Allen West on growing up in Atlanta, and ladders versus hammocks
A first-term South Florida congressman may seem an odd headliner for one of the year’s biggest fund-raisers for Georgia Republicans. To understand, you have to know Allen West.
West grew up in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward and graduated from Grady High School before going on to college and a career in the Army. Last November, he was one of the first two black Republicans elected to Congress since 2000, and already he has become a crowd pleaser among conservatives and a lightning rod for the left.
His speech at Monday’s GOP dinner in downtown Atlanta upheld both reputations. West compared America’s journey to Homer’s “The Odyssey,” with the hero beset by the siren song of “hope and change,” twin monsters of debt and the deficit, and the Calypso-like complacency and dependency of the social-welfare state.
But earlier, West’s theme of “coming home” was personal as the 50-year-old played back-seat tour guide of his old stomping grounds.
He led a small party down Boulevard to his old elementary school at Our Lady of Lourds: “You grew up in the shadow of [Martin Luther King Jr.’s] gravesite.” Then down Auburn Avenue: “Look at all the closed-up stores. Once upon a time, this was the center of the black community.” And on to the Sweet Auburn Curb Market on Edgewood Avenue: “My dad was an awesome cook, and this was where we’d come get our fresh fruit and also fresh fish.”
But it was a bit farther north, past the Fort Street United Methodist Church that West’s family attended, where he had the car stop and got out.
Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., stands in front of his boyhood home on Atlanta's Kennesaw Avenue, March 21, 2011. (Photo by West's staff)
Kennesaw Avenue runs one way from Ponce de Leon to North Avenue, a pretty street you hardly notice whizzing down either of those thoroughfares. In 1959, Herman and Elizabeth West bought the brick home (price: $17,000) where young Allen lived until he left for the University of Tennessee.
He spoke fondly of the street where he played stickball for fun and mowed lawns for spending money. “This was a typical, nice, black lower-middle-class street,” he said. “Everyone knew each other and looked out for each other.”
West hasn’t repressed negative memories from that time. He pointed to a rock house across the street — “We used to call it the Flintstone House” — where drugs were sold. And down on Ponce, “We used to have prostitutes that would hang out, and my mom would come and chase them out. People think I’m bold, they should have met my mom.”
But he can explain why many people here aren’t as well off as before. “They have fallen into a trap of policies that say, we will provide you enough subsistence to exist by, but really they erode the access to opportunities that [people] have. …
“Conservatives believe that every child in America is born with a ladder. And that ladder is the one for the equal opportunity by which you can achieve whatever dreams or hopes you have. Conservatives believe you should have that safety net that will allow you not to crash, but we want you to climb back on that ladder.”
Instead, he said, “Liberal social-welfare policies provide a hammock.”
Back in the car, we were pulling away when West yelled “Stop!” and pointed to a home’s window — and a symbol of how attitudes have changed in his old neighborhood.
“That’s something you would have never seen when I was growing up: a freakin’ Che Guevara flag, on Kennesaw Avenue! That’s concerning. Aw, man.”
– By Kyle Wingfield
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75 comments Add your comment
saywhat?
March 25th, 2011
7:04 pm
FIRST!
saywhat?
March 25th, 2011
7:06 pm
He says ladder and safety net. From my point of view, Republican policies seem more to offer a greased pole and a bed of nails.
Rafe Hollister
March 25th, 2011
7:08 pm
We need more Congressman like Allen West and less like Anthony Weiner and John Lewis. Bring our those ladders, Congressman!
Joseph L Cooke
March 25th, 2011
7:12 pm
The sooner Col West is President, the better.
Rafe Hollister
March 25th, 2011
7:13 pm
saywhat
Republican policies seem more to offer a greased pole and a bed of nails.
Democrat policies seem more to offer crack cocaine and meth.
vuduchld
March 25th, 2011
8:46 pm
WHO CARES!! Most African-Americans have similar stories, they just don’t sell out thier people like this maggot has. He can jump off a Fourth Ward building for all I care!!
Ragnar Danneskjöld
March 25th, 2011
9:05 pm
The conservatives could do worse than putting Mr. West on the ticket in 2012 – bright guy, solid as a rock. Too bad the Constitution forbids a West-Rubio or Rubio-West ticket.
Welfare? No thank you!
March 25th, 2011
9:48 pm
vuduchild,
You are a typical welfare recipient. Mad about a black man that became successful and dares to think differently and not think the way Jessie Jackson tells him he’s supposed to think. You’re nothing more than a slave to government dependency.
Tommy Maddox
March 26th, 2011
12:27 am
saywhat? and vuduchild: do you have a problem with someone who came from downtown Atlanta and became successful by applying himself to accomplish ANYTHING or are you just a couple of barking bigots?
Michael H. Smith
March 26th, 2011
12:55 am
You’re nothing more than a slave to government dependency.
@ – Welfare? No thank you!
Socialist Liberals always chase after group members that they consider to be their property, as run-away slaves who dared to leave the Democrat Plantation. The solution used for “run-aways” remains the same as it was in the days of old: Capture them or kill them but let none go free to speak of liberty.
People like Herman Cain, Allen West, Nikki Haley, Marco Rubio scare the hell out of these socialist liberal Democrat Party masters, because they will incite all the others like them who are now living as slaves on the Democrat Plantation of government dependency to break free and speak of liberty.
Neal Boortz calls Chauncey DeVega a loyal slave, hunting down the runaway Herman Cain
Radio talk show host Neal Boortz came up with the analogy of the century (okay, the week) in describing “Chauncey DeVega’s” vile 0 Comments(calling him a minstrel and a monkey). Boortz says DeVega is acting as a loyal slave of the past, tracking down runaways like Cain for his white master, the Democrat Party.
