"We Have Not Yet Reached The Whole" - The Real Meaning Of Obama's "You Didn't Build That" Statement

WWJD

An enormous amount of commentary has swept across cyberspace in the few days since Barack Obama's "you didn't built that" moment in Roanoke. Leave it to Power Line and to Scott Johnson to expose the underlying truth of Obama's statement and give all freedom loving Americans cause for action come November. Here is Johnson's point:

Under Obama’s doctrine, there is no just limit on the power of the government to take the individual’s property. The property isn’t that man’s alone; he alone did not earn it. What the government does not take from the individual by taxes or regulation remains his conditionally, on the sufferance of the state.

No teaching could be more foreign to the founding principles of the United States than Obama’s doctrine.

Once again, our friends at Power Line provide their readers with insight into the meaning of the American experience, then, now, and into the future.  Your link to this essential post is here. Readers will find the comment thread very enlightening.

Obama Guts Clinton's Landmark Welfare Reform of 1996

Yesterday evening, National Review Online reported on an astonishing story that most readers will never hear if they get their news solely from the usual suspects of - take your choice - the MSM, Jurassic media, or Obamedia. What happened?

This afternoon, President Obama’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released an official policy directive undermining the welfare reform law of 1996. The new policy guts the federal work requirements that have been the foundation of that law — one of the most successful domestic policy reforms in the 20th century.

Welfare reform replaced the old Aid to Families with Dependent Children with a new program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The underlying concept of welfare reform was that able-bodied adults should be required to work or prepare for work as a condition of receiving welfare aid.

The welfare reform law was very successful. In the four decades prior to welfare reform, the welfare caseload never experienced a significant decline. But, in the four years after welfare reform, the caseload dropped by nearly half. Employment surged and child poverty among blacks and single mothers plummeted to historic lows. What was the catalyst for these improvements? Rigorous new federal work requirements contained in TANF.

The fundamental transformation of the United States into a model European socialist failure continues unabated. The full article has links to the backstory and the policy itself.  Read it here.

Egypt Moves Into The Future

Elliott Abrams, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and an adviser to George W Bush's administration, has some significant thoughts on the current situation in Egypt and the Middle East. Though our marines will not be in this fight, OTR keeps hearing "From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli" echo in his thoughts. Though our government has its faults, as all governments do, the United States remains the best hope for the free world and for those who want to be free. You can read Abrams's Washington Post column here. Let us pray that others in positions to affect policy do the same and follow through with actions to secure peace and liberty in the Middle East and throughout the world.

Gun Regulation In The People's Republic Of Maryland

Glenn Reynolds (Instapundit) linked to a scary Washington Post story today regarding a most revealing right to concealed carry lawsuit filed in Maryland. In 2002, Raymond E. Woollard and his family were enjoying Christmas Eve on their farm in Baltimore County when an intruder broke into the home. With the help of his shotgun and his son, the owner subdued, then held the dirtbag for OVER AN HOUR waiting for the police to arrive. As a result, the owner received a concealed carry permit to protect himself and his family from future break-ins or threats. Last year, the Maryland State Police withdraw the permit saying that the threat had passed because he hadn't been attacked again. The police essentially put a de facto limitation on criminal threats to the Woollard family.

Frankly, this is a rather stunning assumption on the part of the Maryland State Police. Reynolds had little comment on this story, so here is the Post link.

The U.S. Constitution: A Historic Beacon For New Generations

I think all of us would accept the premise that the earth and the world upon it belong to living generations. It is a vast engine and the only permanence it brings is complex interaction accompanied by change. The Founding Fathers recognized this and made accommodations for it in their new republic. As such, the United States abides by the rule of law derived from its constitution as interpreted by the senior jurists of its highest court. The latest issue (May 17) of National Review is dedicated to the U.S. Constitution, its evolution over the past two centuries, and recommendations on restoring and ensuring its traditionalism. I think it's another landmark for the magazine and deserving of your attention. Unfortunately, it's not available free on line - got to pay those bills - although some articles may appear at NRO in the future. You can review the contents and purchase the May 17 issue here for $5. Better yet, head to your local library for a free read. If your politics is right of center and political history is an interest, this issue is an essential. I think we'll be hearing more about its contents for months to come. Once again, National Review proves it is an exceptional source for thoughtful interpretation of the American experience.