The US is Not Exempt From Terrorism

I had some time to reflect on the realization of what is in the heart of my son, who is currently a Sergeant stationed with the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley Kansas. He and his fellow soldiers have all volunteered to stand up for our country. Listening to these young men talk about their purpose in the military makes me reflect on the days when I knew two of these fine young men when life was less complicated for them as boys.

They have convinced me that what is in their day to day thoughts is the security of their loved ones at home. The "Mission" is to keep their parents, children and friends free from the grip of an enemy that has no regard for the western life style and personal freedom as we know it.

In recent news we have heard the degradation of those that have chosen to serve this country yet speak of their rights. I raised my son to know that talk is cheap, but that is all I saw come from their mouth was a bunch of hot air as they profess to be working for the greater good, quick to point out what others should be doing while they are not willing to walk the same walk they have imposed on others. They deliver their message to others is about the sins of a capitalistic society but fail to accept they should give up everything gained in their own lives for their beliefs. As I listen to these soldiers talk, they clearly know what their ultimate sacrifice could be. Unlike their critics, these fine young men are willing to give up everything for what they believe in.

The Fox News story that ran Saturday October 10th, described how the terrorist movement was brazen and brutal. This is something that those of us that remember 9-11 do not need to be reminded of. We are not exempt from terrorism on our shores.

To apologize for the strength in our military is wrong on so many levels, but to follow it up by not supporting the commanders in the field borders on a dereliction of Duty.

The people in the field are tasked with achieving a victory in a military action. Who better to listen to when they come to the American People telling us what they need to achieve their victory. Knowing what's at stake, why in the world would we not support them? I am amazed that this is being debated by members of our own government. Where is their allegiance? I have to ask.

The enemies we face today have become emboldened by our nation's leaders putting its tail between its legs and hunching the back as we have lowered our ears in submission to the demons of the world. It is naive to believe that there is no such thing. If they didn't exist why would Iran have the need to "hide" their criminal aspirations as they hide their efforts to build nuclear weapons?

This issue does hold a personal interest for me as my oldest son and his fellow soldiers hold this selfless conviction that if we do not stop them in their streets not our own. It is inevitable that we will once again face them on our shores. Plots are continuously being uncovered here in America as evidenced by the recent arrests.

As a family man, surely he must know he and his family would be high a profile target. Why on earth would he create the appearance that our government position would degrade the level of protection we have enjoyed over the last 200 years and more specifically since 9-11, 2001?

As a fellow American, I have to ask why we would do anything that would sacrifice the safety and effectiveness of our military. I stand in wonder why the debate would even enter the conversations about our efforts in Afghanistan, Yemen or anywhere for that matter. If the discussion were limited to the need of the military I can see that, but we know that Politics has entered and dominates that discussion.

Meanwhile, my son and his fellow soldiers stand at the ready with their deployment scheduled for September of this year. This would be his second tour and as a parent I am very concerned about his safety. But I cannot discount the pride I have in my son and those fine young men that have said to the world they are willing to put their beliefs to action by protecting all us, including those that like to spout all that hot air about what's wrong with this country.

I am a very proud American, proud of our history and equally proud of our future. The soldiers I have come to know in the nearly 10 year career of my son, shows me that this country, given the resources can defeat any enemy on this planet. When will this country learn, politics and war do not mix, let our military do its job. Our government owes it to all of us to give the proper support that will give our sons and daughters the greatest chance to return home safely.

JWMoore http://www.clksearch.com/jw-moore.html Information contained in this message are editorial only, your comments are appreciated at http://www.clksearch.com/whats-on-your-mind.html Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=JW_Moore http://www.pippoproducts.com

Prepare For the Worst, But Hope For the Best

While I don't have a personal crystal ball to predict the future, I continue hearing the so-called "financial experts" forecast that 2010 won't be any better than 2009; some even say it will likely be worse. Now I'm not saying that we should just give up, roll over or panic, but I am saying that as long as we have an inkling of what may lie ahead, we will have a better chance of planning for our future economic situation. As they say, prepare for the worst while hoping for the best.

The global economic situation turned from bad to worse during the past 18 months and it probably won't get much better in the near term. You can be assured that unless you keep the proper attitude, plan for any possible financial downturn and create a solid set of goals for the coming year, you will be in a weaker position. I've seen some prognostications across the board that the typical American consumer will have to "tighten up the belt" just a little more in the coming months. Some retailers are saying that even if the customer has the wherewithal to pay for items, the chances of finding them might be hindered because many retailers are hesitant about holding a large inventory.

One thing is certain. It's the American (and global) consumer that will ultimately bring us back to financial solvency but not until they are confident enough to start spending their hard earned dollars (yen, euro, or pounds) again. The current global economic downturn has really exposed the financial "underbelly" of many personal households. No family ever handles a job loss well, but the ones with enough cash on-hand and a well thought out emergency plan will be able to handle it better than ones that don't have them. The strong economy of the past, fed by a number of factors including cheap credit, concealed the damaging decisions that many people made in their personal financial lives.

So, let's say the economy begins to improve this year; you can be sure that the recovery process will take many more years to come. Let's remember that there are 15 to 20 million Americans out of work and that number doesn't seem to be getting any smaller as job openings haven't increased either. The paradigm of how the consumer spends has definitely changed and isn't likely to change back to the way it was before. Today the American consumer base is either trying to pay off their debt or, more likely, allowing their accounts to default because they can no longer afford to pay the bills without employment.

America's small business has the biggest challenge ahead of them. It is small business that keeps most of America employed but in the current situation and under the current set of rules, expanding the workforce just isn't very likely. Through all this, if your small business is still breathing (even if only shallow), start the new year by double checking your business plan and see if it's still valid in today's economic reality; some changes just might be necessary. This can be a great time for you to use your networking community to find the support and information you need to make the difference between success and failure; you might even consider a strategic partnership. People and business everywhere are trying to find better ways to stay afloat and your business just may be their answer. They need to know you're there and advertising your service or product has never been more essential. If they don't know you're there then they won't be able to find or use your business or service. That will certainly hurt your bottom line.

