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      <copyright>Copyright 2010</copyright>
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            <item>
         <title>Fox News Derangement Syndrome</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<IMG SRC="http://www.pblakeney.com/img/logo_fox.jpg" ALIGN="right" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="2">If you mention Fox News to a liberal and/or progressive, you can expect a vitriolic reaction without fail. And if you voice any opinion contrary to the liberal/progressive groupthink, you will be accused of being a dupe of Fox News. You don't even have to mention the network - any criticism of the Obama administration will be met with a rebuke and the suggestion that you must be brainwashed by Fox.

How ironic. The liberals/progressives are engaged in a lockstep mass propaganda without truth. One doesn't need Fox News to know that the current Congress is passing bill after 2000 page bill, each expanding the power of the Federal government at the expense of people's freedoms. One doesn't need Fox News to know that federal spending is out of control and the country is headed for fiscal disaster. And one doesn't need Fox News to know that the president says anything he thinks he can get away with and baldly lies to the American people.

If you can't see the lies, fiscal disaster and the theft of freedom, you must be blind or kidding yourself. But for those who can't see it, or are so brainwashed by the liberal media and the groupthink of their friends, Fox News is there for you. Maybe they should turn it on and unwash their brain. At least it will be a starting point.

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         <link>http://www.pblakeney.com/2010/07/fox_news_derangement_syndrome.html</link>
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         <pubDate>Mon, 19 Jul 2010 11:18:10 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>When Reality Sets In...</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<div align="center"><img src="http://www.pblakeney.com/img/obama_fear02.jpg" border="0"></div>



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         <link>http://www.pblakeney.com/2010/06/when_reality_sets_in.html</link>
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         <pubDate>Tue, 22 Jun 2010 20:50:04 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>Of Course He&apos;s A Marxist!</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<IMG SRC="http://www.pblakeney.com/img/p_obamahood.jpg" ALIGN="right" HSPACE="8" VSPACE="5">I keep hearing people suggest that Obama is a socialist or Marxist, and progressives/liberals always respond with an attitude that suggests "that's crazy talk." They then proceed to bloviate about how that type of thinking is akin to hate speech, or it's racist, or that Marxist and socialist are buzz-words that have a lot of loaded connotations and we shouldn't apply them to the president because it just misleads people.

Well, just for the record, let's just say it straight out: Of course he's a Marxist. His father was a Marxist, his mother was a Marxist, his grandparents were Marxists, his mentor was a Marxist, the man who recommended him to Harvard was a Marxist, his former pastor is a Marxist, his new spiritual adviser is a Marxist. He has surrounded himself with Marxists and installed Marxists in high positions in his administration, people who openly praise Mao and say things like "who is going to step down so someone else can  have power?" In his own words he speaks of "spreading the wealth" around, and the entire focus of his presidency has been income redistribution schemes. He has nationalized large swaths of private society, taken over banks, and is now working on complete control of the entire health care system. 

So to anyone who says he's not a Marxist, I say this: what, are you blind? Seriously - there is so much evidence to this fact that to deny it you would have to blind, or stupid, or just plain lying to yourself. Wake up comrades, before it's too late.

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         <link>http://www.pblakeney.com/2010/03/of_course_hes_a_marxist.html</link>
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         <pubDate>Thu, 25 Mar 2010 10:50:05 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>It Was a Good Ride</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<IMG SRC="http://www.pblakeney.com/img/p_american_flag.gif" ALIGN="right" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="5">It's looking like there is only perhaps 1 more day of real American freedom left. Enjoy it while you can.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.pblakeney.com/2010/03/it_was_a_good_ride.html</link>
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         <pubDate>Sat, 20 Mar 2010 08:20:25 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>Great Video Featuring David Horowitz and Pat Caddell</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<div align="center"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MBiutQznDCA&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MBiutQznDCA&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></div>

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         <link>http://www.pblakeney.com/2010/02/great_video_featuring_david_ho.html</link>
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         <pubDate>Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:28:07 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>Mr. Brown Goes To Washington</title>
         <description>Is our long national nightmare over? Only time will tell. But this is a good sign. No, a great sign. If a Republican can win in &quot;the bluest of blue states,&quot; the progressive agenda of the current Democratic majority may actually be derailed.
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         <link>http://www.pblakeney.com/2010/01/mr_brown_goes_to_washington.html</link>
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         <pubDate>Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:50:44 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>Little Man With A Mouse In His Hand</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<IMG SRC="http://www.pblakeney.com/img/p_littleman.jpg" ALIGN="right" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="2">I was surfing the web yesterday, and stumbled across a critique of a <a href="http://www.pblakeney.com/2007/06/conservative_republican_asshol.html">blog entry</a> I wrote some time ago. The post was about how people generalize groups of people as "assholes," or some other derogatory and intellectually void term. Now I don't usually use such a term as "asshole" on my blog, but this post was in response to a person who generalized all Republicans as "assholes." So, the use of such a derogatory term was necessary. I made the point that we shouldn't just generalize all people who disagree with us in such disparaging terms. And I further made the point of how ironic it is that "those who claim to be against bigotry, who claim to believe in equal opportunity, and who claim to disdain any type of favoritism, speak against those whom they do not agree with in such bigoted, elitist rhetoric."

