Monday, December 20, 2010

Merry Christmas Everyone!

To my wonderful, loyal, fantastic readers,
Your faithful Peasant wishes all of you
A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!
May 2011 bring you prosperity, love, joy
and laughter!

I shall be taking the rest of December off
for a little rest and relaxation, to sharpen
my pitchfork so we can get off to a great
start in the new year. And what an exciting
year it's going to be!

So enjoy the holiday season! Eat well,
gather with family and friends, pray,
play, sing, and love ... do whatever you
and your loved ones enjoy doing at this
beautiful, joyful time of year! We'll get
together after New Year's Day.

God Bless!


MEM




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Thursday, December 16, 2010

Socialism, Interrupted

Well, my terrific readers, here's the wonderful news
which I, your faithful Peasant, promised to get to you
before the weekend; Obamacare lost a battle in court,
and this development could lead to its complete defeat!

Just a few days ago, U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson
ruled that the U.S. Government cannot require Americans
to purchase health insurance. Judge Hudson wrote that
no court has ever expanded the Commerce Clause of the
Constitution to allow the government to regulate a person's
decision not to buy a product, in this case health coverage.
"It's about an individual's right to choose to participate,"
Judge Hudson opined. Or not participate. But making all
Americans buy a certain amount of health care coverage
was an important component of Obamacare, getting us
on the way to mandatory health care provided by Uncle
Sam. This ruling deals a major setback to all that.

Judge Hudson has stated, in his order, that he will allow
the law to remain in effect while appeals are heard. The
insurance coverage mandate does not take effect until
2014, so the whole matter should be resolved well before
that time, and likely will be resolved in favor of the op-
position to the national health legislation the way things
are now going.

In closing, Judge Hudson wrote "The outcome of this
case has significant public policy implications," and
"the final word will undoubtedly reside with a higher
court." This case will certainly go to the Supreme
Court, as it is being so hotly contested by both sides,
each side confident in its declarations.

Judge Hudson is the first federal judge to strike down
a key part of Obamacare. Several other lawsuits have
been dismissed with others pending, including one filed
by the attorneys general of twenty states. This is most
joyful news for those of us who favor the marketplace
over government mandates, constitutional restraint over
political whimsy, and individual freedom of choice over
legislative coercion. What a wonderful way to finish 2010,
a year of great political triumphs, and to greet 2011 ---
a year which is ever growing in great promise! Statism
is on the way out; freedom is making its way back in!

Meanwhile, our Christmas will be truly merry!


MEM

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Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Apologies for a Slight Delay

Hello all,

I wish to apologize for not having an article ready for you,
my splendid readers, today. But no worries, I am working
on an article which brings some wonderful news to you,
and I just need a wee bit more time to get it put together
and posted. My week has been especially busy, especially
with some interruptions the nature of which I won't bore
you with. Just know that your trusty Peasant has something
very special in store for you!

My timetable now is to get this posted for you by the weekend.
Thank you, my fantastic readers, for your patience and under-
standing!


MEM

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

The Espionage Lark

Lately, the talk of the country has been the escapades
of a young hacker from Australia, one Julian Assange,
and his creation WikiLeaks. With this web site, this
punk has made public approximately 250,000 classi-
fied documents about U.S. military operations and
related items, as well as information exchanged
between diplomats (including U.S. diplomats).
This caper is reported to be the largest leak of
top secret information held by our government
in our country's history.

The exposed classified information will very likely
put our military people, Afgahn military personnel,
Afghani human rights activists, informants, spies,
and innocent civilians in peril. Among the documents
Assange posted were those with technical details
about an Army device designed to prevent roadside
bombs from exploding and even the social security
numbers of many of our soldiers.

Assange became a computer hacker while in his
early teens, having taught himself the finer points
of this dubious activity through reading many books
on computer science and mathematics. He had a
rather unusual childhood, which molded him into
what he is today; Assange's mother and he moved
37 times (!) before he turned 14, all part of a nasty
custody battle with Assange's stepfather. The hacker's
mother had him home-schooled most of that time,
stating her worries "that formal education would
inculcate an unhealthy respect for authority" in her
pride and joy. Supposedly, this explains Assange's
anarchistic tendencies.

While a teen Assange started a group of hackers
called International Subversives. He later wrote
"Conspiracy of Governance", an online publication
which was regarded as a pseudo-intellectual diatribe.
After many hacking capers, Assange went big-time
with hacking into U.S. government files to lay bare
military and diplomatic secrets vital to our country's
war effort. President Obama, his administration, and
Congress have yet to come up with an effective
response to Assange's malicious mischief-making.

In order to successfully prosecute the espionage
troublemaker, U.S. prosecutors must prove three
things, based on the Espionage Act of 1917:

1) That Assange had unauthorized possession of
information related to national security.

2) That the information could bring harm to the U.S.
and/or aid an enemy.

3) That Assange had willfully kept the information
after a demand for its return.

Accounts of Assange and his espionage escapades
show the larcenous lad to be simply contemptuous
of ruling institutions, regarding them as being invari-
ably corrupt and everything that they say just lies.
But the actual and potential damage from his
supposed childish lark is much more than something
akin to egging the school principal's car or placing
false reports of suspicious activity to the police;
not only are many lives placed at increased risk
but communication between diplomats, between
military personnel (especially at command level),
even between heads of state, is compromised.
Furthermore, journalists will find it more difficult
to write articles on specific revelations for public
consumption, i.e. What missile technology did North
Korea give to Iran? How would we and our allies
wage the war in Afghanistan if we had to tighten
our security to the point where communication
would be encumbered by fear of advanced means of
snooping?

Julian Assange is a war criminal and should be arrested
and tried as such. A haphazard upbringing should not be
an excuse for not meting out appropriate punishment
to an egregious transgressor now of majority age.
Especially a transgressor who has so little respect for
authority that he desires to stick his finger in its eye,
without regard to whomever else might be injured.

Your faithful Peasant has posted a link for you, my
treasured readers, to help you to gain more insight
into the mindset and resultant activity of this cyber-
smarty-pants. Click below to watch a video of
Julian Assange talking about the enemies of his
enterprise.


MEM




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Wednesday, December 1, 2010

A Substitution This Week

Hello All!

Due to some unexpected priorities popping
up for your favorite Peasant to tend to,
there will be no article to post this week.
But fear not; I have for you, my fabulous
readers, the link to National Review Online
for you to visit William F. Buckley's great
magazine's online version! Just click here:

nationalreview.com

... and enjoy! There are not only wonderful
articles written by the NR lineup of fine
political journalists and commentators, but
some wonderful videos with the latest news
from the political scene as well as other
important events from around the country
and around the world.

The Peasant shall return soon, with more
political matters to comment on and for
us to examine with our eagle eyes,
to see who's been naughty or nice, as well
as to share a little Christmas holiday cheer!
We already have a fabulous early Christmas
present, delivered on Election Day last month:
a conservative resurgence resulting in the
taking of the House of Representatives in
Congress as well as many governors' offices
and state legislatures around the country!
It was our Christmas gift to ourselves!

My wonderful readers, you are my Christmas
gift! A gift that your humble Peasant is so
very grateful for every day of the year!
See you all next week!


MEM

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Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Thanksgiving for Our Many Blessings

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Your favorite Peasant wants to give you his wishes for a
most joyful Thanksgiving holiday. And have we got a lot
to be thankful for!

I made some wonderful business contacts and some new
friends during this year. Among the people I want to thank
for their coming into and enriching my life are Benson
Agbortogo, a consultant who has many talents, including
internet marketing. Benson has assisted me with the
monetizing of this blog; you all have seen the little ad
to the right of the text field that shows the latest and
hottest deals with Amazon.com for books and so many
other wonderful items. Now you, my wonderful readers,
can do your shopping online when you visit your ever-
lovin' Peasant! Soon I shall have more such ads and
links for you to help you with your shopping; in the
meantime, make your Christmas shopping a little easier
with Amazon.com --- they have a tremendous range of
items and gift ideas for your family and friends!

