Political Firestorm

America - Would Our Ancestors Recognize It?

2010-04-24T17:47:00.000-07:00

I am glad that my beloved late grandfather is no longer around to see America-the country he once loved. He was a naval officer that served his country during WWII as a pilot. As children, my grandparents didn't rely on government subsidies to survive. They worked in fields, grew their own food, made their own clothing, and solved their own problems. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Americans rose up against a common enemy: the axis powers of Nazi Germany, Italy and Japan.

If you look at old pictures from the WWII era, you will see dirty faced American men and women standing side-by-side with their sleeves rolled up in some filthy factory. At the time, those people were considered your average hard-working Americans. They beat the sun out of bed and went to work. If you take a close look at the photographs, you will see many of them were lean, strong and walked with their heads held high. It was definitely American ingenuity at its finest. Unfortunately, we no longer live in the same America my grandfather once knew.

America has become the unwanted houseguest that sleeps on the sofa and raids your refrigerator. We are the despised meddling neighbor that has 911 on speed dial. We are the preacher that neglects his own family for his congregation. Long gone is the reputation of Americans known as producers. The world now looks at Americans as a nation of whining consumers. We ship our jobs overseas and depend on foreign oil like a crack addict depends on his dealer.

There is barely any resemblance between our America and the one my grandfather knew. America has become a society of fat, rude, obnoxious, and lazy people who file lawsuits whenever someone hurts their feelings. We kill, maim, destroy, lie, cheat, and steal for personal gain. And when caught, we blame it on our parents because no one hugged us as children. We are a nation of blameless people who never accept responsibility for anything. We blame our problems on everyone else except for the person in the mirror.

The recent passing of "Obamacare" proves my point about America. Since when did we decide that we need the government to subsidize our health care? Although some people think this is a great moment in history, they are only looking through rose colored glasses. I don't think it has settled in that working taxpayers will be forced to pay for it. And when this happens, the doctors and health insurance will then be forced to raise their prices to keep up with the growing population.

Some people don't have insurance because they can't afford it. Health insurance is as much of a right as a driver's license. So what's next? Will the government start mandating that everyone drives an odorless green car? And if you don't own one, will you be forced to buy one?

Health insurance has just become another freedom we have relinquished back to the government. We are on the heels of becoming a Socialist nation like England and Canada-Nations that reward success and hard work with more taxes. What people forget is that once you start relinquishing your freedoms, you eventually become China or Cuba.

Don't be surprised when the government starts regulating what type of home you can buy or what you can name your children. Our politicians have put us in debt with the Red Chinese, a communist nation that laughs at our failing economy. It's because the Chinese know that our foolishness is their gain. Sadly, the America our ancestors and founding fathers once knew has gone M.I.A

William Greene has a B.S. degree from I.W.U. and has made a career of working with the public. He has over 10 years experience in social services, including casework. William works with people of different nationalities and education levels. He operates a social dating website titled http://www.socialhearts.com.

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The Law Revisited - Part II

2010-04-24T01:00:00.000-07:00

In part II of "The Law Revisited" we will look at the faulty assumption that all laws are in and of themselves just and good. To continue in that example, we will look at the issue of making anything "universal" no matter how good those intentions are.

The Fate of Non-Conformists

If you even state that you think these institutions may have become immoral, it will be loudly proclaimed that "You are a loose cannon, a utopian, a theorist, a rebel; you wish to destroy the foundations of society."

And so help you God if you should posture on morality or political science because then there will be official organizations which will go to the government and protest in this line of thinking: "We can't teach science from a free trade point of view (i.e, liberty, property and fairness) like we have been. We need to teach science exclusively from the position of the facts and laws that restrict and regulate industry (i.e, laws contrary to liberty, property and fairness). We need to make sure that our professors do everything they can to avoid speaking against the laws that are in place now."*

*General Council of Manufacturers, Agriculture, and Commerce, May 6, 1850. (Wording modified)

So for example if a law approves of slavery, monopoly, opression or theft in any way whatsoever, it can never be mentioned. After all how do you point out something like that without causing people to begin to disrespect such a law? On top of that, all notions of morality and political economy must be taught from the point of view that it is a just law simply because it is a law.

The other side effect of this gross distortion is that it overemphasizes the importance of political passions and conflicts. Really just politics in general is given too much importance.

There are thousands of ways to prove this. But I will simply limit the illustration to that of universal suffrage since that seems to be on everyone's mind lately.

Who Shall Judge?

Rousseau's followers -- who think themselves to be very intellectually advanced but as far as I'm concerned are about two thousand years behind -- will certainly disagree with me. But universal suffrage -- in the strictest sense of the word -- isn't one of those sacred teachings that one cannot doubt or examine without having committed some sort of crime. In fact there are some good objections to it.

For starters, the word universal is very misleading. For example, there are 36 million people in France. So for voting to be universal there should be 36 million voters, right? But even the most inclusive system only gives that ability to about 9 million. So that means that three out of four people don't have the right to vote. Even better, the other three are denied that right by the fourth who says that the others don't have the capacity to vote and therefore is justified in denying others the ability to vote.

So then really what is being said is that voting is universal for all of those that are capable of voting. That raises an important question: Who is capable? Are minors, women, the mentally ill and people who have committed major crimes the only ones to be excluded?

The Reason Why Voting Is Restricted

When you look closer it becomes more clear why someone would want to base the right of voting on someone's capacity or incapacity. That motive is that the elector or voter doesn't just affect himself but everyone else as well.

The most permissive and restrictive systems are identical in this aspect. The only way they differ is in their definition of what incapacity is. It isn't a difference of principle but of degree.

So lets assume that the republicans of our current Greek and Roman schools are correct and that the right to vote comes at birth. If that is the case than it isn't just to prevent women and children from exercising that right. So why are they prevented? Because it assumed that they are incapable of doing so. But why is incapacity a motive to exclude? Because the voter isn't the only one who lives with the consequences of his vote. Each vote affects the entire community and the people in the community have every right to insist on protection in regard to such actions that affect the community's very existence and welfare.

The Answer Is to Restrict the Law

I know what objections will be made to this. But this isn't the time or place to go into all of that. I'm simply trying to point out this conflict over universal suffrage (much like many other political questions) which agitates, excites, and overthrows nations, would be utterly insignificant if the law had simply lmited itself to doing what it was supposed to do.

If the law simply limited itself to protecting all people, freedoms and properties; if it just stayed as nothing more than the collective right to legal self defense; if the law were the safeguard and the punisher of any form of oppression and plunder -- would citizens even need to argue abou the extent of franchisement?

If this was the situation, would it be likely that the more people who have the right to vote, the greater the danger to the supreme good and public peace would become? Would those excluded refuse to wait peacefully until the day they are granted the right to vote? Is it likely that those privileged would jealously defend that privilege?

If the law simply did what it was supposed to then everyone would have the same interest in the law. And based on that, doesn't it stand to reason that those who did vote would certainly not be a burden to those that could not vote?

The Fatal Idea of Legal Plunder

But on the other hand, let's imagine that the law begins to seize property from one person and gives it to someone else. It takes wealth from all and gives it to a select few -- be they farmers, manufacturers, ship owners, artists or comedians. And all of this is done under the guise of organization, regulation, protection, or encouragement. Under such conditions, surely everyone would want to seize hold of the law and understandably so.

Those that are excluded will demand the right to vote and would rather overthrow society than to do without. Even beggars and vagrants will then try to prove to you that they too have the right to vote. They will say:

"We cant' buy wine, tobacco, or salt without being taxed. And part of those taxes that we're forced to pay is given to men that are wealthier than we are. Other people use the law to increase prices on bread, meat, iron or cloth. So since everyone can apparently use the law to profit for themselves, we want to do the same. We demand from relief programs from the government which is our own version of plunder. And in order to do this we should be made voters and legislators so that we can promote beggary on a large scale for our own socio-economic class since you've organized protection on a similar scale for your own class. But don't you dare pretend like you'll work for us and then simply give us, like Mr. Mimerel suggested, 600,000 franks to shut us up like you would throw a bone to a dog to gnaw on. We have other claims. Besides, we want to have our own special bargains like the other classes have done for themselves."

And what can you say to answer that argument!

Perverted Law Causes Conflict

As long as we admit that the law can be de-railed from it's true purpose -- that it can violate instead of protect property -- then everyone will want to join in lawmaking for either self protection or to steal for themselves as well. Political questions will always be prejudicial, dominant, and all-absorbing. Equally vicious fighting will occur not only outside of the Legislature but inside as well. If you know this then you really don't need to study what goes on in French and English legislature; understanding the situation is the same as knowing the answer.

Do we really need to prove that such a distortion of the law a source of unending hatred and discord; that it destroys society? If you really need proof, look at the United States (1850). No other country in the world keeps the law in it's proper place as well as they: the safeguarding of everyone's liberty and property. As a result, there doesn't seem to be a country where societal order rests more firmly. However, even in the United States, there are two issues -- and only two -- that have always been potentially dangerous to the public peace.

Slavery and Tariffs Are Plunder

What are these two issues? They are slavery and taxes. These are the only two issues where in spite of the general character of the United States, the law has engaged in plunder.

Slavery is a legal violation of liberty and the protective tariff a legal violation of property.

It is amazing that this dual legal crime - an unfortunate carry over from the Old World - is the only issue which can and may ruin the Union. It is unfathomable to think that at the very core of a society this exists: The law has become the very instrument of injustice. And if this has dire consequences to the United States - where it only exists in regard to slavery and tariffs - what will happen to Europe where the corruption of law has become a principle; a system?

Two Kinds of Plunder

Mr. de Montalembert [politician and writer] borrowing from a thought contained in a famous speech by Mr. Carlier, has said: "We must make war against socialism." According to Charle's Dupin's definition of socialism, he means "We must make war against plunder."

But which kind of plunder? There are two kinds: legal and illegal.

I don't think that illegal plunder such as theft or scamming -- which is already defined and punished -- can really be classified as socialism. This isn't the kind of plunder that systematically threatens the fabric of society. Besides, fighting that type of plunder didn't wait for these men to start it. That war has been fought since the beginning of time. Long before the Revolution of February 1848 -- before socialism was ever devised -- France had provided police, judges, gendarmes, prisons, dungeons, and scaffolds whose job was to fight against illegal plunder. The law has always fought against this and I believe it always should have this mindset against plunder.

The Law Defends Plunder

But the law doesn't always do this, in fact some times it defends and participates in plunder. As a result, those that benefit aren't subjected to the shame, danger, and scruple that they would be subjected to otherwise. Sometimes the law even places the entire legal system at the service of the plunderer and as a result treats the victim as a criminal when he tries to defend himself. In otherwords, there is such a thing as legal plunder and it should be rather obvious that this is what Mr. de Montalembert was referring to.

This may only be an isolated problem among the laws of the people. If that is the case, the best thing to do is eliminate it with a minimum of speeches and condemnations -- regardless of the protests by those with vested interests.

How to Identify Legal Plunder

So how does one identify legal plunder? Easily. See if the law takes what rightfully belongs to one person and gives it to someone else that it doesn't belong to. See if the law benefits one person at the expense of another by doing what a private citizen would be called a criminal for doing.

Once you find that law, get rid of it immediately because it is not only evil but is a breeding ground for even more evil. If it isn't done away with quickly -- even if it's just an isolated incident -- it will spread and multiply and become a system.

Obviously the beneficiary of this law will complain bitterly and defend his "rights". He will say that the state is under obligation to protect his industry and even propagate it; that such a process helps the state because his industry can pay more to the poor working class.

Don't listen to this garbage. By accepting such arguments, legal plunder will develop into an entire system. It has already happened. The current delusion is to make everyone richer at the expense of everybody else; to make plunder apply to everyone under the guise of regulating it.

Legal Plunder Has Many Names

There are no shortage of ways to commit legal plunder. As such there are an innumerable amount of plans which regulate it: tariffs, protection, benefits, subsidies, encouragements, progressive taxation, public schools, guaranteed jobs, guaranteed profits, minimum wages, a right to relief, a right to the tools of labor, free credit, ad nauseum. All of these -- with their unified purpose of legal plunder -- constitute socialism.

Now, by this definition, socialism is a body of doctrine so what can you attack it with other than doctrine? If you believe socialistic doctrine to be untrue, asinine, and evil then refute it. The more untrue, idiotic and evil it is the easier it is to refute. More than anything, if you want to be strong, then get rid of every shred of socialism that has crept into your legal system. This is far easier said than done.

Socialism Is Legal Plunder

Mr. de Montalembert has been accused of wanting to fight socialism with nothing but brute force. He should be exonerated from this accusation, since he clearly said: "The war that we must fight against socialism must be in harmony with law, honor, and justice."

But why doesn't he see that he has placed himself in a vicious circle? Use the law to oppose socialism? Socialism relies on the law to survive. Socialists want to commit legal, not illegal plunder. They, like all other monopolists, want to use the law as their own weapon. Once they have the law on their side, how can it be used against them? When the law helps plunder, it isn't afraid of the legal system anymore. in fact it will probably call on that system for help.

To prevent this, you would ban socialism from participating in lawmaking? You would prevent socialists from becoming legislators? I predict that you will never succeed as long as legal plunder is still the legislatures main order of operation. It is illogical -- actually, it's just ludicrous -- to think otherwise.

The Choice Before Us

The question of legal plunder needs to be absolutely settled are there are only three options to do so with:

1. The few plunder the many.

2. Everybody plunders everybody.

3. Nobody plunders anybody.

So the choice is either limited, universal, or no plunder The law can only follow one at a time.

Limited legal plunder: This was what was happening when voting was restricted. One could go back to this and prevent socialism from invading.

Universal legal plunder: This has been a threat since voting was extended to everybody. The new voting class has decided to make law on the same premises that their oppressors used against them when voting was restricted.

No legal plunder: This is the principle of justice, peace, order, stability, harmony, and logic. Until I die I will proclaim this principle with every last bit of strength left in my lungs (which unfortunately is far from adequate).*

*Translator's note: At the time this was written, Mr. Bastiat knew that he was dying of tuberculosis. Within a year, he was dead.

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The Law

Change Agents Toward a New American Dream

2010-04-17T01:00:00.000-07:00

America will never be what she was on July 4, 1776! Furthermore, America should never be what she is on April 7, 2010. The dreams and visions our Founding Fathers had for America is all but forgotten by most of the world. They have been lost in the rhetoric of the past. What we need today is a 21st Century dream for a New America that will be fueled by what we have learned in our past experiences. What we need is a New America that can dream again.

In comparing July 4, 1776 with April 7, 2010, we can glean many lessons that time has taught us. We can know what works and what does not work. We can discard the things that have not worked. We can renew the things that have worked. We can teach the workable things to our children and children's children. We can refuse to be sidetracked by self-serving special interest groups.

America is bleeding from the beatings she has received from her enemies and professed friends. It is time to bandage up her wounds and stand her up on her feet. It is time to unite our forces that will pump new life into her. It is time to let America dream again. It is time to let America bless the world again.

There are many agents that are working toward renewing "The American Dream." The following are a few grassroots agents that are working night and day to lift America up to new heights she has never experienced before. There are many more that are not listed in this article.

The Tea Party and 9-12 movements. These groups have done much to spring us into action. America is being awakened. People are beginning to get involved. God is raising up a new breed of leadership that will uphold our religious and domestic rights that are listed in our founding documents and our Holy Book, The Judeo-Christian Scriptures.

The Oath Keepers and Militia movements. These change agents stand ready to defend our beloved America against enemies, domestic and foreign, that seek to enslave us. They have determined America will breathe the invigorating air of life, liberty and justice for all her citizens.

The Patriots and Minutemen movements. These change agents are doing their part to educate and equip America to remain under her God-given freedoms.

The Christ-centered, Bible-based churches and the May Day movements. These change agents are calling on Americans everywhere to turn their eyes on Jesus. They are calling for a 2 Chronicles 7:14 day of prayers of repentance on May 1, 2010 at the Lincoln Memorial and throughout the nation. This is the most powerful of all change agents that will position America so she can dream again.

The Creation-Science and Christ-centered groups in secular colleges. There are many of these that God is using to turn America back to God.

We are on the edge of the greatest movement of change agents America has experienced for decades. When all these grassroots groups converge together under the mighty hand of our Lord God of Glory, America will be freed to dream again. She will be freed to breathe in the life changing air of a renewed commitment to God and her liberated citizens.

Here are some principles to keep in mind as things get heated up:

1.Do not panic. God is in control and will have the last word.
2.Do not surrender to the enemy. Keep the faith. Keep the hope. Keep the love.
3.Fit in with the group you feel most adapted to. Do what you can. Keep committed.
4.Do not get violent. If you live by the sword you will die by the sword. This is no time to lose your cool and play the fool. The process of peace and goodwill will win over strife and confusion.
5.Keep focused. The reason for the battle is to create a New America that can dream again.
6.Do all you can to be a peacemaker. As the vision gets brighter, many of our enemies will become our friends.
7.Keep your faith in God. God is our friend. He wants us to have a New America that can rejoice in Him. He is getting us ready to form a new covenant with Himself and our fellow Americans. The joy of the Lord is our strength. It is His glory that will return very soon. We are "more than conquerors through Him Who loved us and gave Himself for us." We are on the winner's side. Let the party begin!

Howard E. Wright's book, Deceitful Masters, would be a great help to you. If you are ready for the truth as it is in Christ Jesus that will give you a richer, fuller life, Howard E. Wright's Deceitful Masters book is for you. The cover pages tell it all. It is very unique. There is nothing like it on the market. You will learn from it how to live this new life in Christ Jesus. If you are hungering for more of God in your life, you are invited to get your copy through his http://www.DeceitfulMasters.comwebsite or http://Amazon.com today.

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Prison Facts That We Need to Know

2010-04-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

Life in prison has changed drastically in the past twenty-five years. In 1986, mandatory minimums for drug crimes were put into law. Arrest rates in general have risen even though prison funding has not risen in concert and crime rates have dropped. Prisons are more crowded, availability to educational programs is being lowered because of financial crises, and inmate on inmate violence is increasing.

Prisons are defined as either state or federal. Generally, life in federal prison is better than life in state prison. Federal prisons have more white-collar criminals and fewer violent criminals so are less dangerous. Federal prisons have better funding and tend to have better accommodations. In the past, there was less over-crowding; however, even federal prisons are facing overcrowding and violence is rising.

The Federal correctional system has four levels of inmates and facilities. Federal Prison Camps, or minimum security facilities, are similar to college dormitories. There are no bars on the windows and movement within the camp is not restricted. In some cases, there is no fence and inmates could even walk off the camp if they chose. Low Security Federal Correctional Institutions have fences and dormitory-style rooms. Medium Security Federal Correctional Institutions often are surrounded by electronic double fences, cells, and higher monitoring of inmates. High security prisons, or United States Penitentiaries, have perimeter walls or reinforced fences, cells, the highest staff-to-inmate ratio, and highly restricted inmate movement. State prisons have similar levels. Specifics vary by state.