I am very optimistic about our country and the ability of its people to find solutions. Americans do their best in times of crisis and I see the nation finding the answers that will ultimately turn this situation around to the positive. It may take some time, but we can never give up or give in. What can you do? Get up every morning, become dedicated to your plan and never allow the situation to get the best of you. This will turn around eventually but it's going to take some hard work and determination to create a solid economic base. Don't be mislead, it's going to take a lot of hard work but the sooner we start rebuilding our personal and professional economic foundations, the faster our lives will start to improve. Let's get to work.

http://www.JamesDicks.com http://www.jamesdicksblog.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Dicks http://www.pippoproducts.com/healthfitness/index.html

Rewriting History - A Review of the Book

The book Rewriting Historyby Dick Morris tells of the semi-shocking tale on who the real Hillary Rodham Clinton is. The former first lady is described by Morris as someone who shows only a certain part of her face or persona to attract voters, not only during the time prior to her candidacy for the senate seat but a long time before that.

The dismaying thing is the question raised if the former first lady is really a devoted public servant or is just somebody who rides the tides and goes where the demographics lead her like for example, she ran for Senator in a state where the minority population is strong and this population likely to vote for a democrat.

It must have been devastating for many women out there who idolized or respected Mrs. Clinton and read the said book, I myself was devastated a little because I have always believed in her compassion and her utter belief in an ideal model for her programs i.e. the health care fiasco. The health care policy she stubbornly believed in is one of her downfalls in politics but one should see that it is her belief in something ideal is genuine enough to drive her to do what she did. I respect that quality in her, a character not quite discussed in the book, something we always overlook. That however is also one of her biggest character flaw because if it is coupled with her naivete or her being easily swayed, this is rather dangerous. These are of course discussed in length in the book.

I have read the book from front to back even the indexes that is how engrossing it is. Apart from that history buffs would love the book as well, maybe more than I do.

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Why Scott Brown Became Republican Senator #41

The people of Massachusetts have spoken. With the defeat of Martha Coakley, the State attorney general, Scott Brown, a former state senator, has become the forty first republican vote in the U.S. Senate . Clearly the people of Massachusetts have sent a message to Washington. The defeat of the popular democrat in a largely democratic state has sent a chill up the spine of many incumbent democrats in this coming November election, as is evidenced by the quick reversal on pushing the health care bill through the House by Nancy Polosi.

But, how did Scott Brown delivery such a decisive defeat to Martha Coakley? Surly all politics are local, but in this case local and national came together to crate a political firestorm that caught Martha Coakley completely by surprise. She had campaigned, but not as vigorously as you should have, taking the race for granted as poles showed she had a substantial lead early on in the campaign. This laxity led her to making minor gaffs like her saying that Kurt Shilling, a form Red Sox pitcher, was a Yankee fan. But, the most significant reason for Scott Browns victory is that he did his home work. He talked to the people of Massachusetts and ran poles. In doing so he discovered a few things that steered his campaign to victory.

• The people of Massachusetts already have Health Care Reform and it is not going well there. The state is racking up massive deficits because of it and the people do not want the problem to become nation wide.

• The people are fearful of the Obama administration's lax approach toward terrorism. Repudiating Eric Holder decisions to have Khalid Sheikh Mohammed 's trial in the New York Federal Court and have underwear bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried in criminal court and not by military tribunal.

• The people were disenchanted with the political dealings of Nancy Polosi and Harry Reid in their attempt to negotiate a health care bill. The political buy offs of Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska went against the peoples sense of fairness.

• The lack of transparency in the political process left the people out of the process and the people of Massachusetts understand that this is a government by the people and for the people so they were going to make sure their voice was heard in Washington. This was evidenced by the unusually high voter turnout.

With this knowledge Scott Brown shaped his campaign and developed the mantra "#41", vowing to stop the heath care bill and to protect the people of America. It resonated with the people and the rest is history. This was a victory for Scott Brown and a victory for democracy.

Joseph L. Conigliaro

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Truth Decay - Finding Ourselves in an Age of Uncertainty

As American's living in the Twenty-first century, we are exposed to a never-ending bombardment of advertising. We see ads for a little of everything.

Back when I was a child, and there used to be a family television hour. That was when networks still understood that there was much to be gained from having what we now look back and nostalgically wish for, a time when there was a defined set of values. The good guys wore white hats, bad guys wore black hats, and the good guy would save the day, get the girl and live happily ever after.

The worst commercial we had to worry about was the one for Ban Roll-on Deodorant, or Timex watches. Nowadays, not only do we have to look out for ads for beer and wine, but also articles of feminine hygiene; not only programs where there are no defined characters who are good and bad, but programs where the bad guy is good, good guys are despised and religion is the last refuge of scoundrels and fools.

Remember back in the eighties and early nineties when we were told to watch out for the New Age Movement, and how it was going to take over everything. Well, turns out that the New Age wasn't new, they didn't take over and the things we have to worry about are the same ones that have been plaguing the Church since the time of Paul. Well, actually since the time of Moses. (Exodus 32: 1-6)

God had just brought the Children of Israel from out of the land of Egypt, passed them through the waters of the Red Sea, fed them and gave them peace. Yet, because they hadn't seen God's Man for a period of time, they were distracted and turned from the way that they knew was right, the way they had been brought up in, the faith passed down to them from their parents and their parents parents.

And just like the Children of Israel, we today have a generation, which has been drawn far a field from the faith delivered "Once for all unto the Saints". And like them they have been drawn away from the truth to idols.

Idols are not necessarily objects or even thought of as "idols" by their worshippers. The idols of today are many and often have no quote unquote "religious aspect". In fact, many of the biggest idol worshippers today claim that they are not "Believers" in anything. They have no set of beliefs, no creed, no statement of faith and do not meet in a building. They are all around us, we see them day-by-day.

They are the friends of our children, our co-workers and our relatives. They are the people who live in our homes and sometimes the people who come to our churches. They are all around us, every day of our lives. And like Moses, it is our task to intercede for them to God, to snatch them from the jaws of the enemy.

This is what our passage today speaks of. Paul is here speaking to the Church in general and Timothy, his son in the faith specifically. Because of this, take these words as if God was speaking directly to you with them.

Preach the word! Because the time is now! Even as we here sit, the Episcopal Church is about to split over an issue that should have no basis for discussion. Even though it is occurring in the American version of the Anglican Church, the affects of the decision that will be reached will have an affect upon wider Anglican body and expand to reach across the world, and spread to the Church at large.

