Final Blog

To start with I would like to thank everyone who has read and responded to my blog during this semester.  I hope if nothing else that I have given you something to think about when it comes to what our soldiers go through on a daily basis.  In this final blog I am going to talk about a couple of important dates which are fast approaching.

Memorial Day is fast approaching.

But there's a problem.  Most people have come to look upon Memorial Day as a kickoff for summer, a time for picnics and barbecues.  Memorial Day is much, much more than that.

We need to remember and we need to offer our respect for those who paid the price for our freedoms; we need to hold in sacred reverence the memory of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country.  We need to ensure that they are never forgotten.

Over the years, the original meaning and spirit of Memorial Day has faded from the public consciousness.

If it is considered a holiday, why?  I consider it to be a national day of mourning.  That is how we observe the day in our home.  Because of what that day represents, the rest of the days are our holidays.

Memorial Day is a day to stop and pay, with sincere conviction, our respects for those who died protecting and preserving the freedoms we enjoy, for they are owed more than we can ever repay.

On May 5, 1868, three years after the Civil War ended, the head of the Grand Army of the Republic, a fraternal organization of Union Army veterans, established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers.  Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30, a date believed to be chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.

Unfortunately, when Congress made Memorial day part of a mandatory three-day weekend through the National Holiday act of 1971, it made it all that much easier for us to be distracted from the spirit and meaning of the day.

It wasn't until after World War I that the day was expanded to honor those who have died in all American wares.  In 1971 Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress, though it is still often called Decoration Day.  It was then that it was also assigned to the last Monday in May, similar to other federal holidays relocated to Mondays.

These veterans lived and died, but not in vain, for they paused with us on their way to immortality--and our world is a better place for their efforts.

Let us never forget the sacrifices of those men and women--Our Patriots--who have paid the ultimate price to defend their country's freedom.

May they rest in Peace.

The perpetual light shines upon them.

This second part is actually a poem by anonymous titled "It is the Veteran"

Remember the Veteran on July 4th.

America's Independence Day is only so because of the courageous few who stood up on behalf of an oppressed people in the name of Freedom and still do today.

Freedom is NOT, and NEVER has been, FREE!

It is the Veteran, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the Veteran, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the Veteran, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the Veteran, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble.
It is the Veteran, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the Veteran, not the politician, who has given us the right to vote.
It is the Veteran, who salutes the Flag.
It is the Veteran, who serves under the Flag.
To be buried by the flag.
So the protestor can burn the flag.

Take a moment and thank those who have served and who are serving for the freedoms that you enjoy each and every day.

Thanks again for reading my blog during this school year.  Take care and good luck to you all.

Death

I know that this subject is taboo with some people.  I guess they think that if you don't talk about the subject then you will keep it at bay.  I was reading an aarticle today on Army Times and it was also on Yahoo about a Captain in Afghanistan who was talking to his wife on Skype (which he did every day) and she had the unpleasant experience of watching him die.  It was unfortunate (and the results of what caused his death have not been released) but his family is comforted with the fact that they had the opportunity to be together in his last moments.  I have experienced my share of loss in the last 10 years.  I quit counting the number of friends and people I knew who have died during our war on terror.  I live each day knowing that it could of been me at any time while I was deployed to Iraq.  I thank every person of our military who are serving, or have served and especially those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.  My blog next week will be the last one for this class assignment and I plan on writing about our next holiday.  Memorial day is fast approaching and I just want to give a little insight into that special day.

IRS

I read an article in the Army Times last week that really brought out the reasons that people so dislike the IRS.   This article was about the IRS seeking loan taxes from a family of a dead marine.  This marine paid the ultimate sacrifice for defending this country and the IRS goes after his mother and father regarding taxes on an education loan that the bank had forgiven.  The IRS considered this forgiveness as income and demanded to be paid for the taxes ($1000).  Hopefully with the help of Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-Tenn. who represents the families hometown we can ensure that this situation doesn't happen to other military families.  The Andrew P. Carpenter Tax Act, would exempt loan forgiveness as taxable income of anyone who dies while on active duty as a result of a service-connected injury or illness.  It would be retroactive to Oct 7, 2001, so that it would cover all the deaths since the start of combat operations in Afghanistan.  I guess it isn't bad enough that this marine was married with a child on the way and he never got the opportunity to see that child.  We have to compound the suffering of his family by demanding money for something that was forgiven by the lending institution.  Just makes you wonder doesn't it.

My Perspective of the State of the Union

I am a Desert Storm and War on Terror combat veteran who served over twenty years on active duty as an Infantry non-commissioned officer in the Army. I grew up in a country that I knew to be a beacon of hope and sanctuary for freedom loving people everywhere...a country that in my lifetime vanquished the cold grip of communism and the cold war. I am proud of my country and feel honored to have defended her through some difficult times.

Today I fear that my children and future generations of Americans may never know the sheer joy and exhilaration of waking up each day as a youngster in the country I once knew. I can still feel the warm glow of Saturday mornings waking up and watching cartoons on the television as my mom made pancakes, sausage and eggs. I would then go out to play in our neighborhood with the other boys and girls….usually cowboys and Indians or cops and robbers with our toy guns. In the summer, we would pitch plastic tents in the back yard or make forts out of old wood crates and cardboard boxes, and watch the stars at night. Our parents were not too concerned about our safety…in those days, grown-ups were very protective of children and were quick to correct them or take them by the ear and return them to their parents if they acted up or were disrespectful to others. I always felt safe around adults, particularly teachers and clergy. I had plenty of heroes to look up to…Audie Murphy, John Wayne, Tex Ritter, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers to name a few. These were adults who took on the bad guys and defended women, children and the sick & poor against all kinds of evil.

Politics were for grown-ups, but I remember watching the national political conventions on television as delegates proudly cast their ballots for presidential candidates amid much fanfare and state flag waving…without so much as a mention of their sexual orientation, racial background, or feelings about healthcare or global warming. The concern of these adults and most Americans was fighting the threat of communism, tyranny, and poverty while preserving the family and our free and open market system.

Consider the above in light of what we face in our “free” society today: the food police tell us we can’t eat eggs and sausage (unless synthetic, fat-free/cholesterol free). Showing American Indians on television is insensitive and defamatory. Cowboys are out since they remind us of George Bush and come from Texas or Arizona. Playing cops and robbers is too violent for children and promotes gun violence. Playing with homemade toys or structures not approved by the government is dangerous so wood crate forts are definitely out (along with the cardboard since it must be recycled). Children are no longer to be corrected by just any adult…they now have “rights” and can say or do most anything to anyone because of the threat of lawsuits. School officials and teachers hide behind the mythical shield of "separation of church and state" and fear of legal reprisals if they should discipline students or restrict their behavior in any way. Parents often compound the problem of the schools by shirking their responsibility to raise their children and set good examples through their own behavior….hey, it’s the anything-goes, do-your-own-thing, love-the-one-you’re-with society, right?