Federal administrative facilities are special prisons dedicated to inmates with special needs, such as Federal Medical Centers, or to special programs or administrative needs, such as Federal Transfer Centers and Federal Detention Centers. A variety of levels of inmates may be housed within these different prisons.

Medium and high or maximum level inmates are often housed in different parts of the same facility. These have more inmates and more who have been convicted of violent crimes. More inmates there are serving long or life sentences, factors that add to inmate on inmate violence.

On arrival to a prison, convicts are registered into the prison system and receive a registration number. After an orientation, convicts are assigned a counselor or case manager who manages a team of inmates. The counselor or case manager is responsible for overseeing that the inmate is progressing as he or she should. They make sure inmates are paying restitution and court-ordered financial obligations, that they are cooperating with any drug abuse programs, and are receiving necessary medical care. Additionally, they make sure the inmate is advancing his or her education if necessary. Inmates are often not allowed to leave prison if they have not earned a high school degree, so GED courses and diplomas are available in prison.

Inmates can also work toward technical certificates and college degrees. There are famous cases of inmates earning law degrees in prison and representing themselves to get their convictions overturned. Prisons may offer college courses and degrees themselves. If not, inmates might be able to receive materials from outside prisons through courses paid for by their family. In New York, inmates' access to educational grants has been cut drastically. The majority of inmates cannot afford to pay for college courses so have little hope of earning a college degree.

Without the opportunity to earn a secondary degree, the work an inmate does in prison can become more important for his or her success after release. The counselors try to assign inmates jobs in positions that fit the skills they might already have. Inmates work to support the functioning of the facility such as in the electrical shop, the plumbing shop, or the library. They might do custodial work, kitchen work, or laundry. Some work in Correctional Industries, creating goods or providing services that are sold to civilians. This provides them a chance to earn skills useful upon reentry and to pay whatever financial responsibilities they have. Jobs are for two to seven hours during the day, five days a week. Inmates make between $0.15 and $1.50 an hour.

With the money inmates earn, they can shop at the commissary to buy food, clothing and supplies. Inmates usually bring one outfit to prison, but they might not be allowed to wear it. The commissary sells t-shirts, sweatshirts and sweatpants for inmates to wear.

The commissary offers little meals that can be heated in a microwave. The food served in prison, especially in state prison, is notoriously bad. The biggest complaints are that it is bland and, occasionally, unidentifiable. Due to overcrowding and general increased violence, some facilities serve meals in cells to prevent fights in the dining halls. This leads to food being cold when it is supposed to be hot and hot when it is supposed to be cold. The commissary offers welcome alternatives.

Inmates can receive visitors including family and friends that have been approved by the facility's staff. One-and-a-half to three days each week are allotted to each prisoner for visits on a rotating schedule. Higher security prisons offer more time for visits since sentences are usually longer.

As the quality of life in federal prisons has gone down, some inmates look to special state prisons that offer trailers housed outside of the actual prison building for conjugal and family visits.

Prisoners can call their families for varying amounts of time. Federal prisons allow inmates 300 minutes of call time per month. A limited number of prisons offer access to the Internet and email.

Time allotted to spend outside the convicts' cells varies from unlimited to fifteen minutes depending on the level of security. Minimum-security camps can offer unrestricted access to the outdoor prison areas. Maximum-security prisons might designate only a few minutes for inmates to spend outdoors. Outside, there is usually some fitness facility and equipment.

Indoors, there are fitness facilities, as well, where inmates can engage in sports including basketball, touch football and weightlifting. Sports can become incredibly important for prisoners. ESPN reported on McNeil State Correctional Facility, a medium security prison in Washington State that was known for playing against teams of civilians and consistently winning.

When not allowed outside, prisoners can listen to radios and watch television in the television room. State prisons allow prisoners to keep televisions in their cells. Prisoners, of course, can read and write in their cells. Since multiple inmates are housed in small cells, there is little possibility for doing other things. Even these activities are only possible with the consent of one's roommates.

Marty Craigs is an expert on prisons and related topics. His expertise extends beyond prisons into industry-specific information, including topics such as torx security screws, products, and other hardware. Visit http://www.securityscrew.com/ to learn more about security, tamper resistant, and tamper proof screws and read about other security products.

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Reagan responds to Obama and his supporters

2010-04-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

The Principles of Liberty - Principle 7

2010-04-13T01:00:00.000-07:00

"The Proper role of Government is to Protect Equal Rights, Not Provide Equal Things."

During the days of the Founders in Europe, it was popular for people to proclaim that the role of government was to take from the 'haves' and give to the 'have nots' so that all might be truly 'equal'. However, the founders knew that this proposition contained a major fallacy.

People cannot delegate to government the power to do anything that they could not do themselves. We have the right to protect our life and property, therefore, we have the ability to delegate our protection to government through a police force, which would protect the lives and property of all the people.

Let's suppose that there is a kind-hearted man that saw that one neighbor had two cars, while another neighbor had none. What would happen if the kind man went to the neighbor with two cars, took one, and then generously gave it to the neighbor that had none? He would be arrested for theft of course! No matter how genuinely he cared about his neighbor with none, he has no right to steal from the neighbor with abundance and give it to another. The neighbor with abundance still has the right to their property. Of course, the prosperous neighbor could choose to donate the care to the neighbor in need, but it would be his decision, and not that of the kind-hearted neighbor who wanted to rob from the rich to give to the poor.

Governments can sometimes commit 'legal' crimes. Let's say that the kind-hearted man asks the mayor and city council to give one of the cars from the prosperous neighbor to the man with none, does that make it anymore right? Of course not! And it is worse, because now, not only did the man lose his property, but now he also lost his right to appeal because the government did it. The Founders warned that anytime a government is allowed to start taking the possessions of others to start equalizing the distribution of goods, then the government thereafter will have been given the power to take away the right to enjoy life, liberty and property from ANY of the people.

Those who receive from this idea generally think that this is a just system. But what happens when government starts taking also from those that are poor? Then they will claim their right to their property, but the government will then say,"Now we decide who has rights in things." When the government was given the power to rob from the rich and give to the poor it immediately nullifies the principle of guaranteed equal rights, it opens the floodgates for government to meddle with everyone's rights.

When Communists seized power in Hungary, the peasants were delighted at first when the government seized the large farms from their owners, and then gave it to the peasants. But then later, the government seized 3/4 of the peasant land to create government communal farms, of course the peasants screamed about their property rights, but it was too late. If they continued to protest, they lost their liberty and in several instances their lives.

The Founders made sure that we could protect our freedom to prosper by protecting the rights of ALL people. There was no penalty for getting rich. The people would not be locked into the poverty level as they had in other nations. There would be some that would have more than others, but the entire nation could prosper. It was believed that man had an instinct to succeed and by having the freedom to prosper, the whole people would prosper together. People were encouraged to store up and save for a time when things were not prosperous, or to help their neighbors when they hit on rough times. Hard work, thrift and frugality were the key words for the American Ethic.

The Founders made these European theories unconstitutional. America became the most prosperous and most educated nation in the world, and consequently, the most generous. Samuel Adams said, "The utopian schemes of leveling (redistribution of wealth), and a community of goods (central ownership of all the means of production and distribution), are as visionary and impractical as those which vest all property in the Crown. (These ideas) are arbitrary, despotic, and in our government, unconstitutional."

Yet, there are still those who insist that compassion for the poor requires the Federal Government becoming involved and taking from the 'haves' and giving to the 'have nots'. Benjamin Franklin had been one of the 'have nots' and having experienced these welfare programs of 'counter-productive compassion', he wrote an entire essay on the subject. He called the programs a great evil in not only the way in which it operates, but also because it encourages idleness.

Franklin wrote: "To relieve the misfortune of our fellow creatures is concurring with the deity; it is godlike; but, if we provide encouragement for laziness, and supports for folly, may we not be found fighting against the order of God and Nature, which perhaps has appointed want and misery as the proper punishments for, and caution against, as well as necessary consequences of, Idleness and extravagance? Whenever we attempt to amend the scheme of Providence, and to interfere with the government of the world, we had need be very circumspect, lest we do more harm then good."

The Founders all had deep feelings about helping the poor and less fortunate, but they had guidelines, a calculated compassion:

1. Do not help the needy completely, simply help them help themselves.
2. Give the poor the satisfaction of earned achievement instead of rewarding without achievement.
3. Allow the poor to climb the 'appreciation ladder', from tents to cabins, cabins to cottages, cottages to comfortable homes.
4. Where emergency help is provided, do not prolong it to where it becomes habitual.
5. Strictly enforce fixed responsibility.

First the individual is responsible for himself, the second level is the family, then the church, next the community, finally the country and in a disaster or emergency, the state. Under no circumstances is the Federal Government to become involved in welfare. The Founders felt that this would corrupt the government and the poor. There is NO constitutional authority for the federal government to participate in charity or welfare.

The Founders did this to protect the people from abuse by an overly-aggressive government.

What can we do to keep the government in check? We can be good neighbors, love them, care about them, and work within our communities to find solutions and solve their problems. We need to return to helping each other help ourselves and not letting their be a need to turn to government. We can support community organizations that serve those in need in our communities through donating goods, services, time, talents and money. Additionally, we can raise our voices to change the way that things are being done now. Undo the government programs at a planned rate while replacing them with community action by the people.

Charity Angel is an author,singer, political activist, small business owner, and an online business coach. Find more of her thoughts Here.

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The Law Revisited - Part I

2010-04-10T01:00:00.000-07:00

The law has been utterly corrupted! Not only that, but those sworn to uphold the law have been defiled as well! I'm telling you right now that the law has not just been derailed from it's original purpose but has completely changed course! Now the law has become the weapon of choice for greed! Rather than punishing crime, the law has become a willing participant in the very evils it was designed to punish!
If this is true, it is most serious and I have a moral obligation to warn my countrymen of it.
Life Is a Gift from God
God gave us a gift which all others derive from. That gift is life: physical, intellectual and moral life.
But life is not self maintaining. God has given us the duty of preserving, developing and perfecting it. In order to succeed in this, we have been a given amazing facutlies and He has given us in the a variety of natural resources. By using our faculties with these natural resources we can turn these resources into products which we can then use. This process is vital to life proceeding as it should.
Life, senses, production-- in other words, individuality, liberty, property -- this is man. Despite the most creative politicians, these gifts predate all human laws and surpass them.
Life, liberty, and property don't exist because a bunch of politicians made laws about them. Not at all! In fact it was because of the fact that life, liberty and property existed that men had to make laws to protect them.
What Is Law?
So then, what is the law? The law is simply the organization of individuals to ensure their right to legal defense.
All of us have the natural right - given to us by God - to protect ourselves, our liberty and our property. These rights are fundamental to life and the protection of any one of these is dependant on the protection of the other two. After all, what are our faculties but the extension of our individuality? And what is property but an extension of our faculties?
If every person has the right to defend -- even by force -- his person, his liberty, and his property, then naturally a group of men have the right to organize and support a common force that would always protect these rights. And so the principle of collective right -- the reason it even exists and is lawful -- is based on individual right. And the common force that protects this collective right cannot logically have any other purpose or any other mission than that for which it acts as a substitute. Therefore since an individual cannot legally use force against the person, liberty, or property of someone else, then the common force -- for the same reason -- cannot lawfully be used to destroy the person, liberty, or property of individuals or groups.
Such a perversion of force would be, in both cases, contrary to our premise. Force has been given to us to defend our own individual rights. Who would then argue that force exists to destroy the equal rights of our brothers? Since no one person can legally use force to violate someone else's rights, doesn't it make sense that the same principle applies to a collective force which is essentially a group of individuals?
If this is true then it doesn't get any more obvious than this: The law is the organization of man's natural right to legal defense. It's a substitute of a collective force in place of individual forces. And this common force is only to do what the individual has a legal right to do: protect themselves, their liberty and their property; and to maintain the rights of the individual thus ensuring the reign of justice and peace over all.
A Just and Enduring Government
As far as I'm concerned, a nation grounded in such a premise would have a prevailing sense of order among it's citizens in thought and deed. It seems to me that such a nation would have the most simple, easy to accept, economical, limited, nonoppressive, just, and enduring government imaginable -- whatever its political form might be.
In such a situation everyone would know that they are personally responsible for all of their successes and downfalls. Nobody would have any complaints with the government so long as this person was respected, he wasn't forced to work, and his earnings were safeguarded from all unjust attacks. When he succeeded he wouldn't have to thank the government and when he failed he had nobody to blame but himself. After all a farmer can't blame the government for bad weather can he? The only way that the government would be involved would be in the protection of the rights of the individual.
Even better, if the state would stay out of things, we could pursue our own interests in a perfectly logical way. The poor wouldn't be asking to become literate before getting food. And we certainly wouldn't see people un-necessarily being relocated from rural areas to populate cites or vice versae. Nor would we see these huge displacements of money, work and population which is no doubt caused by legislative decisions and not by individual choice.
When the state creates such situations and displacements, the very sources of our livelihood are no longer certain and in fact unstable. Even more so, all this does is burden government with even more responsibilities.
The Complete Perversion of the Law
Unfortunately though law never regulates itself to only do what it's supposed to do. And when it goes beyond it's proper role, it isn't in a trivial manner. It is much worse than that; the law has begun to act in outright rebellion against it's sole task. The law has sought to destroy it's goals: It is used to obliterate the very justice it was meant to uphold; it restricts and destroys the rights it was meant to protect. The collective force has been given to corrupt men who desire nothing more - and with no consequence to them - to take advantage of the person, autonomy and property of everyone else. Theft has become a "right" in order to allow them to continue in their theft and has in turn condemned the act of lawful defense which in turn would make it punishable to defend ones self against this theft.
How did this happen? And what are the consequences.
It happened because of two things: stupid greed and pseudo-philanthropy. Let us begin by analyzing the first cause.
A Fatal Tendency of Mankind
Everyone wishes to preserve their life and improve it. And if people were free and unrestricted in such endeavors by the use of his faculties and assets, then such social progress would be unending, uninhibited and unfailing.
However, there is also a negative tendency to thrive at the expense of others whenever possible. This isn't just some irresponsible statement nor is it made with an attitude of despair and cynicism. History shows over and over again that this is true: unending war, mass migrations, religious persecution, universal slavery, unethical business, and monopolies. Such a desire is part of man's nature - his basic, natural, insatiable urge that compels him to fulfill his dreams in the least painful way possible.
Property and Plunder
Man can only satisfy his desires by working for them; by continually striving to the best of his abilities in conjunction with his natural resources. This process is where property originated.
It is also true however that his wants can be satisfied by stealing and using the fruits of someone else's labor. This is the origin of plunder.
Because man naturally wants to avoid pain - and work is itself pain - then clearly man will attempt to steal whenever theft is the easier option. This is very obvious in history. And when these conditions are present neither religion or morality will stop it.
So when does theft end? Logically, it stops when theft is more dangerous and painful than work.
It should be obvious then that law's proper role is to use it's power to stop this tendency to steal rather than work. Every aspect of law should safeguard one's property and punish theft.
Generally speaking though, one man or a class of men make the laws. Since law wouldn't be able to function without the sanction and support of a dominant force, this force has to be entrusted to those who create legisilation.
This fact, combined with the man's fatal tendency to be satisfied with the least amount of effort explains why the law invariably becomes corrupt. It should be easy to see now how the law changes from punishing injustice to becoming the unstoppable arbiter of injustice. And why a legislator uses the law to destroy to some extent among the people, their autonomy by slavery, their freedom by oppression and their property by theft. This is done only for the benefit of the legislator and is proportional to his degree of power. This is done solely for the benefit of the person who makes the law, and in proportion to the power that he holds.
Victims of Lawful Plunder
Naturally, man will rebel when they are victims of injustice. So when theft is orchestrated by law to profit those who make the law, those victims of legal plunder will try to become lawmakers themselves through either pacifistic or revolutionary methods. Depending on how enlightened these victims are, they will take one of two courses of action once they gain power: they will either try to crush legal plunder or they will try to benefit from it themselves.
Woe to the nation when those victims of legal plunder choose to pursue the latter option once they have legislative power!
Until then, the few steal from the many simply because the power to make laws is limited to few. But then let us assume that the power of law making becomes available to all men. Then those men will seek to make such theft apply to all men in order to balance things out. So rather than trying to fix these social injustices, the simply make them apply to everyone. The moment these victimized classes achieve power, they will develop a retributive system against other social classes. They won't end legal plunder. (That would require more enlightenment than they actually have.) No, instead they decide to imitate their own oppressors by doing the very same thing that they felt was an injustice to them.
It is as though before justice could rule that everyone would have to suffer cruel retribution - some for being evil and some for being stupid.
The Results of Legal Plunder
You couldn't hope to introduce a greater evil to society than changing the law into a tool for stealing from others.
What are results of such corruption? It would require volumes to describe them all. So let us simply focus on the most obvious results.
For starters, it destroys society's conscience of what the difference between justice and injustice is.
Society can't exist without a certain degree of respect for the law. The easiest way to do this is to make respectable laws. However when law and morality oppose each other a citizen has only the cruel choice of abandoning his own sense of morality or losing his respect for the law. These two evils are equally consequential, and how could a person choose between them? The nature of law is to maintain justice. This is so vitally important that people equate law and justice without any dissimilarity. We all have a natural tendency to assume that something legal is also right. This is prevelant that many people come to the wrong conclusion that things are right simply because the law says so. So, in order to make people think that theft is perfectly fine, all that needs to happen is for the law to say endorse it. It is this very reason that there are not only defenders of slavery, restrictions and monopolies that profit from these institutions but also from those that are the victims of such institutions as well.
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The Future Space Wars - Book Review

2010-04-09T01:00:00.000-07:00

Star Wars, Star Trek, and Battle Star Galactica were once considered science fiction. However, the way that things are going now it looks like the world's militaries are moving into space, and wish to use their technologies to battle their enemies. The future of space wars will soon be upon us. Many science fiction writers have written about this, but now with laser systems, satellite killing missiles, and the advancement of space programs, it would be almost impossible to stop.

If this is a topic that scares the hell out of you, join the club. However, we shouldn't hide our heads in the sand, as this is something we must discuss. If you'd like to discuss this topic and think about it, then I'd like to recommend a very good book to you, it will definitely give you a little bit of background and history of how we got to where we are today. This is a book that I personally own, and one I'd like to recommend to you, the name of the book is;

"War in Space" by James Canan 1982

This book takes us through the Cold War including; the Missile Gap, SALT I and SALT II, and Apollo, the SOYUZ test Project, as well as the invention of the ICBM missile, the subsequent scares, and Skylab. It explains the Cold War days with submarines with Polaris missiles, and a land-based MX missile system.