The basis of this is that they themselves do not endure sound doctrine, they do not accept the unerring word of God as practical for today's world. Why? Paul tells us. "...according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables."

It is not because of a desire for truth that they search for meaning, but to give justification for their desires. And because we have lost the ability to articulate our faith, and give an apology or defense of what we believe and why, we lose ground to those who have answers to questions that others have with a certainty we fail to have. The word for learning to defend the faith is Apologetics. We have friends who are being lead down a slippery slope because we don't have the ability to do what Paul asks. "Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching."

In other words, be able to tell people in and outside of church what you believe and why; correct a brother or sister who is wandering from the historic truths of the Christian Faith; encourage the brother or sister who is enduring the slings and arrows of the enemy; to have patience with those who struggle with issues of faith, and be able to teach others.

We forget that there are those who in times past to the present day who have given their lives to preserve the Apostles Doctrine. From Peter, to Paul to Anselm to Wickliffe, Hus, and Tyndale, there have been people who were willing to die rather than allow the gospel to be undefended. In the Book of Hebrews, the writer takes us through the faith hall of fame to show us what the Heroes of the Faith would endure for the truth. (Heb 11: 33-40)

All though history there have been those who have been willing to die rather than compromise the truth. From Peter and Paul, to Stephen and Silas, Anselm, Wickliffe, Hus and Tyndale, the Church has not lacked examples of those who would endure all to deliver pure doctrine.

It is as the Catholic writer, G.K. Chesterton said: "When we cease to worship God, we don't worship nothing, we worship anything."

We must give greater emphasis on being able to show others that our faith is based upon historical truths that have been documented even by the enemies of the Gospel.

We must be able to articulate the claims of our faith, to "Contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints. But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you there would be mockers in the last days who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves upon your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Now unto him who is able to keep us from falling and present us faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power both now and forever. Amen.

Rev. Adrian Powell is an ordained minister in the Church of God (Anderson, IN). He is an experienced church planter, pastor, speaker and seminar resource, having served and ministered in churches in the Midwest, Eastern and Southern United States. A strong expositional speaker, Adrian is called to bring the Church the "Whole Counsel of God" in the areas of Evangelism, Apologetics, Grace, Christ and Culture, Unity, Reality and Racial Reconciliation and submission to the truth of Scripture. "The Church needs to remain true to the saying, 'Reformed and Always Reforming'". A popular preacher of the Gospel, he has also had articles published in the Columbus Dispatch, Urban Trendsetters and national magazines such as Vital Christianity and Purpose Magazine. A bi-vocational minister, he has over 15 years experience in the Financial Services industry. He is a member of the Society of Financial Services Professionals, the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, has received his Fraternal Insurance Counsellor designation from the National Association of Fraternal Insurance Counsellors and is currently seeking the Charter Life Underwriter (CLU) from the American College. He is also available to speak in chuches on Biblical Economics, Stewardship and Finances, The Truth About Tithing and Real Prosperity. For questions about speaking schedules and availability, contact him at revadpowell@gmail.com. His website for Biblical Finances is http://www.adrian4yourmoney.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adrian_Powell http://www.pippoproducts.com/careers/index.html

Rich Dad Poor Dad For Teens - Create Money

Rich Dad, Poor Dad for Teens
is a book written by Robert Kiyosaki for teenagers, who want to learn the secrets about money. Robert Kiyosaki was very successful in business life, which enabled him to retire at his forties. He found a mentor who taught him and his best friend Mike about money and investment at a young age. We will call this mentor Rich Dad and his real father, Poor Dad. His real dad had a good education and job, but he had a wrong way to look at money. I will tell you about things Robert learned.

There are three types of income. The first one is earned income. It is the type of income you get from a job and every week or two weeks you get your salary from it. Poor Dad had an earned income.

The second one is passive income. The money flows in, but your not physically at work. When you write a book every time your book is sold, you receive passive income. You can also receive passive income from businesses you have started, but which you do not run yourself at a day to day basis. Robert and Mike had a business at a young age too. They had a comic library for kids and they could collect comic books that were not sold at the supermarkets in the neighborhood. Mike's sister was hired to run the library and Robert and Mike received passive income. Rich people often earn a lot of passive income and while the money flows in, they can set up a new business or just enjoy their lives.

The third kind of income is portfolio income. When you invest in stocks or other assets like that you have portfolio income. It works the same as passive income, but from this you will receive the money only one time.

Rich Dad told the two children several times that it is very important to see the difference between assets and liabilities and to buy assets. If you persist on having the most expensive and most beautiful car in the street just to excel, it is a liability. However, if the car helps you earn money, it is an asset. Assets put money in your pocket at a regular basis. Most people see assets as anything you own and is worth money, but until you sold it, it is not an asset. This is because it does not bring in money until then and after that it is not an asset anymore. Money is not an asset too. It does not reproduce itself in secret, so it does not put extra money in your pocket. It would be great if it would, but it does not.

A liability means money out of your pocket. Things you would have considered to be an asset can be a liability instead. That car for instance cost you money and if you would sell it again (if you are not a car dealer), it would probably bring in less money than it cost. A car is worth money, but it is not necessarily an asset.

The conclusion is that assets put money in your pocket, liabilities get money out of your pocket and it buy assets who give you an income and make sure you have the right type of income.

Joy Ter Welle lives in the Netherlands, Europe. She is still in high school (Dutch gymnasium). Her hobbies are flying glider planes and reading books. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joy_Ter_Welle http://www.pippoproducts.com/familyfinance/index.html

Liquidity Crisis - A Look From Inside

Introduction.

In the wake of the financial market turmoil that arose over the last few years and which already brought down some big financial institutions, the question remains what banks can and should do to protect themselves from the worst-case scenario.

This article describes how banks operate in time of crisis and what their instruments are in navigating in the stormy waters.

One day in life of a Risk Manager during the crisis time.

A. is a risk manager in a large European bank. One early morning he was awaken by his mobile phone. A colleague, a treasury manager has activated the red line to inform A. that he cannot get dollars from Asian market and that swap market is also dried up. It means that bank cannot get liquidity through the wholesale market because banks don't trust each other anymore.

