Great Vocal Majority Podcast

WHO IS THIS GUY? Let me ask a serious question, that may sound over the top and provocative, but is meant in all sincerity: Is there a difference between consciously traitorous actions versus incompetency or naivete when the results are the same for both? Other than consciousness of motive, is there really any difference. Iran is about to get a nuclear weapon, folks.  And Obama is going to let them get it, too.  Iran holds regular mass rallies where they chant, "Death to America."  It's not a euphemism.  They mean it.  Iran, more than any other nation, has funded terrorism, and is responsible for the death of more Americans than any other country.  Iran has sworn to destroy Israel, our closest ally.  Well, our closest ally, at least until Obama came to town.  Now, who knows where they stand with him? We've had a sense of Obama's anti-Israel sentiments for years now.  He scarcely conceals his hostility toward the Israeli leadership.  His pro-Iranian sentiments aren't new either.  There have been hints of it no

A review of the meaning of the 2014 election victory for the Republican Party. Was it a repudiation of the Obama agenda? This podcast explains what happened, but more importantly, where it is going next.

Racial Politics When Barack Obama was elected President in 2008, a great many Americans naively believed it would usher in a new era of racial harmony.  Instead, the issue of race in our politics has gotten much worse.  In some ways, the relations between the races has been set back years. What has caused this setback?  Why hasn't the election of America's first black president improved race relations?  The answer to that question rests on a number of factors. First, the President has not been an active and vocal advocate for harmony and has, at times, stoked the hard feelings existing between Whites, Blacks and Latinos.  But Barack Obama didn't create these hard feelings.  They existed long before Obama ever became President.  Though it can be said that Obama hasn't done much to promote reconciliation. Republicans have suffered a defamation at the hands of the Democrats and their leftist political allies.  The slander stretches back over 50 years into the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations, when Martin Luth

President Obama has been heavily criticized by always reacting with surprise at events many others believed were not only predictable, but expected.  Criticism has ranged from sheer stupidity to cynical political motivations.  Neither are the likely reason. This podcast examines what I believe to be is the real issue.  Using the principles of information theory, President Obama's continual surprises are analyzed.  The result gives an interesting insight into modern Liberalism generally and how it manifests itself in the person of Barack Obama, in particular.

On Knowledge and Power The engine of economic growth is the product of the creative and enterprising mind. No society is able to sustain itself without economic growth and while the engine of economic growth is human creativity, it wasn't always thought to be so.  In fact, classical economists believed human creativity and innovation were limited, leaving economies largely in a static state, requiring government intervention to manage and often redistribute incomes and wealth. Human beings, however, proved to be quite innovative and their innovation is not limited by the distribution of wealth or knowledge, but by the distribution of power.  That is, the means by which ideas can be brought to reality.  For, it is precisely the lack of creativity that leads to failure of societies and entire cultures. The question should always have been, what are the necessary conditions for creativity to flourish and once understood, how can those conditions be harnessed into organizing principles of society? Conversely, it

It's time to do away with a few myths about the price of gasoline.  This podcast will help destroy some common myths: The myth of "they".  "They" get blamed for everything, including high gasoline prices.  But who are "they"?  Do "they" really exist? They myth of "greedy oil companies".  Companies of all kinds pursue the maximum profit because they have a fiduciary duty, but are oil companies unlike other companies? The myth of who makes the most money on a gallon of gas.  The answer will surprise you. The myth of oil companies controlling the market supply of gas and oil. The Myth of "They" "They control everything."  "They make you pay whatever they want."  Everyone has heard these kind of comments, or made them.  But when asked, nobody seems to know quite who "they" are.  It is the tendency of people to suspect a conspiratorial force that has the power to control things.  The reality, though, is there is no real "they".  The world is much more chaotic than people realize.  Sometimes, it's more comforting

TRANSCRIPT EBOLA You know something? The whole scare over Ebola spreading doesn't bother me. I mean, Ebola is deadly, I know. But there has been only one case in the US. That's not enough to get me to wear a full enclosure hazmat suit. I am far more troubled by a President and an Administration that appear content to politicize everything. Even if the politicization puts American lives at risk. The head of the CDCP, Tom Frieden said, "“Even if we tried to close the border, it wouldn’t work. People have a right to return. People transiting through could come in. And it would backfire, because by isolating these countries, it’ll make it harder to help them, it will spread more there and we’d be more likely to be exposed here.” This is utter nonsense. It reflects a point of view based in politics not science. It doesn't even make any sense. If travel to and from Ebola afflicted countries were halted temporarily, how could that possible increase the likelihood that Americans would be exposed to Ebola? It doesn't

This volume focuses on how al-Qaeda in Iraq(AQI) became ISIS.  Through a series of miscalculations on the part of AQI in 2006, they were defeated and their leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed.  The United States, however, failed to conclude a Status of Forces Agreement and their own miscalculations created by domestic political pressure and the fulfillment of campaign promises, led to the complete withdrawal of American military forces, creating a power vacuum into which ISIS moved.