And who are the heroes and icons our children get to choose from today? Maybe you would pick people like Barak Hussein Obama, Johnny Depp, Lindsey Lohan, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Ronald Regan, or Rush Limbaugh; you’d be wrong. Time magazine picked these names as the most beloved Heroes & Icons in 2010:

Heroes & Icons
1. Michelle Obama
2. Chesley B. Sullenberger
3. Richard Phillips
4. Seth Berkley
5. Michael Eavis
6. Leonard Abess
7. Hadizatou Mani
8. Rick Warren
9. Van Jones
10. Somaly Mam

With the notable exception of Captain Sully Sullemberger, maybe the choices by Time Magazine really do reflect what the American People are looking for today in their culture…celebrities, victims, revolutionaries, cultural warriors, artists and community organizers who can change the world. After all, with Hollywood producers and directors who can rewrite the history of Pearl Harbor, WWII, JFK, Richard Nixon, Vietnam, the Cold War and our founding fathers, is it so terrible that our President thinks that there are 57 states and bows to foreign heads of state? It is actually not all the fault of Hollywood and the media that bad films are made and make money…they also make some remarkably good movies that just don’t get the headlines and “push” from the media. Take for example the HBO movie “Taking Chance” that follows the path of a fallen soldier killed in combat in Iraq as his remains are returned home. It is a moving story of personal courage shared by those whose lives are touched by this fallen warrior. It serves as an old fashioned reminder of how precious life truly is and how extraordinary are the men and women who love their country enough to risk their tomorrows for our today. We need more inspirational films like this one to fill in the gaps left by our failed educational system that rewards bureaucracy and stymies the factual teaching of American history and principles. And when it comes to making “creative” films, how about leaving the gore of Alien, Halloween “thrillers” and all the sordid themes of victimization, rape, murder, incest, mutilation and CSI remains examination out of films…it does nothing to advance society or enrich our childrens’ lives.

And while I’m at it, how about a change in our attitude towards politics? Politics should be about defining the mood and needs of the people who consent to be governed. It is not about those who govern, nor is it about the arrogance of power…it is about the responsibility to reflect the will of the people in the conduct of governance. It is time to return the American spirit to the ballot box and demonstrate once again that government in America is of, by and for the people…period. It is not a lifelong sanctuary for the ambitious, the arrogant or the greedy among us but rather the opportunity for a select few to serve one’s fellow citizens who have likewise pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to preserve the nation. Government must be trimmed to perform the essential functions intended by our founding fathers as outlined in the Constitution and only those other tasks specifically granted by the people from time to time.

I can only hope that my children and future grandchildren can help reverse the spiral of our country into the socialist abyss. If we and they cannot, then the last great hope for the world may truly be lost in a generation. Now is the time for all good men and women to stand together for America's future and move forward as a united Patriotic Tide.

"Ghost"

Debts and Debt Collectors

Many of us are probably in debt and sometimes wonder how we will ever get out of it.  I know that I only have about 8 months left on my truck and am praying that it continues to provide excellent transporation like it has.  I have forever left on my farm it seems.  It has gotten to the point lately that I wonder what the credit people were thinking when they grant us the means to buy things.  It is all dependent on a credit score that probably none of us truely understand or care to even try to understand.  We figure that as long as we are making the payments on time that everything is ok.  I read an article on the internet tonight about a lady who turned the tables on a debt collector.  That debt collector now owes her over $10 million dollars.  She realizes that she will probably never see any of the money.  I have noticed that a lot of these companies have sold the debts that owed them to debt buyers.  These debt buyers can sometimes go to extreme measures to try to collect the money.  The don't seem to be held to the same obligations that real banks, credit unions, and loan companies are.  I have run into that problem with the loan on my farm.  We orginally had our loan through Chase (yeah I know) and they sold it to some company in California without telling us in advance.  We didn't get anything from the new company until we were a month behind (according to them) even though we had sent our payment to Chase for that month.  I received 22 pieces of literature and numerous phone calls from the new lender and all of them started with we are seeking legal action and foreclosure against you since you have not made your payment.  Great way to start an new (longterm) relationship right?  It took me almost six weeks to get this all straightened out and yet when I filed taxes this year I found out that I was shortchanged on the money that they owed me for overpaying.  I will be only too happy to pay this loan off.  It's crazy when sometimes you hope that there would be a huge computer problem and all the records would be erased.  It's funny what you wish for when the future doesn't look as bright as we would like it.

America Calling!!!!!!

Hello?

America?

Are you there?

This is freedom calling.

Have you forgotten about me?

Perhaps we have, as Americans,forgotten about our long lost friend that we so fondly call 'freedom.'  Freedom is more than a guarantee, it is a state of mind, an emotion, and it is a rare commodity.  It gives us the independence to be self regulating and allows us to decide what the best is for ourselves, our family, and our future.  There is nowhere else in the world where you can experience freedom as boundlessly as you can here, in the United States of America.  In the famous words of Ronald Reagan, "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free."  Our freedom needs to be protected and watched over.

So why is it that so many Americans have lost sight of Freedom, in the name of being comfortable, having rights, and being ignorant t the perversion of our government?  Ah, yes, our government, the very structure put into place to ensure that our freedoms never get taken away, diminished or re-interpreted.  They promise no protection of our freedoms, but protection from ourselves, from our decisions and of our rights (which, by the way, they designate to us),

Isn't it clear?  They said, "you don't have the ability to save money for your retirement", so they tax us for social security and spend our hard earned money until we get to the age that they say we can retire at and slowly and systematically dispense our own money back to us.  That is, if you qualify to get your money back.  Social Security along with other government entitlement programs like welfare, unemployment and 'Obama Care' are basically the ways of the government saying, "you're too stupid to know what to do with your money, and we know better than you, so let us PROTECT you from yourself by providing you with these 'free' services."  In the infamous words of Thomas Jefferson,

"When the government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny."

America, it is time to wake up.  Wise up, And rise up.  Educate yourself about what the government is serving up to us.  Ask yourself how this is going to affect your freedom, and where it's going to stop.  Does it stop with another revolution?  Or does it stop with enlightenment?  We have a duty, as American citizens, to protect our freedoms and the things we believe in.  What do you believe in?

Message from Uncle Sam

I WANT YOU!!!

YES, I MEAN YOU!!

I want you to give back to me the America I Love.

I want you to embrace the Constitution of the United States of America.

I want you to go back and read what the Founding Fathers intended.

I want you to realize how precious your vote is, a vote not to be wasted on a politician: whom you know little about his or her thoughts and, actions.

I want you to think about all those who fought and, those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

I want you to stand up and protect that, which so many fought to preserve.

I want you to understand, it is now your turn to ensure their efforts were not in vain.

I want you to speak about this Nation in positive terms and praise, remembering, politicians come and go, Our America is to remain a beacon of light forever.

I want you to take on the responsibility of teaching, America’s Greatness to our children. Do not leave it to others, for they will not care, as much, as you do.

I want you refresh your own memory, with the history that I created for you.

