I don't know what they consider this, artwork? Whatever it is, it is located outside the United Nations Building in New York. If that alone isn't enough to cause you to want the U.N. off U.S. soil, I don't know what is.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Dementia Americana
I do not wish to mislead anyone with the title of this article. Dementia, or as it is commonly known, Alzheimer's Disease, is not something I wish to make light of. My mother suffered from this tragic disease before she passed away, so I know firsthand how terrible it can be. The reason I called this article Dementia Americana is because one of the symptoms of dementia is the loss of memory. Therefore, what I mean by Dementia Americana is the illness of people forgetting what it means to be an American.
Being an American used to mean more than someone who lives, or occupies space, within the borders of this country. Being an American meant that people took great pride in being American, that they adhered to certain principles.
When I say principles I do not refer to the principles of government as described in the Constitution, although that could be part of taking pride in your country by learning of its history and how its system of government is supposed to function.
No, when I say principles, I am speaking about a code of conduct that people lived by. There were certain things that Americans used to believe in that seem to have been tossed to the wayside. Things like morals, respect, charity, self reliance, duty, trustworthiness, honor, and responsibility.
It seems that every generation has pushed the limits of what was acceptable as far as they could get away with. The problem is that each generation pushes the limits a bit further than the preceding generation and the principles upon which this nation was founded grow more distant in our memories.
It may sound corny now, but when I was growing up I constantly heard the saying, "As American as mom, baseball, and apple pie." I can remember watching the Superman show on television, not the one with Christopher Reeves, but the one with George Reeves. I still recall the opening of each show, "Faster than a speeding bullet.More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird. It's a plane. It's Superman!
Yes, it's Superman - strange visitor from another planet who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Superman - who can change the course of mighty rivers, bend steel with his bare hands, and who, disguised as Clark Kent, mild mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, fights the never ending battle for Truth, Justice and the American Way."
Truth, justice, the American way... Maybe I am just reminiscing a bit, but those are the things that this country used to stand for, things that we seemed to have forgotten. I remember every morning in school, standing up, placing my hand over my heart and reciting the following words, "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation under God, indivisible,With Liberty and Justice for all."
Now the pledge is under criticism because of its reference to God. Our country was founded by men who held firm religious convictions. Our nation's principles grew out of the religious beliefs of our founders and our laws are irretrievably based on Christian principles. I don't want to bore you with quotes, but this one by George Washington should suffice, "Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."
Morality has been replaced by political correctness. It is no longer acceptable to speak out against what one considers 'evil'. Take, for instance the recent ruling by the California Supreme Court which allows for gay, or same sex marriages, contrary to the wishes of 60% of the voters in California. Homosexuality is no longer looked upon as a sin, instead it is something that we are supposed to accept as normal behavior. If we were to quote Scripture in schools when the subject of homosexuality is brought up, we would be considered the ones who are violating the law.
But this article is not confined to the loosening of moral standards, as I wish to discuss a few other things as well.
Our nation is currently in the midst of a financial crisis, the severity of which we have not yet begin to realize. While much of the blame can be laid at the feet of our elected representatives, much has to be laid at our feet as well. Our greed and our ignorance of finances has fed the credit beast which sucks the life out of our economy. It was commonplace for me, as a kid, to be told that if I wanted something I would have to save my pennies for it. Nowadays people feel like they are entitled to whatever they want, whenever they want it, on credit if necessary.
Nowadays, everyone has a credit card that they use whenever they see something they 'must have'. Saving your money for something is a quaint idea from the past.
People must have things now, so out comes the plastic regardless of whether they can make the payments on time.
It is that same mentality that led to the housing meltdown. People just had to have a home of their own, so they signed on to these sub prime mortgages, which never should have been approved. Knowing very likely the outcome of this unwise decision, the lenders were more than willing to let you sign your life away. They would profit at both ends of the deal. Now the bubble has burst and the bottom is not yet within sight. All because of greed, impatience, and unwise financial practices.
Our nation's work ethics are going down the drain as well. I see kids come in to where I work and quit before lunchtime because they broke a sweat. Those that do stick it out are useless and lazy. The supervisors are partly to blame for qualifying them to work in the first place, but they are not responsible for the inbred laziness of the youth. That is something they have learned from their indulgent parents, and from society.
People no longer want to put in an honest day's work for an honest day's pay. When talking about illegal aliens, one of the excuses is that they just can't find Americans willing to do that type of work. That may be partially true. While the farmers may pay these illegal aliens far cheaper wages than they would an American worker, I do not know of many people who would do the work these illegal aliens do, even for triple the pay. I see far too many lazy people who just do not want to work for a living. They feel they are owed a salary for just showing up to work, not for how much they put out.
Look at the popularity of the lottery systems and the Indian gaming casinos. They are making tons of money off people who visit them sometimes daily, seeking quick riches.
Then there are the worst of them all, those who choose to sue someone over something frivolous and idiotic, like the woman who sued McDonalds when she spilled hot coffee between her legs? Didn't her car have a cupholder? What about the guy who sued Burger King because he got fat from eating their food? Did someone force him to eat all that garbage? These people are the lowest of the low. They not only are lazy, but they seek to make themselves rich because of their laziness and their stupidity.
Another thing that appears to have been lost is our integrity. The truth is now whatever we want it to be, or that which suits us at a particular moment. I can remember my father telling me that a man is judged by how well he keeps his promises. Promises are now made to be broken, the truth is something that is whatever you choose it to be. Look at our presidential candidates and how they say one thing one week, then the next week they say something entirely different. Are these the best that society has to offer as our elected representatives? It is a sad commentary on us that we are willing to accept such pitiful examples of integrity to sit in the highest office in our nation. Are they a reflection of we the people, or are they just bought and paid for lackeys beholden to the corporations? Whichever they are, we should demand better of our leaders, and of ourselves.
Finally there just happens to be the fact that the American people have allowed their government to expand into this huge beast that no longer conforms to the dictates of the Constitution, and not only no longer serves them, but has turned them into its servants. We seek to place those who make us the best sounding promises into office, no matter whether their promises are authorized or, in a perfect world, would land them in prison.
This place I live in, I don't know what it should be called, but this is not America. The only thing left of America is the name. The spirit that was America died a very long time ago. The America that was founded over 200 years ago is a brain dead corpse kept alive by the machinery of greed, lust, and personal gratification, but the spirit that used to give this country its life and its vitality has long since vacated the premises.
There are a few of us, who retain memories of what America used to be, what it used to mean to be an American, but when we are gone, the cord will be unplugged, the tiny flicker of life that was America will have died for good. But don't shed a tear for us, we have our memories, while you still have your future, however uncertain and ugly it might be. My you find some peace and comfort in knowing that we brought this about ourselves.
Being an American used to mean more than someone who lives, or occupies space, within the borders of this country. Being an American meant that people took great pride in being American, that they adhered to certain principles.
When I say principles I do not refer to the principles of government as described in the Constitution, although that could be part of taking pride in your country by learning of its history and how its system of government is supposed to function.
No, when I say principles, I am speaking about a code of conduct that people lived by. There were certain things that Americans used to believe in that seem to have been tossed to the wayside. Things like morals, respect, charity, self reliance, duty, trustworthiness, honor, and responsibility.
It seems that every generation has pushed the limits of what was acceptable as far as they could get away with. The problem is that each generation pushes the limits a bit further than the preceding generation and the principles upon which this nation was founded grow more distant in our memories.
It may sound corny now, but when I was growing up I constantly heard the saying, "As American as mom, baseball, and apple pie." I can remember watching the Superman show on television, not the one with Christopher Reeves, but the one with George Reeves. I still recall the opening of each show, "Faster than a speeding bullet.More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird. It's a plane. It's Superman!
Yes, it's Superman - strange visitor from another planet who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Superman - who can change the course of mighty rivers, bend steel with his bare hands, and who, disguised as Clark Kent, mild mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, fights the never ending battle for Truth, Justice and the American Way."
Truth, justice, the American way... Maybe I am just reminiscing a bit, but those are the things that this country used to stand for, things that we seemed to have forgotten. I remember every morning in school, standing up, placing my hand over my heart and reciting the following words, "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation under God, indivisible,With Liberty and Justice for all."
Now the pledge is under criticism because of its reference to God. Our country was founded by men who held firm religious convictions. Our nation's principles grew out of the religious beliefs of our founders and our laws are irretrievably based on Christian principles. I don't want to bore you with quotes, but this one by George Washington should suffice, "Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."
Morality has been replaced by political correctness. It is no longer acceptable to speak out against what one considers 'evil'. Take, for instance the recent ruling by the California Supreme Court which allows for gay, or same sex marriages, contrary to the wishes of 60% of the voters in California. Homosexuality is no longer looked upon as a sin, instead it is something that we are supposed to accept as normal behavior. If we were to quote Scripture in schools when the subject of homosexuality is brought up, we would be considered the ones who are violating the law.
But this article is not confined to the loosening of moral standards, as I wish to discuss a few other things as well.
Our nation is currently in the midst of a financial crisis, the severity of which we have not yet begin to realize. While much of the blame can be laid at the feet of our elected representatives, much has to be laid at our feet as well. Our greed and our ignorance of finances has fed the credit beast which sucks the life out of our economy. It was commonplace for me, as a kid, to be told that if I wanted something I would have to save my pennies for it. Nowadays people feel like they are entitled to whatever they want, whenever they want it, on credit if necessary.
Nowadays, everyone has a credit card that they use whenever they see something they 'must have'. Saving your money for something is a quaint idea from the past.
People must have things now, so out comes the plastic regardless of whether they can make the payments on time.
It is that same mentality that led to the housing meltdown. People just had to have a home of their own, so they signed on to these sub prime mortgages, which never should have been approved. Knowing very likely the outcome of this unwise decision, the lenders were more than willing to let you sign your life away. They would profit at both ends of the deal. Now the bubble has burst and the bottom is not yet within sight. All because of greed, impatience, and unwise financial practices.
Our nation's work ethics are going down the drain as well. I see kids come in to where I work and quit before lunchtime because they broke a sweat. Those that do stick it out are useless and lazy. The supervisors are partly to blame for qualifying them to work in the first place, but they are not responsible for the inbred laziness of the youth. That is something they have learned from their indulgent parents, and from society.
People no longer want to put in an honest day's work for an honest day's pay. When talking about illegal aliens, one of the excuses is that they just can't find Americans willing to do that type of work. That may be partially true. While the farmers may pay these illegal aliens far cheaper wages than they would an American worker, I do not know of many people who would do the work these illegal aliens do, even for triple the pay. I see far too many lazy people who just do not want to work for a living. They feel they are owed a salary for just showing up to work, not for how much they put out.
Look at the popularity of the lottery systems and the Indian gaming casinos. They are making tons of money off people who visit them sometimes daily, seeking quick riches.
Then there are the worst of them all, those who choose to sue someone over something frivolous and idiotic, like the woman who sued McDonalds when she spilled hot coffee between her legs? Didn't her car have a cupholder? What about the guy who sued Burger King because he got fat from eating their food? Did someone force him to eat all that garbage? These people are the lowest of the low. They not only are lazy, but they seek to make themselves rich because of their laziness and their stupidity.
Another thing that appears to have been lost is our integrity. The truth is now whatever we want it to be, or that which suits us at a particular moment. I can remember my father telling me that a man is judged by how well he keeps his promises. Promises are now made to be broken, the truth is something that is whatever you choose it to be. Look at our presidential candidates and how they say one thing one week, then the next week they say something entirely different. Are these the best that society has to offer as our elected representatives? It is a sad commentary on us that we are willing to accept such pitiful examples of integrity to sit in the highest office in our nation. Are they a reflection of we the people, or are they just bought and paid for lackeys beholden to the corporations? Whichever they are, we should demand better of our leaders, and of ourselves.
Finally there just happens to be the fact that the American people have allowed their government to expand into this huge beast that no longer conforms to the dictates of the Constitution, and not only no longer serves them, but has turned them into its servants. We seek to place those who make us the best sounding promises into office, no matter whether their promises are authorized or, in a perfect world, would land them in prison.
This place I live in, I don't know what it should be called, but this is not America. The only thing left of America is the name. The spirit that was America died a very long time ago. The America that was founded over 200 years ago is a brain dead corpse kept alive by the machinery of greed, lust, and personal gratification, but the spirit that used to give this country its life and its vitality has long since vacated the premises.
There are a few of us, who retain memories of what America used to be, what it used to mean to be an American, but when we are gone, the cord will be unplugged, the tiny flicker of life that was America will have died for good. But don't shed a tear for us, we have our memories, while you still have your future, however uncertain and ugly it might be. My you find some peace and comfort in knowing that we brought this about ourselves.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Ignorance Is Not Bliss
I am going to come right out and say it, Americans are, for the most part, a very ignorant people. Now before you pick up your baseball bats and come looking for me, allow me to explain something. There is a common misconception that ignorance and stupidity are synonymous, and that isn't the case.
According to Merriam Webster's Dictionary, ignorance means, a: destitute of knowledge or education; also : lacking knowledge or comprehension of the thing specified. While on the other hand, stupid is defined as, a: slow of mind : obtuse b: given to unintelligent decisions or acts c: lacking intelligence or reason.
Do you see the difference? I could call myself ignorant about many things. I do not understand physics, calculus, or the workings of complex electrical circuits, yet I do not consider myself stupid. It is just that I have not had the opportunity to learn about those subjects.
