The Conservative Sage

The founding of the United States of America came with great blessings and an enduring curse. The blessings are the principles of liberty which was spelled out in our Constitution. A document that to date is the worlds oldest. The enduring curse is the original sin of race which remains a divisive and intractable issue today. America's history of slavery and subsequent century of legalized racism and segregation did not culminate in legal remedies until a full century later. Even so, the issue of race has continued to metastasize into every aspect of American life. Exploitation and demagoguery by politicians and interest groups have made race the go to wedge issue. If America is to ever fully represents its values, racial division in America must be finished. The irony is that the remedy to this longstanding problem is rooted the America's founding values and principles. If only these values were more widely promoted. On every U.S coin are three values:...

President Donald Trump returned home from his highly anticipated summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in Singapore. Such a meeting seemed like fantasy just a few short months ago. Kim was testing nuclear weapons by firing them over the airspace of US allies Guam and Japan. President Trump responded with his now legendary "Fire and Fury" threats of nuclear destruction and boast of having a "bigger button" than Kim's. This sent a uneasiness throughout not only the Korean peninsula but global financial markets which feared a potential nuclear conflict. However such fears soon dissipated due to back channel diplomatic efforts by China and South Korea along with stifling economic UN sanctions which forced Kim to the table. The summit culminated with the signing of a vague non binding joint statement which included security guarantees and a commitment to end US-South Korea joint military exercises. The joint statement is intended to pave the way towards com...

On a March night earlier this year in Rio, the city's first black council woman was shot and killed along with her driver. The killing of Marielle Franco, also a lesbian champion of the LGBTQ and afro Brazilian communities, sparked protest for justice from tens on thousands in Rio and an out pouring of support from around the world. Ms. Franco was an outspoken critic of alleged abuse of power by military and police in the Rio slums or favelas . Ms. Franco was raised in Mare' one of the most dangerous slums of Rio. Extrajudicial killings by police and military in the Favelas' has been a major political issue for human rights activist around the world. Of 1,275 registered cases of killings by on-duty police between 2010 and 2013, 99.5 percent of the victims were men,79 percent were black. Brazil is country in spite of its multi racial population has made very little progress with regards to minority advancement. Many Afro-Brazilians are still confined to the margins of...

According to many on the race obsessed left, one only needs white skin in order to be bestowed the best of what America has to offer. To be born black or brown is most likely a first class ticket to a life of at worst poverty and despair. At best a life of second class citizenship and marginalization. It's called "white privilege". What is white privilege? It’s defined as " the level of societal advantage that comes with being seen as the norm in America, automatically conferred irrespective of wealth, gender or other factors". Several months ago Greg Popovitch, head coach of the San Antonio Spurs weighed in on the subject: "...Because you were born white, you have advantages systemically, culturally, psychology there. They have been built up for hundreds of years. Many people can’t look at it. [It] can’t be something on their plate on a daily basis.... People don’t want to give it up. Until it’s given up, it’s not going to be fixed. So apparently white ...

The recent massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland Florida in which 17 people were shot to death has resulted in an all out assault on the National Rifle Association. As customary after a mass shooting a deluge of criticism and blame is directed at the NRA. The country's largest gun lobby has long been deemed responsible for obstructing gun control legislation, however this time the anger seems to have reached a tipping point. Large corporations such as Fed Ex, Enterprise rent-a-car, United, Delta and United airlines have announced they will no longer honor NRA discounts. The popular perception from the left is the notion that the NRA greases politicians in order allow mass murders to obtain weapons. If only their financial hold upon our federal legislatures could be lifted as many on the left believe, common sense gun control laws could be enacted. If only this were true. There are no laws that...

To honest observers, the mainstream media's love affair with former President Barack Obama was hardly veiled. CNN, and MSNBC'S coverage of Obama was at times downright gushing. The fawning CNN and the adoring White House press core covered Obama more like a Hollywood celebrity than a President of the United States. Conservative news sources although not without its own bias, served for many as a counterweight to the sycophant major networks. The President's constitutional overreaches were largely unnoticed by his fans and ignored by the media. Except for Fox news, who was a favorite target of Obama who accused it of grossly distorting facts surround his administration and creating "phony' scandals. The comments he made this week about Fox News were particularly interesting. " If you watch Fox News, you are living on a different planet than you are if you, you know, listen to NPR ," Obama told David Letterman on his new Netflix series "My Next ...

It seems like a lifetime since the beginning of Donald Trump's Presidential campaign. One centered on traditional populist rhetoric aimed primarily at the working class. Trump ranted against unfair trade deals, foreign interventions and illegal immigration. Even going as far as to flippantly mention taxing the rich, a popular mantra of left wing democrats. Many of Trump's positions seemed to overlap with those of Bernie Sanders. Some on the right labeled Trump a non-conservative Republican whose election wouldn't necessarily result in policies much different than that of Hillary Clinton or Sanders. To call the first year of the Trump administration turbulent would be the understatement of the decade. Undisciplined tweets, beefs with NFL players, the media, the Obama care debacle and a flurry of staff departures underscored a dizzying for year. A year that was salvaged with the passage of tax reform legislation-the first since the Re...

