especially in the Senate, they needed Minority Leader Dirksen’s help to cutoff filibusters from Conservative Republicans and right-wing Democrats. And to bring along some of his Progressive Senators.

Similar to Senator Robert Byrd and Everett Dirksen was sort of the Bob Byrd of him time, but if neither one of them weren’t in Congress for so long, they could’ve both been Congressional historians. And of course a lot of the knowledge they picked up about Congress had to do how long that they were in Congress. Both serving in the House and Senate, but also because they both served in the Congressional Leadership. So when you hear Everett Dirksen talk about Congress, you know you’re hearing from someone who actually knew what they were talking about. Someone who was not just respected, but loved by both Republicans and Democrats and someone who represents the best of our Congress and its two chambers.

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Korean 701: Liberal Democracy is Important

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Erik Schneider

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Source:FRS FreeState

Liberal Democrat which is how I describe my personal politics and personal political philosophy. And what that means because liberalism and what it means to be a Liberal means different things to different people. To lets say today’s so-called Progressives, liberalism is about government creating all sorts of programs to take care of people. I’m putting that loosely, but that is what it comes down to.

Today’s so-called Progressives want a lot of government programs especially from the Federal level there to take care of people. Which is what is known as so-called modern liberalism. Libertarians idea of liberalism is who they are which is libertarian. And when they talk about classical liberalism, they are talking about libertarianism. And have a society so free of government especially the markets. And from this the people and business in a Libertarian Utopia would be free without government interference.

A classical Libertarian lets say, only wants government to come in when innocent people are hurt. And to punish those who hurt innocent people. But that is not liberalism, but libertarianism. Liberals believe in both freedom and democracy, a liberal amount of both. Not government, which are too different things and the liberal idea about democracy is yes the right to vote and speak freely and assemble and all of those other great liberal values. But the right for free individuals to live freely in a liberal democracy, a free society.

That government should not be there to protect us from ourselves and to take care of us. But to protect our freedom and enforce our individual rights from those who would take them away. And to help people in need who do not have the freedom to take care of themselves, get the tools that they need so they can have freedom as well. Not take care of people, or try to create a risk-free society, but to protect our freedom and to see that everyone can live in freedom and not need government to take care of them.

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The Birch Swinger’s: Bobby Kennedy’s Speech For Humanity

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Derik Schneider

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Source:Free State MD

Bobby Kennedy, laying out perfectly what it means to live in a liberal democracy. What individual liberty is about the right for Americans to live their own lives and live in freedom. Without government infringing on individual lives and their rights to live their own lives. All the freedom that Americans need is laid out for us in the United States Constitution. Starting with the First Amendment, with our right to speak, right to assemble, freedom of press, freedom to worship, or not worship.

The Second Amendment, that grants us the right to self-defense. The Fourth Amendment that protects our right to privacy. So government can’t interfere with how individual Americans live their own lives. Including our property rights, that protect our rights to ourselves, but also the property and wealth that we own. And then you go to the Equal Protection Clause, that protects our rights not to be discriminated based on race, ethnicity, gender, religion or sexuality. I’ve blogged about this before, but the United States Constitution is not the problem with America.

The problem with America, is our public officials on the Far-Left and Far-Right. Who don’t understand, agree with and ignore the Constitution. Who somehow view that their statist philosophy is more important than the Constitution. And in their narrow minds, gives them the right to impose their values on what it means to be an American. Over individuals and the Constitution itself. But as long government protects our Constitution, then they are also protecting all the freedom that we need to live and live well.
RFK

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MSNBC: Lockup- Corcoran State Prison

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Ederik Schneider

Source:FreeState Now

This is about the gladiator fights that went on at Corcoran State Prison in the California in the early and mid 1990s. That were run by Corcoran guards and set up by them. Where guards there would find inmates who didn’t like each other, or perhaps didn’t even know each other, to fight each other. And I believe put money on the fights that the inmates wouldn’t see a dime of. What happened at Corcoran is just another example of prison slave labor and perhaps the prison industrial complex as a whole. Where inmates are exploited for profits by corporations who make money from taxpayers and the inmates.

I’ve seen the MSNBC Lockup documentary on Corcoran and I’ve seen other shows about Corcoran. And to me at least it looks like a fairly efficient prison. Where some of the worst and most violent and probably evil prison inmates and criminals in America, are serving their time at Corcoran. And lot of them are their for life and doing sentences close to that. And yet what I’ve seen at least Corcoran looks like a fairly well run prison. Especially considering how tight their budget is and the lack of resources that California puts into Corcoran and how understaffed they are. And yet they generally do a pretty good job. But those gladiator fights did happen there.