He describes future man-made lightning and lasers, which we now see have been created by United States scientists in the military-industrial complex. And he talks about charged particle beams, directed energy, and lasers; one shot one kill. There are chapters on the The 1978 Deuterum Floride Laser, "TALON GOLD" Project, "Lasers in space" initiatives, PAVE PAWS project, and the space track project.

He describes the RASV reusable aerospace vehicle. He also tells how the Russians encoded data from their space program. He explains the "SEESAW" project. Apparently, the author's summation of things to come, were right on target. FYI; Today we have Chinese shooting down satellites and some of their generals stating "of course, we are going to have to put weapons in space to protect our country." Yah, what else will they be used for? Please consider all this.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes a strong national defense.

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Nostradamus - Obama One-Term President

2010-04-07T01:00:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama may have won the 2008 election, but the real winner in the presidential lottery was none other than "Michel de Notredame," who gained newfound respect among the ranks of hardcore skeptics by prophesying the first black president, uncannily describing him as the "white and black of the two intermixed."

The Seer Extraordinaire was able to accomplish, nearly five centuries ago, what modern-day political pundits were unable to do even five short years ago. In so doing, Nostradamus turned die-hard doubters into true believers. The same ones who used to thumb their noses at his predictions are now thumbing through his quatrains, in search of further enlightenment, as in this prophetic verse:

"The great empire each year shall have more strife,
One above all others will the power obtain:
But short will be his reign and life,
Two years on stormy seas will he be able to sustain." - Nostradamus

What it says, in a nutshell, is that Barack Obama is destined be a one-term president. It is not hard to fathom why.

On his hyper-extended campaign trail, Barack made more promises than any mere mortal could ever possibly hope to keep. Now, he is seen as going back on his word, in effect, breaking his contract with America.

For instance, on the stump, he vowed to quickly shut down the "Gitmo Gulag." But, as it turns out, storming the American Bastille is a task more easily said than done.

He also pledged to end the Pentagon's precipitous preemptions and return the troops immediately. But, in the case of Iraq, he not only deferred the draw-down by several years, he has authorized a permanent occupation force to remain behind indefinitely, if not longer.

As for Afghanistan, he has already committed additional ground forces to that potential powder keg. Our continued presence on sacred soil only serves to further infuriate and embolden our sworn "Axis of Oil" enemies.

Even Vice President Joe Biden freely admits that President Obama is certain to be tested. A 9/11 event, Heaven forbid, would convince soccer moms that a Democratic president is not up to the task of protecting the homeland, driving the final nail into his campaign coffers.

Nostradamus used his prodigious prophetic powers to read the political tea leaves, but it does not require a crystal ball to read the writing on the wailing wall. Given the dire straits that he inherited, voters were more than willing to give their Anointed One a honeymoon in the White House. But if Barack Obama fails to deliver on his copious campaign promises, it is highly doubtful that they will deign to grant their Second Coming a second honeymoon in the Oval Office.

http://www.augustnoble.com

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Death and Taxes Under One Roof

2010-04-05T01:00:00.000-07:00

Benjamin Franklin had no idea how prophetic he was when he wrote these words "Of two things you can be certain; death and taxes," some two and a half centuries ago. With the highly-controversial health care bill receiving approval by a partisan Congress -- in spite of strong resistance by the minority party and the American public -- we have yet to learn all the dirty little details of how this legislation will affect the lives of citizens.
Pre-boomers, those born between 1930 and 1945, have much at stake; but our overwhelming opposition to the health care bill has been ignored. New Seniors, as we are now known, are faced with the prospects of having Medicare cuts of $500 billion dollars. Where will these dollars go? For starters, 30 million people will receive health insurance that were not on the roles before. Most New Seniors want their follow citizens to have health insurance available to them, but not at the expense of our own well-being. We paid taxes for our entire working life, and a portion of those taxes supported the Medicare program. Now, when we have reached the point in our lives when we must depend on more medical care, it may be taken away or the quality greatly diminished.
To think that half of the nearly trillion dollar cost of the health care bill can be funded by savings realized by reducing waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare is pure fiction. To begin with, many experts claim costs could two or three times that amount. Secondly, there is a "doctors' fix" that is not included in the bill to offset the reduction in Medicare payments to medical providers. The cost $250 billion. But even this won't keep many physicians from leaving their practices (surveys show up to a third are ready to quit); and those that stay will have to take care of another 30 million people, so rationing will naturally occur.
Politicians once considered seniors the "third rail" when it came to Social Security and Medicare. But, somewhere along the line, the focus in Washington has changed. They have forgotten our contributions over the years in favor of the rising younger tax base. But we will not forget those who have turned away from us for what they hope be long-term political gain. Pre-boomers are more than 30 million strong, and boomers will start turning 65 next year. And this group of voters, over 76 million strong, will be turning 65 until 2030. Combined, we will have political clout.
No matter what some may say this is not the end for us, rather it is the beginning of a period of revitalization for New Seniors. We can take this battle to the streets of our communities in the months ahead, so our voices can be heard. And we will continue the fight by going to the polling booths in November to be sure that we elect representatives who appreciate our service to this country, understand our needs and are willing to work on our behalf in order to get things back on track us, and all Americans.
The idea that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will be responsible for seeing that our children and grandchildren are paying for the health insurance of others, while pre-boomers stand to receive less care, is ironic. Old Ben Franklin was right about death and taxes, because the IRS (most dreaded of all government agencies) will, in effect, be overseeing both -- all under one roof.
Don Potter, a Philadelphia native, was born in 1936 and is a 50 year veteran of the advertising agency business. Now living in Los Angeles, he has written two novels in retirement, frequently writes on marketing issues, and has a blog dedicated to pre-boomers (those born between 1930 and 1945).
Read more articles for and about pre-boomers with thoughts, comments and opinions designed to spark thinking, foster discussion, and stimulate debate by logging on to http://www.pre-boomermusings.com
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An American Citizen's Right to Bear Arms and to Live Free

2010-04-03T01:00:00.000-07:00

Yet, there is an even better reason why citizens should also be gun owners, and that is the right of citizens to protect themselves against their government. In fact, the drafting of the 2nd Amendment by the founding fathers was not to combat crime, but to guard against an oppressive and unscrupulous federal government. The founding fathers literally feared the United States Congress.

George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, among others, were afraid that their new creation would someday try to use the new continental army against them in order to reestablish a ruling elite to oppress the people. This fear was driven by the fact that the first thing the British attempted to do against them was to take away their guns to stop the march toward independence from Great Britain. The debate over gun rights was the most hotly argued topic at the Continental Congress meetings, leading to ratification of the United States Constitution. Following a seemingly endless number of rewrites, private gun ownership rights were finalized in 1791 by the State of Virginia. The argument has never abated even to today, with the courts hearing arguments on controversial cases that eventually lead to yet another refinement in 2nd Amendment law.

The Patriot Act

In 2003, the government passed The Patriot Act as a means of fighting the so called war on terror. Passed just 34 days after the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Centers, this law quietly repealed several constitutional freedoms previously enjoyed by American citizens. The new law also gave the Bush Administration a host of new weapons with which to spy on and oppress Americans without them realizing it.

FISA Revision

Gun rights advocates really got antsy after the government changed the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. The revisions allowed for no knock searches and seizure warrants to be issued without prior approval from a judge. This law redefined every American citizen as a possible terrorist against the government. Making all people suspect automatically gives police the right to invade your home, when you least expect it, and whenever they choose to do so.

Military Commissions Act of 2006

The Bush Administration also created the Military Commissions Act of 2006 and the Obama Administration has chosen to let it stand. This law suppresses habeas corpus, or the right of citizens to be told why they are being arrested as well as what exactly are the charges. Secret prisons were built under Bush, but have since been dismantled under Obama after whistle blowers started talking. However, probably the most damaging clause in the Military Commissions Act gives the President of the United States the right to declare martial law, if he feels its necessary. Couple this with suppression of Posse Comitatus and American citizens have a real problem.

Posse Comitatus dates all the way back to 1878. It was a law the prevented the President and Congress from using American troops against American citizens. The Military Commissions Act calls for 3 battle tested battalions to be stationed on American soil under NorthCom and the Department of Homeland Security. They were activated last October.

The Obama Administration, just like the Bush Administration say the troops are not to be used against American citizens, but stranger things have happened. But no one can say what will happen if and when martial law is ever declared in America. No one knows, if the fears of the founding fathers will ever be born out, but gun advocates believe it is better to be safe and armed, rather than sorry and defenseless.

http://www.skeptikone.blogspot.com

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Cities Gouge Their Citizens

2010-04-02T01:00:00.000-07:00

Cash strapped cities and states across the nation are using traffic citations as a way to ease some of their financial shortfalls. The price of a ticket, including simple fix-it tickets, have already increased dramatically.

In spite of being one of the highest tax states in the country, California wasted no time raising fines. In addition, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger suggested using "speed cameras" to tap motorists for an additional $400 million and applying that money to the state's enormous deficit. Various municipalities are already gouging their citizens by other means. Los Angeles has doubled its monthly take of traffic fine revenue since late 2007 by increasing ticket charges and installing red light cameras. San Jose is benefiting nicely from new "No right turn on red" signs installed at several freeway exit ramps. (Both cities claim the changes were not made for financial reasons.) Oakland continues to install red light cameras - they now have 11 - and starting in March, a violation will cost $380. Hayward recently added two more cameras and after a 30 day grace period a ticket there will tap the offenders billfold to the tune of $420.

Good old fashioned manual ticket writing also appears to be on the rise. If California cities "strongly suggested" their officers write more tickets, who could blame them? Their backs are figuratively up against the wall: 1) Sales tax revenue normally shared with cities and counties has been reduced or eliminated, and 2) municipal employees are often highly paid and receive huge pensions.

The first is out of the hands of the mayors and city councils, the latter, however, was brought about by their own actions. When times were good, they were only too happy to promise health benefits and pensions that go far beyond those in the private sector. Some are justified - fire fighters and police officers put their lives on the line and deserve to be compensated for hazardous duty. However, they can top out and annually receive 90% of the salary they made when they retired. This is going overboard. After a lifetime of service in the military, for example, the maximum retirement draw is 75% and on average, a career soldier makes less than CA police or fire fighters. And chances of dying in the line of duty are much higher in the armed services.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Almost all city, county and state employees are slated to collect comfortably large checks for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, that can't happen unless fewer dollars are spent in other areas or more is collected via higher taxes, larger fines, or more costly regulations (i.e. new permits required or higher vehicle registration fees).

I'm not suggesting that pensions should be cut for existing workers. They accepted jobs with the understanding that they would be taken care of in retirement. Reductions in other areas will likely need to occur. Lower wages and layoffs for non fire and police professions may be necessary. New employees will have to accept weaker benefit packages. These are difficult, but it's already a lot rougher than that for many people outside government. In spite of the massive layoffs occurring throughout California in the private sector, not a single state employee had lost their job as of January 2010.

Because our state and local officials got into office by promising to spend more of the average person's money, cutting costs is generally not in their nature and would upset their special interest friends. In spite of tough times in the non-government sectors of the economy, they need your money. Raising taxes is often politically unpopular, so expect to see other wallet draining tactics. Traffic fines are a favorite because they generally draw little attention. It's no longer about safety, just the money.

StateSnakes.com reports on corruption and big money in state politics.

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Healthcare Bill - What it Means and How it Affects Taxes

2010-03-31T01:00:00.001-07:00

Yesterday President Obama singed the year-long much debated healthcare bill into law. The bill consists of a whopping $940 billion plan that is expected to provide health coverage to 32 million uninsured Americans. This historic event is a huge win for Democrats. It should be noted the controversy isn't over. Thirteen state Attorney Generals have already filed lawsuits. Not one Republican supported the bill. So come election time in November, the bipartisan potential could be out the window.

In any case, Obama made the primary objective of his presidency come to life. The actual bill and its 2,000 plus pages effectively standardizes healthcare. It will ensure that insurance coverage is the right of every U.S. citizen and will begin to reshape the way almost all Americans receive and finance treatment.

What does this mean for you? I mean, $940 Billion has to come from somewhere. Well, once again the logic sends tax collectors to those who have the most money. This author feels such practice is just poor economic practice, but be that as it may, it is the practice which will be used. Taxes will be going up for those making $200,000 a year and couples in the $250,000 range.

Here is yet another way to keep these persons from taking their expendable incomes and pumping that money back into the economy, which would generate business and jobs. Simple economics. The problem now is that we are in a time of uncertainty. No one is sure where the market is going. The major market indicators like the Dow are on the rise. Yet no one is buying. We are in a time of saving.

The bill also instates a new Medicare tax on the wealthy, who will be paying 2.35 percent now instead of the 1.45 percent, earned and unearned income, like dividends, and capital gains are also going to be hit with taxes. Employers will be paying out higher taxes as well. And corporations within the health care industry, such as pharmaceutical companies, are going to find higher fees and corporate taxes required of them.

Is it all going to be worth it? Well, we won't know that until long after it really takes swing in 2014. According to the Congressional Budget Office the law will cut federal budget deficits by an estimated $143 billion over a decade. It can be assumed that premiums will be lower and the insurance industry will come under new federal regulation. But we still don't know how it will affect the quality of medicine, its economic impact, and

I guess saving for your own medical expenses is the sort of thing that health care reformers cannot abide by. They would rather you buy insurance coverage you don't need and don't use that way the funds can be used to fund the healthcare of others. If you saved that money in an HSA, such would not be the case.

So when it comes to actually doing your taxes over the next couple of years, I think it would be wise to take advantage of tax preparation software, online resources, or area offices. This bill is going to tweak a few things and gives the IRS an unprecedented new role. Who do you think is going to collect the "penalties" the bill talks about?

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America Rising: An Open Letter to Democrat Politicians

2010-03-29T01:00:00.000-07:00

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The Rebellion Within

2010-03-27T01:00:00.001-07:00

In The Rebellion Within (published in the June 2, 2008 issue of The New Yorker), Lawrence Wright describes the known life of Sayyed Imam Al-Sharif-known in some circles of the extremely secretive jihadist underground as Dr. Fadl.

Fadl, an extremely gifted Islamic scholar, met Ayman al-Zawahiri in 1977 while both were attending medical school in Cairo. Within a decade he found himself at the ground floor of the Jihad movement. As a matter of fact, he literally wrote the book on the subject.

Two of Fadl's texts, The Essential Guide for Preparation and The Compendium of the Pursuit of Divine Knowledge, became (and probably remain) cornerstones of the training and indoctrination of Al Qaeda recruits in the power vacuum of post-Soviet Afghanistan.

Much happened in the following decade. On the sprawling list of Topics Most Americans Ought to Familiarize Themselves With, 1990s-era Afghanistan is certainly near the top. The meteoric rise of the Taliban and the fast polarization of Islamic politics, I should not need to remind you, remain era-defining issues.

But there are lengthy books for that, written by people with so much storytelling ability that I, in comparison, look like a kid scribbling with crayons. I recommend going all-out with Steve Coll's excellent Ghost Wars.

Anyway, here's how Fadl ended up: In October 2001-seven years after he cut ties with his extremist past and took up supposedly earnest work as a surgeon-was arrested by Yemeni secret police and thrown into an Egyptian prison with a life sentence. Since then, he's mellowed out, renounced violence and become a vocal opponent of Al Qaeda.

If you've got an hour to kill, it's a great read.

http://Number61.net

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Ten Reasons Why You Should Develop a Residual Income

2010-03-26T01:00:00.000-07:00

The reasons why you should develop a residual income - money that you receive over and over again for work you do only once - are many and varied. If you've wondered whether the time and effort needed to grow a residual income would be worth it, consider the following ten reasons to do so.

1. Get out of debt. An extra $500 to $2,000 a month will go a long way in helping you to eradicate a sizable debt quickly. And when you build a business in network marketing, or MLM, you can develop a residual income of that size in a matter of months.

2. Build your children's college funds. For most couples, setting aside money each month for a college fund is uncomfortable. But if you have developed a residual income of even only a couple hundred dollars per month, building a college fund becomes one less stress on your family budget.

3. Pay cash for big-ticket items. When you take out loans for things such as cars, appliances and home movie theaters, you end up paying a few hundred to several thousand dollars more than the ticket price because of the interest. However, if you set aside the residual income that comes into your bank account, you can quickly save enough to pay in cash and avoid loans.

4. Build your emergency savings without sacrificing. For most people, creating that three to six months of emergency money is a major challenge. However, if you have an extra thousand dollars coming in every month, you can accrue what you need for your emergency fund in just a few months without taking on a second job or sacrificing lifestyle luxuries such as new clothes and going out to eat.

5. More to give to charities. If you're like me, you want to be able to give to every good cause. Developing a residual income allows you to increase your generosity many times more possible than with the average employee job income.

6. Early retirement. Once you develop a residual income of several hundred dollars, it is likely to keep growing. And when it grows to over five figures, you can begin to save it in investment vehicles that will give you a nice return. In a matter of five to ten years, you could have enough saved to be able to retire from your conventional job and live off of the interest of the investment.

7. Financial independence. Maybe you love your job, but you don't want to count on it for your financial security. In that case, develop a residual income and invest it as you would for early retirement. When you have enough saved up, you have the all the security you need, which allows you to continue in your chosen career with much less stress.

8. Quit a job you hate. On the other hand, you could decide simply to live off the residual income. After it has either matched or exceeded the income from your day job for several months in a row, you will probably be able to safely quit your job and be assured of a regular and growing monthly income for years to come.

9. Lifestyle freedom. Whether you want to be "green" and install solar panels in your house and buy an electric car, or want to take at least two overseas vacations per year at luxury resorts, building an MLM business can provide you with the extra income to be able to afford whatever lifestyle you desire.

10. Time freedom. Because you can develop a large regular income in a network marketing business that allows you to quit your day job, cut down hours or retire early, you suddenly have time to do all the things you've wanted to do.

Why should you develop a residual income? I think the better question is, why shouldn't you?

Emily J. Jacques is an online business and marketing coach who wants to help you grow your home-based business beyond your wildest dreams. Grab your free training on various online marketing strategies and tools today at http://ResidualWealthDreams.com.