Liberal billionaire financier Tom Steyer like many on the left is still smarting that Donald Trump is now President of the United States. So much so, that he has recently launched a $10 million campaign to have him impeached. Steyer released a 60 second television ad in which he calls President Trump "mentally unstable" and a "clear and present danger". Steyer alleges that Trump has brought the U.S. to "the brink of nuclear war” with North Korea and is accuses him of "obstructing justice” with his May firing of then-FBI Director James Comey. Also of violating the Constitution by taking money from foreign governments and threatening to shut down news organizations that report the truth." How did Donald Trump spark Mr. Steyer's sudden interest in the constitution? He obviously didn't have the same interest during the past 8 years. In a 2013 congressional hearing, left leaning constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley stated: " The problem wi...

(CBS NEWS) After a historic, nearly 25-year career representing Florida in Congress, former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown was found guilty on Thursday of taking money from a charity that was purported to be giving scholarships to poor students. The verdict came after prosecutors outlined a pattern of fraud by Brown,70 and her top aide that included using hundreds of thousands of dollars from the One Door for Education Foundation for lavish parties, trips and shopping excursions. She was convicted of 18 of the 22 charges against her, including lying on her taxes and on her congressional financial disclosure forms. Prosecutors said Brown and her associates used One Door to Bring in more than $800,000 between 2012 and 2016. She is awaiting sentencing as of this writing.   In July of 2017 Longtime Philadelphia Congressman Chaka Fattah along with a group of associates was convicted of charges including racketeering conspiracy, bribery, bank fraud, mail fraud, money la...

The media hype surrounding Neo Nazi's and white nationalist continues months after Charlottesville. This past week Florida Governor Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency ahead of a speech by so called "alt right" and white nationalist spokesperson Richard Spencer at the University of Florida. We've become accustomed to Florida declaring states of emergency ahead of a hurricane or tropical storm. Now our country is at such a low point that a state of emergency is necessary for a speech no less. I have long taken issue with associating these vile individuals with the right when they have absolutely nothing in common with conservatives or Republicans. According to Spencer, the "Alt Right" is a movement centered around white identity politics. There is nothing in the white nationalist agenda that promotes smaller government, free markets, the constitution, liberty, fiscal responsibility or low taxes. There is a false narr...

On a recent CNN segment discussing the NFL protest, actor Jesse Williams of ABC'S  Grey's Anatomy offered this startling take. " This national anthem thing is a scam. It has nothing to do with NFL or American pastime or tradition. This is to get boys and girls to go overseas and go kill people ". Mr. Williams surely isn't the only person to share this grotesquely superficial observation of our armed forces. His opinion is also absent of any semblance of perspective. The men and woman of the US armed services save more lives and provide more assistance than any fighting force in the world. The US military's role in world stability is severely understated at best. For instance, the US Navy is solely responsible for securing the world's shipping lanes which allows global trade to flow freely. There are 40,000 US troops currently stationed along the demilitarized zone on the Korean peninsula which has prevented North Korea from a...

I n the early morning hours of September 7th on Cleveland's west side, three masked gunmen stormed into a Taco Bell in an attempted robbery. To their surprise several employees were armed and opened fire on the robbers. 24 year old Decarlo Jackson was shot six times. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. The other two suspects are still at large as of this writing. Unfortunately incidents such as this play out frequently around the country. A black male(s) attempts an armed robbery of a business establishment or home. At best he is shot and wounded, at worst he's killed by the armed store clerk or homeowner. In many instances it has been armed customers who have fired the fatal shot at the would be robber. The Black Lives matter crowd, the social justice establishment as well as the national media are dead silent while scores of black men are killed every year. According to the Centers for Disease C ontrol ...

The horrific events in Charlottesville earlier this month have once again touched off national debates about race, free speech, bigotry and relevance of Confederate symbols. A march organized by white nationalist erupted in violent clashes with counter protestors. The clash turned deadly when a vehicle driven by James Alex Fields slammed into a crowd of protestors killing 1 and injuring 19 others. President Trump sparked his latest of what has become monthly controversies when he condemned violence, bigotry and hatred "on many sides". Democrat and Republican politicians rushed to put out statements condemning bigotry and hatred and how it has no place in our country. As soothing as those comments may be, they're wrong. Many Americans, not least of which our political leaders seemed to have forgotten that little document called the United States Constitution. In this document it guarantees the right of free speech and expression of all ideas, no matter how vil...