In addition, I want to thank my friends in the Gathering
of the Spirit at my church, The Cathedral of Saint
John the Evangelist in Milwaukee, our career support
group, for their friendship and camaraderie, as well as\
some wonderful leads, contacts, and career enhancing
advice. You all have made my career re-establishment
efforts easier and even fun! Much love as well to my
friends in the Milwaukee Celtic Song Circle, now
renamed for another good friend, Chuck Ward, a
grand singer/musician in a local Irish music band Blarney.
Chuck, a major force in Milwaukee's Irish community,
passed away on November 5 after a long fight against
cancer leaving his family, many friends, and even more
fans, and a legacy of friendship and love. Thanks so
much, Chuck, for the wonderful times and tunes!
And to my song circle mates, thanks for your joining
me in singing and celebrating Irish and other Celtic
songs and the culture which gave birth to them, and
for your friendship! Furthermore, I want to give my
thanks to the Milwaukee Irish Fest Song Circle for
welcoming a fellow with a great love of Irish songs
but precious little singing experience, having just
embarked upon a new hobby and passion not long
beforehand, into the fold. I thoroughly enjoyed
the five years that I was a member of your group,
performing at Milwaukee's Irish Fest and at other
venues. Thank you also for recognizing my need
to grow in a different musical direction which
led to my leaving to start my own song circle.
I shall forever be grateful to you all for everything!

To be sure, I certainly want to thank my landlord
Tom Barrett and his family for taking me in as a
lodger when I lost my home as a result of the
worst economic downturn since The Great
Depression, and for Tom, a very able attorney,
to help me with the resulting legal difficulties,
including representing me in court, "pro bono"
(latin for "free of charge"). They all have been
a great source of hope, cheer, and moral support
in my darkest hours. So has Bill Fangmann, my
friend, employer, and sponsor from
my confirmation in the Catholic faith in 2006.
Bill owns and operates Fangmann Landscaping,
and has had me as a crew member for the last
few seasons, and the work has been most welcome.
Until I get established in a new job and possibly a
new career (your industrious Peasant was in the
financial field) I am thankful and happy to help
you move mulch, soil, rocks and plants! Bill,
you're the greatest!

The rest of my friends at the Cathedral also get
my thanks and praise for their friendship and
spiritual nourishment. Thanks to them I can get
through each day a lot more smoothly and even
joyfully while I pick up the pieces of my shattered
life. Thanks to all of my friends near and far, some
of whom are among you, my dear readers, in the
enjoyment of my blog.

And you just know that I give thanks for the results
of the election our country held earlier this month,
when we gave a bunch of elitist pigs their walking
papers, sending them packing from Congress,
many state governors' offices, and state legislatures!
We made great strides in reclaiming our country's
government from the statist stuffed-shirts in both
parties, reminding them in no uncertain terms that
the people rule and they serve at OUR pleasure,
and that when they decide that they are above us
and cease to listen to us, that we can and will
replace them with people who will know their
roles.

I am thankful for my family, which these days
consists of a handful of cousins scattered from
Ireland to San Francisco, as my parents, my
stepmother, my uncles and aunts and a few
other cousins, and my dear cat Kevin have
since gone to glory. I am thankful for them
all, those in this physical realm and those in
the arms of Our Lord. Some other friends of
mine are with Him as well. They all have made
an incredible difference in my life with all that
they added to it, and I can only hope that I did
as much in turn for them, these wonderful
relations and friends.

Finally, I am most thankful for each and every one
of you, my dear, fabulous, fantastic, wonderful
readers! Without your support your Peasant's
Pitchfork would have dull prongs, and would
only be good for rusting in an old weathered barn.
You all mean more to me than I can ever express
in words! And of course I am thankful for being
a citizen of the most wonderful country in this
great big world --- the United States of America!

Let us enjoy Thanksgiving Day by tallying all of
our multitude of blessings! We truly do have so
much to be thankful for!


MEM























































































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Thursday, November 18, 2010

Is Journalism Dead?

Often times in recent years your faithful Peasant has pondered
this question which is the title of this offering to you, my
tremendous readers. With the clear and pronounced bias
exhibited by much of the U.S. media, which embraces
the political left and its adherents, there appear to be
fewer journalists and more apologists in American
journalism. Last month, an incident occurred which has
triggered my concern anew.

Juan Williams, a nationally-known and respected journalist
who has of late been a news analyst with NPR (National
Public Radio), was fired by this media organization on
October 20 over comments Williams made while appearing
on Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, hosted by conservative
commentator Bill O'Reilly. What, you may ask, did Juan
Williams say that was so awful so as to cost him his job?
His admission that he gets "nervous" when he sees Muslims
in traditional Muslim garb board planes. NPR announced
that "His remarks on the O'Reilly Factor this past Monday
were inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices,
and undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR."
Gee, that's rich, coming from a media outfit renown for its
stoutly left-wing point of view with which they routinely
imbue their stories. Williams, no rock-ribbed Reaganite,
simply voiced a concern shared by so many of us when
we travel by air; it was, after all, radical Muslim terrorists
who hijacked three of our passenger jets on that fateful
morning in September 2001, flying two of them into
the World Trade Center Towers while the third crashed
on an open field in Pennsylvania.

Williams shared that he was most upset over NPR CEO
Vivian Schiller's comment that he should have shared his
remarks "with his psychiatrist or publicist." Apparently
Schiller believes that anyone worried about their safety
while flying with people clad in traditional Muslim clothing
must be not only bigoted but crazy as well. Schiller has since
apologized for the way she handled Williams' dismissal
but also defended the decision to give him his walking papers.
The sacking precipitated a backlash, with conservative
politicians and commentators calling for the U.S. government
to defund NPR. Your favorite Peasant has long advocated
this measure; why should we be made to subsidize with our
tax monies an organization which promotes a point of view
which many of us do not share, under the guise of journalism?
For what NPR does is not journalism but advocacy.

After Williams' firing, he stated "At NPR ... they don't know
this: that one-third of the audience for Bill O'Reilly's show is
made up of people of color," adding "At NPR, they think,
'Oh, these people who watch Fox don't appreciate diversity
of opinion, they're not smart people. They're not informed
people.' Oh yeah? I'll tell you what: They're informed!"
This from a staunch liberal!

Williams went on: "Just consider the idea that Fox allows
me the opportunity to sit in for Bill O'Reilly on their #1
show ... That's the franchise. That's the moneymaker.
If that show falls into the toilet, it's bad for the lineup.
And yet Fox allows a black guy with a Hispanic name
to sit in the big chair and host the show." This in addition
to all the times Juan Williams has been a guest on the
Factor. At the time of his firing, Williams was the lone
black male that NPR had on their roster. And he got
canned like tuna for expressing a concern shared by
many air travelers but denigrated as being  "politically
incorrect" by the liberal establishmentarians in charge
of NPR as well as most of our country's media.

In fact, in a piece Williams posted on Fox News'
website he explained that he shared his fears on
the Factor "in order to (make) the case for not
making rash judgments about people of any faith
... and I made it clear that all Americans have to be
careful not to let fear lead to the violation of anyone's
constitutional rights ... This was an honest, sensitive
debate hosted by O'Reilly." Williams made it plain
that, in the case of Muslim passengers, one must
distinguish between the radical Muslims and the
rest when discussing people of that faith.

Yet two days after the show Ellen Weiss, Williams'
immediate boss at NPR, phoned him to say that
he had "crossed the line, essentially accusing (him)
of bigotry" and informed Williams that "(he) had
violated NPR's values for editorial commentary"
and that his contract with NPR was terminated.
Weiss didn't even have the decency to summon
Williams to her office to tell him face to face that
he was being shown the door. And it made no
difference that Williams did not make his comments
on NPR. When Williams asked Weiss why she
would fire him without speaking with him face to
face, Weiss responded that the decision to
terminate Williams' contract was made above her,
"so there was no point in meeting in person."

Williams then remarked "To say the least this is
a chilling assault on free speech." Your loyal
Peasant couldn't put it more aptly. This is now
the price in our society for not being sufficiently
liberal. If you voice an opinion, a thought, or a
feeling which fails to meet muster for political
correctness, you will face opprobrium, condem-
nation, and possibly an interruption in or the ter-
mination of your livelihood, especially if you work
in the media field.

This story, however, does have a happy ending:
Juan Williams was hired almost immediately after
his ouster from NPR by Fox News as a commen-
tator and was offered a very generous salary,
much more than he was getting from NPR from
all accounts. The hiring of Williams by Fox was
a big story, and a big feather in Fox News' cap.

Journalism may not be dead after all.


MEM
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Thursday, November 11, 2010

Veterans Day Thoughts

Today being Veterans Day, your loyal Peasant is thinking about
all of the men and women who have served our country in times
of war and the sacrifices that they have made in their service to
our country. But then, I think about them all throughout the year,
not just on days like Veterans Day, Memorial Day, or the Fourth
of July; no, I think of these brave fellow citizens and their service,
both those who came marching home and those who were either
carried home or never came home at all frequently. And I give my
thanks for all that they have done to protect us and our way of life,
with all the freedoms that it entails, freedoms that we Americans 
at times take for granted. Finally, I say a prayer for all our military
people, those currently serving and those who have served,
including of course those who made the ultimate sacrifice in their 
service to our country; dying while helping us to go on living in
freedom and security.

