WTP loves America, and America loves football. WTP will be doing a ‘Best of We the People’ show tonight from 7-9pm CST. Check it out to see some of our big name interviews like Rep. Joe Wilson, Rep. John Shimkus, and many more.
LIVE LINK: http://community.principia.edu/radio
We the People will be back live next Sunday from 7-pm CST.
Dear President Obama,
One year into your rule, you’ve accomplished little while losing the love of much of your populace. I recommend to you my work The Prince. Within this little book, I’ve summarized many useful rules for governing a newly acquired republic. These rules and warnings could save you significant grief in your endeavor to rule.
On your rise to power:
And since the very fact that from being a private citizen he has become a prince presupposes either ability or good fortune… the less a man has relied on fortune the stronger he has made his position.
You displayed great ability in rising in the ranks of your party. Your usurpation of the Clinton dynasty was very impressive indeed. You also inherited great fortune by running against a party that had lost much of its popular support under the previous ruler.
I would caution you against relying too much on good fortune and the good will of the populace in the future however. This will prove difficult, as you have proven little ability beyond that of being elected. You had never governed, written legislation, or any military experience, and this will be to your detriment as a ruler.
On unconstitutional rule:
It should be borne in mind that there is nothing more difficult to handle, more doubtful of success, and more dangerous to carry through than initiating changes in a state’s constitution… men are generally incredulous, never really trusting new things unless they have tested them by experience.
In your attempts to change the constitution of your republic towards socialism, you have alienated the majority of the population. As a democratically elected leader, you have exposed yourself to impending removal from office in the next election cycle. It would be prudent then to govern the people under the constitution to which they are accustomed.
photo credit: AP
On social programs:
There is nothing so self-defeating as generosity: in the act of practicing it, you lose the ability to do so, and you become either poor and despised or, seeking to escape poverty, rapacious and hated. A prince must try to avoid, above all else, being despised and hated; and generosity results in your being both.
Mr. Obama, your commitment to social programs makes you despised and your country poor. You are despised by those you loot in order to fund these lavish and wasteful institutions. As a ruler of a democracy, it would be wise not to garner the hatred of the wealthy in order to gain favor with the poor. By destroying the wealth of the rich, the entire country suffers as a result.
photo credit: moonbattery.com
Therefore it is wiser to incur the reputation of being a miser, which brings forth ignominy but not hatred, than to be forced by seeking a name for generosity to incur a reputation for rapacity, which brings you hatred as well as ignominy
It is clear that lavish spending only alienates and harms the citizens of the state. Instead, a ruler should be frugal and only experience the shame of having to do so. This is preferable to the combined shame of destroying your state and hatred from the people who will subsequently vote you out of office.
On your advisers:
The first opinion that is formed of a ruler’s intelligence is based on the quality of the men he has around him. When they are competent and loyal he can always be considered wise, because he has been able to recognize their competence and to keep them loyal.
You have assembled many experts in the field of socialism, but few in knowledge of fiscal responsibility. Your appointees have been fraudulent in their payment of taxes, and it is unwise to put them in charge of financial concerns. This will result in unwise fiscal policy and incur the distrust and hatred of the citizens over which you rule.
photo credit: moonbattery.com
As mentioned above, the aim of changing the constitution is unwise and will result in hatred for you and your staff. Likewise, your appointing of czars is antidemocratic and will garner the hatred of the people. Men, being accustomed to rule by elected officials, will view the power held by these unelected officials as abusive and unjust.
Furthermore, you must maintain the loyalty of your advisers:
When you see a minister thinking more of himself than of you, and seeking his own profit in everything he does, such a one will never be a good minister, you will never be able to trust him.
It should be very disconcerting to you that your Secretary of State, and former opponent, Hillary Clinton did not attend your State of the Union address. This shows disloyalty, a distancing of herself from the ruler, and her possible ambitions towards taking power. It would be wise to respond with one of these two options. Be considerate towards Clinton, increase her power and wealth to the point that she becomes dependent on your good will. Otherwise, remove her from her post for her disloyal actions.