The motto today should be "eternal vigilance." In this episode, Tony relates an experience he had in early 2002 and its possible connection to terror as an example of how simply paying attention can help law enforcement authorities prevent acts of terror.

The Great Recession of 2008 and 2009 represented the greatest threat to the economic system since the Great Depression of the early 1930s.  While the recession of 2008 and 2009 did not ultimately have the same disastrous impact on the lives of Americans, the pain of the economic downturn has lingered.  Most Americans still do not feel the recession is really over, even five years after it officially ended. What were the causes of the 2008 meltdown?  Were there warning signs?  Why did it seem like all the experts were so surprised? In this podcast, Tony talks about the ultimate cause of the Great Recession.  Not all experts were surprised.  In fact, there were many warning signs.  Policymakers were alerted, but the warnings were largely ignored or shouted down.  In the end, it was all about politics and market interventionist policies, which set the predicate for the worst economic disaster in nearly a century. But the scary thing is, was that experience enough to motivate policymakers to change government act

Talk of Impeachment Volume Notes: >>   Article II  Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution says:"The President, the Vice-President and all the Civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of Treason, Bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors." >>  The Framers on impeachment >>  The legal and political dimensions >>  The limitations of impeachment   James Madison's notes from the Constitutional Convention of 1787 House Speak John Boehner's Op Ed Untill there is broader public support for the impeachment of President Obama, there is almost no possibility of it.  Without 67 votes in the Senate to convict, impeachment would be an exercise in symbolism.  Symbolism that would come at a steep political price and even further divide Americans.  The problems with American government today, transcend the actions of one President.   

 Obama’s Vision of Fundamental Transformation (Part II) Volume Notes: Part II of a series of podcasts providing a detailed exposition of Obama’s vision for America.  In this podcast, the ebb and flow of Presidential power is discussed, using examples of past Presidents who used power beyond their Constitutional limits to effect changes. How President Obama is similar and how he differs in also discussed. Further, the concept of negative and positive rights are discussed and why they are critical to understanding President Obama’s point of view. Sources:Lincoln suspends Habeus Corpus Rights during the Civil War Woodrow Wilson passed the Sedition Act in 1917,  imposing harsh penalties on anyone found guilty of making false statements that interfered with the prosecution of the war; insulting or abusing the U.S. government, the flag, the Constitution or the military; agitating against the production of necessary war materials; or advocating, teaching or defending any of these acts. Those who were found guilty of

Obama's Vision of Fundamental Transformation (Part 1) Volume Notes: Part 1 of a series of podcasts providing a detailed exposition of Obama's vision for America. Just prior to his election in 2008, Senator Obama declared, "We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America."  Although this statement was kept deliberately vague at the time, now, nearly six years into his tenure as President, Americans are still not quite sure of Obama's vision for America. This podcast begins to define the Obama vision by examining several Supreme Court decisions and what they may tell of of how Obama sees America and the role of Presidential leadership.   Sources: "United States v Jones" "Arkansas Fish & Game v United States"  "EPA v Sackett"

A discussion on reforming the Electoral College.  If done carefully, a reformation of the Electoral College would increase voter turnout and interest in Presidential elections. The Founders envisioned a decentralized national vote.  The winner-takes-all aspect of the Presidential election, state by state, tends to discourage voters living in states that lean heavily toward one political party.  They see their vote as a waste because their candidate cannot win.  Democrat voters in Texas, Republican voters in New York and California are discouraged from voting as a result. If the Electoral College were reformed, voters would be voting for the winner of the electoral vote represented by their Congressional district.  The winner of the statewide vote would earn two additional electoral votes. This kind of electoral architecture would eliminate the whole concept of "swing states".  It would give greater weight to the vote of every voter.

Tony gives a brief overview of the economy, how taxes affect economic growth, and the four ways to spend money.

This podcast discusses the declining nature of representation in a country where the population is growing.  While it is in the finest traditions of American society and culture to open our doors to any and all peaceful people seeking to become part of the American family, population growth causes interesting challenges for national representative government. As the elected leaders in the House of Representatives and the Senate represent larger and more diverse numbers of people, discontent with that representation is a predictable result.  It should not be any surprise at all, therefore, when grass roots movements arise like the Tea Party and Occupy movements, seeking more effective representation. The solution to these problems is embodied in our Constitution today.  It’s Federalism.  That is, the decentralized state and local governments envisioned by our Founders, particularly Thomas Jefferson, who believed that government closest to the people was best, since it was closest to their concerns.