To all of our soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, coast guardians,
and merchant marines, your humble Peasant thanks you for all
that you do. To those who have so served, you also have my
thanks and appreciation. To all those who gave their lives in your
service to our country, you certainly have my thanks even though
it can never repay you properly for what you have sacrificed.
I can only hope to live my life as a citizen of our wonderful
country in a way that might make me worthy of what you have
done, and perhaps make you one iota as proud of me as I am
of you.

God bless our military. God bless America.


MEM

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

An Idea Whose Time Has Come

Your favorite Peasant had an interesting political conversation
with an old friend and fellow political activist last week, and he
shared with me a stunning idea that would make it less
discomfiting for some elected candidates for public office to
take the oath of office and thereby be sworn in, officially beginning
their terms and duties of the offices that they were elected to.
I'm referring to candidates who, because they are not of the
Christian nor the Jewish faiths, would find it awkward to swear
theoath of office on a Bible. Perhaps some Jewish candidates
would be uncomfortable with taking the oath on the Bible as well.

My fellow political enthusiast, John-Mark Pawlowski, who is active
in political circles in Saint Paul (where I used to live before
returning to the Milwaukee area nine years ago), mentioned his  
idea as an alternative which would have served U.S. Rep. Keith
Ellison (D-MN) well when he first won election to the House of 
representatives a few years ago, and in his subsequent reelection. 
Ellison, a Muslim, took the oath of office on a copy of the Koran,
Isalm's holy book. This caused some controversy in that some 
people thought that Ellison would not somehow be well and truly
sworn in and set to being his congressional duties; after all,
everyone else who ever was elected to either chamber of 
Congress, let alone all other political offices, regardless of  
religious faith or lack thereof have sworn the oath on the Bible.
But, my friend states, for Ellison to have sworn the oath on the 
Bible would have had as much meaning for him as swearing on
a Marvel comic book. I agree wholeheartedly.

So John-Mark proposes this: every elected candidate to public
office, from dogcatcher in the smallest podunk in the country up
to the Presidency, swear the oath of office which requires the
elected candidate to uphold the Constitution on the Constitution.
Think of this for a moment. All candidates would be able to stay
true to their beliefs, religious or otherwise, while still officially
starting their duties in the offices which they were elected to.
In the case of state and local elected officials, they could swear
the oath on the state constitution of the state that they live in.
All that matters, it seems to John-Mark and myself, is that the
elected candidates promise to uphold the law which is rooted
in the state constitutions and the national one, and be held to
their promises; what does it matter how or whether they worship?

And this is not necessarily a sop to seperation of church and state
zealots. All it is is a simple means of ensuring that each elected
candidate be responsible, by his or her word, for adhering to
constitutional requirements regarding making and upholding
the law while also making the ceremony of taking the oath of 
office more comfortable and meaningful for those candidates
of faiths which do not act by biblical instruction. And I
would add to this idea, which is simplicity itself, that
candidates of either the Christian or Jewish faith could
still swear their oaths on the Bible if they so choose.
This way there would be freedom of choice in the matter
as to who or what elected government officials swear their
oaths of office upon, and that they will be duly sworn in
and immediately held to the promise made to adhere to
constitutional principles in executing their duties. And
when all is said and done, that certain promise and
the keeping of it is what really counts.

In closing, wouldn't it be better, and wiser, to have an
elected official swear the oath of office in a manner
not inconsistent with the religious beliefs of said offical,
rather than have the official be inserted into a needlessly
awkward and contradictory position, and forced therefore
to live a lie? Politicians lie enough on their own as it is,
let's not require that a politician lie right off the bat in
order to assume the duties of office!


MEM

Friday, November 5, 2010

Savoring the Election Results

Still in a celebratory mood after Tuesday? Can't say that
I blame you, my loyal readers, as I am of that mindset
myself.

Here are the highlights of the 2010 election and your
faithful Peasant's take on them:

Here in Badgerland (Wisconsin) we took back the governor's
office by electing Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker
(R) to replace James "Diamond Jim" Doyle (D), a very liberal
Democrat who wisely declined to seek a third term after jacking
taxes up to the sky, regulating businesses almost out of business
thus causing some businesses to leave Wisconsin and others to
rethink moving or expanding into our state, and forcing a high-
speed rail line with trains to boot upon us over our loud and
repeated objections (gee, doesn't that tactic sound familiar?).
Doyle was elected and re-elected by scant margins to begin with,
so he has long been skating on rather thin ice; he decided to put
his skates away upon seeing the writing on the wall in the months
before the election, and Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett (D) ran
in his place. We saw Barrett as Doyle version 2.0 so we said
"no thanks" and chose Walker, a proven foe of confiscatory
taxation and a proven friend of job creation and retention.
He's a solid all-around conservative as well! Furthermore,
we took both chambers of our state legislature! Scott Walker
will have a cooperative legislature to work with, so he can
undo the damage that Doyle and Company have done to our
state's economy and business climate. Walker announced in
his victory speech "Wisconsin is open for business!". About
time! We must replace the many jobs that have either moved
out of state or have died from suffocation from the smothering
of overregulation and relentless taxation.

We also elected Oshkosh businessman Ron Johnson (R) over
incumbent Russ Feingold (D) for the contested U.S. Senate seat.
A Striking observation: Both races were decided by the same
percentages of votes cast for each candidate! Walker and Johnson
each received 52% of the entire vote to their Democrat opponents'
47% of same, with 1% going to thirs party and/or independent
candidates. But take a look at the county-by-county results; each
of the Dems were lucky to get between 10 and 20 counties out of
the 72 counties in the state!

Also, we now have a GOP majority in our state's delegation to the
U.S. House; incumbent Steve Kagan (D) lost by 55% to 45% to
Republican Reid Ribble in the District 8 contest, while GOP choice
Sean Duffy defeated Democrat Julie Lassa 52% to 44% (4% to
a third party candidate) to represent District 7 in the House of
Representatives. The other seats' races  had predictable results,
with the incumbents all winning new terms (yes, Dan Sebring lost
in District 4 despite a gallant effort. Hopefully he'll run again for
public office in the future).

Around the country we saw Republicans take back the House
with a gain of 61 seats, nearly completely reversing the margin
there, established in 2008 with the Obama victory; that election
gave the Dems 257 seats to the GOP's 178. The count now
shall be 239 for the Republicans to 185 for Obama's pals.
Although we didn't take the Senate, we did cut the Dem's
margin by about seven seats; I say this because two of the
senate races is still being decided in the counting of the votes
in what proved to be extremely tight races. In Alaska, Joe
Miller (R) is neck-and-neck with spite-in (er, write-in)
candidate and incumbent Lisa Murkowski, whom he beat
for the GOP nod to run on that ticket. Washington is seeing
who will emerge the victor between incumbent Sen. Patty
Murray (D) and challenger Dino Rossi (R). Sadly, former
state legislator Sharron Angle lost a narrow race to Sen.
Harry Reid (D), who also happens to be the Senate Majority
Leader. Although it was a bitter moment in an otherwise happy
evening, ol' Dingy Harry (as Rush Limbaugh calls him) will find
it much harder to muster the votes that President Obama will
need to get any more of his Big Government programs passed
in the Senate. Angle was a strong and articulate candidate with
principled conservatism, and we hope that we'll see more of her
in a future campaign for elected office. Christine O'Donnell (R) lost
her bid for the open senate seat from Delaware by a decisive
margin to Democrat Chris Coons. The latter was hand-picked
by Vice President Joe Biden, who had held that senate seat at
the time of his election to the Vice Presidency, to be his successor,
and Coons looks to be every bit the tax-and-spend fanatic that
Biden is. O'Donnell, who was dogged by some controversial
stories from her past, some being blown out of proportion but
some not, lost another race for a U.S. Senate seat from her
home state, and another race for an elected office period, did
her best but she is now so politically damaged that she should
make her future in the private sector. A sad ending to a political
career of a dedictaed conservative.

The Republican tide included claiming many governorships and
state legislatures around the country as well. It was truly open
season on Democrats, especially those who hitched their wagons
to Obama's now rapidly dimming star. This is what comes of the
arrogance of power in government, where those in office think
themselves smarter than and superior to the people who put them
there. The moral of this story is plain: ignore the people at your
peril, for those who elected you can un-elect you in a trice.
Disrespect the electorate, dictate to them, talk down to them,
and you are destroying your political careers. For in our republic,
where we elect representatives to speak and act for us in our
government, we are the ultimate rulers; we are the boss. The
folks we elect serve at our pleasure, and when they no longer
serve us well we can, and shall, replace them.

