Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category

OUR RIGHT TO FAIL

Posted by Tim Bryce on October 7, 2021

BRYCE ON POLITICS

– Don’t take away this important God-given right.

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NOTE: I originally published this article in 2009, back when the government was offering stimulus money to banks and manufacturing companies during the Recession, a policy I opposed both then and now. The point of the article is as relevant today as it was back then, especially in lieu of the $3.5T stimulus bill President Biden is proposing, which includes a list of new entitlements and a redistribution of the wealth. What I am herein describing is an inherent part of capitalism of which I am a proponent, the “natural” way of encouraging change in our society, certainly not socialism. I hope you enjoy it.

As a youngster, one of the things I learned early on was that winning and losing was a natural part of any game I played, be it baseball, football, hockey, Monopoly, cards, you name it. Somebody wins, somebody loses. Nobody likes to lose, but as I have written in the past, there is nothing to be ashamed of if you have tried your best, but still failed. In fact, I have more respect for the person who valiantly tried and lost, as opposed to the person who won by cutthroat tactics or cheating.

The point is, failure is a natural part of life and an inherent property of evolution (see Charles Darwin). It is a strong message telling us what we are doing is not working, and we can either learn from it and change or ignore it and perish. It’s nice to have a safety net, but where would we be if nobody took a risk? Without failure, life stagnates. We cannot make progress if we are not allowed to fail. Entrepreneurs, adventurers, and other Type A personalities understand in any venture there is a certain element of risk, whereby they will either reap the rewards of success, or taste the agony of defeat. They weigh the risks carefully, then work overtime to assure success, but they clearly understand there is no such thing as a guarantee for success.

There are people today who want to eliminate our right to fail, that nobody should experience the pain or embarrassment of defeat. This is why I have a problem with government bailout and stimulus plans. They will only be a temporary fix, and the companies will not make the severe and necessary changes to survive in the years ahead. Only failure will cause them to make the required changes. To my way of thinking, the government bailout plans are only delaying the inevitable.

All of the greed and corruption we allowed to creep into our business practices have finally come home to roost. Consequently, companies are no longer maintaining a competitive edge in business, and are losing money due to unscrupulous self-centered interests and just plain stupid business decisions. The companies are all sorry for the problem and promise to never allow it to happen again. I don’t believe an accused murderer could say it any better. They all want redemption without having to worry about paying a penalty. I’m sorry, but that is not how the game is supposed to be played, but then again there are those who want to change the rules so that nobody loses. This is just plain wrong.

If you believe companies will make the necessary changes in their policies and operations, simply because the government is going to bail them out, you are taking it in the arm. Like it or not, failure is the only real catalyst to invoke change. Nothing is more powerful to truly change someone than failure; ask anyone who has experienced it.

Nobody likes to take their medicine, but I’m afraid it is time to pass out the Castor Oil and tablespoons. It may sound silly and I don’t expect a lot of people to jump on the bandwagon, but it’s time to “Protect our right to fail!”

First published: March 9, 2009

Keep the Faith!

P.S. – For a listing of my books, click HERE.

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Tim Bryce is an author, freelance writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb1557@gmail.com

For Tim’s columns, see: timbryce.com

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Posted in Politics | Tagged: Florida, palm harbor, The Bryce is Right, tim bryce | 1 Comment »

ACTING ON OUR PERCEPTION OF REALITY

Posted by Tim Bryce on October 1, 2020

BRYCE ON POLITICS

– An explanation for the Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS).

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I have been a fan of the Youtube! video platform for quite some time. It has just about everything I want, such as movies, comedy, sports, history, music, news, food, and much more. Lately though, I stumbled upon a series of videos featuring people who appear to have lost their minds on camera, be it:

* Angry Ladies in different situations.

* Irate Woman on an airplane flight.

* A woman flips out at a Planet Fitness.

* A good example of road rage.

There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of such videos through Youtube! For me, it is like watching a train wreck. The stupidity of the people is mind-boggling, making the video somewhat addictive to watch, e.g.; “How will they screw up this time?” From these videos I noted three common characteristics:

1. The people are ready and willing to engage in verbal fisticuffs at the drop of a hat. Civility is sacrificed for obnoxious and uncouth behavior. Their loudness and coarseness doesn’t bother them one bit and consider it a normal form of behavior.

2. They believe they know the law and their rights better than the authorities. So much so, when the tables are turned, and they are arrested, they cannot comprehend why. Also notice, it never occurs to them they might be wrong.

3. They are very self-centered and do not care about the rights of others, such as causing a public scene or blocking traffic. Their perceived rights take precedence over everyone else, giving them a self-righteous attitude and sense of entitlement. In other words, they honestly believe they are smarter and everyone should bow to them.