However, there is a correlation between ignorance and stupidity. As Webster's dictionary said, stupid can mean given to unintelligent decisions, if a person therefore is ignorant in regards to a subject, they may make stupid decisions because of their ignorance. Therefore, it would make sense that people would want to do something about their ignorance so that they could make intelligent decisions. Hence the title of this article, Ignorance Is Not Bliss.
Prior to our nation's war for independence, Patrick Henry delivered a stirring speech. On March 23, 1775 Patrick Henry said the following, "Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the numbers of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth, to know the worst, and to provide for it."
Patrick Henry made a conscious decision not to be ignorant, he was willing to hear the truth, no matter how bad it was. How this country needs people like Patrick Henry, people who are willing to question what their elected representatives tell them, examine the facts, and learn the truth, no matter how painful that truth may be. Unfortunately, people insulate themselves in their own little cocoons, going about their daily lives, ignorant of the fact that our nation, and what it stood for, is on the pathway to its destruction.
Crisis upon crisis confront us to the point we are overwhelmed, our capacity to handle them in a state of overload. Yet still we choose to remain ignorant when it comes to the cause of these problems. The truth is far too scary a thing for many, something that they refuse to even contemplate, let alone believe. Therefore we hide within the sphere of our own problems while ignoring the root cause. It is far more comforting for us to find a scapegoat upon whom we can place the blame for all our woes, and that makes us feel better. It is far easier to blame someone else, something else, than to admit that we are ultimately responsible for all that ail us as a nation.
It never ceases to amaze me when I hear people blame 'the government' for all our nations problems. Yet who do people turn to when it comes time to solve our problems, that very same government. That is like going to your drug dealer to help you with your addiction, the candy store to help you with your obesity. The government is the problem, on that point I cannot argue. But what is the government but those whom we choose to represent us. They pass laws that are unconstitutional, and morally reprehensible because we allow them to. They don't enforce the laws that are already in existence because we allow them to. They are elected by the people to do the will of the people, and if they do not do their jobs they should be removed from office and replaced with someone who will. Yet these same people who we blame for our problems, and turn to for solutions, are only a part of the problem.
Daniel Webster told us who would be responsible for the destruction of our nation, "Our destruction, should it come at all, will be from another quarter. From the inattention of the people to the concerns of their government."
James Monroe reiterated that when he said, "It is only when the people become ignorant and corrupt, when they degenerate into a populace, that they are incapable of exercising their sovereignty. Usurpation is then an easy attainment, and an usurper soon found. The people themselves become the willing instruments of their own debasement and ruin."
There is that word ignorant again. We have forgotten what principles this country was founded upon. We have allowed our government to assume powers that are not their to assume. How many government programs do you know that run efficiently? Our government has the reverse Midas touch, everything they involve themselves in turns sour. When it does we turn to them to enact new laws, create new agencies to fix the problems they created. It is ludicrous. Instead revoking laws that do not work, dismantling agencies that do not work, we ask the government to increase its size and the sphere of its operations to fix the problems it is responsible for creating.
Our nations financial backbone, the manufacturing industry has slowly been dismantled and shipped overseas, at the cost of how many American jobs? Yet we allow our Congress to give these corporations tax breaks for doing business overseas, while we sit at home and watch television.
Our government spends us into bankruptcy while we greedily hold our hands out for an economic stimulus check so we can rush to Wal Mart to buy goods made in China, never wondering how our government can afford to send each and every citizen a check for $600.
This nation is in debt to the tune of $9.3 trillion. You can see for yourselves at (http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/). That is how much money this country has borrowed, just so its government can continue to function. The debt increases at a rate of $1.46 billion a day. If our government were to tax us all to pay this debt in full, it would cost every man woman and child $30,825.93. This economic stimulus package is adding another $168 billion to that debt, and we act like it is a free handout!
Because of the steady influx of illegal aliens, our nations identity is eroding, crime is increasing, our schools and social service programs are going broke due to the massive numbers of children born to illegal aliens, yet we rejoice in our multiculturalism and the price of cheap produce.
The work ethics of our children continue to deteriorate as we have embraced the concept of political correctness. Diligence and hard work no longer matter, as all are deserving of success, no matter if they work towards it, or waste their lives playing mindless video games instead of studying and planning for a future career. We are raising generations who are taught that dependence upon government is natural, and that is not what made this country into what it was.
Finally, our nations morals have gone down the toilet. I know I may offend some by the comments I am about to make, but you know what? TOUGH. Far too many people call themselves church going, or God fearing, yet they sit back and do nothing about the moral decay that is a cancer eating away at the soul of America.
Our belief in Jesus is just as politically correct as everything else, it is okay, as long as our beliefs don’t offend anyone. Did Christ worry about what people thought when he called the scribes and pharises when he called them hypocrites? Did He concern Himself when He overturned the tables of the money changers in the temple, calling them thieves?
Yet today we are taught to accept homosexuality, as it is a lifestyle choice, not a sin. Far too many of our churches have become feel good centers where political correctness reigns and the concept of standing up against evil is not taught. Listen to Joel Osteen or any other of the televangelists and all you hear is that ‘God wants you to be happy’. There is no talk of standing up for right and confronting evil.
Then there is Oprah Winfrey and her legions of fans who would follow her blindly straight into hell. How many people have been led astray by this woman? First it was “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne, then it was The Purpose Driven Church, now it is Eckhart Tolle with more new age mysticism.
I am wondering, after all my ranting, do you see the common pattern in all this? It is the fact that Americans want to be followers of something. We no longer have the ability to think for ourselves, to reason for ourselves. We would rather believe what others tell us, be they government officials, or celebrities, instead of seeking the truth for ourselves. We have become a nation of sheep being led to the slaughter instead of independent thinking people who can discern when we are being lied to and misled.
The current presidential race is a perfect example. There is but one candidate who stands for the same principles that this country was founded upon, Ron Paul. The media shunned him, his own political party shunned him, the American people, except for the few who understand the dangers this country faces, shunned him. Instead people choose to follow a candidate that promises us more of the same business as usual that has brought this country to its knees. No matter what these candidates say, if you look at what they stand for, it is all about more government control over our lives. Democrat, Republican, it makes no difference. These are the parties that have had their chance and have failed, miserably. Ron Paul could have made a difference, but the American people laughed at him.
There is another alternative for those who are fed up with the status quo of Republican and Democratic candidates. That is the Constitution Party, whose candidate is Chuck Baldwin. If you want to know what Chuck Baldwin stands for, go to http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2008/cbarchive_20080502.html and read for yourself. Unfortunately Chuck Baldwin will receive even less media attention than did Ron Paul, and the lack of attention will come at a great loss to this country.
All I can say is that ignorance is not bliss. Look at how painful our lives are today due to our ignorance. Our country is broke, our jobs have been sent to India, China, or some other country, the economy continues to suffer because our Congress has allowed the privately owned Federal Reserve Bank to scam the people out of their hard earned pay. So, keep watching your television, keep believing the news media, keep your faith in those in whom you elect to represent you. I have long since lost faith in them, and more importantly, I have lost faith in the American people to do what needs to be done to save this country.
According to Merriam Webster's Dictionary, ignorance means, a: destitute of knowledge or education; also : lacking knowledge or comprehension of the thing specified. While on the other hand, stupid is defined as, a: slow of mind : obtuse b: given to unintelligent decisions or acts c: lacking intelligence or reason.
Do you see the difference? I could call myself ignorant about many things. I do not understand physics, calculus, or the workings of complex electrical circuits, yet I do not consider myself stupid. It is just that I have not had the opportunity to learn about those subjects.
However, there is a correlation between ignorance and stupidity. As Webster's dictionary said, stupid can mean given to unintelligent decisions, if a person therefore is ignorant in regards to a subject, they may make stupid decisions because of their ignorance. Therefore, it would make sense that people would want to do something about their ignorance so that they could make intelligent decisions. Hence the title of this article, Ignorance Is Not Bliss.
Prior to our nation's war for independence, Patrick Henry delivered a stirring speech. On March 23, 1775 Patrick Henry said the following, "Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the numbers of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth, to know the worst, and to provide for it."
Patrick Henry made a conscious decision not to be ignorant, he was willing to hear the truth, no matter how bad it was. How this country needs people like Patrick Henry, people who are willing to question what their elected representatives tell them, examine the facts, and learn the truth, no matter how painful that truth may be. Unfortunately, people insulate themselves in their own little cocoons, going about their daily lives, ignorant of the fact that our nation, and what it stood for, is on the pathway to its destruction.
Crisis upon crisis confront us to the point we are overwhelmed, our capacity to handle them in a state of overload. Yet still we choose to remain ignorant when it comes to the cause of these problems. The truth is far too scary a thing for many, something that they refuse to even contemplate, let alone believe. Therefore we hide within the sphere of our own problems while ignoring the root cause. It is far more comforting for us to find a scapegoat upon whom we can place the blame for all our woes, and that makes us feel better. It is far easier to blame someone else, something else, than to admit that we are ultimately responsible for all that ail us as a nation.
It never ceases to amaze me when I hear people blame 'the government' for all our nations problems. Yet who do people turn to when it comes time to solve our problems, that very same government. That is like going to your drug dealer to help you with your addiction, the candy store to help you with your obesity. The government is the problem, on that point I cannot argue. But what is the government but those whom we choose to represent us. They pass laws that are unconstitutional, and morally reprehensible because we allow them to. They don't enforce the laws that are already in existence because we allow them to. They are elected by the people to do the will of the people, and if they do not do their jobs they should be removed from office and replaced with someone who will. Yet these same people who we blame for our problems, and turn to for solutions, are only a part of the problem.
Daniel Webster told us who would be responsible for the destruction of our nation, "Our destruction, should it come at all, will be from another quarter. From the inattention of the people to the concerns of their government."
James Monroe reiterated that when he said, "It is only when the people become ignorant and corrupt, when they degenerate into a populace, that they are incapable of exercising their sovereignty. Usurpation is then an easy attainment, and an usurper soon found. The people themselves become the willing instruments of their own debasement and ruin."
There is that word ignorant again. We have forgotten what principles this country was founded upon. We have allowed our government to assume powers that are not their to assume. How many government programs do you know that run efficiently? Our government has the reverse Midas touch, everything they involve themselves in turns sour. When it does we turn to them to enact new laws, create new agencies to fix the problems they created. It is ludicrous. Instead revoking laws that do not work, dismantling agencies that do not work, we ask the government to increase its size and the sphere of its operations to fix the problems it is responsible for creating.
Our nations financial backbone, the manufacturing industry has slowly been dismantled and shipped overseas, at the cost of how many American jobs? Yet we allow our Congress to give these corporations tax breaks for doing business overseas, while we sit at home and watch television.
Our government spends us into bankruptcy while we greedily hold our hands out for an economic stimulus check so we can rush to Wal Mart to buy goods made in China, never wondering how our government can afford to send each and every citizen a check for $600.
This nation is in debt to the tune of $9.3 trillion. You can see for yourselves at (http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/). That is how much money this country has borrowed, just so its government can continue to function. The debt increases at a rate of $1.46 billion a day. If our government were to tax us all to pay this debt in full, it would cost every man woman and child $30,825.93. This economic stimulus package is adding another $168 billion to that debt, and we act like it is a free handout!
Because of the steady influx of illegal aliens, our nations identity is eroding, crime is increasing, our schools and social service programs are going broke due to the massive numbers of children born to illegal aliens, yet we rejoice in our multiculturalism and the price of cheap produce.
The work ethics of our children continue to deteriorate as we have embraced the concept of political correctness. Diligence and hard work no longer matter, as all are deserving of success, no matter if they work towards it, or waste their lives playing mindless video games instead of studying and planning for a future career. We are raising generations who are taught that dependence upon government is natural, and that is not what made this country into what it was.
Finally, our nations morals have gone down the toilet. I know I may offend some by the comments I am about to make, but you know what? TOUGH. Far too many people call themselves church going, or God fearing, yet they sit back and do nothing about the moral decay that is a cancer eating away at the soul of America.
Our belief in Jesus is just as politically correct as everything else, it is okay, as long as our beliefs don’t offend anyone. Did Christ worry about what people thought when he called the scribes and pharises when he called them hypocrites? Did He concern Himself when He overturned the tables of the money changers in the temple, calling them thieves?
Yet today we are taught to accept homosexuality, as it is a lifestyle choice, not a sin. Far too many of our churches have become feel good centers where political correctness reigns and the concept of standing up against evil is not taught. Listen to Joel Osteen or any other of the televangelists and all you hear is that ‘God wants you to be happy’. There is no talk of standing up for right and confronting evil.
Then there is Oprah Winfrey and her legions of fans who would follow her blindly straight into hell. How many people have been led astray by this woman? First it was “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne, then it was The Purpose Driven Church, now it is Eckhart Tolle with more new age mysticism.
I am wondering, after all my ranting, do you see the common pattern in all this? It is the fact that Americans want to be followers of something. We no longer have the ability to think for ourselves, to reason for ourselves. We would rather believe what others tell us, be they government officials, or celebrities, instead of seeking the truth for ourselves. We have become a nation of sheep being led to the slaughter instead of independent thinking people who can discern when we are being lied to and misled.