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Malcolm X Network: James Baldwin on Malcolm X

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Rik Schneider

James Baldwin
This post was originally posted at FRS Daily Post Plus

James Baldwin was from the Martin L. King school of civil rights. That African-Americans needed to work with other Americans in order to get their freedom. Which is what separated him from Malcolm X who had more of a revolutionary approach to civil rights.The MLK approach to equal rights and equal rights enforcement was not only more successful and the better course to achieving equal constitutional rights enforcement under law, but it would’ve been the only one that could’ve been successful in this movement. Because it was inclusionary and t brought in not just African-Americans, but Caucasian, Latino, Jewish, the mainstream media that was mostly male Caucasian at this point. And all the different media outlets regardless of race. And members of Congress both Democrats and Republicans that was necessary to pass the civil rights laws of the 1960s.

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Liberty Pen: Video: Milton Friedman: Poverty and Equality

Posted on August 25, 2013 by Ederik Schneider

Milton Friedman
Liberty Pen: Video: Milton Friedman: Poverty and Equality

The fact is, if you live in poverty, you don’t live in freedom, but you live in poverty. If you don’t have the freedom to live your own life and are dependent on others for your economic well-being, whether it is public assistance, or individuals who’ve voluntarily taken care of you, you don’t have the freedom to live your own life. Because you are dependent on others. And for people who are in poverty to have the freedom to live their own life, they need the tools to escape poverty and live in freedom. I agree with Milton, that people and the private sector do have the responsibility to help people in need be able to get on their own feet and help them pay their bills in the short-term as well.

But where I disagree with Milton, well on a couple of things, actually. Government, is not just buildings, but the people who work in those buildings. And also the people who send those people to the government buildings to work for them. Meaning the voters. But where I also disagree with Milton has to do with government and poverty. Government, at least in America, doesn’t have the responsibility to take care of physically and mentally able people who are capable of working full-time. But for whatever the reasons do not have the skills to get themselves the jobs that will allow for them to take care of themselves. But government, does have a responsibility to see that people who are down first get what they need to help them get by in the short-term. But also to help them get themselves on their own two feet. That comes from economic development in low-income communities. But also education and job training for those people as well. So they can get themselves a good job and get themselves out of poverty all together.

The reason why government has this responsibility, because it is responsible for the country. Not to take care of everyone and manage their lives for them. But to see that everyone has the opportunity to do well in America. So the economy can be as strong as possible. With as many workers as possible, but also as many productive workers as possible. Who have what they need to do well in this country. And capitalism and private enterprise is a great thing in America. But if you don’t have the skills you need to do well, you’re not going to do well in that system. And for those people government has a role to see that no none goes without. A long with the private sector, especially non-profit charities, but also to see that the resources are available for the people who’ve been left behind can get themselves on their own two feet.

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The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson: Bette Midler’s Farewell to Johnny Carson (May, 1992)

Posted on August 25, 2013 by Ederik Schneider

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Source:Greg Forg– Bette Midler’s beautiful and adorable farewell to The King of Late Night Johnny Carson.

Source:Real Life Journal

“Johnny Carson Farewell, Bette Midlers farewell poem to Johnny Carson. 1992.”

From Greg Forg

I don’t know if there could possible be a better way to send off Johnny Carson ( so to speak ) on his Tonight Show, The Tonight Show at least as far as I’m concern than with Bette Midler singing to him. Because of her song One For My Baby with the lyrics Set Em Up Joe and One More For The Road. That song perfectly sends Johnny out and perfectly summarizes what is happening here. That Johnny Carson is ending thirty-years as The King of Late Night as the host of The Tonight Show. And then you throw in Bette’s voice and her baby-face adorable expressions and how sweet she is, she was just perfect for this part.

I’m not a big fan of Bette Midler, at least her music. I think she’s a hell of an actress and one of the funniest people in Hollywood if not all-time, but she does have a great ability to put things in their place and the way they are. And sending Johnny out with One For My Baby is a perfect example of that. Especially when you consider how much Bette and Johnny truly love and respect each other. As I think is pretty obvious in this performance.

Johnny had perfect timing with his comedy and I he knew himself so well and how we wanted to be remembered and go out. And Bette Midler is a perfect example of that.