All of this is a formula causing them to go berserk at a moment’s notice. Basically, they are trying to impose their sense of reality and morality on everyone else, even if it is incorrect. This is the basis for my thesis, “Homo Sapien Ass****” (HSA) which I wrote years ago. In it, I contended an HSA is a person who acts in a seemingly absurd manner towards others based on their erroneous perception of reality either for personal gain or to react to a situation. Our perception of reality dictates our actions. For example, we dress according to how we believe the weather will be; if we believe it will be cold, we will wear a warm coat. However, if our perception is wrong, that the weather is actually quite hot and humid, wearing a warm coat would be considered a foolish decision. A false perception of reality is one of the underpinnings of HSA and can be caused by such things as attention deficit disorder (easily distracted), or by our own sense of worth (ego).

So the challenge becomes to act according to the proper perception. If we do not, we will lose our cool, as the people did in the videos, and not act responsibly or respectfully, just obnoxious at whatever the cost. In other words, HSA’s cannot socialize effectively.

One last conclusion, the people shown in the videos must either be Democrats or members of the press as their perceptions are different than main stream America and act as HSAs, also known as the Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS). Here are some videos featuring people with TDS; notice how they essentially act no different than the people in the first set of videos:

* A liberal woman screams and has a meltdown over the death of Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

* A woman suffers a car accident while flipping off a rally of Trump supporters.

* A shop owner goes berserk with a Trump patron.

In these last videos, the angst of the protagonists is triggered by anyone who flagrantly opposes their viewpoint or sense of reality. The outbursts are actually Pavlovian in nature thanks to repetitive training by the main stream media. None of these people will tolerate an opposing opinion, thereby possessing a closed mind. All of this highlights the strength of the media which is actually quite scary.

Keep the Faith!

P.S. – Also, I have a NEW book, “Before You Vote: Know How Your Government Works”, What American youth should know about government, available in Printed, PDF and eBook form. This is the perfect gift for youth!

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Posted in Politics | Tagged: ACTING ON OUR PERCEPTION OF REALITY, Florida, palm harbor, The Bryce is Right, tim bryce | 1 Comment »

WHY AMERICA SUCCEEDS

Posted by Tim Bryce on September 24, 2020

BRYCE ON POLITICS

– It is more than just dumb luck.

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Note: The following is excerpted from my book, “Liberal Kryptonite.”

These are indeed strange times. We now question not only America’s future, but its very existence. This is not the first time we have questioned our ability to carry on. The 1860’s, 1930’s and 1960’s were strange times in our country’s history, but somehow we held on and succeeded in spite of overwhelming odds against us.

I have had the pleasure and privilege of being able to see quite a bit of the world, and there are many countries with admirable strengths, but there are weaknesses in them as well. Although other countries are quick to criticize our actions and policies, make no mistake, America is the country everyone wants to work with, and the place where everyone wants to come to. In spite of all of our problems, America continues to somehow persevere. One cannot help but ask, “Why?”

As the world’s melting pot, we are a culturally diversified society with a heterogeneous set of opinions and perspectives. Our customs, beliefs, and values are derived not just from the “old world” but from geographical idiosyncrasies as well; e.g., New England, the Mid-Atlantic states, the South, the Midwest, the Southwest, and the Northwest, each with their own indelible peculiarities which influences the behavior and opinion of the citizens. Getting the people of the United States to conform to a standard set of values, rules, and laws is not only incredibly difficult, it is nothing less than a miracle that we have lasted this long.

So why does America succeed? Two reasons:

First, Freedom – We were very fortunate to have a set of founding fathers with the foresight to develop an innovative Constitution and Bill of Rights which defines the checks and balances of government and establishes the unalienable rights we all enjoy as citizens. It is simply brilliant. Freedom allows us to express our creativity and imagination, encourages an entrepreneurial spirit, and promotes a free-enterprise system that stimulates the growth of the middle class representing the economic engine of our country (and the world). Without this engine, America would be no different than any other third world country.

We have been fortunate to have had many people defend these rights over the years, both in and out of uniform, but perhaps no more than Abraham Lincoln who seemed to grasp the significance of what our forefathers were trying to do and, thankfully, preserved it for succeeding generations. I very much doubt we have anyone in our government today with the wisdom and vision needed to devise as sophisticated a document as the framers of the Constitution did over 200 years ago.

Second, the People – who thrive under an environment of freedom. America is not just one people, it is several types of people operating under one umbrella. Both our strength and weakness lies in our cultural diversity. It brings many different perspectives, insights, and new ideas to the table, thus encouraging opportunity, competitiveness and invention on a global scale. It is because of this cultural mix that we only come together as a result of disaster; the rest of the time is spent arguing, finger pointing, and political wrangling. This is why Americans are typically better reactors as opposed to planners. If America has an Achilles’ Heel, it is that we tend to wait for disaster before we act; e.g., The Lusitania, Pearl Harbor, and 911.