Normally at this time his bank already has few billions through the money market, but today there is nothing yet. The worst-case scenario, that the bank might not meet its obligations, which will be due today, is not to be excluded.

A. begins to call traders in other European branches, there is the same situation. Fortunately, this scenario has been already simulated several times and everybody knows what to do. Firstly, bank has a buffer to deal with such situation; so to say there is no need to ask ECB for a credit facility. Asking for a credit facility could mean severe consequences for the bank's reputation and its credit rating (Think about what happened with Northern Rock bank when it asked for a credit facility from Bank of England). Treasury department around the globe works extra hours to provide dollars from different markets to the Head office, the price becomes less important. Other team members are responsible for checking the outflow of the retail deposits. The substantial outflow could mean big problems, but luckily this is not the case.

In this situation it becomes clear why Risk management has become banks' main business. Without clear policy and procedures, good systems and right people a bank might not survive the shocks.

How banks manage liquidity risk

Liquidity risk management is a crucial area of risk control that is not covered by the original Basel II accord. Liquidity Risk is the risk of not being able to meet obligations when they come due because it cannot:

1. Liquidate assets or obtain adequate funding, this is called "funding liquidity risk";

or

2. Easily unwind or offset specific exposures without significantly lowering market prices because of inadequate market depth or market disruptions, which is called "market liquidity risk".

The dual definition of the liquidity risk helps in understanding the nature of the risks; while funding liquidity risk focuses on company specific funding problems, market liquidity risk describes general market liquidity disruptions.

The core of the liquidity risk strategy of a commercial bank must include following main components;

· Regular monitoring of net funding position and net funding gap of the bank;

The Treasury monitors all maturing cash flows, replenishes existing funds as they mature, monitors expected withdrawals from retail current and savings accounts and makes additional borrowings and regularly issues new debt.

· Diversification of funding sources;

The bank should posses well diversified funding sources including customer current accounts credit balances, savings and retail deposits and inter-bank deposits.

· Broad portfolio of highly liquid assets;

The bank has to maintain a broad portfolio of highly liquid or marketable assets that can be easily used to obtain cash. These assets can provide liquidity through repurchase agreements or through sale.

· Matching long term funding (over 12 months).

Fixed rate funding over 12 months and/or interest swaps (converting fixed rate liabilities over 12 months in floating rate liabilities).

· Set up quantitative limits and the limit structure.

· Set up clear crisis organization structure and escalation procedure.

· Tested and up-to-date contingency funding plans;

The contingency plans should address temporary and long-term liquidity disruptions caused by a crisis. These plans ensure that all roles and responsibilities are clearly defined.

Several scenarios should be analysed, for example, a market event, a specific bank event (think of a downgrade by a rating agency) and a mixed event.

The real scenarios could be taken from the real past events like:

· Black Monday 1987 when on 19 October 1987 the Dow Jones Industrial index fell 22.6%;

· The Bond Market crisis from 18 February until 21 February 1994 when Fed unexpectedly increased key interest rates by 300 basis points;

· Emerging markets crisis 1997 originated in East Asia and caused global financial crisis;

· Financial Markets crisis 1998 when Russian rouble devaluation and default on August 17, 1998, and the near collapse of LTCM triggered the Financial Market Crisis:

· Major terrorist act scenario like on September 11, 2001 when bond and equity markets have been closed for four days.

· Current financial crisis has provided a wide range of information for scenario analysis ( collapse of Lehman Brothers, extensive risks taken by AIG, USB and other financial institutions)

How this policy works in the crisis time.

Scenario 1: a short-time funding crisis related to a market event.

The preferred order of generating liquidity in times of crisis is:

1. Determine per position the financial instruments available for generating liquidity during the crisis:

An important element in this determination is the collateral position that must be held in times of crisis at the different central banks for supporting the payments system. The following trade off should be considered:

a) Putting too much collateral at Central banks solves payment system issues but limits the secured funding possibilities with the money market.

b) Putting collateral at work through repo (repurchase agreement) keeps financing secured but risks the payment system.

DNB (De Nederlandsche Bank - the Dutch Regulator) is of the opinion that putting collateral for supporting the payment system is essential.

2. Unsecured professional funding.

3. Secured professional funding:

a. Non-eligible assets in the professional repo market or through sale

b. Eligible assets in the professional repo market or through sale

4. Central Bank funding (secured) through open market transactions (if available):

a. Main Refinancing Operations (short term)

b. Longer-term Refinancing Operations.

c. Ad-hoc 'fine-tuning' or 'structural operations' of Central Banks

5. Funding through the Standing Facilities of the Central Bank (Lombard rate)

6. Funding through 'emergency funding' possibilities with the Central Bank (non-eligible collateral)

Scenario 2: In case of liquidity crisis is more severe and when it lasts for a longer banks begin to

1. Price deposits more aggressively. (Watch out for the banks that promote their deposit products with unbelievable high interest rates)

2. Reduce asset origination.

3. Raise term debt.

4. Raise equity.

Conclusion.

Right policies, timely and correct risk management reporting combined with state of the art Information systems are keys in withstanding liquidity crisis.

Boris Agranovich Web site: http://www.globalriskconsult.com E-mail: info@globalriskconsult.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Boris_Agranovich http://www.pippoproducts.com/education/index.html

Solidarity With the First Black Republic of the World

The Haitian people live one of the worst nightmares on the Planet. The Island, a country in crisis for decades, was assaulted by an earthquake and has left much of Port-au-Prince's infrastructure in tatters. This metropolis is the capital and largest city, where there are up to four million people. There are not words to describe it. But is also the worst economic disaster to hit this Island since 1804. A country which is making enormous efforts to build a peaceful society, and where over 90 percent of the nation's population lives on less than one dollar a day.

The international organizations estimated that there are at least three million homeless and between 50, 000 and 100,000 persons dead. Over 10,000 buildings have been destroyed, including hospitals, schools, and hotels. In the last days, Haiti has moved from being one of the 25 poorest nations on Earth to being considered the world's poorest country, below many war-torn countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan and Iraq.

