On The Right Side

by Tom Sears

  As Elena’s father said, “I don’t have to go to the museum. I have the Chernobyl

  experience inside me.”

  In The Middle East, Israel Isn’t The Bully

  Can you believe the audacity of those Israelis? They actually think they have the right to protect their citizens from repeated attacks from Hezbollah and Hamas terrorist thugs and cowards.

  Can you believe they actually have the nerve to act in their long-term strategic interests (survival), rather than pay attention to public opinion polls?

  Several things should be clarified. First, Israel has never initiated aggressive action against her neighbors. On the other hand, its Arab neighbors have initiated five wars against Israel and lost each one decisively.

  Yes, Israel kept lands captured as a result of the war. That’s what the winner of

  a conflict usually does, especially if it wasn’t the one who initiated the aggression. The Golan Heights, in particular, were critical in protecting Israel from further attacks. Twice this area was used by the Syrians to set up military fortifications to shell Israeli villages.

  I have no idea why these captured lands should ever be given up. Do you really think Israel’s Arab neighbors, especially the Syrians, can be trusted after five wars? Remember, it was Arab actions that caused the loss of these lands.

  Second, let’s make geographic comparisons. It should be obvious when you look at a regional map but here are some statistics. Israel is slightly smaller than New Jersey, with approximately 8,100 square miles and a population of 6,352,117.

  On the other hand, its neighbors, Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon, have a total area of 501,705 square miles and a total population of 90,548,115. Throw in Iran, another avowed enemy of Israel, and you add an additional area of 642,720 square miles and another 68,688,433 people.

  Yes sir, those Israelis sure are bullies. If you can’t see why Israel is a little nervous about protecting its citizens and can’t understand why they lash out aggressively when attacked, then you will never be convinced of anything factual.

  Now let’s look at the latest aggression begun by Hezbollah. I think the terrorists are rethinking the intelligence of their latest attack. I can hear a giant “oops” coming from them. Those on the left say Israel’s response has been “disproportionate.” How can anyone look at the above statistics and claim that?

  The Israelis’ actions are entirely appropriate and, if anything, they have under- responded to date. They will not have responded appropriately until Hezbollah is totally disarmed and fatally crippled strength-wise.

  An acceptance of a ceasefire on the part of Israel would also be a huge mistake. It will only give the terrorists time to allow their sponsor nations, Iran and Syria, to rearm them. An effective cease fire will be when Hezbollah has been wiped out.

  Also, if I were Iran or Syria, I would be getting a little nervous about the future.

  I think Israel’s tolerance of those terrorist sponsoring countries is wearing thin.

  Next, let’s look at the “civilian” casualties. Other than the children, I am impressed that the Lebanon health organizations can so easily identify who is a civilian and who isn’t. If it were possible to do this, they would be able to identify which man or woman would be the next to strap a bomb around themselves in order to kill as many innocent Israeli citizens as possible.

  Wouldn’t it be nice if these “innocent” Lebanese would take it upon themselves to take care of the terrorists cowardly hiding among them. As scary as that decision seems, what is the alternative? Either you take a stand against the terrorists or do nothing and let your children die. It’s a seemingly no-win situation. You know as well as anyone the Israelis do not intentionally target innocent civilians.

  Finally, the loss of innocent lives should be addressed. Every single life is precious from its beginning (that’s delivery date minus 9 months) to the very end. And the responsibility for every life lost as a result of this latest conflict falls squarely on the shoulders of Hezbollah.

  It’s an abomination for the terrorists to hide behind innocent civilians. What is

  Israel to do? Pictures taken clearly showed rockets being repeatedly fired by Hezbollah from near that building in Qana. Hezbollah knew with certainty who was in that building. How was Israel to know? Lebanese citizens have to take it upon themselves so that this is not allowed to happen in the future.

  I’m really getting tired to hear the leftist elites calling for war crimes against Israel and the United States. Why don’t these same people rise up in protest of terrorist acts? The terrorist acts are much more barbaric and pre-planned.

  Remember the beheadings, the assassinations, the mutilations of people. I find it hard to understand why the most vocal groups against the U.S. and Israel don’t show the same disgust with terrorist acts. Some people would call that hypocritical.

  Terror Plot Reminds Us Of Dangers

  Thank heavens for the latest terrorist attempt at mass murder. Why? Plenty of reasons.

  First, it has reminded us once again that there is a serious war for survival going on. Many have forgotten the horrors of 9/11 and have to be constantly reminded that the threat is not gone. Hopefully, it will give even less credibility to the kooks who claim 9/11 was a government conspiracy. I’m surprised these idiots never came up with the theory that the pictures were computer generated; and the World Trade Center Towers are really still there, the vast open space being just a grand illusion created by some famous magician.

  Second, the event has shown us how treasonous the media can be, with The New York Times being the leader. It has already exposed two government programs that secretly (and legally) monitor terrorist conversations and track their financial activities. It is these kinds of legal strategies that are protecting us. Even with this effort by the Times to derail the Bush anti-terrorist programs, these programs, with the cooperation of Britain and Pakistan, uncovered and prevented this latest massive terrorist attempt at mass murder. Hopefully, the Times will fall even further in credibility and continue to have rapidly decreasing readership numbers.