America succeeds not because of our government, but in spite of it. Without the blueprint of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, our government would be more invasive in our lives than it already is.

So, why do we succeed? Actually, I think it’s more than just dumb luck, but rather because the time was right to create a country like the United States, the need was real, and we were fortunate to have good and learned people who put it all together. As long as we believe in our Constitution and Bill of Rights, and do not deviate from them, and believe in ourselves, “We the people…” of America will succeed.

Keep the Faith!

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Posted in Politics | Tagged: Florida, palm harbor, The Bryce is Right, tim bryce, WHY AMERICA SUCCEEDS | 2 Comments »

A LESSON FROM THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER

Posted by Tim Bryce on September 22, 2020

BRYCE ON POLITICS

– Demonstrates the difference between capitalism and socialism.

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I think we’re all familiar with the Aesop fable regarding “The Ant and the Grasshopper.” I first heard it in kindergarten when the teacher tried to impress upon us the need for diligent work. As you will recall, the fable describes a grasshopper who spent the warm summer months singing and playing while the ant toiled in the fields in preparation for the cold winter. When it finally arrives, the grasshopper finds itself dying of hunger and begs the ant for food who is less than sympathetic as he remembered how the grasshopper wasted his time earlier.

Here, the ant represents industry and the grasshopper portrays the fool who would rather fiddle as opposed to store supplies for the winter. It is a lesson of capitalism versus socialism. Whereas the ant works earnestly during the summer, the grasshopper pleads for help from the ant during the winter, who only rebukes him for his idleness during the summer.

If Aesop were to write the story by today’s standards though, I think it would go something like this:

“As the ant struggled and worked to eek out a living, he would be forced to pay the grasshopper a handsome entertainment fee for listening to his fiddle. Even though the grasshopper refused to seek honest employment, the government took half of the ant’s food supplies and gave it to the grasshopper who claimed he was entitled to it. The more industrious the ant became to compensate for his declining food supplies, the more the government took. By wintertime, the ant and his family faced exhaustion and famine. In contrast, the grasshopper now lived comfortably in the biggest ant hill with an abundance of food. In desperation, the ant knocked on the grasshopper’s door to beg for some food. The grasshopper laughed and slammed the door in the ant’s face whereupon he perished in the snow.”

As a footnote, the grasshopper perished shortly thereafter as there were no other ants remaining to farm the food.

I, for one, have no intention of going the way of the ant in this modern-day version reflecting the political dynamics of today.

Years ago, when I was in college, I came upon the following quote by Laurence M. Gould, President Emeritus of Carleton College in Minnesota:

“I do not believe the greatest threat to our future is from bombs or guided missiles. I don’t think our civilization will die that way. I think it will die when we no longer care. Arnold Toynbee has pointed out that 19 of 21 civilizations have died from within and not from without. There were no bands playing and flags waving when these civilizations decayed. It happened slowly, in the quiet and the dark when no one was aware.”

Gould’s message had a profound effect on me. I too believe America will be destroyed from within, not by external forces. Indeed, history will inevitably repeat itself.

In our case, it will be caused by liberals who want to overturn the American way of life; who want to redistribute the wealth, eliminate God from our culture, reject American exceptionalism, subvert the United States constitution, and replace it with autocratic rule. In so doing, government will become bloated, bureaucratic and control every aspect of our lives, thereby realizing George Orwell’s prophetic “Big Brother.” Make no mistake, liberals do not support the middle class, they want to destroy it as they know this is where the real power resides in our country. Without a middle class, Socialism blooms.

Behind this is a deep-seated belief the people are not smart enough to do what is best for themselves and the world overall, that they must be controlled and coerced like cattle. Liberals believe the world should be led by the selected few who know what is best and control others accordingly, thereby creating a slave state; people who will do their master’s bidding as long as they are taken care of. Under this approach, you are to allow others to do the thinking for you, share everything, own no property, you are expected to behave a certain way, and you will be rewarded accordingly with food, housing, freebies and drugs. More than anything, liberalism is about social engineering and control (aka, slavery).

For centuries, immigrants had to adapt to the American culture. They were asked to learn the English language and conform to the country’s laws, rules and regulations. Today it is just the reverse; the American public is being asked to learn immigrant languages and customs, and adapt to their laws, and rules. One could even suggest that illegal immigrants today have more rights and privileges than American citizens. This is unnatural; the individual should adapt to the culture, not the other way around.

Obviously, this dictatorial form of government is in sharp contrast to our current form which provides certain unalienable rights for the individual. The supposition here is that a monarchy can rule better than a democratically elected republic. Interestingly, this was the reason we fought the Revolutionary War, to eliminate monarchies and provide a government for and by the people.

