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One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics
is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. -- Plato
(429-347 BC)
Friday, November 11, 2016
How the Labor Department’s Fiduciary Rule Will Be Disastrous for Those It’s Intended to Help
by Sean Hackbarth, Contributing Author: Always beware of the Law of Unintended Consequences. Worthy aims don’t always wind up resulting in beneficial outcomes.
Take the Labor Department’s fiduciary rule.
“The Obama administration’s new fiduciary rule is the latest example of onerous regulation that may have good intentions but will lead to disastrous outcomes,” warns Anthony Scaramucci, host of Fox Business Network’s Wall Street Week, in a Wall Street Journal op-ed [subscription required]:
The new rule requires financial advisers and broker-dealers handling retirement assets to either move to a fee-based compensation model or, if they want to continue receiving variable compensation such as commissions and 12b-1 fees, sign a Labor Department “best-interest contract exemption,” or BICE, with clients. The BICE stipulates advisers can only earn “reasonable compensation” on non-fee-based products.With legal challenges and Tuesday's election results, the rule's future is up in the air.
Ensuring that savers’ and their financial advisors’ interests are aligned is a noble goal, but DOL’s regulations will actually make it harder for Americans to save for retirement.
It will keep savers from getting personal advice from financial advisers even though many prefer it to only having roboadvisers available.
What’s more, “The increased threat of litigation over commission-based accounts will cause most advisers to switch to fee-based systems that don’t make economic sense for accounts with low balances,” Scaramucci writes.
Far from where DOL regulators concocted this regulation, plaintiffs lawyers are licking their chops at the opportunity for new business.
As a consequence of lawsuit fears, “Advisers will drop smaller accounts, forcing less-wealthy individuals to use robo advisers, whose technology is unproven in more volatile environments,” Scaramucci writes.
What we'll end up with by limiting Americans’ retirement savings option is the creation of “two classes of savers,” cautions David Hirschmann, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber’s Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness:
Those who can afford to pay much higher fees to have someone help them manage their money, and those who will lose access to advice because their accounts simply aren't big enough to cover the costs imposed by the new rules.No one wants that.
The Law of Unintended Consequences rears its ugly head.
Read all of Scaramucci’s piece to see the many ways this rule will hurt retirement savers.
--------------- Sean Hackbarth is a policy advocate and Senior Editor, Digital Content, at U.S Chamber of Commerce. He twitters at @seanhackbarth and is a contributing author at the ARRA News Service. Tags:Sean Hackbarth, Chamber of Commerce, DOL, Labor Department, fiduciary rule, disastrous, To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
Don't Extend Obama's Term In The Lame Duck Session
Fairfax, Va. - Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement urging Congress to pass a continuing resolution that only goes through March:
"Congressional Republicans mistakenly allowed a budget debate to occur during the lame duck session. But now that we're here in the lame duck, the budget is the only thing that should be dealt with, and the budget should be nothing more than the existing spending levels carried forward another three months. It would be ridiculous to allow President Obama's rejected policies to be carried all the way to September. Instead, an early spring budget question is a bite at the apple in the first 100 days to get big things done for the Trump administration, including building the wall. Let Donald Trump and the new Congress set the last 6 months of the fiscal year. And then, that's it, go home."
Tags:don't extend, Obama Term, Lame Duck Session, Congress, Rick Manning, Americans for Limited GovernmentTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
New Implementation Phase Of Presidential Transition Team
PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD J. TRUMP ANNOUNCES NEW IMPLEMENTATION PHASE OF PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION TEAM
Vice President-Elect Mike Pence Named Presidential Transition Team Chair; Immediately Institutes Vice Chairs of Presidential Transition Team Executive Committee, Additional Presidential Transition Team Members And Staff Leadership For Transition Team
(New York, NY) - President-elect Donald J. Trump today announced that Vice President-elect Mike Pence will serve as Chairman of the Presidential Transition Team, and that Dr. Ben Carson, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, USA (Ret.), Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions will join the team’s Executive Committee as Vice Chairs.
President-elect Trump also announced that the following leaders will join the Presidential Transition Team Executive Committee:Congressman Lou Barletta
Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi
Congressman Chris Collins
Jared Kushner
Congressman Tom Marino
Rebekah Mercer
Steven Mnuchin
Congressman Devin Nunes
Anthony Scaramucci
Peter Thiel
Donald Trump Jr.
Eric Trump
Ivanka Trump
RNC Chairman Reince Priebus
Trump Campaign CEO Stephen K. Bannon“Together this outstanding group of advisors, led by Vice President-elect Mike Pence, will build on the initial work done under the leadership of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to help prepare a transformative government ready to lead from day one,” stated President-elect Donald J. Trump. “The mission of our team will be clear: put together the most highly qualified group of successful leaders who will be able to implement our change agenda in Washington. Together, we will begin the urgent task of rebuilding this nation - specifically jobs, security and opportunity. This team is going to get to work immediately to Make America Great Again.”
President-elect Donald J. Trump today also announced that Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions, Rick Dearborn, will join the Presidential Transition Team as Executive Director.
Richard Bagger, Executive Director of the Presidential Transition Team during the preparation phase, will return to the private sector but will remain with the Team as an Advisor, as will preparation phase General Counsel Bill Palatucci.
Joining Dearborn on the Presidential Transition Team’s Staff Leadership lineup are:Kellyanne Conway, Senior Advisor
David Bossie, Deputy Executive Director
Stephen Miller, National Policy Director
Jason Miller, Communications Director
Hope Hicks, National Press Secretary
Dan Scavino, Director of Social Media
Don McGahn, General Counsel
Katie Walsh, Senior AdvisorThe Vice President-elect has tapped his three senior advisors, Nick Ayers, Josh Pitcock, and Marc Short, to work alongside him in this process.
“President-elect Trump will bring about fundamental change in Washington, and these are the right people to make that happen,” added Vice President-elect Pence. “This team of experienced leaders will form the building blocks of our Presidential Transition Team staff leadership roster, and will work with elected officials and tireless volunteers to prepare our government for the transfer of power on January 20th.” [Source] Tags:President-elect, Donald Trump, Implementation phase, Presidential Transition TeamTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
by Rick Manning: Midnight regulations, eight years a go it was all the rage in the media to demand that the Bush administration stop work on even the most benign regulatory changes so a new administration could make those decisions.