In conclusion, you should consider reading my work as a guide towards a longer rule. The above examples are only a few that apply to your situation. If I were not dead, I would surely be requesting a position in your cabinet. Alas, I must retire back to the spirit realm and continue my discussions with Plato and Aristotle.
Yours in spirit,
Niccolò Machiavelli
We The People – 1/31/10
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Warning: This show is packed with intense content.
US Congressman John Shimkus (R-IL) gives us his first-hand perspective on the Obama’s State of the Union and his address to the GOP House Caucus. Will Obama work with Republicans? US Senate Candidate Patrick Hughes (R-IL) speaks about his primary battle against Rep. Mark Kirk and how Scott Brown’s election is the model to use in Illinois.
The second hour includes our 10th Amendment special with MO Sen. Jane Cunningham and MO Rep. Sue Allen. Sen. Cunningham gives us the background on the Health Care Freedom Act and how it fights for state’s rights — and actually has a chance to win in the Supreme Court.
IL Gubernatorial candidate Adam Andrzejewski who was endorsed Monday by Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck presents his case for why he should be the next governor of Illinois. Can he pull of a late upset and shake up the GOP establishment?
**LIVE LINK (7-9pm CST): http://community.principia.edu/radio**
Tonight on We the People:
US Congressman John Shimkus (R-IL) will be joining us to bring a first-person perspective on the State of the Union and Obama’s unprecedented speech to the Republican House caucus. Why hear commentators talk about it when you can hear about it from someone who was actually there?
US Senate Candidate Patrick Hughes (R-IL) will be on to talk about his primary battle against establishment GOP candidate Rep. Mark Kirk. Hughes is the only GOP candidate even close to competing with Kirk, and WTP will ask him about his chances of winning in both the primary and the general elections. Is he the next Scott Brown?
As if the show could get anymore epic, WTP will be bringing you a 10th Amendment Special with MO Senator Jane Cunningham. Sen. Cunningham is the leading sponsor of the Health Care Freedom Act — a bill designed to fight a federal health care mandate. Will we see a battle of constitutional proportions?
Finally, leading conservative IL Gubernatorial candidate Adam Andrzejewski will talk to us about his late move to win the GOP primary. Can he pull it off by Tuesday?
Listen LIVE Sunday night from 7-9pm CST by CLICKING HERE.
We the People has an awesome weekend lineup. Saturday morning at 10:00am, Ron will be speaking to the “Catch the Wave” Tea Party at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Bethalto, IL. He will be joined by Paul Curtman and Kevin Jackson in an effort to get out the conservative vote in the Illinois primaries. If you’re in the area, check it out.
On Sunday from 7-9pm CST, WTP will be doing a 10th Amendment special featuring MO Rep. Sue Allen and MO Sen. Jane Cunningham. You won’t want to miss these interviews. Rep. Allen and Sen. Cunningham have both sponsored bills to insure that the federal government cannot take health-care freedom away from Missouri. Will this turn into a constitutional battle between DC and the states? Tune in and see.
Also appearing will be: US Rep. John Shimkus, US Senate Candidate Patrick Hughes, IL Gov. Candidate Adam Andrzejewski, and Steve Sydness.
**LIVE LINK (7-9pm CST): http://community.principia.edu/radio**
By Ron Meyer
Obama Stares into the Eyes of his Teleprompter
WTP Exclusive
President Barack Obama is trying to pull a ‘Bill Clinton.’ After failing to pass health-care, he is attempting to pose as a moderate conservative.
I couldn’t help thinking about Bill Clinton’s quote, “the era of big government is over,” when Mr. Obama proposed the veto-enforced discretionary spending freeze starting in 2011. He also promised to invest in nuclear and clean coal power — a total flip on his part — and then promised to cut capital gains taxes for small businesses.
First off, it’s about time. Secondly, talk about some blatant political posturing. After campaigning specifically against spending freezes, drilling, and tax cuts, he now wants to embrace them. Hmm. I wonder if Senator-Elect Scott Brown’s election has anything to do with this sudden about-face.
Well, maybe he realizes “it’s the economy, stupid.” It’s not health-care, not cap-and-trade, and not bank taxes. It’s jobs.
