The Difference, or: The 99% is a State of Mind

Candid conversations that reveal the most, you know.

Take Vice President Joe Biden's recent trip to the Bay Area as one example.

President Obama (Bless his Holy Name) and Vice President Joe Biden (crickets) like to visit the San Francisco Bay Area because this hotbed of leftism is a great ATM machine. They fly in, raise some money, and fly out. As somebody who earns part of his living flying in airplanes, we are always restricted to the ground or designated areas when these VIPs arrive for security reasons.

The President made one visit last month; a week later, Biden followed. Joe, being the "aw shucks" regular guy he is (he'll tell you so), performed not only a fundraising speech but also visited "regular guy" places like a local deli. At the deli he mixed with the great unwashed--uh, I mean, regular people. According to the video shown on the local news that evening, one lady went up to Joe and said, "I'm really glad you stick up for the little guy."

Joe replied, "That's OK, I'm a little guy too."

Is somebody in the back raising their hand? You have a question?

I don't mean to be negative but that exchange doesn't sound like it's worth our time, dude. Unless Biden is talking about his penis, what's the point?

I'm glad you asked .... but let's keep it clean, okay? Thanks.

While today's leftist rails about the oppression of the one percent while claiming to be part of the 99%, each statement drips bitterness. While the 99% claim to be fighting the oppression, really what they're admitting is that they are "little guys" who have nobody to stick up for them so they need people like Obama (Bless His Holy Name) and Biden (crickets). But the bitterness comes from their state of mind.

The "little guy" needs somebody to stick up for him because he is powerless. He has no ideas. No initiative. He invents nothing. He waits for somebody else hoping to latch on to another person's success. When he is unable to latch on, and suffers for it, it's the other guy's fault. The other guy has too much money and is mean and nasty because he won't share. Instead of spending time creating a business, creating and selling a piece of art, or something else equally productive that may raise his standing in life, the "little guy" pitches a tent in front of a bank, paints a sign ("Capitalism is Evil!"), and rails against the one percent.

That's the difference between the "99%" and the rest of us. I'm certainly not in an income bracket that qualifies me for a spot with the one percent, but there is no reason for me to allow myself to get dragged to the other side (which is the goal, the classic divide-and-conquer, don't kid yourself). My attitude is strictly One Percent and I don't apologize for it.

Living in the Bay Area is expensive. While my salary covers my lifestyle, it doesn't leave a lot for extras. But instead of complaining, I'm creating. I write books (see the link below!) and perform free-lance voice over work. It helps keep the hounds at bay and the good news is that while profits may be growing slowly, they're growing. In a couple of years I'll be doing quite well indeed.

When you classify yourself as a "little guy" you make it so. You'll never be anything more than that because in your mind you convince yourself that you will never be anything more than that. That's Self-fulfilling Prophecy 101. That's where the bitterness comes from. Deep down, the leftist knows this. But he dares not say so out loud because that would require him to take responsibility, and responsibility to a leftist is like Kryptonite to Superman.



ABOUT: Brian Drake lives in California and is the author of The Rogue Gentleman which will soon be released in paperback (and available now as an ebook).

Want to be a Rebel? Pray.

If you want to be a rebel and stick it to The Man in the 21^st Century, pray. If necessary, pray in public.

That’s what a valedictorian in South Carolina did. Liberty High Valedictorian Roy Costner IV took his preapproved speech to the podium (because students can’t be trusted and The Man must make sure they aren’t going to say something off-color), and in front of the crowd, tore it up. Then he recited the Lord’s Prayer.

Now the school in question does not allow that sort of religious expression, specifically because a bunch of atheists complained. Prayer makes atheists cry and wet their pants. The school didn't want to have to clean up the mess.

But in the 21^st Century, if one wants to be counter-culture, if one wants to be a rebel, one needs to pray.