The lifestyle promoted by liberals is not a natural one. Under a socialist approach, there are no losers (or winners for that matter). Work is no longer considered a natural extension of the human spirit, nor is risk. Consequently, liberals are promoting a program that will ultimately kill ambition, exploration, invention, and entrepreneurship. More importantly, it kills our sense of craftsmanship and productivity and turns us into a second class country.

Bottom-line: The Liberal agenda is moving slowly and silently, but they are moving nevertheless. As Gould said, “It happened slowly, in the quiet and the dark when no one was aware.”

Our very way of life is at stake.

Keep the Faith!

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Posted in Politics | Tagged: A LESSON FROM THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER, Florida, palm harbor, The Bryce is Right, tim bryce | 2 Comments »

POLITICIANS – ARE WE ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS?

Posted by Tim Bryce on September 17, 2020

BRYCE ON POLITICS

– Think of it as a job interview.

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I’ve been making the rounds through local political meetings lately and have met a lot of candidates for the November elections, everything from congressman, to county commissioner, to school board representative, to dog catcher. There’s a lot of new faces running for office, probably because they realize the citizens are fed up with the status quo. Interestingly, I noticed a lot of the new faces are not much better than the old faces.

I don’t care what party you’re in, there’s a certain level of “smarminess” associated with a politician running for office. Maybe it’s because the candidate is trying to appease everyone. You have to smile a lot, shake a lot of hands, and be a “Jolly Wally.” I don’t take these type of politicians seriously and I tend to wash my hands afterwards. They’re just plain “smarmy” if you ask me.

I’m generally disappointed in the types of questions we ask candidates. People tend to ask about their position of the catastrophe du jour. I tend to believe it’s rather easy to answer such a question in retrospect. It’s a lot harder to get them to give their opinion on what they would do in a future calamity; you tend to get vague generalities in this situation.

I don’t believe we are asking the candidates the right questions. As for me, I see this as an interview for a job (which it is). Consequently, we should ask questions about their skills, experience, and why they believe they are qualified for the job. For example, here are the typical questions I like to ask politicians:

* “What is the biggest job you’ve ever had?”

* “How many people have reported to you?”

* “What kind of performance reviews have you had?”

* “How do you accept criticism?”

* “What is the biggest decision you have had to make in your professional career? How did you come to your decision?”

* “What was the largest project you worked on in terms of money and people? What was your specific role in the project? What was the outcome (was it successful or a failure)?”

* “How do you prepare a Feasibility Study? What steps do you go through?”

* “What business skills do you possess? e.g., speaking, writing, negotiations, cost/benefit analysis, return on investment, etc.”

Again, if this sounds like a job interview, it is.

In a Republic, the masses elect people to serve office and in the process make their own decisions. Although they should listen to their constituents, they are not bound to follow popular opinion (which would be a pure Democracy). I therefore want to know if the candidate knows how to make a rational decision and has the proper character for the job.

I would much rather know the answer to these questions, then the latest public relations spin. We need more government officials with character than we need smarminess.

Keep the Faith!

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Posted in Politics | Tagged: Florida, palm harbor, POLITICANS - ARE WE ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS?, The Bryce is Right, tim bryce | 3 Comments »

TAKING A NEWSPAPER TO TASK

Posted by Tim Bryce on September 15, 2020

BRYCE ON POLITICS

– One person’s articulate explanation for cancelling subscription.

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It is no secret the main stream media has turned to the Left and actively supports liberal causes. As such, trying to get a conservative comment printed is next to impossible. This was one of the key reasons why I cancelled my subscription to the Tampa Bay Times a couple of years ago and started the Tampa Bay Conservatives web site. Enough is enough.

I am obviously not alone in this regard as I know many conservatives angered by the press. To illustrate, of the people in our Tampa Bay Trump Club, I have yet to meet anyone who subscribes to the Tampa Bay Times. It is simply loathed by conservatives and labeled “Fake News.” I also see this in other newspapers in Democrat-controlled urban strongholds where they pander to the Left, such as Portland, Seattle, Chicago, New York, etc.

I have offered suggestions for “Confronting the News Media,” including picketing and boycotting, but one of the most effective means to protest the media is simply the printed word which, unfortunately, few people use to express their displeasure.

Enter Larry Marlin, an old friend and conservative from Bryan, Texas (near College Station and Texas A & M University). For quite some time, Larry subscribed to the local newspaper, The Bryan-College Station Eagle. However, he began to notice a shift in the editorial slant of the paper and brought it to the attention of the Editor there. Unfortunately, the liberal slant went from bad to worse. Finally, he could stand it no more and wrote the following letter recently to the newspaper which I found particularly interesting:

Dear Editorial Board:

Since August 10th, I have kept copies of your newspaper and reviewed them for bias. As you may recall, you printed a letter I wrote saying most of “The Eagle” bias comes from your Associated Press articles. I later wrote a letter saying I had been mistaken and your paper was rife with bias. The second letter was based on material you printed after being “woke” by BLM and the rest of the “protesters.” You did not print that letter. I did say I was not a member of the “cancel culture” and, rather than cancel my subscription, I would see if your paper made any effort to reduce bias.