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GOP Weekly Address: Governor Mike Pence Delivers GOP Weekly Address on ObamaCare

Posted on August 25, 2013 by Rik Schneider

Mike Pence
Source:The FreeState

Again with ObamaCare, because that is all Republicans have to talk about. As well as some guy named Barack Obama, whoever the hell he is. I heard he’s the President of some country. When you don’t have an agenda and policies of your own, at least an agenda you’re proud enough to talk about, you go on the negative to make the other side look worst than you are. “Hey, I know you don’t like us. But the other guy is worst, so you should dislike them more.” Governor Mike Pence, which is a good thing for Washington and Congress that he is no longer a U.S. Representative, is the perfect example of this. All the guy has in this short video is, “ObamaCare is bad” and his GOP talking points about cutting spending and regulations, taxes and everything else. Without being able to lay out what he’s actually done. How he’s cut spending, waste and taxes.

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Minister Malcolm X: On The March On Washington (1963)

Posted on August 25, 2013 by Erik Schneider
Malcolm X

Source: Angelo Shabazz

Source:FRS FreeState

In this speech, you can definitely see the difference in methods and strategy between Malcolm X and Dr. King. Dr. King understood that for African-Americans to get their freedom and equal rights under law, they would have to work with members of the majority population. Meaning Caucasian-Americans, to get those civil rights laws passed. Whereas Malcolm X, at least early in the early 1960s, saw that as treasonous to work with what he would call the ‘White man’. That African-Americans should already have their freedom and equal rights. And that the United States Government should just give those things to the African-American community. Dr. King was smart enough as the brilliant leader that he was to know that those things weren’t going to just be given to his community. Especially by racist Southerners in Congress and at the local and state levels in Southern states. That they would have to fight and work to get them and go over the bigots heads and work with non-racists in the Caucasian-American community.

The March on Washington, was very successful, despite what Malcolm X said. Because in that speech, Dr. King lays out the whole vision of the civil rights movement. An America, where his children and all children aren’t judge by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. Where all men and women are equal under law. And not treated better, or worst simply because of their color, or race. That was not good enough for Malcolm X and his supporters and the broader Black Power movement and the New Left that emerged in the late 1960s. That was against the War in Vietnam, but the American capitalist economic system and the power structure in general. The broader Black Power movement and New-Left were revolutionaries. They didn’t believe in working with others to get what they want. But that they should just simply take what they want.

Malcolm X, was part of the Black Power movement. Not the socialist elements of that movement. Because he wasn’t a Socialist, but the revolutionary elements of that movement. That said, “African-Americans, should have their freedom now and we aren’t going to wait around, or try to get laws passed giving us what we should’ve already had in the first place.” And I’ve blogged this before, but Dr. King and Malcolm X, represent not just two wings of the civil rights movement of the 1960s, but two era’s as well. Dr. King, represents the 1960s, when these laws were passed that he had a lot to do with the passage of those laws. Because he understood like a good politician does, that you have to work with others to get laws passed and get new policies. Malcolm X, represents the post-civil rights movement. The vision for how African-Americans not only have equal rights under law, but an economic vision for how the community can succeed in America. Built around education, economic development and personal responsibility in the community.
Angelo Shabazz: Malcolm X- March on Washington Was Deceptive

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Washington Redskins: Sonny Jurgenson & Billy Kilmer: The Sonny-Billy Rivalry

Posted on August 24, 2013 by Ederik Schneider

Source:Real Life Journal

Sonny Jurgensen was clearly a better quarterback than Billy Kilmer. But Bill better fit head coach George Allen’s conservative offensive personality better. So George could say “see this is why we need to run more and Bill won’t take as many chances throwing the ball. Because his arm wasn’t as good as Sonny’s”. But a better head coach with perhaps a better understanding of offensive football, who didn’t have a conservative defensive mindset that George Allen had, would’ve known better. And what worked better for the Redskins offensively.

There are many horrible tragedies of Vince Lombardi dying and when he did. In 1970 at the age of fifty-seven when he could’ve probably coached another 5-10 years had he taken better care of himself. But one of those tragedies that Sonny paid the heaviest price for with the Redskins, was George Allen coming in, in 1971 as the head coach/general manager of the club. The Redskins did pretty well under Allen. Seven winning seasons, five playoff appearances, an NFC East title and NFC title.

But had Vince Lombardi lived and continued on with the Redskins in the 1970s, Sonny Jurgenson not only finishes his career with the Redskins, which he did, but he would’ve remained the full-time starter with the Redskins at quarterback, had he stayed healthy. Because the Lombardi would’ve figured out quickly that Sonny was the better quarterback than Billy Kilmer. And the Redskins would’ve won more games, more NFC East titles, played in more Super Bowls and perhaps won at least one Super Bowl in the 1970s.

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