Note to Democrats and RINOs: That's the way it is. Live with it!


MEM
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Wednesday, November 3, 2010

JUBILATION!!!

We did it gang!

We prevailed in yesterday's election, giving no quarter
and showing no mercy! We made our voice so loud
and clear that we could not possibly be ignored this
time! Now the Democrats and the RINOs will HAVE
to listen to us, to take us seriously, to show us some
respect (and perhaps a little fear as well). We showed
them who's boss!

In Congress, the House of Representatives is no longer
in Nancy Pelosi's claws; the Republicans gained over 50
seats there. Some speculate that Pelosi may step down
as the Democrats' leader in the House so as not to lead
what is now a minority in that chamber; others think that
she may call it a career and leave Congress (better yet!).
The Senate, unfortunately, is still under the Democrats'
control, but with at least six less seats; now they can't
rely on one or two RINO senators to vote with them
to sustain a filibuster. Obama must have been making
a breakfast of his fingernails this morning!

We put some solid conservatives into the governors'
offices in more than a few states, along with GOP
majorities in those states' legislatures to accompany
them, my home state of Wisconsin being one such
state. Scott Walker, Milwaukee County Executive
and Republican candidate for Governor, won the
office defeating Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett
quite handily. We Badger State folk sent Scott
a Republican Assembly and Senate both to help
him in his work to restore our state's economic
good health and to make businesses and jobs
welcome once again. Also, we sent U.S. Sen.
Russ Feingold (D), archliberal, hyperelitist pain
in our backside packing in favor of Republican
Ron Johnson, Oshkosh business owner and rookie
candidate for elected office. Ron Johnson certainly
understands the concept of responsibility for the
income and expenditures of money and accountability
for same, a concept that Russ Feingold failed to grasp
during the three terms he had as senator.

Before the weekend your diligent Peasant shall give
some in-depth examination of the most-watched races
and also provide some numbers and percentages. Some
races are still not settled, and one race in particular might
not be settled for quite a few days, that being the Alaska
U.S. Senate race between incumbent and write-in spoil-
sport Lisa Murkowski and Republican nominee Joe Miller.
The Democrat candidate finished a distant third, well behind
the contentious pair, so that candidate is not a factor here.
Therefore the wait for just a couple of days for the juicy
details of the election results.

But in the meantime, rejoice and be glad! We have taken
that crucial first step to reclaiming our government and our
country from Obama & Co. We have neutralized the almighty
Obama. We have defanged the monster. We have made his
quest to turn our country into a western European-style nanny
state a whale of a lot harder. Many of his cohorts on Capitol Hill
have been fired by We The People, the REAL boss around here.

See what happened last night, Barack?  YOU'RE NEXT!


MEM


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Saturday, October 30, 2010

Let's Play a Trick on the Left (And Treat Ourselves To Victory!)

Hello, my fabulous readers!
Happy Halloween to you and
your precious little trick-or-treaters!
That big candy-gathering day is tomorrow!

One more visit together before Election Day.
Did you all mark November 2 on your calendars?
Excellent! Have you all made transportation
arrangements for getting yourselves, your families,
your friends, and your neighbors to the polls?
Fantastic! Have you all done your homework
on the candidates to learn what they stand for,
what they are running on, who is supporting them
and for what purpose(s)? Super! And, most importantly,
have you all registered to vote? No?

Not to worry, you can register at your polling places.
Just bring a valid driver's license or state photo ID,
and perhaps a billing statement from your utility
company or telephone service provider to prove your
residency. You can also bring a licensed voter who
can vouch for you if you don't want to bring one of
these bills with you. Now you're all set to vote in
the candidates who will restore constitutional governance
and sanity to our government, and vote out the elitist
pigs who think that the Constitution is an outmoded,
obsolete antique which should be scrapped, that We
The People are know-nothing backward peasants
who should be dictated to rather than listened to,
that think an encroaching, micromanaging, nanny state
is the best form of government for our country.

Although it is always imperative to turn out to vote in
every election, there is more, much more at stake in
this election. We have what may be the last opportunity
to change the direction of our government, our economy,
our society, our country back from the precipice overlooking
the statist chasm that President Obama and his fellow
Democrats, along with some renegade Republicans ---
the RINOs --- have taken us to. We may, as a nation,
have voted for change after the letdown of the Bush
administration, but not at all for the kind of change that
Obama and his pals have foisted upon us! If we vote out
Obama's bunch from power in both houses of Congress,
and the latest prognostications have this being almost a
certainty, we can neutralize Obama so that he cannot ramrod
further radical programs through Congress which would
further plunge us into debt, expand the deficit, shoot taxes
ever higher, and clamp down on our economic and personal
liberties. Then we will have an easier time in getting rid of
The Annointed One, as radio & TV conservative talker
Sean Hannity referrs to President Obama. We will show
the liberals that their emperor has no clothes! It shall be
a splendid Halloween trick, just a couple of days after
the day for tricks and treats, to perpetrate upon the
trickster who conned us with "change" of a kind that we
didn't want nor intended to vote for!

The other side will not go gentle into that good night, however.
In recent national elections they have resorted to illegal means
of attempting to ensure victory for their candidates, which have
included many kinds of vote fraud, voter intimidation (case in
point: the Black Panthers standing in front of polling precincts
in Philadelphia, harrassing people coming to vote), even 
discounting ballots cast by our brave military service members
in Iraq and Afghanistan! This year, some states have even
dragged their feet in getting ballots sent to our military folk
so that if some of them haven't received them by now, it will
be too late to get the ballots into their hands in time for
November 2, thus disenfranchising the very people fighting
to defend our freedom!

But our right to vote, to determine the leadership and the
direction of our government, has been secured for us at a
terrible sacrifice over 200 years ago. Some of our early
countrymen died to gain that right for us, many of them
knowing that they may not live to exercise this right
themselves. We have inherited a precious legacy, we have
received a tremendous gift, paid for with the very
blood of former colonists of the British crown who had
had enough of being treated like subjects and wanted to
be sovereign citizens. And now we have the opportunity
to vote out a gaggle of wayward elected officials who
are treating us in this same shabby, disrespectful fashion.

In voting on November 2, we will not only change the
makeup and course of our government, we will also be
thanking our forefathers for their frightening undertaking
and accompanying sacrifice. We owe it not only to ourselves,
but to them, to vote, and to cast our votes wisely.

See you at the polls!


MEM
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Thursday, October 28, 2010

My Evening With Ben Stein

On Monday, October 25, I seized the opportunity to hear Ben
Stein; author, speaker, conservative activist, speechwriter for 
President Richard Nixon, columnist, actor, talk show host and
game show emcee; a human whirlwind and a renaissance man!
Ben Stein one of my favorite conservatives, nay, one of my 
favorite PEOPLE in all the world, and I heard him give a talk 
at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee campus. I even got
to meet him afterward, and told him about myself and this blog. 
He asked me to e-mail the link to him at his e-mail address, which
I have already done! Your favorite Peasant is becoming known
in lofty circles!

I also happened across a fellow whom I met at a tea party rally last
year, just after he announced his candidacy for Congress. Con-
servative Republican Dan Sebring is challenging incumbent
U.S. Representative Gwen Moore (D) and is posing a serious
challenge to the seemingly entrenched Democrat. I chatted with
Dan at both of these events and found him to be a dedictaed
conservative who will be helpful in rolling back President Obama's
radical programs and stop Obama's other ideas from coming to 
fruition. Dan is boldly challenging an incumbent situated in the
very Democratic 4th Congressional District; make no mistake,
this district is no bastion of conservative politics!

But if enough of you "right-minded" folk come out to vote
for Dan Sebring on Election Day (November 2), a historic
achievement will be realized, and a stern message will be sent
to left-wing members of Congress that NONE OF THEM 
are safe from the citizenry which they have ignored and
scorned since Obama entered the White House! It is
imperative that we, my loyal readers, turn out to vote
for our constitutionally-dedicated candidtaes next week,
whether they are running in conservative districts where
victory is a certainty, or in liberal districts, where they
face an uphill battle. We cannot, must not, concede ANY
office, ANYWHERE! We have to build astrong conservative
majority in both houses of Congress in order to handcuff
Obama for the final two years of his term (which we shall
endeavor to make his only term!) and to begin to shape our
country's government, its direction, and our country itself
for the years ahead.