I’ve used a similar analogy in the past by saying that I have freed myself from the ideological and political plantation of liberalism. I know a lot of other black people have done the same. More are doing it every day. We are not owned by anyone. We are free to learn, think and live on our own.
http://www.kennethdurden.com/2011/02/neal-boortz-calls-chauncey-devega-loyal.html
Michael H. Smith
March 26th, 2011
1:12 am
@ – Ragnar Danneskjöld
Too bad the Constitution forbids a West-Rubio or Rubio-West ticket.
Explain please? Both are U.S. Citizens by birthright.
Get Real (the original)
March 26th, 2011
1:51 am
vuduchld
Go take another hit off your crack pipe
saywhat?
March 26th, 2011
1:51 am
Tommy Maddox
March 26th, 2011
12:27 am
“saywhat? and vuduchild: do you have a problem with someone who came from downtown Atlanta and became successful by applying himself to accomplish ANYTHING or are you just a couple of barking bigots?”
I have no problem with anybody from anywhere applying themselves and becoming successful. It is exactly what I have done for myself and want for my children to do. I wish Allen West all the best, but I think the policies his political party promotes are a hindrance than a help to most people. But by all means, please point out the bigoted words in my posts so that I may avoid them in the future, lest I offend such sensitive souls as yourself.
Michael H. Smith
March 26th, 2011
2:21 am
HOME OF THE BRAVE AND LAND OF THE FREELOADERS ?
FREELOADERS: A John Stossel Fox News Special
[indent]
…Some of America’s biggest recipients of handouts are rich people. The biggest corporate freeloaders may be the biggest industrial corporation in the world: General Electric.
General Electric CEO Jeffrey R. Immelt is super-close to President Obama. The president named Immelt chairman of his Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. Before that, Immelt was on Obama’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board. He’s a regular companion when Obama travels abroad to hawk American exports. (Why does business need government to do that?)
I’ll also reveal some of my own freeloading. Federal flood insurance is a freebie for those of rich enough to have waterfront property, I collected on that. People like Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen take advantage of tax benefits that are supposed to help farmers.[/indent]
http://stossel.blogs.foxbusiness.com/2011/03/25/freeloaders-a-john-stossel-fox-news-special-10pm-et-this-friday/
Michael H. Smith
March 26th, 2011
2:28 am
HOME OF THE BRAVE AND LAND OF THE FREELOADERS
Freeloading Doesn’t Help the Freeloaders
by John Stossel
No group has been more “helped” by the American government than American Indians. Yet no group in America does worse.
Almost a quarter of Native Americans live in poverty. 66 percent are born to single mothers. They have short life spans. Indian activists say the solution is -surprise- more money from the government. But Washington already spends about $13 billion on programs for Indians every year.
There are special programs in 20 different Departments and Agencies: Empowering Tribal Nations Initiative, Advancing Nation to Nation Relationships, Protecting Indian Country, Improving Trust Land Management, New Energy Frontier Initiative, Climate Change Adaptation Initiative, Construction, Improving Trust Management, Tribal Priority Allocations, Resolving Land and Water Claims, Indian Land Consolidation Program. This is just a partial list.
…The political class doesn’t understand that its independence, not government management, that allows people to prosper. Congressman Mike McIntyre (D-NC) is pushing a bill called the Lumbee Recognition Act. This bill would give the Lumbees the same “help” that other tribes get. That would give the Lumbees about $80 million a year.
“We shouldn’t take it!” says Lumbee Ben Chavis, another successful businessman. Chavis says not getting any handouts is what makes his tribe successful, and if the federal money starts coming, members of his tribe “are going to become welfare cases. Its going to stifle creativity. We don’t need the government giving us handouts.”
http://stossel.blogs.foxbusiness.com/2011/03/25/freeloading-doesnt-help-the-freeloaders/#ixzz1HgUaKuw8
the mehlman rings twice
March 26th, 2011
4:09 am
Um, Mr. West. Many conservatives long to be Neil Bush; special enough to “earn” a position as a 30 year old S&L president; born not with a ladder but with a Sugar Daddy, to bail them out of the consequences of their illegal activities.
Buzz G
March 26th, 2011
7:32 am
Democrats everywhere are in panic mode. Without the black vote, the Democratic party will cease to exist. Mr. West should plan on being attacked relentlessly. You can tell who liberals fear by the ferocity of their attack.
But Democrats need not fear. Their welfare trap has ruined the black family and has made American blacks ultra-dependent on government handouts. Mr. West is still an anomaly.
@@
March 26th, 2011
8:05 am
Back in the car, we were pulling away when West yelled “Stop!” and pointed to a home’s window — and a symbol of how attitudes have changed in his old neighborhood.
“That’s something you would have never seen when I was growing up: a freakin’ Che Guevara flag, on Kennesaw Avenue! That’s concerning. Aw, man.”
Loved it!!!!
Che Guevara, the left’s romanticized “man of the people” who was later revealed to be a violent beast.
Only the left-wing sheeple would think it wise to invite that wolf to dinner.
Bookman thinks West is a bigot. In a leftist’s “mind” everyone BUT they, are bigots, when, in fact, the opposite is true.
marko
March 26th, 2011
8:28 am
A majority of black people, in America, tend to be socially conservative. It stands to reason that many would feel at home in the Republican party. It hasn’t happened because because so many current members of the Republican party are blatantly racist. The question seems to be how can you welcome blacks into your private little club without offending Billy Bob. Lord knows it won’t be easy, but convince Billy Bob that black’s the new white, and Persuade black people that separate is better than equal. By this I mean You’re going to let them join your country club and move into your gated communities. I will not underestimate the difficulty of your dilemma, but consider the benefits. Join forces and you can abolish evolution, end abortion, Declare America a Christian nation, eliminate regulations, outlaw gay marriage, marriage hell outlaw gays altogether, Stand united against the Mexican menace, and institute a total ban on common sense. The possibilities stager the imagination. Come on guy’s you can do this.
carlosgvv
March 26th, 2011
8:36 am
“that safety net that will allow you not to crash”
This is hypocrisy of the worst kind. Republican lawmakers know if they give huge tax breaks and other favors to Big Business, in exchange for large campaign bribes, there will be no money left for little things like health insurance for the poor and other “safety net” benefits.
poison pen
March 26th, 2011
9:12 am
Carlosgvv, What about GE, the CEO Immelt, is a close friend to Obama and heavily supported him in his campaign, GE made 5 BILLION last year and never paid 1 cent in taxes. I know you don’t want to mention them because they are liberal, but you need to be objective if you really want people to take you serious.