How far have we fallen where such activity is now considered rebellion? How far have we fallen where simple expressions of faith are against the rules? Why do we allow cry babies to dictate the behavior of the rest of us? Are people so sensitive that they break out in a rash if somebody expresses religious faith? Come on, people. Let’s grow up. But since we aren’t going to do that, allow me to speak to you in a language you may understand.

I know what you’re thinking. Freedom of religion also means freedom from religion, bla bla bla, but what you people want is the abolishment of any kind of public expression of faith, and that’s going too far in the other direction. Just because you don’t like it doesn’t allow you to tell the rest of us that we can’t express it. And saying we still have the freedom to do it privately, in our churches, etc., doesn’t count. Most of this country has some kind of religious faith. You people are the minority. That means there aren’t that many of you. I’m sorry to break it to you, but that’s the truth. You bang pots and pans to make a lot of noise so we pay attention to you but you’re few and far between. That means sometimes you need to be quiet and let the other person have his say. You are free to say something in response, should you have the floor, but otherwise you need to sit and be polite and quiet and let the grown-ups do their thing. When the graduation is over, you can piss and moan all the way home about how offended you are that somebody mentioned the name Jesus.

The same goes for the non-Christian religions. I’m sorry you’re upset that we aren’t praying to your sissy fake moon god, but tough it out. When you have the floor, you can pray to your sacred cow or your totem poll or your picture of Lady Gaga. In the meantime, zip your hairy lip. Better yet, wax that thing. You look gross.

You think I'm being intolerant? Honey, you haven't seen intolerant yet.

I will admit that this isn’t my most eloquent piece of writing. It’s downright juvenile, really. But I’m tired of people in this country looking at religion—particularly the Christian religion, which seems to get most of the attention—like it’s a contagious disease. Uh-oh, they might get their Jesus on us! Of course, if you read the Bible, you know full well that they hate us because they not only hated Jesus first, but they hated what Jesus taught. I write that in the past tense because this sort of conflict reaches back through history to the days before the Crucifixion. What Jesus taught demands a response. You believe it or you don’t, there’s no in-between, and people can’t handle not having a gray area to hide in. So they attack, attack, attack. This is not unexpected, because Jesus said it would happen. Those on the other side have drawn their line and while I can respect that, I also expect to be respected. If I am not respected, I will fight back. I will rebel. I will stick it to The Man by going to church. How silly does that sound?

The school in question, in their divine wisdom, says they aren't going to punish Mr. Costner for breaking the rules. I'm sure his knees were knocking at the thought. But if he was anything like me at that age, his last thought before taking the stage was, "The heck with this place, I'm graduating."

Good luck, Roy. Millions of us rebels are with you.

Ladies, Promoting Unhealthy Lifestyles Leads to Death

As Rush might say, This will get me in trouble.

There is a segment of the female population that is promoting the idea that just because they are fat doesn't mean they aren't beautiful. They have websites, books, television programs, and various niches on social media to make the point. They are tired of being picked on and made to feel "less than" because of their size. Part of this I understand.

There should not be a blatant war on people who are overweight. It's just not cool.

But at the same time, this segment of the female population is causing harm. You may be fat. You may also be beautiful. But you will die early because of heart disease, diabetes, kidney problems, and a variety of other medical issues that we have a wide knowledge of these days. You will have a lower quality of life in general because of your weight. Joint problems. Back pain. The inability to fit in an airline seat. You're going to put up with this because you're trying to make a point about body image? Great. We'll put "She was fat but she was beautiful" on your headstone, along with a picture so we can all remember how young you were when you died, and admire your dedication to the cause. You sure showed 'em, girl!

Americans seem to have a hard time putting down the fork. Probably because we have so much food and so much money and plenty of time on our hands that there isn't much else to do. We sure as hell aren't solving problems or helping the less fortunate.