Your diligent Peasant shall make every attempt to address
you, my fantastic readers, once more before Election Day.
Meanwhile, mark November 2 on your calendars; it's our
political D-Day!


MEM
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Thursday, October 21, 2010

An Egregious Violation of Civil and Human Rights

Today's story is a dramatic departure from the usual bill of fare
that your humble Peasant offers you, my wonderful readers.

Just three days ago a friend and reader of this blog brought to
my attention an article relating how American scientists, in the
name of scientific and medical research, infected patients in a
mental hospital and prison inmates in Guatemala with syphilis
in the 1940s. This was done by arranging prison visits by
prostitutes as well as by innoculation of the disease. An account
of this U.S. government-funded experiment was discovered
by Wellesley College medical historian Susan Reverby. The
shocking experimentation was supposedly conducted to
determine if penicillin, then still a fairly new drug, could prevent
infection via sexually transmitted diseases. The experiment
yielded no useful information but caused much undue and
unjust suffering for the people who were, without their know-
ledge or consent, thrust into the role of unwitting laboratory
rats. Not surprisingly, the project and all records on it were
submerged in secrecy for decades --- then enter Susan Reverby.
reverby reported that the U.S. received permission from
Guatemalan officials to conduct the now-controversial
experimentation but never informed the chosen subjects.
Seems like prisoners and mentally ill people didn't matter
to our scientists or the governments of the U.S. and Guatemala
at that time, so the idea was why not forge ahead with the study
and to heck with the consequences upon the subjects being
studied? After all, they were just criminals and lunatics; they
didn't matter.

Furthermore, the government researcher who headed this
terrible undertaking was also involved in the Tuskegee
experiment, in which during a forty-year period from 1932
to 1972 American scientists observed 600 black men in
Alabama who had syphilis but never knew it, and never
offered treatment to these men at any time. This was started
and carried out during the years of the FDR and Truman
administrations, progressive presidents long thought to be
champions and protectors of human rights at home and abroad.

Fortunately, we have stringent regulations today which
clearly state that it is unethical and therefore improper to
experiment on people without their knowledge and consent
require certain standards for any such work with vulnerable
groups of people, i.e. prison inmates and the mentally ill. Sadly,
these regulations were not existent in the 1940s, so no recognized
ethics violations or breached protocols resulted from this
study in Guatemala. If there are no rules forbidding a particular
activity, is it legal to then engage in that activity? Just because
something is not illegal does not automatically make it right,
but this likely didn't cross the minds of those who established
and carried out the Guatemalan experiment.

The U.S. government has recently apologized to Guatemala for
its role in conducting this horrible experiment upon some of that
nation's most vulnerable people. An official with the Guatemalan
Embassy in the United States said that his country hadn't been
aware of the study until U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
telephoned to convey the apology, but that "(They) appreciate
this gesture from the U.S., acknowledging the mistake and
apologizing," and that "This must not affect the bilateral relation-
ship (between Guatemala and the United States)."

Our great country engaged in unethically conducted scientific
experiments, perpetrated upon groups of people who were
considered to be marginal in relation to the societies which
they were a part of. Although the norms of the day differed
from those of today, this ghastly project is far beneath the
standards upon which our nation is supposed to adhere to.
But to its credit, our nation has acknowledged and apologized
for its mistakes in Guatemala and Alabama. The United States
is not a great country because its is perfect; it is, however, a
great country because it owns up to its errors and endeavors
to correct them. In the song "America The Beautiful" there are
words, "... God mend thine every flaw, confirm thy soul in
self-control, Thy liberty in law." This passage from this beau-
tiful, patriotic sons says it all.

If you, my fabulous readers, want to learn more about Susan
Reverby and her findings on the Guatemalan syphilis study,
you can visit her website:

www.wellesley.edu/WomenSt/fac_reverby.html

The Peasant wishes to thank the Associated press and the
McClatchy News Service for the article from which this
subject matter was derived, and the Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel for publishing this article. The Peasant also wishes
to thank the loyal reader and good friend who called my
attention to this article.


MEM

Friday, October 15, 2010

The Peasant's Christmas Season Plans

Hi everybody!

Your faithful Peasant wants to let you know that once again
I shall engage in Christmas season employment to better make
ends meet. As with last year, we'll still get together at this site,
but I will not always be able to post on Wednesdays or on
Thursdays as I customarily do due to what my work schedule
will portend. Of course I shall make every endeavor to post
each week; if some weeks even this proves to be impossible,
this too shall be due to the demands of my schedule.

To borrow a phrase from one of our country's foremost
conservative radio talk show hosts, Sean Hannity, "Let not
your heart(s) be troubled." We'll still have our fun examining
the political news stories of the day, especially the results of
Election Day (November 2) when we shall celebrate the
smashing victory we will have achieved over Obama's
Democrat pals and their RINO stooges in Congress
and elsewhere around the country! Your beloved Peasant
shall be close by!

In the meantime, do vote on November 2, won't you?
This election is one of the most important elections
that we as a nation have ever had, for we have the
opportunity, the duty, to defang the monster that is
Barack Obama by voting out his allies in Congress
as well as like-minded officeholders in state legislatures
and governors' offices. That will weaken the statist
Obama in terms of the damage he could further wreak
upon our economy and our liberties; two years later
we'll vote out Obama himself and have done with this
nightmare! If you don't vote on November 2, you will
deeply regret it in either of two ways: by not contributing
to the successful effort to take back Congress (and some
other elected offices as well) or by contributing to the
failure to reclaim these offices, thereby giving Obama
a second wind, all because you didn't vote. You then
shall feel either pangs of envy or feel suffocating sorrow,
depending upon the outcome of the day.

Don't let that happen! If you haven't registered to vote,
go to your city, town, or village hall and register! It takes
just minutes to do, and all you need is a valid photo ID
proving your residence and/or a telephone or utility bill
for same, depending on the laws in your community or
state. Some places will accept a resident in your community
to come and personally vouch for you, as long as that person
has the aforementioned documentation. Then, on the
appointed day, go to the polls and vote! It's as simple
as that!

Let's make this election day a day that we shall always
remember and cherish!


MEM

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Who Pulls Sen. Russ Feingold's Strings?

As we approach our special day --- the day of our
national election, the political weather forecast is
predicting a massive tsunami of change in Congress
as well as state legislatures and governors' offices.
The waves of public sentiment are poised to sweep
a lot of elitist pigs from both major political parties
out of office, putting in their places good, solid,
conservative candidates who will respect the
Constitution and the people rather than spit on
them. Now we will get some REAL change, not
more of the awful stuff that Mr. Hope and Change
has been forcing on us from the White House!

In your beloved Peasant's home state of Wisconsin,
incumbent U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, extremely left-wing
Democrat and relaible Obama yes-man, is trying for a
fourth term in the Senate but is running farther and
farther behind businessman and political newcomer
Ron Johnson, the Republican candidate and Tea Party
choice. Sen. Feingold has been elected and re-elected
by scant margins, only because he has faced either flawed
or little-known opposition. Last time out he defeated a
businessman who was a candidate for the Senate seat
Feingold has held now for nearly eighteen years, a candidate
who was a novice in politics, someone who had good ideas
but was most ineffective at communicating them and therefore
could not beat an eminently beatable incumbent.

But this election is different for the following reasons:
Ron Johnson has been a much better communicator
of his ideas as well as a more fierce attacker of Sen.
Feingold's record in the Senate. Johnson understands
that politics is a rough, tough endeavor and one must
both attack and defend with unrelenting vigor. Moreover,
the increasing anger at the current Congress, not to
mention the White House and the party which currently
controlls them has provided a wave of energy to ride.
That is certainly the case here in Wisconsin, where
Badger State Democrats are bracing for a rough
storm. Here, the problem has been more with these
Democrats and their dismissiveness toward the people
and their concerns rather than with sellout Republicans,
as the case has been in some states. For Sen. Feingold's
part, he has consistently ignored the opposition of his
fellow Wisconsinites to Obamacare, Cap & Trade,
bank & corporate bailouts on the taxpayer's dime,
and dubious "stimulus packages" which do nothing
to stimulate the economy but rather harm it further
through increased deficit spending and increased
borrowing, the latter creating more debt. We now
have record levels of both.

