Green Jobs Czar Van Jones: Another Subversive Nutter from Team Obama

Van Jones is Barack Obama's Green Jobs Czar.

And if you haven't heard, he's also a self-described black nationalist and communist. Mr Jones was actually arrested during the 1991 LA riots, where anti-American malcontents he met in the can had a life-changing effect on the impressionable, angry lad. Of course, all this should have disqualified him for any position in an American presidential administration... and surely would have, back before the ludicrous Obama era.

Radical with vengeful racial agenda? Check!

Incompetent and inexperienced? Check!

Obedient Obama toady? Check!

Suffice to say, Mr Jones will fit-right-in with the rest of Obama's wack pack. But when this appointment is taken in-addition to a Science Czar that has stated that trees should have the ability to sue us in a court-of-law (you read it right) -as well as numerous other out-there WH appointees- this begs the question:

Does Barack Obama know any normal people?

Green Jobs Czar Van Jones' official title is certainly a Kafka-esque mouthful:

Special Advisor on Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation for the White House Council on Environmental Quality

How has this man of such grandiose bureaucratic title actually performed over his first few months on the job? While it's often difficult to extrapolate exactly what Obama is actually trying to accomplish with myriad new programs, agencies, and political appointments- it seems safe to assume that the job description involves creating jobs (outside of his own office) of some sort. But in reality, and despite $60B of Porkulus funds dedicated to the task of creating a "green" economy... America's new Green Jobs Czar Van Jones has created exactly... er... none. (h/t Moonbattery)

Maybe we shouldn't be surprised by this comprehensive lack of results, as Mr Jones seems to have no idea whatsoever what a "green job" even is, nor does the Obama Administration... even though he has been tasked with creating them, and paid well to do so.

And as reported in The Examiner:

Jones told Newsweek that the real problem is that no one in authority can agree about just what a “green job” actually is:

"Well, we still don’t have a unified definition, and that’s not unusual in a democracy. It takes a while for all the states and the federal government to come to some agreement. But the Department of Labor is working on it very diligently. Fundamentally, it’s getting there, but we haven’t crossed the finish line yet."

The 41-year-old Yale Law School graduate and civil rights lawyer is also the founder of California's Ella Baker Center for Human Rights- "a non-profit agency for justice, opportunities and peace." Sounds idyllic, but Jones' past isn't so pastoral-

The Ella Baker Center was connected to STORM (Standing Together to Organize a Revolutionary Movement), a "multi-racial activist collective with Marxist influences" with which Jones was involved.

In 1992, Van Jones founded another STORM project, Bay Area PoliceWatch, a "hotline and lawyer-referral service for victims and survivors of police abuse." This is fitting, perhaps, since Jones was himself arrested and detained briefly during a protest after the Rodney King verdict that same year. Jones told the East Bay Express in 2005:

"I was a rowdy (black seperatist) nationalist on April 28th [1992], and then the verdicts came down on April 29th. By August, I was a communist...

"I met all these young radical people of color – I mean really radical: communists and anarchists. And it was, like, 'This is what I need to be a part of.' I spent the next ten years of my life working with a lot of those people I met in jail, trying to be a revolutionary."

Like a character out of The Big Chill, Van Jones seems to have evolved from radical activist to Establishment insider. Perhaps only a left-wing administration incapable of recognizing irony would put a self-described communist in charge of creating jobs.

Luckily for Jones and Obama's many other "Czars" with dubious credentials and troubling backgrounds, his new job was not dependent upon making it through Congressional hearings.

Hat-tip to The Capitalist @ The Freedom Post

Chairman O's Rubber-Stamp Legislature Happy To Step in It

As we all know by now, the Democrats rammed-through a radical tax increase and big government power-grab under the guise of a "climate change" bill in the House of Representatives this week in a very close vote, 219-212... with little debate, without legislators even reading it... and while quarantining the GOP from any meaningful input whatsoever. Any foolhardy individuals who still believe Obama's threadbare "bipartisanship" spiel ought to have their head examined.

The complex bill, which totaled about 1,200 pages, would require the U.S. to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions by 17% from 2005 levels by 2020, and by 83% by 2050. To add insult to injury, sponsor Henry Waxman (D-Cal) snuck-in a 300-page "ammendment" at 3am the night before the vote.

As reported by The Hill, GOP Congressional Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) had a few choice words about Pelosi and Obama's climate-change bill after its passage. Boehner truly rose to the occasion on Friday, doing his level best to bring some legislators to their senses... whilst shedding some sorely-needed light upon just what Obama and Pelosi are foisting on us. Later, when asked why he read portions of the cap-and-trade bill on the floor Friday night in an innovative mini-filibuster, Boehner told The Hill, "Hey, people deserve to know what's in this pile of shit."