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Homeland Security and Maritime Shipping

2010-03-24T01:00:00.000-07:00

Liner shipping is that division of maritime shipping that provides regular service based on defined schedules and fixed itineraries. It is a source of some one billion and above jobs in US and is a great source of revenue for the economy.
For the last 6 and half years the American Coast guard has taken enhanced measures to increase the maritime cargo security. However due to the enhanced security measures taken by the American coast guard, there is significant delay to the flow of cargo which could actually cause vastly adverse effects to the economy.
Every shipping vessel that arrives in the US coastal waters has to go through some mandatory checks. It has to provide an arrival notice 96 hours prior to its arrival. This notice has to include a complete list of crew members who should have a US visa to land at the U.S. port.
The coast guard has stated that the maritime security threat can't be restricted to a single vector. In fact other than cargo vessels other maritime activity too is at a security risk.
A new notice of proposed rulemaking by the coastguard supports long range information and tracking of vessels by the coast guard which will result in enhanced visibility of vessels offshore.
The 9/11 commissions recommendations act requires overseas radiation and NII inspection of all cargoes bound for the US. According to this statute containers should be run through radiation detection equipment and non-intrusive imaging equipment before vessel loading.
If there is strict vigilance against terrorist attack risks and prudent security measures are adopted and they are constantly enhanced to stay updated for future security risks the threat of terrorist attacks can be abated to some extent.
The shipping industry has welcomed these enhanced security measures by the coast guard and has decided to comply with most of the measures to combat the enhanced threat of terrorist attacks.
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Congratulation America, You Have Now Been Changed

2010-03-22T02:57:00.000-07:00

Last night the House of Representatives passed the Senate version of the health care bill. With the passing of this bill the fundamental right of Americans to make decisions about their own health has been removed. America has traded it freedom for what has been sold to us as health care for all (security). Now the words of Thomas Jefferson, "The man that would choose security over freedom deserves neither" will ring in our ears for a while and then will fade away over time as new generations are taught the lie that Nancy Pelosi spouted as she gave her final speech before the bill passed last night. "Americans have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and Americans will be able to pursue their happiness with the passage of this bill.", but the bill only destroys life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

This bill destroys life by opening the door to federal funded abortion and opens the door to euthanasia. Senator Bart Stupak played the part of Judas last night as he betrayed his pro-life constituency for some sleazy back room deal. The bill puts a massive federal bureaucracy in Washington which will have the power over life and death. And the IRS has now become the health care enforcer.

Taxes will rise like never before as the bureaucrats suck away funds for there own well being as the bureaucracy sprawls. The Great Depression will seem like a walk in the park compared to the pain to come, as our debt mounts and the counties inability to sustain itself diminishes. You voted for the left and now you got it. The crucification of America is nearing its completion.

So congratulation America you are no longer the land of freedom. You are now run by the socialists elite who promise you everything, but can give you nothing. That's your change.

Joseph Conigliaro
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Hitler on Lying to the People

2010-03-21T14:53:00.000-07:00

The great masses of the people ... will more easily fall victims to a big lie than to a small one. -- Adolf Hitler [1889-1945] from Bartlett's Familiar Quotations

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America On the Brink

2010-03-20T04:12:00.000-07:00

The socialists in congress are about to make the land of the free and the home of the brave into the nanny state of America. Tomorrow the United State Congress will vote on the health care bill that 39 State Attorney Generals threaten to sue the Federal Government over the bills unconstitutionality. It appears congress is deaf to the pleas of its people not to pass this bill. So, we continue on the path to destruction of the greatest wealth building machine and guardian of freedom in the world. The American people are already suffering from the tyranny of the federal government with oppressive taxes, environmental over regulation, and anti defense legislation.

They told us it was coming and here it is. The bill puts the IRS in charge of your life. Putting it in a position to penalize you up to $2,000 for not having health insurance or not having insurance to its liking. Government will soon control the banking industry, the health industry and the auto industry. As the people of America continue to loose there freedom so will the world. The elite will place more and more controls on us, manipulating our lives and depressing opportunity. Speaker Pelosi promises a torrent of legislation, which will move the country to have government controlled health care. And as the socialists make you more dependent on them, your autonomy will diminishes.

The only path to improving your situation will be through the socialist network. And so America this is your last chance. If this bill is not stopped decisively tomorrow, there will be many dark days ahead. The change will not appear to be rapid, but 10 years is a blink of an eye compared to eternity. Is socialism or communism really the gift you want to leave your children? I will cry tomorrow should this bill pass, because its passage signals the beginning of the end for a great country. A country that was given the greatest of gifts by it's founders, The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights. These documents no longer mean anything now, because our legislature of elitists no longer honors them or the people of America.

Perhaps we deserve what we may get? This would be punishment we would be imposing on our selves, because so many of us are so self indulgent that we think only about our own welfare rather than what is better for all of us. Or perhaps we are so jaded that we can no longer discern the truth. The lies that the democrats tell may be what they believe to be the truth, but history tells us otherwise. We must stay grounded it the truths our founding fathers understood and passed down to us.

So America, continue to make your voices heard. Continue to fight for your freedom. Make those calls to your congressmen. March in protest. Tell them your independence is more important than their power. Tell them to start over and give us a free market solution to our health care problem. Tell them to correct the injustices in our legal system, with just laws the treat both parties in a dispute fairly, not punish the defendant doctor all the time. America deserve better then the abomination of law we have and what this bill may give us tomorrow.

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What Does Mindset and Apple Have in Common?

2010-03-19T01:00:00.000-07:00

If Apple was a network marketing company, I'd be their top leader. Now you're wondering why I say that, might be an awful funny way to look at it, but it's all about mindset. Mindset is key when it comes to what we do. It's the first most important key to actual success.

I've been worrying that mindset was the reason I've been struggling, and in a way, that worrying helped to foster holding me back and affected my company in a negative way. Not because of it stopping me from doing work, learning, or trying to move forward. It's because of that subconscious barrier that everyone can see, even if they don't perceive it.

Last night I was listening to an interview with Brian Fanale, that combined with listening to John Jackson live, as well as Gregg Davison sticking in my head from the week before, and the light came on. All of them were talking about mindset, and how important it is. When I combined all of this with "Tribes" by Seth Godin, "Crush It" by Gary Vaynerchuk and a good nights sleep it hit me. Mindset was the answer to all my problems and woes.

I realized that when I talk to people about saving money on their cable bill by using Apple products, or how I have my house set up and optimized because of the Apple products I own and I have working together, discussing their products, or even just helping people with their products. One key is always there whether it be a friend a stranger or even an Apple employee, they're all listening, they're all excited and they're all engaged in what I'm telling them.

You're probably sitting there telling yourself it's because I'm an "Apple Genius" and know everything there is to know about Apple. If that's the case you'd be wrong. I know what I know about Apple from just picking up and using their products. I can't program, I can't do all the nifty special keystroke combinations and I'm only running some of their basic hardware. No, the difference is my passion and confidence with my knowledge and their products.

When I'm discussing Apple, I know in my heart that they are a good company, their customer service in the world of computers is top notch, the quality that goes into their hardware I believe to be 2nd to none, and the genius how all of it works together and integrates is amazing. I'd only wish they'd come out with their own car stereo system to extend the house to the car and you could sync it via wifi when you pulled in the drive, but that's not neither here nor there.

See I have a passion for Apple, not because I own their stocks or I work for them, in fact they've turned me down twice for jobs. It's just a part of me, when I talk about it this inner light shines through into what I'm saying, into my being, I know that I know what I'm talking about, I'm confident about it, I am it. I mean I'm a part of Apple as Apple is a part of me, at that moment we are one and the same, and this attracts anyone into the conversation magnetically. You ask why, I say because of mindset and passion.

When it comes to having a business, you have to get away from what you don't know, what you don't have, what you need, and focus on what you know to be true and what you know the future holds. I knew I was going to be a leader in my company, but I didn't know how to get there. I knew mindset was the obstacle that was holding me up. But it was that mindset, that was holding me back.

Today is different. Today I know I'm a top leader in my company. Why, because I realized I already was, I just have to chip away the stone for everyone else to see it like an artist sculpts marble. An artist already sees what's within and knows it's there. He only has to chip away the rough edges for everyone else to see it too. Chevy Chase said it best in Caddy Shack "You have to be the ball." Be that leader, let your passion and confidence show through. Stop focusing on what you're missing, needing, not getting, don't have, lacking in knowledge etc... be what you already are. The leader of today, that the artist shows everyone else tomorrow.

John Woodman is an expert in marketing and social media strategies. More about mindset and Appleat his blog. To see how he stays on permanent vacation go to I want to live a vacation.

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Do Politicians Need to Go Undercover?

2010-03-17T01:00:00.000-07:00

It has been educational and interesting to watch the new show, Undercover Boss. Corporate executives pose as a new employee starting in the company. They work for one day at various jobs in the company in various locations to gain an impression of what their employees experience. Thus far each show has revealed some serious problems, as well as some very good situations.

Each executive has been surprised by their discoveries, believing that they had a much better idea of what occurred than they actually had. As one commented, when they visit an outlet or branch, everyone knows they are coming and they see only the best. Most of their input is normally derived from regional managers who get their information from area managers. Area managers receive their input from outlet managers, who are in contact with shift managers, overseeing the employees. Information is lost at each step of the process. Decisions are made which affect the most basic levels, but often unexpected results are not seen at the decision level.

When 7-11 CEO visited the store that sells the most cups of coffee of any in their world wide chain to see what the difference was, since the store sells several times as much as any other store. He was surprised to learn that the difference was the lady making the coffee. She used the same coffee but was very particular about how the coffee was made. She also chatted with the customers, calling them by name and showing interest in them, selling more than 2500 cups of coffee daily. Working with her, he discovered that the location of the sink made keeping up very difficult. He mentioned this and she said that she had made the same request repeatedly but that it had never been heeded, The CEO realized that changing the arrangement, and training other employees to deal with customers in a similar manner could have a huge impact on their coffee sales.

Another problem he discovered was that priorities of maintence were much different at corporate offices and in individual stores. Changing light bulbs was low in priority at the maintenance division, but store managers and employees saw that bad lighting increased the likely hood of injury, and led to mistakes and customer dissatisfaction.

Waste Management's CEO discovered that attempts to increase profitability sometimes resulted in loss of business or employee dissatisfaction, such as docking an employee for being late, or expecting other employees to take up the slack when someone quit. In one case one employee was covering what had formerly been three other employees jobs, with no additional pay. Stress was forcing her to consider finding another job. Constant evaluations of employees was creating anxiety and an increase in turnover.

In an effort to produce a consistent quality of product, White Castle Hamburgers had developed a policy in which a specific order of assembly of the hamburgers was required. Employees discovered that the sequence slowed production to a level that would not meet the orders. By changing the sequence they could do so. The supervisor lived in dread of losing her job because she was not following company policy or losing her job because the line was not producing enough.

Hooter's Restaurants discovered that their policies appeared to many to be degrading to women, and resulted in some managers treating women in a degrading manner. As a result, many women and families would not eat there, and some employees would not recommend it as a place to work.

The CEOs in each case had been unaware of these problems. In many cases they had approved these policies in an effort to prevent or resolve some other problem, not realizing the effect it would have on their business. Many times the needed changes were minimal in cost, but made tremendous differences in customer or employee satisfaction. Until they actually experienced it for themselves, the importance was not recognized.

We find a similar disconnect between our political figures and their constituents. Most of Congress's information is derived from state party leaders and political figures who get their information from lower ranking political figures, or government employees. Even sincere attempts to get grassroots information can fail because of filtering by party leaders, or a desire on the part of constituents to put their best foot forward when meeting such important people. Many times, people have become so used to problems they have just accepted that no change will be made, and don't mention them, like the location of the sink in the 7-11 stores.

Different priorities can result in failure to recognize real problems, like maintenance's failure to realize the importance of replacing light bulbs. For example, while some people cannot get insurance due to pre-existing conditions, far more cannot afford the price of health insurance. To pay taxes or higher prices for other's to be covered will only exacerbate the problem. Unfortunately, such a problem may be dismissed as minor by those in authority, because it doesn't affect them.

In large part, current dissatisfaction with political leadership stems from this disconnect. Like the CEOs, they have no idea what their constituents face each day. The five days undercover did not reveal all the problems, but it did show the CEOs that problems existed of which they were unaware. Perhaps a similar effort would make political leaders aware of their isolation from the daily problems of most people.

President Obama's reported family income of 4.6 million in 2007 was far lower than that of most congressional leaders, but it is more than 100 times as much as the average family in New Mexico earns. It is nearly 20 times as much as the lowest level of those who are expected to pay extra for the healthcare and bailout programs earn. The essential cost for a family of four should be very nearly the same, so the majority of difference is in discretionary spending, for a nicer home or car, etc. Mandantory insurance or increased taxes will affect him far less than it will the average person, or even the small business owner. It will affect some of the others much less than it affects him.

Going undercover might well enable our politicians to better understand the concerns of their constituents, although it would not reveal everything. The longer a man has been in politics, the separation from his people, and the more he needs to make such an effort to connect.

Donald Fishgrab writes the blog Being Christian Today to help others in understanding the Bible. Each post is in the form of a study connecting to the passages before and after.

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US Government Spending Must Fade to Black

2010-03-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

Four key numbers - government spending, federal tax revenue, the budget deficit, and national debt - provide important and sobering insight into our current fiscal health. 2010's raw numbers are dramatic and mind boggling to the point of distraction, but relating them to our $14.3 trillion Gross Domestic Product (GDP) make them relevant, easier to comprehend, and relatable to one another. Those ratios are as follows: government spending/GDP is 28%; federal tax revenue/GDP is 16%; the budget deficit/GDP is 12%; and the national debt/GDP is 85%. Those ratios are horrendous, especially considering, for example, that the European Union requires members to have national debt and budget deficit ratios less than 40% and 3%, respectively, when they join the union, considerably lower than ours at the moment.

The current budget deficit is 12% of GDP (28% -16%); and will add to our national debt. That deficit means that our economy is currently borrowing 45 cents of every dollar it spends, and at that level it should push our national debt to 109% of GDP within a couple of years (85% + [12% x 2]). That would put us in the esteemed company of Greece and well on our way to the disastrous path of Japan.

Arithmetically, there are two major solutions: decrease spending, increase taxes, or do some of each. Politically, the solution is not so easy. The liberals (usually democrats) want to increase taxes, believing that corporations and the wealthy should pay more to meet our needs. The conservatives (usually republicans) want to decrease spending, pointing to government waste and inefficiency and a spending level similar to some of the European socialist governments. They also say that the top 10% of taxpayers already pay more than 70% of all federal taxes, so it is unlikely that further tax increases targeting only the wealthy will yield enough tax revenue to mitigate our fiscal problem.

Obviously, fiscal policymakers would like to tinker with all four numerators of those ratios, but they should also consider policies that might increase the denominator, GDP, which would also help solve the problem. History and the facts seem to favor the conservative strategy of cutting government spending and cutting taxes as effective catalysts for economic growth. Apparently, across-the-board tax cuts worked well for both democrat and republican administrations, under Calvin Coolidge in the 1920s, John Kennedy in the 1960s, Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, and Bill Clinton in the 1990s.

Reducing our future budget deficits will limit our compounding national debt, and should be our immediate objective. However, reducing our national debt should be a very close second objective. When our debt's interest rates, currently artificially low at 3%, double, triple or worse, the attendant increase in debt payments could cripple our financial system and economy. Rising interest rates will be an inevitable part of the global recovery and it may happen sooner than later. An expanding global demand for capital, global inflation, and a potential reduction in the US credit rating, are among the major factors that could easily cause a dramatic increase in those interest rates and our interest payments. And, as those debt interest payments become a greater proportion of the spending budget they will either crowd out important investment and consumption spending or increase the budget, thereby further expanding our national debt and our fiscal problems. It will come at the expense of our economic growth, productivity and standard of living.

Some expect the government to continue printing money as it and many other governments have done during similar crises in history. This time may be different, however, as the major holders of our debt, especially China, may have something to say about the US deliberately devaluing its debts and their investments. Although inflating out of the problem effectively grows the denominator, GDP, it does so artificially in inflated (not real) terms, and ravages US financial and fixed income assets, such as bank deposits, savings bonds, social security and pension funds. It may also ruin the US dollar. Is that better than a smaller government and reducing government spending?

More articles by this author are available at http://joedelcasino.blogspot.com. Books are available athttp://www.Xlibris.com.

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The Principles of Liberty - Principle 6

2010-03-13T01:00:00.000-08:00

All Men Are Created Equal

When we read the statement "All Mankind are Created Equal", what do we think that it means? We know that we are all born into different lifestyles, have different talents and abilities, and different opportunities, so what did the Founder's mean by that statement? There are only three ways that mankind can be equal, and they are to be treated as equals in the sight of God, in the sight of the law, and in the protection of their rights. Some people, like Jean Jacques Rousseau, get a little confused and think that this means that men should be equal in all things. John Adam's called this type of thinking a "gross fraud".

While our country has not had a perfect history in defending the rights of all, that is what the Founder's intended. The breakdown really occurs with minorities. Minorities in any country feel like they are the outsiders and they want to be the insiders. What is interesting about America is that every group in this nation was once a minority. After the major influx of immigrants to the U.S., it was only two or three generations before the immigrants became first-class citizens.

After the Constitution was adopted in 1789, there were four amendments added to make sure that everyone could enjoy equal rights. These were the thirteenth, the fourteenth, the fifteenth, and the Nineteenth.

The Founders distinguished between equal rights and they recognized that society should seek to provide equal opportunities but not expect equal results, provide for equal rights, but not equal things; provide equal protection but not equal status; provide equal education opportunities but not equal grades. The founder's believed that the moment that we tried to force people to have everything equally would be the moment that we lose our liberty.

How do we protect our liberty by making sure that we all have equal opportunity, but do not fall for the social trap of having equal things? We do this by learning to be satisfied with what we have in our own lives, and by not coveting what our neighbor has. While it is a simple principle, it is hard for some to live. Many think that they are entitled to have everything, and are unhappy if they don't. Another way that we can protect liberty is not to support or vote for any programs that redistribute the wealth of the people, no matter how good they make it sound, or how charitable they claim their motivations are. Individuals are much more effective at charity work then any government could ever be.

Charity Angel is an author, singer, political activist, small business owner, and an online business coach. Find more of her thoughts Here.

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A Tale Of Two Tea Parties

2010-03-12T01:00:00.000-08:00

Lying to the American people is a time honored pastime which has evolved into a fine art by our government.

The story of the Boston Tea Party, the real story, is much more fun than the government sponsored version, and I'll present it to you, dear reader, just as a backdrop to what is going on in 2010, with the emergence of a new Tea Party.

In December 1773, three British ships arrived in Boston harbor, laden with cheap Dutch East India tea. This company was going bankrupt, with a million pounds of tea starting to rot in their London warehouses. They decided to ship their tea to America, to be sold at fire sale prices. Good for them, good for American tea buyers.

Samuel Adams and John Hancock had been making their fortunes by smuggling cheap Dutch tea into America, undercutting the price established by the Dutch East India Company. This was one of the reasons that the British company was in dire financial straits. Americans were buying the cheap, smuggled tea, not theirs.