And to further insult the people of my state, and the
candidate that a demonstrable majority of them are
supporting, Sen. Feingold has attacked Ron Johnson
by questioning who Johnson is beholden to, as far as
third party (a/k/a interest groups) support is concerned.
This from an incumbent who has long received the support,
especially financial support, of labor unions, Hollywood
celebrities, feminist groups, abortion so-called rights
supporters, and oh, yes, left-wing billionaire George
Soros, through the political group MoveOn.org which
he funds to the hilt. Soros has been trying hard to influence
our elections with his vast fortune from currency trading,
attempting to bring our country into his sphere of influence,
funding Democrats in their election bids for Congress
and the Presidency. Soros has put his finger into other
nations' political pies for the same purpose over the years.
So who is Senator Russ Feingold to criticize Ron Johnson,
or anyone else for that matter, given his long list of special
interest supporters?

This race has Obama & Co. concerned, and gravely so.
This is why President Obama, the First Lady, and Vice
President (and Gaffemaster General) Joe Biden have all
made special visits to Wisconsin to talk up Sen. Feingold's
record in the Senate and to raise money for his campaign.
Obama personally came here FOUR TIMES just to help
his ol' pal Russ with his flagging campaign! That should tell
you, my wonderful and intelligent readers, that Ron Johnson
is running a strong, vibrant campaign, enough so that he
is highly likely to send Sen. Feingold packing.

It's no sense trying to talk to the Senator; although he has
conducted "listening tours" around the state he listens only
to those who agree with him and his actions on behalf of
Obama and his agenda. He has even disparaged some of
the citizens who have voiced their displeasure with his votes
in the Senate, including the entire county of Waukesha.
That's right, Sen. Feingold had made condescending remarks
about the people of Waukesha County, a prosperous and
hard-working people, because they overwhelmingly dislike
him and the policies he supports. Your favorite Peasant
had e-mailed him on a couple of issues and he sent back
letters bragging about his support for the very programs and
legislation which I oppose, and how it will somehow be good
for Wisconsin and the country, taking a paternalistic tone in
his responses. Your diligent Peasant has learned that he has
taken the same tack and tone with other people as well.

Note to my fellow Wisconsinites: This jerk has to go! NOW!
On November 2 we have an opportunity to replace this elitist
pig with a candidate who understands us and our concerns,
who will listen to our concerns, our opinions, and our ideas
regarding the issues and challenges we face as a state and as
a nation, and will abide by the Constitution in his actions in
the United States Senate. Let's tell Russ Feingold to update
his resume' and start peddling it, because we are going to give
him his pink slip! We want a senator who will be beholden
to us, the people, not to big-monied, high-powered interests
who don't have our best interests in mind and frankly could
care less!

Senator Feingold, start cleaning out your office and pack your
bags. We Wisconsinites have had more than enough of you.


MEM

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Senator Lisa Murkowski - Poster Girl for Sore Losers!

How's everybody doing?

Your favorite Peasant came across a video that encapsulates
the recent "highlights" of U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski's (R-Ha!-AK)
senatorial career; by now you know that she had conceded the
Alaska GOP U.S. Senate primary race to her opponent and
Tea Party choice Joe Miller, accepted the outcome, then turned
around and rejected said outcome by announcing her write-in
candidacy to try to keep the seat in the Senate which her father,
then-Governor Frank Murkowski appointed her to. And she's
getting the support of some left-wing political groups, including
some labor unions, in Lisa Murkowski's extremely churlish,
selfish and Quixotic cause. And Alaska Democrats could not be
more thrilled! They had been worried about how their candidate
would fare against conservative rising star Joe Miller on Nov. 2,
but now are hopeful of the Queen of Sore Losers and Spoiled Brats
Lisa Murkowski dividing the Republican vote so as to enable a
turnover of that senate seat.

Here is a link to a YouTube video  of a TV ad that says it all about
Murkowski. Enjoy! And those of you from Alaska, do all you can
to aid Joe Miller in this the final stretch of the election season in
your state; hand out fliers, make phone calls, write letters to the 
editors of your local newspapers to urge your fellow Alaskans to
vote for a candidate for the U.S. Senate who will selflessly serve
them in Washington, and not selfishly serve himself --- to vote
for Joe Miller! Send the crybaby brat spoilsport elitist pig Lisa
Murkowski packing on Election Day!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OqMJ3aQC0c


MEM

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

At Last; The Conclusion of Our Discussion With Dudley Sharp Re: The Death Penalty

Hi everyone,

After a long discussion with Dudley Sharp, internationally
known advocate of capital punishment, including as to how
to proceed with showcasing our conversation on the merits
and detriments of same, Mr. Sharp expressed some reservations
with having our exchange posted here, as the format was not one
in which he was comfortable with after all. He did, however,
inform me that he did an exchange in this fashion ten years
earlier with Eric Zorn, a political columnist for the Chicago
Tribune, and he graciously gave me the link to it to post here
for you, my loyal readers, to view. As we never did conclude
our own exchange on this subject, I shall instead post this link
that Mr. Sharp provided.


http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2000/04rhubarb-patch-the-death-penalty-.html


It is not your fair-minded Peasant's desire to make a guest,
be that guest an ally or an adversary, intentionally uncomfortable.
The Peasant wishes to thank Dudley Sharp for visiting this blog,
and to share the discussion with Eric Zorn of the Chicago Tribune
via the above-posted link. I apologize to Mr. Sharp and to you,
my fantastic readers, for not getting this posted earlier; there were
stories demanding your diligent Peasant's attention along with
your audience which claimed priority, as well as some holidays
and special events. Enjoy the Sharp-Zorn exchange and we'll get
together next week with the latest political news to hash out.


MEM

Thursday, September 23, 2010

It Was A Very Good Year!

Happy First Anniversary everybody!

Your beloved Peasant has been wielding his Pitchfork for all
of one year, sticking it to the elitists, the liars, the false friends
and allies, the spineless, and the sellouts on our political scene
in the service of the cause of conservative/libertarian political
thought and its byproduct --- clean, constitutional, limited,
ethical government. Your favorite Peasant has given support
to true conservatives, while announcing and celebrating the
successes of the fledgeling Tea Party Movement. And I have
enjoed every minute of sharing with you, my beloved readers,
my observations, thoughts, and opinions on the political news
throughout this exciting inaugural year of Peasant With A
Pitchfork! Your wonderful company on this journey made it
all the more joyful!

During these past twelve months we have watched the birth of
the biggest populist movement to come along since the one which
led to the birth of our great country; the Tea Party Movement,
inspired by the movement of over 200 years ago to create an
independent, sovereign nation, answerable to no monarch or
dictator, an unheard of undertaking in its time, is the reaffirmation
of the principle of government of, by, and for the people as
opposed to that of, by, and for an arrogant, self-serving elite
like we have now. The self-styled elites in both major political
parties have been put on notice that We The People won't take
any more of their BS! We Tea Party Activists led the charge to
oust liberal and moderate Republicans from office in Congress
and in state legislatures during the party primaries --- Democrats,
your turn will be on Election Day in November!

In that time frame we have seen the legislative plans of President
Obama and the Democrats defeated or waylaid. Yes, Obama's
socialized medicine plan was apssed and signed, but at least 16
states as of this posting have filed suit to have this legislation
invalidated on the grounds that citizens cannot be mandated by
federal law to purchase any product or service; the Constitution
makes no such provision or allowance. And, the legal process
will tie up so-called Obamacare for a L-O-O-O-O-O-O-N-G
time before a ruling comes down by the Supreme Court, as the
case is sure to be appealed all the way to that lofty nine.

Although I established this blog for a national audience --- as it
is, after all, devoted to observation and commentary on the
American political scene --- your wonderful Peasant has
attracted readers outside the United States! Now I have a
cousin in Ireland and an American friend currently living and
working in New Zealand who follow Peasant With A Pitchfork;
I announced to them the launching of this blog. Recently,
however, I have gained audiences in Canada, Great Britain,
denmark, Latvia, Israel, and China (!). As to the last country
mentioned, I have to wonder just how much of my content is
actually getting through the comrade's censorship filter system.
But at least I know that some of the Chinese people are reading
Peasant, even if it is mostly (or only) their communist govern-
ment's censors! The Peasant welcomes all of you from around
the world to sip the wine of the politics of limited government!
Thank you all, my dear readers, from near and far, for helping
your diligent Peasant make Peasant With A Pitchfork a
success!

In appreciation, The Peasant wants you all to know that you're
all so very special to me. Your loyal readership, your support,
your criticisms, and your praise have lifted me and this blog to
incredible heights! Thanks to each and every one of you, my
humble blog and I have achieved so much more tham I dared
hope for, especially in this my blog's first year! A publication,
any publication, be it in print or online, is nothing without a solid,
loyal, interested readership. You are the secret to this very
publication's, and my, success! May your faithful, humble
Peasant never cease to prove himself and his Pitchfork worthy
of your support!