In response, the Bush White House stopped most regulations that would be deemed controversial putting them through a rigorous review at the Office and Management Budget before they could be released.
Today, it is reported that President Obama is ratcheting up the regulatory work in order to cram as many of his fundamental transformations into the regulatory rulebooks as possible before the new Trump Administration enters the White House.
The Congressional Review Act was put into place as a reform as part of the Contract with America in 1995, but it has only been successfully used to overturn a regulation once in its history — when President George W. Bush replaced Bill Clinton and signed language ending the Labor Department’s proposed ergonomics rule.
While many other attempts have been made to use the CRA, they have failed because of a weakness in the law — Congress must be able to overturn a veto by the sitting President to stop the regulation, putting an almost impossible barrier of a two-thirds vote in both Houses to preventing a regulation from taking effect.
The only time the CRA is feasible to use is at the beginning of a new presidency when the president’s party controls Congress and legislation is passed during the first 60 legislative days after a regulation is finalized.
The reason the ergonomics rule got overturned was because it was a Clinton rule, which was opposed by the incoming Bush — so Bush signed the bill.
And that is the almost exact situation we find ourselves on Jan. 20, 2016.
Donald Trump will be joining together with a Republican Congress that only needs to overturn Obama regulations with a simple majority if it is no more than 60 legislative days from the rule going final.
According to a report in Politico any rule finalized by Obama on May 23, 2016 or later would be subject to review by the new Congress. But the more time Congress spends in a lame duck session, the fewer rules get subjected to Congressional review by the new Congress, just one more reason to restrict the lame duck to a short-term funding resolution and nothing else.
The stars have aligned for a significant portion of Obama’s agenda to be sidelined using the Congressional Review Act. If, for conservatives, President-elect Trump’s election means nothing else, the Congressional rescinding of many of the late environmental and labor regulations before they do too much harm is a major victory for limited government.
All that needs to happen is for this current Congress to finish their work so the next one can stop Obama’s late term agenda before it gets up and running.
--------------- Rick Manning (@rmanning957) is President of Americans for Limited Government. Article also on ALG Blog Hill. Tags:Obama, halt, regulatory rulemaking, Donald Trump, Congress, Rick Manning, Americans for Limited Government, editorial cartoon, William WarrenTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
FAIRFAX, Va. — The executive director of the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA), Chris W. Cox, released the following statement on President-elect Donald J. Trump's victory:
"On behalf of the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) five million members and tens of millions of Second Amendment supporters, the NRA congratulates President-elect Trump on his hard fought victory.
"Voters sent a loud and clear message that our gun rights are not for sale. Despite the unprecedented efforts by New York City billionaire Michael Bloomberg and the gun control lobby, the Second Amendment prevailed. In the face of threats against their constitutional freedoms, NRA members and Second Amendment supporters rallied to elect a pro-gun president. Trump’s victory repudiates the assertion by gun control advocates that the political calculus regarding the Second Amendment has changed.
"A special thank-you to NRA members and supporters who made the difference in this important election. Freedom scored another victory because of your efforts." Tags:Donald Trump, President-Elect, election 2016 Chris W. Cox, NRA-ILA, National Rifle AssociationTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
The Trump Victory: What We Saw And What We Need To See
Dr. Chuck Baldwin
by Dr. Chuck Baldwin: What We Saw
Let’s be honest: we saw a historic election Tuesday night. The only election coming close to the stunning proportions of this election was Ronald Reagan’s first election in 1980. And even that one didn’t match Trump’s victory. Yes, it was a stunning victory for Donald Trump.
Let’s be clear about what we witnessed. In one presidential election, we saw a man completely demolish the neocon and neolib establishments of both major parties; the media establishment; the globalist establishment; Wall Street; the political machine of an incumbent President; and the Clinton/Bush political/criminal empires. The odds of ANYONE being able to overcome the combined wealth and power of the leviathans above was absolutely zero. Each one of the listed cabals has enough power to destroy any would-be challenger. That Donald Trump was able to beat them all was truly incredible--maybe even miraculous. And he not only beat them; he trounced them.
Over the years, Ross Perot, Pat Buchanan and Ron Paul had done the preliminary work of loading the bases for Trump. These men helped awaken the sleeping giant that roared to life Tuesday night. But it was Donald Trump who knocked the ball clean out of the park. And he did it as an outside slugger in the opposition’s home park--a park in which the owners, officials, and gatekeepers had rigged the game to insure he would strike out. To their shock and dismay, he didn’t.
Make no mistake about it: the globalists, neocons, neolibs, international bankers, national media, and power establishment in both major parties are scrambling now to figure out how they were beaten and what they must do to try to reclaim the sudden loss of their power and influence.
Donald Trump might have delayed the total destruction of our freedoms--at least for awhile. We’ll see.
It would certainly appear that the Clinton/Bush Crime Family has been dealt a serious, if not fatal, blow. In one presidential campaign, Donald Trump sent Jeb Bush to the showers and sent Bill and Hillary packing (maybe for another country in order to try to stay out of a U.S. prison). I suggest that the Clintons consider Qatar. It is a country that successfully purchased much influence in Bill’s presidential administration and Hillary’s Secretary of State’s office, and it is also a country that does not participate in U.S. extradition policy.
I tell you the truth, breaking up the Bush/Clinton Crime Family and perhaps ridding the United States of their death grip on U.S. politics might be the GREATEST success of Trump’s victory Tuesday night. The swamp was drained a lot just by getting rid of the Clintons (forever)--and maybe the Bushes too (at least for quite a while).
And forgive me for gloating just a bit. Over a year and a half ago, on April 14, 2015, I made this bold prediction on my Facebook page: “You heard it here first: Hillary Clinton will NOT be our next President.”
As far as what’s visible, the biggest loser Tuesday night was the mainstream media (MSM). Never in history had the MSM banded so tightly together with the single goal and aim in mind of completely destroying one man’s political campaign. They were relentless and ruthless. They truly used every dastardly, duplicitous, and devilish trick in the book to defeat Trump. And, for once, the American people completely saw through it.