The current presidential race is a perfect example. There is but one candidate who stands for the same principles that this country was founded upon, Ron Paul. The media shunned him, his own political party shunned him, the American people, except for the few who understand the dangers this country faces, shunned him. Instead people choose to follow a candidate that promises us more of the same business as usual that has brought this country to its knees. No matter what these candidates say, if you look at what they stand for, it is all about more government control over our lives. Democrat, Republican, it makes no difference. These are the parties that have had their chance and have failed, miserably. Ron Paul could have made a difference, but the American people laughed at him.
There is another alternative for those who are fed up with the status quo of Republican and Democratic candidates. That is the Constitution Party, whose candidate is Chuck Baldwin. If you want to know what Chuck Baldwin stands for, go to http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2008/cbarchive_20080502.html and read for yourself. Unfortunately Chuck Baldwin will receive even less media attention than did Ron Paul, and the lack of attention will come at a great loss to this country.
All I can say is that ignorance is not bliss. Look at how painful our lives are today due to our ignorance. Our country is broke, our jobs have been sent to India, China, or some other country, the economy continues to suffer because our Congress has allowed the privately owned Federal Reserve Bank to scam the people out of their hard earned pay. So, keep watching your television, keep believing the news media, keep your faith in those in whom you elect to represent you. I have long since lost faith in them, and more importantly, I have lost faith in the American people to do what needs to be done to save this country.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Scarlet Is Our Color
This is from a person who I have the utmost respect and admiration for. He is a former News With Views writer who told me that if he was ever censored, or denied he would never write another article. This article was turned down by News With Views, and therefore he sent it to me. I asked permission to send it out on the internet, and he granted it. It is a telling condemnation of America, and one which some, apparently, did not want to hear.
Neal
Neal
By: Jim R Schwiesow
Time is fleeting and every second, minute, hour and day hurtles this nation closer to a time of retribution, a time so horrific that the mind cannot comprehend the magnitude of the fiery fury that will descend upon this nation and the people in it. The Eternal is moving against this country with purpose and terrible resolve, like small fingers of flame the preliminary pestilences signal a rapidly advancing holocaust.
The worst of heathen have come to possess the offices of our government, the halls of our institutions and the minds of our people. The land is in the terminal stages of a great spiritual disease. We are an adulterous people and a scarlet A has been emblazoned upon our land.
With regularity one hears it parroted that God’s blessings are upon this nation, those who give lip service only to the God of all creation continually wring their hands in despair over the removal of God from our coins, prayer from our schools and the Ten Commandments from our public institutions. One can only wonder where these same people were when sexual perversity and the teaching of social filthiness invaded our schools. Where were they when derelict and avaricious politicians and government agents incrementally and systematically dismantled the Constitution and destroyed the individual liberties of the people? Under what rock were they hiding when the killing of live babies was sanctioned and a host of soul killing perversions were institutionalized?
Why would a supposed God-fearing people allow such to come to pass? The truth is that the more than one-half of the people of this country who call themselves Christian, a great majority of which are ashamed to utter the name of Jesus Christ in public, have done more spiritual damage than the totality of the non-religious, the atheists and the agnostics who reside in the country.
God’s blessings were withdrawn from this nation years ago, if that were not the case why is it that our vaunted power came to naught in wars with such small peanuts on the international scene as North Korea and North Viet Nam, two tiny two bit nations with little in the way of sophisticated weaponry at the time of their conflict with the United States. Some will bristle and bridle at this and many will alibi the defeats with any number of excuses none of which will explain away the fact that they won and we lost.
That God has broken our pride in our power is not the worst of it, we are seeing increasingly the punishments for our national sins and our refusal to keep faith with the Eternal God our creator and our master. Perversions lie upon this land like a filthy blanket. The land stinks of the rottenness of the lusts that prevail. We now find ways to make iniquitous pursuits seem righteous. With the passing of statutes and a stroke of a pen, Walla! We have made despicable sins acceptable or at least we think that we have. We may fool the fools that pander after the lusts of the flesh that Satan has put into their hearts, but we have not fooled the all-knowing omnipotent God. Those who think that they have are in for a very rude awakening indeed.
We have delivered our children into an ignorance of their origin by prostelyzing for Satan and promoting his religion of evolution. Some like to call it evolutionary science, but I do not because it is not a science, it is an ignorant supposition or theory and those who embrace it denigrate the Holy God and call Him a liar. Many, who call themselves Christian, are ignobly timid and faint-hearted in the face of the blustering of those who believe that they have an absolute right to force their nescient theories upon an entire nation of people. So these pusillanimous weak-kneed Christians genuflect to Satan’s agents in an attempt to placate them by urging an alternative evolution theory the substance of which is that God used evolution to create mankind. Its fine if they want to believe that, but if they do they ought not to call themselves Christians. God’s word specifically states that the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. There is no equivocation here and there is certainly no compromise with the devil and his demons who know quite well that man is not a product of a successive morphing of primitive species.
The dam has been breached in regard to the rapid delivery of the nation unto ever escalating catastrophes, manmade and natural, a trickle of such has turned into a deluge.
The dollar has all but collapsed; the economy is on its deathbed and kept barely alive by snake oil remedies that only prolong its inevitable demise. Corporations and industry moguls have discerned the depth of the sickness that they have contributed to and like rats off a sinking ship they are abandoning the country of the birth of their enterprises and moving their wealth and their assets to foreign lands. Crime flourishes; serial killers and others of criminally debased minds stalk the land. The cities are immoral cesspits and simmering racial tensions fed by illegal immigration and shattered family units portend rapidly approaching riots of an astronomical and deadly potential.
It used to be that natural calamities were relatively rare occurrences, we now see deadly and super destructive natural phenomena strike almost daily somewhere in the United States and the areas of destruction are more widely spread. Devastating widespread flooding, thousands of violent tornadoes, hurricanes of magnum strength and completely unseasonable weather patterns are rapidly becoming the norm rather than the exception.
The 10 most deadly natural disasters ever in the United States have all happened within the past 10 years.
The secularists who make up the majority of the scientific community and the national media would have us believe that all this havoc is caused by men and the changes they have wrought in regard to atmospheric conditions. They cannot be expected to know the real source of these anomalies since they have no spiritual base whatever, even if they would open a Bible they would be completely mystified by the contents. They prattle on thinking that they are wise. They do not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for it is foolishness to them; and they cannot understand these things because they are spiritually discerned. Those who are enlightened and who do dissent in regard to the global warming myth are bullied and threatened into silence, just as those who question evolution are stifled by threats of loss of tenure, censure and loss of jobs. The agents of deception who serve the dark spirits cannot allow the light of truth to be shined upon the lies that they spin, and since they have not the truth to rely on they resort to smearing those who will not assent to their prevarications. A smirk, a sneer, a curled lip of disdain and churlish commentary are the tools of their trade and a gullible public is their ally in the transforming of their outright lies into fictitious truths.
The unrighteousness of our people, the moral degradation upon the nation, the rebellion against Almighty God and the rejection of His rule have brought us to the cusp of absolute destruction. Repent is not in our vocabulary and humility does not inhabit our soul, foolishness is forever on our lips and pride and arrogance mark our character.
The ignorance of our leaders and the delusion upon the people has made way for the institution of the elements of our own destruction. Our cities are teeming with forty million illegal foreign nationals with no allegiance to, or regard for, our safety or our domestic tranquility. They see the American people as intruders and interlopers on lands that they covet as their own. We allow unfettered access to many thousands of Islamic militants each year and have allowed them to establish hundreds of Mosques throughout the country, which serve as sovereign citadels for subversion and truculence. In deference to political correctness we have undermined our social underpinnings and delivered up our schools and other institutions to moral bankruptcy. Only a nation that has been cut-off by Almighty God could have been handed over to such great vulnerability.
We have foolishly expended our resources and frittered away our assets. Auguries of a coming food shortage are upon us. We are diverting our crops to the making of fuel and
food reserves are at a thirty-year low. Food inflation has become more serious than the rising cost of fuel. Given the unnatural weather patterns that are upon us it is inevitable that we will in the very near future experience massive crop failures through drought and other weather related developments. Famine will bring us to riots of unthinkable dimensions. The cities will erupt with the fires of such and the toll in death and destruction will be fearsome. But, the end is not yet.
The cataclysmic events described heretofore will weaken the nation and render us completely vulnerable to attacks by belligerent nations. At the present time the fuse has been lit in the middle east that will ignite most definitely a third world war. But, it will not be the Islamic nations that will put an end to us. It will be the nations, our former enemies of Europe, who have risen like a Phoenix from the ashes of their defeat and been reborn in their nazi fascist image that will make an end of us.
Many have written to me and bewailed what they see as a failure by me and other columnists with News With Views to provide solutions to the problems that we describe. They concede that we have accurately identified the degradation that it upon our nation, but they want someone to provide the answers that will deliver the nation from a seemingly imminent demise. The truth is that there are no secular solutions that will deliver this nation. No resolution other than a nationwide confession of sin and repentance thereof will save this nation.
In one of my articles I quoted the following scripture and noted that some took umbrage over my application of this scripture to the United States. Protestations to prophetic scripture will not prevent the fulfillment thereof.
“How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. Revelation 18:7-8”
Another I Am Getting Weary Article
It is my honest opinion that we are in the final days of the existence of the United States of America as a free and independent republic as founded some 200 plus years ago. The American people think they still have their freedom since they can go to work, watch television, take their kids to their soccer matches, go to the mall and do numerous other things.
That isn't freedom. The American people would not know what to do with freedom if true freedom were suddenly thrust upon them. They have become far too dependent upon government to solve all the nations problems, that they have lost the ability to think, reason, and care for themselves. Look at our elections, we vote for the candidates who make the best sounding promises to do what, DO THINGS FOR US instead of promising to minimize their interference in our lives.
This may sound farfetched, but what would happen if suddenly all cell phones, the internet, and the news media outlets suddenly went silent? What would people do if militarized police forces suddenly showed up in the streets in ominous numbers? What would happen if all of a sudden a curfew was put into place, food and other resources were placed under governmental control and would only be rationed out in limited quantity?
As I said, it may sound farfetched, but the laws granting our government those powers are already in place. Now why in the hell would they have those laws if they did not intend, at some future date, plan on using them?
I am not going to go over them again, as I am getting awfully tired of repeating myself to people who don't want to hear the truth. Those of you who have been reading my ramblings for awhile, know what I am talking about. For those of you who haven't, you can go to my blog, http://www.neals-soapbox.blogspot.com/, and do some research for yourselves.
This country is under attack, that's right, I said attack, on so many fronts that it seems as though there is no hope for its future. To tell you the truth, there probably isn't. While the blame for the condition of things in this country do not fall directly upon our shoulders, it is the people in general, current and past, who have let it get as bad as it has.
I am constantly either ridiculed, or complimented for my articles concerning the abuses of power by our government. That is fine, at least people are reading them, and just maybe they are thinking about them as well. However, when I write about the apathy of the people, or their ignorance about the issues, I usually and treated as though I am a leper, or at least a raving lunatic. I am often told that it is the governments fault for letting things get so bad. They didn't pass this law, or they did pass that law. Never are people willing to consider the fact that those in power are elected to REPRESENT the wishes of the people, as long as those wishes are within the boundaries of the Constitution. Not once have people considered that. How many times have these people, who complain so bitterly about the state of affairs in this country, contacted their elected representatives directly concerning an issue? I have two thick binders full of letters I have written, and the responses I have gotten.
Yet every election people go out and vote these clowns back into office. There are times that the incumbent is voted out, but it doesn't happen as often as it should. Our entire government, with the exception of Ron Paul, is cancerous and needs to be excised and flushed out with sterile material that hasn't been corrupted and paid for by so many special interests that the will of the people is something that isn't even taken into consideration.
When this country was in its infancy our founding fathers made a huge gamble upon a system of government that would, could, only function upon if the people remained vigilant in their observance of its operations.
Our founders told us what we needed to do if we wished to remain a free and independent people, but we, and our ancestors didn't listen. The warnings of our founders still echo through time, but nobody hears them.
From John Adams, "Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people."
"Nip the shoots of arbitrary power in the bud, is the only maxim which can ever preserve the liberties of any people."
From James Madison, "We are right to take alarm at the first experiment upon our liberties."
"Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives."
From James Monroe, "It is only when the people become ignorant and corrupt, when they degenerate into a populace, that they are incapable of exercising their sovereignty. Usurpation is then an easy attainment, and an usurper soon found. The people themselves become the willing instruments of their own debasement and ruin."
From Patrick Henry, "Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the numbers of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth, to know the worst, and to provide for it."
Finally, from Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence,
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
"We, I hope, shall adhere to our republican government and keep it to its original principles by narrowly watching it."
"For a people who are free, and who mean to remain so, a well-organized and armed militia is their best security."
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
"Yes, we did produce a near-perfect republic. But will they keep it? Or will they, in the enjoyment of plenty, lose the memory of freedom? Material abundance without character is the path of destruction."
Those were words of warning, words of great wisdom, for us to follow if we wished to remain independent, and truly free. We have forgotten that our government is not our master, but our servant. We have forgotten, as Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence, "...that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..."
We have allowed ourselves to believe that government is our friend and only has our best interest in mind when passing law. They have good intentions is what we tell ourselves. Daniel Webster warned us about good intentions, "Good intentions will always be pleaded for every assumption of authority. It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions."
The Declaration of Independence, after stating that we had those unalienable rights, told us what to do we could do when our government violated them, "...That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
It went even further, and stated, "...when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."