So, imagine my surprise to find this <a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/url/www.pblakeney.com/2007/06/conservative_republican_asshol.html">critique:</a> "Here's a conservative asshole complaining that liberals call asshole conservatives, 'conservative assholes.'" That's it, no further examination of my post, just that statement. My first impulse is to paraphrase the words of Christopher Lloyd, written for an episode of Frasier: "What trenchant criticism... One can only wonder how many hours (he) sat in the glow of his computer screen before his trembling fingers sprang to life and pecked out this chef d'oeuvre..." But some sort of revenge is not my aim here. I wish to point out once again the irony of such a person, identified on here as "B-Dup," calling me such a word.

Perhaps it is apparent to him that I am such an "asshole." But it is striking that inherent in his comment is the fact that, if he indeed did read the blog post, that he entirely missed its meaning. What that says about him I will leave up to you to figure out. I certainly have my own ideas about his ability to parse the meaning of a clearly written idea, and they do not speak well of his intelligence.

The point I wish to make here is that in the battleground of ideas, we must not stoop to that level. Many who disagree with us have their own reasons for doing so, and if we wish to make real progress, we must address the ideas, not demonize the source. Our playbook should take a higher ground.

Of course, we see such low tactics all the time from both sides, but the liberal left has perfected the practice. It is right from the playbook of Saul Alinksy, who stated: "Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it." In other words, don't engage on an intellectual level, but demonize the target. We see it in the persecution of Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, etc. Those who engage in these tactics are rampant, especially on the Internet, where little men (or women) with a mouse in their hand spew forth such garbage with relative impunity. Shielded from face to face contact, they criticize and disparage others. Or, they gather in like-minded groups and wax poetic about how intelligent, and even more important, morally superior they are, spouting their messages of "Hope" and "Change," while engaging in smug group think and issuing gutter-speak proclamations about how stupid are those that disagree with them. But we must not let them get away with it. 

That is why I am even bothering to respond to this small-minded criticism from this person known to me only as "B-Dup." He took his valuable time to call me out as an "asshole" with a feeble attempt at building himself up while tearing another down. The fact that his critique says more about him than it does about me seems not to have entered his mind. In fact, I should appreciate the link to my site that is included in his critique, for it may undoubtedly drive some traffic to my little relatively unknown blog. An army of B-Dups may only succeed in increasing my exposure. Now that would be irony.
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         <link>http://www.pblakeney.com/2010/01/little_man_with_a_mouse_in_his.html</link>
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         <pubDate>Sat, 02 Jan 2010 13:04:52 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>A New Year, And A Return To American Values</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<IMG SRC="http://www.pblakeney.com/img/p_2010.jpg" ALIGN="right" HSPACE="8" VSPACE="2">It's a new year, and time for the conservative resurgence. 2009 brought us a liberal president, a liberal congress, and a socialist agenda that threatens the very core of our American values. Self reliance was down played for a mantra of "where's mine?"

But 2009 also was a year that awakened many who were politically sleeping. The Tea Party movement arose, comprised of many conservative heartland Americans who previously trusted that no matter what happened, our American values would stay intact. But when faced with the first liberal president since Carter, these Americans realized that they can no longer count on minor swings of the pendulum. The massive sweep to the left has energized these Americans, and many will step out to vote in midterm elections to try to stop the socialist agenda.

That is a good thing, but we must be mindful to keep our eyes on a unified goal. There is talk of a "third party" movement, referred to as the "Tea Party." Let us not fall into a trap of splitting our conservative votes at this time. A third party of conservatives in 2010 would have the unintended effect of entrenching the very liberal Democrats by splitting the conservative vote, and ensuring continued socialism of America.

I am not against a third party movement, but I do not support such a thing in 2010. Our goal this year should be to elect as many conservatives as possible, and that means that the Republican Party is the obvious choice. If we wish to organize a third party such as the "Tea Party" or some other conservative party, I am all for it. But in the short run, we must not allow the Democrats to continue running the show. If there is a third party candidate who can achieve a victory over a liberal Democrat, fine. But if a third party candidate would ensure a loss for both the third party and a republican, we must choose the Republican.