  Third, it has temporarily silenced the Hollywood bubbleheads who constantly blame the Bush administration for everything. They don’t know what to say when a plot is successfully thwarted, proving the terrorist threat is real and our prevention strategies are working. Barbra Streisand’s web site, a perfect example why she should stick to singing and not comment on things political, is strangely silent. Also, it’s so nice not to hear the shrill whining coming from the likes of Alec Baldwin, Michael Moore, Susan Sarandon, Timothy Robbins, Martin Sheen, Sean Penn, George Clooney, ad nauseam. They will eventually realize that they are eye candy or there to entertain us, nothing more.

  Fourth, I really don’t care that the Muslim community is offended when President Bush uses the term “Islamic fascists” to describe these fanatics. They are claiming that this will only inflame anti-Muslim tensions. Well, why don’t they themselves do something about it? I haven’t heard of any Muslim community leaders coming out and strongly condemning these animals. Overseas, I don’t see any Muslim group doing anything to prevent these terrorists from hijacking their religion. Are you really a responsible parent when you allow these evil people to live and operate within your communities, using your children as shields, as is being done in Lebanon? Where is the outrage? I guess the term fascism, when referring to dictatorship, oppression, and racism is a pretty accurate term. Live with it, or give me a reason to think otherwise.

  Fifth, and finally, due to space constraints, is what the Democrats are doing to themselves in regards to their anti-terror strategies. Their rejection of Sen. Joe Lieberman in favor of some no-name rich political neophyte is a disgrace. It proves the radical left wing of their party is taking over. I loved the picture of Ned Lamont surrounded by Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Michael Moore. How do these guys find the cameras so often? I’m surprised Cindy Sheehan wasn’t with them. She loves a good photo op whenever she can get one
. Regardless, that picture is going to get plenty of airtime from the Republicans during the political races this fall. I can’t wait for the campaign season to begin.

  Joe Lieberman is an honest, moral man who puts America over politics and votes his conscience. Even though he voted with his party 90 percent of the time, that wasn’t good enough for the flakes like Howard Dean. I am so happy to see that Lieberman isn’t giving up and has vowed to run as an Independent. I am betting he will win the race for Senator, as well he should.

  If the Democrats think they are going to win with their “bring the troops home now” strategy, they are sadly mistaken. Already they are accusing the Republicans of using this latest terror incident for political gain. Good for the Republicans. It will come down to the choice of which party has been and will continue to be tough on terror and continue to make our country as safe as possible. Actually, it’s a pretty easy choice.

  So congratulations Mr. President, the FBI, CIA, NSA and all the Homeland Security agencies on another successful job of thwarting this last terror attempt, as well as the numerous other ones we don’t know about. The silence from the left in refusing to acknowledge these successful strategies only shames them. The fact that they can’t show any instances where anyone’s civil rights have been violated must irk them terribly.

  Oh Yeah, be very careful Syria and Iran.

  Switching To A Fair Tax Helps Us All

  There is a bill in Congress right now called The Fair Tax Bill (H.R. 25) that was initially introduced in Congress in 1999 by Congressman John Linder, Republican from the state of Georgia (it is S.25, Fair Tax Act of 2005 in the Senate). It is finally getting some serious attention, and in the last Congress it had 54 co-sponsers. It is hoped that it will be an important issue in the upcoming 2006 elections.

  The bill’s contents are more than intriguing. It starts out with the statement that it will replace our present personal and corporation income taxes with a national consumption tax. I know that sounds pretty dramatic, but give me a little of your time to cover the basic principles.

  First of all, corporations pay no taxes anyway. I know it would make us feel good to tax corporations more and more, but we are the ones who eventually pay the tab.

  The flat tax rate would be set at 22 or 23 percent. Remember, this is not in addition to the income tax, it totally replaces it. That means no federal tax withholdings as well as no withholdings for Social Security or Medicare. No estate tax, gift tax, or self employment tax either. All these costs are factored into the 22 percent rate. You would get to keep 100 percent of what you earn.

  If you think the 23 percent consumption tax rate is too high, there was a study done by a Harvard professor a few years back showing that the tax embedded in all goods and services amounted to an average of 22 percent of those goods or services purchased.

  Actually, depending on the product or service, the range of embedded taxes was from 15 percent to 26 percent. An embedded tax is a tax paid by the string of companies that have something to do with the product you eventually acquire.

  The taxes these companies pay are simply passed on to the next consumer, with the total of these taxes embedded in the final price. In the end, the final consumer pays all the taxes paid by businesses. If you think corporations won’t reduce the price of their products by their tax savings, competition will do it for them.

  Look at some of the advantages. First, the complexities of the present Internal Revenue Code and Regulations are completely gone. As a matter of fact IRS would be eliminated.

  Second, savings and investing are encouraged. Can you imagine keeping 100 percent of your interest and dividend earnings. These savings, after investing them, will provide a significant fueling for economic expansion and job creation.