When Adams and Hancock beheld these 3 ships in their harbor, they saw their businesses on the brink of extinction, with their warehouses full of smuggled Dutch tea having its value cut in half. The two American patriots convinced the locals that if they allowed the cheap British tea into America, the tea would be followed by other cheap British commodities, ruining their American businesses. This was a lie, but believed well enough so that about 50 or so patriotic Americans were convinced to embarrass themselves by dressing up like American Indians, going out to the British ships, and with great encouragement from Hancock and Adams, smashed open the boxes of British tea and tossed them into Boston Harbor.

The businesses of Adams and Hancock were saved, and today we have at least two monuments to these American patriots in the form of a huge building in Boston named for Hancock, and a damn fine beer named for Adams.

Fast forward to 2010 and the emergence of a political group of angry Americans named for the original Boston Tea Party. The engine driving this new force is anger over the Democrat controlled government that is lying to the American people, continuing this fine old tradition. What they are trying to convince the people to do, though, is not to toss cheap tea overboard, but to believe that they, our rulers, know what they are doing, will fix the economy, will keep all of us safe from nut cases like the Underwear Bomber, will give all Americans the very best health care system in the world, and on and on.

It ain't so, and millions of Americans are waking up to the realization that the Democrats/Liberals/President Obama don't have a clue about how to fix the things that are destroying our country, yet they are pressing down harder on the accelerator of a vehicle called "America," which has now gone off the edge of a cliff. It is like what happens in a cartoon, when one of the characters is running full speed away from something and can't stop in time and goes off the edge of the cliff and, for a moment or two, is suspended in midair, while the realization of where he is shows on his face. The last horrified words he utters are lost as gravity takes effect and he plummets to the ground, landing with a loud "Plop."

Miraculously, the cartoon character appears in the next scene, seemingly in perfect health despite falling a thousand feet to the ground. This works in cartoons, and does not work in the life of a country. Millions of horrified Americans are joining the Tea Party movement, as it becomes clear to them that we've gone off a cliff, time is up and the country is in free fall with the ground coming up fast.

With the country being driven away from the conservative values that made us great, the Democrats and President Obama are destroying the quality of our lives. Health care, the value of our money, crumbling infrastructure unnoticed and unattended, families destroyed when its wage earner loses a job and cannot find another, families living in a car when their home is foreclosed. Big government is on a rampage, stealing the wealth from the very people who built our greatness, restricting our movements and individual freedoms, scaring the hell out of us with periodic announcements of a coming devastating attack on "one of our cities, by someone we can't identify, at a time we cannot predict," but don't worry, WE'LL protect you. All you have to do is trust us. Yeah, sure. Thanks, Big Brother.

This is said on the front steps of a building that houses billions of dollars that are being shoveled out the back door into a long line of trucks with corporate names painted on their sides. A few billion gets shoveled into an agency called the TSA, which hires incompetent people not even qualified to bag groceries, to frisk everyone at our airports, or to sit at a screen of a super expensive snooping device that act like Superman's x-ray vision, and undresses us all to these mouth breathing louts.

Our rulers know that spending billions of dollars at our airports has gotten to its end game with the placing of these "x-ray" machines. They can't go any further than getting down to our skin, and they also know that the next attempt at blowing up an American plane may come from a woman suicide bomber whose breast implants are a form of plastic explosive. Take that, Uncle Sam, you and your expensive technologies. We need protection, yes, but it needs to be realistic protection. The Israeli's have been successful for decades, protecting their flying citizens without a TSA. Why not "go to school" on their efforts? Do what they do.

Angry Americans are waking up to the truths of what this Democrat controlled government is REALLY all about. It's all about control and the exercise of power over the people. It's all about creating a society that wrenches away control of our lives and puts it in the hands of a few power and money hungry elected officials. It's all about making us all "equal," with no reward for excellence but medals for the mediocre. It didn't work in the Soviet Union or China and it especially won't work here. Tea Party-ers know this and they are mad and won't take it any more. This amazing movement back to conservative values is spontaneous and widespread, too widespread for the little people in Washington to stamp out. It's a play coming to a theater near you. You should buy tickets to it.

Allan Sanford

Allan Sanford writes for the conservative web site http://www.JIPW.com/ His articles deal mainly with the deceit and deceptions of our elected officials.

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The Love - Hate Relationship in American Politics - A Book Review

2010-03-10T01:00:00.000-08:00

They say you should not talk about religion or politics in mixed company, and yet, that's exactly what people want to talk about. Especially politics, and everyone has an opinion, and they are dying to tell you, and explain why. And if you disagree, well God help you, because they are going to convince you otherwise if it takes them all night. It seems that Americans have a love-hate relationship with politics, on one hand they just can't get enough of it, on another hand they feel repulsed by it.

If you'd like to talk more about this philosophical debate, then I have a very good book for you to read. Not only is it interesting, but it will very much make you think. I keep a copy in my personal library; the name of the book is;

"Why Americans Hate Politics" by EJ Dionne Junior, 1991

Divide and conquer is the name of the game, but this author explains how political parties hurt Americans, and he gives an interpretive history of 30 years of politics from 1960 to 1990, it's quite good indeed. He explains all the differences between; neo conservatism, liberals, socialists, reformers, libertarians, leftists, and even communists. He explains McGovern and the modern Republicans.

This book is broken into parts and in Part One; "the failures of liberalism" and the new left he goes into great detail. He explains Reagan's issues and concerns about over regulation and he goes into great details about the divides that we have placed in our society and civilization such as; blacks and whites, family politics, and feminism.

If you are a liberal he won't let you off the hook, neither will he back off from the conservatism contradictions or the religious right and how Christianity was hijacked by the Republicans. He also explains how politics and economics go hand-in-hand, and there is a chapter on supply-side economics.

The chapter I enjoyed the most was the one about "the logic of false choices and the lesser of two evils." He explains how all these factors led to voter revolts and lower turnouts, as he shows us that people are tired of politics, and they no longer trust the system, which is a scary thought in and of itself. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes politics are problematic.

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Strong Leaders

2010-03-08T01:00:00.000-08:00

What ever happened to strong leaders? The kind that fought for, and built the greatest nation ever known. What ever happened to the kind of leaders, that made the right decisions; Even when they weren't the easy or popular ones? The kind of leader that understood the stakes, and made decisive moves in spite of them. The kind of leader, that didn't base his decisions on opinion polls, or popularity ratings.

It seems that today's leaders are more concerned with re-election than standing on the fundamental and sound judgment of those that built this great nation. From the oval office to the local school board; it seems today's politicians are more interested in buying a vote than earning the trust and respect of those, who elected them. We as a society should put more emphasis on the unwavering principles, of our elected officials. Focus less on what they can do for us, and concern ourselves with the content of their character, and what they as our elected leaders can do for this great nation.

I'm tired of watching snake oil salesmen, elected to office based on bumper stickers, and slick slogans. Each man has a moral code, they live by. If it doesn't include, a strong belief in freedom, liberty, independence, and individuality; then he has no place in office. An elected official should concern himself with the prosperity of his respective jurisdiction. It's not his place to make promises, that will be payed for, by the sweat of others.

Honesty, and common sense is what's lacking most, in American leaders.The American people, don't need empty promises, mixed with a little mindless rhetoric. What we need are results. What we need is for someone to make the hard decisions. Our country is going to hell in a hand basket, and our elected officials are still making promises that, we just can't keep.

Thank God somebody gets it. Thank God somebody understands, we can't just continue with this tax and spend mentality. Recently a man, by the name of Chris Christie was elected, by the people of New Jersey, to serve as governor. Governor Christie, appears to have the wherewithal to repair a broken state. A state, that per capita has the highest deficit in all of the United States.

Already, the governor has froze spending, as well as made many hard decisions on cutting programs, and program assistance. What amazes me is, if Mr. Christie, gets his way he will fix New Jersey, and he'll do it with a common sense approach. Where have people like this been hiding? While everyone else is out there spending, as if they've won the lottery.

Let's get back to the basics, in this country. Back to the fundamental principles that made our country, the greatest ever known. It is the strength, and ingenuity of the American people, that made us the economic leaders of the world. When you place the burden of over taxation on the entrepreneurial spirit of the American people; you stifle progress. Therefore slowing Economic growth.

http://www.wellroundedpeople.com

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Key Economic Indicators to Watch Now

2010-03-06T01:00:00.000-08:00

There is voluminous information and statistics put out by government agencies, non-profits, private companies and pundits as they track the economy. However, there are some basic key indicators that economists and government officials rely upon, and you should be aware of what they are.

Listed below are some of the most important indicators to watch.

GDP. Gross Domestic Product is the broadest of the nation's measurement, updated by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. GDP is the market value of all final goods and services produced in the nation during a certain time period, measuring the health and wealth of the economy. About two-thirds of our GDP is driven by individual consumption, not by business or government. The Federal Reserve uses the data (with other data & indicators) to help determine their actions on interest rates.

A recession is officially defined as negative growth in the GDP for two or more successive quarters. Technically, our current recession has ended since the GDP was up in the third and fourth quarter of 2009. After retracting 6.4% in the first quarter of 2009 and then 0.7% in quarter two, the economy grew 3.5% in the third quarter and 5.7% in the fourth quarter. (Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis).

S&P 500 Stock Index (S&P 500). The Standard and Poor's 500 is made up of major companies in various industries (financial, industrial, utilities, transportation). This is a market value-weighted index of large-cap common stocks and their performance is thought to be representative.This basket of stocks has become one of the industry benchmarks. A declining index (as we dramatically saw last year) can sometimes signal a tightening of belts for businesses and consumers and related problems in the economy (or credit markets, for instance). While the index dropped more than 40% in 2008, the average in 2009 stood at 13.6% and to date in early 2010 it is increasing further.

Consumer Price Index (CPI). CPI is an inflationary indicator. It measures the average changes in the prices paid for a fixed basket of goods and services, and is sometimes a tool for measuring the cost of living. CPI includes food & beverages, housing costs, clothing, medical care, utilities, education and transportation (among other products or services). It does not include income, investments in stocks or bonds, life insurance or social security taxes. The January 2010 CPI rose 0.2%; in 2009, the index increased 2.6% before seasonal adjustments. (Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Current Employment Statistics (CES). CES is the data on national employment, unemployment, and non-agricultural industries, and the information is released monthly. Employment statistics are an early indicator of economic trends, level of business activity and health; yet they are usually the trailing or lagging indicator coming out of a recession. Unemployment is an issue today while some other areas of the economy have recovered. (Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Housing Starts.Formally known as the new residential construction index, this data represents new construction projects started (issued monthly). The data is highly sensitive to changes in the mortgage rates, general business health, and because it is represents about 4% of the GDP, it can signal changes in the economy. According to the Congressional Budget Office (document 3183), housing starts peaked at over 2.1 million in the first quarter of 2006 (helped by low interest rates and easy lending standards). By the 2nd Quarter of 2008, the starts were cut almost in half to 1 million, and decreased to 900,000 in the 3rd Quarter. Housing start recovery will depend upon clearing out excess inventory, demand, access to credit and unemployment. (Source U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau).

Consumer Confidence Survey. Finally, this is the temperature of the public's confidence about the U.S. economy and situation. The survey shows either optimism or pessimism of consumers. Five questions are asked of a random sampling of 5,000, and the data is released monthly. While still mixed and relatively low, the index has risen for three consecutive months, standing at 55.9 in January 2010.

Kathy writes about commercial real estate and the overall economy. She is President of a commercial real estate firm, Legacy Real Estate & Investments, and author of "Effortless Cash Flow: The ABCs of TICs (Tenant in Common Properties)" and "Investing in Oil and Gas: the ABC's of DPPs". Kathy is working on a new real estate book for 2010.

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How to Build Business With the Habit Most People Forget to Develop

2010-03-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

Warren Buffett is known for not sharing his specific strategies; and yet his knowledge is so desirable that a dozen or more authors have written about what they think he does. By Buffett's own admission, the best book about him is called The Essays of Warren Buffett, by Professor Lawrence Cunningham. The book carries a series of articles explaining why Mr. Buffet invests as he does, and how he manages risk and opportunity.

People want to know what works. We like to be connected to the action.And more often than not the action is around the money. This will give you the outline for having and enjoying real wealth.

Several very wealthy people openly share their observations about investment. Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki cared enough to write a book about the importance of investing as a wealthy person, called "Why We Want You to Be Rich"; perhaps not the classiest title, but their direct approach is refreshing, and their advice extremely useful.

The saying "the rich get richer" negates the opportunities available and the type of work that makes one wealthy. Kiyosaki and Trump have evolved themselves into teachers. And they begin by encouraging a different approach to money-that is their job #1. That is their key advice. It is difficult to overlook Donald Trump's role as an educator. After all, Trump's television program, "The Apprentice," provided MBA-level lessons on business decision-making.

Another book on the subject of becoming rich is, "How to Get Rich", by Felix Dennis. Dennis is a publisher behind such diverse publications as Maxim and The Week. He is also a very talented poet. Dennis' stories are both pointed and funny, and they have much in common with Kiyosaki and Trump. For one, he's really made a lot of money. What's more important, though, is a sense of the humility necessary to really "make it."

Get rich quick? If you are very, very lucky, yes, you can. You can also lose it pretty darn quick, something I regret being experienced in. Let's dissect how to get and keep what you want.

THE LESSONS AND HOW TO FIND THEM

The lessons of the real rich are about sales, persistence, teamwork, collaboration, networking and finance; and using one's intellect. It should not surprise anyone that a very successful person's high standards are carefully crafted, not manufactured.

Significant thought goes into their creation and execution. Such is the case with one story Trump tells of finding a wet, men's room floor. He prompted a staff member to remedy the situation. When he went back to the men's room the floor was still wet. He fired the staff member. Was it a question of responsibility, promptness, loyalty? No. It was a question of making sure there was no threat of a lawsuit should someone fall because of the wet floor.

But, even before he was an hotelier and entertainment executive, thoroughness was at the core of Trump's thinking. In "The Art of the Deal" Trump speaks of a disagreement with his father about the expense of marble walls at Trump Tower. His father, Fred, argued that the expense was excessive. Donald prevailed and the reputation for elegance coupled with service continues today. Their views differed, but their mutual respect was always intact.

HERE IS THE MISSING HABIT

Knowing whom to work with, and how, is a science; the art is in recognizing the opportunities. And the opportunities come from the relationships you have; that is the habit many people never develop.

Contrary to the promises of some financial advertising, a financial life plan requires hard work and careful planning. And the nature of that planning has changed. Planning decisions are no longer an event, but an ongoing process. That correctly implies a balance where clients are responsible and team members are accountable for all results.

The complexities of money management and the laws that govern this field simply require thorough and careful study. We can receive proper professional advise on our cash, property, education, health, and other investments best when we have experts in each working as a team.

Clients work best with professionals when they are clear enough to guide the professional. The best way to guide professionals is not to become an expert, but to demand and expect adherence to three tasks. The three tasks for rounded and thorough business, individual and family economic planning are:

o Service
o Fiduciary duty
o Scenario planning

These tasks are easily applied to the four plans for sustaining growth; the four plans offer a philosophical orientation whose elements are readily integrated and managed throughout one's lifetime. These include:

o The Business plan
o The Succession plan
o The Estate plan
o The Wealth plan

While these tools are excellent for securing financial objectives, is getting more money and greater wealth the sole objective? Not always.

Many of us want to engage in pursuits that enable us to better the lives of those less fortunate. Richard Branson, U2's lead singer Bono and the late John Templeton each engaged pursuits well beyond their core businesses. Branson, while at this writing managing an airline, is committed to travel in outer space and to creating a renewable jet fuel; Bono U2's lead singer is an agent for world peace; and the late John Templeton who ran an investment empire, funded discoveries and new thinking in religion and science.

The new freedom of thought attached to wealth is why many come to believe that the most exciting of the four plans is what I call the wealth plan. This plan has the capacity to expand our sense of meaning in our lives.

Meaning, however, also emerges from our core business and work. We've all had jobs and been in ridiculous situations.

I consult in real estate finance and marketing. But, my first job after college was as a licensed insurance agent for the Combined Insurance Company. I lived in Virginia, just outside Washington, DC. For me, sales was an eye-opening experience. I met numerous people who excelled at sales of what we called "sickness" policies that our company's owner, Mr. Stone himself, referred to as "the little giant." It was so named because it provided solid value to many at low cost. Stone developed a system that attracted driven individuals and then trained them according to his positive thinking beliefs. This included a scripted ten-minute sales presentation.

One memorable attention "checker" in the presentation was this: "We not only pay you if you are sick, Mrs. Jones, we pay you if you are sick and tired - how is that? No we can't really do that, but..." A bit of humorous relief delivered. Ideally, the serious sales presentation continued through to the signing. Slick and scientific.

These low-cost "Little Giant" policies sold well and did provide value to the customer. In 1979, it was rumored that Clement Stone had a net worth of around $500 million dollars. For my part, I struggled with whether this was the best product I could be delivering these people. Perhaps I was too soft for this type of selling. I felt I could be successful at it, after all it provided me with a remarkable insight into people and the compensation seemed good. But, it felt awkward to be so impersonal, on what I felt was a very personal decision. So we parted ways.

Over the last few years I have spoken with professional advisers interested in real estate. They all like the potential profit margin, the income and the tax benefits, working together. In New York, where I maintain my real estate broker's license, I am not permitted to advise on legal matters pertaining to real estate contracts. And that is a wise law. Overall, I feel New York State's real estate laws are well written and well intentioned. They are balanced to serve both the agent/brokers and the investors/buyers. I believe they might be used as a model for good client advisory, as you will see.

Real estate has provided me the opportunity to experience financial opportunities that occur faster than most professionals can even dream.

In the example of the house in Long Island from the book, I recognized a negative scenario that could have cost the family several million dollars in estate taxes. Instead, with a trusted advisory team over a period of three years, building the right team, and staying on track with the client's objectives, we restructured the estate, and made investment changes that produced a 150% increase in cash value invested. This exceeded even the bull market of the period 2002 to 2005.

Here Is The Rest of the Story Behind The Little Black Book on Wealth Generation

Picture a large summer "cottage" in the estate section of an old Long Island summer community. The house is in disrepair, not noticeably to most people, except for some of the obvious wear on carpeting, floors and doors.

However, it was not the desire for cosmetic changes that hastened the decision to renovate, what led to the decision to renovate was a structural hazard. The caretaker of the property, using a clever but potentially dangerous short-cut, had extended a 30 foot horizontal chase from the oil burning furnace to the chimney. Over a 20-year period fumes had begun to escape this unusually long chase to leak into the house.

You can guess what happened next. The estimate to replace the furnace turned into a rolling estimate as other problems began to appear. It wasn't just the furnace that had been jerry-rigged, it was the entire house! As a structural support, the same caretaker had placed three concrete blocks on a piece of plywood; our new team member brought to our attention that these three concrete blocks were holding up the entire back section of a three-story house.