It's not hard to lose weight and eat well. We see time and again how people who have been huge at one point in their life slim down to a healthy size. It's not easy. It does take effort. Effort that I, myself, having been at least 40 pounds overweight my entire adult life, have yet to be able to stick to. Effort is something Americans have a hard time sticking to these days, period. I have seen two friends who have dropped a tremendous amount of weight. They look great, and when I ask what they're doing, they have the same answer. They made a plan, consulted experts, and stuck to the plan. This is the example we--I--should follow.

My weight, according to my doctor, is becoming an issue as I approach 40. Changes need to be made. It seems to me these women would hear that advice and then claim that they have been somehow persecuted. Seriously?

I'm all for a positive image and what it takes to attain that. I'm all for feeling confident about oneself. However, trying to achieve that confidence while taking risks with your health is misguided.


ABOUT: Brian Drake is the author of The Rogue Gentleman. His audio commentaries will soon air on RadioSlot.Com. Follow him on Twitter @BrianDrake75

The Czech Republic Leads the Way?

If there is any doubt that America is no longer the innovative country that it once was, we need look no further than the Czech Republic for the latest (and amazing!) idea that certainly should have happened here in the U.S. first. This is the kind of thing Americans used to be good at. And then came President Obama (Bless His Holy Name).

As the Australian reports, "....commuters looking for love will soon be able to try their luck at romance in designated dating cars.....The Prague "Love Train", which will promote a laissez-faire approach rather than strict speed-dating rules, is due to launch at the end of the year."

Of course, in America,we can't have a train just for male/female singles. We have to have a separate trains broken down by racial groups, the LGBTs, and trains for those who have no idea if they are male or female despite what anatomical parts they came with at birth. We need trains for different religions, single parents, and any other social group you can think of, because, in America, we can't have anything as simple as a "singles train." It must--simply must--be made as complicated as possible so that no ethnic, social, or any other kind of demographic group feels left out. In America, when people feel let out, they start crying; when crybabies let the waterworks start, they usually call lawyers, and then the party is over.

We need a special committee to take ten years to decide the size of the train, the shape of the seats, the color scheme; we need background checks and Internet profiles on everybody who steps aboard the train, because you never know when some creep might come aboard and if he or she rapes somebody we gotta have an Internet profile to consult. We need a special license for the train operators--and those operators cannot be married less all the singles on the train get envious and start crying, because singles are fragile that way--and anybody who cleans the trains after the commute must be single, too, for the same reason.

That's how we do it in the United States now. It started long before Obama (Bless His Holy Name), but it's getting worse now.
 
In the Czech Republic? The spokesman for the company in charge of the project said, according to the newspaper, that "the company [is] now deciding which of a train's five cars would be most suitable, the number of trains to include and what kind of signage to display...The carriage will be marked, and there will be information on the platform and inside the carriage, in foreign languages too."

The Czechs favor the simple approach.

Excuse me while I update my passport.


ABOUT: Brian Drake is the author of The Rogue Gentleman. His audio commentaries will soon air on RadioSlot.Com. Follow him on Twitter @BrianDrake75

Not Being Gay and Other Crimes Against the State

I'm a little late to the party on the Jason Collins story but this one required some brain work. He's the black basketball player who decided to announce that he was gay, shocking his white girlfriend. I bet she was shocked! Her hair turned blonde.

My father sent me this email shortly after the story broke: When a soldier is killed in the line of duty, his family eventually gets a flag and a note conveying sympathy and respect from the United States Government. When a pro basketball player announces he is gay, he immediately gets a personal phone call from the President congratulating him for his courage. Am I missing something?

Yes, Dad. The whole country is missing something.

My father, of course, refers to Obama himself saying he called Mr. Collins. Now we all know that Obama loves him some B-Ball so of course he's going to take the opportunity to talk hoops with a fellow player. Michelle even sent him a Tweet, bless her heart. But there's more going on here than you realize.

The gays are such a subjugated class, if you will, that, yes, their effort to come out to a hostile world merits a call from the president. Such a call, even though it's to a celebrity and the gay down the street from your house does not get a call, encourages those still afraid. The president is on their side! How great is that? This is especially important when you realize that liberals don't value institutions like the military.