I want you to thank every Military Veteran and, Active Military person that you meet.

I want you to thank your Creator for this incredible Land, that we are richly blessed to call home. 

Lovingly, Uncle Sam.

P.S Please remember to pray for our Military,they have done a magnificent job since we became a Nation.

Information Age

There have always been times in our history where an era has been defined by what the advancements that are happening at the time.  You have the industrial revolution which has in effect revolutionized all other advancements even to this day.  The industrial revolution started in the late 1750's and is continuing to this day be furturing the advancements in our society.  One of the advancements is our ability to be better informed about what is transpiring in our world every day.  You only have to read a paper, watch the news, or surf the internet to find out just about anything you want.  This is called the information age and it has helped make the world a smaller place.  At the same time though it has made it easier to share knowledge and also to steal that same knowledge.  You can do an internet search on just about any topic using a multitude of search engines to find out about any subject matter you are interested in.  Some of these sights are full of useful factual information and some of them are just full of jibberish.  The key is being able to tell the difference as you are researching any subject.  This information age has really brought the world to your doorstep.  During WWII you heard about the war by listening to your radio or you saw some film when you went to the theater.  It was all days old news.  During this latest War on Terror we have embedded reporters who are bringing you the fighting as it is happening.  Does that take it too far?  Are we placing our young men and women in a more dangerous situation?  Those questions are above my pay grade.  I like to be informed about the news and to keep myself up to date with what is happening in the world.  The rest of my family really doesn't care.  Unless it is affecting them they don't care.  Even while I was deployed to Iraq this last time they didn't watch the news to stay informed about what was happening over there.  I know that they care in their own way but at the same time that can be troubling to an individual because actions speak louder then words and their actions say "so what".  Enough about me though.  I just think that people should be more informed about what is transpiring in the world and have at least enough knowledge about those events that they could be proactive in a discussion instead of having that "deer in the headlights look" when you are talking about worldly events.  An informed individual is a benefit to the people around them.

American

     What does it mean to be an American?  Is it the same as being a United States citizen?  From my thinking and again this is my point of view I don't think that they are the same.  I say this because from what I see and read today we have too many hyphenated people.  What I mean by that is African-American, Mexican-American, Muslim-American.  What is wrong with just being American.  It used to be that there were block parties and you interacted with your neighbors.  You knew who your friends were and you could say anything to them.  Today our society has developed into a Public relations nightmare.  People are afraid to say what they really feel because they don't want the confrontation or the heartache that goes with it.  People are going through life like an actor in a play.  In a way it seems like a silent jihad is taking place.  We don't have to worry about the enemy destroying our way of life because we are doing it to ourselves.  The enemy doesn't have to cut our throat because of all the bleeding hearts in our society now we are slowly dieing.  This is only my point of view and maybe my thinking is wrong.  It just seems like we care more about how we treat the bad people then we do about the good.
     Just take this for an example.  If you had an altercation with a minority (you put your hand on his shoulder to get him to stop doing something illegal) and he pressed charges against you.  Would you be perceived as innocent or guilty?  Would our liberal media try you in the paper and on the news without knowing the full story?  Would you life basically be over as you know it?  These are just some of the questions that run through my mind when I read the internet and the watch the news.  It is no wonder we no longer really help others.  We used to get together as a community and do a barn raising.  They used to build a complete barn in just a couple of days.  Why?  Because everyone was involved.  Sometimes progress isn't for the better I think.  Just the rumblings of a concerned citizen of America.

Sacrifice

Tuesday my youngest son will be going up to the MEPs station in Kansas City and signing up to be in the United States Army.  He is choosing to go and I am so proud of him.  I have never forced my sons to follow my example and join the military and yet each of them did of their own accord.  My oldest is in the United States Air Force and currently in Great Falls, Montana guarding missile silos.  He is on orders to go to portugal in December and is very excited about the opportunity.  My second son is in the United States Army in Hawaii working with computers.  It is time for him to reenlist and he is exploring his options.  I am extremely proud of these three young men.  They have made it their responsibility in life to serve and possibly fight to protect our rights.  I was reading my copy of the Army Times this morning and started looking at the pictures of the fallen fromour war on terror.  I only looked at the Operation Iraqi Freedom pictures since that is where I served so much of my time.  Most people might know one or two people who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.  It was an emotional morning as I counted the number of fallen who I had served with and knew personally.  An Infantry platoon has 30 people in it and there are 3 Infantry platoon's in an Infantry company.  You can see by this example that when I say I knew and served with 58 people who have paid that sacrifice I am referring to almost two thirds of an Infantry company.  It makes me very sad, guilty, proud, and relieved all at the same time.  Knowing that there are men and women such as those who paid that sacrifice who willing join the military each and every day.  I know this because I have known three of these individuals for all of their lives and would gladly stand by their sides any day of the week.  I know that by my sons joining the military that they have placed themselves into the breach to defend our freedoms.  I know that at any time their time on this earth could come to an end and yet you can't deny that they enjoy each and every day of what they are doing.  I am the same as any parent out there who would gladly change places with the ones they love if they are in harms way but my heart beats proudly knowing that I have such strong sons to carry on the mission of defending this great nation.  I hope other people realize the sacrifices that our young men and women go through in order for you to go about your daily lives.

School Shootings

I was cruising the internet today when I saw the breaking news of a shooting in a California Christian School.  Initially it was said there were at least five people hurt and later it was reported that 5 people were killed.  This seems to be an escalating problem in our society.  After reading this article I did a search of other shootings and found a very disturbing trend.  Some so called experts will say that the people involved in the shootings have watched too much violence on TV or at the movies.  They have played too many violent video games.  I for one will say that those excuses are crap.  I have served 5 years in a war zone and that is more violent then any TV show or video game.  In those situations there is no starting over at a saved spot or just waiting until the next movie where you will see that actor and he is alive and well.  Another excuse you hear is that the person was picked on all the time and they didn't have many friends and so on and so on.  When do we as a society place the blame where it really should be placed?  Don't parents have the ultimate responsibility of teaching their children right from wrong?  Aren't they ultimately responsible for watching out for the welfare of society?  I know that my wife and I talk to our kids to see how their days went and how they are physically and mentally.  We are constantly in touch with our sons even today and two of them are thousands of miles away.  They have grown into very fine young men.  This subject strikes close to home for me because my youngest son was going to Joplin Memorial school a few years ago when there was a shooting there.  I was mad when this happened but not at the student so much as at the school administration and the parents of the shooter.  We as parents have this obligation from the time that we choose to become a parent.  Maybe we need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves if we are doing the best for our kids and society that we are able to.  If the answer is yes then congratulations and keep up the good work.  If the answer is no then you have some work ahead of you.  I wish you the best of luck.  Lets keep these people in our prayers.