While he is still in denial when it comes to the bailouts and the stimulus package, I think he finally gets that if he wants any chance of winning in 2012, he must give fiscal relief to small businesses. To be honest, we should have gotten rid of the capital gains tax on small businesses a long time ago. Cutting these taxes frees up capital for businesses to use on new employees.
As Mr. Obama giveth, so he taketh away. In an act that would certainly cut jobs, Mr. Obama also promised to tax big business and big banks; this policy will take away capital and make it harder for any business to get loans. But hey, maybe he’ll get some political points for taking it to the fat cats — even if they are the one who provide jobs for numerous American workers.
Concerning Gov. Bob McDonnell’s response: great messaging and a solid delivery. It was rather refreshing to see a Republican clearly articulate free market economics and lay out a path for job growth.
Mr. McDonnell gave a terse speech in defense of liberty and of the founding father’s intent for our government. I was taken aback to actually hear a Republican use the word “federalism” in a large-scale address.
This quote says it all: “Top-down one-size fits all decision making should not replace the personal choices of free people in a free market, nor undermine the proper role of state and local governments in our system of federalism. As our Founders clearly stated, and we Governors understand, government closest to the people governs best.”
This is exactly the fresh outlook on government the country has been seeking. America has never liked centralized power or long lectures. Mr. McDonnell offered a short, punchy rebuttal of the centralized model proposed by the Democrats. Most importantly, Mr. McDonnell looked America in the eyes — not in the teleprompter.
We The People – 1/24/10
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Dr. Stephen Bird, Academic Director of the National Journalism Center, joins us to talk about responsible journalism as it pertains to our recent article about Bill Ayers (coming soon on wtpshow.com)
During this week’s section of “The Statist Quo,” we talk about the Supreme Court’s decision of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission — the ruling that overturned major campaign finance regulations restricting the donations from corporations, unions, and individuals.
In hour two, we are joined by native Bostonian – Sarah Liebenrood. We discuss the historic election of Scott Brown and the youth involvement in the race. We also address questions from facebook fans about Bill Ayers, get an update from Dan Proft – Illinois gubernatorial candidate, and talk with Kathy Wassink of Riverbend 9-12 about getting out the vote!
We The People – 1/17/10
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
On tonight’s show, we introduce a new segment, “The Statist Quo: Blame Capitalism.” We break down Obama’s new tax on banks and his recidivist reasoning for raising taxes in the middle of the recession.
Tea Party Youth leader Lyda Loudon also called in to give us an update on how young people can become vocal participants in the Tea Party movement. She explains why so many young people have been attracted to the movement and how we can build even more support for freedom in this year’s election.
Kieth Preston joins us to discuss what Scott Brown and the Massachusetts Special Election could mean for Obama’s health care plans. Also be sure to listen as Dani blasts the dummy of the week, Barney Frank!
Sunday night on We the People:
The Statist Quo: Blame Capitalism. WTP breaks down Obama’s new tax on banks and his recidivist reasoning for raising taxes in the middle of the recession.
Tea Party Youth leader Lyda Loudon will also be calling in to give us an update on how young people can become vocal participants in the Tea Party movement. She explains why so many young people have been attracted to the movement and how we can build even more support for freedom in this year’s election.
Log on to PIR to listen live from 7-9 pm CST by clicking here.
We The People – 1/11/10
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
In the 2010 premiere of the We the People radio program, we discuss the issue of government transparency. Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) joins Ron and Matt to discuss the Obama administrations failure to live up to campaign promises regarding open government and other matters. Is Obama lying again? Is the freedom of press being infringed? Are there sweetheart deals going on that the public doesn’t know about? Listen to find out!
In the second hour, we discuss the significance of Democratic representative dropping out of the 2010 races. Joining us is Steve Sydness, a businessman who was a North Dakota Republican Party candidate for one of North Dakota’s United States Senate seats in 1992, and is the current CEO of the Endurance International Group in Massachusetts. We talk about possible Republican opportunities for victory in North Dakota and Massachusetts in 2010.
We also look at college students reactions to the issue of airport security, and transparency in the government. After surveying college students, we discuss the concerns of security vs. liberty, and freedom of information. Make sure to listen in to hear where today’s college students stand on these issues.
Latest News: