Mark Caserta: Free State Patriot Editor
Progressives often react quickly and vehemently to anyone who dares oppose their theorem of migratorial morality and malleable principles. Empowered by the voice of the liberal media, they rally beneath the umbrella of tolerance and behind the shield of bigotry.
And frankly, “establishment Republicans” are equally repugnant. They’re quick to attack anyone who challenges the GOP “status quo” and threatens to unseat politicians who make promises to their constituency but lack the fortitude to stand for principle and deliver on their word.
I submit that most liberal Democrats and establishment Republicans are less concerned with the rule of law, the Constitution or the sovereignty of our nation as they are with maintaining leverage and power to sustain their ideology.
But in the words of one of our greatest American presidents, Ronald Reagan, “Freedom is the right to question and change the established way of doing things.”
Many Americans are doing exactly that.
Rising from disdain for our current political system is a rebellion progressives have labeled the “alt right.” But few really understand the implications or conviction of this movement that is being attacked by Democrats and Republicans alike.
Liberals denounce members of the rebellion as being the dregs of society: anti-Semites, white supremacists, homophobes and Islamophobes bent on cleansing America of anyone refusing to submit to the principles they espouse.
Establishment Republicans, desperate to avoid charges of bigotry, succumb to these assertions and add their own vitriolic “pseudo conservative” allegations. They are, in fact, helping to open the door of speculation and adding to the liberal charges of malicious intent by this group.
Allow me to cut through the spin and explain the so-called alt right.
First, members of either establishment, liberal or conservative, have traditionally won by limiting your choices. Their claim of “inclusiveness” is hyperbole extended only to individuals willing to adhere to their “members only” rules.
Progressives vigorously cast their liberal net over every potential demographic (excluding conservative Christians) and forego any solution which doesn’t cater a buffet of votes for the electoral banquet. Their claims of bigotry from the alt right are not only unfounded, they ironically reek of progressive Democrat intolerance.
The feckless GOP establishment has been backed into a corner of vulnerability where they’re easily portrayed as desirous of winning elections through exclusion. They’ve lied so often that they’ve critically compromised their base and forced many to abandon the Republican Party.
The alt right represents a segment of constitutional, Reagan conservatives who realize we’ve arrived at a political impasse where the needs of the American people have become inconsequential in the political theater. And they’re open to a paradigm shift in politics which once again puts Americans first.
The alt right believes our nation will never return to greatness under liberal Democrats or establishment Republicans. They support a movement which honors the Constitution, protects the Supreme Court and supports our nation’s sovereignty.
Most Americans agree our nation’s government is mired with incompetence and languishing in impotence. And we’ve exhausted our choices.
It’s time for a bold, new alternative.
Mark Caserta is a conservative blogger who lives in Cabell County.
Mark Caserta: Free State Patriot Editor
9.16.16
Americans love extolling our heroes, but it isn’t often you actually get to meet one. Recently I was blessed to share some time with one of our nation’s most esteemed living patriots – Joseph Whitt.
Joe was aboard the U.S.S. San Francisco during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, and is currently one of four remaining survivors.
Joe is truly representative of the “Greatest Generation” our country has ever produced.
As I sat across the table from Joe and his lovely wife, Judith, in a restaurant near Bethel, Ohio, where they reside, I couldn’t help but politely ask questions about his experience.
I listened intently as Joe attempted to describe the indescribable.
“I saw the Arizona blow up,” Joe said, speaking of the U.S.S. Arizona, the most heavily damaged of all the vessels in what was called “Battleship Row.” He labored to describe the chaos of that day and his fallen crew mates.
The assault, which lasted nearly two hours, claimed the lives of more than 2,400 people and destroyed nearly 20 American ships and at least 300 airplanes.
At the age of 92, Joe understandably has some difficulty recalling the intimate details of his experience. I was touched by the way Judy (some years younger) would, at times, lovingly step in to finish a portion of Joe’s story. It became particularly difficult when he shared his ghastly recollection of the sharks that rapidly infested the waters to feast upon the ensuing carnage.
We cried.
My heart swelled with love, admiration and appreciation for Joe and Judy as they painted a haunting picture of Joe’s tumultuous experience.
One might think increasing apathy from some would callous the heart of an individual who gave so freely to his country, but Joe’s humility and entrenched love for America guide his path. My heart ached for this man obviously encumbered by a horrific memory that would never, ever go away.
Joe never mentioned it, but I learned he earned 17 battle stars in World War II and has been the recipient of multiple honors throughout the years. But he’ll never receive just recompense.
Joe Whitt represents an iconic America that’s rapidly slipping away.