What happened next was a series of drastic changes that I described earlier. All the advisors were fired, with the exception of the old entitled family attorney. A cohesive partnership was created; a team consisting of a builder, subcontractors, engineer, and other craftspeople required to rebuild the house in its entirety worked together to create a finely orchestrated process. Moreover, the house was located in an historic district. It not only couldn't be destroyed and rebuilt; the house had to be "replaced in kind." If you have ever worked on a historic home you know the level of engineering and architectural skills needed. Such skills exist, but it takes a team to make them work.

Seeing is believing.

Robert Bailey is the author of "The Billionaires Little Black Book" from which this is excerpted. You can find out what is new at the blog http://investmentofalifetime.com. There are regular surveys and additional free information there. You may also see more or receive a special bonus with purchase directly from us throughhttp://thebillionaireslittleblackbook.com.

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The Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 and Other Wars We May Be Losing

2010-03-03T01:00:00.000-08:00

In 2008 President Bush pushed the enactment of the Economic Stabilization Act, and in 2009 President Obama pushed the enactment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. There was a whole lot of enacting going on, and the price of politics simply added another digit. Suddenly the one trillion dollar mark was achieved. I wonder how many tons of currency paper are required to print a trillion dollars? We invented the money, simply authorized the release of another trillion dollars and we spread it around where it was thought that the impact would have the most positive effect on the economy.

Inventing the money was the easy part. We just print it and introduce it into the economy. Voila, tons of money to fuel the system. All the kings men and all the kinds horses stood ready to battle the evil forces of the subprime scheme that took apparently took most of the financial minds in the country and elsewhere by surprise. Wow, who could have seen it coming? The Egyptians had their Pyramids built of stone and on solid foundations surrounded by sand. Brilliant financial engineers and attorneys figured out how to construct what appeared to be solid building blocks that were laid directly on a foundation of sand. And when the economic pyramid collapsed, the cleanup began. The Mortgage Backed Securities and Collateralized Debt Obligations that drew capital into the mortgage markets offered attractive investment potential as long as the pyramid stood. The minute it began to shake the entire economy felt the weight descend.

From this financial wreckage, the economy must be rebuilt. It is a monumental task that lies ahead for the American worker, investor, taxpayer and for the Administration. Can it be done, or more cogently, can it be done in a way that returns the American economy to world dominance? These are practical questions. Let's hope that the solutions are practical as well.

One thing has become quite real. The rules and the roles are changing. Lifestyles, careers, retirement plans and the job base collapsed. New economy job productivity jobs will have to be created and some old economy jobs that were shipped off shore will have to be repatriated. Women that found careers that were secondary to their husband are finding that they are now the primary earner for the family, and the roles of the men are changing as well. This should equalize some of the gender based inequalities. Shards from the glass ceiling have fallen precariously among the collapsed pillars of the old economy, and they won't be reassembled in the same way. The paradigm has shifted with sheer force of the downfall. And the world watches America fight with its own economic demons.

The stock market steps forward hopefully finding the solid ground upon which to rebuild. Many Americans step forward to reinvent themselves. A large segment of the population has taken health and well being literally to heart. We will need all the strength and advantage that we can lay our hand on to reinvent the American Dream. It is for sure that we are looking at things differently. May I offer you the following:

The Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 and other Wars we may be Losing

Sub-prime thinking, sub-prime logic

Ice can be sold to Eskimos
Pyramid bad credit, sort out the risk
Just pay them a high return
Lost in the millions are the billions to be lost
The economy built on sand

Watch the markets crumble, the world participates

Where has the money gone

It left with our priorities, traded to countries
Whose wealth lies beneath the sand
Circumstances spin up while the future is mortgaged away
American productivity, ingenuity and ethic no longer sustain
And the world is closing in
The economic demise of a nation or the resurrection of our will

As one rises, does the other fall

Hard decisions, harder work, sacrifice and patience could prevail

But the focus need be inward, no longer taking for granted
The things that separate us all from the American Dream
Unless the dream becomes a shared reality, it will dwindle for us all

And we shall be lost in the sands of time

As with any clean up, there will be treasures found for those who look for them. The short sale and the REO constitute such treasures. Yes, there are horror stories that surround some of these purchases; however, that is a rule when buying real estate. It can happened to anyone on any transaction. Do not take short cuts when buying real estate, and do not skip the diligence. Use sound principles and arm yourself with the information and guidance that you need and find those treasures. Once polished up they will shine bright again. Buy a short sale or REO and enjoy the treasure hunt.

Tony Alonzi, the author of: "Putting the Pieces of the Real Estate Market Back Together" invites you to visit:http://thebesthomebuysinamerica.com and to find out why it is in your best interest to buy a short sale or foreclosure (the most active sector of today's real estate market). Arm yourself with a comprehensive guide and information on the entire buying process that will lead you to a better outcome for your home or investment purchase.

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Choices and Chances - Does America Know the Difference?

2010-03-01T01:00:00.000-08:00

The stimulus bills one and two are being heralded as the best way to jumpstart the economy. If representatives had been listening to the American people as they were elected to do there would be no stimulus bill. The political class decided that we were too dumb to decide such an important matter and our choice was ignored.

We are about to take a chance on the repeal of the military's 'don't ask - don't tell' rule. We will be crushing the choice that millions of young people want to make by leaving the matter of sexual preference at the door of civilian life and getting on with unhindered service to their country. Unseen or unrecognized is the possibility that taking this chance will change the choice of untold numbers of young men and women to join the military at all.

The healthcare proposals now stalled in both houses included language that warned us that we would be taking a chance on being fined or jailed if we didn't get the proper coverage. No choice here but even worse, how could such a law be enforced? Would the government be forced to issue IDs and then run spot checks of its citizens to see if they were complying? Would a PIN number be like a vehicles VIN number? Maybe they could engage electronic monitoring systems like OnStar to keep tabs on us remotely and turn in the offenders at regular intervals. How do you spell big brother?

We have been told that we should take a chance on engaging our enemies around the world in dialogue and diplomacy in all instances. Our choice to walk softly in some cases and use the big stick in others has been tabled for the moment which leaves only one pertinent question. How's that been working? Let's not make a long list of failures or mention the contempt that extremists, terrorists and whole nations have leveled at America but let's just take a gander at one well known attempt at dialogue.

From the first attempt at dialogue in the Arab Israeli conflict to the present there has been 25 separate accords, agreements and treaties starting with the 'Peace proposals of Count Folke Bernadotte (1947-48) on through the Oslo accords of 1993 und up to the two and even the three state proposals of late. These chances at dialogue have all failed and now the choice of retaining the rights to settle in their own land is being taken away from Israelis every single day.

We decided to take a chance with Al Gore's wistful warnings of global warming. Now with recent proof of exaggerated claims, false science and contrary science we are not so sure. Fox's Bill O'Reilly said when he saw the 'Green Police' commercial in the recent Super Bowl ads he thought it was just a spoof making fun of the over exuberance of the green machine but after reflection he wasn't so sure either. In that commercial even a cop's choice to use a Styrofoam cup for his morning coffee could put him in jail.

Lets lump closing Gitmo, ending the use of waterboarding and using the term 'man-made disasters' all together as taking one big chance that it will make America look more gentle and kind. Rather than removing the choice of someone to assault us with some act of terror wouldn't that bolster them? "If the consequences are not so dire why fear the ire?" What giant intellect decided that Hurricane Katrina, the Haitian earthquake and 9/11 can all uniformly be included in the same category? Are lumping terrorism, natural disasters and man-made disasters together really some kind of choice? On one level it certainly is a choice; it's called the choice to be dumb.

One of the biggest long shots in American history for White House PR was the decision to bring the 9/11 terrorists to trial in New York City. Now that the decision is coming under greater scrutiny we can all breathe a sigh of relief for New Yorkers who could not be expected to take it on the chin yet once again. What a chance that was! What part of New York's right to choose the trial venue was ever regarded, asked for or considered. It took a national furor to get the administration to consider the deepest feelings of the 12 million New Yorkers who are only now beginning to show signs of full recovery. This is a choice New Yorkers should never be deprived of for any reason.

The only place in American society where choice preempts, precedes and precludes taking a chance is on abortion. But if seen in the clear light of day it is the one area where we are taking the greatest chance.

Abortion denies that every citizen in every state is covered under the declaration of independence with the right to carry on with life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Abortion denies an unborn child's unalienable right and declares they are not independent of their own mother. For all the criticism we may level against the tenants of the Islamic religion perhaps we should not forget the sayings of one of the Muslim's most noted poets, Kalil Gibran who said...

"Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you."

Abortion takes the chance that the nine Supreme Court justices that presided over Roe V. Wade and voted in favor of abortion in 1973 could not have made the most serious mistake in the history of American jurisprudence. Remember this is the same august body that ruled that an African American slave was chattel, (a word more commonly associated with farm animals and property) and thus had no right to own property as American citizens. (Dred Scot V. Sanford, 60 US 393, 1857) The next time you hear someone wave off the whole scourge of abortion with the old "it's the law of the land" reply, keep in mind that Dred Scot was once also the law of the land.

The same judicial body that said an African American citizen is mere chattel is also willing to say that an unborn human being is merely a fetus, a glob of indistinct flesh with no heart beat, no brain wave and no right to begin life here among the rank and file of all American citizens. Is there a chance they are miserably wrong? I would say you could bet your life on it but it is easier to bet the lives of the unborn on it. God help us.

Finally, abortion takes the biggest chance of all that God is not saddened, deeply grieved and insulted with the slaughter of innocent humans for reasons not worthy of common barn animals. How could the Bible that holds man accountable for the humane treatment of livestock (Proverbs 12:10) simply have nothing at all to say about the wasting of some fifty million human babies since 1973?

Almost as a footnote it does well to mention that the number 40 is not only biblical numerology's 'time of ample proof' but most prophecy is given generally in 40 year cycles. Those who have been preaching and standing against Roe V. Wade have been doing so for about 40 years. In 2013 Roe V. Wade will have been on the ledgers for about that long and that is also about the time most eschatologist see as the beginning of the 'great tribulation' spearheaded by the dreaded antichrist.

Abortion is taking a chance with America's future. Over twenty times in scripture warnings are given about the shedding of innocent blood. Those warnings speak of dire consequences all the way up to the demise of entire nations. Judgment, calamities, disasters, plagues, civil uprisings and ultimate death are among the list of warnings to those who shed innocent blood. What a chance we are taking that God is not, and that he is not serious about these promises.

In the most recent Pew Research poll that organization declared that what was foremost on the minds of most Americans is the economy. Jobs and terrorism came in second and third and crime was at the bottom of a list of 13 things we consider as top priorities. Abortion didn't make the list which is ample proof that we are being desensitized to one of the worst genocides in world history.

According to scripture our economy is more greatly threatened by our slaughter of the innocents than anyone is willing to admit. The great, timeless and immutable laws of reciprocation say that no one can continually see greater gain at the expense of someone else's right to live. It is sad to think that only the complete demise of our economy could bring us to the pause needed to ascertain this immovable truth.

Many among us still consider it a crime to assault or destroy an unborn baby at any point after conception. Perhaps abortion was included within the crime category of the Pew report but that is not implied. The Bible is not so uncertain. The message of writ is distinct and explicit to the letter. Destroying human life is wrong and there is but one cure for it which will not change until the end of time.

So shalt thou put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the Lord. (De 21:9)

http://www.americanprophet.org has since 2005 featured the articles of Rev Michael Bresciani along with news and reviews that have earned this site the title of The Website for Insight Millions have read his timely reports and articles in online journals and print publications across the nation and the globe.

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Review of Guide to Investing in Gold and Silver - Michael Maloney

2010-02-27T01:00:00.000-08:00

I recently finished reading Mike Maloney's "Guide to Investing In Gold and Silver". Since 2005 Michael Maloney has been Robert Kiyosaki's advisor on investing in precious metals. Mike is not only a very smart person; he is a smart person who understands what is shaping our economy and really cares about how it will affect the middle class. His passion and concern for the average American comes through loud and clear. Reading this book has been a life changing experience.

In this book Mike outlines the history of money, currency and the boom and bust cycles which all currencies go through. He starts with the first currency crash which occurred way back in ancient Greece in the year 680 B.C. From there he gives several historical examples which all prove the same thing, currencies are not real money and they are often used by governments to exploit the value of their citizens' hard labor. Throughout the ages many things have been used as currency including livestock, spices, grain and paper, but only two things have always been real money, gold and silver.

Mike Maloney gives the uninitiated a useful education in the history of economic cycles, how the U.S. government is diluting our money supply and devaluing our currency for it's own benefit and why precious metals are one of the most profitable, easy and safe investments you can make right now. To my surprise I found that although everything Mike says is supported with facts, figures, charts and graphs, the book reads like a mystery novel and I just wanted to keep turning the pages.

The impact of this book lies in its simple yet detailed explanations of how to understand the true value of the Dow when compared to commodities, real estate and precious metals, how to tell where we are in the boom and bust cycles of each and more importantly how you can easily profit from that knowledge.

In times of financial upheaval wealth does not disappear; it just transfers from one group to another. In previous cycles the big players, the banks and the ultra wealthy have benefited. In this economic cycle, wealth will be transferred from the uneducated to the well informed. Right now you can choose to inform yourself and move to the receiving side of the greatest wealth transfer in the history of mankind.

This book contains the kind of financial knowledge that is not taught in our schools. If you fail to educate yourself, what you don't know will hurt you. This book can make a real difference in your future.

I have been fortunate enough to associate myself with a group of well educated investors who have opened my eyes to the possibilities of making good profits during times of financial difficulty. It was my privilege to personally meet Michael Maloney, Peter Schiff, G. Edward Griffin and Marc Bruner at the last conference our investors group held.

I would encourage you to do everything within your power to also associate yourself with a group of knowledgeable investors who are willing to share their experience with you. It is a true statement that wealth rubs off. Spend your time with people who have what you want. Read books like this one that are written by the people who are doing what you want to do.

Tony Measles is a Wealth Creation Specialist
He lives with his wife Lani in Durango, Colorado where he works from home.br> Tony teaches others how to create cash flow and true wealth.

http://www.TonyMeasles.com
http://www.DesignYourDestiny.biz

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Global Warming - Climate Change Has a Long Record of Distortions From the IPCC

2010-02-26T01:00:00.000-08:00

Global warming has been seen more and more as a made up scam to promote climate change. Because of freezing temperatures and widespread cold winters global warming has been referred to as climate change more often. Whatever you want to call it, one of the main reasons for all the controversy is the inaccuracies of the IPCC. The Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change has published as scientific fact many questionable reports.

The problem is that the reports have contained false or incomplete data to sway those in powerful authoritative positions. And the false reports have been becoming a regularity, which is troubling. Consider this. The IPCC published the now infamous "Hockey Stick Graph" showing earth to be warming at an accelerated rate which was later shown to be inaccurate. Also, in January 2001 the IPCC released a report in Shanghai, China saying that the upper range temperature rise would be almost 11 degrees during the next 100 years.

Robert Watson, who was Chairman of the IPCC and a former Clinton science advisor, warned governments to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases in light of the report. In1992 Watson predicted there would be a hole in the ozone layer, caused partially by man, so he is trying to protect the environment. The huge problem with the 11 degree temperature increase prediction is that the computer model used for the report was a seriously flawed one. The scientist had some 245 models but instead of averaging the best ones they chose ONLY ONE.

Why Did They Only Chose One Computer Model?

The reason they only chose one model is because it was the one that showed the highest temperature reading therefore misleading others to believe in global warming. This model was so absurd that it was critically nicknamed the "Toy Model". And get this - it was called the toy model by many in the scientific community. Why? Because even some of them knew it was a joke to use this one model that distorted reality.

To add insult to injury, the "Toy Model" did not use three of the main components of what determines the earth's surface temperature.

Ocean Currents
Thunderstorms
Mountains

The reason these three very important components were not used is because they are most likely to show the earth's surface temperature to be cooler. With a more accurate reading using this data, global warming could not have as easily been used to mislead the public. Furthermore, global warming could not have as easily garnered hundreds of millions of dollars of grants for more research, scandals and corruption.

The IPCC has recently published more reports with more inaccuracies. A Himalayan Mountain report was released by the IPCC that showed a higher temperature reading than what was true. Where do the inaccuracies end? Some corrections to the data have been made after the fact. Wouldn't it be nice to have them be put out right in the first place? Global warming and climate change are cyclical just like global cooling and global freezing - so just let the facts rest by themselves.

http://www.globalfreezing.com

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Lies, Damn Lies and Government Statistics

2010-02-24T01:00:00.000-08:00

Too often, we think the data is straightforward math and simply draws on the underlying data sources. The reality is that it is anything but. The following example will hopefully illustrate the point.

Recently in Washington a rather large number of economists from academia and government met to resolve an issue with data gathering. It has become more serious in the US and has distorted how we value the American economy itself. Central to this issue is how imports into the US are accounted.

For example, when a part for $100 is imported from China and is used in an American automobile... something that happens much more often these days... the stats show that the finished car is American-made because it was assembled in the US. As a result, the US GDP is raised by that same $100 when in fact it should have been deflated by that figure instead. In the process, American workers who might in the past have made the part are no longer doing so and hence a job is lost.

The unemployment data finds the unemployed worker and accounts for him or her, but the car that is assembled does not, and when it is produced and sold as its value makes its way through the system, it appears productivity has risen, when in fact it has not. {False conclusion of data: Fewer workers needed to make a car}

As one of the economists attending that meeting said,

We don't have the data collection structure to capture what is happening in a real-time way, or what is being traded and how it is affecting workers. We have no idea how to measure the occupations being 'offshored' or what is being 'inshore.'

Or as the Assistant Commissioner for International Prices at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (that's a socialist sounding title if I've ever heard one) Mr William Alterman, said regarding the problem:

What we are measuring as productivity gains may in fact be nothing more than changes in trade instead.

This is not an insignificant problem. The US has become much more international in its trading scope. Back in 1975, imports into the US were only 5% of our total economic activity, but in recent years that has swelled to 12%, excluding imports of energy. Thus, many imports into the US are being valued as though they were manufactured here in the US, when indeed they were manufactured abroad and merely assembled here in the US.

In autos, computers, appliances and similar manufacturing industries this is a large and growing problem, but the same is happening in areas of service as well. For example, when an accounting firm out-sources some of its number-crunching to a group in India and then bills the client in the US, the work is done abroad but being recorded as having been done in the US, adding to US GDP when clearly that is not the case. The same scenario plays out in medicine when patient files are sent to India and billed back to the US in US dollars. GDP rises here in the US when it really should have been accounted for in India; productivity goes up; GDP goes up, when in reality neither has happened.

It is important to look at the big picture when analyzing data, especially when assumptions of years past have changed considerably. Just as we adjust for inflation, we need an adjustment for outsourcing our productivity.