Being a left wing party hack won’t get you anywhere.
jconservative
March 26th, 2011
9:41 am
Nice piece of writing Kyle. Good concept for a column.
But I would urge West to go ahead and face up to the truth.
The truth is that he appears to be using the term Conservative and Republican as having the same definition. Nothing could be further from the truth.
This quote from West you use would be correct: “Conservatives believe that every child in America is born with a ladder. And that ladder is the one for the equal opportunity by which you can achieve whatever dreams or hopes you have. Conservatives believe you should have that safety net that will allow you not to crash, but we want you to climb back on that ladder.”
But do not call that a Republican thought.
For every Liberal and/or Democratic social program you name I can name the Republican President who led the fight to expand that program.
There are no innocents here.
And as long as people equate Conservative and Republican there will be no progress in turning back the “welfare clock”.
I am a Conservative. I am not a Republican.
Is it easy? Hell no!
wampum
March 26th, 2011
10:02 am
All of you pointing fingers at the left for all of their crimes against America need to ask yourselfs one thing: are we better off now than we were when Bush took office? Imagine for a moment where we we before Bush doubled the national debt, began an illegal war based on lies, gutted competant government and stacked regulatory agencies with industry lobbiest, illegally spied on Americans, illegally tortured captives, and collapsed the economy entirely before slipping out of town. What if a competant Gore administration had addressed the challenges Bush wiffed on and had left us stronger and with manageable levels of debt. You hyper-partisans are like passengers on the Titanic arguing over a game of craps. Anyone that thinks anything Boar-zt says is serious commentary is judgement impared. Why does the right need to flood every market in America with a “wizzard” on a microphone telling people how to think, demonizing anyone that doesn’t think in lockstep, and, first and foremost, dividing the country with an us against them mentality? Is this not the only way the elite minority can continue their dominance over the other 90 percent of the population? How readily we dance to their tune. Turn off your radios and TVs and listen to the real God, and to your own hearts. We definitely need a Jasmine revolution of our own.
wampum
March 26th, 2011
10:43 am
Pardon: “yourselves”
vietnamvet
March 26th, 2011
10:43 am
Two things: I wish someone had taught Mr. West that he should respect his Commander in Chief. The fact that I disagree with his political views pales in comparison to the disrespect he has shown the President. I did not agree with President Bush; however, I always respected him. You are not providing the kind of leadership young people need in this area. They, the young have very little respect for parents, teachers, adults, and other for whom they should show respect. YOU ARE A BAD EXAMPLE WITH RESPECT WITH RESPECT. Should we teach our young to disrespect you because they disagree with you?
Opportunity and ladder: Let me tell him what happened to my opportunity and ladder after serving a year in Vietnam with the Marines; mind you, I had a college degree, honorable discharge, no record of drunk driving (SEE BUSH AND CHANEY). Nor did I ask and receive five request to stay in school to stay out of Vietnam. (SEE CHANEY) Yet, upon looking for a job after my service I was told by a white man that he could not hire me because I was black.
Most Southern White Democrats left the Democratic Party because they were against equal opportunity, and yes that ladder, for blacks. Growing up my grandmother always told me not to vote for those damn Democrats. How times change.
Dr. King also said for those for whom something special has been done to keep them down; something special should be done to help them up. I grew up, on many a Sunday, sitting in the church you drove by, listing to Dr. King. You did get where you are with simply a ladder and opportunity.
In spite of the fact I disagree with you on almost everything, I will give you the respect that you should give the President of the United States.
Again, you are sitting a very bad example for the young people with your disrespect.
Rafe Hollister
March 26th, 2011
10:49 am
are we better off now than we were when Bush took office? Imagine for a moment where we we before Bush doubled the national debt, began an illegal war based on lies, gutted competant government and stacked regulatory agencies with industry lobbiest, illegally spied on Americans, illegally tortured captives, and collapsed the economy
Wampum, if you will substitute Obama for Bush, I will all still be true. He has followed most all of Bush’s policies except for spending, he doesn’t think Dubya spent enough so he is trying to do better.
Rafe Hollister
March 26th, 2011
10:56 am
Vietnamvet
You speak of Congressman West’s lack of respect for the POTUS, please give us some examples, as I am not aware of his disrespect.
I am sure you are talking about calling the POTUS names like Shrub, War Criminal, Bushie, Nazi,Duffus, Dubyah, W, etc, but I haven’t heard Congressman West use any of those epithets.
carlosgvv
March 26th, 2011
11:18 am
poison pen
Maybe you prefer not to notice it is the Republicans who are leading the fight against Obamacare, coming up with every lie you can think of to defeat it. Why? Because Big Business makes huge amounts of money in the medical industry on the backs of the American people and Obamacare would put a serious dent in their obsene profits. Being a right-wing party hack shows you are one of the mindless, brainwashed by Big Business and the Republicans.
Michael H. Smith
March 26th, 2011
11:31 am
All of you pointing fingers at the left for all of their crimes against America need to ask yourselfs one thing: are we better off now than we were when Bush took office?