From 1804 to the Present-day

The Republic of Haiti occupies the western third of Hispaniola, the second-largest island on the Caribbean (shares the Island with the Dominican Republic). It covers 10,700 square kilometers ( 27,750 km). This French-speaking Island is slightly larger than the state of New Hampshire. About 70 percent of the country's territory is made up of mountains. With over nine million inhabitants, it has one of the most ethnically homogeneous populations on the mainland of the Americas (98% of the population are of African descent). It is also one of the most densely populated countries in Latin America. More than 70 percent of Haiti's people live in rural areas.

Following more than 105 years under French rule, by the early 1800s, Haiti, led by Jean Jacques Dessalines, gained its national independence and was home to the first black republic in history. Soon afterwards, a monarchy was set up. Subsequently, it had been plagued by political violence and social instability. From the mid-1950s to the mid-2000s, the nation's post-independence history had been written by dictators and anti-democratic warlords, which had plundered the Island's economy. At the same time, the Caribbean Island had 19 presidents and seven coups (1950-1997). In 1957 there were six Heads of State: Joseph Nemours Piere-Louis, Frank Sylvain, Leon Cantave, Daniel Fignole, Antoine Kebreau, and Francois Duvalier (also known as "Papa Doc").

Haiti hence became one of the world's least-developed countries. As a result, the Island boasted one of the world's lowest standards of living in the latter half of the 20th century, along with Zimbabwe, Zaire and Liberia. But that was not all. There are other legacies from the past. Due to political corruption and economic mismanagement, this Caribbean Island is still considered among the world's three most corrupt nations. On the other side, by the 1980s, it boasted one of the world's highest rates of HIV/AIDS infection. In the 21st century Haiti holds one of the developing world's most fragile democracies. The Caribbean nation has received more money per capita to promote democracy than any country in the world (equivalent to $ 38 for each Haitian), including Sudan, Burma and Belarus.

International Solidarity

But the Island is not alone. This French-speaking country has a number of friends in the world. Having obtained the full support of the United States: more than $100 million in aid. In Peru, on January 14, 2010, the nation's ruler Alan Garcia Perez decreed a day of national mourning. In the meantime, Haiti and the People's Republic of China don't have diplomatic ties, but Beijing has sent economic aid to Port-au-Prince.

Finally, Haiti's architect Albert Magones once said: "Because independence came early Haiti is unique in history, going directly from slavery to nationhood. That achievement gave us a sense of knowing who we are. We joke about ourselves; we criticize ourselves; sometimes we even despite ourselves..."

Alejandro Guevara Onofre: Freelance writer. Alejandro is author of a host of articles/essays about over 220 countries and dependencies (and American States as well), from ecology, history, tourism and national heroes to Olympic sports, foreign relations, and wildlife. In addition, he has published some books on women's rights, among them "History of the Women in America" and "Famous Americans." Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alejandro_Guevara_Onofre http://www.pippoproducts.com

The High Priestess of Personal Freedom Enjoys a 21st Century Rebirth in Popularity

As a young college student in the 1960's I was swept up in the exciting, confrontational political climate of that period. The Viet Nam War was raging, the military draft was still activated, John and Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King had been taken from us by assassination. The Beatles changed rock 'n roll music forever and the movie "The Graduate" changed pop culture.

I graduated from school and began my career in business carrying; maybe burdened would be a better description, these influences at the core of my being. I was liberal without having enough of life's experiences to really know why I was liberal or what that meant. I saw the world as flawed and felt that collectively we could make things better, safer, more peaceful and fairer. It made me feel good to want these things, although I had no understanding of how to make these altruistic goals obtainable.

Winston Churchill once famously said, "A man who is conservative at the age of 20 is heartless, a man who is liberal at 40 is a fool". I was soon to cross the bridge from dreamer to realist, much as described by Churchill. I started my own business. That was when reality struck, and hit right between my eyes.

At about the time I made the leap into entrepreneurialism I was introduced to the writer, philosopher Ayn Rand. I read her monumental novel Atlas Shrugged. It was attitudinally, philosophically and politically a life changing experience for me.

Every idea I had nurtured from my formative years was called into question by the hero of Atlas Shrugged
, John Galt. Rand's libertarian philosophy, she called it "Objectivism", is on full display in this powerful, logically based tale of the benefits and pre-eminence of individual rights. In the story, the productive, creative, ambitious, driven class of individuals, lead by John Galt, essentially goes on strike. Quite the opposite of a mass union strike, this stoppage by the few brings crisis to the many and itemizes the reasons that capitalism is the only economic system that can benefit the most people most often.

The power of Ayn Rand's thinking, as evidenced by the characters and stories she wrote are enjoying a renaissance today. Born in Russia, she had fled that country after the rise of communism. Her experiences growing up in a totalitarian place made her a fierce opponent of all the "-ism's", communism, fascism, socialism, all forms of statism and collectivism.

At the core of the Rand philosophy was a concept based on limited government, laissez faire capitalism and individual rights. She believed that doing what was best for one-self was the only duty a person owed to society. Altruism was destructive to Ayn Rand. The modern liberal, now interestingly called "progressive", despises the Rand view of man and believes her views reflect selfishness. And yet, it is only through the "selfishness" of the productive, entrepreneurial, risk taking class that all of society reaps the benefits of their creative, industrious enterprise. Poor people do not create jobs, and thus income, and thus taxes that support all level of government altruism and waste.

In this belief, Ayn Rand was really a modern acolyte of Adam Smith, the original philosopher of capitalism. Smith popularized the "invisible hand", the concept that by profiting and seeking advantage for ourselves, we inadvertently provide benefit for others. America's Founding Fathers resoundingly agreed with this philosophy and incorporated this principal into the Bill of Rights and Constitution. Rule of law, private property rights, individual rights and limited government enjoyed supremacy in the Founder's eyes. These principles, so taken for granted and abused by government today, are the very glue that differentiates successful states from dysfunctional ones.

The early years of the 21st century will not be treated kindly by future historians. The lessons that history teaches are being ignored. Thomas Jefferson said, "He is governed best, who is governed least". Who amongst us can honestly say that we are well governed by our all intrusive welfare, nanny-state?

The lessons and philosophy crafted by Ayn Rand have never gone away. Atlas Shrugged
is the most popular book ever published, after the Holy Bible. Sales are again spiking for this, and all of Rand's books. Because of the awkward intrusiveness and overreaching hand of government, there seems to be a revival of interest in the ideas represented by John Galt and Howard Roark in "The Fountainhead".