Mitch Biggs spent 14 years flying F-15s for the USAF. Then he transitioned to a Fortune 200 company. As a Director, he left and is now semi-retired mentoring aspiring entrepreneurs.

Follow me on Twitter @BizWingman

Please visit my Blog. There is a video that takes you inside the F-15 cockpit on a mission. Pretty Cool!

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Gmail Bans in Iran

2010-02-22T01:00:00.000-08:00

Iran's telecommunications agency has announced the suspension of access to Gmail, the Google email service, in the country, according to the Wall Street Journal website. In a move ahead of Thursday's 31st anniversary of the creation of Iran's Islamic Republic, the national telecoms agency in Tehran said that it will ban Gmail and will instead facilitate its own national email service.

The decision, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, comes just a month after Google threatened to leave China amid concerns that its systems had been attacked by Chinese hackers.

The Iranian announcement is understood to be part of a wider crackdown on opposition protests ahead of today's anniversary, which is likely to bring significant protests from both dissenters and supporters of the Islamic revolution.

The development came amid reports of significant disruptions to internet services across the country in the last week, as well as delays in text messages being sent. It remained unclear as to what impact the announcement had actually had on the Gmail service in the country. YouTube, which is owned by Google, was one of the main ways in which video footage of the protests was beamed around the world.

The web giant said that the decline had happened even though its networks were working properly. Opposition websites have urged major demonstrations on the most important day of the nation's political calendar. Google says its e-mail traffic in Iran has dropped sharply, amid reports access is being restricted for the Islamic Revolution's anniversary. The web giant said that the decline had happened even though its networks were working properly. Opposition websites have urged major demonstrations on the most important day of the nation's political calendar. Iran's police chief said that some activists had been arrested as they prepared for protests. Google said users of its Gmail had experienced difficulties following a newspaper report about official restrictions.

A Google spokesman said: "We have heard from users in Iran that they are having trouble accessing Gmail. We can confirm a sharp drop in traffic and we have looked at our own networks and found that they are working properly.

"Whenever we encounter blocks in our services we try to resolve them as quickly as possibly because we strongly believe that people everywhere should have the ability to communicate freely online. Sadly, sometimes it is not within our control Tehran rally Official events will be held across Iran but the main gathering will be at Tehran's Azadi square, where President Ahmadinejad is expected to speak.

Anti-government websites have urged their supporters to attend the rally too, raising the possibility of a confrontation. Ahead of the commemorations, police chief Esmail Ahmad Moghaddam said the Revolutionary Guards and Basij Islamic militia were ready for any trouble. "We are fully prepared for holding a safe and glorious rally," he told Fars news agency, according to agency. "We are closely watching the activities of the sedition movement and several people who were preparing to disrupt the 11 February rallies were arrested," he said. The anniversary comes a day after the US extended Iranian sanctions, aimed at the Revolutionary Guards. The US Treasury will freeze the assets of a senior Guard commander, as well as four subsidiaries of a construction company he runs. The move follows the announcement by Iran of its Permanent suspension Whenever we encounter blocks in our services we try to resolve them as quickly as possible, this is quoted by a California-based company said in a statement. "Sadly, sometimes it is not within our control.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Iran's telecommunications agency had announced a permanent suspension of Google Inca's e-mail services. Washington - which on Wednesday extended sanctions against Tehran - said any efforts to keep information from Iranians would fail. US state department spokesman PJ Crowley said: "Virtual walls won't work in the 21st century any better than physical walls worked in the 20th century. The 31st anniversary of the revolution could see protests from opposition supporters who say last June's re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was rigged. Opposition leaders Mir Hussein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi have called on their supporters to rally on Thursday. Anti-government websites have urged marchers to display green emblems or clothes - the colour adopted by the opposition movement after the disputed election. Fatal violence erupted after the poll, and sporadically since then. The micro-blogging site Twitter and other social networking sites were used extensively during the post-election protests.

Ejaz Alamone is an associated author with India next and provides more information about these issues. World News.

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The Party of Know - A New Republican Mantra For 2010

2010-02-20T01:00:00.000-08:00

The GOP has taken on the persona of being the party of no. The majority party, currently the Democratic Party, sets the agenda, chooses committee leaders and controls the schedule. Consequently, the party out of power is subjugated to primarily obstructing bills with which they disagree. Conservative candidates should retake the GOP and become the party of "know." Know what works and know why it works. Know what fails and understand why it fails. Then apply that knowledge reasonably and respectfully.

Abraham Lincoln, our first Republican president, provided the impetus to push the agenda of "know" when he posed the following questions: "What is conservatism? Is it not adherence to the old and tried against the new and untried?" The message of conservatism is to maximize personal responsibility and limit the role of government. Conservative Americans already have a political party; it simply needs direction and definition. Many of these concepts are described and explained in my book "7 Life Lessons You Should Know." Government programs should exist to catch you when you fall and praise when you win, not the other way around.

The U.S. economy does not need to be reinvented. It needs to be represented by new members of Congress who know how to enthusiastically reintroduce the concepts that raised this nation from an indentured servant status to a world superpower in just over one century. After the American Revolution, our form of government was called a great experiment by the rest of the world. Self-governance is no longer an experiment; it is now a conclusion, having been independently reproduced again and again. Americans are rejecting the hope of crisis management. We are eager for a renewal of freedom, prosperity and opportunity.

America deserves to be represented by knowledgeable business leaders, warriors, accountants and proven problem-solvers. These people must be judged on their ideas. Are they solution-based or power-based? We need solutions, not more problem-containment.

Not long ago the Republican Party was in the position of having control of Congress and the White House. They had a chance to improve health care and strengthen our economy and they blew it, spending their political capital expanding government services in an attempt to bribe future voters. Know that the wasted effort did not work then and it will not work now. Earn the respect and confidence of the American people and we will give you our votes. You will not have to bribe or beg for support.

Define the issue and solve the problem and watch as the professional politicians in both parties scramble to get out of the way. Know that they will be scrambling because the truth of their mishandling of government responsibilities will have been revealed.

Know that the dilemma is to draw a line below which no American will have to live and above which any citizen may compete and prosper. When that line is too low, the poorest among us suffer. If it is positioned too high it will discourage vigorous effort from too many.

I believe in our system of government. Unfortunately many of us have forgotten that the American voters are a vital part of that system. We are in essence the control panel and without direction, any system will eventually spin out of control. Our representative republic is the epitome of the acronym GIGO: Garbage In, Garbage Out. Take out the garbage and embrace the party of know.

Todd Lester's career has spanned across many years and numerous industries. He has been registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and licensed to sell investments and insurance, worked as a retail manager, turned wrenches as an automotive mechanic, served cubicle time as an office manager and even owned his own business for many years restoring car interiors. And that is just since graduating college with a Finance degree. During much of this time, he was also a citizen soldier, serving twenty one years in the Army National Guards of both Louisiana and Texas as an Army bandsman. He has even performed as a clown with the Shrine Circus.

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Dumbocracy - Adventures With the Loony Left, The Rabid Right and Other American Idiots

2010-02-19T01:00:00.000-08:00

Dumbocracy: Adventures with the Loony Left, the Rabid Right, and Other American Idiots
, Marty Beckerman, 2008, ISBN 9781934708064

The author spent four years visiting with political extremists on both sides of the spectrum. These are people who believe in nothing less than total victory for their side. Most Americans are moderates on the issues, but, for instance, pro-life and anti-war activists still see things as very black and white.

Beckerman discovered a lot of interesting things in his travels. Betty Friedan, founder of the National Organization for Women, compared American housewives to the millions who walked to their own death in the concentration camps. Those on the Right blame homosexuality for the destruction of American society, but just over half of Americans think of homosexuality as an acceptable life-style. Texas A&M University requires that all faculty members celebrate and promote homosexuality.

It would be a much better country if women did not vote. That is simply a fact.--Ann Coulter. The American Institute for Philanthropy has ranked MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) as one of the most corrupt and least effective charities in the country. In 2006, the California Supreme Court allowed authorities to break into citizens' homes anytime--without a warrant--to check their blood alcohol levels. A legislator in Missouri compared biology teachers to terrorists, for teaching evolution. Environmental activists have demanded control over citizens' home thermostats, threatened to spy on those who do not recycle and suggested that governments should intelligently reduce human populations to one-sixth their present number.

In 2006, the Bush Administration joined with Iran to ban a gay-rights group from addressing the United Nations. In 2004, Canada officially banned criticism of homosexuality, which is now punishable by up to five years in prison. Also in 2006, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that forcing drug suspects to consume laxatives, in order to find drugs in their digestive tracts, is not an unreasonable search. In the 1990's, a Republican member of Congress proposed mandating the death penalty for all drug dealers. When his son was convicted of growing thirty marijuana plants, he received community service, not a lethal injection. Neither side has a monopoly on hatred of free speech.

This is the sort of book that will be thrown across the room by True Believers on both sides (sometimes those are the best kind of books). For everyone else, it is an excellent, and eye opening, look at the state of politics in America. It is very much worth reading.

Paul Lappen is a freelance book reviewer whose website, http://www.deadtreesreview.com, has over 700 reviews on all subjects, with an emphasis on small press books.

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Progressivism Equals Socialism Or Worse - Communism Or Fascism? What's Up With That?

2010-02-17T01:00:00.000-08:00

Bewildered by what is happening to the United States of America? Are these the last days of America as we know it? Consider that since the autumn of 2008 the federal government has taken over or taken control of 30% of all private enterprise profits in the U.S. You say, come on, that really did not occur or could not occur in the U.S. Well did you know the feds effectively took over the banking system, the insurance companies and two major car companies (GM and Chrysler)? The (so far) attempted take over of the entire health care system (which is 1/6th of our economy just by itself) would add another 18% private business profits takeover. Moreover, the Cap and Trade bill that passed the House of Representative in 2009 and is pending in the U.S. Senate, would add an additional 8%. That would get it up to 56% of private business wealth controlled by the feds. The student loan program is on deck at the Senate as the House already passed it. All of this was unimaginable just 18 months ago.

Before this historic takeover started, the federal government already controlled about 20% of the entire economy. This via various programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Food Stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Federal Housing Assistance-loan payment subsidies and rental subsidies, Home Energy Assistance and the list goes on and on. One can easily say we are already at least a quasi-socialist country. Progressives want the so called "progress" of more and more of the federal government controlling our economy. Will the U.S. survive such an overhaul? At this point it seems unlikely, especially given the already crushing, unsustainable U.S. debt. The current Administration and Congress seem to be employing the Cloward and Piven strategy. David Horowitz aptly explains the strategy as: "The strategy of forcing political change through orchestrated crisis. The "Cloward and Piven" strategy seeks to hasten the fall of capitalism by overloading the bureaucracy with a flood of impossible demands, thus pushing society into crisis and economic collapse." They said this would allow "for major economic reform at the national level." In other words, collapse the system in order to rebuild it the way they want. Me thinks into a dictatorship because after all under the progressives philosophy, the elitist know what is best for us. We, the people, are just too stupid to know what is in our best interest.

Fascism is essentially a heavy-handed, strong central government that extensively regulates private businesses and corporations. One could argue we are nearly there now or there is not much time left to avert it. With the almost impossible yearly deficits and mounting U.S. debt, the Cloward and Piven strategy appears to be alive and well. The natural "progression" after the collapse would be toward communism (can you say power grab?) with the necessary redistribution of property and wealth so there is more economic equality for everyone. Economic egalitarianism without much regard for individual efforts or reward for individual hard work. Demise from within the U.S as often predicted. We can see if before our very eyes.

Please, please wake up America - it is still not too late!

Jim Holiway is an online entrepreneur who writes about online businesses and other issues. Check out the Articles Index from the menu at his Social Network website athttp://www.Workathomespacebook.Com for numerous articles on many great topics.

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Health Care Reform Looks to Create Tighter Age Bands - Do You Know What That Means?

2010-02-15T01:00:00.000-08:00

The health reform debate in Washington has been confusing and contentious. There are many theories floating around about why that is, but it boils down to one central issue. There are no easy, everyone wins, answers in addressing the rising cost in health care. As a result, the American people have been fed a steady diet of concepts that are easy to understand, and half truths. Instead of debating the nuances of building a better health delivery and payment system, the choices are "government between you and your doctor", or "heartless, greedy insurance companies leaving people to die". Case in point, the concept of requiring all health plans to tighten the age bands on insurance premiums.

Insurance companies set premium rates based on risk. For instance, we all know how expensive auto insurance can be for a 16 year old boy. Put him into a brand new Ford Mustang, the premium climbs even higher. As that 16 year old gets older, holds a clean driving record, the price drops every year. Health insurance on the individual market often works the same way, only in reverse. Young, healthy adults have access to affordable health insurance, although they will see the cost go up as they get older.

Some States already have limits on how much premiums can increase, although most States do not. Even if there is never a significant claim against a health insurance policy, the premium could increase to five times the initial amount just based on increasing age. That really rubs a lot of policy holders the wrong way, and makes buying a policy for an individual in their 50's rather expensive. President Obama spoke to this point when talking about folks who are discouraged from starting a small business, or retiring early because of health care premiums.

How is it fair that an insurance company can push a premium up on a policy holder who has been faithfully paying for years at the very time of their life they may actually need to make a claim? The solution for this in health reform is to tighten the age bands. An insurance company can only charge it's oldest customers 3 times the amount it does for it's youngest customers. The House bill even had only 2 times the amount. Sounds reasonable, but there is a reason that this is not a major talking point in defending the health reform bill. The young and healthy will be paying more.

Is this the right thing to do? Tough to say, good arguments can be made for both sides. Why should we have our young adults paying more for health insurance that they most likely will not even need? They have enough financial pressures. Low paying, entry level positions, school loans, and maybe saving up to buy that first car or house. Access to health care is not the only factor in good health. A young person's limited budget may be better spent on fresh vegetables, fruit, or a gym membership. No question we all need health coverage for that "what if", but how much should we expect a young person to spend on insurance to cover that "what if", when it most likely will be a "never happened"? As it stands now, we have young people forgoing insurance. Could we actually exasperate this problem by driving the cost even higher?

Instead of having the debate though, many in Washington have decided to side step the discussion. Supporters of reform try to insinuate that the higher premium charged for those in their 50's is pure profit for insurance companies, and opponents of reform don't want to acknowledge the fact that many older Americans are simply getting priced out of coverage. Neither one of these approaches really acknowledges the whole truth.

The best way to view health reform is to look at the merits of the individual pieces. Just think of the progress that could have been made in the last year if lawmakers spent their time explaining how the different parts of the legislation actually worked. Instead of having a confused, uncertain electorate, Washington would have a clear idea of what the American people do, and do not support. Perhaps lawmakers already do know what Americans want, and it comes in a perfect silver bullet that does not exist. I suspect it will be back to the games.

David Kikta
http://www.HealthCaresIllinois.com

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The Principles of Liberty - Principle 5

2010-02-13T01:00:00.000-08:00

"All Things Were Created by God, Therefore upon Him All Mankind are Equally Dependent, and to Him They are Equally Responsible."

The Founders vigorously affirm throughout their writings that the foundation of all reality is the existence of the Creator who is the designer of all things in nature and the promulgator of all the laws that govern nature.

The Founders were in harmony with John Locke who said that a person who calls himself an 'atheist' is merely confessing that he has never dealt with the issue of the Creator's existence. Therefore Locke would say that an Atheist is out of touch with the most important and fundamental reality.

John Locke insists that everyone can know that there is a divine Creator. With Descartes each person can say "Cogito ergo sum'. With God, each person can say, "I AM!" Further more, each person knows that he is something. And something cannot be produced by nothing. Therefore what brought man and everything else into existence had to be something. In order for all of this organizing and arranging to be as such that it is, the Organizer would have to be all-knowing. The something would therefore have to be superior to everything which had resulted from this effort.

Locke taught that the Creator must be a cogitative being since man is cogitative. And that a non-cogitative being like a rock could never have produced a cogitative being like a man. Locke also taught that the Creator would reflect a sense of right and wrong, and a sense of indignation for violation of the law.

The American Founding Fathers agreed with Locke. They considered this truth as the most fundamental premise underlying ALL self-evident truth.

The Founding Fathers also relied on the writings of William Blackstone when it came to their foundation on God's revealed law. He stated that the will of God which is expressed in the orderly nature of the universe is called "the law of nature' and there are laws for human nature just as surely as they exist for the rest of the universe.

The Founders looked at the Creator as both intelligent and benevolent, and anxious and able to respond to people's petitions when they are deserving of needed blessings and engaged in a good cause.

Charles Bracelen Flood discovered in his research that during the Revolutionary War that there were at least sixty-seven desperate moments that George Washington acknowledged that he would have suffered disaster had not the hand of God intervened in behalf of the struggle for Independence. James Madison also acknowledged the hand of God during the Constitutional Convention.

We can now see that the Founders were quite sincere when they adopted the motto "In God we trust." And it is also now clear why they required all witnesses who testify to take an oath and swear before God that they will tell the truth.

In closing, a note from Tocqueville "A presiding judge remarked that he had not before been aware that there was a man living who did not believe in the existence of God; that this belief constituted the sanction (in law, that which gives binding force) of all testimony in a court of justice; and that he knew of no case in a Christian country where a witness had been permitted to testify without such belief."

In order to protect liberty, we must elect those who have a belief in God, specifically, that our rights are given by the Creator, therefore, our rights must be protected and not trampled on by man. We should not delegate to government rights that we do not have. We cannot force everyone to believe exactly as we do, and we should not empower the government to rob others on our behalf in anyway.

Charity Angel is an author,singer, political activist, small business owner, and an online business coach. Find more of her thoughts Here.

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Exploring America - History Curriculum For High School Homeschoolers

2010-02-12T01:00:00.000-08:00

Finding a good history curriculum for high school was one of the greatest challenges I faced when I was being homeschooled. It seemed like most of the good history books stop at the Civil War or World War II. What about modern history? It's hard to find a history book from a Christian perspective about modern history. Have you run into this problem, too? This difficulty has been overcome with a high school history curriculum from Notgrass Company. Exploring America by Ray Notgrass is an amazing curriculum that is exciting as well as educational. It begins with Christopher Columbus and ends at the present time. Each day is broken up into short concise lessons.

Sometimes history books seem to make the exciting events sound like nothing more than boring facts, Mr. Notgrass has an engaging writing style that makes the events come to life. There are also daily assignments that encourage the students to dig deeper. Sometimes they will read a document, speech, or hymn from American Voices, which is a 400+ page companion book that comes with the curriculum. Other times they will look up relevant Bible verses and also memorize verses. Writing assignments (including writing a research paper) are also part of the assignments. Students who finish the course will have three credits, one in history, one in English, and one in Bible. How's that for hitting 3 birds with one stone?