People in this country have been growing increasingly fed up with the overbearing, arrogant, holier-than-thou, rub-your-nose-in-the-dirt establishment. They are sick and tired of the political elite, such as the Clintons, getting away with corruption and criminality. They are sick and tired of corrupt presidents circumventing Congress and attempting to make law via unconstitutional executive orders. They are sick and tired of the media demeaning and lying to them day after day after day. They are sick and tired of all of these foreign wars of aggression that kill and maim their family members while enriching the political and corporate elite. They are sick and tired of immoral entertainers in music and Hollywood flaunting their corrupt and debauched lifestyles while telling them how evil they are for not supporting their corrupt and debauched buddies in politics.
Speaking of the corrupt Hollywood elite, here is another potential blessing of Trump’s victory Tuesday night: several Hollywood super-smuts have said they would leave the country if Trump won. These include Barbra Streisand, Bryan Cranston, Miley Cyrus, Lena Dunham, Amy Schumer, Jon Stewart, Samuel Jackson, Whoopi Goldberg, Neve Campbell, Keegan-Michael Key, George Lopez, Ne-Yo, and Al Sharpton. I hope they are all buying their one-way plane tickets as we speak. It would be worth a Trump victory watching these people’s backsides disappearing over the horizon.
What We Need To See
We need to see Donald Trump follow through with what he said he would do (the good stuff that is). If he doesn’t, it is all but certain that he will be a one-term President.
He needs to follow through with strict enforcement of our national borders. He needs to stop illegal immigration. He needs to deport the Middle Eastern refugees that Obama brought into the country. He needs to cut off financial aid to the illegal aliens that are already here. He needs to immediately lead the charge in a totally Republican Congress to rescind Obamacare. He needs to put an end to our endless wars of aggression in the Middle East. He needs to leave Syria alone and stop meddling in President Assad’s internal affairs. He needs to pull NATO back from encroaching on Russia’s territorial boundaries, waterways and airspace and let Vladimir Putin know that the United States will stop being a global bully. He needs to instruct our CIA (and find a director who will enthusiastically follow his instructions) to withdraw ALL covert U.S. support for Muslim terror groups such as ISIS--in which case, they would quickly dissolve.
Trump needs to lead the charge in Congress to reduce taxes and government regulation and spending across the board. If he would propose dismantling the EPA, BLM, OSHA, and the federal Department of Education (and throw in the Department of Commerce and a bunch more of these government bureaucracies whose only reason for existing is to harass the American people), we would know he means business. He needs to tell the ATF to get off the backs of law-abiding gun manufacturers, retailers, and gun owners. And he needs to fire FBI Director James Comey.
Trump needs to follow through with his trade policies. He needs to lead the charge to expunge NAFTA, to kill TPP dead in its tracks, and to institute fair trade practices, including enacting competing tariffs and imposts and removing the egregious taxes and regulations that have forced businesses to relocate production plants overseas--and give them every financial incentive to bring them back to the United States.
Trump needs to appoint a Supreme Court justice that not only recognizes the constitutional rights of life and gun ownership and possession but one that is also determined to protect the Fourth Amendment. He also needs to follow through with his stated intention of urging Congress to remove the 1954 Johnson Amendment from the 501c3 tax code. In addition, he needs to sign an executive order rescinding most of the executive orders issued by former presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton.
Trump needs to appoint a special prosecutor to thoroughly investigate and then prosecute Hillary and Bill Clinton along with many of their willing accomplices. If Trump truly wants to drain the swamp, he must begin by bringing these career criminals to justice.
These are the things that we need to see, and if Trump is as genuine and committed to liberty as he claims to be, many of these things we will see.
Now let me caution everyone. That Donald Trump was not controlled by the establishment was obvious. But that doesn’t mean for one second that he cannot yet become controlled by the establishment. Being an outsider does not necessarily mean that Donald Trump truly understands the reach and tentacles of the globalist conspiracy. I truly hope he does; but only time will tell.
Plus, we need to be praying much for Trump’s personal safety, because the power elite would not hesitate to assassinate this man if they felt he was a genuine threat to their globalist agenda and that killing him was the only way they could stop him. I remind you that Mr. Reagan was shot just 70 days after assuming office. Remember that the establishment was absolutely convinced that Hillary would win the White House up to and even during the elections. Trump’s victory came as a total shock to them. I hope everyone around him comprehends the threat level that Donald Trump is now living under and that they are doing everything possible to protect him.
In the meantime, don’t expect House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to willingly support Trump, should he follow through with a smaller government domestic agenda and a non-interventionist foreign policy agenda. At their core, Ryan and McConnell are globalist neocons. In fact, if the Republican caucus in the House truly wants to work with Trump, they will elect a brand new Speaker, one that shares Trump’s stated vision.
Speaking of which, here are some of the things that we do NOT need to see:
We do not need to see Trump putting a lot of neocons and globalists in his administration. This is what seriously compromised Ronald Reagan’s presidency. Trump already chose a soft globalist, Mike Pence, as his Vice President. Reagan chose Granddaddy Globalist George H.W. Bush, which led to all of the assaults against our liberties that have taken place through the successive administrations of Bill Clinton, G.W. Bush, and Barack Obama.
We need to pay close attention to who Trump places in his administration. During his victory speech, he lauded neocon globalists Rudy Giuliani and Chris Christie. That was not a good sign. If Trump loads his cabinet with neocons, globalists, and CFR members (of which none is worse than Newt Gingrich), he dooms his presidency. These people are no friends of liberty or the Constitution and would use their considerable influence to dilute Trump’s less government, more freedom agenda.
We do not need to see Trump giving police agencies the green light to “stop and frisk” people. This has always been one of my greatest concerns about Trump. If he’s not very careful, his strong “law and order” agenda can morph into a further burgeoning Police State.
We do not need to see Trump targeting religious houses of worship for unconstitutional searches and harassment. Freedom of religion is sacrosanct in this country, even for those people whose religion we dislike. Once you eviscerate First Amendment protections for one group of people, NO group of people is safe from government persecution. Germany’s Martin Niemöller taught us that.
Trump’s victory was truly stunning. It was the triumph of freedom-loving people who are fed up with an obnoxious, abrasive, overbearing, arrogant ruling class. Truly, it was the people’s victory. But now those same people must be vigilant to make sure that the ruling class they defeated at the polls does not come back and corrupt the champion who led the revolt. It is okay for people to celebrate--as long as they don’t then do what they have been known to do so often: go into a state of deep and protracted slumber. I remind you that most of the damage to our liberties over the past several decades has come from Republican administrations. Again, please remember that the GOP Congress Trump has inherited is led by staunch neocons.