Ayn Rand is the High Priestess of libertarian, free thought. As long as men seek to live free from the oppressive hand of tyranny and bungled government over-activism her place in history will be secure. There has never been a better time than 2010 to dust off old copies of Ayn Rand's thought provoking classic tales and rekindle the passion for freedom that she so passionately portrays in her works.

by: Geoff Ficke

Geoff Ficke has been a serial entrepreneur for almost 50 years. As a small boy, earning his spending money doing odd jobs in the neighborhood, he learned the value of selling himself, offering service and value for money. After putting himself through the University of Kentucky (B.A. Broadcast Journalism, 1969) and serving in the United States Marine Corp, Mr. Ficke commenced a career in the cosmetic industry. After rising to National Sales Manager for Vidal Sassoon Hair Care at age 28, he then launched a number of ventures, including Rubigo Cosmetics, Parfums Pierre Wulff Paris, Le Bain Couture and Fashion Fragrance. Geoff Ficke and his consulting firm, Duquesa Marketing, Inc. (http://www.duquesamarketing.com) has assisted businesses large and small, domestic and international, entrepreneurs, inventors and students in new product development, capital formation, licensing, marketing, sales and business plans and successful implementation of his customized strategies. He is a Senior Fellow at the Page Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Business School, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Geoff_Ficke http://www.pippoproducts.com/familyfinance/index.html

Manufacturing Not Enough For US Recovery

The Institute for Supply Chain Management surprised the world on Monday morning, as they announced the results of their manufacturing managers survey. The report is essentially a survey where every manager is asked to respond to his own experience. Each manager states whether they see conditions improving, deteriorating or remaining constant, with respect to thirteen main criteria. The December survey's headline number at 55.9%, tells us that when all criteria responses were averaged, that 55.9% of respondents saw conditions as favorable.

The consumption of manufactured goods represented 1.59% of the revised 2.2% U.S. GDP growth in Q3 2009 and thus remains the center point of the economic recovery as we have known it thus far. The growth indicative ISM report booned U.S. markets in the first 2010 trading session, as the seemingly unbeatable 60.3 November New Orders component was crushed by a 65.5 stat in December. New Orders are the single most telling economic reading of future conditions in Manufacturing, perhaps making this month's strength unbeatable in January and ironically a curse on the effects of less positive results moving forward. Less discussed but also important, are increasingly slower deliver times that, if sustainable, should have positive effects on both transportation carriers' top lines and jobs in the industry.

Standing on the shoulders of a massive rally to start 2010, it is safe to say that the environment is still a wash of confusion. Inventory numbers from the report show that clients of manufacturers are becoming increasingly skeptical, where the Customers' Inventories number at 35 perpetuated a nine month trend of contraction during one of the highest consumer demand months of the year. These results suggest that inventory rebuilding hasn't occurred on par with headlines, and that instead the entire production chain has become extremely lean and risk averse. Should confidence return and consumers loosen their wallets, this would be a prime area of growth in the new year, but headwinds to such spending remain significant and could intensify. Partly frightening, is the component of higher input prices, continuing a six month trend of appreciation that is reflective of the commodity rally and U.S. Dollar weakness. While input prices have helped to raise the ISM headline number in recent months, U.S. Dollar strength will be discounted as having a negative effect on future reports.

Kicking the mud from our boots, let us shed the stats from our purview and think logically about the chances for economic success in the U.S. over the next year. 2010 estimates for U.S. GDP growth are floating in the mid 3% range, but where can we expect to find growth summing up to this handsome rate of expansion?

In the U.S. 24% of annual GDP dollars are rooted in manufactured goods, while the service industry brings in nearly twice that figure. In Q3 of 2009 we lost about 3% to our trade deficit, which should grow if consumers spend more, and the remaining 30% is split into one part domestic investment, two parts government expenditures. We can expect that the government isn't going to muster much more growth in 2010, due to it's bureaucratic inefficiencies and the Q3 2009 0.5% annual contributed GDP growth, despite $700 billion (5.3% x GDP) of stimulus.

For all intensive purposes we are left with the manufacturing and service industries to get us most of the way to 3% growth. "We did it in 2003, so it's just a matter of animal spirits... right?" Unfortunately, in our opinion, the game has changed significantly, making 2009 anything but 2003. First, there is not an abundant supply of new homes, and the supply we have aren't being bought, so the big new houses of Super Sized Suburbia30 miles from town won't have the same magnetic effects on consumption as were present in 2003-2006. Instead we're seeing strength in existing home sales and less confident builders realizing that bigger isn't better. Second, unemployment is expected to average 10% in 2010, according to Bloomberg economists, landing well above the worst case scenario for financial institutions outlined under the Stress Tests in April of 2009 and crippling to the financial strength of the government, as Washington continues to roll over benefits and pay to jobless individual. Third, the shadow inventory of homes, as described by Robert Shiller, will flood the market with more defaults as teaser rates reset higher, even as rates are low, while weakening bonds will inevitably send mortgage rates higher.

Some of the smartest guys in the room are beginning to make calls that hold viral ramifications for the economy. Robert Shiller is predicting higher rates of defaults in the prime mortgage category, while Bill Gross is liquidating most of his exposure to bonds, and still many see this scenario as a victory on il-applied grounds of historical market recoveries. Perhaps confident retailers and mid-chain distributors could lift inventory levels as consumers spend more of what they've saved, but there must be widespread consumer spending on services as well as goods, at magnitudes congruent with a boisterous labor market, for 3% GDP to become a reality. At minimal, do your homework before placing your bets on a recovery founded in manufacturing, and at best keep limber to capitalize on the self fulfilling prophecy that equity markets have become when sentiment changes yet again.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Eberenz http://www.pippoproducts.com/business/index.html

The Principles of Liberty - Principle 4

"Without Religion the Government of a Free People Cannot be Maintained."

Many people today fail to realize the importance that the Founding Fathers felt religion played in the structure of the American Civilization that they hoped would emerge as the first free people of modern times. They felt that religion would be as important to us today, as it was to them then.

In 1787, the same year that the Constitution was written and approved by congress, they passed the Northwest Ordinance, which emphasized the essential need to teach religion and Morality in schools. Here is how they worded it:

"Article 3: religion, Morality, and Knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encourage."