Our rights are clearly defined, the duties and limitations upon our government are clearly defined. The problem is that the people are unaware, or choose to disregard those limitations upon our government, as long as it benefits them personally.
Our country was established so that the government had limited, clearly defined powers. Any system that does not obey its own laws, and the Constitution is THE SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND, cannot exist forever without collapsing. And that is what is happening to ours, although far too many people refuse to face up to the truth of it. People continue to believe in a system run amok, voting for corrupt legislators and Presidents.
And the corruption is not only in those in whom we elect, as they are but a mirror held out to reflect the values of the nation. Merriam Webster’s online Dictionary defines corruption as, “1 a: impairment of integrity, virtue, or moral principle : depravity, b: decay, decompsition c: inducement to wrong by improper or unlawful means (as bribery) d: a departure from the original or from what is pure or correct 2 archaic : an agency or influence that corrupts”
This nation is fond of using the term God bless America. It sickens me whenever I hear that. The hypocrisy of that statement goes far beyond being ludicrous. America was founded by men of great faith. They held good strong values and morals, which was reflected in the principles upon which this nation was founded, and also found in their writings. George Washington once said, “Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”
Read that again and see if you understand what it really means. George Washington did not mean that we should just ’go to church’, he meant that we need to maintain our religious principle as well. That means a commitment to the values given to us by Christ.
John Adams could have been speaking to us on CSPAN just yesterday when he said, “Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is religion and morality alone, which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People in a greater Measure than they have it now, they may change their rulers and the forms of government, but they will not obtain a lasting liberty.”
I may offend many, but the truth is this, America is a cesspool and our leaders are just a reflection of that fact. How can anyone who claims to be church going, or God fearing, say that they intend to vote for someone who condones abortion?
Samuel Adams once said, “He therefore is the truest friend to the liberty of his country who tries most to promote its virtue, and who, so far as his power and influence extend, will not suffer a man to be chosen into any office of power and trust who is not a wise and virtuous man.”
And suffer we have, under a seemingly endless list of Presidents, Congressmen, and Senators who have defiled the offices they held, and currently hold. Yet we sit back and remain silent which is just as much a reflection upon our character as it is upon theirs.
This nation had a chance to change course and return to the basic values of limited government by choosing Ron Paul as the Republican candidate for President. We choked at the plate. While the support he received was impressive, it was not enough to overcome the stranglehold that special interests hold upon the political parties of this country.
We have, what I consider to be the final chance, to save this country, not only from those who would see it destroyed, but from itself as well. A vote for Chuck Baldwin, who is running on the Constitution Party ticket, would strike a blow for liberty, but also be a great step in returning Christian values to our nations government. You can learn more about Chuck Baldwin by reading his columns which are archived at http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/speech.html.
I don’t see that happening though. The brainwashing of America has been too thorough. We just cannot accept that our government is ‘capable’ of some of the things it has done, or is yet to do.
So, as I said in the beginning, this country is in its final days. What lies in the future is anybody's guess. I can say that it won't be pretty, and the transition will be both painful and possibly violent. It will also come as a shock to many who refused to heed the signs, and remember the warnings of our founding fathers.
I am not one to give up without a fight. I am however tiring of trying to warn people of what lies just over the horizon. As the old saying goes, 'You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.' I will continue to write my articles, just so that I can have a clear conscious, and also to have something to feed those who refused to listen.
That isn't freedom. The American people would not know what to do with freedom if true freedom were suddenly thrust upon them. They have become far too dependent upon government to solve all the nations problems, that they have lost the ability to think, reason, and care for themselves. Look at our elections, we vote for the candidates who make the best sounding promises to do what, DO THINGS FOR US instead of promising to minimize their interference in our lives.
This may sound farfetched, but what would happen if suddenly all cell phones, the internet, and the news media outlets suddenly went silent? What would people do if militarized police forces suddenly showed up in the streets in ominous numbers? What would happen if all of a sudden a curfew was put into place, food and other resources were placed under governmental control and would only be rationed out in limited quantity?
As I said, it may sound farfetched, but the laws granting our government those powers are already in place. Now why in the hell would they have those laws if they did not intend, at some future date, plan on using them?
I am not going to go over them again, as I am getting awfully tired of repeating myself to people who don't want to hear the truth. Those of you who have been reading my ramblings for awhile, know what I am talking about. For those of you who haven't, you can go to my blog, http://www.neals-soapbox.blogspot.com/, and do some research for yourselves.
This country is under attack, that's right, I said attack, on so many fronts that it seems as though there is no hope for its future. To tell you the truth, there probably isn't. While the blame for the condition of things in this country do not fall directly upon our shoulders, it is the people in general, current and past, who have let it get as bad as it has.
I am constantly either ridiculed, or complimented for my articles concerning the abuses of power by our government. That is fine, at least people are reading them, and just maybe they are thinking about them as well. However, when I write about the apathy of the people, or their ignorance about the issues, I usually and treated as though I am a leper, or at least a raving lunatic. I am often told that it is the governments fault for letting things get so bad. They didn't pass this law, or they did pass that law. Never are people willing to consider the fact that those in power are elected to REPRESENT the wishes of the people, as long as those wishes are within the boundaries of the Constitution. Not once have people considered that. How many times have these people, who complain so bitterly about the state of affairs in this country, contacted their elected representatives directly concerning an issue? I have two thick binders full of letters I have written, and the responses I have gotten.
Yet every election people go out and vote these clowns back into office. There are times that the incumbent is voted out, but it doesn't happen as often as it should. Our entire government, with the exception of Ron Paul, is cancerous and needs to be excised and flushed out with sterile material that hasn't been corrupted and paid for by so many special interests that the will of the people is something that isn't even taken into consideration.
When this country was in its infancy our founding fathers made a huge gamble upon a system of government that would, could, only function upon if the people remained vigilant in their observance of its operations.
Our founders told us what we needed to do if we wished to remain a free and independent people, but we, and our ancestors didn't listen. The warnings of our founders still echo through time, but nobody hears them.
From John Adams, "Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people."
"Nip the shoots of arbitrary power in the bud, is the only maxim which can ever preserve the liberties of any people."
From James Madison, "We are right to take alarm at the first experiment upon our liberties."
"Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives."
From James Monroe, "It is only when the people become ignorant and corrupt, when they degenerate into a populace, that they are incapable of exercising their sovereignty. Usurpation is then an easy attainment, and an usurper soon found. The people themselves become the willing instruments of their own debasement and ruin."
From Patrick Henry, "Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the numbers of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth, to know the worst, and to provide for it."
Finally, from Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence,
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
"We, I hope, shall adhere to our republican government and keep it to its original principles by narrowly watching it."
"For a people who are free, and who mean to remain so, a well-organized and armed militia is their best security."
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
"Yes, we did produce a near-perfect republic. But will they keep it? Or will they, in the enjoyment of plenty, lose the memory of freedom? Material abundance without character is the path of destruction."
Those were words of warning, words of great wisdom, for us to follow if we wished to remain independent, and truly free. We have forgotten that our government is not our master, but our servant. We have forgotten, as Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence, "...that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..."
We have allowed ourselves to believe that government is our friend and only has our best interest in mind when passing law. They have good intentions is what we tell ourselves. Daniel Webster warned us about good intentions, "Good intentions will always be pleaded for every assumption of authority. It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions."
The Declaration of Independence, after stating that we had those unalienable rights, told us what to do we could do when our government violated them, "...That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
It went even further, and stated, "...when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."
Our rights are clearly defined, the duties and limitations upon our government are clearly defined. The problem is that the people are unaware, or choose to disregard those limitations upon our government, as long as it benefits them personally.
Our country was established so that the government had limited, clearly defined powers. Any system that does not obey its own laws, and the Constitution is THE SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND, cannot exist forever without collapsing. And that is what is happening to ours, although far too many people refuse to face up to the truth of it. People continue to believe in a system run amok, voting for corrupt legislators and Presidents.
And the corruption is not only in those in whom we elect, as they are but a mirror held out to reflect the values of the nation. Merriam Webster’s online Dictionary defines corruption as, “1 a: impairment of integrity, virtue, or moral principle : depravity, b: decay, decompsition c: inducement to wrong by improper or unlawful means (as bribery) d: a departure from the original or from what is pure or correct 2 archaic : an agency or influence that corrupts”
This nation is fond of using the term God bless America. It sickens me whenever I hear that. The hypocrisy of that statement goes far beyond being ludicrous. America was founded by men of great faith. They held good strong values and morals, which was reflected in the principles upon which this nation was founded, and also found in their writings. George Washington once said, “Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”
Read that again and see if you understand what it really means. George Washington did not mean that we should just ’go to church’, he meant that we need to maintain our religious principle as well. That means a commitment to the values given to us by Christ.
John Adams could have been speaking to us on CSPAN just yesterday when he said, “Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is religion and morality alone, which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People in a greater Measure than they have it now, they may change their rulers and the forms of government, but they will not obtain a lasting liberty.”
I may offend many, but the truth is this, America is a cesspool and our leaders are just a reflection of that fact. How can anyone who claims to be church going, or God fearing, say that they intend to vote for someone who condones abortion?
Samuel Adams once said, “He therefore is the truest friend to the liberty of his country who tries most to promote its virtue, and who, so far as his power and influence extend, will not suffer a man to be chosen into any office of power and trust who is not a wise and virtuous man.”
And suffer we have, under a seemingly endless list of Presidents, Congressmen, and Senators who have defiled the offices they held, and currently hold. Yet we sit back and remain silent which is just as much a reflection upon our character as it is upon theirs.
This nation had a chance to change course and return to the basic values of limited government by choosing Ron Paul as the Republican candidate for President. We choked at the plate. While the support he received was impressive, it was not enough to overcome the stranglehold that special interests hold upon the political parties of this country.
We have, what I consider to be the final chance, to save this country, not only from those who would see it destroyed, but from itself as well. A vote for Chuck Baldwin, who is running on the Constitution Party ticket, would strike a blow for liberty, but also be a great step in returning Christian values to our nations government. You can learn more about Chuck Baldwin by reading his columns which are archived at http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/speech.html.
I don’t see that happening though. The brainwashing of America has been too thorough. We just cannot accept that our government is ‘capable’ of some of the things it has done, or is yet to do.
So, as I said in the beginning, this country is in its final days. What lies in the future is anybody's guess. I can say that it won't be pretty, and the transition will be both painful and possibly violent. It will also come as a shock to many who refused to heed the signs, and remember the warnings of our founding fathers.
I am not one to give up without a fight. I am however tiring of trying to warn people of what lies just over the horizon. As the old saying goes, 'You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.' I will continue to write my articles, just so that I can have a clear conscious, and also to have something to feed those who refused to listen.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Allow Me To Bore You Just A Bit More
I am pretty sure that everyone has heard the philosophical question, 'What came first, the chicken or the egg?' The same concept can be applied to liberties, 'Which came first, liberty or government?'
If you think about that question for a moment, you can only come to one conclusion, that liberty preceded government. Government is an institution that serves one of two purposes. It either restricts liberties for the benefit of those in power, or it protects liberties for the benefit of all.
If you read the Declaration of Independence, you will see that the author, Thomas Jefferson, believed that our liberties come from our Creator, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Therefore our government has no right, nor authority to deny us what God grants us at birth. The Preamble to the Constitution affirms that one of the duties of government is to protect those rights, "We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, 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..."
Our government was established as one of limited powers. Those powers are clearly defined in the Constitution. However our government has taken upon itself powers that it has no authority to assume. How did this happen?
Almost since the very beginning of our governments history there has been a power struggle between those who believed in a strict interpretation of the Constitution and those who wanted a looser interpretation.
Those who favored a strict interpretation, chief among them, Thomas Jefferson, felt that "Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated."
Those in opposition to this principle, led by Alexander Hamilton, felt "[A] criterion of what is constitutional, and of what is not so.... is the end, to which the measure relates as a mean. If the end be clearly comprehended within any of the specified powers, and if the measure have an obvious relation to that end, and is not forbidden by any particular provision of the Constitution, it may safely be deemed to come within the compass of the national authority. There is also this further criterion which may materially assist the decision: Does the proposed measure abridge a pre-existing right of any State, or of any individual? If it does not, there is a strong presumption in favour of its constitutionality...."
How was this debate to be settled, and by whom? The answer came in a ruling made by the Supreme Court, particularly by Chief Justice Marshall, in the case of McCulloch v. Maryland, 17 U.S. 316 (1819).
Chief Justice Marshall took Jefferson's concept of specific, enumerated powers and tossed it out the door, ruling that the government has unlimited implied powers. His logic was as follows. Chief Justice Marshall took the 18th Clause of Section 8, Article 1, which states that Congress shall have the power "To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers..."
From his ruling in McCulloch v. Maryland, Justice Marshall states, "Let the end be legitimate, let it be within the scope of the constitution, and all means which are appropriate, which are plainly adapted to that end, which are not prohibited, but consist with the letter and spirit of the constitution, are constitutional." In common terms, the end justifies the means.
Part of the 'necessary and proper' clause is that it applies to 'the foregoing powers'. The first clause of Article 1, Section 8 states, "The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States..."
If we are to conclude that Chief Justice Marshall believed that the end justifies the means and tie that to the power of Congress to provide for the general welfare, we have the situation in which Congress now can pass almost any law it deems is necessary to provide for the 'general welfare' of the United States.