After talking with Joe and Judy, I have a renewed respect for those who’ve given their very best to purchase the freedoms we enjoy in this great country.
But amid this patriotic swell, I’ve also acquired a refurbished disdain for those who take this sacrifice for granted and mock our flag.
Words are darn cheap – cheaper than ever. And we’re getting loads of dung-ridden verbiage shoveled at us every day.
But the bravery of men and women like Joseph Whitt made America great.
It’s now up to us to keep it going.
God bless you, Joe and Judy.
Mark Caserta is a conservative blogger, a Cabell County resident and a regular contributor to The Herald-Dispatch editorial page.
Mark Caserta: Free State Patriot editor
9.9.16
Only 10 presidents in history have won the presidential election with less than 50 percent of the popular vote. But it will likely be 11 very soon.
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are currently among the “worst-rated presidential candidates of the last seven decades” with “highly unfavorable” ratings of 33 and 42 percent respectively, according to Gallup’s long-term “scalometer” polling trend.
The most memorable president in my lifetime winning with less than 50 percent would be Bill Clinton in the 1992 presidential election in which many (including myself) believe third-party candidate H. Ross Perot became the “spoiler” of the election for George H.W. Bush by garnering 18.9 percent of the popular vote as an Independent.
Now, during that particular election, the Libertarian candidate, Andre Marrou, received only .28 percent of the popular vote. But the times, they are a changin’ and so are the attitudes of the American people.
Disdain for our top two presidential candidates has given rise to Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson, who is blossoming in his third-party candidacy.
Johnson, the former two-term Republican governor of New Mexico, has been consistently rising in the polls. An NBC News “political profile” lists Johnson as a “libertarian-minded conservative” who has been active in libertarian causes, including marijuana legalization, since leaving office.
Interestingly, Johnson’s platform does have some good components. I like the “pre-amble” I pulled directly from the Libertarian platform website.
“As Libertarians, we seek a world of liberty; a world in which all individuals are sovereign over their own lives and no one is forced to sacrifice his or her values for the benefit of others.”
It goes on to say Libertarians “believe that respect for individual rights is the essential precondition for a free and prosperous world … and those individuals are free to follow their own dreams in their own ways” without government interference or any authoritarian power.
But while portions of the platform are plausible, in reality, Libertarian aspirations are currently somewhere over the rainbow.
Under the “Statement of Principles” section on the party’s platform website, there are a couple of elements that don’t align with Christian conservative values.
Article 1.5 “Abortion,” states that Libertarians recognize abortion as a sensitive issue and that people can hold “good faith views” on all sides. “We believe that government should be kept out of the matter, leaving the question to each person for their conscientious consideration.”
Well, conservatives believe abortion is murder – period. And it should be illegal. Leaving this matter up to the individual is pro-choice, pure and simple.
Article 1.7, “Crime and Justice,” states that libertarians “favor the repeal of all laws creating ‘crimes’ without victims, such as the use of drugs for medicinal or ‘recreational’ purposes.”
Conservatives believe that the use of illegal drugs in our society is “not” a victimless crime and results in the destruction of lives, family and society every single day.
Conservatives will not “progressively” compromise these principles. We plan to use this election to defend the Constitution and the Supreme Court.
That leaves a single candidate – Donald Trump.
Mark Caserta is a conservative blogger, a Cabell County resident and a regular contributor to The Herald-Dispatch editorial page.
Americans have been bamboozled!
Mark Caserta: Free State Patriot Editor
President Obama’s signature healthcare law is collapsing beneath its own weight.
Major insurers across the country are saying the law has been too great of a financial drain on them and coverages promised by Obamacare are simply unsustainable.
An April column by Peter Sullivan in “The Hill” reports the nation’s largest health insurer, UnitedHealth, recently announced it will be pulling out in all but a “handful” of states in 2017 because of financial losses under Obamacare.
An NPR “Health News” column this month by Alison Kodjak announced that in 2017 the insurance giant Aetna will “stop selling health insurance through most of the exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act because the company is losing money.”
A July “Politico” column by Sarah Karlin-Smith reported the huge insurance provider Humana will “stop marketing Obamacare exchange plans in several states next year and will exit many off-exchange individual markets as well.”
Obamacare isn’t working.
And this is only the beginning. Reportedly, other insurers such as Blue Cross Blue Shield are contemplating pulling back some of their Obamacare plans.
The news isn’t much better for folks with coverage in the remaining markets.
A June Associated Press health release on NBC News online disclosed that millions of people will “face the sting” of rising premiums next year, with no government subsidies.
According to the release, Blue Cross Blue Shield would be seeking an average premium increase of nearly 60 percent for 2017 in some markets! Available data show the premium increases could easily hit the double-digit mark for many Americans.
