Red Flag Warning: Dangerous Games

The Watchman is observing closely the health care maneuvers by Reid, Pelosi, and Obama. Obama has proposed a health summit this next week which sound more of the same with other "summits" and with the same outcomes. All talk and flashy show, but no substance. Then a report comes out that Obama is writing his own health care bill. I thought it was the legislative branch's job to create laws? How can he conduct this open summit to listen to what the GOP has to offer, if he is already writing his own plan? He is playing dangerous games that can come back to haunt all of us.

It isn't that I'm concerned so much for the health care issue. With the next congress being most likely controlled by conservatives, the excesses of the Obama/Reid/Pelosi socialists can be rolled back. No, it is how weak Obama is appearing to the rest of the world. Look at some of the hot spots that could go critical:

+ Iran - Now openly developing nuclear weapons. Does anyone really believe Iran wants refined nuclear materials to make a better power generator? Hardly. And their prime minister just thumbs his nose at Obama's pathetic response to Iran's rising power. Some believe the nation is transforming into a military/religious dictatorship. Think: Japan of the 1930s for a picture of what could be - an Islamo-fascist military power! What will Obama do?
+ Russia - Our former communist enemy is quietly gearing up militarily as well as casting coveting eyes to their former dominated neighbors. They've badgered the US into some kind of new nuclear arms agreement, that of course Obama can claim victory. Again, another smoke and mirror hollow agreement. If Obama is perceived as being weak, might not the Russian bear take advantage and move into one or more of their former slave states? What will Obama do?
+ China - Wow Obama really stood up to the communists didn't he. Brought the Dalai Lama in through the back door of the White House and tried to cover-up the meeting as a photo meet. Suppose China decides to bring Formosa into its sphere? what better time to do it than when a weak, do nothing, president is sitting in the oval office. What will Obama do?
+ Venezuela - This South American world power wanna be is stirring up problems for a number of American friendly nations. Chavez is running guns and bullets around to his revolutionary surrogate rebel factions. At what point will he take advantage of Obama's weak foreign policy and move in on a neighbor? What will Obama do?

These are just a few of the flash points just simmering in the pot. Obama's failures at nearly every turn is placing our nation at risk. His ideological fixation on health care at any cost to the exclusion of all other aspects is a dangerous game. He's playing it with us as the pawns, and that my friends, is a game we didn't bargain for when our nation voted for 'hope and change'.

RFD Warning: Magic Number Redux

The unemployment rate has fallen! Hurrah! President Obama's plan to re-employ American workers who are unemployed is working! Happy days are just ahead and there is dancing in the street. Or are they?

Maybe the unemployment rate is yet another set of magic numbers generated by government bureaucrats who are stuck on their slide rules and fuzzy math. John Lott has exposed how the employment data are generated: The Real Story Behind Our Unemployment Numbers Lott brings clarity to the method of madness on generating the rate headlines seen across American media. And using magic numbers isn't necessarily an evil perpetrated by the Obama administration, as every administration since Washington has trotted out magic numbers to reinforce their administration's programs.

Again surveys or polling is used to create numbers that are easily manipulated. Surely in this modern age of computers and internet communication a more accurate method could be devised than to base the employment magic number on two mixed up systems that few really understand.

The news also reports the stock market dropped partially because of the mixed employment news which makes one wonder if the investors who follow company practices closely understand better than the government what is really happening in our economy.

Magic numbers are all around us, influencing our decisions everyday. It behooves each of us to look beyond the media hyped numbers in the headlines to find out what they really mean and take appropriate action in response.