Thomas Jefferson warned us what would happen if we allowed the judiciary to settle disputes such as that, "To consider the judges as the ultimate arbiters of all constitutional questions is a very dangerous doctrine indeed, and one which would place us under the despotism of an oligarchy."
Unfortunately, that is exactly what Chief Justice Marshall did with his ruling in McCulloch v. Maryland, he granted Congress the keys to Pandora's Box, granting them a plethora of powers that are nowhere to be found in those specifically enumerated within the Constitution itself, they belong to Congress because they are merely implied.
What was the result of the Courts decision in this landmark case? We have a government that has passed so many laws, concerning things that are nowhere to be found within their area of responsibility in the Constitution, that you would be hard pressed to find at least one law you are not violating in the obedience of another.
As a consequence of that ruling, the rights of the states were also diminished in that if Congress passes a law as authorized by their implied powers under the Constitution, and the Constitution is the supreme law of the land, Article 6, Clause 2, then the states are bound to obey. If a state does try to flex its muscle against the federal government, the Congress, or the President merely has to tighten the purse strings and withhold federal funding for one of many programs, that they honestly have no authority to be funding in the first place. Quite the catch 22, isn't it?
You may be thinking to yourself that I have strayed off course, as I began talking about rights and liberties and ended up talking about implied powers of Congress. Hold on just a moment longer, it all ties together.
We now have candidates running for all offices within our federal government, making us promises for this, and promises for that. All these promises are designed to get you to vote for them. Some of them are outright lies and were never intended to be kept, while others are merely usurpations of more power, and ultimately, control over our lives---and our liberties. Again, I quote Thomas Jefferson, "A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have."
If you don't believe our government is capable, or has the desire, to strip us of those liberties then you haven't been paying attention very well. Need I remind you of what former President Bill Clinton said in a press conference in New Jersey in 1993, "We can't be so fixated on our desire to preserve the rights of ordinary Americans..."
If, on the other hand, you have been paying even the slightest amount of attention, you may be asking what can be done about these infringements of our liberties.
At this point in time, not much as long as people continue to blindly follow political parties for whatever reason they may have. When I hear people say that we have to vote for this candidate so that the other candidate does not get elected, I feel as though our situation is hopeless. When I hear that people will not vote for a third party candidate because, 'he cannot win', I lose even more hope.
Our nation got to the point it is because we allowed it to. We voted for the people who abused their positions and violated the trust we placed in them to uphold the Constitution. As long as we blindly follow a candidate, like rats following the Pied Piper, nothing is ever going to get any better. In fact things will continue to get worse until we select men, or women for that matter, of principle who will defend and protect our liberties at all costs.
There is only one alternative, and it can be found within the Declaration of Independence, "That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
If you think about that question for a moment, you can only come to one conclusion, that liberty preceded government. Government is an institution that serves one of two purposes. It either restricts liberties for the benefit of those in power, or it protects liberties for the benefit of all.
If you read the Declaration of Independence, you will see that the author, Thomas Jefferson, believed that our liberties come from our Creator, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Therefore our government has no right, nor authority to deny us what God grants us at birth. The Preamble to the Constitution affirms that one of the duties of government is to protect those rights, "We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, 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..."
Our government was established as one of limited powers. Those powers are clearly defined in the Constitution. However our government has taken upon itself powers that it has no authority to assume. How did this happen?
Almost since the very beginning of our governments history there has been a power struggle between those who believed in a strict interpretation of the Constitution and those who wanted a looser interpretation.
Those who favored a strict interpretation, chief among them, Thomas Jefferson, felt that "Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated."
Those in opposition to this principle, led by Alexander Hamilton, felt "[A] criterion of what is constitutional, and of what is not so.... is the end, to which the measure relates as a mean. If the end be clearly comprehended within any of the specified powers, and if the measure have an obvious relation to that end, and is not forbidden by any particular provision of the Constitution, it may safely be deemed to come within the compass of the national authority. There is also this further criterion which may materially assist the decision: Does the proposed measure abridge a pre-existing right of any State, or of any individual? If it does not, there is a strong presumption in favour of its constitutionality...."
How was this debate to be settled, and by whom? The answer came in a ruling made by the Supreme Court, particularly by Chief Justice Marshall, in the case of McCulloch v. Maryland, 17 U.S. 316 (1819).
Chief Justice Marshall took Jefferson's concept of specific, enumerated powers and tossed it out the door, ruling that the government has unlimited implied powers. His logic was as follows. Chief Justice Marshall took the 18th Clause of Section 8, Article 1, which states that Congress shall have the power "To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers..."
From his ruling in McCulloch v. Maryland, Justice Marshall states, "Let the end be legitimate, let it be within the scope of the constitution, and all means which are appropriate, which are plainly adapted to that end, which are not prohibited, but consist with the letter and spirit of the constitution, are constitutional." In common terms, the end justifies the means.
Part of the 'necessary and proper' clause is that it applies to 'the foregoing powers'. The first clause of Article 1, Section 8 states, "The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States..."
If we are to conclude that Chief Justice Marshall believed that the end justifies the means and tie that to the power of Congress to provide for the general welfare, we have the situation in which Congress now can pass almost any law it deems is necessary to provide for the 'general welfare' of the United States.
Thomas Jefferson warned us what would happen if we allowed the judiciary to settle disputes such as that, "To consider the judges as the ultimate arbiters of all constitutional questions is a very dangerous doctrine indeed, and one which would place us under the despotism of an oligarchy."
Unfortunately, that is exactly what Chief Justice Marshall did with his ruling in McCulloch v. Maryland, he granted Congress the keys to Pandora's Box, granting them a plethora of powers that are nowhere to be found in those specifically enumerated within the Constitution itself, they belong to Congress because they are merely implied.
What was the result of the Courts decision in this landmark case? We have a government that has passed so many laws, concerning things that are nowhere to be found within their area of responsibility in the Constitution, that you would be hard pressed to find at least one law you are not violating in the obedience of another.
As a consequence of that ruling, the rights of the states were also diminished in that if Congress passes a law as authorized by their implied powers under the Constitution, and the Constitution is the supreme law of the land, Article 6, Clause 2, then the states are bound to obey. If a state does try to flex its muscle against the federal government, the Congress, or the President merely has to tighten the purse strings and withhold federal funding for one of many programs, that they honestly have no authority to be funding in the first place. Quite the catch 22, isn't it?
You may be thinking to yourself that I have strayed off course, as I began talking about rights and liberties and ended up talking about implied powers of Congress. Hold on just a moment longer, it all ties together.
We now have candidates running for all offices within our federal government, making us promises for this, and promises for that. All these promises are designed to get you to vote for them. Some of them are outright lies and were never intended to be kept, while others are merely usurpations of more power, and ultimately, control over our lives---and our liberties. Again, I quote Thomas Jefferson, "A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have."
If you don't believe our government is capable, or has the desire, to strip us of those liberties then you haven't been paying attention very well. Need I remind you of what former President Bill Clinton said in a press conference in New Jersey in 1993, "We can't be so fixated on our desire to preserve the rights of ordinary Americans..."
If, on the other hand, you have been paying even the slightest amount of attention, you may be asking what can be done about these infringements of our liberties.
At this point in time, not much as long as people continue to blindly follow political parties for whatever reason they may have. When I hear people say that we have to vote for this candidate so that the other candidate does not get elected, I feel as though our situation is hopeless. When I hear that people will not vote for a third party candidate because, 'he cannot win', I lose even more hope.
Our nation got to the point it is because we allowed it to. We voted for the people who abused their positions and violated the trust we placed in them to uphold the Constitution. As long as we blindly follow a candidate, like rats following the Pied Piper, nothing is ever going to get any better. In fact things will continue to get worse until we select men, or women for that matter, of principle who will defend and protect our liberties at all costs.
There is only one alternative, and it can be found within the Declaration of Independence, "That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
What The Hell Is It Going To Take?
I was sitting around the cafeteria the other morning before starting work and one of the guys I work with asked me who I thought was going to be our next President. I wanted to say something sarcastic like, "What do I look like, a fortune teller?" Instead I just said not a one of them are worthy to be our next President. He then said, and I quote, "Aw c'mon, take it easy on McCain, he is a war hero." I was so dumbfounded that I just got up and walked away.
As far as John McCain being a war hero, I have my doubts about that. From what I have read it appears that he was anything but a hero. However, that is beside the point. His being a war hero has nothing to do with his being qualified to be our next President.
I don't know how many times I need to say this, but people need to look at a candidates voting record on the issues before they cast a vote for that person, no matter what office they are seeking.
To prove my point, say there is a priest who has been molesting children in their congregation. Just because that person is a priest, does that qualify them to be pope? No, that priest should be given the chance to make amends for his actions and if he continues to disgrace his position, he should be excommunicated.
The same goes for our elected officials. They are bound by oath to uphold the Constitution and if they refuse to do so they should be removed from office, not elevated to a position of higher authority or power.
On the issue of second amendment rights, John McCain’s rating, according to Gun Owners of America, has gone from a C in 2000 to an F in 2006.
http://www.gunowners.org/mccaintb.htm
McCain was elected to the House of Representatives in 1982 and served two terms, after which he was elected to the Senate in 1986, and has been there since. He has refused to take any firm action in the Senate to curb the influx of illegal aliens into the state which he is supposed to be representing. In fact he was co-author of the recently failed immigration reform legislation.
Senator McCain has also stated that we would stay in Iraq for as long as it takes to achieve victory, whatever the definition of victory is this week. The war is a quagmire with no signs of ever ending. The Iraqi government is inept and impotent and shows no sign of ever being able to control the violence and regain stability without some sort of a U.S. military presence. This war has cost the United States $517 billion dollars so far and the death toll continues to rise. John McCain is unpredictable and who knows if he would not just decide to extend the war into Iran?
McCain, aside from being a wild card that we just cannot take the chance on, has shown that he has no regard for the Constitution, or the will of his constituents. We just cannot allow him to be elected as our next President.
Then there is an acquaintance of mine who believes the same thing, that John McCain cannot be elected as President, but for other reasons entirely. This person claims that if McCain is elected, the conservatives in this country will go to sleep and let him run roughshod over our remaining constitutional rights. This person claims that we should vote for either Hillary or Obama, whoever it is that eventually wins the Democratic tug of war for their parties nomination.
This person told me the following,
“So I say sway the vote Democratic and make your vote count for something. It won't do a damn thing to vote third party. Plus it will make the Republican party re-think it's liberal neo-con platform. Besides, they really need a good ass-kicking. I believe that a Democratic vote, using this strategy, is in fact a "vote for a principle".
Isn’t that what supposedly happened in the mid term elections? Didn’t the Republicans lose control of Congress because of their policies? Has it made one iota of difference? No, George Bush has continued on a path which is destroying our liberties, and bankrupting this country in a futile war, without even blinking an eye.
This person was a dedicated supporter of Ron Paul yet he refuses to support a third party candidate who stands for the same principles as Ron Paul, someone like, say Chuck Baldwin, who just got the nomination for the Constitution Party.
For those of you unfamiliar with what Chuck Baldwin stands for, I urge you to read his latest column which can be found at
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2008/cbarchive_20080502.html
I constantly hear that a vote for a third party will take votes from one side or the other, making them a ‘spoiler’. However, it is apparent that the Republican Party no longer cares for the Constitution. That is obvious by the unethical way in which Ron Paul was treated by his own party.
For anyone who cares one bit about the future of this country to even consider voting for a candidate from either of the two mainstream political parties only shows how uninformed they truly are.
If enough people would have the courage to vote for principle by casting a vote for someone who understands the serious dangers this country faces, we could make a change.
However, as long as I continue to hear people making statements like the ones I have discussed in this article, I am not holding on to any hope for the future of this country. As the title of this article asks, just the hell is it going to take?
As far as John McCain being a war hero, I have my doubts about that. From what I have read it appears that he was anything but a hero. However, that is beside the point. His being a war hero has nothing to do with his being qualified to be our next President.
I don't know how many times I need to say this, but people need to look at a candidates voting record on the issues before they cast a vote for that person, no matter what office they are seeking.
To prove my point, say there is a priest who has been molesting children in their congregation. Just because that person is a priest, does that qualify them to be pope? No, that priest should be given the chance to make amends for his actions and if he continues to disgrace his position, he should be excommunicated.
The same goes for our elected officials. They are bound by oath to uphold the Constitution and if they refuse to do so they should be removed from office, not elevated to a position of higher authority or power.
On the issue of second amendment rights, John McCain’s rating, according to Gun Owners of America, has gone from a C in 2000 to an F in 2006.
http://www.gunowners.org/mccaintb.htm
McCain was elected to the House of Representatives in 1982 and served two terms, after which he was elected to the Senate in 1986, and has been there since. He has refused to take any firm action in the Senate to curb the influx of illegal aliens into the state which he is supposed to be representing. In fact he was co-author of the recently failed immigration reform legislation.
Senator McCain has also stated that we would stay in Iraq for as long as it takes to achieve victory, whatever the definition of victory is this week. The war is a quagmire with no signs of ever ending. The Iraqi government is inept and impotent and shows no sign of ever being able to control the violence and regain stability without some sort of a U.S. military presence. This war has cost the United States $517 billion dollars so far and the death toll continues to rise. John McCain is unpredictable and who knows if he would not just decide to extend the war into Iran?
McCain, aside from being a wild card that we just cannot take the chance on, has shown that he has no regard for the Constitution, or the will of his constituents. We just cannot allow him to be elected as our next President.