Staff Sergeant Robert Bales

The top military story in the last few weeks has been the 17 murders in Afghanistan by Staff Sergeant Robert Bales.  This has been front page news which isn't surprising since it is really the only news from the war front.  I remember when 9-11 initially happened and it was all over the news.  You could read or watch anything without it reflecting on the war on terror.  It is only a formality during the trial that he will be found guilty and be sentenced to Fort Leavenworth Kansas which is reserved for the most hardened military criminals.  It is the only maximum security prison in the military.  We will probably never hear the full story behind what drove this soldier to do these crimes.  We do our military servicemembers a disservice by not really understanding what they are going through.  Soldiers see it as a means of weakness to admit that they can't handle their feelings so they don't seek help.  Our leaders are busy preparing and training soldiers to be ready to deploy and fight the enemy and really aren't fully trained when it comes to watching for the signs of mental unstability.  Soldiers are humans and they really can't compartmentilize their feelings.  Even while deployed you are wondering what is going on with your family.  One bad letter from the homefront can change everything for that soldier in the deployed theater of operations.  This war has been going on for almost 11 years now and soldiers are tired both mentally and physically.  On top of that the American people are saying that the war is no longer popular.  I have almost 5 years of being in a war zone as both a soldier and as a government contractor.  The average American can not fathom what our service men and women see and do on a daily basis in order to protect their freedoms.  Don't judge every person you see in uniform just because of the terrible acts of a select few.  I know that I served with some of the best and brightest during my 20 plus years and I salute them all.

Spring Break

What a refreshing time last week was.  The ability to just relax from school work.  It was really helpful in the recharging of my batteries in order to finish out this semester.  Working 12 hours a day and taking 15 hours of online classes can become taxing to the old brain every now and then.  It takes a lot of dedication to get all of your assignments in on time and to the best of your ability.  You can not just sit back and wait until the last minute to do these things.  If you do then you could be in for a world of hurt if an emergency arose and you couldn't get something done ontime due to your prcrastination.  I know that I am ready to finish out this semester and see what the future brings.  I was going to take summer school but maybe I will just take the summer off and come back strong in the fall.  Still haven't decided on that one yet though.  I hope everyone had a great break and is ready to get back to the books.

     I have been thinking alot about the future lately.  There are so many questions that you can ask yourself and so many things that you should or could prepare for.  Does that make you a person that others say don't grasp the importance of living in the here and now?
     I know how to live in the here and now.  Believe me when I say that I have learned to live in the moment and to stop and smell the roses.  After fighting in two wars for this nation I definitely know how to do that.  At the same time I know how important it is to have contingency plans for the unexpected.  It is better to be prepared for the unexpected then it is to react.  The whole concept is to prepare for the bad things and hope for the good.  I wrote another blog about the show doomsday preppers that is currently on TV.  Some people see them as being crazy and yet I feel a sort of kinship with them.  I know how important it is to be prepared.  I personally think that some of them take it to the extremes but that is their life and we have no reason to judge or dictate what they do.  That is one of the freedoms in this country.  Yes they have spent a lot of money in that lifestyle but they justify the expenses as a means to continual survival if the SHTF.
     Ask yourself what you would do if the economy crashed or there was a solar flare that knocked out the power grid for good?  All that money you have in the bank (ha ha) would be for naught because you wouldn't be able to get to it.  Do you have enough food and water in your home for at least 3 days?  Do you something that you would be able to trade in order to get these items?  That is all that prepping is about and that is some of the things that I have been thinking about lately.
     My mother-in-law lives with us and she puts all of her faith in God and says he will take care of her and provide.  She tells me that I some of the things that I have bought and built are not necessary and yet I have also read the bible and believe in God.  I also know that God wouldn't of put me in some of the situations I have been in during my life if it wasn't to teach me how to use certain skills.  People are put in our lives for a purpose.  Maybe my purpose is to be the protector for my mother-in-law and my family.  Just my thoughts about the future.

Liquid Gold

     I found an interesting article on the internet today regarding the rise in the theft of Tide detergent from retailers.  This is not because there is a rise in the amount of laundry people are doing.  Some authorities are saying this is because of the tough economy and the rise in inflation that has gripped this nation in the last few months.  Thieves are targeting this particular brand of detergent because it is readily identifiable because of the orange bottle and it also the top end of the product line.  There was one thief who stole over $15000 worth of this product before he was apprehended.
     Authorities are saying this might be the new form of drug currency.  Do this mean that the drug market is cleaning up its act?  Just kidding.  Retailers are trying to combat these thefts by locking up the product just like you would for high end electronic products.  Pretty bad when you have to find a store employee to open a cage in order for the average citizen to buy a bottle of Tide in order to go home and wash their clothes.  An average bottle sells for $5-$10 on the black market according to current estimates.  There are also retailers who are putting a security tag on the bottles just like you do for computer games.  If you try to walk out of the doors of the store the alarm would go off.  That doesn't make me any happier about shopping.  I hate it when I go through the checkout lanes and even though they swipe the article over that magnetic thing and yet the alarm goes off when you walk through the door to go to your car.  It is actually pretty frustrating for the average consumer.
     This is becoming a nation wide problem.  When major news networks are carrying this story then we need to start paying better attention to our surroundings.  We as a society don't think nothing of seeing theses bottles being carried around in public.  Drug dealers could very well reuse these empty bottles to transport their product.  Just my observations.

Remeberance of Our Greatest Generation

Last night I found out about the death of a man I admired and trusted.  He went ot meet his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Tuesday evening.  I had the opportunity to talk to this gentleman very often over the last few years.  It was never about what I had done in the military it was just about life.  Why is this titled a rememberance of our greatest generation?  Americas greatest generation was the generation who put their lives on hold for 3 to 4 years to go serve during World War II.  They voluntarily joined to defend this great nation.  Their deployment was for the duration of the conflict plus 6 months.  I know that when I was in we had complaints about being gone for a year to 18 months.  Can you fathom the courage it took to go volunteer not knowing when or if you would return?  I can't and I did it at one time.  My friend was in the Navy and spent over 3 years in the Pacific.  He was a part of the Iwo Jimo invasion.  If you have never read or seen anything about this invasion you need to check it out.  The Japanese did not believe in surrendering at all.  They wrote letters home saying goodbye because they were going to fight to the death.  A glorious death was an honorable thing, surrender was a lack of honor to you and your family and that was not allowed in their society.  I will miss my friend and teacher but I know in my heart that he is in a better place.  Go with God my friend and have a peaceful journey.  Our greatest gerneration was just that - the Greatest.