You can excuse yourself: We are certainly worse off since dear leader obama took office!
Michael H. Smith
March 26th, 2011
11:45 am
The lamo socialist left thinks this is only about them. True, they are far worse for the country than the other guys but that doesn’t do to much for the rest of us who meant what we said when we elected what we hoped would be a new breed of representation in Washington D.C. to make massive spending cuts and reduce the size and powers of the federal government.
We need a $100 billion cut here, $200 billion cut there before we’ll be talking about some real money theses days and about a 50% reduction in federal jobs and the payroll/benefits that go with those jobs.
Left wing management
March 26th, 2011
11:48 am
with the hero beset by the siren song of “hope and change,” twin monsters of debt and the deficit, and the Calypso-like complacency and dependency of the social-welfare state
No, the siren song is that of neoliberal dogma: free market fundamentalism, the view that markets are always efficient and just, and that what ails us is a failure to give free reign to free markets. I hope Mr. West has some fondness for those memories of prostitutes and low-lifes lurking in the neighborhood. If the forces his party is advancing are allowed to go unchecked, we’ll be seeing a lot more of those scenes of squalor, and in more places.
He led a small party down Boulevard to his old elementary school at Our Lady of Lourds: “You grew up in the shadow of [Martin Luther King Jr.’s] gravesite.” Then down Auburn Avenue: “Look at all the closed-up stores. Once upon a time, this was the center of the black community.” And on to the Sweet Auburn Curb Market on Edgewood Avenue: “My dad was an awesome cook, and this was where we’d come get our fresh fruit and also fresh fish.
Irony so close you could reach out and touch it, but apparently not see it staring you in the face. Interesting that he jumps quickly from the visible reminders of Martin Luther King to memories of his own father. One father remembered and one father repressed, as it were.
I suspect those Tea Party members who, like Mr. West, are black would find some of MLK’s more strident denunciations of oppression a bit uncomfortable, to say the least. Were he around today, I suspect it would take a mind as keen as MLK’s about 2 seconds to see through the sham that is today’s Tea Party. He would, I suspect, quickly denounce it for what it is: a rearguard action of co-optation of a potentially authentic populist reaction by those forces who have every interest in seeing the brunt of that reaction softened and re-directed.
Mr. West, you’re no Mr. Smith.
Michael H. Smith
March 26th, 2011
12:16 pm
I wish Mr. West the very best, he’s going to need it and all the help we in the Tea Party can send him. We need more candidates like Herman Cain, Allen West, Nikki Haley, Marco Rubio. Oh, and don’t be offended “White Folk”, we’ll accept you as well; so long as you will stand for the founding principles of this once proud country and defend the noble cause of returning this nation to the Republic it was once stood for as the land of the free, instead of a land of the government dependent gim’me, gim’me freeloaders – from the rich top to the poor bottom!
Michael H. Smith
March 26th, 2011
12:42 pm
What awaits us if we don’t return to our founding principles?
Just ask this Chinese Professor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTSQozWP-rM&feature=player_embedded
Left wing management
March 26th, 2011
1:36 pm
returning this nation to the Republic it was once stood for as the land of the free, instead of a land of the government dependent gim’me, gim’me freeloaders – from the rich top to the poor bottom
The country doesn’t have a problem with freeloaders, except for the freeloaders who are multinational corporations and financial firms who benefit from loopholes and pay no taxes, and all for doing very little to contribute to the general prosperity of the nation. Those are the freeloaders we have a problem with.
As for the Chinese professor, that ad is one of the great works of propaganda I’ve seen, something Mr. Goebbels would have been proud of.
Thulsa Doom
March 26th, 2011
1:43 pm
Michael H. Smith,
One thing that Stossel did not mention. Alcoholism on the reservations is also near 50% and on some reservations is as high as 70%. Additionally the suicide rate on reservations is 3 times the national average. Looking at the lumbees in that segment I seriously doubt alcoholism is anywhere near 50% or that the suicide rate is very high.
Seems to me not just from his report but just from general observation that the govt has pretty much made slaves out of Indians- the result being widespread dependency and a sense of hopelessness, alcoholism, depression.
Who are the winners in this? The Indians at the top who get to make the decisions, pass out goodies, enrich themselves and their families, etc. The other big winner is the govt bureaucrats who administer the programs. With 20 different programs you now have an entrenched political interest- a bureaucracy of paternalistic do gooders that have jobs in the nanny state for Indians.
Thulsa Doom
March 26th, 2011
1:46 pm
Left wing management,
That is indeed propoganda. But there is also a helluva lot of truth in it. Who in the hell do you think owns a lot of our debt? Facts are facts and the fact is that in real world terms of debt financing the Chinese own us. They own a significant portion of our debt. We work for them in a sense and there is no way around that fact.
Thulsa Doom
March 26th, 2011
1:57 pm
2 other points and then I’m going to get going. The dangerous addiction to govt dependency transcends race. Its not just the Indians.
Look at black America which used to vote exclusively for the Republican party up until WW2. The Dems basically started buying the black vote with social spending programs.
Welfare? Patricky Moynihan- a prominent NY Democrat who is since retired wrote a book back in the 60s or 70s stating that the black family would be devastated by the welfare programs that encouraged out of wedlock birth and single motherhood. Turns out he was right and 2/3rds of black children are now born out of wedlock to mothers largely dependent on the nanny state.
Winners- the Dem party for the dependents who now vote for them and the govt bureaucracys that employ people to administer the nanny state. Losers- black children and the black family and community.
Same thing with whites though at a lower rate- now something like 30% of white children are born out of wedlock. Also look at all the white slaves in Western Europe. Look at all the dependents in the streets of London today protesting against cuts in their benefits. I’ve never seen so many white slaves at one time.