When fish-faced sponsor Waxman attempted to put a stop to the exposure of this mystery legislation -then on the verge of being voted upon- he got smacked-down hard by Boehner, to much Republican applause:

And while the margin was indeed narrow, the Democrats likely could have passed it without the eight RINO votes they garnered in the event. The problem is that for every GOP sellout, Pelosi was able to free one 2010-vulnerable Democrat to vote against the bill. These Republicans should have at least forced her to get it passed on her own- it will be interesting to see what earmarks they received in return.

Michelle Malkin has an excellent summary today on those who broke Republican ranks and hurt the nation, GOP, and themselves with this shameful act of political opportunism. And Stacy McCain's Not One Red Cent is focused laser-like on ensuring that none of these traitors receive any RNC help in getting re-elected... they made their bed, and now they can lie in it.

But as-far as the Republican Party is concerned, the war is far from over: GOP Conference Chairman Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) said "we have only just begun to fight” as he left the Capitol Friday night.

Surely success for the Democrats will be far more difficult in the Senate. Majority Leader Harry Reid says he wants to take up the legislation by the fall, but 60 votes will be needed to overcome any Republican filibuster. The "razor-thin vote in the House spells doom in the Senate," proclaimed Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla).

Obama subsequently addressed the nation (and especially the Senate) in his weekly radio address on Saturday with his typical specious strawman arguments and blatantly false assumptions; instead of stating "in my opinion", or "evidence points to"... Obama tells us that those with well-founded concerns regarding the economic impact of this monstrous tax increase in the midst of a recession are spreading "misinformation":

“My call to every senator, as well as to every American, is this,” he said. “We cannot be afraid of the future. And we must not be prisoners of the past. Don’t believe the misinformation out there that suggests there is somehow a contradiction between investing in clean energy and economic growth.”

Just when you think that Obama couldn't insult your intelligence any more, he added -while sounding like a Sham-Wow commercial- that the measure would cost the average American about the "price of a postage stamp per day". Many experts and business leaders, naturally, disagree with Obama's proclamations, including already-regretful Obama supporter Warren Buffet- who called the tax hikes "massive" and "regressive".

The habitually dishonest Obama also claimed that the average American would not bear the brunt of this historic tax-increase: he claimed instead "It is paid for by the polluters who currently emit dangerous carbon emissions."

Just compare this patent falsehood to Ronald Reagan's timeless quote:

The most dangerous myth is the demagoguery that business can be made to pay a larger share, thus relieving the individual. Politicians preaching this are either deliberately dishonest, or economically illiterate, and either one should scare us.

... Only people pay taxes, and people pay as consumers every tax that is assessed against a business.

Like Obama's outdated embrace of socialist statism -as it's traditional practicioners in Europe quietly walk away from it- the behind-the-curve assumptions of his global-warming argument have now come under heavy scrutiny in Australia and New Zealand, as well as in numerous other countries worldwide- where doubts regarding the scientific evidence and the stifling effect of cap-and-trade legislation have them applying the brakes to their own climate-change legislation.

As reported in the Wall Street Journal:

The collapse of the "consensus" has been driven by reality. The inconvenient truth is that the earth's temperatures have flat-lined since 2001, despite growing concentrations of C02. Peer-reviewed research has debunked doomsday scenarios about the polar ice caps, hurricanes, malaria, extinctions, rising oceans.

But Obama team won't even discuss the science with critics, at home or abroad... what does that tell you? Clearly the true agenda is the massive incremental tax base and centralized industrial control that Team Obama longs for, while being unhelpful to the economy, unwise... and unfair.

Now there is yet another scandalous development attached to this story, in that the Obama Administration has now even gone so far as to suppress our own EPA's latest report... one that casts significant doubt on the assumptions behind the global-warming argument. As reported in Investors' Business Daily:

On Friday, the day of the vote, the Competitive Enterprise Institute said it was releasing "an internal study on climate science which was suppressed by the Environmental Protection Agency."

In the release, the institute's Richard Morrison said "internal EPA e-mail messages, released by CEI earlier in the week, indicate that the report was kept under wraps and its author silenced because of pressure to support the administration's agenda of regulating carbon dioxide."

If there was any trace of doubt as to Obama's true intentions, this looming Carbongate scandal ought to erase that for good... and they'll be plenty of time to explore what went on there before the Senate debates this misguided legislation in the fall. It's clearly the tax revenue that interests Obama, in addition to his own political security- not saving the earth, creating green jobs, or whatever other jive he's frantically laying on us to get this passed. This “amounts to the largest tax increase in American history under the guise of climate change,” declared Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind).