“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty,” said Wendell Phillips. How right he was. Stay vigilant, folks! And let’s pray that Mr. Trump will be the President that we need “for such a time as this.” And let’s do everything that we can as citizen watchmen to make sure he is.
------------- Dr. Chuck Baldwin is the Pastor of Liberty Fellowship in Kalispell, Montana. Dr. Baldwin is Talk Radio Show Host for Chuck Baldwin Live.” He addresses current event topics from a conservative Christian point of view.and is a writer/columnist whose articles and political commentaries are carried by a host of Internet sites, newspapers, news magazines and the ARRA News Service. Tags:Chuck Baldwin, Trump Victory, 2016 Presidential election, what we saw, what we need to seeTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
Tags:Drain Baby Drain! Donald Trump, Washington, D.C., drain the swamp, editorial cartoon, AF BrancoTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
by Kerby Anderson, Contributing Author: The election is over, and it is time to bring the country together. But is that possible? Every four years we see a map of red and blue states showing the vote for president. But there is growing evidence that we aren’t just a divided country. We are essentially two countries within the same border.
Bill Bishop made this case many years ago in his book, The Big Sort. Americans have sorted themselves into various enclaves that are often so separate from each other they might as well be different countries. Consider the fundamental differences between Democrats and Republicans.
“Democrats want to live by their own rules. They hang out with friends at parks or other public places. They think that religion and politics shouldn’t mix. Democrats watch Sunday morning news shows and late-night television. Republicans go to church. They spend more time with family, get their news from Fox News or the radio, and own guns. Republicans read sports and home magazines, attend Bible study, frequently visit relatives, and talk about politics with people at church.” They even differ on their preference of pets. Democrats are more likely to own cats. Republicans are more likely to own dogs.
Michael Barone commented in one of his columns that most Americans choose to live in a place that is culturally congenial. “Most people in the San Francisco Bay area wouldn’t consider living in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, even for much better money. Most Metroplexers would never relocate to the Bay Area.” I have lived in both places and can validate Michael Barone’s conclusion.
Yes, we are a divided country. But we are more than that. We are essentially two countries within the same border hardly on speaking terms with each other. This is the challenge for any politician in America. Trying to bring people together is difficult when we are essentially two countries within the U.S. border.
--------------- Kerby Anderson is a radio talk show host heard on numerous stations via the Point of View Network endorsed by Dr. Bill Smith, Editor, ARRA News Service Tags:Kerby Anderson, Viewpoints, Point of View, Two Countries, The Big Sort, cities, Democrats, San Francisco Bay, Republicans, Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, divided country, To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
Thomas Spoehr, Lt. Gen., U.S. Army (Ret.): Today is Veterans Day. We celebrate Veterans Day on the 11th day of the 11th month of the year, the day the guns fell silent in Europe following the armistice that ended World War I. For some, it’s a day off from school or work, but for the majority of Americans, it means so much more.
Veterans Day is the chance to thank and honor those who have selflessly served their country. Support for veterans has been mixed through our nation’s history. But today, through the efforts of great Americans, respect and assistance for veterans has never been stronger.
In increasing numbers, veterans are returning that support by continuing their service to their communities and country.
The term “veteran” comes from the Latin, vetus meaning “old.” In America and elsewhere, we use the word to describe those who have served in the military. But you don’t need to be old to be considered a veteran.
A veteran is a person who has served honorably in the U.S. military. He or she can be a citizen who served for four years and leaves the service at the ripe old age of 24.
U.S. veterans today enjoy a much different relationship with the populace—their government and the American people—than veterans have over the span of our history.
Revolutionary Beginnings
In the Revolutionary War, America relied on volunteers, although some state militias used conscription. Pay was the responsibility of the states and was sporadic or nonexistent. Many soldiers were promised cattle when their term of service ended. There was no system for pensions, death benefits, or disability payments. This led to unrest and dissatisfaction among those who had served so faithfully.
In 1830, years after the end of the war, Sgt. Joseph Plumb Martin, a Connecticut soldier who served for seven years in the Continental Army, summed up these feelings when wondered in his memoirs why he and his fellow soldiers were “turned adrift like worn-out horses.”
The number of people who served in the Revolutionary War never exceeded 30,000, and they were relatively ineffective in mustering any public opinion to better support veterans.
This national disinterest toward veterans continued with relatively minor reforms until the Civil War, where heretofore unprecedented numbers of Americans were killed or wounded.
Sensing a growing national obligation toward veterans, President Abraham Lincoln explicitly mentioned supporting them after the war. Post-Civil War reforms resulted in the establishment of a better system of pensions and payments, but most still remained meager.
Fast forward to World War I. Large groups of veterans returned from overseas; some with major needs. But the largest change in America’s treatment of its veterans came after World War II, which was pivotal in improving the relationship between veterans and their government.
It’s one thing for the government to provide for veterans returning from war. The G.I. bill and today’s 9/11 G.I. bill are tangible signs of that support.
But there is another dynamic, and one that has a psychological impact on veterans and the country as a whole. This is the phenomenon we experienced with Vietnam and Korea—two unpopular wars with the American people.
Veterans from the Korean and Vietnam wars were largely ignored or worse by average Americans and they struggled immensely upon their discharge.
That was an unfortunate period in our nation’s history, because those men and women had served their country during a time of war and deserved to be treated with respect when they returned home.
Fortunately, today things are markedly different. Veterans, no matter when and where their service took place, are deeply appreciated by the American people.
You can witness this appreciation with standing ovations when “honor flights” of veterans arrive at airports, to the presence of over 180 United Service Organization centers manned by patriotic volunteers across the country.
I was at Ronald Reagan airport recently when an Honor Flight arrived from St. Louis. There wasn’t a dry eye in the terminal as the World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans came off the plane, most in wheelchairs, to thunderous clapping.
Over 40,000 nonprofit organizations now exist to support the military or veterans.
