Monday, December 4, 2006

Weekly Podium: "The Hype Machine Keeps On Grinding"

After reading Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s “Letter to Noble Americans”, I’m amused by the fact that Ahmadinejad thinks that most Americans would agree with his point of view. His previous and current anti-Semitic rhetoric gets minor notice in the media, and I’ve noticed that the media is downplaying Ahmadinejad’s letter.

Although his letter’s intent is to get the American public to force the U.S. into leaving the Middle East altogether, and put up a false screen of “past friendliness” between America and Iran (a friendliness that died with the rise of Ayatollah Khomeini), what Ahmadinejad didn’t realize is that our mostly Islamic-apologist media would not report this story beyond a mere mention of it below other headlines.

The reason behind the burying of Ahmadinejad’s letter is simple. His notion that he can will American people into doing what he wants would cause a harmful backlash to his position, and the general liberal position of “abandon ship” in the Middle East. To incite the anger of Americans by reporting that a leader of another country is attempting to directly influence our thinking would kill the anti-Bush and anti-Republican movement that the media and the Democrats have so carefully put in motion.

There you have it, the liberal “Hype Machine” keeps grinding. Spitting out what it wants you to hear, and quietly squashing what it doesn’t want you to hear.

A battle between religiously-based sects within the country of Iraq is now being called a “civil war”. Not “insurgency” or “anti-Government acts of terrorism”. No, now it’s called “civil war”. Let’s call this whole debacle in Iraq what it really is…

“A war that was not allowed to be fought correctly because the Democrats and the liberal media made sure we walked in with one hand behind our back…just like in Vietnam.”

Revisionist history tells us that somehow, Nixon was to blame for Vietnam…yet it was the oh-so-legendary purveyor of the not-so-Great Society, Lyndon Baines Johnson, who created the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution AND escalated the Vietnam War to its highest peak…and its worst defeats. The truth is, Nixon began a gradual withdrawal from Vietnam AND allowed the military to run more successful bombing campaigns. We lost Vietnam because LBJ and the media made the war so unpopular that there was no way to justify further escalation without widespread civil disorder and disobedience.

Just like LBJ in the 1968 Democratic primaries, the Democrats believe that the U.S. should just simply give up in Iraq. The Democrats and the media, once again, made sure that the War in Iraq became so unpopular amongst U.S. citizens that there is no way to convince the general populous that we must finish this war.

The anti-war liberals and their media pundits are right when they say “Iraq is turning into another Vietnam.” The part they don’t tell you is that it is their fault…again. Once again, the liberal “Hype Machine” is rewriting history and using it to spew forth current propaganda.

On a regional note, the Virginia House Commerce and Labor Committee will vote on House Bill 619. If a passing vote is cast, the bill will be sent to the House floor when the next session begins in 2007. HB 619 would repeal the Payday Loan Act of 2002. The act, in short, allowed providers of payday loans to place an APR up to 780% on all payday loans. Even though it is rare to see APR’s this high on such loans, 300% APR is not uncommon. This usually leads to a charge of about $15.00 per $100 borrowed once repayment is due.

Being a previous user of payday loans (i.e.: Check-Into-Cash, Cash Advance, etc…), the convenience it provides for a working-class individual like myself is immeasurable. It allows those with lower incomes and little or bad credit ratings the opportunity to gain short-term advances on their paychecks, and cover unforeseen emergencies.

While these APR’s are certainly outrageous figures, as a $500 loan will cost you $575.00 on your next payday, I do not agree with the pro-HB 619 rhetoric of calling these lenders “predatory”. First of all, the fees due and APR’s are stated very clearly and are posted in large writing on the walls of these various businesses. The pro-HB 619 propaganda is very inflammatory towards these businesses, and seems to have the intent of driving these companies out of Virginia by labeling them as “predatory lenders” and thereby demonizing these companies in the eyes of some of their customers and potential customers.

That being said, I do agree that the APR figures are outrageously high, and with Congress having passed a 36% cap on interest rates charged to active-duty military personnel and their families, I feel that that a limit on these interest rates will come to pass. Being that it will save plenty of people some money, I guess it isn’t too bad of a deal. However, the scare-tactic rhetoric and the imposition of law to keep a company from profiting too much in a legal manner is what’s keeping me from supporting HB 619.

Finally, I would like to address a response to my prior statements about Steny Hoyer, and how when I repeat his words, I’m casting the wrong light upon him. From a former Marylander to a current one, I know your area very well. I’m very aware of Mr. Hoyer and what he stands for and represents. The fact that he will soon be the House Majority Leader does not make him a good man; it just means his party preferred him over John Murtha (kudos to the Dems for choosing the lesser of two evils, there).

If Steny Hoyer is the good and 100% racism-free man that you say he is, don’t you think he would have chosen his words with a little more care and precision? It doesn’t matter, because if you’re a liberal, you can get away with murder (Ted Kennedy) and perjury (Bill Clinton). Why should we hold a liberal Democrat accountable for making was can easily be construed as a racist remark, right?

Tell me, why is it that it is OK to label Allen’s “macaca” remark as being racist because of 3rd party hearsay and "prior incidents" that lead you to believe he is racist, but we can’t question Steny Hoyer’s “slavishly” remark because, in your own personal opinion, he’s a “good man” and "does not have a racist bone in his body".

On another note, how dare you criticize Allen for creating “Southern Heritage Week”? One thing I’ve learned since I moved to Virginia 9 years ago is that people in Virginia are proud to be from the South. They take pride in who they are and where they live, and the majority of them also acknowledge the sins of their ancestors. They also take pride in being independent spirits and hard-working individuals, and for you to criticize George Allen for allowing the state to embrace that kind of pride…what kind of citizen does that make you? Your prejudice towards Southerners shines through with great luminescence.

Why are Allen’s questionable remarks relevant to what Steny Hoyer said, anyway? They have no relevance, other than the fact that it is a typical Donkey Party tactic to deflect the harsh spotlight of doubt, and flash it upon your enemies, instead of facing the question at hand.