Is global climate-change truly a reason for concern... or a comprehensive scam promoted by the left? I sure have no way of knowing, and the theory of it is entirely possible... no doubt. But the promotion of man-made global warming as a Gore-esque forgone conclusion is certainly a complete hoax; it simply has not been proven in the sort of conclusive manner that would necessitate such sweeping changes and unparalleled tax increases in the midst of a major recession. But many conservatives are willing to talk about it... a lot more than can be said for the president. And of course, our industrial rivals the Chinese and Indians couldn't be less interested.

"Never let a good crisis go to waste" said the ever-calculating serial-opportunist Rahm Emanuel... and even a false one will do, apparently, if well orchestrated.

Obama and Pelosi have not made a convincing argument, to say the least- apparently didn't see it as necessary, and never even tried... exactly the same as with their profligate "stimulus" legislation that seems to have done nothing but spike the unemployment rate. Small wonder then that the Democrats have chosen to employ identical underhanded, bad-faith legislative tactics with this bill: present a large portion on it in the middle of the night, steamroll right-over GOP concerns, attack critics aggressively, suppress all conflicting evidence... and above all don't let anyone read it until it is already chiseled in stone.

If they somehow scrape-up the votes for this bill -or anything resembling it- in the Senate later this year, I look for brave GOP legislators -those who want to lead us into 2010 and beyond- to filibuster this pig right into the ground.

The Power of the Totalist Cult

A lot of people are feeling pretty frustrated these days. And, the frustration that they're feeling is often coupled to a lack of apparent solutions to deal with the many issues confronting them in 2008. Obviously, in trying times, anybody will eventually become tired physically, emotionally, and intellectually. 


As worries mount, a growing number of people start looking for someone who offers deliverance... and become less likely to question their methods. Be it David Koresh, Reverend Sun Myung Moon, or Kim Jong Il, there is a liberating feeling when you surrender yourself to a spiritual and/or political authority, be it messiah, king or dictator- you don'thave to weigh complex issues anymore (now unnecessary and discouraged), The Leader has all the answers. 


And it's reinforced to you daily that you did the right thing... but whatever you do- don't listen to outsiders, they're all bad.Young people are particularly susceptible to totalist movements, especially with fractured family structures and a permissive society; they are often yearning for leadership and a direction that is lacking in their lives. They also have endless reserves of energy and idealistic loyalty on offer... what else could a cult leader want? 


And nobody pondering cult membership lists positives vs. negatives in a T-chart, then leans-back in their chair and makes a logical decision. Rather, they tend to discover an "out" from their unhappy predicament, then abruptly run away from the overwhelming weight of their problems and concerns . They offer themselves to the savior, and are immersed in a euphoric, liberating freedom, plus a soothing righteousness. 


Removed from the unsatisfying social network of their past, they find a complete sense of belonging with the new crowd that thinks and acts like them. They share a new belief system that answers every question, with no stressful analytical thought required anymore- and all those problems just dissappear (for awhile, anyway). 


Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler studied the psychology of crowds, and how to exploit the dissatisfied masses- as well as practicing their dramatic speech presentations in front of a mirror. Both mastered this art of manipulation to perfection. And it doesn't take much imagination for anyone who's seen him in action to imagine Barrack Obama in front of the mirror for hours, too.



Interestingly, like The One, Der Fuhrer famously wrote a self-absorbed, racially-themed book of triumph..."Mein Kampf (My Struggle)", presenting himself as a brave saviour for all the country's ills in a time of peril. That author then went on to construct one of the most powerful and destructive personality cults in human history.
 ____________________________________________ 


 In the The Psychology and Psychotherapy Journal (1984), "Destructive cults, a view from the inside", Fielding and Llewelyn offer some interesting observations regarding the cult mentality... and there are numerous parallels with Obamamania phenomena: 


"This gesture of recruitment...the cult offering deceptive security to a vulnerable individual, is a familiar one. The potential recruit is not only physically vulnerable, but also, and primarily, psychologically vulnerable.... ‘The target ages are 18 to 25." 


"The new recruit is often facing a number of personal and external insecurities; ... psychological distress is a fre­quent antecedent to conversion to a sect." 


"Both per­sonal and universal questions are answered by complete faith in the wisdom of the cult, enshrined in the per­sonality of its absolute leader." 


"It appears that the adult respon­sibilities of decision-making and thought are not only under attack from the cult, but are willingly surrendered by the recruit""... new recruits come to doubt their own independent judgments and to accept the unanimous opinions of the people around them." 


"An important aspect ... is the suspension of critical thought, and a distrust of the power or value of the rational, critical mind. Thinking, as opposed to feeling or ‘experiencing’, is wrong... ‘there is nothing quite so impenetrable as a human mind snapped shut with bliss’. 


