Good News and Bad News

Scott Brown’s victory in Massachusetts on Tuesday was the first good news of 2010 but more followed on Thursday when the Supreme Court of the United States, in a 5 to 4 vote threw out some key provisions of the McCain/Feingold Law. This law, now some 20 years old, was an attempt to limit the power of rich people and Unions to sway elections by big-time spending. On the face of it this seemed like a good idea and a way of restoring democracy in an era when expensive TV advertizing is mostly the key to winning elections. The old saying (and on this website we constantly point out that old sayings are brimful of hard-won wisdom) “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” proved to be true once again. The McCain/Feingold Law included the provision that no group or individual could run political adverts on TV or radio up to 60 days prior to voting.

By passing this legislation Congress did what the Constitution clearly stated it could not do which was to pass a law that limited free speech. It is amazing that it took so long for this law to be struck down and then only by a 5 to 4 vote. So what was bad about this law besides being unconstitutional? Well, it was a gift to incumbent politicians who had name recognition and were standing for re-election, since only their political opponents in the actual race could advertize. It was also a gift to all politicians for it meant that anyone or any organization who wanted to contribute to the debate could only do so by donating to the politicians or their Party. Thus organizations like those for or against gun ownership could not run ads near an election. Neither could those for or against abortion or same-sex marriage. In short, the law shut out those organizations which wanted to address a single issue and embarrass a politician.

The Media reporting of the SCOTUS decision is predictable. It is highly negative and framing it as a victory for Big Business and therefore for conservatives. Little is said in the reporting about the regained ability of the Unions to sway elections too. In any case, as any regular visitor to this website will know, Big Business is rarely on the side of conservatives. The leaders of Big Business love to mingle with the ruling Media Class and to contribute to its Leftist social causes. Big Business is in the forefront of donations to Gay Parades and same-sex marriage campaigns and also contributes heavily to the Democrat Party. Obama now likes to rant against Big Business to dupe his working class followers but Big Business knows it is hostage to his Government and to the Media Class. No business can afford bad publicity or a hostile Government.

The McCain/Feingold law was a wonderful gift to the News Media, for while it prevented citizen activist groups from collecting money and being heard during election time, it allowed the Media’s news organizations to do as they liked. Thus newspapers and magazines could run headlines on the eve of an election announcing their support for a particular candidate. The SCOTUS decision will not much diminish the propaganda power of the Media Class but it is a small step in the right direction and any decision that restores the integrity of the US Constitution and its defense of free speech is welcome.

For those in the US who take free speech for granted I recommend careful monitoring of events in the UK and Canada. Leftists, Government bureaucrats and homosexual activists are all dedicated enemies of free speech. In Alberta, Canada, the Government has just denied a Christian Church its tax-exempt status giving as its reason that the Church pastor has been preaching against abortion and homosexuality and some church officials are involved in campaigning on these issues. The issues are being defined as ‘political’. In the UK it is now a criminal offence to offend homosexuals with anti-sodomy speech and it has long been so in Canada. Leftists are keen to add immigration, climate-change, EU membership and many other things to the list of topics that should be moved beyond discussion. In the US the Constitution is the last defense of true freedom and it is frightening that 4 Supreme Court Justices are ready to throw it overboard. The latest Obama addition to the Court has already displayed her hostility to the Constitution by being one of the four.

One bonus from the Massachusetts election is the vicious in-fighting of the Democrats over what to do next about the Health Bill. Some are calling for Obama to provide clear leadership. So far he has managed to face in all directions in one day. Do these Democrat politicians not realize that the man is an empty suit, a mere actor waiting for a script-writer?

Regular visitors to this website will be aware that we dismiss all the TV entertainment as puerile propaganda and so Conan O’Brien, a late-night host and alleged comedian, is only a name to me. He may have a genuine talent but mostly TV personalities rise to the top based on their ability to show off, behave outrageously and have Leftist opinions and credentials. O’Brien has been occupying a late-night slot on the little-watched NBC but is being replaced to make way for the failing but more successful show-off, Jay Leno. Who cares except that I learned today that his financial compensation package is $45m – his paltry share being $33m. The remaining $18m will go to his 200+ staff. That’s right, 200 plus assistants to put together an hour’s ‘entertainment’! When bankers get big pay-outs we are encouraged by the Media and Obama and his comrades to get angry but when Media people get big pay-outs we are meant to gasp in admiration. Oh! I forgot! These people are our ruling Class.

The other good news this week is that Air America, the Leftist Talk Radio Show, has gone bust. This is the show that was intended to see off Rush Limbaugh and the conservatives. The Media is generally shedding tears over its demise but pointing out that it provided a launching pad for the glittering careers of the obnoxious Al Franken and the extreme Feminist lesbian Rachel Maddow. For these untalented, often repulsive Leftists, another door always opens as soon as one closes. It makes no difference that they fail to achieve any results anywhere, whilst the Hannity’s, Limbaughs and O’Reilly’s clock up ever bigger audiences. No-one listens to Leftist Talk Radio and there are two good reasons. One is that its people lack talent and are singularly unattractive. The other is that you can hear Leftist propaganda all day long on nearly every station and channel and read it on every page of every newspaper and magazine.

In a recent article on the Internet, a blogger referred to George Soros having a phobia about Christians. From now on I will refer to Soros, and those who share his hatred for Christian morality, as ‘Christophobes.’

Here in central California the weather continues to be cold. Much Media attention has been paid to the rain storms, as a typically wet El Nino season unfolds, but it is the cold that is more noteworthy. Once again I am looking at snow on the nearby mountains. I suppose it is blowing here from those Himalayan glaciers that are disappearing so quickly due to global warming?

Finally, we apologize to website visitors who have been unable to find us for the last two days. This is due to events beyond our control.

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