The military is a corrupt institution hip-deep in the old way of thinking, that men are men and their job is to protect and defend and pansies need not apply. The skinny weakling that rode with John Wayne was there for comedic relief and those "aw, shucks" moments when he realized he wasn't as smart as the Duke.

Liberals believe that only the weak and feeble and the underdogs are worthy--they're the ones that need help and protection. They are the ones who have been victimized by the old ways. They can't keep up. They can't contribute. So the liberal is there to champion them because it makes them feel good and "it's about time" the oppressed had a fair shake. Liberals can't keep up or contribute either--why it is that so many liberals have never fired a gun on a battlefield? Though examples will occur to you (John Kerry) their attitude toward the effort proves the point. John Kerry never wanted to be in Vietnam to begin with. We learned from the Swift Boat vets that he wasn't any great shakes as a fighter when he was there. But at least he survived to tell the world how wrong we were for being involved.

Liberals contribute by helping the helpless. Their efforts toward minorities and gays are prime examples. The rest of us can drop dead.

It's all part of the on-going effort to destroy the Alpha Male. Alpha Males are strong. We voice opinions. We fight. We don't sit still.

In France before World War II, the "let's all get along and not fight because fighting is bad" attitude enabled the Nazis to swoop in and take over. It was left to the Alpha Males (and Females) to form the French Resistance. And a small group it was. France has never recovered from nor lived down that surrender.

In the United States, the same thing is happening, where the Alpha Male is being replaced by the Beta Male.

Obama (Bless His Holy Name) himself exhibits all the attributes of the Beta Male. Remember when he went on TV and said Michelle "allowed" him to watch ESPN when he was on the treadmill? We all know the wife really runs the house, but a man deserves some autonomy. Making jokes about how the old lady leads you around by the neck is no joke at all.

Of course you can make the joke that Obama has all the time time in the world to call a gay NBA player but no time at all to call the SEALs to help in Benghazi, but we all know the real reason Obama made the phone call.

If he had a son, he would look like Jason Collins.

ABOUT: Brian Drake lives in California and is the author of The Rogue Gentleman which will soon be released in paperback (and available now as an ebook).

This is What Christians Gets for Not Liking Gay People

Here's one story I can't wait to see play out.

In the name of religious tolerance--if by "religious tolerance" you mean "let's silence those evil Christians"--the Pentagon has issued an odd notice that military personal may face a court martial for speaking about their faith.

According to the Breitbart story, Pentagon personal appointed by President Obama (Bless His Holy Name) have met with the God-hating Michael Weinsten (no jokes, please) about this new policy, which amounts to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" for religious people. From the story:

(....Weinstein is the head of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, and says Christians--including chaplains--sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in the military are guilty of “treason,” and of committing an act of “spiritual rape” as serious a crime as “sexual assault.” He also asserted that Christians sharing their faith in the military are “enemies of the Constitution.”)

So a solider, airman, Marine, or sailor can be essentially charged with a federal crime for exercising the free expression of their religion. Because the definition of "proselytizing", according to Weinstein (no jokes!) is so poor, you get a sense from the story that it truly is a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" arrangement.

Of course, one could say we need to make an apples to apples comparison here. Getting kicked out of the military for buggering somebody in the butt isn't the same as being locked up for the Lord, but I disagree.

Nobody said gay soldiers couldn't be gay, they just couldn't talk about it or be open about it, and there were consequences if they were caught. Weinstein isn't saying religious soldiers can't be religious....they just can't talk about it....or be in the open about it....and, according to this article, there are consequences if they are caught. Sounds similar to me.

Can we not assume that a "court martial" of a religious person for speaking of their beliefs is the same as gay soldiers being "dismissed" for their life style? Is it now fair to discriminate against religious people because of the earlier gay discrimination? Which, by the way, was put in place by another liberal?

