So why do people demonize companies that outsource to China but it's perfectly acceptable for individuals to go and buy things made in China? Next time someone wants to rant about company X outsourcing, they should, at least, start trying to buy American if they feel that way.

As some of you know, I'm politically conservative.  This is fairly meaningless since my interest in politics is much like my interest in professional Starcraft. I'm kinda interested and follow it probably more than is healthy but I don't get particularly fired up about it. But I do like to debate. I will debate anything, no matter how mind numbing.  I am thinking that this is why I tend to have mostly liberal friends. I enjoy talking to people who disagree with my views ...

In a recent speech Obama made the statement that implied business owners didn't build their businesses -- "someone else made that happen" I'm going to put the full text and context of what was said because I've seen left-wing writers trying to diminish what Obama said by claiming it was taken out of context. So here's the full context: I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It...

In our local school district, it’s $7,600 per student. Mind you, this is just the state’s contribution to it. That doesn’t count other sources (local and federal for instance). The total amount is allegedly $12,000 per student. Next time someone yells about the “Slashing” of a few hundred dollars per student, we’re talking a tiny percentage cut. If you paid a teacher $100,000 per year to teach a class of 30 students, that would be $3,000 per student.  There are, cert...

Between the Nanny Statists on the left and the thumpers on the right, I just can’t get excited about politics anymore. I really don’t need anyone to tell me how to live. I also really don’t care to hear the religious beliefs of a federal candidate. Why tell me? Are you hinting that you’re going to use the power of the federal government to compel me to live by your beliefs? No? Then quit talking about them. I care as  much for a Federal candidate’s religious beliefs as I do to wh...

Victor Davis Hanson has a very lengthy and interesting article today on the various Republican candidates. I can’t say I’m terribly excited about any of them. You’ve got Newt who is all over the place on issues and frankly, makes me think it’s more about him and his love of power than any thought of public service. You’ve got Romney who I can’t even understand why he’s running in the first place as he doesn’t seem to be very passionate about anything. There’s Santorum who I...

I am just baffled that the President is blocking the Keystone pipeline. It’s such a win-win on all fronts. Powerline article:

Because of the way the media treats those of us who are right of center politically, when we get into social situations, we are used to just keeping our mouths shut. But it turns out that a lot, perhaps even most, people are right of center (in the United States anyway) but we often don’t realize it because we get so beaten down that our opinions on liberty and freedom are so “unfair”. So usually a discussion will slowly unwind where a person stands bit by by.  First, you start o...

  In “real life” I’m not particularly political. I don’t donate to candidates or political causes, I don’t put signs on my lawn. I’m interested in the discussion of politics in the same way that other people are interested in the discussion of sports. If you’re come here from a link claiming I’m some sort of political lunatic, a few things to bear in mind: When JoeUser.com started in 2001, I posted intentionally provocative articles. The idea was to get a discussion going. ...

I must confess, there is something…gratifying about debating with a global warming alarmist (specifically people who are certain mankind is causing global warming and specifically it’s caused by CO2) who gets in my face about their superior belief system and being able to pull out the fact that I drive an electric car that is powered by my 20KW solar array that also powers my house which is also heated via geo thermal.  Match that buddy.

We heard endless about the unsubstantiated charge that some Tea Partier spat on an African American congressman but amazingly, the atrocious behavior of the Occupy movement has largely been ignored or excused. I have friends and family who practically seethe with hatred towards “fucking tea baggers” who I know are sympathetic for the Occupy Wall Street people. What the hell is the matter with these people? While I don’t consider myself a “Tea Partier”, I cannot grasp the antipathy dire...

So, on the one hand, I like the idea of having a 0 emissions house. On the other I have philosophical objections to the federal government picking winners and losers. So I have some trepidation as I install the 20KW solar array because of the almost insane level of tax incentives on it.

Someone asked me recently if there were any activities that I had had to put aside that I really missed.  The answer was easy: blogging about social issues. People now take politics very seriously and some people, mostly liberals to be honest, take politics extremely personally.  Conservatives and liberals can be very passionate in their beliefs but in my experience, liberals are a lot more likely to hate someone for having a different ideology than themselves. One of the sit...

  Today’s USA Today has a bombshell – at least for people who haven’t been paying attention: Nearly half of Americans pay no federal income taxes. I’ve tried to explain this before to my liberal friends who insist that “rich people” don’t pay their fair share and whenever I’ve brought up that nearly half of Americans pay zilch to the fed in income taxes they scoff that it’s probably some far right propaganda. Nope. It’s real. As April 15th comes up and I look at the million...

Great article:  What the Top US companies pay in taxes . The reader is meant to get fired up by the fact that these hugely profitable corporations aren’t paying Uncle Sam taxes. Oh, they’re still paying taxes. Billions of taxes. Just not in the United States. That’s because companies liek Wal-Mart, General Electric, AT&T and so forth have overseas divisions and can have the profits show up in any of those countries – countries with lower tax rates. How did this happe...