Make no mistake, America’s support to its veterans and those serving, both tangible and intangible, is absolutely crucial to our ability to field a strong fighting force now and in the future. The value of this support manifests itself not just in successful recruiting, but in unmatched performance on the battlefield.
American service members go into combat today secure in the knowledge that if they are killed or wounded, they and their families will be taken care of. And so they willingly put their lives on the line.
Contrast that with service members of other nations where they must live with the knowledge that if they are hurt or killed, their families may become destitute. That weighs on them, and undoubtedly colors their battlefield behavior.
So although America has had a mixed history in the support to its veterans, today it seems that we have arrived at about the right place. The programs, systems, and appreciation that veterans deserve and need are generally in place.
Is there room for improvement? Absolutely, but the American people and Congress will continue to strive to achieve the best solutions for our veterans. And where the Congress and the administration don’t act, civil society does. Dedicated nonprofit organizations have moved in to provide crucial services that the government either cannot, or should not, provide.
Veterans Return to the Community
Thankfully, after having served their nation in uniform, many veterans continue serving their nation in other ways.
They bring a myriad of talents and perspectives to that service; most have traveled to other parts of the world, have had the advantage of seeing other governments, witnessed oppression, poverty, and authoritarianism, and have received intensive training in leadership and organizational skills. They know both discipline and self-sacrifice.
One of the best examples of post-military continued service can be found in the life of Gen. George C. Marshall. Marshall retired from the Army in 1945, having served 43 years in uniform, his entire adult life.
The last six years had been grueling and unrelenting as he guided the nation’s immense war efforts. He and his wife had earned a welcome rest. But President Harry Truman asked Marshall to continue to serve and sent him to China in an unsuccessful effort to negotiate a coalition government between the Nationalists and Communists. He was unsuccessful but spent two years trying.
America wasn’t close to being done with Marshall. Truman asked Marshall to serve as secretary of state. In that capacity, Marshall received credit for Europe’s post-war rebuilding, for which he received the 1953 Nobel Peace Prize.
After resigning as secretary of state, Marshall served as secretary of defense for a year at the start of the Korean War, and then chairman of the American Battle Monuments Commission and president of the American National Red Cross. His career remains one of the greatest examples of post-military service in our history.
Veterans belong to civic groups and attend neighborhood meetings, often assuming leadership roles. Furthermore, 48 percent of them vote in elections regularly, 16 percent more than nonveterans.
Veterans are now more than four times as likely as nonveterans to work for the federal government and 10 percent more likely than nonveterans to work for state and local governments. Although preferential treatment for veterans is certainly a factor, many former military members see government employment as a means of continuing to serve the nation.
And to support them, numerous nonprofit organizations help veterans to apply their energy to community and societal issues—The Mission Continues, Teach For America, Got Your Six, and others.
So while America certainly has obligations to its veterans, it seems as though veterans—without anyone telling or ordering them to do so—have gravitated toward continued service to their country, or community.
I’d like to mention in particular one type of community service that veterans are happy to provide to their country, and that’s the outreach and support to fellow veterans. Veterans have a special place in their heart for fellow vets and are also usually more effective in veteran support since they have walked in those boots. Nothing could be more important.
Veterans Day is a special day where we pause to celebrate those who have served, and in many cases continue to serve, our great country. For me, I’ll be thinking about those who raised their right hands and took the oath of allegiance to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” with oftentimes little knowledge of what that entailed.
------------------- Lt. Gen. Thomas W. Spoehr, U.S. Army (Ret.), is a director for the Center for National Defense at The Heritage Foundation. Tags:Why, Celebrate Veterans Day, Thomas Spoehr, Lt. General, Heritage Foundation, The Daily SignalTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
by John C. Velisek, Contributing Author: America, this country of many different parts, and different blended cultures is in trouble. A good part of our citizens and insular, shut off from a country of which they have no thoughts of exceptionalism, and unique in history.
Having an older, more mature outlook on my country, I have seen changes in our culture, our education, even in areas considered in my youth to be resistant to change. There are many in past generations that have no worth of a society that has stood the test of time since our founders. These are the areas where I have seen the most change.
The religions of the world have always been a stalwart against the culture denigrating to the point it has. The United States was founded as a Christian nation, the laws, history, and heritage of this country has been based on laws derived from the major religions found in the people who immigrated here. Aided by common law from the ruling class in England has fortified those beliefs. I appears to me that all facets of society today (media, academics, etc.) have aligned themselves with one another to argue the historical foundations and premises that our community has been based on. Personal decency is considered a relic from the past, and responsibility is something some people will undertake only when there is no one else to blame. Since our founding, Christian values and ideals have formed this nation. And although not perfect, has led to progress unknown in any nation before. It has given us unsurpassed Liberty and a society where anyone can succeed if willing to apply themselves.
We have devolved into a culture where some people want to be victims, blaming others for the shortfalls and lack of progress in individual lives. There are no longer ideals on which to to focus , the foundation of individualism being a factor in ones life is considered passé. It does not take a village to raise a child, it takes a loving mother and father, and a set of rules that are understandable to a child, and followed by the parents as well.
Based on a Judeo-Christian ethic for many generations, American culture was one of individual responsibility. Today, people, through coercion of government and media, have been separated into groups. More tribal than in the past, it leads to mistrust of all those around you, family, friends, and a deep animosity towards those you have never met, leading to working all day, sitting in front of the TV watching mind numbing shows, with the only thought being going to work the next day. This is not the way it was supposed to be. The country was to apply Christian principles to a community, to work together, and to have the basis of understanding one another.
Multiculturalism has failed. This is an exceptional country, those saying differently notwithstanding. In all areas we have always been a leader of the world, compassionate, and working within the confines of our beliefs. We have led the world in comfort, and freedom for our citizens. For some reason, this has changed. We spend all our time now apologizing for our past, and working towards humanizing those that would do us harm. Is the country perfect. No, and it never will be.
Our institutions, the cultural basis of our country have been battered by those who see no difference between our way of life and others. Assimilation is frowned upon, and it seems to be many elites are embarrassed by the wealth and power that our country has accumulated because of the beliefs that, until recently have been the basis for our progress. We have socialism on the media, in the universities, and it is gaining wide acceptance among some our people. Many now consider capitalism a long worn relic to be disposed of as soon as possible. Thinking that socialism will solve all our ills, not realizing that every time it has been tried, the citizens have suffered. You are locked into a way of life where the government decides everything, and you can do nothing, go nowhere, or have any thoughts of your own. In my twenty years in the military, I have had a close up look of socialism. I will definitely say socialism is not a system I would prefer to live under. For those that are pushing a soviet style socialism in our schools and media, I suggest you live there for two years, and experience what it is really like.