Simply put, Americans have been bamboozled.
Many recall Barack Obama’s famous 2013 Politifact “Lie of the Year”: “If you like your healthcare plan, you can keep it.”
And then there was Obama’s 2007 campaign promise that he would sign a universal healthcare bill into law that will “cover every American and cut the cost of a typical family’s premium by up to $2,500 a year.”
And possibly the “creme de la creme” came in 2013 when the “architect” of Obamacare, Jonathan Gruber, said that a “lack of transparency” and the “stupidity of the American voter” helped Congress approve Obamacare.
In a clip of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor appearing on a panel to discuss how the bill earned enough votes to pass, Gruber revealed the plan.
“Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage,” Gruber said. “And basically, call it the stupidity of the American voter or whatever, but basically that was really, really critical for the thing to pass.”
Gruber went on to say the law was “written in a tortured way” to avoid a bad score from the Congressional Budget Office.
So to partially quote Obama’s longtime pastor and friend, Jeremiah Wright, the president’s “chickens are coming home to roost.”
Obamacare has missed the mark in healthcare coverage. It’s also cost jobs and marred a large portion of our economy. Yet liberals like Hillary Clinton still support it.
The November election is our last chance to repeal Obamacare.
And then work toward a real healthcare solution.
Mark Caserta is a conservative blogger, a Cabell County resident and a regular contributor to The Herald-Dispatch editorial page.
Doug Smith: Author, historian and lead contributor to Free State Patriot
9.2.16
For the non-history geeks, a book I am reading on the rise and fall of the House of Medici will likely be boring. I find it fascinating and instructive. The Medici was a Florentine family of growing wealth and influence in Renaissance Italy. At their apex, they wielded great power in the formation of the 14th century world. This is not to say it was all a good influence, but they changed the world around them.
One of their most notorious and flawed sons, Giovanni, certainly had his little foibles. He launched a war to install his nephew in power in one Italian city. He borrowed exorbitant amounts for his war, and his hobbies, which included hiring famous artists of the day for such projects as the St Peter’s Basilica. He spent far more than he had on his pet projects, and set out to thoroughly enjoy the position of power he held, regardless the cost, or who had to pay, or what he had to do. He was notorious for his debauchery as well as his extravagance, and if he had any shame in selling his office to support his desires, it was well hidden and not recorded.
He is remembered to the world as Pope Leo X.
One of his more ingenious ways of selling his office was indulgences. On the theory that the Pope had the power of earth to forgive sins on God’s behalf, Leo came up with a divine get out of hell free card: the Indulgence. For a price, wealthy donors could wipe out what they had done, or even invest in what they intended to do in the future, that was forbidden by their faith, and have the sin wiped out, or indulged, by good old Leo. Adultery? Theft? Murder? Extortion? Let me consult the menu, and see how many ducats we need to keep the artists painting, the soldiers fighting, the consorts cavorting naked, and the various deals alive. (I suppose his vows of poverty and chastity were indulged as well). Does a bishop need money to send to the Pope to purchase his office? Indulgences. There was even a bureaucrat in the church in charge of indulgences. It was argued that, after all, the church did some good with its money, and paid for some great works of art, so its little foibles ought to be overlooked, after all, everyone did it; that was just the way of the world.
Then along came a young priest with a conscience deeply troubled by the debauchery and corruption he witnessed at Rome. So troubled was this young man that he took exception. In point of fact, he took 95 exceptions, which he wished to debate. So troubled was the Pope by his daring to challenge his authority, and income, that he excommunicated the young man and invited him to come to Rome and be imprisoned. He declined the offer, and took his list of 95 problems, and his conscience, and his understanding of truth and right, and began to teach others. Many who were also disturbed with the corruption and avarice of those who sought to lead them self-righteously, while living in such debauchery, followed the young man and began a movement that rejected the old, corrupt ways.
That man was Martin Luther. His influence is still evident today, 5 centuries after the Protestant Reformation. The Catholic Church no longer sells indulgences.
Now, if you see many parallels between current or aspiring leaders of today and Giovanni De Medici, you are not alone.
For whatever good the Medici Foundation may do with a few of its ducats, it does not make the corruption with which it obtains them any less objectionable.
So where is our Luther?
It’s truly this election…or never
GOP presidential nominee Donald John Trump is laying down the gauntlet against radical Islamic terrorism and asking Americans to accept his challenge.
Last week, in Youngstown, Ohio, Trump likened the fight against terrorism to the Cold War and the battle against Nazism and laid out his plan advocating a “new screening test for the threats we face today,” calling it “extreme vetting extreme, extreme vetting.”
