“Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions.”

True leadership is a rare attribute.  While many people have exhibited an ability to get elected, even to the presidency, that doesn’t make them a great leader.  To demonstrate the point, ask yourself how many great presidents we have had over the last 100 years.  If you count four or less, and you should, then you understand the point.  Based on nearly a year and a half of the Obama Presidency, it is likely he will be closer to the bottom four, instead of the top four, as he demonstrates his leadership by litigation mentality.

Leadership by litigation is reference to his penchant to litigate, not solve problems – to attenuate them, not end them.  Consider that Obama, the attorney, is facing a growing number of crises:  (1) a failing economy, (2) a growing number of terrorist attacks, and (3) the gulf oil crisis.  Each of those crises is getting worse, not better, and it is Obama’s lack of leadership skills that are to blame.

Working backwards, rather than demonstrate action on the gulf oil spill, i.e. approving Bobby Jindal’s request to form barrier islands or to approve the Saudi mid-ocean cleanup method, Obama is stalling on those suggestions and many more – but he is willing to file a lawsuit against BP.

With regard to terrorist attacks, the facts demonstrate that, despite Obama’s talking to the World, the number of domestic attacks rose dramatically.  Obama’s response? – have attorneys prosecute them.  And on the economy, Obama has done nothing more than talk and pander – mostly blaming Business and Bush for the problem but not acting in rational manner – unless you are one of the few people in the world who think that mimicking Greece represents economics.

At the outset of this editorial, I quoted the legendary CEO of International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT) Harold S. Geneen.  He said that “Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions.”  That could be a diplomatic way of saying you cannot talk your way out of a challenge – at least not for long – you must act.

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On April 15th, it is always a worthy enterprise to reflect on one of the major motivations of the American Patriots that caused them to break away from England. Of course, I am referring to “Taxation Without Representation.” Today, we know from the Tea Parties multiplying around the Country that Gerald Berzan is quite to say right that “Taxation with representation ain’t so hot either.” Perhaps that is why Douglas Adams declared that he was “spending a year dead for tax reasons.”

In that lively spirit, I give you my Top 10 Anti-Taxation Quotes with my annotations:

No. 10.

“In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.” Benjamin Franklin. It is hard to start anywhere else. The little known full quote is “Our Constitution is in actual operation; everything appears to promise that it will last; but in this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.” The Founders, who framed a Constitution to protect us from government, did not dare consider an income tax. Franklin obviously did not trust future politicians.

No. 9.

“I am in favor of cutting taxes under any circumstances and for any excuse, for any reason, whenever it’s possible.” Milton Friedman. The 1st of two Friedman quotes in this countdown brings up the question: Why the Republican Party is (or should be) so anti-tax? Franklin obviously warned us. Friedman accepted his warning and knew that unless we fought them at every turn, taxes would be more than inevitable.

No. 8.

“Anyone may arrange his affairs so that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which best pays the treasury. There is not even a patriotic duty to increase one’s taxes. Over and over again the Courts have said that there is nothing sinister in so arranging affairs as to keep taxes as low as possible. Everyone does it, rich and poor alike and all do right, for nobody owes any public duty to pay more than the law demands.” Legendary Judge Learned Hand. I guess it turns out Joe Biden was wrong?

No. 7.

“The power to tax is the power to destroy.” The first of John Marshall’s 2 quotes in the countdown: Simply stated, but sadly not well understood: that maxim also applies to income as well – which is why higher rates result in less tax revenue. Later Alan Greenspan would say that “Whatever you tax, you get less of.” It REALLY is that simple – if only our politicans would learn that lesson.

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According to the American Historian Will Durant, “Animals claw each other to death, men consume each other by due process of law.”  And with that sentiment in mind, it is easy to see why the Obama Administration has made one of the worst foreign policy decisions in American history.

Of course, I am talking about the decision to try terrorists for “crimes” in New York City in a criminal court using the laws of our land.  Let us count the ways this decision is beyond negligent; it is a gross dereliction of duty:

1.  An Unprecedented Act Providing A Terrible Precedent.  Throughout our history, we have treated enemy combatants as those committing an act of war.  That is so because (a) they are not US citizens, and (b) their acts were acts of war.  In other words, they were not criminal acts of a US citizen committed during peace time.  Now however, Obama has allowed at least one enemy combatant to be tried in a US criminal court subject to the constitutional laws of our country.

Here is what logically can flow from that legal precedent, keeping in mind that the first right granted is never the last:

a)      Other enemy combatants will claim that they are not being treated “separately but fairly,” that they too have a right to due process, and so they will claim that they have a right to tried in a US criminal court as well – effectively ending military tribunals; and

b)      Thereafter, enemy combatants will not only make use of our appeal process, they will also claim that they have a right to sue in our civil courts for any claimed “civil rights” injustices as a result of the process by which they were captured, detained and/or questioned – regardless of any existing laws to the contrary which they will claim are  – you guessed it  – unconstitutional;  and

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