This country was founded on the principles of a Christian community. There are those that feel they know better, and will do the best they can to dismantle the underlying principles that we all shared at one time. They will divide us with entitlements, and regulations that force these groups into conflict. That is the soviet template, to collapse our ideals, morals, individualism, and sense of community. The time to stop it is now, and we, the citizens, need to take back our country from those that wish to defeat it.
------------ John C. Velisek, retired Navy, is a California conservative activist writing articles for various publication and is a contributing author to the ARRA News Service. You can follow John's work on @sjspecialist on Twitter and One Patriots Opinion on Facebook. Tags:John C. Velisek, socialism, Progressive Socialism, Make America Great Again, To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
by Norm Beznoska Jr., Contributing Author : It Is You, America’s Veterans, whom we salute and honor this Veterans Day (and every day), for your patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. It Is You, who proudly wore and wear, the uniform of the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard. It Is You who left the safety and comfort of your homes to defend our homeland.
It Is You, America’s doughboys, who fought in the bloody trenches of Belleau Wood and Meuse Argonne, and flew the ‘wood-and-wire’ planes of the Lafayette Escadrille WWI in 1917.
It Is You, Sailors and Marines and 1,100 hundred shipmates, who awoke that morning on December 7,1941, aboard the Battleship USS Arizona manning your battle stations, fighting the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor in WW II. And, you still man your battle stations today aboard the USS Arizona, beneath the waters of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
It Is You, Coastguardsmen, who protected our coasts and naval convoys from U-boat attacks in WWII.
It Is You, Army and Marine battling bas***ds of Bataan and Corregidor, who stopped the Japanese advance for three months, before being captured and tortured in the infamous ‘Bataan Death March’. It Is You, Navy and Army pilots, who sank the Japanese fleet in the Battle of Midway. It is You Soldiers and Marines, who stormed the beaches of Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. It Is You Navy gunners who shot down Kamikaze suicide plane attacks against the Pacific Fleet. It Is You Air Force pilots and crew, who bombed Japan into submission, ending WWII in the Pacific.
It Is You, Soldiers, driving Patton’s tanks, beating back Rommel’s Panzers in North Africa, Italy and France. It is You, Air Force crews who flew bombing missions all over Europe in WWII. It Is You, soldiers and paratroopers, who hit the beaches of Africa, Italy; and Normandy, France; and fought the Battle of the Bulge to help end WWII in Europe.
It is You, Soldiers and Marines, who fought to save South Korea from North Korean Communist invaders in 1950; and who landed at Inchon, to recapture South Korea. It Is You, the “Chosin Few”, who fought a million Chinese Communist invaders at the Chosin Reservoir, in North Korea. It Is You, Navy and Air Force pilots, who fought Communist MIG jet planes over Korea in 1952-53.
It Is You, Soldiers of the First Air Cavalry, who repelled North Vietnamese troops in 1965 in the Ie Drang Valley, first major battle of the Vietnam War. It Is You Marines and Soldiers, who fought the Tet Offensive to recapture Hue, South Vietnam. It Is You, Air Force and Navy pilots who flew thousands of missions for eight years over North Vietnam. And It Is You, 573 American POWs, who spent years of torture in captivity at the “Hanoi Hilton” prison in North Vietnam until 1973.
It is You, Soldiers and Marines, in 1983, who saved 1,000 US students on the Island of Grenada from Cuban communist troops. It is You, Soldiers, Marines, and Navy SEALS in the Persian Gulf War in 1991, who rescued Kuwait from Saddam Hussein and Iraq’s invasion. In 2001, It Is You, Soldiers, Marines, and Navy SEALS in Operation Enduring Freedom, who fought Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda Islamic terrorists in Afghanistan.
It Is You, Soldiers, Marines, Air Force and Navy pilots and SEALS in Operation Iraqi Freedom who deposed Iraq’s dictator, Saddam Hussein in 2003. And, It Is You, Navy SEAL Team 6, who on May 2, 2011, killed Osama Bin Laden, the Islamic terrorist leader and 911 murderer.
It Is You, Veterans, America’s finest, who still stand guard 24x7, fighting to protect us from terrorist enemies the world over. And, It Is WE AMERICAN VETERANS, who would gladly serve our country once again; never bowing to a foreign prince and never apologizing for America. And never, ever, leaving four American hostages (Iraq War Veteran Marine Sgt.Amir Hekmati; Christian Pastor Saeed Abedini; Washington Post Journalist Jason Rezaian; and ex-FBI agent Robert Levinson) behind by a feckless president, to be tortured for years in Iran.
HAPPY VETERANS DAY and GOD BLESS YOU ALL, MY BROTHERS and SISTERS WHO SERVED!
--------------------------- Norm Beznoska Jr., aka Navyman Norm, is a US Navy Veteran and contributing author to the ARRA News Service. Tags:American Veterans, It is you, Veterans Day, 2016, Norm BeznoskaTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
Today, I recall my fellow comrades, alive and dead. I had the pleasure of serving for 22 Years in the Air Force. I served 5 years enlisted. I was a SSgt when I was commissioned as an officer and retired as a Major. I served in numerous locations in the U.S., Asia and Europe. For 3 of those years, I was on a joint assignment with the U.S. Army as a senior DOD instructor in acquisitions. I met and instructed members of all the services. My final assignment was a Director of the European F-16 Co-production program in Europe (CASEUR) working with the civilians and the military members from the U.S., Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway. After retiring, I had the pleasure of both meeting and teaching active duty members of all the services on their bases and posts.
Today, I honor the services of my two fathers and my father-in-law who served in WWII and Korea, and of my son, Brian, who served as an Air Force officer and now works as a civilian with the USAF.
While this is a day to remember veterans, I also reflect on the service of my wife and other spouses who were affected by and supported the veterans during their time in the military. I honor all the Mothers and Fathers who raised sons and daughters who were willing to serve and for many to pay the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
God Bless the men and women who are or have honorably served in the United States of America military.