This book is essential for every high school student and will give them the tools to take an in-depth look at American history from a Biblical perspective. If you are looking for a really good American history high school curriculum look no further. Exploring America has filled a big gap in the history curriculum for homeschoolers. Exploring America is the best high school curriculum for American history I have ever seen! I wish it had been around when I was in high school.

Exploring America by Ray Notgrass

Reviewed by Amy Puetz

Do you want really exciting history with accurate facts presented in an interesting way? Uncover Exciting History: Revealing America's Christian Heritage in Short, Easy-to-Read Nuggets by Amy Puetz offers a snapshot view of America's history from Columbus to World War II. Each chapter is short and easy to read. Find out more at http://www.AmyPuetz.com

Amy Puetz is a homeschool graduate, a self-taught historian, and a servant of Jesus Christ. History has been a passion for her since childhood. Years of in-depth study (both in modern and old sources) have equipped her to write historical books. She especially loves to dig for little-known stories that show God's providential hand.

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Ronald Regan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine

2010-02-10T01:00:00.000-08:00

This voice from the past speaks even more potently as the reality of what it warns against becomes more and more imminent.

Gold and the New Standard

2010-02-08T01:00:00.001-08:00

It's a beautiful thing to behold. It represents scarcity, value, glory and prestige but most of all it represents stability. As these months pass, more and more of my friends who thought I was nuts for suggesting we return to a commodity backed currency over our inflationary, prone to radical abuse monetary system are beginning to seriously consider what was once out of the question - gold.

We are at a precipice today; what was once considered the 'good as gold' greenback is now the least risky of all other currencies denominations, but least risky by no means implies secure and stable. The time has come when real alternatives have to be considered.

The benefit of having one is that it is fully transparent and as a consequence self-correcting since the marketplace controls its value, not a minority of 'masters of the universe' central bankers.

Under a gold standard, governments cannot increase the money supply without buying the equivalent value in gold.

A gold standard is not fool proof. There is the risk of deflation but that was a problem before the era of lightning speed electronic transactions and down to the decimal accounting and limited mining capabilities.

Whatever we do, we have to accept the fact that the Federal Reserve does not perform its function as was intended upon being signed into law under The Federal Reserve Act on December 23rd 1913. Here's a quote on what then President Woodrow Wilson wrote the day he signed it - keep in mind that many question its complete authenticity but having read the history so thoroughly, I believe it is authentic and is ironically verified in the congressional record as authentic.

"I am a most unhappy man. I have unwittingly ruined my country. A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit. Our system of credit is concentrated. The growth of the nation, therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men. We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated Governments in the civilized world no longer a Government by free opinion, no longer a Government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a Government by the opinion and duress of a small group of dominant men." -Woodrow Wilson 1913

As ominous as that sounds, consider what President Thomas Jefferson warned about central banking back in 1791. The authenticity of this quote is complete:

"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. Already they have raised up a money aristocracy that has set the government at defiance. This issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people to whom it properly belongs. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of the moneyed corporations which already dare to challenge our Government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country" Thomas Jefferson, 1791

All the nations of the world who have sold out their liberty for the false sense of security provided by fiat based currencies in the exclusive control of central bankers need to consider alternatives; gold is only one, if there are others, I'd love to hear them and discuss it openly.

Peter Manousakos

Publisher & Editorial Director

Horus Onoma Group inc.
http://www.horusonoma.com

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Book Review - The Flow of Time and Money

2010-02-06T01:00:00.000-08:00

There are lots of books in the world about the economy, about the need to have more income as a protection against hard and lean times. There are books that toll bells of financial doom and others that try to educate. But very few tell you how to get from here to there.

Dr. Lloyd Watts, in his book*, "The Flow of Time and Money...how to create a full and prosperous life,"
tells you how to transition from Middle Class to Financially Independent.

What could be simpler than understanding that the transition from Middle Class to Financially Independent is to:

"...Pay Yourself First, Accumulate Capital, Buy Assets that produce Passive Income, until that Passive Income equals your expenses...." and to do this you:
"...find out that changing your flow of money requires effort, self-education, and consistent daily action toward long-term goals. All of these relate to how you manage your time...."

This is where Dr. Watts' book diverges from the others. He gives clear and concise diagrams and explanations for the flow of money - how the average middle class person's income comes in and goes out in expenses - and the flow of time - how the average middle class person's time is set but goes out in "expenses" related to income. It actually all makes sense, especially when you look at his simple leaky bucket diagrams.

Dr. Watts also shows how altering the flow of time and money can transition you from middle class to financially independent. Changing the flow of money to include passive income gradually eliminates the need for a job which has a direct impact on the flow of time - what you do with your time.

A theme I find in this book is the idea of leaving a legacy. He says in his section on The Flow of Life:

"...It's no coincidence that Time and Money have the same structural form...Some people call it Life Energy, or Life...But, if they are really the same thing, how does one get converted into the other? The poor and middle class do it the easy way. They spend their time working for money, and their employer does the conversion for them...We get our 168 hours/week, which is spent sleeping, eating, bathing, watching TV, commuting and working. Our employer pays us for that work, and we spend money on taxes, food, shelter, entertainment and toys. At the end of a life, what do we have to show for it?...."

Dr. Watts is obviously a bit of a philosopher. Although his book is short and to the point, it invites thought and contemplation. He takes us from a discussion of the flow of money and time and how we can transition from middle class to financially independent - and how to get there - but also he concludes with what I call Life Questions:

"...there is more to life than just financial success. Other important aspects of a person's life can include their relationships, health, spirituality, artistic endeavors, community service, contribution to the world, etc. Ultimately, we may ask what kind of a legacy have we left behind...."
"...Try asking yourself this question: 'What is the biggest problem in people's daily lives that I can meaningfully address?'...Help even one person solve a problem, and you make a difference to that person. If you can generalize your solution method and share it with a lot of people, you will make a contribution to the world...."

I find that this book hits at a good time, given the current global economy and the fact that millions of Baby Boomers are beginning to ask those legacy-type of questions of themselves. Understanding where we are financially and understanding how that standing effects how we spend our time is valuable information. Add to that Dr. Watts' explanation of how to get from middle class to financially independent and what that would do to how we spend our time gives us some ammunition to change our situation.

A thought that just occurred to me - in my parents' day, their goal wasto be middle class. They wanted nothing more than the comfort of a house, at least the one car, a steady paycheck and food on the table. Now, we can't even be sure we can keep the house we have, cars are expensive to keep and maintain, our paychecks are no longer a sure thing and food prices are continually rising. Dr. Watts' book comes at a good time.

*To learn more about Dr. Watts and his book, "The Flow of Time and Money" go to http://www.lloydwatts.com/

Linda C Smith, author and owner of a home-based business. I write a business blog at http://intlnat.comwhere you can also find links to my business. My joy in business is sharing my passion for my products as well as showing others how they can enjoy the benefits of a home business.

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Famous Filibusters in Political History

2010-02-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

The filibuster as a political delaying tactic has been a part of the American political process since the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. Though it was not used in the early years of the nation, the filibuster has been used hundreds of times since the 1840's. Here are a few of the famous filibusters from our political history.

The U.S. Constitution does not limit the length or nature of debate on the floors of the Senate or the House of Representatives. The House has since adopted rules which limit the length of debate since the House has a very large number of Representatives. But the smaller Senate has always upheld the right of a recognized Senator to debate an issue for as long as he or she wishes to hold the floor. Senate Rule 19 and Rule 22, the cloture rule adopted in 1917, create some guidelines for conducting a debate and for closing the debate when it becomes lengthy.

Senator Henry Clay

In 1841 Senator Henry Clay proposed a bank bill that was opposed by Senator John C. Calhoun who began a lengthy, seemingly unending, rebuttal. Calhoun basically created the modern filibuster. Clay threatened to change the Senate rules in order to close debate on the issue. Clay's colleague, Thomas Hart Benton, rebuked Clay and accused him of trying to stifle the Senate's right to unlimited debate.

Through the next few turbulent decades and into the 1960's the filibuster was used often by Southern Democrats to block civil rights legislation. The filibuster had been seen by the minority party as a tool to combat the potential "tyranny of the majority," but the frequent usage of the filibuster by the Southern Democrats became characterized as the "tyranny of the minority."

Senate Rule 22

President Woodrow Wilson suggested that some limits be placed on the unlimited debate concept. In 1917 the Senate adopted Senate Rule 22, now known as the "cloture" rule. The new Rule 22 provided the mechanism to close out debate on a legislative bill and bring the bill up for a vote if cloture was approved by 67% of the Senate. The 67% requirement remained in effect until 1975 when Rule 22 was amended to allow a 60% agreement to invoke cloture.

Cloture Rule 22 was tested in 1919 when the Senate was asked to ratify the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War I. The treaty was debated and filibustered, but a 67% majority voted to end the filibuster and to bring the treaty to a vote.

Senator Huey Long

Senator Huey Long, the fiery and colorful senator from Louisiana, made the filibuster famous between 1932 and 1935 when he utilized it several times to stall legislation that he considered unfair to the poor. Long frustrated his opponents and entertained the Senate gallery by reading Shakespeare, reciting shrimp and oyster recipes and talking about "pot-likkers." An amendment to Senate Rule 19 later required that debate on legislation be germane to the issue being debated.

On June 12, 1935, Senator Long engaged in his most famous filibuster. A bill was before the Senate to eliminate the provision for the Senate to confirm senior National Recovery Act employees. Senator Long opposed the bill because he didn't want his political adversaries in Louisiana to obtain lucrative N.R.A. jobs. Senator Long spoke for 15 hours and 30 minutes running well into the evening and early morning hours with senators dozing at their desks. Long read and analyzed each section of the Constitution, a document which he claimed had become "ancient and forgotten lore" under President Roosevelt's New Deal.

After the reading of the Constitution Senator Long offered to give advice to the remaining senators on any subject of their choosing. No senator took Long up on his offer but the gallery patrons began sending notes to the floor for Senator Long to extemporize on. That kept Long going into the early hours of the morning. At 4 a.m. Long yielded the floor in order to use the restroom and his proposal was defeated.

James Stewart brought more fame to the filibuster when he played the role of Senator Jefferson Smith in the 1939 film, "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." Stewart's character launched into a filibuster in response to an attempt to ridicule him.

Senator Wayne Morse

Senator Wayne Morse from Oregon was called "The Tiger of the Senate" and served in the Senate under 5 Presidents. In 1952 Senator Morse left the Republican Party, claiming independent status, when he objected to sections of the party platform and Dwight Eisenhower's choice of Richard Nixon as his vice presidential running mate. Senator Morse claimed that the Republican Party had left him.

On April 24, 1953, Senator Morse began to filibuster against Tidelands Oil legislation. He kept the floor for 22 hours and 26 minutes, breaking the filibuster record of 18 hours held by his mentor, Wisconsin Senator Robert La Follette.

Senator Morse is remembered through numerous colorful stories. For example, Clare Booth Luce, former U.S. Senator and Ambassador to Italy had to resign her appointment when she made the insulting but funny remark that her problems with Senator Morse began when he was kicked in the head by a horse.

Senator Strom Thurmond

About 9 p.m. on August 28, 1957, Senator Strom Thurmond rose before the Senate and announced, "Mr. President, I rise to speak against the so-called voting rights bill, H.R. 6127." His own staff had not been informed about Senator Thurmond's intentions to filibuster the bill, but they knew something was up when they saw Thurmond gathering considerable reading material.

Senator Thurmond had prepared himself for a long filibuster on the Senate floor. Earlier in the day he had spent time in the Senate steam room, dehydrating himself so that he would absorb all the water he drank without having to visit the restroom. His wife packed a steak sandwich lunch for him and she stayed in the family gallery throughout the night. Thurmond brought a quantity of malted milk tablets and throat lozenges from his office.

Senator Thurmond began his filibuster by reading each state's election statutes. He later read and discussed an opinion by Chief Justice Taft. He also read and discussed the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and Washington's Farewell Address. His staff, concerned for Senator Thurmond's health, was finally successful in getting him to leave the floor.

After 24 hours and 18 minutes, a record that still stands, Senator Thurmond concluded his remarks with, "I expect to vote against the bill." The bill was defeated.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964

On June 10, 1964, Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia finished his address begun on the previous day, slightly more than 14 hours earlier. He filibustered against the Civil Rights Act of 1964, an act which was debated by Byrd and others for 57 working days, including 6 Saturdays.

Senate President Hubert Humphrey from Minnesota needed 67 votes to be able to carry the motion for cloture. Minority Leader Senator Everett Dirksen, the always eloquent senator from Illinois procured the Republican votes necessary to pass the cloture motion. "Stronger than all the armies is an idea whose time has come," he said. "The time has come for equality of opportunity in sharing in government, in education, and in employment. It will not be stayed or denied. It is here!"

The final roll call vote on cloture resulted in 71 votes in favor and 29 votes opposed. It was the first time in history that cloture had been invoked on civil rights legislation. The 1964 Civil Rights Act was the most sweeping of its kind in our history.

Justice Abe Fortas

In June of 1968 Chief Justice Earl Warren notified President Lyndon Johnson that he would be retiring from the Supreme Court. This move gave President Johnson time to nominate a successor since he was not planning to seek re-election as President. Johnson nominated Associate Justice Abe Fortas to replace Warren. At the same time Johnson nominated Texas Appeals Court Justice Homer Thornberry to replace Fortas, a move that was designed to satisfy southern senators.

President Johnson counted on Senators Everett Dirksen and Richard Russell for their support of the nomination. When Abe Fortas testified at his own confirmation hearing, an unprecedented occurrence, it was revealed that Fortas worked uncomfortably closely with the White House staff and the President. Later it was learned that Fortas was being paid a large sum, privately, to teach an American University summer course. At this point Dirksen, Russell, and other senators withdrew their support.

Though the committee recommended confirmation of Justice Abe Fortas, a filibuster ensued on the Senate floor to block his confirmation, the first filibuster in Senate history on a Supreme Court nomination. On October 1, 1968, the Senate was unable to tally the 67 votes needed to invoke cloture and President Johnson withdrew the nomination.

The use of the filibuster has increased from 16 filibusters in the 19th century to 66 in the first half of the 20th century to 195 in the period from 1970 to 1995. It is likely that the filibuster will continue to play an important role in the American political process.

Garry Gamber is a public school teacher. He writes articles about politics, real estate, health and nutrition, and internet dating services. He is a founding member of http://www.GoodPoliticsRadio.com and the owner ofhttp://www.TheDatingAdvisor.com

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President Obama Admits He is a Muslim

2010-02-03T01:00:00.002-08:00

Could his Muslim faith be the reason he is so soft on terrorism? Why the underwear bomber has been given his Miranda Rights? And why the Administration wants to have Khalid Sheikh Mohammad tried in a New York Federal Court?

Did President Obama lie to the people of America from the beginning with regard to his faith? There is great temptation to lie when you are running for president and your country is at war with Muslim extremists. Is he just paying the people of America lip service? Do you want a man who will lie to you to be your president?

http://www.pippoproducts.com/linkexchange.html

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs - Where Do We Find Them? Is President Obama on Track?

2010-02-01T01:00:00.000-08:00

We anticipated, waited, and listened intently to President Obama's State of the Union address to Congress. There is no question the President inherited a recession and near economic disaster. But he has been in office for over a year now and we all expected some positive results on employment - especially when the administration promised a net increase of 3.5 million jobs for $787,000,000,000 - the cost of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The fact is, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we have 5.2 million fewer people working at the beginning of 2010 compared to the beginning of 2009.

The administration's own report towards the end of last year (before they stopped issuing monthly reports) stated that 640,000 jobs were added or saved last year because of ARRA. If that was correct, then it cost the taxpayers a little over $1.2 million per job. To be fair, many ARRA projects are just getting underway, so if the projected 3.5 million jobs are actually added or saved then those jobs would "only" cost $225,000 a piece. Still an outrageous amount (if they materialize)!

Yet even the smaller jobs created/saved number for last year is suspect. Here in Colorado, for an example, Teletech reported last year that they added 4,231 new jobs from an ARRA contract award. That number was subsequently reduced to 635 full-time jobs because the rest of the jobs were temporary - less than two month - jobs. It was further reduced to only 34, because 601 jobs were actually added in other states. This places all of the administration's jobs numbers in question.

The government is very good at creating jobs for one (industry) in particular - the government, both federal and local. But this is exactly where we do not want jobs added, since our national debt is sky-high and rising, and most states are running massive deficits. We need jobs added in private tax-paying enterprises - hiring tax paying citizens.

So how do we start the new (meaningful) jobs engine? Like most Americans, I want our President to succeed - because as noted in the State of the Union address, it's not an I win, you lose - you win, I lose game we want to play. If the administration gets it right we all benefit. The President is correct to focus on small businesses, which have accounted for two-thirds of our job growth over the past 15 years and contribute one-half of our gross domestic product. His plans for tax credits and a shift of $30 billion to community banks for small business financing seem to be on track, but this should not have taken a year of pain and citizen uproar to enact. His freeze on all budgets of the executive branch (excluding Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Defense, and Education) amounts to nothing more than a pinprick in the massive federal deficit.

What the President was spot on in his address, is the need for more and better education. We must bring back an emphasis on math and science to maintain our position vis-à-vis other economically powerful countries. Pell grants and other student loan guarantees are needed, but the "forgiveness" of student loans after 20 years seems more like a slight-of-hand. If the government wants to contribute to higher education, grant the money up front for successfully completing courses - not some complicated scheme of writing off loans down the road. What does that teach our students? And we as a country (politically correct or not) need to realize that not everyone wants, or has the aptitude for, a four year university education. That it should be perfectly acceptable for people to elect to be trained in a trade - and encouraged like they do in Europe and other parts of the world. These students need access to government guaranteed loans to develop these meaningful careers, as well.

Women are now getting 2 out of 3 college degrees and outnumber men on campuses. It is projected to further intensify in the next decade, with women getting 3 out of 4 degrees. Women are now one-half of the workforce and start two-thirds of all new small businesses. So naturally the President must include women's groups in his small business planning initiatives - and as he noted in his address, get women the equal pay they deserve.

The President, we hope, will keep pushing these promised (new) initiatives until they become law. And not lose sight of the focus the people have demanded - jobs, jobs, and jobs!

Richard S. Pearson is the Author of 5 Necessary Skills to Keep Your Career on Track. He has held vice-president positions with four multibillion dollar travel industry companies and three Internet early stage companies. He has a BA degree from Regis University in Organizational Development. His experience has given him a unique perspective on how to navigate the organizational structures of both large and small companies. He has hired and trained hundreds of employees from frontline salespeople to vice presidents, and coached many through their careers. He is currently working on facilitating the large increase of travel between the US and China, which is taking place.http://www.5necessaryskills.com

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The US is Not Exempt From Terrorism

2010-01-30T01:00:00.000-08:00

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
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