To quote the late, great Frank Sinatra, "It was a very good year!"


MEM

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Justice and Helping the Poor

Conservatives and liberals have for years argued
back and forth about how we as a society should
assist the poor among us. The debate has intensified
in recent years as our nation's government has expanded
to greater size and scope than ever before under President
Obama and the Democrats.

Liberals seek the shrinkage of the gaps between the rich
and the poor through government intervention, in the form
of taking from the former to give to the latter via taxation;
the monies going to fund government programs established
to give the poor housing, food, medical care, education,
and legal services, among many things to ease their lives.
Conservatives favor charitable giving from individuals,
giving what they are able to give to charities and places
of worship which similarly target the collected monies.
Liberals support potentially unfair treatment by government
in order to achieve equitable results. Conservatives support fair
and comparable treatment from government which may result in
potentially inequitable results, but would still give relief to the
poor while ensuring that individuals keep the fruits of their
labors and the security of their property without confiscation
by the government or anyone else.

The problem with the liberals' solution to poverty is that it
is wasteful in its allocation of resources to the poor, in that
the programs which they create, among other drawbacks,
does not both establish and enforce a means standard for
receiving the help intended for the poor. Many were the times
when programs gave out money to people who not only didn't
qualify for the payments but also to people who figured out
how to "game" the system in order to receive much more
money than they were supposed to receive, if they were to
receive any money at all. This leads to not only increased
dependence upon government programs and the taxpayers
who fund the programs through their not at all voluntary
contributions. Conservatives want to replace these programs
with private initiatives, meaning voluntary giving monies to
charities, which would have more leeway --- and incentive
--- to more efficiently steward the monies in assisting the
economically hurting. However, many people on both the
right and the left see this as an uphill battle with a dash of
"mission impossible", in that they think that there would not
be, and never would be, enough money to cure the ills of
the impoverished in the United States, so they think that while
it is fine to promote private charitable activity, we also ought
not push the government out of the process. But then, the
conservatives want to cut back on the money taken by the
government to fund its anti-poverty programs and implement
oversight measures to have accountability and efficiency
in the programs' operations, while liberals balk at both,
especially at the former, claiming that the poor would be
deprived of necessary assistance.

Lately some liberals, including some who are prominent in
government, have been referring to the Bible, in quotations
and in general references in order to exhort Americans in
supporting increased government spending on the many
programs established to lessen poverty. Funny this, coming
from the same bunch who frequently cry, "Seperate church
and state!" when discussing other issues, such as student
vouchers for children so that they can attend private schools,
some of which are schools run by the Catholic church, or
some other religious institutions. Those who would benefit most
from the vouchers would be children from low-income families,
as they would have an opportunity at a better quality education
than they would otherwise receive from the public school system
and their tired, poorly run, decaying (both physically and edu-
cationally) schools, being in thrall to the teacher's unions which
resist reform with vehemence. These same unions are hardly
citadels of conservatism, it must be stated. Let's briefly examine
Scripture to see what it really advocates re: justice for the poor.
No, I'm not going to go all "Sunday school" on you, my wonder-
ful readers, but the subject matter discussed here requires a
quick but studious look at some Bible passages:

Leviticus 19: 15 states: "You shall not commit a perversion of
justice; you shall not favor the poor and you shall not honor the
great; with righteousness shall you judge your fellow." This
means that we are admonished not to "favor the poor" BEFORE
we are warned "not to honor the great," for favoring the impov-
erished is an even stronger human temptation, albeit one of
what is good and noble within us as humans. For here, some
might be harsh with those who are well-to-do just to be "just".

And in the Jewish faith, Rabbi Shlomo Rashi, an 11th century
intellectual figure who is one of the most influential teachers
of the Torah, gives us this: "Do not say that since the wealthy
man is obligated to help the poor one, it is proper for a judge
to rule in favor of the poor litigant so that he will be supported
in dignity. The Torah insists that justice be rendered honestly;
charity may not interfere with it." So, according to Rabbi Rashi,
helping the poor is and shall always be an individual obligation
on the godly, but should not be the driving force of the law in
the treatment of same.  In other words, we must stop penalizing
the wealthy in order to be caring to the impoverished.

The Peasant says we ought to do two things: to make a system
of justice which allows people to keep more of their earnings
from their enterprising activities and to be secure in their property,
which in turn will give people more money for charitable activities,
and, as individuals, engage ourselves in those charitable activities.
This prescription is consistent with the scriptural passage and the
advice of Rabbi Rashi which we have just discussed here.
We must put our money where our mouths are. And in so doing, we
will shut the mouths of those who want to foist an increasingly
redistributionist system of justice on us, and have the unmitigated
gall to attempt to justify their plans with Scripture.


NOTE: Your faithful Peasant will not be posting next week, so that
I shall have the time to prepare a very special post which I shall
publish on or about September 23, the first anniversary of this blog.
"Peasant With A Pitchfork" will be celebrating one year in existence,
to the enjoyment and gladness of you, my beloved readers, and to
the frustration and consternation of our enemies: the elitist, statist,
insular politicians and their allies who want to turn our great 
country into a place we patriots would not recognize, nor would
want any part of. Let freedom ring!       MEM                                      

Friday, September 3, 2010

Labor Day Greetings!

To My Beloved Readers,

Your friendly neighborhood Peasant wishes all of you
a wonderful, enjoyable, and relaxing Labor Day!
May you enjoy comfortable weather, good company,
good food, and good times!

See you all next week!


MEM

Thursday, September 2, 2010

The Tea Party Heats Up Alaska

Your wonderful Peasant brings wonderful news!
Conservative challenger Joe Miller, Tea Party pick,
won the Alaska Republican Senate primary gaining 
the party's nomination to run in the general election in
November booting RINO Sen. Lisa Murkowski! It was
a real nail-biter, but after the ballot votes were counted
and the votes from Alaskans outside of the state, particularly 
those in our military were starting to be tallied, the trend
began looking ominous for Murkowski. She wisely and  
graciously conceded the primary to Miller, a West Point
alumnus and U.S. Army veteran.

Note to RINOs and your candidates: this is what shall continue
to happen to you in the primaries to come! We in the Tea Party
Movement cleansed Congress of your ilk in GOP contests
throughout this election year, replacing you elitist stiffs with
principled, committed, contitutional, conservative candidates
who will not be mesmerized by the beltway's siren song of
clubby, comfy isolation from the people. We shall make the
Republican Party the vehicle for conservatism and its hallmark
of limited government once again, and ride this vehicle into
battle against the Democrats and their vehicle for massive
government, assaults on our liberties, and endless confiscation
of the fruits of our labors to fund their statist programs and to
line their pockets and those of their cronies! We want no more
of Republicans who want to get along by going along and thus
enable the Democrats in further turning government into their
very own empire! We want a party which will fight for us, not
fight us! We want to have ONE political party in this country
which will be our political home, our haven, and our means of
effecting REAL change, not the "change" that Obama has foisted
upon us, and not offer us a somewhat watered-down version
of what the Democrats have crafted!

RINOs, your days are numbered. Soon, you will be but a foot-
note in the history books of our country's politics and nothing
more. And after we Tea Partiers toss you onto the scrap heap
of history we're going to do the same to the Democrats and the
entire putrid liberal establishment!


MEM

Thursday, August 26, 2010

A Little Treat For You!

Greetings everyone!

The Milwaukee Irish Fest was a blast, as always!
Your favorite Peasant participated in the fest in three
capacities: as a performer (I sang with a singing group
that I have been with for five years, the Milwaukee Irish
Fest Song Circle), a volunteer (I sold CDs and DVDs
in a music booth), and as a festival attendee. I go every
year to the event, and have done so ever since I moved
home from Saint Paul in 2001. It is how I connect with
and celebrate my part-Irish roots; I am also English and
Germanic --- Minor is an English name, and my mother,
God rest her, had parents from Ukraine who were ethnic
Austrians; my paternal great-grandmother's parents were
from Germany. The Milwaukee Irish Fest is the largest
Irish festival in the world, lasting four days and hosting
dozens of Irish and Celtic music artists. This year we had
the pleasure of having Cherish The Ladies sing in concert
(with special guest Maura O'Connell!), The Makems & The
Spains (the Makems are the sons of the late Irish music legend
Tommy Makem, who has appeared in concert here many times,
and the Spains are friends and fellow Irish troubadors),
and Blarney, a local band of American fellows of Irish descent
who play each year at the fest and are good friends of mine.