Same thing happened in Greece, France, and other countries when the socialist countries had to impose austerity measures or the country would go broke due to unsustainable debt levels.
Now you’ve just got a bunch of ticked off entitlement mentality white slaves running around Europe protesting because their free sh$t has been cut.
Left wing management
March 26th, 2011
2:10 pm
Thulsa: But there is also a helluva lot of truth in it. Who in the hell do you think owns a lot of our debt? Facts are facts and the fact is that in real world terms of debt financing the Chinese own us. They own a significant portion of our debt. We work for them in a sense and there is no way around that fact.
Of course they own large parts of the debt, but the power in this relationship is not as simple or as asymmetrical as you’re suggesting, as the Chinese themselves are also on a course that cannot be maintained indefinitely.
As for the protesters in the streets of cities like London, you fail to see the larger implications of what they’re protesting against. What they’re protesting against is a very similar ideology to the one represented by the Wisconsin and Michigan governors, whose actions have given rise to protests in those places as well. These are leaders who represent an ideology of ever more drastic privatization, market fundamentalism, cutting of services and resulting greater deficits, all of it being financed by shifting risk to the middle class and poor. The people on the streets of London, Paris and Athens know it, as do the protesters in Madison and Lansing.
Georgia Voter
March 26th, 2011
2:34 pm
It’s frustrating to read a puff piece about a jerk.
Allen West first gained notoriety during his military service in Iraq when he was FORCED to retire from the Army for engaging in abusive interrogation techniques.
He later used violent rhetoric in his campaign speeches (he told supporters to “make the fellow [his Democratic opponent] scared to come out of his house” and “They send one of yours to the hospital; you send one of theirs to the morgue.”). Tea Partiers, including KW, either deny that such rhetoric exists or, when busted, then equate violent rhetoric from Republican leaders in a speech to their supporters to such rhetoric found buried in the comments section of a left-wing blog.
West also made false claims about his own background, including claiming that he had a higher security clearance than President Obama. He also complained about Obama’s “civility to the Muslim world” (also explaining why somebody like KW would like him so much).
Last year, NBC News ran a report documenting West’s background associating with a violent gang of criminals, which the Justice Department believes is involved in drug running, arson, prostitution, robbery, and murder. West has had personal dealings with the Florida chapter of this violent gang, and has even defended them in emails (despite having lied about those emails).
Finally, West complained that Air Force One landed in Afghanistan at night because the commander-in-chief is “expendable” and should take unnecessary risks to “show leadership”.
Why on earth are guys like West considered acceptable by Republicans?
Michael H. Smith
March 26th, 2011
2:34 pm
The country doesn’t have a problem with freeloaders, except for the freeloaders who are multinational corporations and financial firms who benefit from loopholes and pay no taxes, and all for doing very little to contribute to the general prosperity of the nation. Those are the freeloaders we have a problem with.
As for the Chinese professor, that ad is one of the great works of propaganda I’ve seen, something Mr. Goebbels would have been proud of.
This country has plenty of problems with FREELOADERS and they aren’t multinational corporation.
As for propaganda, the worst of it is coming from the socialist liberals: All anti-American anti-capitalist internationalist who despise U.S. Sovereignty and hate anything that relates to Americanism – like George Sores, uber rich financier of leftwing socialist cause.
Wonder how many tax dodges and tax credits old Georgie boy Sores has to his credit? Funny, he did have a lot of money invest in Brazilian oil and thanks to dear leader obama putting U.S. tax dollars into drilling for oil off the coast of Brazil, comrade Sores gained a great deal on his Brazilian oil investment.
Sores partner, Jim Rogers, is real big on China too. All the Rogers children speak Mandarin Chinese as well.
Comrade George Sores and Jim Rogers would probably call the Chinese Professor ad very good PR, the other word for “propaganda”.
Michael H. Smith
March 26th, 2011
2:41 pm
Oh Brucie ‘Jesse’ Wilcox, he’s back… That’s right, Lou Dobbs Smith, better than ever
Take it away Lou…
George Soros’ Effort to Change How Global Currency Works
http://video.foxbusiness.com/#/v/4608995/george-soros-effort-to-change-how-global-currency-works/?playlist_id=87185
Georgia Voter
March 26th, 2011
2:42 pm
Michael H. Smith “thanks to dear leader obama putting U.S. tax dollars into drilling for oil off the coast of Brazil”
The ever-so-gullible Michael H. Smith strikes again: http://www.factcheck.org/2009/09/bogus-brazilian-oil-claims/
Michael H. Smith
March 26th, 2011
2:45 pm
Is Obama Turning U.S. Economy Into Greece?
http://video.foxbusiness.com/#/v/4608948/is-obama-turning-us-economy-into-greece/?playlist_id=87247
Left wing management
March 26th, 2011
3:02 pm
Michael Smith: This country has plenty of problems with FREELOADERS and they aren’t multinational corporation.
Oh we got quite a problem with freeloading corporations, all right. That I can assure you.
You wanna know what a freeloader looks like?
Get a load of this:
G.E.’s Strategies Let It Avoid Taxes Altogether
General Electric, the nation’s largest corporation, had a very good year in 2010.
The company reported worldwide profits of $14.2 billion, and said $5.1 billion of the total came from its operations in the United States.
Its American tax bill? None. In fact, G.E. claimed a tax benefit of $3.2 billion.
That may be hard to fathom for the millions of American business owners and households now preparing their own returns, but low taxes are nothing new for G.E. The company has been cutting the percentage of its American profits paid to the Internal Revenue Service for years, resulting in a far lower rate than at most multinational companies.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/25/business/economy/25tax.html?_r=1&sq=general%20electric%20taxes&st=cse&adxnnl=1&scp=1&adxnnlx=1301165583-///oatsrD+/z2RpkhsOdIw
Left wing management
March 26th, 2011
3:08 pm
General Electric.