---------------- Tags:Veterans Day, military, November 11, 2016, Bill Smith, ARRA News Service, Bill SmithTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
Liberal democrat millennial protesters seem to have a problem with democracy when election don’t turn out their way and Donald Trump is elected President of the United States.
Tags:editorial cartoon, AF Branco, Angry White Liberals, democrats, millennial protesters, problem with democracy, election, Donald Trump To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
Will Companies Like Dell Help Make America Great Again?
by Tom Balek, Contributing Author: If there is one slogan that really resonated with Americans in the election, it was this: "Let's make America great again."Donald Trump was elected because voters don't feel the pride and confidence in our nation that we once did. Our economy is stagnant at best, our middle class is dwindling, and real wages haven't improved in decades. Our political leaders in recent years seem to care more about the well-being of people in other nations than our own. We know we can do better, because we've done it before. But we can't expect the President to wave a magic wand and restore our greatness on his own.
A couple of months ago my computer assumed room temperature - dead as a doornail, without so much as a blink or a beep. I am highly dependent on my computer, so I immediately got on Dell's website, found the system I wanted on sale, and clicked on "add to cart". The order errored out, igniting an ordeal that consumed the rest of the day on Dell chat screens and phones with a series of Indian customer service people who kept saying "It" won't let them do this or that.
Finally, an Indian supervisor got my order placed and confirmed by email, to be shipped in seven to ten days.
I will spare you the sordid intermediate details, but after six weeks I got a phone call from another Indian Dell representative who spoke with such a heavy accent that I could barely understand him. He told me "It" says my order had been cancelled and I will have to reorder. "It" can't tell him what happened. "It" doesn't know when or whether a new order would be filled. No apology. No alternative. Just start over and hope for better results than last time.
I gave up and ordered a Lenovo with the same specifications. My computer arrived in two days in perfect order and cost about a hundred bucks less.
Because I had tried to buy a Dell computer, I have been receiving a dozen targeted Dell ads every day. Today I commented on a Facebook ad that readers should avoid buying a Dell computer for Christmas, citing the horrible experience I had been through. My post received an immediate response from an Indian Dell employee who wrote in broken English that Dell is so sorry, but they just can't keep up with the crushing demand for their wonderful products. A flurry of back and forth posts followed. Dell didn't give a rip about me when I was trying to get my order, but they sure were concerned about me when I posted my bad experience on social media.
There was a time when Dell was a proud, strong American innovator, manufacturer, employer, and retailer. Now it is an international company, manufacturing and selling its products all over the world. But most of its computers are still bought by American companies and consumers.
I'm not so naïve as to think that we can or should suppress global trade. I just hate to see what has happened to our American companies. American consumers are too often reduced to dealing with poorly-trained and inarticulate foreign employees who either work in offshore call-centers or were imported to the USA with H1B visas, whose authority is restricted to what "It" displays on their screens. Meanwhile our own American-born skilled customer service people work two part-time convenience store jobs for $8 an hour. Dell may be bigger than it was, but it is not better. It's not a better corporate citizen, and it's not a better sales organization. Dell was once a smart and proud group of high-achieving Americans. Now Dell is an "It".
Not all American companies have sunk to this level of cold, multi-national mediocrity. In addition to Lenovo, I have received over-the-top customer service recently from the Carolina Panthers, Chamberlain Garage Door group, State Farm Insurance, and many others. But it seems for every Chick Filet there is a Wells Fargo.
Our president-elect promises to protect domestic jobs by welcoming American companies back to our shores with lower corporate tax rates and free repatriation of profits from foreign operations. And he wants to take a fresh look at trade policies that have pushed investment and employment out of our country.
If we are going to "Make America Great Again" we can't expect our president to do it alone. We citizens will have to step up our games. And our American companies need to get on board.
--------------- Tom Balek is a fellow conservative activist, blogger, musician and contributes to the ARRA News Service. Tom resides in South Carolina and seeks to educate those too busy with their work and families to notice how close to the precipice our economy has come. He blogs at Rockin' On the Right Side Tags:Tom Balek, Rockin' On The Right Side, Will Companies, Dell, Make America Great AgainTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
Trump/Pence In D.C., About That Performance, Lots Of Egg, Fringe Freak Out
Trump / Pence Come To Washington
by Gary Bauer, Contributing Author: Trump/Pence Come To Washington - President-elect Donald Trump is in Washington today. He met with President Obama at the White House this morning to discuss an orderly transition of power. As some in the media have noted, this meeting will undoubtedly be "one of the most humbling moments of Obama's presidency."
This afternoon, President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Pence met with Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Yesterday, Ryan issued a very gracious statement, promising to work hand-in-hand next year with President Trump.
Ryan noted that Trump "turned politics on its head" and he credited Trump for providing "a lot of coattails" that pulled several GOP candidates "over the finish line."
Trump's strong performance in key states limited GOP losses and enabled the party to maintain control of Congress, which will be especially important when it comes to confirming President Trump's Supreme Court nominee next year. The GOP is in its strongest position in Washington, D.C., since the 1920s.
About That Performance - Donald Trump won a historic victory Tuesday. It appears he will win the Electoral College vote 306 to 232. He did it by carrying states that haven't voted Republican in decades.
Iowa -- While George W. Bush carried Iowa in 2004, the state had voted Democrat in six of the previous seven elections.
Michigan had not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 1988.
Pennsylvania had not voted Republican since 1988.
Wisconsin had not voted Republican since Ronald Reagan's 1984 landslide.
The emerging consensus is that Hillary Clinton failed to energize the Obama coalition and underperformed with younger and minority voters. That is true to a point.
But in Florida, Clinton actually outperformed Obama. According to one analysis, Clinton won about 250,000 more votes than Obama won in 2012. Thankfully, Trump won 120,000 more votes than Clinton. And he outperformed Mitt Romney by more than 440,000 votes in the Sunshine State!
Lots Of Egg - There is not enough space to go through all the people who have egg on their faces following Tuesday's historic election. But let's try to name a few of the worst offenders.
The Media. The left-wing media plumbed new depths of outrageous bias this year. In many cases, so-called journalists publicly justified their blatant contempt for Donald Trump and his supporters. If they had any integrity, which they obviously do not, they would all resign immediately.