Remember, even though many Republicans fall short of the conservative ideal, not a one voted for the Health Care abomination. Republicans will not vote for higher taxes. For the most part, they will fight this current government expansion. There may be a few exceptions (Olympia Snowe of Maine, perhaps), but overall, they will protect our American values. Let's make 2010 the year that the liberal experiment was put to rest, and maybe in 2012, we can talk of a real viable third party. For now, let's hope this is the year of the elephant.
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         <link>http://www.pblakeney.com/2010/01/a_new_year_and_a_return_to_ame.html</link>
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         <pubDate>Fri, 01 Jan 2010 12:07:07 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>The Man Bear Pig Confrontation</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<div align="center"><object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AwkR3uuZMIM&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AwkR3uuZMIM&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object></div>

Once again, thanks to <a href="http://www.americandigest.org/">American Digest</a> for turning me on to this video. If you haven't read American Digest, it is one of the most thought provoking blogs out there.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.pblakeney.com/2009/12/the_man_bear_pig_confrontation.html</link>
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         <pubDate>Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:44:09 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>Speaking With The Enemy</title>
         <description><![CDATA[Chris Matthews <a href="http://ellisonblog.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/its-not-illegal-to-call-al-qaeda-is-it/">recently questioned</a> whether it is "illegal to call al Qaeda" during a recent segment on his show discussing last week's Fort Hood massacre. What planet is this guy living on?<div align="center"><img src="http://www.pblakeney.com/img/p_chris_matthews_phone.jpg" border="0"></div>

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         <link>http://www.pblakeney.com/2009/11/speaking_with_the_enemy.html</link>
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                  <category domain="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category">Commentary</category>
                  <category domain="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category">Islam</category>
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         <pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:26:30 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>To Those Who Served...</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<IMG SRC="http://www.pblakeney.com/img/p_american_flag.gif" ALIGN="right" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="2">Today is Veterans Day. If you can't visit a memorial or do a favor for a veteran, at least please take the time to observe a moment of recognition for their service to this country. Freedom isn't free, and these are the guys who paid the bill.

Hats off to you, veterans.
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         <link>http://www.pblakeney.com/2009/11/to_those_who_served.html</link>
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                  <category domain="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category">Commentary</category>
        
        
         <pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:15:22 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>pBlakeney&apos;s Cartoon 11-01-09</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<!-- Barack Obama, socialist, mop, expensive, do you have anything more expensive --><div align="center"><img src="http://www.pblakeney.com/img/cartoons/cartoon_110109.jpg" border="0"></div>
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         <link>http://www.pblakeney.com/2009/11/pblakeneys_cartoon_110109.html</link>
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         <pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:06:33 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>That&apos;s Just Typing</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<IMG SRC="http://www.pblakeney.com/img/p_obama_writer.jpg" ALIGN="right" HSPACE="8" VSPACE="2">Rocco Landesman, the NEA chairman, has <a href="http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MmE3ODVkNjJkMWY5ZmQxNDc3ZTE1ZTNkMGViNTg2YTg=">stated</a> that Barack Obama is "the most powerful writer since Julius Caesar." That doesn't mean he is a <i>good</i> writer. 

Take, for example, his puffed up tome "The Audacity of Hope." I found the book to be poorly written. On page 78, there are sentences that have no verb. There are no references for any of the points he cites. The book contains at least one outright lie, on page 188, where he directly blames the Bush tax cuts for the rising deficit even though it is widely <a href="http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/reports/revenue%20growth.jpg">documented</a> that federal tax revenues have increased since the tax cuts. He frequently puts forward his opinions as if they are fact. No conservative politician could get away with writing a book with no cited references, no editor, and such poor grammar.

I <a href="http://www.buzzillions.com/dz_330122_audacity_hope_review_1632265">posted</a> the above paragraph on a Buzzillions review site for the book last year. One comment has been generated so far, stating that "A sentence at the top of the first Index page states: "Sources for the statistics in this book can be found at <a href="http://www.audacityofhope.com">www.audacityofhope.com</a>."" Well, I went there to look for the references and found none. Am I missing something? 

That aside, Barack Obama is decidedly not a good writer. Compelling content (and that is debatable here) does not a good writer make. He's a good BS artist, who will say anything as long as it furthers his cause, but not a good writer. Good writing must include correct grammar, and it must site sources and back up arguments with references. Anyone who has written a college term paper knows that.

But the statement by Landesman does not say Obama is a good writer; it says he is a <i>powerful</i> writer. I suppose when you have the full force and weight of the most powerful office in the world behind you, that statement could be true. But let's not confuse that with <i>good</i> writing.]]></description>
         <link>http://www.pblakeney.com/2009/10/thats_just_typing.html</link>
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         <pubDate>Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:16:00 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>They Saw This Coming 60 Years Ago...</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<div align="center"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mVh75ylAUXY&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mVh75ylAUXY&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></div><br>
Hat tip to Vanderleun at <a href="http://www.americandigest.org/">American Digest.</a>
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         <link>http://www.pblakeney.com/2009/10/they_saw_this_coming_50_years.html</link>
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         <pubDate>Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:21:37 -0600</pubDate>
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         <title>Obama Wins Popularity Contest</title>
         <description><![CDATA[<!-- Barack Obama, Rahm Emmanuel, nobel, nobel peace prize, acorn, seiu, van jones, valerie jarrett, jeff jones --><div align="center"><img src="http://www.pblakeney.com/img/p_obama_nobel.jpg" border="0"></div>
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         <link>http://www.pblakeney.com/2009/10/obama_wins_popularity_contest.html</link>
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         <pubDate>Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:11:58 -0600</pubDate>
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