Trump’s plan calls for all immigrants to be subjected to tests for a commitment to U.S. values, including religious freedom and tolerance. He added we would assess our allies based on their commitment to defeat “radical Islam.”
“All actions should be oriented around this goal, and any country which shares this goal will be our ally,” Trump declared. “Very important – some don’t share this goal. We cannot always choose our friends but we can never fail to recognize our enemies.”
Trump was most likely imputing our commander-in-chief, who is so apologetic for the Muslim faith he won’t even utter words insinuating radical Islam. And incredibly, we have a Democrat presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, willing to perpetuate protecting Islam over the lives of Americans.
Given the president has no greater responsibility than to ensure the safety and security of the American people, how can either one of these individuals be qualified to lead our country? Despite the obvious, neither seems to believe our nation’s borders are at risk!
Both Obama and Hillary are determined to bring thousands of Syrian refugees into the United States without properly vetting them.
Top U.S. officials have already admitted concern that a potential terrorist could be hiding among refugees looking for asylum in the U.S. as reported in a February 2015 column by Justin Fishel and Mike Levine on ABC.com.
And FBI Director James Comey and the nation’s top intelligence officials already have admitted we simply don’t have the information in our nation’s data base to properly vet these individuals.
“We can only query against that which we have collected,” Comey said before the House Homeland Security Committee in 2015. “We can query our database till the cows come home, but there’ll be nothing show up, because we have no record on that person.”
But even then, it’s a red herring. As reported in a November 2015 column by Kerry Picket of “The Daily Caller,” the Obama administration is limiting the scope of query to focus on “behavior,” rather than religion or ideology.
Incredibly, Obama’s counter-terrorism officials have trained domestic Homeland Security law enforcement officers to focus on the behaviors of people entering the U.S. rather than their political, ideological or religious background.
At what point do we ostensibly label this administration’s efforts to protect Americans either a “lack of skill” or a “lack of will” – and possibly both.
It’s time America accepts Trump’s challenge. If we don’t use this election to get serious about keeping radical Islam out of our country, it will be too late.
They will have an open range under Hillary Clinton.
Mark Caserta is a conservative blogger, a Cabell County resident and a regular contributor to The Herald-Dispatch editorial page.
Originally printed in The Washington Free Beacon
Hassan Rouhani / AP
BY: Adam Kredo August 22, 2016 5:16 pm
The State Department issued a warning on Monday urging U.S. citizens to avoid traveling to Iran, which has made the detention of Americans a priority.
The latest travel advisory, which emphasizes Iran’s desire to capture U.S. citizens, comes on the heels of a growing scandal over the Obama administration’s decision to pay Iran $400 million in cash on the same day that it freed several U.S. hostages.
The payment has been cast by lawmakers and others as a ransom payment and prompted concern among U.S. officials that Iran is making arresting Americans a priority.
The travel warning is meant to “highlight the risk of arrest and detention of U.S. citizens, particularly dual national Iranian-Americans,” according to a State Department announcement on Monday. “Foreigners, in particular dual nationals of Iran and Western countries including the United States, continue to be detained or prevented from leaving Iran.”
“U.S. citizens traveling to Iran should very carefully weigh the risks of travel and consider postponing their travel,” the warning adds. “U.S. citizens residing in Iran should closely follow media reports, monitor local conditions, and evaluate the risks of remaining in the country.”
Iran continues to imprison Americans, particularly those holding dual Iranian citizenship, according to the State Department.
“Iranian authorities have detained and harassed U.S. citizens, particularly those of Iranian origin,” the travel warning states. “Former Muslims who have converted to other religions, religious activists, and persons who encourage Muslims to convert are subject to arrest and prosecution.”
The Obama administration expressed particular concern about commercial airlines doing business with Iran. This warning comes as American companies such as Boeing continue to pursue million-dollar business deals with the Islamic Republic.
“The U.S. government is concerned about the risks to civil aircraft operating into, out of, within, or over Iran due to hazards from military activity associated with the conflicts in Iraq and Syria,” the warning states. “The FAA has advised U.S. civil aviation to exercise caution when flying into, out of, within, or over the airspace over Iran.”
The warning emphasizes that “the U.S. government’s ability to assist U.S. citizens in Iran in the event of an emergency is extremely limited.”
Adam Kredo
Adam Kredo is senior writer for the Washington Free Beacon. Formerly an award-winning political reporter for the Washington Jewish Week, where he frequently broke national news, Kredo’s work has been featured in outlets such as the Jerusalem Post, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and Politico, among others. He lives in Maryland with his comic books. His Twitter handle is @Kredo0. His email address is kredo@freebeacon.com.
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