Then there is an acquaintance of mine who believes the same thing, that John McCain cannot be elected as President, but for other reasons entirely. This person claims that if McCain is elected, the conservatives in this country will go to sleep and let him run roughshod over our remaining constitutional rights. This person claims that we should vote for either Hillary or Obama, whoever it is that eventually wins the Democratic tug of war for their parties nomination.
This person told me the following,
“So I say sway the vote Democratic and make your vote count for something. It won't do a damn thing to vote third party. Plus it will make the Republican party re-think it's liberal neo-con platform. Besides, they really need a good ass-kicking. I believe that a Democratic vote, using this strategy, is in fact a "vote for a principle".
Isn’t that what supposedly happened in the mid term elections? Didn’t the Republicans lose control of Congress because of their policies? Has it made one iota of difference? No, George Bush has continued on a path which is destroying our liberties, and bankrupting this country in a futile war, without even blinking an eye.
This person was a dedicated supporter of Ron Paul yet he refuses to support a third party candidate who stands for the same principles as Ron Paul, someone like, say Chuck Baldwin, who just got the nomination for the Constitution Party.
For those of you unfamiliar with what Chuck Baldwin stands for, I urge you to read his latest column which can be found at
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2008/cbarchive_20080502.html
I constantly hear that a vote for a third party will take votes from one side or the other, making them a ‘spoiler’. However, it is apparent that the Republican Party no longer cares for the Constitution. That is obvious by the unethical way in which Ron Paul was treated by his own party.
For anyone who cares one bit about the future of this country to even consider voting for a candidate from either of the two mainstream political parties only shows how uninformed they truly are.
If enough people would have the courage to vote for principle by casting a vote for someone who understands the serious dangers this country faces, we could make a change.
However, as long as I continue to hear people making statements like the ones I have discussed in this article, I am not holding on to any hope for the future of this country. As the title of this article asks, just the hell is it going to take?
Monday, May 05, 2008
If People Really Wanted Health Care...
The other day my wife and I were in our local Sam's Club picking up some items. There was a woman in the store as well, riding one of those motorized carts for disabled people. This woman was the largest person I have ever seen in person in my life. She was literally spilling off the sides of this cart. Her ankles were as large as my thighs. She could not even get her feet off the ground and was dragging them along beside the cart as she rode around with her husband. I don't mean to be insulting, but this woman looked like she needed a crane or a forklift to get up and move around. It was sad, and pathetic at the same time.
The reason I mention this is not to be degrading to her, I realize that some people do have conditions that just make it difficult for them to lose weight. I do not believe that was the case with this woman. I say this because of what I saw as she checked out in the lane next to me.
This woman had 5 cases of Pepsi, two cases of canned Hormel chili, 4 frozen pizzas, 6 loaves of white bread, 8 bags of Lays Potato chips, and to top it all off, four each 2 lb bags of saltwater taffy. On top of all that garbage she had a stack of DVD movies. She obviously spends most of her time just eating garbage and watching television. I thought to myself that this woman either did not know that she was killing herself with that lifestyle, or she just didn't care.
And that thought led to the topic of this article, the subject of health care. The two candidates battling for the Democratic nomination for President are both offering some form of universal health care. What the people really want is someone to take care of them, they want to shift that responsibility away from themselves, and onto someone else.
There are two types of health care, proactive and reactive. What the Democrats, and all those who push for universal health care, really want to provide us with is a reactive health care system. In a reactive health care system we are not responsible for the maintenance of our health as the medical system is there to repair the damage we do to ourselves.
In a proactive health care system people take responsibility for the maintenance of their health at the optimum level and the doctor is a last resort for serious illness or injury. In a proactive system the people take the time to learn about what they are putting into their bodies instead of just shoveling any pre-packaged garbage they find that tastes appetizing.
That woman I saw at Sam's Club was a poster child for reactive health care. I don't think she could have jogged from the front of the store to her car without causing herself injury, or maybe even having a coronary. Don't get me wrong, I am not the perfect specimen of health. I carry a few extra pounds around my midsection that I would like to see gone. However I am conscious of what I eat and if I do eat sweets, I limit myself as to how much. I could do better, and I realize that. However, I am still capable of putting in a good solid 8 hours worth of hard work without collapsing from fatigue at the end of the day.
If you go to the grocery store, it seems as though the shelves are stocked with pre packaged meals that are fast and easy to prepare...and loaded with who knows what for flavoring and preservatives? Hamburger Helper, frozen microwaveable dinners, are the meal of choice for many people. It seems as though the thought of making a meal from scratch is a dying art in this country. Add to that the fact that our lifestyles are more sedentary and we have a nation of, if not grossly obese, at least overweight people.
Then we wonder why we have a nation of diabetics, with our children even developing this disease at an earlier age. Heart disease is almost something that is accepted as commonplace. Hell, I have friends who are ten years younger than I am and have had triple bypass surgery. I look at them and think that they ought to be grateful they are still alive, but no, they still eat their Burger King, their Dominoes Pizza, their sugar laden snacks, and if they even eat fresh fruits and vegetables, it is as a side dish maybe once or twice a week.
What is the old saying, ‘You are what you eat’. If that is true then Americans are walking garbage cans. People may claim that they are too busy to prepare a 'real meal' and therefore rely upon these prepackaged meals, but I wonder if they would if they knew what was in them? The contents of these meals are established by the food industry themselves.
It is not just foods either. Everyone brushes their teeth, at least I hope they do. I wonder how many people have taken the time to read the warning on a tube of toothpaste. If they haven't they might be shocked, as it says, "WARNINGS: Keep out of reach of children under 6 years of age. If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek PROFESSIONAL HELP or contact a POISON CONTROL center immediately." Go look for yourself it you don't believe me.
I wonder why they would want you to call a poison control center if you swallow toothpaste? Maybe it is because the fluoride they put in it is toxic.
"If the formulation contains fluoride ion higher than 1000 ppm, it can cause poison; and the fluoride ion can react with calcium ion and magnesium in the human body and cause low level calcium ion and magnesium ion in blood. In some cases it has caused heart and muscle problems. If a child were to take a big spoonful of this fluoride and get it down, it is a poison that could kill the child."
http://www.aroma-essence.com/research-reports/fluoride.html
It would behoove people to do a little research into the ingredients of the meals they prepare for themselves if they wish to be proactive instead of reactive when it comes to their health.
If that wasn't enough, the chemicals that are placed into the prepackaged meals that Americans live upon, what about the manner in which they are cooked? Microwaves are a common item found in almost every home, and many workplaces. Although I am forced to use them at work to heat my meals for lunch, I use them sparingly, heating the food just until it is warm. Why?
"There have been very few scientific studies done on the effect of eating food microwaved food. This is rather surprising when you think about the fact that microwaves have been with us for only a few decades - and that in that time the incidence of many diseases has continued to increase.
Two researchers, Blanc and Hertel, confirmed that microwave cooking significantly changes food nutrients. Hertel previously worked as a food scientist for several years with one of the major Swiss food companies. He was fired from his job for questioning procedures in processing food because they denatured it. He got together with Blanc of the Swiss Federal Institute of Biochemistry and the University Institute for Biochemistry.
They studied the effect that microwaved food had on eight individuals, by taking blood samples immediately after eating. They found that after eating microwaved food, haemoglobin levels decreased. "These results show anaemic tendencies. The situation became even more pronounced during the second month of the study".
http://www.relfe.com/microwave.html
So, as people feed themselves these prepackaged meals that they heat in the microwave, they are not only eating who knows what, they are destroying whatever nutritional value they had to begin with.
It all boils down to the issue of whether you want to maintain your health by eating a nutritious meal that provides the right balance of nutrients, or if you want to eat junk that you have no idea what is in it and has little nutritional value.
I just find it far more than coincidence that as the type of food we eat as a nation has gone from home cooked meals to prepackaged, or fast food, so has the number of health issues such as diabetes and heart disease been on the rise.
We would not need the type health care programs offered by Senators Clinton and Obama if we would only do a little preventive maintenance on our bodies by eating healthy and getting a little exercise every now and then.
Unfortunately if you take a walk through the aisles of your local supermarket, you will see that people want to continue on with the lifestyle that includes prepackaged meals with little nutritional value. They are paying for it with increased health issues that could have been prevented if they only ate the right foods.
Like I said, I am not perfect, but I do not go to the supermarket to buy the garbage that keeps me bound to a motorized cart because I am too big to walk on my own.
The reason I mention this is not to be degrading to her, I realize that some people do have conditions that just make it difficult for them to lose weight. I do not believe that was the case with this woman. I say this because of what I saw as she checked out in the lane next to me.
This woman had 5 cases of Pepsi, two cases of canned Hormel chili, 4 frozen pizzas, 6 loaves of white bread, 8 bags of Lays Potato chips, and to top it all off, four each 2 lb bags of saltwater taffy. On top of all that garbage she had a stack of DVD movies. She obviously spends most of her time just eating garbage and watching television. I thought to myself that this woman either did not know that she was killing herself with that lifestyle, or she just didn't care.
And that thought led to the topic of this article, the subject of health care. The two candidates battling for the Democratic nomination for President are both offering some form of universal health care. What the people really want is someone to take care of them, they want to shift that responsibility away from themselves, and onto someone else.
There are two types of health care, proactive and reactive. What the Democrats, and all those who push for universal health care, really want to provide us with is a reactive health care system. In a reactive health care system we are not responsible for the maintenance of our health as the medical system is there to repair the damage we do to ourselves.
In a proactive health care system people take responsibility for the maintenance of their health at the optimum level and the doctor is a last resort for serious illness or injury. In a proactive system the people take the time to learn about what they are putting into their bodies instead of just shoveling any pre-packaged garbage they find that tastes appetizing.
That woman I saw at Sam's Club was a poster child for reactive health care. I don't think she could have jogged from the front of the store to her car without causing herself injury, or maybe even having a coronary. Don't get me wrong, I am not the perfect specimen of health. I carry a few extra pounds around my midsection that I would like to see gone. However I am conscious of what I eat and if I do eat sweets, I limit myself as to how much. I could do better, and I realize that. However, I am still capable of putting in a good solid 8 hours worth of hard work without collapsing from fatigue at the end of the day.
If you go to the grocery store, it seems as though the shelves are stocked with pre packaged meals that are fast and easy to prepare...and loaded with who knows what for flavoring and preservatives? Hamburger Helper, frozen microwaveable dinners, are the meal of choice for many people. It seems as though the thought of making a meal from scratch is a dying art in this country. Add to that the fact that our lifestyles are more sedentary and we have a nation of, if not grossly obese, at least overweight people.
Then we wonder why we have a nation of diabetics, with our children even developing this disease at an earlier age. Heart disease is almost something that is accepted as commonplace. Hell, I have friends who are ten years younger than I am and have had triple bypass surgery. I look at them and think that they ought to be grateful they are still alive, but no, they still eat their Burger King, their Dominoes Pizza, their sugar laden snacks, and if they even eat fresh fruits and vegetables, it is as a side dish maybe once or twice a week.
What is the old saying, ‘You are what you eat’. If that is true then Americans are walking garbage cans. People may claim that they are too busy to prepare a 'real meal' and therefore rely upon these prepackaged meals, but I wonder if they would if they knew what was in them? The contents of these meals are established by the food industry themselves.
It is not just foods either. Everyone brushes their teeth, at least I hope they do. I wonder how many people have taken the time to read the warning on a tube of toothpaste. If they haven't they might be shocked, as it says, "WARNINGS: Keep out of reach of children under 6 years of age. If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek PROFESSIONAL HELP or contact a POISON CONTROL center immediately." Go look for yourself it you don't believe me.
I wonder why they would want you to call a poison control center if you swallow toothpaste? Maybe it is because the fluoride they put in it is toxic.
"If the formulation contains fluoride ion higher than 1000 ppm, it can cause poison; and the fluoride ion can react with calcium ion and magnesium in the human body and cause low level calcium ion and magnesium ion in blood. In some cases it has caused heart and muscle problems. If a child were to take a big spoonful of this fluoride and get it down, it is a poison that could kill the child."
http://www.aroma-essence.com/research-reports/fluoride.html
It would behoove people to do a little research into the ingredients of the meals they prepare for themselves if they wish to be proactive instead of reactive when it comes to their health.
If that wasn't enough, the chemicals that are placed into the prepackaged meals that Americans live upon, what about the manner in which they are cooked? Microwaves are a common item found in almost every home, and many workplaces. Although I am forced to use them at work to heat my meals for lunch, I use them sparingly, heating the food just until it is warm. Why?
"There have been very few scientific studies done on the effect of eating food microwaved food. This is rather surprising when you think about the fact that microwaves have been with us for only a few decades - and that in that time the incidence of many diseases has continued to increase.
Two researchers, Blanc and Hertel, confirmed that microwave cooking significantly changes food nutrients. Hertel previously worked as a food scientist for several years with one of the major Swiss food companies. He was fired from his job for questioning procedures in processing food because they denatured it. He got together with Blanc of the Swiss Federal Institute of Biochemistry and the University Institute for Biochemistry.
They studied the effect that microwaved food had on eight individuals, by taking blood samples immediately after eating. They found that after eating microwaved food, haemoglobin levels decreased. "These results show anaemic tendencies. The situation became even more pronounced during the second month of the study".
http://www.relfe.com/microwave.html
So, as people feed themselves these prepackaged meals that they heat in the microwave, they are not only eating who knows what, they are destroying whatever nutritional value they had to begin with.