I have reviewed each issue since 8/10. You have not improved. If anything, you have gotten worse. During the period 8/10 through 9/4 you have printed 28 left wing editorials and 9 right wing ones. In editorial cartoons you did better with 5 right wing and 3 left wing. Concerning the cartoons, it is interesting that several days after Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s hypocritical visit to get her hair washed, you finally printed something about it in a cartoon relegated to the bottom of the editorial page. Other than that, as near as I can tell, you completely ignored the story.

Of course, your AP articles continue to be overwhelmingly left wing. I have not seen any indication of an attempt on your part to reduce this left wing bias. I doubt you have contacted AP concerning their outrageously dishonest presentations of the news. I don’t have time to list all the left-biased articles by AP. I would mention Steve People’s articles about the Democrat convention compared to his articles about the Republican convention — day and night.

Anyway, I will be cancelling my subscription. I just can’t imagine you will ever change. Should you surprise me and decide to make needed changes such as blasting AP, hiring a few conservatives, balancing your editorials, writing more unifying local editorials, or anything else please let me know. I might resubscribe.

Sincerely,
Lawrence P. Marlin*
Sep 4, 2020

What I liked about this letter is that it wasn’t ranting and raving, but rather, a matter-of-fact dissertation as to why someone was unsubscribing. If I was the Editor, I would consider it carefully and not dismiss it out of hand as it represents a legitimate concern of a reader. If Larry’s data is correct, the Editor should now realize his slip is showing and should take steps to correct it before all of his conservative readers abandon him. The reality though is, as a supporter of the far-Left, the Editor couldn’t care less and is willing to sacrifice readership to preserve the Left’s dogma. This is essentially no different than the attitude of the mayors of Democrat controlled cities where their citizen’s lives and businesses are threatened. This, of course, is reckless behavior and speaks volumes of their priorities of choosing Democrat policies over the safety and well-being of their citizens.

Larry’s letter also happens to make a handy template for writing your own letter to other newspapers. For those of you who have difficulty penning a Letter to the Editor, simply copy Larry’s letter, update it with data specific to your area and send it in (preferably by e-mail). If enough people complain of the unfair tactics of the press, the better the chances of getting some honest news reporting. To do nothing is to surrender to the press.

I’ll leave it with you.

(* Letter written with the permission of the author)

Keep the Faith!

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Posted in Media, Politics | Tagged: Florida, palm harbor, TAKING A NEWSPAPER TO TASK, The Bryce is Right, tim bryce | 2 Comments »

I BELIEVE IN AMERICA

Posted by Tim Bryce on September 10, 2020

BRYCE ON POLITICS

– It is definitely worth fighting for.

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Note: The following is a recent speech I wrote. Please feel free to use it if you are so inclined.

I believe in America, and I have learned it is worth fighting for.

I believe in Americans.
While other countries are homogeneous societies, we are a melting pot of people who want to live the American dream.
From the creativity and hard work of our people, this is the home of craftsmen, scientists, artists, engineers and builders, and the best workers in the world, who simply want the opportunity to succeed, thereby making us competitive and an economic juggernaut.
If you want a piece of the American dream, and are willing to become lawful citizens, and adapt to our society, we welcome you with open arms.
We understand the need for sacrifice to build a better tomorrow.
We thank those people who have protected our freedoms by serving in uniform, people who came from across the country in all walks of life.
We cannot thank our heroes enough.
This is worth fighting for.

I believe in American Exceptionalism.
Yes, I believe we are unique, we are based on liberty, equality, and individual responsibility.
We should be proud to be Americans, not ashamed.
We have a remarkable history. Yes, we have made mistakes along the way; after all we are only human, and certainly not perfect, but we learn from them, and improve ourselves.
We relish our past, but look forward to the future.
We are the people the free world turns to in times of crisis; the people who have lent a helping hand on more than one occasion whether others are engaged in hostilities, natural calamities, and economic hardship. We are there for our friends.
We are the people who stand up against adversity, the heroes of the world.
We are also the explorers, the researchers, the people who pave the way.
We seek, we guide, we explore, we lead.
This too is worth fighting for.

I believe in our country.
The beauty of it from sea to shining sea; the spacious skies, the amber waves of grain, the purple mountain majesties, above the fruited plains.
We are fortunate to have abundant energy, mineral and natural resources; we are the world’s breadbasket, thanks to the ambition and resourcefulness of our people.
God has certainly graced us.
This too is worth fighting for.