A band of freeloaders feasting on the marrow from the American nation.
But let me not fail to mention a very important little part of the story. Guess who’s one of GE’s biggest enablers? You guessed it. Mr. Audacity of Hope himself. A rather pathetic little piece of the picture, if you ask me.
You see, that’s the difference between a thinker like me and a rah-rah cheerleader like yourself. I have the guts to openly criticize my “side” in public. I don’t even consider Mr. Obama a part of my “side”, but that’s a discussion for another day. For right now, let’s just assume he is part of my side. I don’t have any problem saying that generally speaking Democrats are just as big a part of the problem of the corruption of American politics as their hopelessly corrupt, bloodsucking counterparts, the Republicans.
Go ahead, prove me wrong. I dare you.
Michael H. Smith
March 26th, 2011
3:38 pm
Yeah and I dare you to read sometimes before you speak so foolishly. As you say, go ahead, prove me wrong next time. LOL
Michael H. Smith
March 26th, 2011
11:45 am
The lamo socialist left thinks this is only about them. True, they are far worse for the country than the other guys but that doesn’t do to much for the rest of us who meant what we said when we elected what we hoped would be a new breed of representation in Washington D.C. to make massive spending cuts and reduce the size and powers of the federal government.
If you trouble yourself a bit more and more often you’ll criticisms where names are named publically condemning Republicans: Like Bush, Chambliss, McCain even Isakson.
You see, that’s the difference between a thinker like me and a rah-rah PRAISE-ME-leader like yourself, I don’t consider that I’m the one and only one.
Michael H. Smith
March 26th, 2011
3:39 pm
Correction: you’ll “find” criticisms
MiltonMan
March 26th, 2011
3:45 pm
Please Mr. West come back to Atlanta. We are stuck with losers like John Lewis, “Rev” Lowrey, John Eaves, etc.
Michael H. Smith
March 26th, 2011
3:48 pm
Georgia Brucie Voter
obama couldn’t stop the loan? Of course, he doesn’t want to, he’s all in with the deal telling Brazil go ahead.
soros, has the best information money can buy, few will make the conclusive leap to say soros is completely clean.
With soros money and influence it would be gullible not to call him suspect.
itpdude
March 26th, 2011
3:51 pm
One brother made it out and he’s the example. You might as well feature a brain surgeon and tell people they are losers if they can’t become brain surgeons. This guy is an exception to the rule of social policies that have been keeping people down for a long time.
Left wing management
March 26th, 2011
4:51 pm
Michael Smith: Yeah and I dare you to read sometimes before you speak so foolishly. As you say, go ahead, prove me wrong next time. LOL
You’re not following me. I’m challenging you to criticize your own side instead of always contributing your little squirts of verbiage to the streams that pollute these columns so regularly, the rah rah thinking which is so much stuffing that packs the heads of people with little inside them to begin with.
So don’t do that, Michael. That’s boring. Why not try instead to not be boring for a change. Tell me something about how the Republican party is wrong, for example, then maybe we can have a conversation.
Georgia Voter
March 26th, 2011
5:03 pm
Allen West grew up attending “government schools”, attended “government subsidized universities”, most likely with the help of “government-backed” loans or “government” grants, and possibly, affirmative-action entry requirements. He was on the “government payroll” until he was forced to retire for threatening a guy by firing a gun near his head.
But yeah, “Liberal social-welfare policies provide a hammock.” What a hypocrite.
Michael H. Smith
March 26th, 2011
5:32 pm
You’re not following me. I’m challenging you to criticize your own side instead of always contributing your little squirts of verbiage to the streams that pollute these columns so regularly, the rah rah thinking which is so much stuffing that packs the heads of people with little inside them to begin with.
I have done more than your damn insults insist I’ve done, so don’t go lecturing me, Mr. Dolt.
Your gibberish is no better than the other leftwing crap that flows through these blogs. One or two objective thoughts doesn’t change that fact.
Tell me something about how the Republican party is wrong, for example, then maybe we can have a conversation.
First, I really don’t want a conversation with YOU, considering your ad homenin insult direct at my person: Bad assumption on your part, point one. Point two: If you were so all observant of me and what I post on these blogs as you think yourself to be, then you would know I consistently challenged the right, which includes REPUBLICANS and Libertarians repeatedly on their claims of a so-called “FREE MARKET” that is simply unconstitutional based on Article 1 Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. Capitalist market is a “Limited Capitalism” by the enumerated powers under what is commonly referred to as the Commerce Clause. This challenge remains unanswered by those to whom it was issued.
As stated many times in the past, here once again for the willfully blind: The Republicans are wrong on Trade and Immigration, wrong on Energy and wrong on healthcare; though, not nearly as extremely wrong as are the socialist liberal Democrats on these issues.
killerj
March 26th, 2011
5:48 pm
Please stay in florida,when I grew up the regular girls gave it for free,Go Tea Party.
Left wing management
March 26th, 2011
6:32 pm
Michael Smith: “The U.S. Capitalist market is a “Limited Capitalism” by the enumerated powers under what is commonly referred to as the Commerce Clause. This challenge remains unanswered by those to whom it was issued”
Ah yes, now it’s coming back.
Ok then, we’re clear. Which is to say, we’re on opposite ends of the spectrum.
Hipster Intolerance Ruining Atlanta
March 26th, 2011
8:11 pm
In today’s Atlanta Mr. West’s family would have been driven away from the 4th Ward, like most people of color, to make room for underemployed Che Guevara flag-waving God-hating hipsters.
Hipster hatred of all things good and decent is a warning for people of color, destroying communities like the plague all across Atlanta. All in the name of “New Urbanism,” code for “get the Black folks out of Atlanta.”