The Pollsters & Prognosticators -- All of the polls were wrong. As were professional political scientists like the University of Virginia's Larry Sabato. Three days ago, Professor Sabato's pre-election "Crystal Ball" predicted a Clinton landslide in the Electoral College of 322 to 216. It seems his crystal ball blew a fuse. Yesterday, Sabato apologized, saying, "This is bigger than 'Dewey defeats Truman.'"
The Pundits -- Two weeks before the election, Karl Rove said Trump needed "an inside straight," adding, "I don't see it happening." On Election Day, Republican consultant Anna Navarro said on CNN, "I can assure you that Donald Trump will get historic low numbers among Latinos. It's going to be probably in the teens, if he breaks 20%. . . It will be sweet, sweet justice. . . if tonight it was the Latino vote that defeated Donald Trump." According to the exit polls, Trump won 29% of the Hispanic vote, more than Mitt Romney.
GOP Elites -- Just after 4:00 PM on Election Day, Senator Lindsey Graham tweeted that he wanted Egg McMuffin. Whoops. No, that would have been preferable. Instead, Graham tweeted, "I voted @Evan_McMullin for President." A spokesman for George W. and Laura Bush said that they did not vote for Trump or Clinton or anyone else for president. And let's not forget the 2012 GOP Autopsy, which contained several recommendations for how the party needed to moderate in order to win. Wrong.
Finally, some of the most prominent conservative journals were quick to embrace the #NeverTrump mantra probably because so many of their writers live, work and socialize inside the D.C. Beltway. They spent months telling us that you can't buck demographic trends. But what I don't get is why so many on our side are embracing policies -- such as left-wing immigration policies -- that exacerbate those trends.
Perhaps the most disappointing person in this category is George Will. He quit the Republican Party this summer after Trump won the nomination. A week before the election, Will said on ABC that he hoped for a Clinton landslide so the GOP could free itself from the influence of conservative talk radio. I don't understand how Will thinks it would help the party to abandon one of its biggest allies, much less lose the Supreme Court for a generation.
Left-wing Fringe Freaks Out - The radical left-wing fringe is freaking out, refusing to accept the results of the election. #NotMyPresident is trending on Twitter. Tolerant leftists are burning flags and even rioting.
You can tell we won because suddenly there is a chorus of the media and Washington insiders lecturing us about how important it is for us to reach out to our defeated foes.
I just did a TV interview with the BBC. The first question was, "What would you say to the outraged people demonstrating in dozens of U.S. cities against Donald Trump? What do you want to tell them this morning?" I responded, "I would tell them 'You lost.'"
I wasn't being flippant. Talk about unity and burying the hatchet never happens when the left wins a sweeping victory. In fact, Obama's message to congressional Republicans was "I won."
When Obama briefly had all branches of government, he rammed Obamacare down our throats. Nobody was telling him it was ill-advised. No one was saying he had an obligation to reach out to people in Middle America, which he described as "bitter" and "clinging to their guns and Bibles."
Thankfully, this country believes in the peaceful transfer of power. But on almost every fundamental issue facing the nation today, there are deep divisions between the left and the right.
I understand the need to sound magnanimous in victory. But we should not hesitate to use the advantage we have to preserve religious liberty, extend the protections of the Constitution to unborn children, revamp our military and stop the left's radical social engineering.
The reaching out we should do is to convince those Hillary voters who may be persuadable that they will be better off joining us and our agenda. It is not our responsibility to water down our agenda so that spoiled college kids and radical fringe activists don't feel "triggered."
------------- Gary Bauer is a conservative family values advocate and serves as president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families Tags:Gary Bauer, Campaign for Working Families, Trump, Pence, In D.C., About That Performance, Lots Of Egg, Fringe Freak OutTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
And why are governments throughout the United States giving Google so much money?
10 Corporations Receiving Massive Public Subsidies From Taxpayers: “Google: $632,044,922. Besides Intel, Google is the top tech company that receives government subsidies, picking up more than $630 million from states like Oregon, North Carolina and a few others. What does a multi-billion dollar company that controls the majority of the world’s Internet need with more than $630 million in government subsidies, you ask? Well, you know, for things like property taxes and training reimbursements. What, do you all think that money just grows on trees?! Also, don’t even think about googling “Google government subsidies” because THEY WILL KNOW ABOUT IT.”
A main area for which Google gets government coin – is when Google is pretending to be an Internet Service Provider (ISP). Behold the non-free market “free market” Google Fiber.
And despite all the government money – Google oft isn’t a very good corporate citizen. In all manner of ways.
Customers Running Out of Patience with Google Fiber Drilling Mishaps: “‘I don’t think it’s fair. I think Google has a responsibility to compensate if there are losses, that would be my position. That if there’s damage to property or possibly even to businesses – such as Swetts and others – that they should be compensated for that,’ says (Nashville, Tennessee) Metro Councilmen, Ed Kendall.”
Google’s ongoing, incessant claim – is that Google Fiber will connect the unconnected. That the poor would finally be logged on and logged in. It seems to be all these governments’ primary justification for giving so much coin to the Behemoth.
Google Fiber Build Exacerbates Digital Divide: “Google Fiber…may fuel a digital divide by only upgrading select residents in certain cities. That said, the article claims that Google Fiber’s ability to deploy fiber to just select locations helped save them 20% over traditional builds like Verizon’s FiOS.”
Get that? Google gets millions of dollars from governments – for a Fiber plan that intentionally skips out on poor neighborhoods. To save a buck.
Exacerbating the digital divide. By taking government money intended to bridge it – and then not bridging it.
In case it hasn’t occurred to Google (and believe me, it has) – this is exactly why there is a digital divide. Because it costs more to connect neighborhoods who can’t afford the service you’re building out. Companies like Verizon – who build out to them – certainly know this.
Google bragging that it saved coin by skipping the poorest – ain’t exactly optimal.
Google skipping the poorest – after taking millions in government coin intended to connect the poorest – ain’t anything but obnoxious.
---------------- Seton Motley is the President of Less Government and he contributes to ARRA News Service. Please feel free to follow him him on Twitter / Facebook. Tags:Seton Motley, Less Government, Google, Fiber, Cashing Government Checks, Bypassing, Poor NeighborhoodsTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
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