I believe in our culture.
We are the home of religious freedom and the equality of our citizens.
I love the icons of our country and what they represent; the eagle, the flag, the pledge, the statues, and I’m a sucker for John Philip Sousa; they all inspire me.
I believe in morality; that we should do unto others as others should do unto us.
This is a country where honesty, integrity and teamwork take precedence over greed, selfishness and cheating.
We are mindful of the need to create a level playing field for everyone to compete.
Some will win, some will lose, it is only natural, but everyone deserves a chance.
Those that lose, we should encourage them to get back up, dust themselves off, and try again.
We should love our neighbor and help them in time of distress.
This requires empathy, compassion and a helping hand, but we do not want to create a dependency on government for that is slavery.
This is a nation based on law and order uniformly applied to all of our citizens.
We need law enforcement and first responders to protect, defend, and serve our people.
It is more than than the noble thing to do, it is simply the right thing to do.
This is worth fighting for as well.

I believe in the Constitution,
an incredible document defining who we are, our freedoms, our values, and our beliefs.
For example, it is an expression of the nobility of the human spirit by specifying the rights granted to all of us.
It is used to “establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity…”
The Constitution was a noble experiment that has survived well over 200 years and introduced some rather bold ideas, such as three separate but equal branches of government thereby establishing checks and balances.
All school children should read the Constitution, many adults as well.
This is certainly worth fighting for.

Yes, I believe America is great and I love it all.
And, Yes, I have learned it is definitely worth fighting for.

Keep the Faith!

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For Tim’s columns, see: timbryce.com

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Listen to Tim on WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; Or tune-in to Tim’s channel on YouTube. Click for TIM’S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

Posted in Politics | Tagged: Florida, I BELIEVE IN AMERICA, palm harbor, The Bryce is Right, tim bryce | 3 Comments »

UNDERSTANDING THE DEMOCRATS

Posted by Tim Bryce on September 1, 2020

BRYCE ON POLITICS

– I certainly do not.

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The more I talk with Democrats, the less I understand them. Let me give you some examples:

A couple of weeks ago, I happened to run into a Democrat friend in the neighborhood walking her dog. We’ve known each other for quite some time and had what I considered a good relationship. On this day, we exchanged pleasantries but the conversation turned to politics. Interestingly, she blamed President Trump for the violence and destruction in our inner cities, e.g.; Portland, Seattle, Chicago, New York, Atlanta, etc. This caught me off guard; when I said these were cities under Democrat control and they won’t ask for the president’s help, she adamantly refused to accept this notion and insisted the president was at fault. I went away from this meeting scratching my head wondering how she came to this conclusion. I could only speculate she had been listening to the main stream media.

I mentioned this episode on Facebook and I was inundated by notes from my readers with similar stories.

A reader in Burr Ridge, Illinois wrote me about a friend she had who tried to tell her Kamala Harris was a moderate, not a liberal. She described him as a highly intelligent man who works as a psychiatrist. She was baffled by his comment and asked if he had seen her voting record. He had not, but was unswayed Sen. Harris had a liberal record. Again, in hindsight, his conclusion was likely based on something said by the main stream media. The reality though, in 2019, she was rated the most liberal senator by independent congressional tracker “GovTrack.”

Another Tampa Bay reader told me of a client she had who insisted the COVID-19 virus was President Trump’s fault. The client contended the president wanted to make money from the vaccine saying, “Yes but he’s so greedy, he wants more and more and that’s what the news says.” Evidently, this had been said to her on multiple occasions; so much so, the person believed it.

Another reader from Tampa found something similar. He used to joke about Trump Derangement Syndrome, but now believes it to be a real disorder. In the past, he had not been a fan of President Obama’s policies and would provide a rationale explanation with actual facts to make an argument why they were not good for the country. Whenever he asked such questions, the Democrats labeled him a racist or some other vile thing and wouldn’t answer him. They did not believe he had a right to openly contest the policies of the president and tried to censure him.

A reader from Holiday, Florida claimed she had a friend in an assisted living facility in Alabama. The woman was told by a member of the staff that unless she voted Democrat she would not be allowed to vote. If this is true, it falls into the category of “Voter Fraud” and is illegal. This demonstrates the “win at all cost” attitude of the Democrats.

Finally, I heard from a Republican organizer in Tampa who claimed people were too lazy to do their homework and would rather be lied to. “They are much happier being mushrooms,” she claimed. This last observation leads us to an important point, people will vote along party lines as opposed to studying the issues carefully.

Most of the Democrats I personally know are older “moderates.” They go back to the party of the 1960’s, under the leadership of JFK and LBJ. They simply do not accept the fact the party has turned to the far Left. They either offer blind obedience to the party or reject it and gravitate to President Trump. I met a lot of the latter during the 2016 election where they told me the party had abandoned them. In 2020, with Trump Derangement Syndrome in full bloom, it must be worse.