It all boils down to the issue of whether you want to maintain your health by eating a nutritious meal that provides the right balance of nutrients, or if you want to eat junk that you have no idea what is in it and has little nutritional value.
I just find it far more than coincidence that as the type of food we eat as a nation has gone from home cooked meals to prepackaged, or fast food, so has the number of health issues such as diabetes and heart disease been on the rise.
We would not need the type health care programs offered by Senators Clinton and Obama if we would only do a little preventive maintenance on our bodies by eating healthy and getting a little exercise every now and then.
Unfortunately if you take a walk through the aisles of your local supermarket, you will see that people want to continue on with the lifestyle that includes prepackaged meals with little nutritional value. They are paying for it with increased health issues that could have been prevented if they only ate the right foods.
Like I said, I am not perfect, but I do not go to the supermarket to buy the garbage that keeps me bound to a motorized cart because I am too big to walk on my own.
Another Immiration Rant
Friday, my day got off to a sour note almost as soon as I got to work. I am not a morning person at all, so I usually get to work an hour or so before I have to actually start so I can grab a cup of coffee and read the newspaper. On this particular Friday I mentioned to one of my friends that, 'Boy I sure don't feel like being here'. From the next table someone said, 'Why don't you get on a plane and fly back home to England then?'
It took every ounce of my will not to do or say anything to the piece of human excrement that said that. This guy is an honest to God, Reagan amnestied, illegal alien from Mexico.
Due to my having written numerous letters to the editor concerning illegal aliens, this person has confronted me on a few occasions to argue 'his point of view'. He believes that Mexicans are doing these jobs because Americans are too lazy. He believes that Mexicans 'have a right' to come here to live and work. He probably believes that the southwest United States still belongs to Mexico, although of that I can not be sure.
This particular individual was granted amnesty in 1986 by legislation signed by President Reagan. By all intensive purposes he is a legal citizen of this country, yet he still holds citizenship in Mexico. Does he respect this country, obviously not when he verbally attacks anyone who stands up for our nations laws, particular those that would keep more people like him from coming to this country.
So, when he said that comment on Friday morning it took all I had not to say, 'Why don't you take your fat wetback ass and swim across the Rio Grande into Mexico? While you are at it, take that dope smoking, gang banging anchor baby kid of yours with you?' That would have started a riot and I am thankful now that I had enough self control to keep those thoughts to myself. Nevertheless, the day got off to a fine start.
Afterwards, as I sat there reading my paper, I came across an article about immigration entitled, Money Woes Have Immigration Activists Weeping. In this article, an illegal alien worker from Zion Illinois, Eric Molina, who just happens to have a thirteen year old anchor baby daughter named Erika, said, "We come to fight for legalization. We're people. We have rights."
What rights does Senor Molina think he has? He has the right to pack his belongings and go back to Mexico. According to Merriam-Webster's online Dictionary, civil rights are defined as "The nonpolitical rights of a citizen, especially: the rights of personal liberty guaranteed to U.S. citizens by the 13th and 14th amendments to the Constitution and by acts of Congress." These people are criminals and they ask us for rights they do not deserve. They ask us to accept them with open arms and they do not respect us, or our laws.
So, after getting verbally harassed, and then reading that in the paper, my anger level was up by a few notches, and I was ready to go to work with a monstrous chip on my shoulder.
That seems to be happening a lot to me lately, getting a chip on my shoulder at work. Just a few days prior to Friday I was working with an East Indian man. Not too many people like this guy to begin with. He ogles and stares at the women, and he is lazy and shiftless. So I was in a sour mood to begin with, knowing I had to work nine hours with this guy. Around lunch time I was minding my own business, doing my job, when this guy comes up and puts his hand on my shoulder and stops me from what I am doing. He then proceeds to do what I was doing, which was dumping baskets of apricots into a hopper. He was doing it differently than I was, and was dropping fruit onto the floor in the process. He then had the gall to say, "This is how we would do it in India." I almost lost control again. I wanted to ask him if India was so great, why the hell did he come to America?
The point is that I have been developing a chip on my shoulder at work. Do you also notice the similarities between the causes of my problems? It just happens to be foreigners who come to this country with the attitude that the country they come from, and their way of doing things, is so much better than ours. Why is it that they have to come here if their country is so much better than ours?
I don't know if people are away of the concept of carrying capacity. Carrying capacity is the ability of a location to sustain life of the inhabitants of that area. Say for instance that you have 100 number of people living in an area of one square mile. These people are living comfortably with enough resources such as water, electricity and food. There are enough medical facilities, supplies, and jobs to provide a comfortable life for all. What then happens when you double the number of people living in that area? what happens to the carrying capacity? Will they still be able to live with the same standard of living? When will the point be reached that the carrying capacity has been passed an can no longer sustain life?
When a carrying capacity has been reached, or surpassed for that matter, the standard of living deteriorates very quickly. Jobs are harder to find, there is more starvation, disease, and many other social problems brought about by the overpopulation of a people inhabiting land that just cannot accommodate them.
If you would like to learn more about 'carrying capacity' I would recommend that you read some of Frosty Wooldridge's articles as he has written extensively on the subject. You can find Frosty's articles at http://newswithviews.com/Wooldridge/frostyA1.htm
When you take the population of a country and the square miles you can figure out how many people live on one square mile of land in that country? The number you come up with does not mean that there are exactly that number living on every square mile because there are often large centers where the population is centered, but it gives you an overall idea.
In the United States, for instance, there are approximately eighty four people per square mile of land in this country. Mexico on the other hand has one hundred forty five people per square mile. Then you have India, with a staggering nine hundred fifty four people per square mile.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0934666.html
As you can see, both Mexico and India have substantially larger populations per square mile than does the United States. So our resources, or our carrying capacity, has not been strained to the point as it is in their native countries.
That is going to change though if we continue to allow immigration, both legal, and illegal, to continue in this country. It used to be that the average American family was 3.2 people per household. That sounds ridiculous that a family could have point two kids, but it was an average taken from the overall statistics. Hispanic families tend to be higher, in the 3.8 people per family range, while East Indians are even higher at around 4.9.
Once again, my friend, the Grassroots Granny, has sent me an e mail that corresponds with the subject matter I just happen to be writing on. (I think that woman is psychic!)
Just this morning she sent me an e mail that covers the surge of growth in this country of the Hispanics, not by immigration, but by birth. From the article I quote,
“Hispanics now account for more than 15% of the U.S. population, and their surge is largely the result of births among people already in the country, according to new Census Bureau data.
In an annual report, the Census said there are 45.5 million Hispanics in the U.S., up from 35.7 million in 2000, when they made up 12.6% of the population. It said growth among Hispanics was responsible for half of the U.S. population gains between 2000 and 2007.”
As the population of this country continues to grow, it is obvious that with the size of American families growing at a slower rate than those of immigrant, both legal and illegal. Eventually we will be outnumbered, and the result of that is something I do not wish to contemplate.
Here in California we have a speaker of the State Assembly named Fabian Nunez. The city of Los Angeles has a mayor named Antonio Villaraigosa. Both these men are Hispanic, and while I have nothing against Hispanics, these men both refuse to enforce our nations immigration laws. They are both actually openly pro-illegal alien in their policies. Basically, they take the side of illegal aliens over that of the rightful citizens of this country.
Now imagine that trend continuing across the nation. Imagine mayors, state representatives, and even Congressmen, Senators, and even a President who takes the side of illegal aliens over the American citizens.
The people of this country need to wake up and realize what is happening to us. We are allowing the people who will bring this country down to the same level as their country, to immigrate into ours unrestricted.
As I asked earlier, what is so great about their countries that they desired to come to ours? If we allow them to continue to flood into ours, with their disrespect for our laws, our customs, and more importantly, for us as citizens, what is going to happen in America? We will be the minority, make no mistake about that! Then, when they have a majority and they ease immigration standards, so that even more of their countrymen can come to America, we will be just like those countries from which they flee, a third world nation whose carrying capacity has been passed. The standard of living will go down for everyone.
California is already experiencing problems with its water supply. New homes have been built which demand water. It is estimated that every person in this country uses 3000 gallons of water per month. California also is experiencing problems with the supply of electricity in the summertime when everyone is using their air conditioners. With this unrestricted immigration, those statistics are only going to get worse.
This nation cannot handle the continued importation of the impoverished masses from all over the world. It is not our duty, or responsibility to feed, house, provide educations, jobs, and all the amenities of life for those from other countries. Not if we wish to survive as a nation. I only hope that people wake up before it is too late and class warfare breaks over the demand for jobs, food, and resources. If people don’t open their eyes to the danger this country faces, that is exactly what is going to happen. Then what?
It took every ounce of my will not to do or say anything to the piece of human excrement that said that. This guy is an honest to God, Reagan amnestied, illegal alien from Mexico.
Due to my having written numerous letters to the editor concerning illegal aliens, this person has confronted me on a few occasions to argue 'his point of view'. He believes that Mexicans are doing these jobs because Americans are too lazy. He believes that Mexicans 'have a right' to come here to live and work. He probably believes that the southwest United States still belongs to Mexico, although of that I can not be sure.
This particular individual was granted amnesty in 1986 by legislation signed by President Reagan. By all intensive purposes he is a legal citizen of this country, yet he still holds citizenship in Mexico. Does he respect this country, obviously not when he verbally attacks anyone who stands up for our nations laws, particular those that would keep more people like him from coming to this country.
So, when he said that comment on Friday morning it took all I had not to say, 'Why don't you take your fat wetback ass and swim across the Rio Grande into Mexico? While you are at it, take that dope smoking, gang banging anchor baby kid of yours with you?' That would have started a riot and I am thankful now that I had enough self control to keep those thoughts to myself. Nevertheless, the day got off to a fine start.
Afterwards, as I sat there reading my paper, I came across an article about immigration entitled, Money Woes Have Immigration Activists Weeping. In this article, an illegal alien worker from Zion Illinois, Eric Molina, who just happens to have a thirteen year old anchor baby daughter named Erika, said, "We come to fight for legalization. We're people. We have rights."
What rights does Senor Molina think he has? He has the right to pack his belongings and go back to Mexico. According to Merriam-Webster's online Dictionary, civil rights are defined as "The nonpolitical rights of a citizen, especially: the rights of personal liberty guaranteed to U.S. citizens by the 13th and 14th amendments to the Constitution and by acts of Congress." These people are criminals and they ask us for rights they do not deserve. They ask us to accept them with open arms and they do not respect us, or our laws.
So, after getting verbally harassed, and then reading that in the paper, my anger level was up by a few notches, and I was ready to go to work with a monstrous chip on my shoulder.
That seems to be happening a lot to me lately, getting a chip on my shoulder at work. Just a few days prior to Friday I was working with an East Indian man. Not too many people like this guy to begin with. He ogles and stares at the women, and he is lazy and shiftless. So I was in a sour mood to begin with, knowing I had to work nine hours with this guy. Around lunch time I was minding my own business, doing my job, when this guy comes up and puts his hand on my shoulder and stops me from what I am doing. He then proceeds to do what I was doing, which was dumping baskets of apricots into a hopper. He was doing it differently than I was, and was dropping fruit onto the floor in the process. He then had the gall to say, "This is how we would do it in India." I almost lost control again. I wanted to ask him if India was so great, why the hell did he come to America?
The point is that I have been developing a chip on my shoulder at work. Do you also notice the similarities between the causes of my problems? It just happens to be foreigners who come to this country with the attitude that the country they come from, and their way of doing things, is so much better than ours. Why is it that they have to come here if their country is so much better than ours?
I don't know if people are away of the concept of carrying capacity. Carrying capacity is the ability of a location to sustain life of the inhabitants of that area. Say for instance that you have 100 number of people living in an area of one square mile. These people are living comfortably with enough resources such as water, electricity and food. There are enough medical facilities, supplies, and jobs to provide a comfortable life for all. What then happens when you double the number of people living in that area? what happens to the carrying capacity? Will they still be able to live with the same standard of living? When will the point be reached that the carrying capacity has been passed an can no longer sustain life?
When a carrying capacity has been reached, or surpassed for that matter, the standard of living deteriorates very quickly. Jobs are harder to find, there is more starvation, disease, and many other social problems brought about by the overpopulation of a people inhabiting land that just cannot accommodate them.
If you would like to learn more about 'carrying capacity' I would recommend that you read some of Frosty Wooldridge's articles as he has written extensively on the subject. You can find Frosty's articles at http://newswithviews.com/Wooldridge/frostyA1.htm
When you take the population of a country and the square miles you can figure out how many people live on one square mile of land in that country? The number you come up with does not mean that there are exactly that number living on every square mile because there are often large centers where the population is centered, but it gives you an overall idea.
In the United States, for instance, there are approximately eighty four people per square mile of land in this country. Mexico on the other hand has one hundred forty five people per square mile. Then you have India, with a staggering nine hundred fifty four people per square mile.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0934666.html
As you can see, both Mexico and India have substantially larger populations per square mile than does the United States. So our resources, or our carrying capacity, has not been strained to the point as it is in their native countries.
That is going to change though if we continue to allow immigration, both legal, and illegal, to continue in this country. It used to be that the average American family was 3.2 people per household. That sounds ridiculous that a family could have point two kids, but it was an average taken from the overall statistics. Hispanic families tend to be higher, in the 3.8 people per family range, while East Indians are even higher at around 4.9.