Apparently, under the current regime it is. I suppose if Christians were nicer to gay people, this wouldn't be a problem. See? It's all God's fault for being intolerant. If only he was as wishy-washy as everybody else.

Liberals have a fear of religion (if by "religion" you mean "Christianity") because it creates an allegiance to something other than the State. And that is bad. Christianity must be destroyed, just like it was in the Soviet Union. You can't have the subjects relying on God when the State is supposed to be god. All of the other religions are milk toast hokey traditions that don't mean much, and liberals know that, so those other outfits get a pass. Notice Weinstein doesn't mention that it's a no-no to to a Buddhist.

If liberals don't like something, it must have power they can't control (guns, anybody?) so to that I say....Praise the Lord....And pass the ammunition.

And, I'm serious, no Weinstein jokes. It's too easy.

Dreaming of the 1980 Hockey Team

Did you watch "The '80s" documentry on the National Geographic channel? What a terrific program. It highlighted the major events and developments of the era and showed how today's technology and culture took root in the decade of leg warmers and shoulder pads. It didn't pull any punches. Some things were good, some things were bad. And some things (the Challenger disaster) should not have happened.

The series opened with a review of The Miracle on Ice, when the US hockey team kicked the teeth out of a bunch of Russian commie punks at the 1980 Olympics.

Leading up to that event was a description of a poor economey, high gas prices, high unemployment, a lot of hard knocks (the aftermath of Vietnam, the Iranian hostage crisis), people feeling down about themselves and the country and looking for something--anything--to make them feel good again. Enter the 1980 Olympic hockey team. And Ronald Reagan with his optimism and enthusiasm about how great America was and could be again.

It's hard not to make a connection between 1980 and 2013.

Poor economy, high gas prices, high unemployment, continuous war, a lot of hard knocks (school shootings, natural disasters, terrorism overseas and at home).

But there are huge differences, too. Overall, people are feeling pretty good. Nobody is missing any meals, most bills are getting paid (except for the one or two people featured on the news but the only reason they're not eating is because they're too proud to go on welfare). There seems to be no shortage of money. Working in downtown San Francisco, I always see full restaurants. The sidewalks are full of people in business attire and the streets are stuffed with cars.

The mall parking lot is always full.

All of this despite the fact that Mr. Obama (Bless His Holy Name) leads with the greatest example of mediocraty since Ulyses S. Grant. People seem to like him and his message of lowered expectations.

I don't see a lot of people struggling. Unless they're struggling with a hangover.

A long time ago, in a decade far, far away, we were down and needed a boost. We got it with the Olympic team. I'm not sure where we are in 2013. We're fat and happy while we keep our fingers in the dyke as the ship sinks. We're happy as long as there are plenty of circuses and football games to watch. Reality TV offers an easy escape from....what? What misery are we hiding from? Why even have a Misery Index anymore?

Considering the times, we're way, way too happy.

America sure has changed. I'm not sure we'll ever see a 1980s America again. Maybe that's a good thing. But I sure like a strong economy. I like optimism. I like a leader who understands we're a great nation that can do great things that is too good for a handout and should be insulted by income redistribution.

Maybe I'm getting too far ahead. Perhaps, like the alcoholilc, we haven't hit rock bottom yet. We're not vomiting in the gutter and getting kicked out of the house because we can't control ourselves. Perhaps a harder fall is coming than the one we took in 2008, and maybe that will bring us back to the conditions we faced as the '80s began. We need it. And then we'll be desperate for a reason to feel good again. We'll need an equivielent of a 1980 Olympic hockey team and a new leader to remind us that we are a great people made for great things and can stand up to great opposition and weren't made for handouts and income redistribution.

Right now it doens't look like we'll get there. But there was also a time, in the 1980s, when it seemed like the party would never end. Maybe in ten years I'll write another article about how we came back.

Maybe.

I sure hope so.