So, I have found there are three types of Democrats today. The first, are the naive followers with blind obedience to the party, most of which I have described above. The second, are the schemers and organizers willing to pull out the stops to win the election at all costs, be it legal or not. This is represented today by the far-Left. And the third, are those who see what the party has become and are deserting it.

As an aside, in addition to my loyal readers, I also have my critics who despise my political postings. If I say “black,” they will predictably say “white,” sometimes just to be nothing more than ornery. They cannot accept the fact someone might have an opposing opinion to their own and will do just about anything to sabotage my work. As an aside, I seriously measure the success of my political columns by how much hate-mail I receive. The more I get, the more successful my column is (my numbers prove it). I learned a long time ago not to engage my opponents on-line as I do not want to lower myself to their level and look bad to the public. I just wish my opponents would first read my articles before they fire back at me, but I guess that is too much to ask.

It is interesting how this madness continues, that we become more polarized with each passing day. Maybe it is time to put saltpeter back into the water supply.

One last thing, I’ve noticed the Democrats’ sense of humor is diminishing, they no longer try to be amusing. Instead, it is attack politics fueled by hate. Republicans can also be serious, but I am also seeing more expressions of humor than I did in 2016. Whodathunkit!

Keep the Faith!

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

For Tim’s columns, see: timbryce.com

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Listen to Tim on WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; Or tune-in to Tim’s channel on YouTube. Click for TIM’S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

Posted in Politics | 2 Comments »

THE SECRET OF THE NEWS MEDIA

Posted by Tim Bryce on August 20, 2020

BRYCE ON POLITICS

– Intrigue = Money

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Regardless of your party affiliation, everyone seems to be on edge regarding the upcoming November elections. When you add on top of this the concern over the COVID-19 virus, and the violence and looting in our cities, the country is getting worn out, depressed, and frankly, very angry. This is all by design as the news media knows how to pull the strings of the people.

Let me preface my remarks by describing my participation in the 2016 election when I followed the press corps to several Trump Rallies in my state. One of the first things I learned was how immoral these people were and how they gladly sacrificed honest reporting for the almighty dollar.

Ever since the United States went to a 24/7 news cycle in 1980, the reporting of news media has been manipulated by executives for competitive purposes, and this goes for ALL media outlets, be it television, newspaper, radio, magazine, etc. Fewer and fewer reporters are allowed to produce honest copy, most must follow the guidelines as prescribed by their bosses. To illustrate, before all of the Trump Rallies I attended, those members of the press who produced written copy had finished their work PRIOR to Mr. Trump taking the podium. The next day, I would read their copy, and realized it had nothing whatsoever to do with what was actually said during the rally, making the reporting completely fallacious and nonsensical. It was just plain wrong.

It was at this time I learned the news media was in the business of making money, big money. Naively, I had believed reporters tried to report fairly and accurately, but this is simply not so. To make money, they have to create an audience following, and there is nothing better than to create intrigue a la “sensationalism.” Let me give you an example, if the press reported an incumbent will likely win re-election and the challenger will be easily defeated, there would be no intrigue, and consequently, no audience interest and no income. However, if it is reported the underdog will likely upset the incumbent, than the press creates intrigue, resulting in a bigger audience and makes more money on advertising, regardless if it is true or not. Not surprising, all of the news media is in on this, be it CNN, MSNBC, FOX, NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and just about everyone else. Creating intrigue results in big bucks. It is therefore in their best interest to do so, and to Hell with honesty and accuracy, it just gets in the way. Hence, the proliferation of “Fake News.”

Closely related to this are the polls, which are also geared to creating intrigue. Again, they will have little to sell if the incumbent is winning. Not surprising, no two polls follow precisely the same criteria and input gathering techniques (people to be selected to be interviewed). As such, they produce different results which is why I refer to them as mixing apples with oranges. Let us also not forget, Secretary Hillary Clinton possessed a double-digit lead going into the election. The same phenomenon is happening again. This explains why the political parties and campaigns do their own polling. In other words, they recognize the major polls are flawed and useless, which is why they rely on their own polling people. The point is, anyone who has complete faith in the political polls is a sucker and should avoid Aqueduct.

So, who should John Q. Public trust for news and polling? Nobody but themselves. I would suggest you watch current events, speeches, and other live events on television (Thank God for C-SPAN), and leave the spin behind you. You may also want to lookup voting results through your local board of elections (which is what I do).

Just remember, the news media’s business is not honest journalism, it is about making a buck, and to do so, they have to play the public as sheep. Sorry, but it is true.

So, for you Nervous Nellies out there, take a chill pill and relax. If you are really concerned with the outcome of the November elections, report for campaign duty. Otherwise, just turn off the network news and do your own homework.