Michael H. Smith
March 26th, 2011
9:00 pm
Hedge Funds Take on Dodd-Frank Act
This is going to be worth watching, as a mostly “unregulated” part of the investment market comes under regulatory scrutiny.
Reminder to the Republicans in Congress now being lawyer-ed and lobbied by the hedge funds for protection from government oversight:
In 1992, the lead fund, Soros’s Quantum – hedge - Fund became famous for “breaking” the Bank of England, forcing it to devalue the pound. Soros had bet his entire fund in a short sale on the ultimately fulfilled prediction that the British currency would drop in value, a coup that netted him a profit of $1 billion.
In 1997, Soros was blamed for forcing sharp devaluations in Southeast Asian currencies.
Now, Soros is trying to change how global currency works to chip away at the value of our U.S. currency.
http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/4608347/hedge-funds-take-on-dodd-frank-act?playlist_id=87063
~ Mr. Speaker
Article 1
The Congress shall have Power…
Enumeration 4
To coin Money, “regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin”, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
Always Skeptical
March 26th, 2011
10:05 pm
Interesting piece Kyle…But I’m a resident of The Old Fourth Ward and Our Lady of Lourdes…and I’d say that the neighborhood is experiencing a renaissance in spite of all of the things that his party holds dear…as well as the struggling economy. He should have been paying more attention to the nuns that taught him as well as the legacy of St.Katharine Drexel the founder of our parish. Something tells me that he would have been a little more social justice progressive and a little less unfettered capitalist…His perception of what’s going on in the neighborhood is atypical GOP…the same folks that would give tax-breaks to millionaires and then try to balance the budget on the backs of teachers….
He's still on the plantation
March 26th, 2011
10:45 pm
itpdude
March 26th, 2011
3:51 pm
“One brother made it out and he’s the example. You might as well feature a brain surgeon and tell people they are losers if they can’t become brain surgeons. This guy is an exception to the rule of social policies that have been keeping people down for a long time.”
The irony of this idiot’s post is that the world’s foremost brain surgeon is a black man who grew up in very humble, poor beginnings to a single black mother who was illiterate. She couldn’t read a lick but instilled in him and his youner brother the importance of an education. He began to appreciate reading, excelled in school, worked hard and won scholarship after scholarship. And then you got this guy. Despite all the advantages of affirm action, especially in education, you will always find excuse making losers like this clown.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: Thee Magnificent!!! mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
March 27th, 2011
9:14 am
Our little socialist geniuses at the Urinal have questions for us this morning-
Why have so many Republicans been so slow to officially join the race?- al- Jazeera Central (AJC)
Well, let’s see here, to give the sissies in the mainstream drive by media less time to unleash their screeching blood curdling whining panty waist yellow attacks on our candidates?
And that’s just their reaction to our male candidates.
They abuse, spy on, discriminate against, hate, rage, wig out and totally freak over our women.
So let the little weanies wonder who will be relieving obozo of his “duties.”
Do names really matter anyway?
I Report (-: You Whine )-: Thee Magnificent!!! mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
March 27th, 2011
9:20 am
Yeah, let’s apologize for the islamic abuse and torture of women this morning-
Woman detained after rape claims
TRIPOLI, Libya — Her story could not be independently verified.
Al-Obeidi had scratches on her face and she pulled up her robe to reveal a bloodied thigh.
Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim originally said that investigators told him al-Obeidi was drunk, but he retreated from that position later Saturday. He said she was in safe custody and her claims were being investigated. – Urinal
Nice little allies you got there, left wingers.
By the way, this woman came to a group of western urinialists seeking aid and safety from them, thinking that they were decent, caring human beings. And this is what they did for her.
Zilcho.
Michael H. Smith
March 27th, 2011
9:59 am
Unfettered Capitalism is not Conservative!
Reed R. Heustis, Jr.
I once thought that in order to be a “good conservative,” I must embrace unfettered capitalism.
But I soon realized that unfettered capitalism is really unfettered libertarianism, which promotes licentiousness and immorality at all costs.
If the government were to intervene in the marketplace, I once thought, then somehow it would be “unconservative.”
Something smelled rotten in Denmark.
To my pleasant surprise, I came to learn that the United States’ early economy was neither communistic nor capitalistic.
It was simply an economy that was American.
Let me explain…
Unfortunately, today’s young “conservatives” are bamboozled into thinking that there are only two kinds of economies: communism and capitalism, the difference being who owns the “means of production.”
Communism calls for the “public” ownership of capital, while capitalism calls for the “private” ownership of capital.
However, both ideologies are materialistic twins: they both are obsessed with the concept of “capital.” Thus, communism really is just a form of capitalism, the only
difference being Who owns the capital.
Both ideologies see the greatest good in its own ends: communism sees the greatest good as the public ownership of all capital, while capitalism sees the greatest good as the private ownership of all capital.
Notice how any other positive “good” is completely ignored: patriotism, family, nationalism, communitarianism, Christian good will…. They all take a back seat to
the “real” aim of Who owns the capital?
In a pure capitalist society, the greatest “good” is the mere fact that capital is in private hands without government interference. To the capitalist, even his own national sovereignty is for sale to the highest bidder. It is through pure capitalist policies that allow foreigners to buy American real estate without even being citizens or residents here.
Similarly, it does not matter to the communist that his own national sovereignty can be sold out to the highest bidder. To the communist, as long as the “working class” or the “Proletariat” owns the means of production, then his own national sovereignty is expendable.
It is no surprise that Karl Marx, author of the Communist Manifesto, urged the “workers of the world” to “unite!” In Marx’s mind, nationhood and boundaries were impediments to the “greatest good” of public ownership of capital.
It is also no surprise that today’s fierce dog-eat-dog multinational corporate capitalists are also seeking a one-world government whereby individual national laws are abolished so that private capital can be more “freely exchanged” on a “global basis.” As you can see, to the capitalist, concepts such as nation states and boundaries are “outmoded” impediments to their “greatest good” of private ownership of capital without compromise.