Syrian Unrest

     Today on Yahoo is a headline where Senator John McCain is asking for the US to start bombing Syria just as NATO did with Libya in order to dislodge Muammar Qaddafi.  Senator McCain is the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee and he states, "The ultimate goal of airstrikes should be to establish and defend safe havens in Syria, especially in the north, in which opposition forces can organize and plan their political and military activities against Assad."
     This uprising started with public demonstrations on 26 January 2011 as part of a wider Arab Spring, a wave of upheaval throughout the Arab World.  It is now a nationwide uprising.  The protestors are demanding the resignation of President Bashar al-Assad, the overthrow of his government, and an end to nearly five decades of Ba'ath Party rule.  Is this a result of our invasion of Iraq?  Did we give the people the 'backbone" to put themselves into the "breach"?
     To quell these uprisings the Syrian government deployed the Syrian Army and it resulted in several cities being besieged.  According to witnesses, soldiers who refused to open fire on civilians were summarily executed by the Syrian Army.  Of course the government says theri were no defections and blamed "armed gangs" for the trouble.  In answer to this action civilians and army defectors formed fighting units which began the insurgency campaign against the Syrian Army.  The problem with the civilians in the lack of organized leadership.
     The Aljazeera web site is covering this story very thoroughly.  The question though is if we get involved will that turn all the other "muslim" nations against us even more?  Since this is a Ba'ath party issue will it lead to an uptick in al-Qaeda actions?  Will this become a playground for terrorists to perfect their trade?
     I went to see the movie "Act of Valor" this weekend and it brought a lot of questions and feelings that struck me to the bone.  I couldn't stop crying at the end of the movie.  I know what it is like to be in those situations and to know what the price could be for the decisions that we make.  I know that the American people are tired of war and so am I but I also know that the military doesn't decide to just go on these missions.  The military is a tool in the diplomats bag and hopefully it is the tool of last resorts.  Human life is fragile and needs to be protected even though the cost of that protection is high.  Even if other people don't take human lives into the equation of their actions we need to.  I think that everyone should be free and have the freedom to speak what they really feel.  When you go to bed tonight stop and look in the mirror and ask yourself this question.  Did I do everything in my power today to make the world a better and safer place to live?

North Korea

I wonder how many American citizens are paying attention to what is happening in North Korea right now.  I know that the major headline a month or so ago was the death of the North Korean leader and the uncertainty of how how his son would lead.  Would his son continue on with the development and possible use of Nuclear Weapons or would he look at ways to help his country grow and prosper?

I served a tour of duty on the Korean pennisula during my time in the United States Army and to say that it was a stressful year is an understatement.  You are briefed about the dangers from the day that you get there and it is reinterated during your time there in the way that you do your job.  Korea is still a war torn country and there is still a great deal of tension between North and South.  I had never seen a country that was poised for war more then when I was stationed there.

Recently there have been stides made by the United States, South Korea, North Korea, and China in regards to a possible nuclear disarmament.  There is an agreement in place right now with North Korea that they will suspend major elements of its atomic weapons program.  Our part of the agreement is in a pledged food aid shipment.  The draw back to this is that we need to be guarded but optimistic at the same time.

I say that because there have been many false hopes when it has come to this issue with North Korea.  There is a history of failed nuclear agreements dating back to the signing of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty of 1985 when North Korea does not sign a safeguard deal with the IAEA because they are demanding the withdrawl of US forces from South Korea.

I hope and pray that this is the real one but I hope at the same time that we are being vigilant in regards to our National Security and not letting our eyes watch the birdy while the hand is stealing from our pocket.

"Saving Face"

The overall treatment of women in this world is horrendous.  Our country is one of the few in which women aren't treated as property of a man.  In a lot of the Third World countries a woman is lower then the animals that the man owns.  Her only two purposes are cooking and reproducing sons.  Daughters are looked at as a liability because it will cost the man in the end to marry them off.  I know from my experiences in the Middle East on how women are treated.

I was reading a couple of articles yesterday and wanted to share them with you.  The first one was about how some women in the Middle East are disfigured with acid being thrown in their faces for just the slightest thing.  If the wife of a man doesn't want him to marry another woman she might tell him no and the man would throw acid in her face so she would spend the rest of her life in and out of hospitals with a disfigued face.

The real difficulty here is that many of these attacks are not reported so the advocates for women's rights in these countries can not fight for them.  These are male dominated society and even when the culprits are reported, caught, and tried they are usually let off with little more than a slap in the face.  The woman is still disfigured and considered an outcast for the rest of their lives.

Filmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy just won an Academy Award for her short documentary "Saving Face" in which documents several of these attacks and has helped format a new law in Pakistan to combat these attacks.  This new law deals out a mandatory prison term of 14 years to life for the culprit.

This is a big thing because for once Pakistan is in the news for something other than Taliban.  I pray that someday there is a true justice in this world.  Why can't people just see each other for the good that they can bring to the world and just live together in peace.  We are all human and we will argue because no two people will see everthing the same but why do we have to result to violence.  Just look in the mirror and ask yourself this question at the end of each day.  "Did I do everything in my power to make the world a better place today with my actions?"

The documentary will be shown on HBO on March 8th.

European Bailout of Greece

I don't know how many of you pay attention to world news but I do.  My extended family doesn't (didn't keep track while I was deployed to a war zone for 5 years but that is another story).  If you were listening to the news on Monday night you might of heard about the European Bailout of Greece.  This is the second bailout by the European finance community.  They are doing this to try to stabilize the Euro.  According to some experts in this country that is a bad thing.  They felt that the first bailout should of fixed the problem.  Does throwing more money at something fix it?  I guess we know the answer is no.  $170 billion is a lot to try to fix a problem but when you think about that figure remember that this is the second really huge amount that has been given.  I was in Germany in the late 80's and returned in the early 90's and also in 2003.  While I was there the first time it was the Deutchemark as the local currency.  The second time there is when they changed to the Euro.  Now it is the major currency for that continent.  If you have ever listened to any signs of the end of times one of those warning signs is a one world currency.  Are we headed that way?  Is there really any currency right now that is stronger then any other?  Are any of these currency actually backed by any hard material.  We were taken off of the gold standard in the late 40's and all we do now is print money that is really not backed by anything then the word of the federal reserve.  Our dollar has depreciated so much in just the last 10 years that the buying power is shameful.  Image if you will that you were lucky or blessed and won one of the current lotteries.  Would you take the lump sum or the yearly payments?  A lot of people I think would take the yearly payments.  The only drawback to that from my viewpoint is the increasing decline of the buying power of our dollar.  By taking payments you receive the same amount every year but you will actually be able to buy less and less if the standard continues in the same fashion that it is now.  I really believe that the way to fix an economic problem is to give to the lowest denominator and let the money move its way back up the system.  Why reward the people who made the bad decisions and investments by wiping the board clean and letting them do it all over again.  Where is the accountability?  If that was you or me we would already be out on the street or sleeping in our car.  We sure wouldn't be living in mansions and having a golden umbrella retirement plan.

Random Thoughts

The more I watch TV and read the news the more I think about the what ifs.

What does the future hold for us?  Where is our country headed?  Is 2012 really the end?  What do we do if there really is a major disaster?

How many people would really step forward to lead and how many would just step forward to take - burn, pillage, and kill?

Do Americans really know what "EVIL" looks like?

After spending almost 5 years in the Middle East and seeing people who have no regard for life at all I know that I know what evil looks like and have no qualms about stopping it before it spreads.

The whole idea behind prepping for things is that you want to be ready when they happen.  You could be prepared for something totally outlandish but isn't that better then having to react to a situation that is totally out of your control.  You prep for it but at the same time you hope and pray that it never happens.