George Washington, in his farewell address said, "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports... And 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 to the exclusion of religious principle. It is substantially true that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government."

In order to avoid divisive religious teachings, Jefferson wrote a bill for Establishing Elementary Schools in Virginia that made religion a unifying cultural adhesive. It stated, "No religious reading, instruction, or exercise shall be prescribed or practiced inconsistent with any religious sect or denomination." So, the religious tenets in public schools would have been what was universally accepted by all faiths and fundamental in their premises.

Benjamin Franklin gave five fundamental points to be taught in the schools.

1. There is a Creator who made all things and mankind should recognize and worship Him.
2. The Creator revealed a moral code of behavior for happy living that distinguishes right from wrong.
3. The Creator will hold us accountable for how we treat each other.
4. All mankind live beyond this life.
5. In the next life mankind are judged for their conduct in this one.

The Founders often referred to these five fundamentals as the religion of America. Samuel Adams said that is group of basic beliefs constitute 'the religion of America and is the religion of all mankind." John Adams called these tenets the general principles on which the American Civilization was founded. America became great, because America was good. When America is no longer good then we can expect that the nation will cease to be great.

How can we insure that we are a free people? We elect leaders that are willing to support and defend religious freedom, that acknowledge that we are given our rights as a gift from God, and that they are not legislated away. We seek for those that are virtuous, lovely, have a good reputation, and have done much for liberty on their own, seeking not for power or money. Those who are already serving for FREE within our communities. George Washington served without pay because he knew how great a cause of liberty is. Not that our leaders should not have compensation, but we should seek for wise men and women to be our leaders, and not just accept the lesser of the two evils handed to us.

Charity Angel is an author, singer, political activist, small business owner, and an online business coach. Find more of her thoughts Here. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charity_Angel http://www.pippoproducts.com/business/index.html

Terrorism Remains a Political Issue For 2010 Elections

President Barrack Obama and his cadre of supporters are finding their worst nightmare coming true: the global war on terror is not going away.

The bad news for President Obama and the Democrats as the 2010 mid-term elections are not far away, and national security is gaining strength as a primary campaign issue, and one that will help Republicans.

This could force Democrats to defend their long-held belief that terrorism is more of a criminal justice issue than a military one. Republicans see it differently - they view the bad guys as military combatants, believe they should be treated as enemy soldiers, and processed through the military justice system.

President Obama established a new tone toward terrorism early in his Administration by quickly signaling that the U.S. would not use the term "global war on terror".

The President also gave an "all clear" signal to the Justice Department to investigate, and seek criminal prosecutions against, Bush Administration lawyers for legal advice they gave relative to enhance interrogation methods against terrorists in the aftermath of 9-11. This sent shivers up and down CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

He kept his pledge to close the Guantanamo Detention Camp located in the southeast corner of Cuba - and plans to bring those terrorists to a federal facility in southern Illinois.

However, terrorism resurfaced in November with a shooting attack at a military base in Fort Hood, Texas. The public was alarmed when the Obama Administration - including the FBI - would not acknowledge the shootings as an act of terror, despite the attack resulting in 13 dead and 31 wounded.

On Christmas Day came yet another terrorist act, in an attempted bombing by a Nigerian man, with al-Qaida connections and training, of a commercial airliner headed for Detroit, Michigan.

While the attack failed - the Obama Administration once again bungled the aftermath. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano pronounced, "the system worked" in describing the near-miss attack which would have killed everyone on board the Northwest jet airliner.

During this time President Obama remained silent for three days- only to finally call the attacker "an isolated extremist" - despite the fact that he had been recruited and trained by al-Qaida in Yemen specifically for the Christmas Day bombing attempt.

Once arrested, he was placed in the criminal justice system where he was afforded a lawyer who immediately advised his client to stop co-operating with authorities. Thus, the U.S. lost any chance of gleaning intelligence from the terrorist about other al-Qaida sponsored attacks.

Meanwhile, John Brennan, Assistant to the President, Homeland Security, told Fox News Sunday that no one in authority within the government had been signaled that the Nigerian man was a potential terrorist threat. "There was no smoking gun. No piece of intelligence that said this guy's a terrorist. He's going to get on a plane. No, not whatsoever", he said.

That was not true as the man's own father reportedly warned U.S. officials that his son was someone who needed to be watched closely. President Obama has said they "screwed up" and that authorities had plenty of information to uncover the plot before it ever got off the ground.

The public did not have the patience for the all-out assault against terrorism that punctuated the Bush years - but the fact remains the country was kept safe for seven years following the horrific events of September 11.

People are nervous about that record continuing under President Obama.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robb_Austin http://www.pippoproducts.com/gardening/index.html

The Children of This Country Are Getting an Inferior Education For the Money Spent

I have just been going over the facts and figures put out by the State department and the U S education dept for the amount of money we spend every year on education. Between the U S dept of education that contributes 8.2% of a budget of $555. billion for education, and the people of the country who pay school taxes in every town and city in America make up the difference. We do have the right to demand excellence. We have fallen behind the rest of the advanced countries of the world.

It seems to me that the money is divided into so many programs with wonderful sounding names that no one has any idea of the whole picture. The variety of loans and grants for students and teachers is so staggeringly complex that duplication and overlaps are increasing all the time. Their seems to be a program for every conceivable situation and problem that could arise. And every bureaucrat somewhere in Washington or from some union has their own pet project to advance. A lot of them include granting loans and grants to illegal aliens under so many programs it is staggering to try and track them all down.

The problem I see is that they are spending to much time and effort to make sure that every student, no matter how slow, is given a special teacher to help them through, inside a classroom filled with children of normal intelligence even though they hold back the class as a whole. Should children with special needs be placed into classes with so called normal children just to make the child's parents feel better? We seem to hear that from more and more people. We have become babysitters for working parents.

Federal law says that whenever possible children with special needs should be included into regular classrooms with other normal kids unless that would have a disruptive effect on the class as a whole.. This means a special paraprofessional aide has to be with them in class. It cannot help but to slow the whole class down. How many special aides can we put into an average class? More and more parents are turning to schools to take care of children instead of trying to place them into special programs to educate them. Who pays for all these extra aides and how many are their nationwide How can schools train and educate downs syndrome children to make their way in the world? They will always need supervising companions to help them cope for as long as they live. It will not work.