The old saying "Too many chiefs and not enough Indians" is by modern standards politically incorrect. However there is a new phenomena that is could take its place. There seems to be too many Kings and Queens and not enough subjects. Peruse Facebook and one will see untold references to "Black Kings" and "Black Queens" which is intended to foster self esteem in the black community. What is wrong with this one may ask? It is built on a ridiculous premise, historical ignorance and grotesque revisionism. For starters, every culture at one time or another has been ruled by monarchs. So by this logic every Anglo British citizen is a King or a Queen since they still have a symbolic monarchy today. Kings and Queens are mere titles-not character traits. Monarchs were selected by either bloodline or bloody conquest. Some of the most dastardly rulers in history were Kings. King John, Herod, Leopold, Caligula are just a few-African rulers were hardly an exception. I...

There are many false assumptions in life that go unchallenged. One of the more commonly held ones is the notion that the Rich Get Richer and the Poor get Poorer. In recent years there is the propagated myth of the "1%". which refers to some enduring wealthy class that maintains its elite status-then there is reality. That reality isn't lost on former business world superstar Elizabeth Holmes. Just one year ago, her blood testing company Theranos, was on top of the world. Theranos had allegedly developed a faster more efficient blood testing technology which would only require a finger prick. It had 500 employees and was valued at $9 billion. Making the Stanford drop out the worlds youngest female self made billionaire with a 50% stake worth $4.5 billion. Soon questions began to swirl after media reports cast doubt about the accuracy of her supposedly innovative testing machines. The charge was that only 15 of 240 test Theranos offer...

  2016 has certainly been a momentous year for the country and world. This year saw the passing of Icons like Muhammad Ali and pop stars Prince and David Bowie. Just this week Longtime Cuban strongman Fidel Castro died at the age of 90. Castro's death caps an eventful and tumultuous year in American politics which saw the upset election victory by Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton. Trump ran on a populist message of bad trade deals, curbing illegal immigration and rebuilding Americas' military. His campaign slogan Make American Great Again has become a catchphrase. If Trump truly wants to make America Great Again, I would recommend that he adopt Fidel Castro's communist playbook-why not? It was effective for 50 years. For starters he should take the constitution, shred it and declare himself President for life. No need to be concerned with another wild and controversial election for the foreseeable future. As commander-in-chief Trump co...

T his man you most likely never heard of was once one of Africa's most notorious slave traders. His name is Hamad bin Jum'ah bin Rajab Bin Mohammad bin Sa'id al-Murjabi. Thankfully he has a shorter name, Tippu Tip. He was a very powerful Swahili-Zanzibari slave trader who had a strangle hold on the clove and ivory plantations in Eastern Congo and Zanzibar during the latter half of the 19th century. Cloves are flower buds used to make spices. Tippu Tib also controlled the lucrative ivory trade and was said to have acquired as many as 10,000 slaves. How did Tippu Tib acquire and maintain this empire? The same way other empires are built, by force of course. He raided villages in search of slaves and other loot. Those who refused were dealt with by having villages burned and crops destroyed. He was also very friendly with European explorers and assisted them with their foray into the interior of the continent. Such as noted British explorer and abolitionist...

I along with the rest of the world tuned in recently to the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, the opening ceremonies were certainly a site to behold. It featured elaborate visual displays special effects and cultural dancers. One in particular which told the story of Brazil's eclectic but sordid history of slavery. Which is by no means unique to Brazil, nor to any country in the world. Very few nations can claim no history of it. I can distinctly remember learning about the powerful West African empires of Ghana and Mali in high school. If only I were sophisticated enough at the time to ask an obvious question: How did they become empires? Steeped into the conscience of many Americans is the premise that the United States was "founded on slavery and stolen land from the native Americans". The dark beginnings of American history are only unique to those with only a cursory knowledge of history. If one throws a dart at a map of the world, It will most certainly land on a c...

As President Obama's 2nd and final term comes to an end, many of his fans are already suffering from separation anxiety. 'We will miss you President Obama' pages are floating around social media sites. His loyalist are already touting his "accomplishments" as evidence of him being one of our greatest Presidents. As the melancholy begins to spread I would ask why does it have to end? We may not necessarily have to say goodbye to the celebrity bashes with Jay Z and Beyonce or the late night appearances on Jimmy Kimmel. There is a way that we can enjoy the Obama's for the next several decades. I propose we make them King and Queen of America. What title is more befitting of our country's first black President? America has always had unofficial royalty with Elvis, Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Muhammad Ali. Why not make it official with King Barack and his queen Michelle, who is just as elegant as Queens Elizabeth II of England or Noor of Jordan. Barack would ...

There is a very old theory that people often see what they are or what they are not. It is said that women who want to have children will see pregnant women everywhere. Men who are balding will see all the men with flowing hair in the room. If one spends any significant time on social media, it is clearly evident that the ability to think clearly and discern facts from opinion has become extinct.  Many of us are familiar with the concept of projection. Whereby one assigns his or her character flaws onto others. Ever met a thief that didn't believe everyone else was crooked also? I have had the pleasure attending the Republican convention in my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. There have been those in the mainstream press and blogosphere who have fabricated incidents of alleged racism such as a "white" elevator sign at the convention arena. Failing to note the colors of the other elevators were red and blue. Then there was the imaginary Hitler salute by talk show host Lau...