This isn't supposed to be a downer blog.  It is supposed to get you thinking about things that are not in your comfort zone.  That is what makes us different then the other animals on this planet.  We can think about and discuss things and try to make the world a better place each day instead of letting it go to hell in a handbasket.

Doomsday Preppers

This show hit the airwaves last week and I have watched the first 3 episodes and have liked some of the things but some of the things that some of these people are doing or not doing is totally maddening.  Some of them don't think that people will turn dangerous if some of these doomsday things happen.  That is totally unrealistic if you just pay attention to the way people react today in a "normal" society.

I know some of the things that I would do and be prepared for if one of those situations happened and the main one is being prepared to defend myself and my loved ones.

Lin Mania

If you watch sports then you will know what I am talking about when I say "Lin Mania".  The New York Knicks and the city of New York have been going crazy for the the last week because of the exceptional play of a player that had been cut from 2 other teams and was on the verge of being cut again.  If it weren't for injuries he probably would of been.  Jeremy Lin is taking advantage of the opportunity that has been presented to him.  He has stepped forward to showcase his talents in the last few days.  People have been surprised to say the least.  This has caused people to react almost as they did for Tim Tebow.  Mr. Lin was so unsure of his future with the team that he hadn't even rented an apartment.  He started sleeping on his brothers couch and now he is sleeping on a team mates couch.  Maybe now he can finally set down some roots.  The man definitely doesn't lack confidence in himself and now his teammates are behind him.  Just watching their reactions makes watching their game worthwhile.  I am in no means a Knicks fan.  My team is the Dallas Mavericks but I like and enjoy watching players who don't lack confidence and yet aren't so conceited that it is a totally impossible to like them.

Changes to my life because of 9/11

By growing up in a small town farming community I know that a lot of people might read the paper or listen to the news.  The one thing about a small town community that I enjoyed was the closeness of the people and yet at the same time the lack of grasping the importance of some events since they don’t impact the everyday life of the individuals in the community.

                After the events of 9/11 you might have paid a little more attention to start with but as time went by and your life was greatly affected you went back to doing your business as usual.

                As for myself, my life was turned upside on 9/11.  The military immediately went to a high state of alert and security.  It would take you hours to get to work because of the check points that were established to enter the military bases.  I only lived one mile from base and it would take me two hours to drive to work or only 20 minutes to walk.

                A usual day prior to 9/11 was 0530 morning platoon sergeants meeting and then work until around 1700 (5pm).  After 9/11 we were working around 18-20 hours a day preparing for any mission or contingency we might be called upon to do.  To come to work your vehicle was searched, your identification card was verified and then you were allowed to proceed.  To go into any military building you had to show your identification card and your bags were checked even if you were in uniform.

                Even today while working on a military base in Iraq I have to show my identification card to enter the mess hall, the MWR building, and the Post Exchange.  Yes they are an inconvenience but they are only looking out for our safety by ensuring that no insurgent gains access to these areas.

                Every day that goes by I look at the soldiers who are defending our great country and our way of life and my chest swells with pride knowing that not too long ago I was one of those people.  I say a small prayer every time I see them headed out the gate to go do a recon mission, a route clearance mission, a raid, or an escort mission.  I pray that they can come back in one piece.  

                These are just some of the thoughts running through my head as I go through my days here in Iraq supporting our great troops.  If you have thoughts of your own please feel free to give me a message and let me know. 

Time

I watched the move "In Time" today and had some very rewarding thoughts on the concept of the movie.  What if everything we had we paid with by using the time remaining in our lives.  What could we live without?  It would really put the saying "Hard days work for a hard days pay."  You would have to work very hard to meet the quotas in order to get the time you needed for even a cup of coffee.  How easy or hard would this make your world?  Just my thoughts.

My Thoughts From Camp Echo Iraq on 26 July 2008

Well here I am again in the desert in Iraq working along side the men and women who serve our great country.  The place that I am at right now is a multi-national base.  At this base we have soldiers from several different countries.  The following countries are represented here: Poland, Ukraine, Mongolia, Latvija, Salvador, Armenia, Romania, Bulgaria, and of course the US.  There are so many cultures that are so diverse that trying to find a common thread can seem like a daunting task.

            I’ve been back here for only a couple of weeks and yet sometimes it feels like I never left.  There have been so many improvements to the country that the American people are just unaware of because the reporters don’t think that it is a story that the people would be interested in.  I think that if the American people had a full picture of what the soldiers are doing here they might understand why we are still here.

            Did the people back home during and following World War II demand that we bring our troops home following the war.  I am not saying we will still be here fifty or sixty years from now like we are in Germany and Korea.  America has a habit of helping countries rebuild following wars in which we are involved in.  We helped Germany and Korea rebuild following those wars.  It is just the same now.  We are helping the Iraqi people rebuild their country.  Unlike following WWII and the Korean War we are having to rebuild from a thirty year occupation of a dictator who didn’t care about the welfare of the average citizen or the economy or the living conditions.  We have an obligation to the average Iraqi citizen to show them the generosity of the American people by helping them learn to stand on their own two feet.

            We have helped them rebuild their schools, hospitals, and roads just for starters.  We have helped to ensure that the children have clothes to wear and the necessary supplies to gain an education.  The things we do for the children will influence what kind of society and country this will become.  Iraq has so much culture to offer the world that we also owe our children an opportunity to see it first hand and the only way that will happen is if we stay the course and finish the job we started.

            I have watched some of the election news since I have been here and wish to share some of my thoughts about what I see happening if our new president changes things too drastically too fast.

            I have heard people say that they are going to vote for a Democrat just because they are tired of a Republican being in office.  I have also heard people say that they won’t vote because they don’t like either of the choices.  Both of these outlooks are wrong in my way of thinking.  Voting for a Democrat just because then are you making an informed decision or just a blind assumption that he will be the better choice.  Choosing not to vote is almost as bad because then you are not letting your voice be heard.  It’s not like you won’t have to listen to the Commander-in-Chief just because you didn’t vote for him.

            Some of the things I have read about the Democratic candidate makes me really question what people see in him.  He seems to be a pacifist because he wants to outlaw guns, he wants to try to talk our enemies into seeing things our way, he wants the American people to learn Spanish (why??) as a mandatory class in school, and on top of all of this he has no experience dealing with international policy.  Don’t get me wrong he does have some good ideas and he is very well spoken.  I just don’t feel like he is the right person for the most important job in America.

            The American people need to understand that the men and women who serve in the armed forces are guarding your freedoms.  They don’t like being over here any more than you like them being here.  All of these people know why they joined the service and they do their job every day working in adverse conditions.  The American people can not picture evil in a physical form.  Terrorist are pure evil.  They don’t care who gets hurt.  If you don’t believe and practice the Muslim religion then you are an infidel and deserve to perish in the most hideous manner they can think of.  They have no regard for human life.