How disabled must a child be? What is the definition of special needs as it relates to inclusion with other non disabled children? What disability level must be included and what should not? It is a tough question. Mental disability or physical? How severe? Are schools becoming baby sitters for parents that cannot cope or afford special placement schools? The normal average child today needs every learning opportunity available. The schools today with its present systems are failing to keep up with the rest of the world. We are hiring inclusion specialists for placing children with special needs into regular classes and the result cannot help but slow the whole classes progress. Are we to take the place of special schools and programs just so parents can feel better and to relinquish responsibility for their children to others? I would love to have enough money to take care of every special needs child in America but it is not possible as of now. In today's economy every dollar must be used to full effect and placed where it does the most good.

I would accept the fact that some good comes out of mixing students with special needs children as it teaches acceptance and sympathy and a desire to help others less able than they. But how far are we willing to go and just how disabled should a child be to include them with normal children? In the 35 years since the disabilities act was enacted, the inclusion of special needs children has been tried in almost every state in the union and the scores of children overall in the nation have gone down. We are failing in the upper levels of math, science, chemistry, physics, and others in which we have historically been the leaders.

The dilution of educational programs that do not teach our real history in classrooms about how our country was founded and the truth about how slavery was really administered by people in the south. The watering down of any part of education by political correctness and leaving out history that offends some part of the population. The money spent on education must be spread over more and more programs that benefit fewer and fewer children because of special needs children being included in regular classes.

The work being done by groups for placing special needs children into class means that a lot of money is being spent to accomplish what should be up to local school boards with parental input and not bureaucrats in Washington or the teachers unions who only want to add more teachers to their ranks. I can really sympathize with parents that want to include their children into regular classes in school but that has not worked so far according to children test scores over the years and across the country.

It is a sad reality of life in America today that in our day and age both parents have to work to bring in an acceptable level of income to raise a family and do all the things our parents did with only one breadwinner. When I was discharged from the Marine Corps in 1958 I got a job and bought my own truck and drove cross country for a very large moving company as a leased owner operator and earned approx $200 to $300 a week and believe me, that was a lot of money then. I was able to get married and buy a house on the G I bill back then for only $20,000. and raise three children. My total mortgage including taxes and insurance was only $195 per month.

Life today is very different and the government has grown into a monstrosity with tentacles reaching into all our lives at every level telling us what we must do and not do. We have so many departments in education today that their is probably not one person anywhere that can tell us what they all are. The unions inside the government are so big and almost every union in our country is controlled by democrats.

To get back to school class sizes and the inclusion of developmentally disabled children in normal classes with children that are not. The money spent on aides for each child placed into class could be multiplied by how many disabled children their are and we could pay for separate classes where each child could be helped individually by several teachers in a group setting.

Teaching is one of the most admired professions because in their hands we place our children, to be taught the values of our country and its history and all the knowledge we have learned in the past. The math, science, chemistry, physics, and all avenues of higher learning. Especially the values we place on this country and its beginnings. Our constitution, written by our founders has been downplayed by our President but revered by our people. We have to get away from being afraid of political correctness and teach the truth about our history with all it warts and blemishes.

It is a hard nut to crack but on the one hand we have to protect teachers from indiscriminate firing by superiors to being able to get rid of bad teachers who are only their for a paycheck and are not doing their jobs. Their are far to many teachers being burned out by union policies and rules that discourage innovation and teachers feel left out and alone trying to fight a bureaucracy. Parents must have some say in the process whereby they are involved.

I can personally remember that my nephew was indoctrinated by a teacher who was very against the republican ideals of our nation and went on and on about socialist principals that were his agenda to teach and he battered these into the minds of children. Even today he still believes most of that hogwash. He is what I call a democratic demagog and a democrat through and through. The old school democrats like Roosevelt and Kennedy are nowhere to be seen today.

The old type democrat was a person who held to democratic principals and could be talked to and reasoned with but now the name democrat means the way out far left wing that includes every liberal group imaginable. They all want to have their special projects enacted for their special needs like gay rights among a long list of others. The democratic party today bears no resemblance to what it once was. Joe Lieberman is an example of a good old time democrat that people respected and admired and who was forced to remove himself from what the party has become.

Politics has become a dirty word for what Washington has become, bitter partisan conflicts on a scale that is very hard for us to comprehend. Their are signs of violence spreading from the top down trying to control dissent. The corruption and misuse of money and position are their for all to see. I have come far afield from where I started but it all seems to be tied together with the control by the teachers union and many other unions pitting their power under our new President against any outside interference. It seems to me that every union group, weather or not its members agree, is on the side of the democratic party leaders, and do what they believe will help them, and contribute union money to various political figures.

It starts with us all being informed about things that are happening all around us. In our schools, in our neighborhoods, in our places of work, and especially in Washington and each State government and town boards and local school boards are the place to start. Meet the teachers that teach our children and ask your children about what teachers tell them. It all starts with you being informed and it really only takes about two to four hours a week of REAL searching on the world wide web=WWW and you can put any question to it and get an answer.

I have looked up the history of the union organized by the United Federation of Teachers and its fight for the rights of teachers as a whole over this last 75 years or more. It was a fight that was needed against the powerful interests that held them practically enslaved to low salaries and few rights. The unions were desperately needed and the progress they made was commendable for teachers everywhere. The problems came in the late 1990s when they became so big and included so many other union groups that it seemed to become a political arm of the democratic party.

It became home to various groups that wanted a platform from which to demand attention for their own agendas. What have Nurses and medical personnel have in common with teachers that they should be included in the AFT union. Their are many various union groups being included into one big organization for the power they can exert although each has different aims and wants for its own people. We have to keep one fact in front of us at all times. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Give any group total power over its subordinates and they will eventually misuse it.

It does not work anymore to say, I just do not have the time to spend looking into everything for myself. THE PRICE OF LIBERTY IS ETERNAL VIGILANCE. If you are to lazy or busy then remember and do not complain when things happen that you are against. wait for others to do everything and nothing will be done. Then you deserve what comes.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Pajaken http://www.pippoproducts.com/education/index.html