Communism and Capitalism both want one world government. Marx called for global free trade, as do our contemporary capitalist “leaders.”
Today, Big Labor supports unfettered communism, while Big Business supports unfettered capitalism.
We must reject both Big Labor and Big Business.
Neither concepts are concerned about the Christian principles upon which America was founded, nor do they care about the preservation of American sovereignty, independence and the U.S. Constitution.
We must realize that we can be both Pro-Worker and Pro-Business at the same time without supporting Big Labor and Big Business.
Our Founding Fathers were not communists, and neither were they capitalists, and yet they indeed were pro-worker while simultaneously being pro-business.
I encourage you to read Alexander Hamilton’s 1791 Report to the Congress on the Subject of Manufactures.
Hamilton’s ideas were adopted by our early national government in an attempt to strengthen and nationalize the union. It is Hamilton’s ideas embraced by other famous American leaders, including Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Thomas Jefferson. In fact, even Patrick J. Buchanan embraced Hamilton’s economics.
Hamilton’s idea was called, “The American System of Economics.” It was not communistic and it was not capitalistic. It was a market based economy which specifically seeks a strong moral nation.
Essentially, it is this American System that Pat Buchanan calls, “economic nationalism.”
The Hamiltonian model used protectionism and tariffs pursuant to the U.S. Constitution. This obviously protected American industry from foreign predators,
allowed American workers to keep what they earned (without using an unconstitutional income tax), and encouraged a cooperation between both labor and capital.
The main tenet of this form of economics was the Christian idea that harmony between capital and labor would be encouraged. Hamilton understood that when
capital and labor are in harmony, nationalism flourishes and loyalty to community and country abounds.
This system definitely was a recipe for strong love for country and a prosperous people, and Buchanan points out in his book, The Great Betrayal, that it was through the American System of Economics that America went from an agrarian society to the mightiest industrial nation on earth.
One of the reasons why I left the Republican Party was because it walked away from these economic principles also championed by Lincoln and Roosevelt. The Republican Party had once been the party of tariffs and protectionism, just like our early American Presidents. But soon the GOP was hijacked by globalists who want exactly what the communists and capitalists want: a one world government without borders where the greatest “good” centers on capital.
Thankfully the Constitution Party stands for the U.S. Constitution which would allow our national government to pursue policies that strengthen the nation while strengthening the people.
Hope this helps,
Reed R. Heustis, Jr.
So?
March 27th, 2011
10:10 am
Mr. West is just like all the rest of the Republicans these days. They got elected telling us they were going to help fix this broken economy and help get people back to work. But instead, they just trot around the country bashing anyone who is not a conservative and doing NOTHING to better this nation. Just another empty suit (uniform) with no ideas… just a big mouth.
Dirty Dawg
March 27th, 2011
10:29 am
Allen West…just another black man looking to cash in on right-wing tokenism. Kinda like a ‘conservative’ version of Jessie Jackson and in West’s case there’s the added advantage of being pushed out front so that the ‘Tea-partiers’ can say, ‘See there, we told you we weren’t racist.’
DD
March 27th, 2011
10:58 am
Vudu and Rafe,
move to Detroit you will both love it there, don’t bring Detroit to us please. Check the black on black crime rates, wake-up!
DD
March 27th, 2011
11:04 am
So, what uniform did you fill? West is my Infantry Brother and served, empty uniform my ass. So you are the empty one.
Left wing management
March 27th, 2011
11:05 am
Michael Smith:
There are interests working hard to gut the tiny bulwark we’ve managed to erect to protect against another, more catastrophic collapse the next time from unregulated speculation and you’re worried about Soros?
C’mon MSH, don’t you know Glenn Beck is not a good source on the topic of financial regulation?
You see, to come back to what I was saying yesterday, the problem is with Barack Obama’s Treasury secretary who wants to exempt currency derivatives from the regulation, claiming that this sector performed fine during the crisis. So why are you focusing on a small player like Soros when the problem is at the highest levels of leadership and in both parties?
DD
March 27th, 2011
11:10 am
Reed one name, George Soros
metoo
March 27th, 2011
11:49 am
End the entitlements to the rich and corporations.
vietnamvet
March 27th, 2011
1:56 pm
rafe hollister:
Google Allen West and do-as I did- the research yourself. Then too, what is disrespectful to me might not be disrespectful to you.
A careful reading of my article would imply that I did not condone the disrespect of President Bush. Moreover, as someone said: An eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth leaves both blind and toothless.
Question: Do we disrespect one President because another has been disrespect. If we do we diminish the office.
Hillbilly Deluxe
March 27th, 2011
2:06 pm
“Everyone knew each other and looked out for each other.”
Most communities around the country used to be that way. We’d do well to get back to that.
So?
March 27th, 2011
3:13 pm
DD — Mr. West has chosen to use his uniform for political gain, hence I am allowed to criticize him. Are you suggesting that if military people decide to run for Congress they should not be questioned or criticized? That sounds UN-AMERICAN and goes against everything Mr. West swore to protect when he entered into his contract with the Department of Defense.
Junior Samples
March 28th, 2011
12:00 pm
why couldn’t this country have elected him instead of the empty suit that we got stuck with.
Allen
March 28th, 2011
2:03 pm
Conservatives see societal ills — i.e. poverty, crime, unemployment — largely as defects of individual character, a failure to climb the ladder.
Liberals see the same problems largely as systemic failures. Liberals imagine a ladder with many broken rungs and think that our popular conceptions of social and economic mobility are mostly overstated.
Both sides would do well to consider the other perspective seriously.
Jahbalon
March 28th, 2011
6:25 pm
Allen West = President 45