  Third, think of all the money presently being kept off shore for tax avoidance reasons. A Merrill Lynch consulting study done in 2000 estimated that a third of the wealth of the highest net worth individuals is held offshore. This one-third is estimated to total $11 trillion! Since the applicable tax rate on such funds will now be zero, this money will be kept onshore.

  Fourth, what about the underground economy? Since this exists solely to avoid income taxes, there would be no logic for continuing this practice.

  Fifth, with businesses no longer saddled with high employment taxes, there is the possibility that the present actions of job outsourcing would be significantly reduced and possibly even reversed. There would no longer be any reason to locate in overseas countries that provide favorable tax treatment to corporations.

  Sixth, look at how competitive our products will be in overseas markets once that previously embedded tax rate has been removed. In order for foreign companies to receive the same benefits, they would have to establish a presence in the United States. Translation, more job creation.

  There are many more justifications for the Fair Tax, but I want to answer a question on everyone’s mind. What about the poor? Since the tax is applied on all new purchases, that means the poor will also pay on food, medicine and all other necessities.

  The congressman has addressed this issue with what he calls a prebate. The government would issue a check or electronically transfer 1/12th of the first amounts spent that represent the government’s calculated poverty level based on family size. It would be indexed for inflation every year.

  The book gives an example. If the poverty level is set at $25,660, 22 percent of that would be $5,902. This amount would be divided by 12 and ALL taxpayers would receive a monthly check of $492.

  I apologize for having to be so brief, but there is an excellent book for you to read that goes into much more detail and substantiation than I can in this column. The book is “The Fair Tax Book,” by Congressman John Linder and Neal Boortz. You should be able to get through it in one evening, and it will answer most, if not all, of your doubts, concerns and skepticism.

  Clinton, Bush Faced the Same Threat

  I was actually all set to write about the ways in which President Bush has strayed from

  the conservative values that got him elected but Monday’s 9/11 speech changed that.

  On that night the President gave a solemn, heart-felt speech that I hope resonated among the vast majority of Americans. He once again pointed out the seriousness of the terrorist threat still out there, terrorists rabidly wanting to destroy our way of life and value system.

  After 8 years of Clinton and his Cabinet’s weak, ineffective strategy, the responsibility fell into the lap of President Bush, and he acted with decisive action in the way of any good leader. The facts are strongly on Bush’s side.

  But for some reason, the extreme hatred for the president blinds the Democrats and their far left liberal leadership. Name me one time when the Democrats gave Bush credit for doing something positive, other than the war votes (which were politically beneficial), in the first six years of his Presidency.

  You can’t. Like the whiners they are, they still haven’t gotten over the fact that Bush legally, officially and even unofficially won the 2000 election over their inferior candidate, Al Gore.

  It’s sad that these facts have to be continually brought up. Our legal system worked just the way it should have, and the Democrats still won’t accept the decision. By a 7 to 2 vote, the Supreme Court ordered the Florida recount to be stopped due to a lack of a consistent standard being followed. Only Justices Stevens and Ginsberg (the ACLU’s poster girl) dissented. Then the court followed up with a 5 to 4 count that determined there was insufficient time for a recount in order to meet Florida’s deadline for certifying the state electors.

  Remember how the Democrats moaned and groaned, worrying who would replace Sandra Day O’Conner, the courts voice of reason and balance? She voted with the majority on both of the above votes. Oops, I guess she wasn’t reasoned and balanced that time. But supposedly the facts don’t count.

  Even when the unofficial recounts done by independent bodies declared that Bush’s margin of victory would have be
en larger if a recount had been taken, this didn’t matter to the Democrats. They still would prefer making up “facts” that suit their purposes.

  I will admit Democrats are good at it and are still trying. “Oil for Blood?” That’s

  a very cute saying but totally lacking in truth.

  “Karl Rove was responsible for the outing of CIA James Bond super agent Valerie Phlame?” I think the facts found differently. Democrats were so excited about seeing him leave the White House in handcuffs, they forgot to apologize for their stupidity.

  I will admit, Democrats almost succeeded with lies (oops, “facts”) two months before the 2004 elections when mysterious papers about Bush’s military service surfaced.

  Do you still believe those proven fraudulent papers weren’t created simply to ruin Bush’s chance for re-election? Once again, blind hatred prevented Democrats from seeing reality and they forgot to apologize once again.

  It was Kerry’s record that was questionable, but he refused to release his military records, so I guess Democrats expect us conservative Republicans to accept that version of the “facts.”

  Also, Democrats’ hypocrisy continues to know no bounds. In 1998 Clinton and the Dems went on record warning about the terrible danger of Saddam Hussein. I guess when Bush says it, it is a different story.

  Let’s see. When the dictator violated 16 UN resolutions, refused to let weapons inspectors oversee the destruction of weapons of mass destruction, is a man who has gassed his own people, invaded Kuwait and brutally murdered thousands of innocents, supported terror - these don’t count as facts.

  Even the 9/11 Commission report is being used to discredit Bush. However, the report said that there had been numerous contacts between Iraq and al-Qaeda but no confirmable cooperation.

  Liberals seem to forget that back in 1998, Clinton warned us about those same ties. But I keep forgetting your blind political leanings.