Once again, my friend, the Grassroots Granny, has sent me an e mail that corresponds with the subject matter I just happen to be writing on. (I think that woman is psychic!)
Just this morning she sent me an e mail that covers the surge of growth in this country of the Hispanics, not by immigration, but by birth. From the article I quote,
“Hispanics now account for more than 15% of the U.S. population, and their surge is largely the result of births among people already in the country, according to new Census Bureau data.
In an annual report, the Census said there are 45.5 million Hispanics in the U.S., up from 35.7 million in 2000, when they made up 12.6% of the population. It said growth among Hispanics was responsible for half of the U.S. population gains between 2000 and 2007.”
As the population of this country continues to grow, it is obvious that with the size of American families growing at a slower rate than those of immigrant, both legal and illegal. Eventually we will be outnumbered, and the result of that is something I do not wish to contemplate.
Here in California we have a speaker of the State Assembly named Fabian Nunez. The city of Los Angeles has a mayor named Antonio Villaraigosa. Both these men are Hispanic, and while I have nothing against Hispanics, these men both refuse to enforce our nations immigration laws. They are both actually openly pro-illegal alien in their policies. Basically, they take the side of illegal aliens over that of the rightful citizens of this country.
Now imagine that trend continuing across the nation. Imagine mayors, state representatives, and even Congressmen, Senators, and even a President who takes the side of illegal aliens over the American citizens.
The people of this country need to wake up and realize what is happening to us. We are allowing the people who will bring this country down to the same level as their country, to immigrate into ours unrestricted.
As I asked earlier, what is so great about their countries that they desired to come to ours? If we allow them to continue to flood into ours, with their disrespect for our laws, our customs, and more importantly, for us as citizens, what is going to happen in America? We will be the minority, make no mistake about that! Then, when they have a majority and they ease immigration standards, so that even more of their countrymen can come to America, we will be just like those countries from which they flee, a third world nation whose carrying capacity has been passed. The standard of living will go down for everyone.
California is already experiencing problems with its water supply. New homes have been built which demand water. It is estimated that every person in this country uses 3000 gallons of water per month. California also is experiencing problems with the supply of electricity in the summertime when everyone is using their air conditioners. With this unrestricted immigration, those statistics are only going to get worse.
This nation cannot handle the continued importation of the impoverished masses from all over the world. It is not our duty, or responsibility to feed, house, provide educations, jobs, and all the amenities of life for those from other countries. Not if we wish to survive as a nation. I only hope that people wake up before it is too late and class warfare breaks over the demand for jobs, food, and resources. If people don’t open their eyes to the danger this country faces, that is exactly what is going to happen. Then what?
Many of you know that I have fervently supported Ron Paul in his bid for President. I still admire Dr. Paul and his thoughts on Constitutional government, but I always had questions about his 'laid back' stance on the issue of illegal immigration. Since Dr. Paul appears not to be able to get the GOP nomination, and that two faced bastard McCain is to be the chosen one for the Republicans, I am now considering throwing my support behind a third party candidate. That man is Chuck Baldwin. The following commentary was written by Mr. Baldwin to outline his stance on the issues. I am posting it in the hope that you might support him as well. I would also hope that even if you disagree that you would at least mention this column to all your contacts as well so that they may decide for themselves who the best person to be our next president. We all know how the media treated Ron Paul, do you think it will be any fairer to Chuck Baldwin? If our country is to remain a democracy, the people need to be able to chose a president from among the people, not only those who are funded by the political parties and special interest groups. So please forward this to your contacts and let them decide for themselves. That is all I ask...
This column is located at http://newswithviews.com/baldwin/baldwin445.htm
This column is located at http://newswithviews.com/baldwin/baldwin445.htm
IF I WERE PRESIDENT
By Pastor Chuck Baldwin
May 2, 2008
NewsWithViews.com
Due to my frequent criticisms of President George W. Bush, I am often asked what I would do if I were President of these United States. This column will serve as an attempt to answer that question.
If I were President, I would begin the process of safely extracting our troops from Iraq. In the first place, our troops are no longer fighting a war, they are an occupation force, which occupies a sovereign country. And this is being done without a Declaration of War. The Iraqi people resent our occupation as much as we would resent another nation stronger than ours invading and occupying America. If such a thing happened to our beloved country, I'm sure many of us would also become "insurgents."
In the second place, the invasion and occupation of Iraq was absolutely unnecessary. Instead of sacrificing more than 4,000 American lives and the lives of tens of thousands of Iraqi citizens (not to mention some 2-3 trillion dollars), President Bush should have supported Ron Paul's bill, H.R. 3076, the September 11 Marque and Reprisal Act of 2001. This is the constitutional way to deal with rogue terrorist organizations. This is the way President Thomas Jefferson responded to the Barbary pirates.
According to Congressman Paul, "A letter of marque and reprisal is a constitutional tool specifically designed to give the President the authority to respond with appropriate force to those non-state actors who wage aggression against the United States while limiting his authority to only those responsible for the atrocities of that day. Such a limited authorization is consistent with the doctrine of just war and the practical aim of keeping Americans safe while minimizing the costs in blood and treasure of waging such an operation."
Had President Bush responded in this manner, tens of thousands of lives would have been saved, trillions of dollars would not have needed to be spent, Osama bin Laden and most of his fellow terrorists would likely be dead, and we would not be bogged down in a nightmarish military quagmire in Iraq. And, if I were President, this is exactly how I would handle terrorist organizations such as al Qaeda.
Furthermore, it is absolutely ludicrous to say we are fighting a war on terror half way around the world when we refuse to secure our borders and ports. If I were President, I would immediately seal our borders. I would also see to it that employers in America who knowingly hire illegal aliens are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. In plain language: any employer who consciously hires illegal aliens would go to jail. They would not pass Go; they would not collect $200; they would go straight to jail.
By sealing the borders and by cutting off the money supply to illegal aliens, the problem of illegal immigration would dry up. As it is, we have no idea how many potential terrorists--not to mention violent gang members such as MS-13--have snuck (and are sneaking) through our borders.
And speaking of illegal immigration, as President, I would enforce our visa rules. This means anyone who overstays their visa or otherwise violates U.S. law is immediately deported. There would be no "path to citizenship" given to any illegal alien. That means no amnesty. Not in any shape, manner, or form. I would not allow tax dollars to be used to pay for illegal aliens' education, social services, or medical care. As President, I would end birthright citizenship for illegal aliens. There would be no "anchor babies" during my administration.
If I were President, I would use the bully pulpit of the White House to encourage Congress to pass Congressman Ron Paul's Sanctity of Life Act. In short, this bill would do two things: First, it would declare that unborn babies are persons under the law. Second, under the authority of Article. III. Section. 2. of the U.S. Constitution, it would remove abortion from the jurisdiction of the Court. In essence, this bill would immediately overturn Roe v. Wade and end legalized abortion.
Republicans tout themselves as being "pro-life." Yet, the GOP controlled both houses of Congress and the White House for six years and did absolutely nothing to overturn Roe or end abortion-on-demand. Under my administration, we could end legal abortion in a matter of days, not decades. And if Congress refused to pass Dr. Paul's bill, I would use the constitutional power of the Presidency to deny funds to protect abortion clinics. Either way, legalized abortion ends when I take office.
On the subject of foreign policy, as President, I would end foreign aid. I would also end the current infatuation with nation-building, empire-building, and interventionism. America is not the world's policeman. Neither are our military personnel the personal militia of the United Nations.
Remember that President Bush told the U.N. in 2003 that the reason we invaded Iraq was for the purpose of securing the "peace and credibility of the United Nations." (I lie not; that is what he said.) President Bush also placed the U.S. back under UNESCO in spite of the fact that President Reagan had heroically taken the U.S. out from under that sinister organization.
I am sure that readers recall that the U.N. Charter was authored by a Soviet communist agent (Alger Hiss) and that the U.S. has been fighting wars for the U.N. ever since the organization was created back in 1945.
Speaking of the United Nations, as President, I would withhold funds from the support of the United Nations. In other words, I would get the U.S. out of the U.N. Beyond that, when I move into the White House, the U.N.'s rent is up! They move out of New York City post haste.
By the same token, there is absolutely no reason for us to be in NATO. We should not be antagonizing Russia by attempting to expand NATO. There is no reason why Russia could not become a friend and ally of the United States. Free and fair trade with Russia and a noninterventionist foreign policy in Europe would do much to endear American interests to Russia. To insist on expanding and empowering NATO only serves to further alienate Russia and drive her to make alliances with Communist China.
Speaking of China, it is time that we recognize the very serious threat that China poses to the peace and security of the United States. Our trade practices serve only to allow corporate America to continue to invest in what will surely become an albatross around the neck of our well-being. We must discontinue the practice of allowing China to export its cheap products to the U.S. with no protection for America's jobs and manufacturing, not to mention the lack of protection for our safety. This must stop, and it will stop when I become President. "Free trade" will no longer mean a free ride for Red China.
Furthermore, as President, I would take the preservation of our nation's sovereignty and independence extremely seriously. This means that the burgeoning North American Union is dead on arrival the day I am sworn in as President. Gone, too, is the NAFTA superhighway. And for that matter, I would lead the United States out of NAFTA and CAFTA altogether. And any prospect for the FTAA would be dead as well.
As President, I would be the best friend that gun owners (and lawful gun dealers), homeschoolers, and veterans ever had in the White House. These are three of the most persecuted, harassed, or overlooked groups of people in the country. But not if I were President.
There is no reason why our veterans should wait for weeks and months to receive the medical care they need. It is disgraceful that we would ask our brave men and women of the U.S. armed forces to fight our country's battles and then leave them to pretty much fend for themselves when it comes to receiving adequate health care. I would make taking care of our veterans an extremely high priority, if I were President.
If I were President, I would also do everything in my power to locate and retrieve any and all MIAs. I personally believe that there are hundreds of our servicemen who are yet being held against their will in various parts of the world. I would make finding them and bringing them home of utmost priority, if I were President.
On the home front, if I were President, I would end corporate welfare. I would also work to disband the Department of Energy (along with the Department of Education and many other federal departments). There is absolutely no reason for us to be dependent upon OPEC. There is enough gas and oil under the soil of Alaska (not to mention the Dakotas and the Gulf of Mexico) to meet the energy needs of the United States for the next 150-200 years. There is also no reason that gas should cost more than $1.50 a gallon (which is about what it was before Bush became President).
We must begin drilling for the domestic oil that we know exists; we must build more refineries and nuclear power plants. There is no reason why the United States cannot be mostly energy independent. It is time we started putting the people and interests of the United States ahead of the CEOs and interests of international corporations.
Lastly, if I were President, I would work feverishly to overturn the Sixteenth Amendment, which would repeal the Income Tax. And, no, I would not promote a national sales tax. That would be disastrous! Can you imagine what a 30% sales tax would do to the cost of EVERYTHING? Plus, give politicians a national sales tax to increase and just imagine what kind of percent that would grow into!
I would also work to repeal the "death tax," inheritance taxes, and property taxes. The American people are already paying somewhere between 30% and 40% of their income to Uncle Sam. It must stop. We are bankrupting our country with this incessant and burdensome tax system. In addition, I would work to expunge the Federal Reserve and to restore the American economy to sound money.
Now, I hear people say, That's easy for you to say; you are not a candidate for President. Ah, but now I am.
Last week, in its national nominating convention in Kansas City, Missouri, the Constitution Party nominated me as its 2008 Presidential candidate. Party delegates nominated me over Ambassador Alan Keyes by a margin of 74% to 24%. Therefore, I am now a candidate for President of these United States.
My Vice Presidential running mate is Darrell Castle, an attorney and Vietnam War Marine Corps veteran from Memphis, Tennessee.
Our web site is not online yet, but will be soon. We will be able to receive credit card donations when the web page is uploaded. The address of my campaign website
In the meantime, if anyone wants to support our campaign, checks may be written to:
Baldwin 2008
P.O. Box 131
Palmyra, New Jersey 08065
I believe it is only fair, as I continue to write these columns, that one understands the full disclosure of my candidacy.
As readers know, I enthusiastically supported Ron Paul during the Republican Primary season. I plan to continue to trumpet his call for limited government, non-interventionism abroad, constitutional government, and freedom into the general election as a Third Party candidate.
I do not expect the national media to pay us much heed; they seldom do. I do not expect to receive large donations from corporate America. I do expect criticism and ridicule. That is nothing new. However, I also anticipate tens of thousands of freedom-loving people from all religious persuasions and walks of life to rally to our cause. Why? Because thousands of principled people will not be bullied into voting for the "evil of two lessers" being shoved down our throats by the two major parties. Because this campaign is not about Chuck Baldwin. It is not about a political party. It is about freedom. It is about constitutional government. It is about restoring America to the founding principles bequeathed to us by our Founding Fathers. If you believe in those principles, join us!
In the meantime, these columns will continue to serve as a voice for America's founding principles, as they have for the past eight-plus years. In addition, unlike the candidates from the two major parties, the taxpayers are not underwriting my campaign, and I will continue my day job. (Imagine that: a Presidential candidate who actually works for a living!) And all of this is just in time for my 56th birthday, which is tomorrow, May 3.
There you have it: this is what I would do if I were President of these wonderful United States of America.
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