            In America we have shopping malls, strip malls, used car lots, new car lots and sports stadiums.  Americans also adhere to schedules unlike the Iraqi people.  We are constantly looking at our watches because we always have somewhere else to be.  These are just a few of the places that Americans gather in great numbers and they don’t have those places over here.  Now I am going to paint you a picture of what might happen if the troops are pulled out of Iraq before the mission is accomplished.

            It is a Saturday afternoon and you are driving down Range Line with all of those strip malls and car lots.  Every one of those cars on the lot have fuel in the tank for test drives.  Late Friday night an unknown individual placed a small package with a timer under the gas tank of a vehicle located in the middle of the car lot.  At a prescribed time in the late afternoon or early evening this package explodes and in doing so ignites all of the other gas tanks.  Can you picture the chaos and destruction this would cause.  While the people are responding to this attack and helping the injured and dead there is another package waiting to go off that will injure or kill the first responders.  This is a terrorist attack that can be repeated over and over and over again.

            If you think that this can’t or won’t happen then you are not living in reality.  We were attacked before using one means of transportation so don’t think they won’t do it again on a larger scale.  Just think if they planned this like they did the plane crashes they could target multiple cities on the same day.

            I don’t condone war but sometimes you have to fight fire with fire.  America is a great country but a few attacks like what I just described how would you feel about helping your friends and neighbors if they are the ones injured.  Would you rush in there to help or would you hesitate to act out of fear of the unknown?  I for one don’t want to take the chance that this could become a reality.

            These are just a few of my thoughts from here in Iraq.  I would really like to hear what other people think about this. 

Thoughts of What IF

I enjoy reading a lot.  I have a Kidle Fire with almost 100 books on it and I have only had it since the middle of November.  My favorite author is William Johnstone.  He wrote western series about Mountain Men and another series called "Out of the Ashes".  Both of these series can be thought provoking.  When I am reading the western series I think about likfe back then and whether or not I would of been able to survive in that time.  My favorite dream is having a ranch of my own and just enjoying every day that I had in order to make a go of that ranch.  The other series was written in the 1980's but if you read it today you would say to yourself that the things in the book are happening today.  This series gets you to thinking about what you would do if this situation happened.  Could you survive?  Would you look out for your neighbors or would you become one of the burdens to society?  Would you be self-sufficient or would you have a hand out waiting for the government to take care of you?  The good thing about books is the fact that if you read you work your imagination and that gets the thought process going so that maybe if something unexpected happened you wouldn't be helpless.

Election Time - My thoughts on the last Presidential Election

• Our government has kept us in a perpetual state of fear -- kept us in a continuous stampede of patriotic fervor -- with the cry of grave national emergency. Always there has been some terrible evil at home or some monstrous foreign power that was going to gobble us up if we did not blindly rally behind it by furnishing the exorbitant funds demanded. Yet, in retrospect, these disasters seem never to have happened, seem never to have been quite real.
• A Soldier Speaks: Public Papers and Speeches of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Douglas_MacArthur

General Douglas MacArthur stated:  “History fails to record a single precedent in which nations subject to moral decay have not passed into political and economic decline.  There has been either a spiritual awakening to overcome the moral lapse, or a progressive deterioration leading to ultimate national disaster.” http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Douglas.MacArthur.Quote.4070

            In Medieval Europe no one voted except the kings.  In colonial America only landowners voted.  After the Revolution, states gradually let those without land vote, but many had religious and literacy test. http://www.house.gov/house/Constitution/Amend.html  In 1870, the 15^th Amendment let former slaves vote.  In 1920, the 19^th Amendment let women vote.  In 1924, American Indians could vote in Federal Elections.  In 1964, the 24^th Amendment let vote those who could not pay a poll tax.  In 1965, the Voting Rights Act removed literacy tests.  On JUNE 22, 1970, President Nixon extended the Voting Rights Act to let 18-year-olds vote.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_v._Mitchell The Supreme Court, in Oregon v Mitchell, limited this right so the 26^th Amendment was passed in 1971 to confirm it.  President Nixon stated March 24, 1970: “In other area, too, there were long struggles to eliminate discrimination…Property and even religious qualifications for voting persisted well into the 19^th century-and not until 1920 were women finally guaranteed the right to vote.”  On August 24, 1972, Nixon said; “For the first time in the 195-year history of this country, men and women 18 to 21 years of age will have the chance to vote.”

            The President of the United States is a king (for a time) within his sphere, though he may not exercise his power effectively.  That is why the founding fathers created the three branches, so no man could be KING.  A King has absolute power.  No President should.

            This is the problem we face.  Does the average citizen actually know who they are voting for?  Does the average citizen understand what the president can and can’t do?  Does the average citizen know what Congress can and can’t do?  A president can veto any bill sent to his desk, but congress can easily over-ride that with sometimes as little as a majority vote, other times it takes a 2/3rds majority vote.  George Bush Sr. was made out to be such a liar because he increased the taxes.  Well, it was never him that increased taxes, it was Congress.  It also seems that the public somehow thinks that Republicans raise taxes on the lower and middle class yet give huge tax breaks to the wealthy.  It doesn’t work that way.  A tax raise is a tax raise, it affects everyone, only difference is, the rich and wealthy can pay accountants and tax specialists to cut the corners, and use loop holes that the average American citizen doesn’t about.

            The average citizen also seems to think that the president has power over the price of things, such as gasoline….  The president doesn’t have power over the price of gasoline.  Maybe he can help put a few new regulations in place, that can help just a little, or when he releases some of the gas reserves we have in storage, but it doesn’t help all that much.  Congress, for years on end voted against alternative fuel vehicles.  Even back in the 60’s there was capabilities to build natural gas vehicles, or build electric vehicles, but except for personal use, Congress voted them down.  It wasn’t until a few years ago that Congress gave the go ahead to manufacture and sell alternative fuel vehicles.  Why?  Well, for years Congress made huge amounts of revenue from the oil companies for the sale of oil and gas.  Finally Congress has come around and made it legal.  So the oil companies have actually shot themselves in the foot.  I for one am tired of their prices.  So, once there are some really good alternative fuel vehicles available, which means the assets to recharge them, if electric, or a means to fuel them if they are natural gas type, I’ll be getting one.  And that’s probably going to be the case with most people.  So once that hits, the gas and oil companies, which is really only one with a monopoly over the market anyhow, will lower oil and gas prices drastically.

            I feel that it is unfair to say that Mr. McCain is just parroting President Bush.  First of all, I’ll tell you one thing he’ll do differently that President Bush… he won’t fold under pressure from the extreme left.  Mr. McCain will keep Congress in check, like a President is supposed to, and he’s going to kick all civilian leadership out of the war.  He’s already seen this movie, back in the 70’s… he didn’t like it then, and he doesn’t like it now.

            We are talking about a man, who when he was told he would be released from the North Vietnamese prison camp, refused to leave, unless every POW, in that prison was returned, as well.  In exchange for this show of courage and bravery he was tortured and placed in solitary confinement for years. What has Mr. Obama done to show that kind of honor or courage?