There are also presentations on Irish culture, history, and politics;
Irish theatre, workshops on playing the Irish drum the bhorain
(pronounced bo-RAN), Irish cuisine (yes, there are many potato
dishes, but many other fine foods can be enjoyed at the fest as
well!), and a fabulous Irish mass on Sunday morning with a
bishop or cardinal from the Emerald Isle itself as celebrant.
If you want more exposure to Irish culture, you must go to the
country itself! That is something that I plan to do, as I have
relations in counties Tipperary and Mayo whom I want to visit.

Meanwhile, I haven't any articles to share this week but I do have
a little treat for you, my fantastic readers --- I found a great video
from a "Troopathon", a televised show dedicated to our brave men
and women in the military who are fighting our radical Islamic
foes in the Middle East. held every few weeks, this particular 
show features actress Victoria Jackson, who was a cast member
of the TV show Saturday Night Live some years back. Turns out 
that she has only recently gotten involved in politics and is a
conservative! She's one of us!! Who knew!!!
Gee, that will certainly be likely to burn bridges between her
and her old friends from that show, known for its biting
left-wing brand of humor! Listen to Victoria recite a poem of hers,
honoring our military folks and see her do a hand-stand as well!
It's all right here:

http://www.troopathon.org/

When you get there, click on "Program", then scroll down to the
fifth hour of the show (it won't be live, it is a taped show that you'll
see here) and click on her name by her photo. You'll have a ball,
I guarantee it!

While at the web site, do browse other sections and pages to see
other Troopathon videos and get the latest news on the show
as well as related news on our troops and the celebrities who 
support them. Move America Forward (MAF) is the fine  
organization that produces the Troopathons, and they are
a fantastic bunch patriots!

Next week I'll have some more news from the political scene
to share. Meanwhile, enjoy the Troopathon video footage!


MEM

Saturday, August 14, 2010

The Peasant Takes Another Breather

Hi everybody!

Your favorite Peasant is in need of a little time off
once again. I have a truck load of stuff coming at me
in the coming week, and will therefore be unable to
get together with you, my beloved readers until the
following week.

For a start, I have been working for a friend who
owns a landscaping enterprise, and will have a day
or two of work with him this coming week. Normally,
this would have no impact on my posting schedule,
but from Thursday, 8/19 through Sunday, 8/22 I shall
be at the Milwaukee Irish Fest. There, I'll be wearing
three hats; those of festival volunteer, musical performer,
and festival attendee. I am a member of the Milwaukee
Irish Fest Song Circle, and we sing in concert at our
Irish Fest every year, customarily putting on two shows
each festival; one on Saturday, one on Sunday.
As a volunteer, I shall be selling CDs and DVDs at a
booth by one of the music stages on Friday 8/20.
I did this last year as well as sing with the Circle.
Additionally, I shall be getting together with some
local friends and with some cousins from out of town
(one from the Emerald Isle itself!) at Irish Fest. This is
one of the ways in which your wonderful Peasant
celebrates the Irish part of his heritage; I am also
English and German; Minor is an English name.

So many thanks to you, my loyal readers, for both your
understanding and your indulgence! We shall get together
again in the final week of the month to sift and sort through
the political news to see who's been naughty and nice, to
commend and support the former and to castigate and
rebuke the latter --- and have a ball doing it all!


MEM

Thursday, August 12, 2010

It's Time to Fire Senator Harry Reid!

So U.S. Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), current Senate Majority Leader,
claims that he can't understand why anyone of hispanic descent
would be a Republican. My wonderful readers, let's help him out!
Let's help Senator Reid understand why many hispanics prefer
the GOP and its policies to the stale, statist, and elitist policies
of Reid and the Democrat Party. For a start, notice how I referred
to it as the Democrat party and not the Democratic Party, as that
party has become highly undemocratic over the years.

Harry, my boy, The Peasant will now explain to you why more
and more hispanics are choosing the Republicans over the
Democrats in elections.  Many Americans of hispanic descent
want to be treated like the capable, intelligent, and industrious
people that they are. They don't want government handouts,
they don't want laws guaranteeing them a job, a career,
an education, a home, or that other Americans will like them
and not treat them in a mean way. They prize liberty and
individual freedom and reject government intrusion into the
economy, the workplace, and their private lives, just as many
Americans of all ethnicities do.They don't want to hear from
Washington "Hey, you folks can't make it without our help;
you're too feeble of mind and/or body or whatever! Big
Government is your pal, your protector! Vote accordingly
in each election and you'll be A-OK!"

Hispanics don't want to be told that because they are of
a certain ethnicity that they must belong to a certain political
party and vote that party's staright ticket, and to run on that
ticket if they seek elected office. They don't want to be gathered,
psuhed, pulled, herded, labeled, programmed, or numbered!
Neither do most other Americans for that matter! Hispanics
just want to be left alone to be able to build and live their lives
and careers as they see fit, to pursue The American Dream in
their own way. They certainly don't want to be discriminated
against, nor do they want to be coddled, to be protected from
the vagaries and vicissitudes of life. The reason why we don't hear
of more Americans of hispanic descent embracing conservatism
is the same reason why we have yet to see the full number of
black Americans and other ethnic and racial groups doing same;
you liberals savage them far more than you do white Americans 
for being politiclally conservative. You have long tried to herd all
such groups of Americans onto their political plantation, and
make them permanent constituencies, ever dependent upon you
and the government programs which you create to ensure that
dependency. This in turn ensures the votes that you liberals need
to gain and maintain power at all levels of government.

So of course, Harry, when you and other left-wingers
encounter a citizen who is on the right but not white you
become confused, scared, angry, and hateful. Then we see
you left-wing people, who proclaim yourselves to be without
racist sentiments, to be post-racial, show just how racist you
are. After all, you are the same people that want to make racial
and ethnic groups in our country unable to advance in society 
and in life without your so-called help!

So, Harry, you see now (at least I hope you see now) that
instead of being of assistance, of being of service, to hispanics
and other ethnic groups of Americans, you elitist pigs that make
up the Democrat Party and that have made our government your
tool have been a hurt and a hindrance to them! They are sick of
being taken for granted by you all, especially at election time!
They are sick of being treated like little children who can't blow
and wipe their own noses! And that goes for the rest of us as well!

The race card is maxed out, Harry. And so is the patience
of the American people. We're taking back our government
and entrusting it in the hands of people who will exercise 
constitutionally mandated restraint in governance.  And who 
will make our government serve us all in a truly equitable manner.
Dust off your resume' and update it, Harry. Come November,
you're going  job hunting!


MEM

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

What We're Up Against

August dog day greetings to you, my beloved readers!

I have some videos for you that are guaranteed
to make your blood boil. Just what you need in the
middle of summer, to be hotter on the inside than you
are on the outside, I know, but these videos have a
worthwhile purpose. I have two videos that have
appeared on YouTube featuring U.S. Rep. Fortney
"Pete" Stark, D-CA, showing him at some town hall
meetings the 13th Congressional District of California,
which he hails from. This arrogant, ivory tower-dwelling,
hyperelitist pig has been in Congress for over 30 years(!)
and God knows why; this jerk is the embodiment of the
term "out of touch" --- he's out of touch with the needs,
concerns, and wishes of his constituents, out of touch
with the economic and political realities that we as a
nation are grappling with, out of touch with reality itself!

The first of these videos show his grasp (HA!) of the
Constitution and its restrictions on what the federal
government can do. The second video shows Stark
proclaiming our country's borders to be "quite secure".
The third has him stating that "the more we owe, the
wealthier we are"(!!!!!!!!!!). Guess who flunked
Econ 101? And see Stark angrily lash out at his
constituents as they challenge his inane musings on
the burning issues of the day!

Prepare to be enraged like you have never been enraged
before:


"The Federal Government Can Do Most Anything In
This Country"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1-eBz8hyoE

"The Borders Are Quite Secure"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qVpMwqv7QM

"The More We Owe, The Wealthier We Are"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUpW6IM958M


This, my fellow patriots, is what we're up against.
This is why we have to get out and attend out Tea
Party rallies, our town meetings, and our political
conventions! This is why we have to work to educate
our fellow citizens as to what our elected representatives
are doing in office! This is why we have to find worthy
candidates for public office to challenge these poultroons
and oust them once and for all, and work to get them
elected! Stark is not unique, and he is not alone. We must
fire EVERY ONE OF THESE BUFFOONS if we
are to preserve our country and its freedoms, its
prosperity, its strength, and our very way of life!

I'll have more videos of these self-important nitwits
to share in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, do
not lose heart. We The People have the upper hand!
We have the momentum! And we shall prevail!


MEM