Therefore, the lesson today is simple, “Do not believe half of what you read or hear.” Then again, you might want to make it 75%.

Keep the Faith!

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

For Tim’s columns, see: timbryce.com

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Listen to Tim on WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; Or tune-in to Tim’s channel on YouTube. Click for TIM’S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

Posted in Politics | Tagged: Florida, palm harbor, The Bryce is Right, THE SECRET OF THE NEWS MEDIA, tim bryce | 7 Comments »

DEMOCRACY VERSUS REPUBLIC: DO YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE?

Posted by Tim Bryce on August 18, 2020

BRYCE ON POLITICS

– Most people get it wrong.

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To use this segment in a Radio broadcast or Podcast, send TIM a request.

I originally wrote this piece in March 2019 as a means to find out how many people knew the difference between a democracy and a republic. I was shocked by how many didn’t. Then again, maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised as this simple concept is not taught in classrooms anymore. Yet this is something important to understand, particularly as we go into the upcoming November elections. As such, I decided to rerun it herein and included it in my latest book, “BEFORE YOU VOTE: KNOW HOW YOUR GOVERNMENT WORKS.” Enjoy!

One of my pet peeves involving politics is when people misstate our form of government. Normally, I would claim this as the fault of uneducated young people, but many politicians, members of the press, as well as grown-ups are also guilty of this faux pas. No, we most definitely do not live in a “democracy,” but a “constitutional republic” instead, as does most of the governments in the world.

In its truest sense, democracy means “Rule by the People,” meaning a system of government whereby the populace votes directly on each and every issue. When you consider the voluminous number of bills and candidates to be voted upon, this is simply not feasible, regardless if we had the most sophisticated computer software to do so. Time should be allotted to deliberate on each piece of legislation and, to do so, would require citizens to devote most of their time to such study, and not tend to their own business.

This is why we elect politicians, to represent our interests so the populace doesn’t have to vote on every bill, large or small, and explains why we refer to this as a “representative democracy,” aka “republic.” Here, the elected representatives are governed by a rule of law, such as a constitution, which defines the structure and responsibility of executive, legislative, and judicial tasks. Consequently, we call this form of government a “constitutional republic,” which is a more accurate description of our government than “democracy.” It should also be noted that under this form of government, the head of state is not a monarch, such as a King or Queen, which lends itself more to being a “monarchy” as opposed to a free-standing “republic.”

Every now and then, we hear a politician or member of the media proclaim, “This (or that) is a threat to our democracy.” This tells me they haven’t a clue as to what they are talking about. Instead, they should have said, “This is a threat to our republic.” Alas though, they do not.

The Democrats also have a problem with the name, particularly when they refer to themselves as the “Democratic” party. This too is incorrect. However, it is often difficult to describe the party, audibly or in writing, without making this common mistake. The term “Democracy” is so imbued in our culture, the Democrats try capitalizing on it to confuse the public, portraying the word “republic” as a constitutional threat to the country. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Interesting, Democrats today do not practice Democracy within their own party, but rather act as a Republic instead.

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is now the largest socialist organization in the United States and aside from their far-left agenda, it is difficult to discern if they truly embrace democracy or a constitutional republic, I suspect the former.

Another commonly misunderstood area is the concept of the Electoral College in presidential elections, which is indirectly tied to the concept of “republic” as opposed to “democracy” by electing electorates (representatives) as opposed to a popular vote. By doing so, it provides parity between the interests of rural and metropolitan America. Frankly, the Electoral College is a testament to the sheer genius of our founding fathers as it encourages everyone to vote, not just large metropolitan areas.

The Left believes the Electoral College is a threat to democracy, and it is reported as such by the press. In reality, they are correct as the College is intended to be used in a republic, not a democracy.

So, in a nutshell, No, we do not live in a democracy, in the truest sense of the word. We live in a “constitutional Republic” and it is important all citizens understand the differences.

In fact, the U.S. Constitution defines our government in Article IV, Section 4: “The United States shall guarantee, to every State in this Union, a republican form of government…”

Following the writing of the U.S. Constitution, a woman approached Benjamin Franklin, who was one of the delegates and authors, and asked, “Well, Doctor, what have we got — a republic or a monarchy?” He coyly replied, “A republic — if you can keep it.”

Keep the Faith!

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

For Tim’s columns, see: timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Listen to Tim on WZIG-FM (104.1) in Palm Harbor,FL; Or tune-in to Tim’s channel on YouTube. Click for TIM’S LIBRARY OF AUDIO CLIPS.

Posted in Politics | Tagged: Florida, palm harbor, The Bryce is Right, tim bryce, WHY THE HUBBUB OVER MAIL-IN VOTING? | 1 Comment »

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