            Mr. Obama talks about hope and change, but has yet to tell the American people what any of that means or how to go about accomplishing it.

            Mr. McCain is straight-forward and brutally honest when talking about our great country.  He isn’t a real politician; he’s a fighting man, with battle-proven leadership skills.

            I feel that Mr. McCain is *exactly* what we need, for the next years… maybe even the next 8.

            But, our president is the leader of our country whether we are citizen or soldiers, so, we are duty bound to follow him in either instance.  Whether we voted for him or not.

            Also Mr. Obama wants to pull us out of Iraq.  Well…this isn’t the right answer.  We need to stay until Iraq is ready to run itself.  The public didn’t complain much when we’re still in Germany, Japan, or Korean.  It takes time to get a country up and going strong after it loses in a war and the established Government that was, is no longer.  If we stick to our guns, soon Iraq will be on its feet fully.  When that happens we will have a valuable ally and a useful trade resource for cheaper oil and cheaper gas.  Yet Mr. Obama wants to pull us out and leave the job unfinished.  If we leave then Iran will try to fill the power vacuum left by our premature departure.  It takes time.  It might even take longer then the project 2013.  At least Mr. McCain understands and has said that that is a tentative timeline depending on the status of the Iraqi government meeting their requirements on the security of their country.  Mr. Obama says we will pull out regardless.  We’re making major progress here and we need to complete the job.

            Mr. Obama at the same time he says we are pulling out of Iraq wants to expand the war in Afghanistan, and is even talking of pursuing invaders across the Pakistani border.  When we invaded Iraq it was not an ally but Pakistan is.  What are we doing if we invade Pakistan, do you think they are going to just lie down and let us in there?  If we do that we are trading one war front that we are now winning and making progress, for another war which we haven’t even started with a country we are currently allies with but won’t be if we invade.  What is the proper choice here?  Democrats and the general public call President Bush a WAR MONGER….well….what would you call Mr. Obama????

Mr. Obama may be a smart man, but I don’t think he is the right man to be president.   Obama refuses to render honors to the National Anthem, and pays only lip-service to the Pledge of Allegiance.  He has called the American Flag a “symbol of oppression”, and until it became a big issue during his campaign he refused to wear the same lapel pin that *all* of the other candidates wear, giving the excuse that he “doesn’t want to be seen as taking sides” (if he’s running for President of the United States, he’d better DAMN WELL BE ON OUR SIDE).  He has –on record- commented that all American forces are doing, in Iraq and Afghanistan, is “bombing villages, and killing civilians”.

            Mr. Obama has no military experience which to me is a necessary requirement to be Commander-in-chief of the most powerful military force in the world.  Mr. Obama is saying things to the public that they want to hear.  He wants to pull out of Iraq and says that we will be out of here within 16 months of him becoming president.  It takes time to move a force this large.  You can’t just have everybody and everything move at the same time to the same locations.  It took us over 2 years to fully pull out of Vietnam and we didn’t do nearly the same kind of infrastructure build up there as we have here.  We didn’t have nearly as many armored vehicles there as we do here.  Do we just leave these things to our enemies to use against us when they bring the war to our door step?  He is only promising people what they want to hear by saying that he will start pulling out troops his first day in office and it just won’t happen that fast.

            Mr. Obama believes in massive increases in government intervention and spending which by definition must involve greater increases in taxation (theft), deficit spending (debt incursion), and/or inflationary monetary policies (Federal Reserve money printing), and therefore greater increases in rights-violations, specifically private property.

            As opposed to having the free-market take care of energy, healthcare and other vital industries, Mr. Obama would rather have the government control these industries.  Well, this leaves one question – at whose expense?

            In regards to healthcare, who will pay for universal (socialist) government provided healthcare?  Who will be forced, involuntarily, to finance the healthcares of other people, against their will?  The American taxpayer that’s who.

            People talk about Mr. McCain’s health as if that is the major issue about electing him.  What about President Roosevelt?  If he was running today would we vote for him?  He led our country out of the Great Depression and led us through most of World War II.  He was one of our greatest president’s. 

           

            545 human beings out of the 300 million of our population – are most emphatically NOT directly, legally, morally and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plaque this country.  You’re responsible for your own damn problems.  The Federal Government’s true responsibilities are few and well enumerated in our Federal Constitution.  Anything else they do is stuff they’re really not supposed to do, but nobody’s stopping them from doing it (ever seen a street protest demanding dissolution of the Department of Education?). 

Systemic government reform for us requires cultural reform, and this reform is now under way.  Restoration of liberty and virtue in our nation is gradually taking place through a more enlightened public, but beneficial change seems to take a lot longer than detrimental change.  It is almost like gaining weight.  Putting on the pounds is a whole lot easier then losing them.

            Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them thinking the public doesn’t know the difference.  Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, then why do we have deficits?  Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, then why do we have inflation and high taxes?  They really don’t want you to know the truth. 

You and I don’t propose a federal budget.  The President proposes the budget.  You and I don’t have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations.  Only the House of Representatives does.  You and I don’t write the tax code.  Congress does.  You and I don’t set fiscal policy.  Congress does.  You and I don’t control monetary policy.  The Federal Reserve Bank does.  Note that the President is not in this circle. 

One hundred Senators, 435 Congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court Justices – 545 human beings out of the 300 million of our population – are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plaque this country.  One of those cannot do it alone! 

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress.  In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered but private central bank. 

I also excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason.  They have no legal authority to do anything.  They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing.  I don’t care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash.  That politician has the power to accept or reject it. 

No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator’s responsibility to determine how he and he alone will cast his vote. 

A CONFIDENCE CONSPIRACY – Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault when in reality it is and they know it.  They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.  What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall.  No normal human being would have the gall of a SPEAKER, who stood up and criticized G.W. Bush for creating deficits when in fact it’s the House under the leadership of that Speaker who originates spending bills. 

The President can only propose a budget.  He cannot force the Congress to accept it.  The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes.  Who is the Speaker of the House?  In the current case, Mrs. Pelosi.  She is the leader of the majority party.  She and fellow Democrats, not the President, can approve any budget they want.  If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto. 

REPLACE THE SCOUNDRELS – It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million voters cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted – by present facts – of incompetence and irresponsibility to the people of this great country. 

I can’t think of a single domestic problem, from an unfair tax code to defense overruns that is not traceable directly to those 545 people.  When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise power over the federal government, and then it must follow what exists is what they want to exist. 

If the tax code is unfair, it’s because they want it unfair.  If the budget is in the red, it’s because they want it in the red.  If the Soldiers are in IRAQ, it’s because they want them in Iraq. 

There are no insoluble government problems.  Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power.

Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exist disembodied mystical forces like “the economy,” “inflation” or “politics” that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people and they alone, are responsible.  They and they alone, have the power.  They and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses – provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.  We should vote each one of them out of office if they do not return a Government of the People, By the People, and For the People.  They will clean up their mess.