"cults are effective because they initially use very efficient techniques of persuasion and then destroy the ability of people to think, doubt, ask questions and formulate alternatives. (Of course, it is not only in the religious cults)" 


Or, in the words of a now de-programmed, former "Moonie":"To me, it is the rising up, both in the individual and in society, of one image, which crushes and punctures all other social constructions or images...


Historically, I think the phenomenon of the religious cult is a regression signalled by social disintegra­tion. Whenever there is social disintegra­tion, people turn towards absolutes, and in the cult the individual has certainty." 


 http://www.allentwood.com/articles/psychology.html____________________________________________


Gallup is telling us that Mr Obama already enjoys a whopping 70% approval rating... when all he's done so-far is make vague promises, insult Nancy Reagan, and take a tour the White House. If faith can be defined as belief without evidence, then for The One to poll 53% on November 4th, then hit 70% just a week later for no apparent reason is pretty hard to explain otherwise. 


And blind faith in The Leader is the cornerstone all totalist cults are built upon. If they'd only let the pollsters in, one would imagine that the often bizzare leaders of these sects would have "approval ratings" approaching 100%; that is, until it all comes crashing down in flames and a hail of gunfire, like at the Branch Davidian complex in Waco. 


As we all know, the Obama campaign also boasted record-smashing fundraising, too- with an unusually large proportion coming from individuals. It may not be a coincidence then that financial sacrifice for a vague, emotionally-based salvation (and it's messiah) is one of the oldest ways in the book to separate the vulnerable from their money... thus the legend of the Guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh driving one of his 83 Rolls-Royce's around the communal farm, blessing his freshly-fleeced followers. 


Incoming White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel this week reiterated Obama's plans for a "civilian youth corps"... however the "Change.gov" Obama website had promptly removed this previous reference, presumably because many found the mandatory tone of the scheme just a bit unsettling: 


"Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by developing a plan to require 50 hours of community service in middle school and high school and 100 hours of community service in college every year."


This step towards Obama's ideals of socialist unity and (organized and mandatory) common sacrifice for the next generation sounds a lot like communist East Germany's Free German Youth (FDJ), who were deployed in such rewarding and educational "community service" activities as ripping TV antennas off people's roofs that could be used to pick-up West German broadcasts, and informing on their neighbors to the Stasi. Again, totalist sects are based upon selfless service to the group above all else, and the youth are most pliable and vulnerable. 


A President Obama "calling" on all us to serve his collectivist agenda , and attacking those who understand the job-destroying nature of his planned tax increases as "selfish", etc. should sound frightening to any American for whom the ideals of individualism, entrepreneurial ambition, and (voluntary) charity are what made this country great.


No more reassuring are Mr Obama's plans for a "civilian national security force" (militia?), which he shockingly said in July would be "just as powerful and well-funded as the U.S. Military" (as well as a new "Health Corps" and "Clean Energy Corps"). "Security for who?" is the question that quickly comes to mind, as Hitler had the same kind of security apparatus, staffed with his most loyal followers in the SS (Schutzstaffel, or "shield squadron"). The infamous SS was also a powerful parallel security force outside the command structure of the Army, who received the best of everything... and was heavily politicized. 


Mr Emanuel's extensive background in the art of ballet may well have lent him the intense self-discipline and focus he has displayed in his political career, but the eerie totalism many ballet organizations have in common with cults is actually well documented, and seems to mirror a mind-set in common with the most fervent of Obama's following (couldn't have made this stuff up):


http://chuckstewartphd.net/Ballet_Cult.html 


"Doctrine over Person", in which "replaces human experience with ideology. Past events can be rewritten, altered, and ignored in order to conform to ideological myths.""The “Sacred Science”- implies that there is “absolute truth” that is beyond questioning.... teachers and cults often will claim that they are the “best”... their form of ballet is the “best;” ... all others ... are impure.""Mystical Manipulation- is designed to create a mystique around the group and its goals, and that “truth” transcends reality and the individual.... teachers insist that “art” requires great sacrifice including family, friends, and, eventually, the self; they state that ballet (or, fill-in-the-blank) is the “highest” art and there is nothing more noble; and encourage students to view themselves as “keepers of the 'truth''.

While de-programming of the delusional Obama cult can't start soon enough for the sake of this country, coming events should eventually steer America back towards it's admirable tendency to self-correct.The question is just how much redistributionist pick-pocketing, how much "Great Society" style-programs, how much constitutional revision, how much damage to American individualism and the culture of entrepreneurship, and how much international humiliation, and how much reconstruction of American society along both totalist and totalitarian lines we will have to endure before this country finally snaps-out-of-it... and that's what I'm worried about.